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Highlighting Excellence

Excellence Newsletter - October 2, 2020

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From the Desk of Mr. Thomas: Aiken Elementary News & Updates

Dear Aiken Elementary Families,

Thanks for making this first month of school run so smoothly. Our new arrival and dismissal procedures have been flawless and we really appreciate everyone’s cooperation. Please remember:

Students will not be allowed into the building prior to 8:15 AM (if you need to help your student exit the vehicle upon arrival, please park in one of the available spaces and walk your student to the door- this will help keep traffic flowing).
At dismissal, when picking up your student, please have your family number displayed in your vehicle; our “curb-side” dismissal has gone really well- thank you all!
During both arrival and dismissal, please stay in a single line and do not pass one another, please be patient as students enter and exit vehicles. Thank you all for your cooperation and helping us keep students safe.

Aiken Elementary students are SOARing to new heights! In the month of September our Aiken students have our Green Tree almost half-full with Eagle Eggs. So far, we have earned 355 Eagle Eggs while students have been in the building. Last week we introduced a way for students to earn virtual Eagle Eggs when they are participating in school online and it has been egg-cellent!

In one week, our online students earned 88 virtual Eagle Eggs for exhibiting our SOAR expectations (Self-Control, On-task, Always Kind, Respectful, and Responsible) while learning at home. Of those 88 eggs, 52 have come from Aiken staffulty members recognizing their students’ hard work at home and 36 of them have been “virtually” handed out by parents/guardians. We are so #KOproud of all our Aiken students, regardless of how they have been learning this year. Remember, if your student is SOARing above and beyond, be sure to give them an Eagle Egg through this link: https://forms.gle/g71dR9Ev4gfuXhGr5

Thank you all for your support as we have survived one month of an unprecedented school year!

Keep SOARing,
Mr. Thomas

From the Desk of Mr. Mizikar: Myrtle Elementary News & Updates

Hello Myrtle Families!

First, I want to send a huge thank you for your support and continued patience as we all learn and adapt to the 2020 school year. Please make a note of these reminders:

Students must log back into classes after lunch and specials.
Please make sure that students have a quiet work environment when they are learning virtually.
If your student is still in need of district device, please make sure they are completing the paper copies on virtual days.
The schedule for the week of October 5 is different. Golden Cohort will attend classes in person on Monday and Tuesday; Eagle Cohort will attend classes in person on Wednesday and Thursday. All students are virtual for the half day on Friday.
All students are able to get free breakfast and lunch this school year
There is school on Monday October 12th.

Please click here for information regarding the Myrtle Avenue Elementary PFO 2020-2021 Myrtle Elementary Directory.

Thanks and have a great weekend!
Mr. Mizikar

From the Desk of Mr. Kattan: News & Updates from KOMS

Happy Friday KOMS Staff & Families,

It's hard to believe that we are wrapping up the fourth week of school already! I know that this has been a different and, in many ways, challenging start to the school year, but I am #KOProud of our teachers, staff, and students for embracing this new way of teaching and learning!

Hopefully you've had an opportunity to read through my email from earlier this week that included several updates and reminders regarding attendance and expectations for students, both while they are learning in-person and for when they are at home. Those reminders have also been posted on the District's website if you need to reference them again.

Middle School PFO Reminders
The PFO is selling KO socks this year! Please see the attached flyer for more information: Middle School PFO Sock Sale.pdf

The PFO is also encouraging everyone to join this year, and to help with this, they are waiving all PFO fees. Please complete the attached form and send it in so you can be a member of the PFO. I would also ask that everyone be active with the KOMS PFO. They do a tremendous amount of work and are looking to help make KOMS the best place it can be. Membership Form: MS PFO Membership Form 2020 2021.pdf

Thank you and enjoy your weekend,

Dr. Jeff Kattan
Principal
Keystone Oaks Middle School

From the Desk of Mr. Linnert: News & Updates from the High School

KOHS Students, Staff & Families:

As we wrap up the first month of the 2020-2021 school year, I want to offer my sincere appreciation to everyone at Keystone Oaks High School for their hard work to start the school year. From our teachers and staff who've worked tirelessly to adjust to teaching both in person and online, to our students who are actively participating in their courses, to families who are supporting students in this new learning environment, I am truly grateful for everyone's hard work and commitment to making the best of these new and challenging circumstances.

Please find below a few reminders and updates from Keystone Oaks High School.

Thank you and enjoy the weekend,
Mr. Michael Linnert
Principal
Keystone Oaks High School

Week of October 5: Modified Schedule Due to Keystone Exams
As a reminder, Keystone Oaks High School will administer the Summer 2020 Keystone Exams on October 5, 6, & 7. Please keep in mind the following:

ALL students taking an exam will arrive at school by 7:45 a.m., either via District transportation or their own transportation on the day(s) of their exam.
On Monday & Tuesday, Cohort Eagle students who are finished with their exam in the morning may utilize mid-day District transportation or personal transportation to return home for their afternoon classes. On Wednesday, Cohort Golden students who are finished with their exam in the morning may utilize mid-day District transportation or personal transportation to return home for their afternoon classes.
Any student who needs more time to finish the exam may remain at school to do so and, if needed, can take the bus home after school.
The High School will operate a two-hour delay schedule for students who are not taking the exam. Students do not have to arrive at school until 9:45 a.m.

KOHS Library Update
Please see the attached flyer for updates from High School Librarian Mrs. Klein. She is seeking students interested in being part of the Morning Announcements team and also has spots available in the library for students looking for a quiet place to study. More details: KOHS Library Flyer.pdf

Virtual Future Fair
All Keystone Oaks High School students in grade 9-12 and their parents/guardians are encouraged to participate in the 2020 Future Fair, which is being offered virtually this year.

Presentations from nearly 50 post-secondary institutions and more than one dozen career professionals, many of whom are Keystone Oaks graduates, are now available on the District's website - https://www.kosd.org/FutureFair.aspx.

Students will earn a career artifact through their participation in the Future Fair and upon completion of a reflection, which can be found on the High School Counselors Google Classrooms for each grade level.

Elections for Senior Class Officers - Deadline Extended to Monday!
Students who are interested in running for a class officer position, or students who would like to nominate a classmate, should fill out this Google Form by 9 a.m. on Monday, October 9, 2020. Please be sure to read and review the expectations of a class officer and the roles and responsibilities of each position, which are available on the Google Form. You must be signed into your KOSD account to fill out the form. Class officer positions are open to any eligible current senior, regardless of which educational option you are currently participating in.

More information is available on the District's website.

Twenty-Nine KOHS students recognized as AP Scholars

Twenty-nine Keystone Oaks High School students are recipients of an AP Scholar Award, which recognizes high school students who have demonstrated outstanding college-level achievement through their performance on Advanced Placement Exams during the 2019-2020 school year.

Eight students were recognized as AP Scholars with Distinction, earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more AP Exams. Four students were recognized as AP Scholars with Honor, earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more AP Exams. Seventeen students were recognized as AP Scholars, earning scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.

Visit our website for a list of students who earned these honors.

In addition, High School AP Calculus Teacher Josh Kirchner and High School AP Biology Teacher Suzanne Demmer were recently recognized by the College Board for their contributions to reading and scoring AP Exams for the 2019-2020 school year. Mr. Kircher and Mrs. Demmer were among 1,890 high school teachers to score 394,294 exams this summer.

Now Available: October Cohort, Elementary Specials, and Secondary Block Schedule Calendars

The Keystone Oaks School District's color-coded calendars that includes the Cohort Golden & Cohort Eagle Days, the Elementary Specials Rotation, and the Secondary Block Schedule for the month of October are now available to download on the District's website.

Cheer on the Golden Eagles at this week's athletic events

Don't miss these upcoming opportunities to support the Golden Eagles athletic teams.

Click here to download a full schedule of athletic events for the week of October 5 - Athletic Events - Week of October 5.