KSTM Newsletter February 2026

February will be a busy month with many different activities occurring and have included a few highlights below. For a full list of all activities and announcements, please be sure to check the KSTM website found here for upcoming events, the staff directory, and other important information. https://www.ops.org/kingscience

Important Reminders and Upcoming Events:

• Reminder there is No School on Friday, February 13th or Monday, February 16th, 2026. On Friday, staff will be participating in a district wide Professional Development day and Monday is President's day.
  
• There is a LATE START professional development morning on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. There will be NO breakfast served at school. School starts that morning at 9:40am, and students may enter the building at 9:10am.
• There is an NJHS Fundraiser happening this month! NJHS will be selling Candy Grams from Monday, February 2 to Tuesday, February 10 during all four lunches. Students may purchase them for $1.00 each. Each purchase can be sent to a different person and comes with a heart-shaped lollipop and a note. There will be 3 different templates to choose from. All Candy Grams will be delivered on February 12 during 7/8 block.
• Next week is National School Counseling week! We have an amazing staff at KSTM in our Counseling and Social Worker department - if you have moment, reach out and thank them for their service to KSTM and our community!
• If you are interested in your student attending homework help or high dosage tutoring at KSTM, reach out to Nicole Benson - Nicole.Benson@ops.org or call at 531-299-7030 for more information regarding Tutoring at KSTM.

#KSTMPROUD,

Jane Laughlin

Principal

KSTM 8th Grade Student Council has selected the themes for an upcoming SPIRIT WEEK at KSTM. Here are the themes:

• Monday- February 9th = Pajama Day
• Tuesday - February 10th = Perfect Pair (Twin Day)
• Wednesday - February 11th = RED FLAG (wear red or shirt with your toxic traits - school appropriate of course)
• Thursday - February 12th = Cupid's Colors (wear pink, red, and white)
• No School on Friday, February 13th

For the end of Quarter 2, we took a moment to recognize students for their Quarter 1 accomplishments. Students that were recognized are on track with their grade level course work, are in regular attendance and have zero Code of Conduct Violations. Bravo students, keep up the outstanding achievements!

Middle schools across our district are strengthening students’ experience to better ensure all students are reading on grade level and prepared for success. These years are critical for young people to build strong reading and writing skills.

We are acting on student, staff and family feedback to deliver:

· More frequent teaching on reading and math through an updated class schedule, with both subjects most days and rotating longer periods mid-week

· A stronger focus on reading and writing across classes

· Academic support through reading and math intervention and extension time during the school day

· Consistent access to elective choices in the arts, STEM, and career exploration that include work on reading and writing

The schedule shift will be implemented in the 2026-27 school year. These efforts are to give students more consistent, high-quality learning across all middle schools, so every student feels supported, challenged, and prepared for high school and beyond. Families are critical partners, and we wanted to share this information directly as we begin planning as a staff team.

We are grateful for your continued partnership.

We want to express our gratitude to everyone who supports students coming to school every day, on time, and ready to learn.

Thank you to our students and families for making daily attendance a priority. Thank you to our wonderful teachers who pour their energy into making each classroom an exciting place for exploration and knowledge, so children do not want to miss learning. Thank you to our support staff and community volunteers who provide the extra hands and attention our children need.

It takes an average of three days for students to catch up for every one day of being absent. Students who miss less than nine days throughout the school year will attain the goal of missing less than 5% of the entire school year.

Attention Students and Families: There are 415 minutes in the school day, and every minute counts! Tardies to class disrupt the classroom, interrupt the lesson, and put students at risk of falling behind. These reminders started on Monday, September 15th and will go out daily. The school will send daily emails to parents and guardians of students who were tardy to one or more classes. BE RESPONSIBLE, WILDCATS! Get to class on time.

📚 What We Are Doing

Sip, Read, Repeat – Book Club | Reading Challenge Round 3

We are currently in our 3rd Reading Challenge for Sip, Read, Repeat Book Club, and our readers are doing an amazing job!

🏆 Current Leader: Lugman Aden – 210 minutes read!

📅 Last day of the challenge: Friday, February 6
🎁 Top 3 readers with the most minutes read will win awesome prizes!

📖 Want to become a stronger reader or just love books?
Join Sip, Read, Repeat Book Club:

• 🗓 Thursdays

• ⏰ 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM

• 📚 Read

• ☕ Enjoy our Hot Cocoa Bar

Come sip, read, and succeed! 📖✨

⭐ What We Did

Congratulations to Our Honor Roll Students!

🎉 Huge congratulations to all Wildcats Club students who made the Honor Roll for the 2nd Quarter!

On January 28, our honor roll students were celebrated during lunch with a special treat of hot chocolate or coffee to recognize their hard work and dedication.

We are so proud of you—keep shining! 🌟

🎯 What We Are Going to Do

🚫 No WCC on These Dates:

• February 13

• February 16

🚌 Wildcats Club Field Trips:

February 13 – No More Empty Pots
👩‍🍳 Students will enjoy a hands-on cooking class and prepare their own lunch!

February 16 – Skate City
🛼 Students will enjoy an afternoon of roller skating fun!

✨ We can’t wait for another exciting month of learning, reading, and fun with Wildcats Club! 🐾💙

Free service through NDE and NSCS

Nebraska SMART, a free online tutoring program developed by the Nebraska State Colleges in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE), has now expanded statewide, providing all K–12 students with access to one-on-one academic support at no cost.

How Nebraska SMART Works:

• Parents must register their children for tutoring through the Nebraska SMART website.
• Once registered, students (or parents) can schedule sessions or connect instantly using our on-demand feature.
• Tutoring is available in 15-, 30-, 45-, or 60-minute increments; on-demand sessions are available in 10-minute blocks.
• All sessions take place on Pearl, a secure online tutoring platform that records and manages communication.
• Tutors are education majors who have been admitted to their programs, completed background checks, and are mentored by College Program Coordinators.

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

These are the days your teen will want to remember forever. Help make their year unforgettable by purchasing a 2025-2026 yearbook. For only $20.00, your student will have a book that will be enjoyed for years to come.

Buy Online with a credit card, debit card or PayPal at yearbookforever.com or at school with cash or check in the front office. Order now so your child won’t miss out when the books are distributed.

As an adult, you know how important memories become. Don’t let your child’s memories fade; make sure they get a yearbook today!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Buser

Yearbook Adviser, King Science Technology Middle School

This summer, our district notified families that students at King Science will continue to receive lunch at no cost, regardless of income, through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

We encourage our families to complete an Educational Benefits Form by Sept. 24 to see if they qualify for additional benefits including:

• Discounted home internet services

• Discounted or waived fees for SAT, PSAT, ACT, AP and other academic tests

• Waived or reduced college and postsecondary application and course fees

• Scholarship options

• Access to career, internship and other community programs

Log in to SchoolCafe and click “Apply for Benefits” to complete the form. It only takes a few minutes to complete if you have your household income details handy.

One form covers all students in your household. If you have already completed an Educational Benefits Form or Free and Reduced Meal Application through SchoolCafe, you can check your eligibility status on your account dashboard.

Please reach out to our office if you need help completing your application.

8th Grade Administrators:

• Ms. LaDeidre Jackson: 531-299-4016 LaDeidre.Jackson@ops.org
• Mr. Odell Santos: 531-299-3774 Odell.Santos@ops.org

7th Grade Administrator

• Ms. Nicole Benson: 531-299-7030 Nicole.Benson@ops.org

6th Grade Administrator

• Ms. Roxana Silva: 531-299-9049 Carmen.Silva@ops.org

Instructional Facilitator (all grade levels)

• Mrs. Kelcey Schmitz, 531-299-8027 Kelcey.Schmitz@ops.org

Contact AD Odell Santos with questions regarding sports activities or events at 531-299-3774

MTSS-B stands for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Behavior. MTSS-B focuses on behavior Expectations that are prioritized and used all through King Science.

The framework for MTSS-B is:

• A Problem-solving framework for behavior

• A systematic standardized implementation of evidence-based practices

• A framework with standardized practices that has tiers of increasingly intensive supports that increase the likelihood students are academically, emotionally, behaviorally and socially successful.

At King Science with have two tiers of MTSS-B.

Tier 1 serves every student through our school wide expectations “The King Way”

• Be Respectful

• Be Responsible

• Be Safe

Students who show positive behaviors that match The King Way can be awarded Wildcat Bucks, which they can exchange in our Wildcat Store every few weeks.

Tier 2 serves a smaller portion of students who need more support than Tier 1. The Tier 2 team gives instruction to students on how to solve peer conflicts and helps them improve their attendance.

Attention Students: There are 415 minutes in the school day, and every minute counts! Tardies to class disrupt the classroom, interrupt the lesson, and put students at risk of falling behind. Beginning this week any student who has 3 tardies during the week will be assigned an afterschool detention the following week. BE RESPONSIBLE, WILDACTS ! Get to class on time.

• Cell Phones and Personal Devices must be off and out of sight during the school day from 7:40-3:05
• Student failure to comply may result in their personal device being confiscated by administration.
• Parent Communication and Code of Conduct consequences may be applied for repeated violations of the No Cell Phone/No personal device policy.
• If you have any questions regarding this, please call the grade level administrator.

Personal devices (headphones, earbuds, cell phones) and big backpacks are to be put away during the school day. String backpacks are available for purchase in the main office for $10 in Wildcat Bucks.

The OPS Parent Survey link is open all year long.

SURVEY LINK: http://www.tinyurl.com/OPSParentVoice