Bluestem Middle School
Meadowlark Message
Attendance Goal, Food Pantry, MAP Testing, & Traffic Expectations
Dear Bluestem Parents and Families,
As we enter the final few weeks of the semester, we wanted to provide you with some important celebrations, updates, and reminders.
First, we are pleased to note that we remain ahead of our attendance goal of having fewer than 37% of our students below 90% in attendance for the quarter. We thank our families for reinforcing the importance of regularly attending school for the sake of student success.
Second, we are proud of our community efforts to support families in need at this difficult time. Our food pantry has provided welcome assistance, and many have donated non-perishable items. Thank you!
Our ELA MAP testing went well last week, and our Math MAP testing occurs this week. It remains important for all students to get a good night’s rest in preparation for these critical assessments.
We continue to ask parents/family members to adhere to all traffic expectations on our campus including the following:
- Parents should avoid parking in prohibited areas, including the center turn lane on 42nd St.
- If the pickup/dropoff lines extend to 42nd St, parents should not idle on 42nd St indefinitely and block through traffic.
- Students are encouraged to cross at crosswalks for the sake of safety.
- Students are not permitted to bring outside food or drinks into the school.
- Parents are reminded not to block access in or out of the main parking lot at Bluestem at the end of the school day.
- Parents must not park on the access road adjacent to Y Street to allow for bus access or drop off/pick up in the bus loop on the west side of the school.
- Please adhere to all traffic arrows, signs, and painted lines on campus.
Thank you for your attention to these important traffic, parking, and safety concerns.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Brian Begley, Principal
Bluestem Middle
Students continue to work hard to earn their Meadowlark Moolah to purchase items at the school store. A continued concern at Bluestem is our amount of tardies to class. With combined efforts with the Attendance team, the MTSS-B team has increased supervision during passing periods to focused on students getting to class on time. We are asking for help from parents/guardians to also speak with your student about the importance of being to class on time as a life skill.
The MTSS-B team continues to recognize the Bluestem Rockstars that are nominated by their peers in a positive way. Each month students are given the opportunity to nominate other students in the school to earn a reward as a Bluestem Rockstar! Students nominate and explain why they are selecting that peer.
The month of October the nominees were:
Gerardo Garcia 6A
Maddison Garcia 6B
Alfonso Acosta Sanchez 7A
Iverson Pedro Ramon 7B
Briana P. 8A
Daniel Marquez Martin 8B
The month of November the nominees were:
6A Bekany Rangel Banderas
6B Erick Cano Cifuentes
7A Amelia Geislar
7B Gage Daniels
8A JanCarlos Lagos-Alvarez
8B Brock Dworak
Congratulations to these phenomenal students!
#BluestemRobotics
Bluestem Robotics has kicked off the season with remarkable momentum. This year, our program includes two 8th-grade teams and two students who have been with us since the very beginning. We are especially proud to have two all-female teams and four brand-new teams who are already making an impact.
On October 11th, we hosted our annual Girl Power Event, welcoming 78 young women from across the metropolitan area for an inspiring day of STEM workshops and guest speakers. The event was a huge success and continues to strengthen our commitment to expanding opportunities in STEM for all students.
Teams A and C traveled to Wichita, Kansas for a Signature Event, where Team C earned the prestigious Design Award—the second-highest honor in VEX Robotics—and brought home the first banner in school history. Across all teams, students have already earned an impressive collection of awards, including:
2 Judges Awards
Finalist Award
Sportsmanship Award
Innovate Award
Design Award
Two Excellence Awards, the top honor in VEX Robotics
Our robotics lab stays open every day after school until 6:00 or 7:00 p.m., and many students dedicate countless hours to designing, building, programming, and improving their robots.
Teams A, B, C, and F recently competed in the North League, facing off against local high school teams. They fought their way to the finals and finished as finalists against a high-school alliance—an incredible accomplishment for our middle-school competitors.
With six more competitions ahead and the State Championship on the horizon, Bluestem Robotics is set for an exciting season. We are proud of the hard work, teamwork, and innovation our students demonstrate every day.
The Campus Portal for Parents allows parents and guardians to monitor their children's academic progress online. If you do not have a Parent Portal account, please click the Infinite Campus icon to access directions or call Student Services at (531) 299-0237.
Information for Bus Riders
Zūm Parent App
With Zum app, you can better protect your student's safety by:
Tracking your student’s ride in real-time and receiving ride updates
Knowing the driver profile and vehicle assigned to transport your student
Viewing pick-up and drop-off time estimates
Starting real-time chat with our support team if needed
Canceling rides when necessary
Download the Zūm App (iOS) (Android) from your carrier’s App Store.
If you have questions or concerns about your child's transportation, their eligibility to receive transportation, a late bus or more, please call the transportation hotline at (531) 299-0140.
From the Nurse
Stay Hydrated
Even in colder weather, it's crucial to stay hydrated. Drink water regularly as the cold temperatures, dry air, and indoor heating can contribute to dehydration. Sipping on warm drinks like herbal teas and enjoying nourishing soups can also be comforting and contribute to overall well-being. Try foods with high water content like cucumbers and oranges.
Dry skin can be a sign of dehydration. Remember to nourish your skin to prevent dryness and itching. Use moisturizers to keep your skin hydrated. Have chapstick or vaseline available to apply to lips daily to prevent cracking and bleeding. Students may keep chap stick in their book bags or pockets and use it throughout the day.
Winter Nosebleeds
If your child suffers from winter nosebleeds it may be from the dry air. Try using a cold air humidifier at night. Saline nose drops or petroleum jelly may help too. If severe, consult your pediatrician.
Physical Activity Indoors
Physical activity is important, even when it's cold outside. Consider indoor exercises and activities to keep everyone moving during the winter months. Some ideas for home workouts are doing circuits with jumping jacks, squats, push ups, lunges, and crunches or even computer fitness games. Other indoor activities include dancing, stair climbing, housework like vacuuming and sweeping, mall walking, bowling, roller skating, yoga or other fun group classes at your local gym, studio, or community center.
Dress Appropriately
Proper clothing is key to staying warm and healthy during winter. Hats and gloves help prevent heat loss from the head and hands, which are particularly vulnerable to cold exposure. Dress in layers to stay comfortable both indoors and outdoors.
When to Stay Home
If you're feeling unwell, it's important to prevent spreading illness to others. Practice good respiratory hygiene and seek medical advice if necessary. If your student has an illness that makes them unable to eat/drink/sleep or otherwise carry out their normal school activities without pain or fatigue, please keep them home until the illness has passed.
To prevent the spread of illness, continue to
· Self-monitor health daily
- Stay home when sick until at least 24 hours fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication
· Stay up to date with vaccines (flu, COVID-19, etc.)
· Perform frequent hand hygiene
· Practice respiratory etiquette; covering coughs and sneezes
· Clean high-touch surfaces regularly
Please see Nurse Foltz for questions or concerns.
Phone: (531) 299-3081
Kristen.Foltz@ops.org
Assistant Principal, Data Processor, Ms. Mariana Cruz
Ms. Cruz is there to support all students and staff with schedules, lockers, questions about academic supports, how our school is achieving, and all types of supports for all of our families. Student going to be absent for a period of time?
Email: Mariana.Cruz@ops.org
6th Grade, Activities & Athletic Director, Mr. Dan Wilson
Mr. Wilson is the 6th grade administrator and our school Athletic & Activities Director in charge of after school sports and activities. Please contact Mr. Wilson for any concerns or questions regarding your 6th grade student. You should also contact Mr. Wilson with any sports or after school activities related questions or concerns.
Email: Daniel.Wilson@ops.org
6th and 7th Grade Dean, Ms. Bunce
Ms. Bunce is the 6th and 7th Grade administrator. Please contact her for any concerns or questions regarding your 6th and 7th students. Ms. Bunce also helps coordinate our MTSS-B program
Email: Ashley.Bunce@ops.org
8th Grade Dean, Mr. Mark Smith
Mr. Smith is the 8th grade administrator. Please contact Mr. Smith for any concerns or questions regarding your 8th grade student. Mr. Smith also assists with MTSS-B.
Email: Mark.Smith@ops.org
Instructional Facilitator, Ms. Schmidt
Ms. Schmidt is your go-to for all things testing, classroom achievement, helping students and teachers come together for academic success, and other teacher trainings and learning. Ms. Schmidt is a tremendous support for all students and staff.
Email: Kelsy.Schmidt@ops.org
6th Grade Counselor, Ms. Mettenbrink-Rushlau
Ms. Mettenbrink-Rushlau is the 6th grade counselor. Please contact Ms. Mettenbrink-Rushlau for any concerns or questions regarding your 6th grade student and any counseling issues.
7th Grade Counselor, Ms. Holly Campbell
Ms. Campbell is the 7th grade administrator and is the other 1/2 of the "Deanselor". Please contact Ms. Campbell for any concerns or questions regarding your 7th grade student any counseling issues.
Email: Holly.Campbell@ops.org
8th Grade Counselor, Ms. Sara Jones
Ms. Jones is the 8th grade counselor. Please contact Ms. Jones for any concerns or questions regarding your 8th grade student and any counseling issues.
Email: Sara.Jones@ops.org
School Social Worker, Ms. Leslie Rivera
Ms. Rivera is there for our students and families as our school Social Worker. From supplies for home and school, to TeamMates mentoring, to helping work through personal and student issues, Ms. Rivera is a support that all students and families can rely on!
Email: Leslie.Rivera@ops.org