The Bird Nest

It’s hard to believe we have already wrapped up our third full week of school! Our students are settling into routines, classrooms are busy with learning, and we are beginning to see many of the systems we introduced at the start of the year come to life.

One of our biggest areas of focus this year is helping students take greater ownership of their learning. During SOAR Time, students have been working in their Leadership Binders, reviewing academic data, setting goals, checking grades, and beginning their personalized i-Ready learning paths. This week, students also received their Spring 2026 MAP results and spent time looking at what those results mean for them as learners. We encourage you to continue those conversations at home!

We also kicked off our Middle School Clubs this week! Students had an opportunity to visit their club, meet their sponsor, and learn more about what they will be doing throughout the year. With options ranging from Construction and E-Sports to Chess, FFA, Medical Explorers, Good Deeds Gang, Drama, and many more, we hope every student can find another place at school where they feel connected.

There has also been some great learning happening in our classrooms. Students are conducting hands-on science investigations, working through challenging math concepts, developing their writing skills, collaborating with classmates, and learning how to support their thinking with evidence. Our teachers continue to do a great job creating classrooms where students are challenged, supported, and encouraged to grow.

Next week brings another important milestone—our first official grade check on Wednesday, September 16. Parents will receive a copy of their child’s progress, but remember that you can log into Lumen at any time to view the most current grades. Tutoring opportunities are also available for students who need some additional support.

We are off to a great start, and I appreciate the continued support from our families. There is a lot happening at Clever Middle School, but it all comes back to helping our students grow academically, develop as leaders, and feel connected to their school.

Bluejays Lead the Way!

Justin Sullivan
Principal, Grades 6–8
sullivanj@cleverbluejays.org
417-743-4820

We are just a couple weeks away from our Annual Fall Carnival! We are excited to announce some new features of the event which include a Magic Show by Marty The Magician and an Ariel Acrobatics exhibit presented by 417 Ariel. We also have a great lineup of games, concessions, the Dunk Tank, silent auction, Jay Threads, and much, much more! We hope you and your family will join us for an evening of fun and fellowship.

How can you help?

• Cash donations will be accepted at any office to help offset the cost of concession stand supplies (pizza, candy, popcorn, soda pop). If you'd like to purchase specific items, please reach out to Mrs. Teague at teaguem@cleverbluejays.org for more information
• Silent Auction Prizes- We are looking for gift certificates to restaurants, retail stores, "experiences", themed baskets, etc. All prizes can be dropped off at the PK-2 office anytime before September 23rd.
• Event Volunteers- If you'd like to donate your time to help throughout the evening please reach out.

A big thank you to our local Lions Club for their generous donation to Mrs. Brown and the Clever Middle School Art Department!

For the past four years, our middle school students have participated in the Lions International Peace Poster Contest, a national/international competition that encourages students to express their vision of peace through art.

We appreciate the Lions Club’s continued support of our students and art program. Their generosity provides our students with opportunities to showcase their creativity, share meaningful messages, and represent Clever Middle School through their artwork. Thank you for investing in our Bluejays!

As a district we are excited to utilize a new communication platform, Parent Square, beginning this school year. If you were in attendance for Summer School, you are already familiar.

Please click the link below to sign up to receive important information and updates.

Students in Mr. Earnest’s 7th Grade Science class put their observation and critical-thinking skills to work! Students used their observations to make claims, provided evidence to support those claims, and explained the reasoning behind why they believed their claims were correct.

It was great to see our Bluejays thinking like scientists, working together, and using evidence to support their ideas!

Our 8th grade students were busy putting their science skills to work during a Mix & Match Lab! 🧪🔬

Students had the opportunity to participate in hands-on learning as they worked together, made observations, collected information, and applied what they have been learning in the classroom. Activities like this are a great way for students to take concepts from the classroom and experience them in action.

It was great to see our students engaged, collaborating, asking questions, and learning through experience. Great job, 8th grade scientists!

Our 6th grade Lego Builders class is off and building!

For their first challenge of the year, students were given the opportunity to complete a free build, allowing them to use their creativity and imagination to design something completely their own.

It was great to see students planning, problem-solving, and bringing their ideas to life one brick at a time. We’re excited to see what our young builders create as the challenges continue throughout the quarter! Great job, Lego Builders!

Students in Mr. Sikes’ 7th Grade Missouri History class have been learning more about the Show-Me State! Students worked together to research Missouri’s state symbols, create posters highlighting what they learned, and present their findings to their classmates. It was a great way for students to build their knowledge of Missouri while practicing research, creativity, and presentation skills!

At Clever Middle School, we believe that every day in the classroom is an opportunity to learn, grow, and build connections. Middle school is a critical time in a student's educational journey, and consistent attendance plays a major role in academic success.

When students attend school regularly, they:

• Stay on pace with classroom instruction and assignments.
• Participate in hands-on learning, discussions, and group activities that can't always be made up.
• Build positive relationships with teachers and classmates.
• Develop responsibility, routines, and habits that prepare them for high school and beyond.

Even missing just a few days each semester can make it more challenging for students to keep up with new concepts and reach their full potential. While we understand that illnesses and emergencies happen, we encourage families to make school attendance a priority.

This year, we will continue recognizing and celebrating students who demonstrate excellent attendance. Throughout the year, students with outstanding attendance will have opportunities to earn incentives, prizes, and special rewards as a way of recognizing their commitment to being present and engaged in their learning.

Clever Middle School NJHS is excited to support the Cans for Christian County Food Drive! Our students and families are encouraged to help us give back to our community by donating canned goods and other nonperishable food items.

This is a great opportunity for our Bluejays to demonstrate leadership, service, and kindness while helping families throughout Christian County. Every donation makes a difference!

Thank you to our NJHS students for helping lead this effort and to our Clever families for supporting our community!

Our head coaches for the 2026 fall sports season are:

• Football: Willie Howard – howardw@cleverbluejays.org
• Cross Country: Michael Morris – morrism@cleverbluejays.org
• Volleyball: Courtney Argo – argoc@cleverbluejays.org

If you have any questions, please contact the appropriate head coach or Athletic Director Luke Brosius at brosiusl@cleverbluejays.org.

Our Lady Bluejay Volleyball teams are off to a fantastic start!

All three teams earned wins in their season openers, making it a clean sweep to kick off the year! It was great to see our athletes competing hard, supporting one another, and representing Clever Middle School with pride.

Congratulations to our players and coaches on a great start to the season. We’re excited to watch these teams continue to grow and compete throughout the year!

Way to go, Lady Bluejays! Keep it rolling!

Our JH Bluejay Football teams kicked off their season in impressive fashion!

Both our 7th and 8th grade teams earned victories in their season openers, giving the Bluejays a great start to the year! It was exciting to see our student-athletes competing hard, playing together, and representing Clever with pride.

Congratulations to our players and coaches on a great opening night. We’re looking forward to watching these teams continue to improve and compete throughout the season!

Great start, Bluejays! Keep it going!

Our Clever Middle School Cross Country team is off to a great start this season! Our Bluejay runners have been working hard, competing with determination, and representing Clever well at their early meets.

We are proud of the effort, toughness, and positive attitude these student-athletes continue to show. We’re excited to watch them keep improving throughout the season. Keep running strong, Bluejays!

Are you interested in joining FBLA? Not sure what FBLA is but want to know more about it? Please join Mrs. Casey Wednesday morning at 7:00am in the commons. Hope to see you there!

Mr. Earnest - Wednesday Nights

Mrs. Kleier & Mrs. Cobb - Friday Mornings

Part of our mission at CMS is to keep students and parents up to date with important information. This year we will be using various platforms to help achieve this mission.

• Email - It is important that you have an updated email on file with the school office. Most often communication will be done using email.

• Facebook - Like the Clever Schools 6-8 page

• Parent Square- PS is a new communicaiton application the district will be using. Information will sent out via text messages and emails leading up to the start of school.

• Canvas - Students will use Canvas on a daily basis for completing assignments; parents have the opportunity to create an observer account that is linked to their child's account.

• Lumen Touch Parent Portal - We encourage you to create an account to access and view student information at any time.

Rooms: Clever Middle School 6-8

Website: www.cleverbluejays.org
Location: 103 S Public Ave, Clever, MO, USA
Phone: 417-743-4820
Facebook: facebook.com/Clever6-8