Aardvark News

March 2026

A Message From Principal Kluck-Spann

Greetings Irving students, families & staff,

I hope our March newsletter finds you all well, ready to conclude 3rd quarter & excited to begin the final quarter of the school year! We have been busy at Irving Middle School. Third quarter marks a time for transition- 8th grade students have already registered for high school, 7th grade students learn all about 8th grade electives and 6th graders learn about 7th grade classes and opportunities. In addition, we also begin to get excited about our incoming 6th grade students and look forward to developing the our schedule for the 2026-2027 school year.

Now that Spring is in the air, many Irving students are walking, riding bikes or scooters to school. Please encourage your student to use pedestrian crosswalks and to be mindful of traffic before and after school. Included below is Irving traffic pattern guidelines that outline best practices for before and after school drop off and pick up.

Thank you all for a fantastic school year and for sharing your students with us!

Monday, March 2 at 3:00 pm: Irving Food Market in the cafeteria
Monday, March 2 at 7:00 pm: 8th grade Chorus Concert in the audtiorium
Tuesday, March 3 from 5:00-8:00 pm: Middle School Solo Ensemble Contest at Lefler Middle School
Thursday, March 5 at 7:00 pm: 7th & 8th grade Orchestra Concert with LSE Orchestra in the auditorium
Friday, March 6 at 2:15 pm: Unified Banner School Award Celebration in the auditorium
March 9-March 13: No school-LPS Spring Break
Monday, March 16: First day of 4th quarter
Tuesday, March 17 from 3:00-3:30: Student Council meeting in Mrs. Buell's classroom
March 24-March 26: NSCAS Growth Assessment Spring-ELA
Tuesday, March 24 at 6:00 pm: IPTSO meeting in the library
Monday, March 30 at 6:00 pm: One Book/One Irving in the library
Tuesday, March 31 at 2:30 pm: Shelter Drill #2 Shelter Drill Video

Special Events Calendar: Special Events Calendar 2025-2026

HOMEWORK HUB: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS!

Homework Hub is a fantastic resource available for all Irving students! Several Irving teachers sponsor Homework Hub and help students complete daily homework assignments, complete missing work, study for upcoming assessments and create a space for students to focus on learning and develop strong study habits.

Homework Hub occurs Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afterschool from 3:10 - 4:00. Any student is welcome and sometimes if/when a student has a missing assignment or needs a space to complete an assignment, teachers will reach out to families to assign Hub to ensure students have every opportunity to successfully complete and turn in assignments.

Several Irving teachers are sponsoring Homework Hub! Cathy Mohlman is our Homework Hub liaison & her email address is cmohlman@lps.org.

Homework Hub Flyer-Homework Hub, M, W, TH, F 3:10-4:00 Cafeteria. Get caught up on homework, partner with Irving teachers for extra help, or just enjoy a quiet place to study. For more information or questions, please contact Cathy Mohlman cmohlman@lps.org

March Intramural Updates...

With the spring season fast approaching, there will be a track team informational meeting on Thursday, March 5th, after school in the gym. Practices will start on Monday, March 17th, directly after school. Athletes should be in the gym, dressed and ready for practice by 3:10 pm each day, with practice ending by 4:30 pm. This year’s meet dates are as follows:

Saturday, April 11th

Saturday, April 18th

Thursday, April 23rd

Wednesday, April 29th

The All City meet will be held on Wednesday, May 6th, with field events (high jump, long jump, and shot put). Running events will be held on Thursday, May 7th, beginning at 4:15 pm. All locations are TBD and will be shared as soon as they are available.

As always, students who have NOT previously participated in fall or winter athletics at Irving will have to have a completed parent form, which can be found at LPS.org jump code: BDPT or at this link.

If you have any questions, please contact Coach Deb Eastman (deastman@lps.org) or our athletic director, Robyn Okamoto (rokamoto@lps.org).

Athletic event attendance expectations for all students

Elementary & Middle School Students

LPS elementary and middle school students are required to attend LPS high school athletic/activity events with adult family members and/or a paying responsible adult and must remain under their supervision during the event.
LPS elementary and middle school students are expected to follow the directions of event staff and the public address announcer. Any students unable to follow directions will be asked to leave.
Students will not be allowed to re-enter the event without pay. Passes only allow one entry per event.
School rules apply at all LPS athletic/activity events. Violations to the Rights and Responsibilities of Students may result in disciplinary action for students.
LPS elementary and middle school students must remain seated in designated areas during events. They are not allowed to loiter or run around in concourses, concessions and/or restroom areas.
No outside food is allowed to be brought into LPS high school athletic/activity venues; however, a wide range of delicious concessions are available at most events. Food and drink must be consumed in the seating area of the venues.
LPS elementary and middle school students are expected to leave with family members and/or a paying responsible adult immediately following the conclusion of an event, or if students are asked to leave early.

News from the Counseling Center...

Choose Your Journey with LPS Focus Programs

You’re invited to learn more on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, from 6-8 p.m.

Irving Aardvarks,

Are you curious how you can customize your high school experience?

We invite you to explore LPS Focus Programs.

Why choose LPS Focus Programs?

Our focus programs:

Help you explore your passions.
Educate you about various future pathways and equip you with the tools to succeed.
Deepen engagement with your peers, our educators and our community.
Empower you as a learner.

Ready to choose your journey, community and future?

Come to the LPS Focus Programs spring info night on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 6 - 8 p.m. at The Career Academy (8800 O St.)

This event is open to all students and families in grades 7-11.

If you need more details, visit the LPS Focus Programs homepage.

news from Student Council....

NEWS FROM COMPUTING SERVICES...

Testing Season is upon us!

It’s said a body needs 8 hours of sleep every night. That’s especially true during the testing season. Student Chromebooks also need a good night of charging. Please help your students remember to bring their Chromebooks fully charged every day.

Student Data Privacy

LPS cares deeply about protecting students DIGITALLY. We go to great lengths to ensure that your child’s digital interactions are safe and appropriate, that the data we collect about them is secure, and that we are guiding them to make good digital decisions. Because these efforts are less visible than our physical security efforts, we have assembled this resource to shine light on these important measures that are happening in LPS every day: LPS Computing Services | Data Privacy

NEWS FROM THE LIBRARY....

Have You Seen the News?

LPS students can read newspapers from around the world in NewsBank. They can even read today’s paper or check out the archives! You’ll find this resource helpful for class assignments and research projects. Find the link to NewsBank in the LPS Portal.

Digital Citizenship Tips

Password security is one of the key components of Digital Citizenship instruction in LPS. Students learn strategies to create strong passwords, and how to avoid having their passwords stolen. Create a plan to manage passwords and discuss what makes a password hard for others to guess.

Want ideas for supporting digital citizenship in your home? Follow your school, LPS Library Services, or #lpsdigcit on social media to get weekly tips. Find additional digital citizenship tips on our website: Library Services Digital Citizenship Tips

March is here, and with it comes fresh energy, new opportunities, and continued appreciation for our amazing Irving community!

The Irving PTSO has a few important ways you can stay connected and involved this month:

Join us for the March Irving PTSO meeting. We will meet on March 24 in the library at 6 p.m. We’d love your voice and ideas as we head into the final stretch of the school year.
VP/Communications Board Opening. Interested in getting more involved? We’re looking for someone to manage IPTSO communications including social media, newsletters, and email communications. Check out more information below or email iptsoinfo@gmail.com.
Thank You for Conference Meal Support. Your generosity truly showed the love to our teachers and staff. We are so grateful.
Visit the Aardvark Store. Check out the link to see how you can help restock and keep our students motivated and excited.

As we head toward spring, thank you for continuing to show up, pitch in, and support our students and staff. Irving is stronger because of you!

Allergies, Bicycle safety & scheduling 7th grade physicals

A sketched circle with the words "The School Nurse" inside. There is also an image of a stethoscope and a heart inside the big circle

PAR Framework Updates

As we enter a busy stretch of the school year, it’s common for students to feel more tired, less patient, or less motivated. One of the most helpful things families can do at home is focus on the basics that support learning and wellbeing. Consistent routines for sleep, homework, and screen time, regular check-ins about the school day, and encouragement to keep trying even when things feel hard all make a big difference. Reinforcing these everyday habits help students feel secure, supported, and ready to learn. Small, steady actions at home strengthen the foundation students need to stay engaged and successful at school.

Irving Traffic & Plan for drop off/Pick Up (repeat reminder)

In the coming weeks, there will be a four way stop installed at Lake St and 22nd St. Currently, there is a two way stop with stop signs on 22nd St. Stop signs will now be added to Lake Street as well. This will hopefully reduce speeding on Lake St and it will enhance the safety of everyone using that intersection (people in vehicles and students walking).

In addition, you may have noticed, the morning drop off & after school pick up at Irving is a busy time. In order to keep our students safe and to increase efficiency, we have worked with our district safety and security personnel to develop a traffic plan for before school drop off & after school pick up. This plan was established in 2022-2023, and reviewed regularly as we promote a safe drop off/pick up process. You will notice at the beginning of the year, administrators will be at student cross walks before and after school and there will be an increase in supervision as we know it will take all of us working together to ensure the new traffic plan is a success. Below is a link that describes the plan in detail:

DOWNLOAD THE TRAFFIC PLAN HERE

News from Rec center...

After School Program

Lincoln Parks and Recreation has been serving Irving Middle School families after school since 1977. Much has changed in the past 39 years, and we believe supervised, safe, fun, and meaningful after school activities are as important as ever for middle school students. Some students visit the rec. center simply because they need a place to go after school; however, our staff is intentional about making the center "more than just a place to go." After school staff does this by focusing on a positive environment, supportive relationships, and constructive programs. During after school hours at Irving Recreation Center, middle school students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of age-appropriate, fun, and enriching activities. Students can stay as busy as they’d like with homework, clubs, and special events, or they can simply choose to socialize with friends. We encourage all students to be engaged and take advantage of the activity choices available at the rec. center.

HOURS

Irving Rec. Center is open exclusively to Irving students upon school dismissal until 5:00 p.m. Students are welcome to stay after 5:00 p.m. when the rec center opens to the public. Closing times vary by season.

AFTER SCHOOL MEMBERSHIP

Students must submit an After School Member Form participate in clubs and be eligible for discounted punch cards and year passes. Need-based scholarships are also available to qualifying members.

FEE INFORMATION

•$4.00 per day

•$50.00 for a 20-day punch card (38% discount)

•$360.00 for a school year pass (50% discount*)

*Year pass discount calculated at 180 days.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

HIGHLIGHTS

•Homework Room

•Special interest clubs, classes and activities

•Game room

•Field trips

•Adult supervision

THE BASICS

•Students must have a pass to enter the rec center after 3:10 p.m.

•A student cannot enter the rec center on another student's punch card.

•Loitering and/or waiting for rides outside the rec center are not allowed.

•Students who drop-in following school intramurals must pay the daily fee at that time.

•Students may remain at the center after 5:00 p.m. The center is open to the public at that time.

•Make sure to sign up to receive our monthly email newsletter!

CLOSED

Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day After Thanksgiving, New Year's Day, M.L. King Jr. Birthday, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, the Last day of School and Election Days (the Rec center is a polling location.

March Newsletter: Irving Rec Center March Newsletter

Thanks for taking time to stay informed about our Irving Community!

Page updated

Report abuse