Back to school 2024

A Note from Ms. Palmer, KJHS Principal

Dear Kingsley families,

We hope you have enjoyed a wonderful summer! The Back to School edition of the KJ Family Connection is pretty "meaty" as it is full of valuable information for you and your student. I want to thank you ahead of time for taking the time to read through all the sections and discussing the information with your student. We are looking forward to a wonderfully engaging and productive school year and having a common understanding of expectations and pathways of communication is the first step to reaching that goal.

Just a reminder that we do have Open Doors at Kingsley on August 6-8 from 1:30 - 4:30 pm and the KJHS Back to School Bash on August 12 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm. We hope you take advantage of these opportunities to connect with our KJHS community prior to the official start of the school year. We can't wait to see you - until then, enjoy the remaining days of summer!

Ms. Palmer

KJHS Updates

Beginning of the 24-25 School Events

Students' schedules, including team assignments and locker numbers, will be available in Infinite Campus at 4 pm on Friday, August 2nd.
KJHS Open Door are scheduled from 1:30 - 4:30 pm on August 6 - 8. This is a chance for students to come into KJHS to decorate their lockers (no tape, just magnets please), walk their schedules, and reunite with friends.
The KJHS Back to School Bash is 5:30 - 7:30 pm on Monday, August 12. See the Back to School Bash flyer for further details.
Thursday, August 15, is the first day of student attendance for the 24-25 school year. Doors at KJHS open at 8:25 am.

Team Supply Lists

25-25 KJHS Supply Lists

Before School Supervision Program

KJHS is offering a before school supervision program for families that are interested. Students will be supervised by a staff member from 7:25 a.m. - 8:25 a.m. At that time, students would join the rest of the students in the gym/cafe. Families will be responsible for transporting their child to school each day.

The program fee is $85.00 per quarter (which equates to about $2.00 per day). The fee needs to be paid prior to the quarter starting. There will be no refund if a student does not attend on any given day. Students that are continued disruptions may be removed from the program.

If there is not enough interest in the program, we may not be able to offer this to families. Sixth grade students will be given priority if spots become limited. Those that sign up first will be granted the first opportunity to participate.

Sunday, August 11th, is deadline for sign up. The supervision program will begin Thursday, August 15th and continue throughout the year on all student attendance days. Please complete this form for each student you are registering for before school supervision.

Fall 2024 Sports Updates

Registration is now open on the KJHS Athletics Website for baseball, cross country, and golf. Any student wanting to try out for a sport at KJHS must be registered at least one business day prior to tryouts. Please remember that students must have a current physical uploaded to the KJHS Athletics Website as well as a birth certificate on file in order to participate in tryouts. Questions regarding registration can be directed to KJHS Athletic Director, Sylvester Davis, or Unit 5 Middle School Athletic Director, Brett Papoccia.

.Baseball:

Tryouts for baseball will begin Monday, August 5 and will go until Wednesday, August 7th at the earliest at the KJHS baseball field. Additional tryout days if needed are August 8, 9, and 10, with times to be announced. Please bring the following items labeled with your name on them: glove, proper spikes (if you already own them), shirt with name on the back, hat, bat (optional), and water.

We look forward to seeing you at tryouts!

Tryout times are as follows:

6/7th grade team: 8:00-10:00 am

8th grade team: 9:30-11:30 am

Contact Coach Tom Triezenberg with any questions: trieztn@unit5.org

Cross- Country:

Contact Coach Seibert with any questions: seibera@unit5.org

Golf:

Tryouts August 5 from 12-1 at Ironwood Country Club. Students must be registered on 8to18 and have their physical turned in prior to the tryout date. Registration for Boys and Girls Golf will be closing on Friday, August 2nd at 5 PM. Tryouts will take place on August 5th. Coach Lewis will be sending tee times to those who have registered once registration has been closed. Contact Coach Connor Lewis with any questions: lewisc@unit5.org

Girls Basketball:

Registration for Girls Basketball will be opening on Monday, August 5th at 10 AM. Once registered, please ensure that your student has an updated physical submitted to the front office or uploaded onto 8to18.

Math Curriculum Updates

Unit 5 has adopted Illustrative Math as its new 6-8 math curriculum. Please review the Middle School Math Placement FAQ to see how this change has impacted math course sequencing and math placement at the Unit5 middle schools.

KJHS PTO Updates

Congratulations to the new KJHS PTO officers: Kari Schick, President; Jessica Howe, Vice President; and Lara Davis, Secretary. We are very appreciative of your willingness to lead and serve! The first PTO meeting is Monday, August 26th, at 6:30 pm in the KJHS IMC. There is also an option to attend virtually if you cannot be with us in person. Future meetings are scheduled for 6:30 pm on 10/28, 1/27, 3/10, and 5/12.

Team Assignments/Student Schedules

Team Assignments: Team assignments are based on a variety of factors and changing a student's assigned team is not an option except under extreme circumstances. Any such requests should be directed to KJHS Principal, Elisa Palmer (palmere@unit5.org).

Student Schedules: Class sizes have been carefully balanced so students' schedules will not be changed except under the following conditions...

A student is assigned to an exploratory class that they have already taken. This applies only to 7th graders.
A student was mistakenly assigned to a music class or not assigned to a desired music class.
A student is missing a first semester class.
A student has the same class twice in one day (this does not include intervention).
A student is assigned to the wrong math class (7th & 8th grade only).

If your student meets one of the five criteria above, please complete the 24-25 Student Schedule Change Request Form. Schedule change requests must be made by Friday, August 9th to be completed before the beginning of the 24-25 school year.

KJHS Building Upgrades

In addition to the excellent cleaning work our outstanding custodial team did this summer, KJHS is got some much needed upgrades, including air conditioning in the Neuman Gym locker rooms and a greeter's station on the east side of the building. New bleachers are being installed in Neuman Gym in September.

Website Updates

The entire Unit 5 website has been overhauled, which has resulted in several broken links and other issues with the KJHS web site. We are working hard to get the site updated and working properly and we appreciate your patience as we complete this process. The end product will be a vast improvement on our previous site.

PE Uniforms

PE uniforms can be ordered via Infinite Campus. Here are directions to make the ordering process a breeze!

Medicine at School

Medicine at school must be administered by the KJHS nurse, Jennifer O'Brien, unless a parent/guardian is willing to come to school to administer the medication. When bringing medicine to school for the nurse, please make sure to adhere to the following requirements...

must be in the original container, marked with the student's name
must be accompanied by the doctor-completed Medication Authorization Form (signed by the doctor and the parent/guardian). Each medication must have a form.
inhalers and EpiPens may carried by the student (these are the ONLY medications that students may have with them), but parent/guardian must initial the box on the Medication Authorization Form (an additional inhaler or EpiPen may be kept in the nurse's office as a backup, if desired)

Medications can be dropped off at any time between now and the beginning of school; families are encouraged to drop them off to school before the first day so medications are available for student use, if needed.

In addition to the guidelines above, controlled substance medications (ADHD medications) must be counted with the parent/nurse each time they are brought in throughout the entire school year. The count is documented on the back of the Medication Authorization Form with the date, and signed by both the parent/nurse. An Unlicensed Assistative Personnel (UAP) may count medications with the parent in the absence of the nurse. If parents are unable to bring controlled substances in due to work or other circumstances, they may be sent in with the student (this is discouraged unless absolutely necessary due to liability reasons). The student must bring the medication to the nurse upon arrival to school. The parent must place a slip of paper in the bottle with the medication count, to be verified by the nurse/UAP upon the student's arrival to school.

Social Media

Want to stay up to date on what's going on at KJHS? Follow us on social media!

Facebook: Kingsley Junior High School

Instagram: Kingsleyjhs

Advisory Updates

Middle school can be a tumultuous time, especially in the social/emotional realm. In order to provide greater support to students in this area of development, the Unit 5 middle schools have expanded the advisory program to a daily 20 minute period. During this time, students and staff will explore a variety of topics using lessons from The Social Institute as a resource. Ms. Palmer will share how families can access this resources and follow up on advisory discussions in the September KJ Family Connection. We are excited about this expansion of the advisory program as we see it as an opportunity for students to check in with a staff member at the beginning of each day, build relationships with peers and staff, get ready to learn, and learn how to handle different challenges that they are currently facing or may face in the future.

KJHS Policies: Please Review With Your Student

Before School

Prior to 8:35 am: Upon entering the building, students are to go to the gym or the cafeteria. They are not to go to their lockers, even if they walk by them. Students in the cafeteria are to get their breakfast , sit down, and eat. No food or drink (except for water) can leave the cafeteria except in a bag. Students in the gym are to wait in their assigned areas to be dismissed by the supervisor. There is to be no food or drink in the gym except for water. There is absolutely no eating in the hallways.

After 8:35 am: Upon entering the building, students may go to their locker, get their materials, and go to class.

Cell Phone Policy

Cell phones and other mobile devices are highly distracting to the learning environment, which is why the Unit 5 handbook addresses these devices with the following wording: Students are allowed to possess and use mobile devices prior to 8:45 am and after 3:45 pm providing they do not cause a disruption.

To clarify, cell phones and wireless earbuds/headphones are not to be seen or used between the hours of 8:45 am and 3:45 pm. With staff permission, wired headphones/earbuds may be used in the classroom (connecting to the student's Chrome Book). Smart watches are not to be used for communication purposes between 8:45 am and 3:45 pm.

If you need to contact your student, please call the KJHS main office at (309) 557-4407. If your student needs to contact you, they will be sent to the office to call you.

1st 5, Last 5

Instructional time is precious; therefore, students are not allowed to leave classes during the first 5 or last 5 minutes of class. Students should utilize the passing period time to ensure that they have the needed class materials as well as using the restroom if needed.

Lunch Time

Lunch time can be an enjoyable social time if everyone follows some basic guidelines...

1 . Students have 5 minutes from the dismissal of class to arrive and be seated at their assigned table in the cafeteria.

2. Students will be dismissed by table to go through the lunch line. Students should make sure to have their school IDs with them to scan as part of the lunch purchasing process. Students without IDs will have to wait to get their lunch until students with IDs have gotten through the line. Photos of IDs on cell phones cannot be used this year.

3. Students are expected to remain seated at their tables and talk to their table mates at a reasonable volume for the duration of the lunch period.

4. Prior to leaving the cafeteria, students should make sure that their table is cleaned off, the floor around them is clean, and their chair is tucked in.

Please note that due to choking dangers, we are diligent about students acting in an orderly manner during lunch.

Transportation/Bussing

The purpose of the school bus is to transport students safely to and from home and school. As such, students are expected to behave in a manner that allows the driver to focus on the driving. Students are to scan their ID when boarding and exiting the bus. Once on the bus, students are to find a seat and remain in that seat for the duration of the ride. Conversation should be conducted at a reasonable volume and limited to those students in immediate proximity of one's seat. Students are not to throw items inside or outside of the bus.

Food & Drink

Due to spilling and pests, students are not allowed to eat outside of the cafeteria and are limited to water as a drink in the hallways/classrooms. Large bags of food are not allowed to be brought for sharing and will be confiscated. Outside food and drink are not allowed for lunch nor are food deliveries. Students bringing in breakfast foods/drinks will be directed to the cafeteria to eat and will need to consume or dispose of them prior to heading to class.

Dress Code

Dress code is always a tricky thing and the last thing KJ staff wants to do is talk with a student about wearing something that is inappropriate to school. You can help us by assisting your student with distinguishing school appropriate clothing from clothing that should not be worn to school. The Unit 5 Student Handbook outlines specific criteria in terms of what students can not wear to school. Please review the list below carefully, identify any clothing or accessories in your student's wardrobe that should not be worn to school, and talk to your student about those items.

Student dress (including accessories) may not advertise, promote, or picture alcoholic beverages,

illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, violent behavior, or other inappropriate images.

● Student dress (including accessories) may not display lewd, vulgar, obscene, or offensive language

or symbols, including gang symbols.

● Coats and sunglasses may not be worn in the building during the school day.

● No head coverings are allowed that obscure the view of the student’s face. Interpretation and

enforcement of this rule is up to administration discretion.

● Hair styles, dress, and accessories (scarfs/headbands) that pose a safety hazard are not permitted in

the shop, laboratories, or during physical education.

● Metal studs, chains longer than jewelry, and any other objects that may be used as weapons or that

may be hazardous to persons or property are specifically prohibited.

● Clothing which fails to adequately cover the body, or which is torn or altered in an explicit or

suggestive manner, will not be permitted. Shirts, blouses and tops which are not tucked in must be

long enough to cover the midsection when the student is in a standing or sitting position. Pants or

shorts must be worn at the waist.

● Appropriate footwear must be worn at all times. Slippers and shoes with wheels are prohibited.

● If there is any doubt about dress and appearance, the building administration will make the final

decision.

● A student whose dress causes a substantial disruption of the orderly process of school functions or

endangers the health or safety of the student, other students, staff or others may be subject to

discipline.

Staff Directives

Students are to follow the directives of KJHS staff at all times.

Navigating Kingsley

AP Assignments

Assistant Principal Dennis Larson (larsond@unit5.org; 557-4858) is the primary administrator for students in 6th and 7th grade while Associate Principal Sylvester Davis (davissy@unit5.org; 557-4962) is the primary administrator for students in 8th grade. If you have a concern about a behavior issue with your student, please contact your student's AP.

Guidance Counselors

Mrs. Kimberly Johnson (johnsonk@unit5.org; 557-4869) is the guidance counselor for students with last names starting with A-K; Mrs. Breanna Schwarz (shwarb@unit5.org; 557-4869) is the guidance counselor for student with the last names starting with L-Z. Please contact your student's guidance counselor is you have concerns about any social or mental health issues.

Navigating Student Conflicts

Given the fact that we have over 700 students in our KJHS community, conflicts are bound to occur. If your student is experiencing an issue with another student and needs adult assistance to help work things out, please encourage them to complete the "What's Up Kingsley?" form. This will alert the adults in the building to the issue and we will direct the students involved to the KJHS resource best suited to the conflict. If your student is struggling to express the issue, please notify their AP and they follow up with your student.

Who Do I Contact at KJHS?

Knowing who to contact at KJHS about certain issues can be challenging. We hope this mini-guide helps as to who to contact first when you are needing assistance.

Absences (partial or full day): KJHS Attendance line (309-557-4456)
Classroom level issues (grades, behavior, etc.): Your student's teacher(s)
General questions about KJHS: KJHS Main Office line (309 - 557-4407)
Student information/registration updates: KJHS Guidance office (557-4899)
Sports related questions: Mrs. Menken (557-4862 or menkenk@unit5.org) or Mr. Davis (557 - 4962 or davissy@unit5.org)
Student behavior issues: Student's AP
- - - - 6th & 7th Grade: Mr. Larson (557-4858 or larsond@unit5.org)
        8th Grade: Mr. Davis (557 - 4962 or davissy@unit5.org)
Student emotional or social issues: Student's Guidance Counselor
- - - - Last Name A-K: Mrs. Kimberly Johnson (johnsonk@unit5.org)
        Last Name L-Z: Mrs. Breanna Schwarz (schwarb@unit5.org)
Student schedules: KJHS Guidance office (557-4899)
Student support services: KJHS Guidance office (557-4899)
Issues with KJHS staff member: Ms Elisa Palmer (palmere@unit5.org; 557-4574)
Curriculum questions: Ms Elisa Palmer (palmere@unit5.org; 557-4574)

Unit 5 Updates

Unit 5 Podcast

Want to know more about Unit 5? Check out our new podcast, Inside Unit 5!

This monthly podcast is dedicated to highlighting information and news for Unit 5’s parents, students, educators, and community members.

Unit 5 Strategic Plan

Unit 5 has a new strategic plan, which will guide the district's decision making and priorities over the next five years. Unit 5 is committed to integrity, belonging, engagement, teamwork, and excellence and has the following areas of focus:

Inspiring a Culture of Learning
Creating Foundations for the Future
Building and Strengthening Our Community

Want to know more? Check out the Unit 5 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.

Athletics & Clubs

24-25 Athletics

Kingsley Clubs and Activities

Incoming students & families often ask "how can my child get involved & participate in the Kingsley community?" Great question!

Off of the main page of the Kingsley website, there will be an extracurricular activities page once updates are completed. For students, we post club information in the daily announcements & on "What's Kickin' at Kingsley?" bulletin boards throughout the school. Here is a list of our current clubs:

Animal Wellness Club Flobinet Choir Not In Our School

Board Game Club GSA Percussion Club

Byte by Byte Club Jazz Band Pokemon Club

Chess Club Kingsley Bible Club Rubix Cube Club

Drama Club Kingsley News Speech/Debate Team

D&D/MTG Club Kingsley Stream Team Spirit Club

FCCLA Kingsley Student Council Tech Club

Fellowship of Student Athletes (FCA) Knitting/Crochet Club Yearbook

KJHS Book Club

Stream Team is Bringing KJHS Home Games to Your Home!

Want to enjoy KJHS home games from the comfort of your own home? Check out our Kingsley Activities You Tube page for live streams of all home events and enjoy how our student led Stream Team broadcasts each and every game!

Dates to Note

August

2: Students Schedules Available in Infinite Campus (4 pm)
5: Baseball Tryouts Begin (Times TBA)
5: Cross Country Begins (Time TBA)
6-8: Open Doors at KJHS (1:30 - 4:30 pm)
12: KJHS Back to School Bash (5:30 - 7:30 pm)
15: First Day of School (8:45 am)
26: PTO Meeting (6:30 pm - KJHS IMC)

September

2: Labor Day (No School)
10: Early Release (11:45 am)

Stay Up to Date!

24-25 Unit 5 Calendar

Be sure to mark school holidays, teacher institute days, and early release days on your calendar!

Daily Announcements are shown each lunch period daily & posted on the main page of the KJHS website.

Stay Connected

To stay connected to our Kingsley community, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, &/or Twitter.

You can also visit our school website for additional information. Please be patient as changes are being made to the website to ensure the most updated information is provided.

At any time you can also reach out by email to palmere@unit5.org

#KingsleyCARES

Student Council is putting on a dance from 3:45 - 5:30 in the KJHS cafeteria. The theme is "Winter Glow" and tickets are on sale now. Attendance is limited to 250 students and students with a 2nd quarter ISS or OSS will not be allowed to attend the event.

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