Panther Family Weekly Update

Please see the attached document for resources if you would like support for your family for the 2026 holiday season.

• This year, the Olathe School District will be closed for the week of Nov. 23rd - Nov. 27th.
• We hope that you enjoy this time with your family and friends!

• If your student plans to attend to stay after school to watch girls basketball games here are a few reminders:
• Students are at the game to watch and cheer on their peers, not to be on their phones. Please remind your student that the expectation is to watch the game. We will ask students who are on their phones to leave early if needed.
• Please, please, please, pick your student up within 10 minutes of the end of an event. Basketball games are usually over around 5:15pm. We appreciate your support in getting your students picked up in a timely manner. If students are not picked up in a timely manner, they may not be able to attend future after school events.
• Events are free to enter and concessions are usually available for purchase at games.

Tue. Nov. 10 @ 3:45pm: 7th & 8th grade girls basketball vs Prairie Trail @ PRT

Tue. Nov. 10 @ 7pm: Olathe East Area Orchestra Festival @ Olathe East Main Gym

Thur. Nov. 12 @ 3:45pm: 7th & 8th grade girls basketball vs Oregon Trail @ PT

Tue. Nov. 17 @ 3:45pm: 7th & 8th grade girls basketball vs Indian Trail @ PT

Thur. Nov. 19 @ 3:45pm: 7th & 8th grade girls basketball vs Chisholm Trail @ CST

Fri. Nov. 20 @ 9:05am: Pep Assembly

Mon. Nov. 23 – Fri. Nov. 27: Fall Break, No School

• Please view this document that outlines our new assessment system for math in the middle school.
• The Kansas State Math Assessment is changing this year. Instead of it happening once towards the end of the year, it will be administered 4 times throughout the year. This allows it to be a formative test that can help drive our teacher’s instruction.
• Our first check-in state math assessment were on Oct. 20 for 6th & 8th grade and on Oct. 23 for 7th grade. We will share the other dates as they get closer.
• Thank you for ensuring that your student reports to school on these days well-rested, ready to do their best, and with a fully charged school device.

Olathe Public Schools made districtwide gradebook updates for middle schools over the summer to better align grading throughout each semester. Student grades will no longer reset at the end of the first and third quarters.

Instead, Quarter 1 grades will roll forward into Quarter 2 to create the Semester 1 grade, and Quarter 3 grades will roll forward into Quarter 4 to create the Semester 2 grade. This change provides a more complete picture of student progress at the end of each semester and prepares our students for high school.

Please email Scott Appell if you have any questions.

• Team/core subject teachers are available to provide students support with their classwork, missing assignments, and quiz/test preparation in the morning before school between 7:45am and 8:15am.
• It doesn’t matter what subject your student needs help with, they can report to their team’s designated PAW Time class for that day.
• We hope to see your student at PAW Time!

• This year we will be following the tardy policy outlined below. We are hopeful that this will help students understand the importance of getting to class on time and being efficient with their passing periods.
• We give students some grace the first few days of school to adjust to the building and their new schedules. We will communicate our start date for counting tardies with students during our morning announcements.

Tardy 1 – 3: Teacher communicates tardy with parent/guardian
Tardy 4 & 5: Teacher calls home, student detention
Tardy 6 & 7: Administrator assigned lunch detentions
Tardy 8 & 9: Administrator assigned in-school suspension
Tardy 10: Administrator assigned alternate passing period

• As mentioned in communication from the Olathe Public Schools earlier this year, personal electronic communication devices may be stored in our school provided storage location in our front office or in a student hallway locker.
• Each student has been assigned a hallway locker and student locker information can be found on the Student Info tab on ParentVUE/StudentVUE.
• Students will still be able to utilize backpacks as they travel from class to class and the use of hallway lockers is not required.
• Progressive consequences will be assigned for students who are in possession of personal electronic devices on school grounds between 8:20am to 3:20pm.

• You can find us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/PTMSPanthers/about/