KAMSC Newsletter

We look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday! Parents if you drop your students off, the best time to do so is between 7:15 and 7:50 am for 9th and 10th graders or between 11:00-11:30am for 11th and 12th graders. Please do your best to either park on the street on Vine St. on the CEC side to eliminate kids having to cross the street. Please do not park in the lot across Vine St. from CEC as that is not our lot. The other great option is to pull all the way into the CEC parking lot off of Vine St, pull into a parking space temporarily, let your student out and have them walk toward the sidewalk/fence, down the steps and onto the sidewalk on Vine St. and down to the Vine street entrance. Do not pull into the driveway to the CEC parking lot off of Vine St. and stop in the driveway, blocking all other traffic from pulling in. This is not safe. Please pull all the way into the lot and park.

Students that drive, must have a parking permit in their car and park in the student lot behind the El Sol playground. If that lot is full, they must park in the street on any streets where parking is allowed surrounding the CEC building. Students may not park in the staff lot or will be ask to move or could risk being towed. Please allow yourself enough time to park and arrive to school on time.

If you have bussing questions, you must contact your schools transportation department to ask about them.

Heather Kortlandt

Director, KAMSC

Challenge Success is a program that KAMSC collaborates with out of Stanford University that focues on the well-being, engagement and belonging of our students. We invite you to visit the KAMSC website and click on the Challenge Success tab to learn more about our Challenge Success Goals and strategies as well as to view a recent "spotlight" that Stanford published highlighting our improvement data. We are about to take our annual trip to the Challenge Success Conference at the end of September where three of our students from our Challenge Success team and three staff members will attend. Each week you will see me highlighting Challenge Success and our work in these areas. We are very excited and committed to this work as we believe student wellbeing, engagement and belonging are what maximizes learning here at KAMSC. Part of our success is engaging parents in the learning as well. This week we will highlight a parent webinar that is available for $10 that is highly recommended to all parents by our Career and College Advisor, Ms. Joyce. Click the button below to register and attend.

Ms. Sanders got a lovely surprise this week with a delivery of beautiful flowers from the Parent Org wishing the new school year to be a successful one! These sure do brighten up the office! The parent org also sponsored a staff lunch this week during one of our professional learning days.

As we start the new school year, our program is embracing Michigan’s new state law requiring public schools to ban student cell phones during instructional time. To foster a focused, present, and engaging learning environment, cell phones must be kept put away (in bags outside the classroom). Under state law, cell phone use during class will only be permitted in very rare, teacher-initiated instances where a phone is directly required for a specific academic lesson, as well as for verified medical accommodations. By minimizing digital distractions, we are protecting our students' valuable instructional time, supporting their mental health, and encouraging richer face-to-face interactions. We appreciate your partnership in reinforcing these expectations at home so our students can bring their full attention to learning each day

9th grade Honors Biology will attend a field trip to the West Lake Nature Preserve to explore a variety of ecosystems and the flora and fauna characteristics of Southwest Michigan. Each student is assigned a date based on their KAMSC group, either Sept 22 (Angles group), 23 (Rays group), or Sept 24 (Segments group). Note that you can see your child's group once you click on the transportation link below.

Students will need parent transportation to West Lake Nature Preserve to arrive between 8-8:15 and KPS will provide busses back to KAMSC for all students. Students will then catch their busses/rides to their partner schools from KAMSC for the afternoon. Please click the button below to fill out the transportation form to indicate whether you are able to drop your child off at the West Lake Nature Preserve on the specified day of your child's field trip. If you are unable, you can indicate that your student can ride from KAMSC with a KAMSC employee to the bog. We can accommodate a small number of students.

Please dress appropriately for the weather as students will be outside for the entire time.

• No open-toed shoes or sandals
• Consider bring sunscreen and insect repellent.
• Students should also bring a notebook and writing utensil.

Parents of KAMSC 10th-12th graders that were here last year have a username (your email) and password, please use that and get logged in to PowerSchool. Read through your information and update all information and fields to be complete. (ex. custody, phone, address, emergency contact..) This helps us immensely especially in cases of emergency that all of this information is up to date and accurate. It will also allow you to see your student's grades. Please do this right away so that you and your child can also read the AUP and Handbook and sign for those items as well as update us your permission for photographs. If you have forgotten your password, reset it. If you need further assistance first email help@kalamazoopublicschools.net and then if you still need assistance you can email me (heather.kortlandt@kamsc.org)

For our new families (9th grade and new upperclassmen) - The KAMSC office has entered the emails you gave us in your registration packets. Go to the parent portal, linked here, enter your email address and do "forgot password" in order to re-set it, then log in. If you need a district code for any reason, it is KXRB.

Throughout the school year, there will be many opportunities for parents to volunteer and support events at KAMSC. All parent volunteers must complete a background check, as required by all public schools. The process is quick and simple.

To become an approved KAMSC volunteer, please complete the form below and email it to me along with a copy of the front and back of your driver’s license. I will submit the information to KPS for processing. Once approved, you will remain on the volunteer list for six months.

Some parents may still have an active approval from last school year. If you are unsure whether your background check is still current, please email me at heather.kortlandt@kamsc.org, and I’d be happy to check for you.

I hope that you all have had a chance to review our KAMSC Handbook and sign the acceptance form through PowerSchool. Here is a direct link to it again. I would invite you to be sure that you have read through the MTSS support procedures. I will pull grades to see what students have a C or lower in any class which indicates a need for support to us or if a teacher recommends additional support regardless of grades. If your child is showing that need, Mrs. Allbee or I will email you and the child to set up support provided by KAMSC. This is required for a three week interval and then we pull grades again to review. Our hope is always that that three week interval is enough support but students will sometimes move in and out of support throughout a semester. Please know, that this is meant to be a supportive measure. We take our responsibility of helping your child achieve the high standards of KAMSC seriously.

Here is a link to the KAMSC opt out if your child will not be able to attend a given field trip. (note we are asking all parents to opt in just once as a permission slip for the full year, but can use this form to opt out of individual trips. Opt out form link

If you are dropping off or picking up your student at KAMSC, please do so at the Vine Street entrance. Please find a safe place to pull over and then have you student proceed to the Vine street entrance. If students are driving themselves:

1. They need to acquire a parking pass from the KAMSC office - please fill this out

2. They need to park by the El Sol playground off of Dutton Street (but then walk to Vine street entrance)

3. They should be reminded to not keep anything valuable in their car and to keep their cars locked at all times.

4. The building will have a campus security officer at the Vine Street entrance during times of arrivals and dismissals.

Wed. Sept 9 - KAMSC Open House - 9th /10th grades 6-7 and 11th/12th graders 6:45-7:30

Friday, Sept 11 - Picture Day

Tue., Sept 22 - 9th gr. Bog Field Trip - Angles

Wed. Sept 16 - Parent org meeting - 6:15pm

Wed. Sept 16 - Open lab 6-7:30 pm

Wed. Sept 16 - 9th grade Mixer 6-7:30pm

Wed., Sept 23 - 9th gr. Bog Field Trip - Rays

Wed Sept 23 - Open Lab 6-7:30

Wed. Sept 23 - College night 7-8:30

Thur., Sept 24 - 9th gr. Bog Field Trip - Segments