9/19 Paw Prints Newsletter

Posted Date: 9/19/25 (9:00 AM)

Paw Prints Newsletter

Important News for our Panther Community

Principal Update

Last week I asked for input to see if you would rather have an in-person Open House instead of the virtual platform. Only 64 parents responded. These events are for you so we would like to see if we can get more input.

We can only do one of these 2 events in the evening. Which would you prefer? Share your preference here: https://forms.gle/ViUnZDBtZnzxaVF48

Progress reports were posted this week. Please look in Skyward to check your student's progress. We only have 3 weeks left in the quarter and Quarterly Benchmark Assessments will be coming up soon. Please be sure to talk with your student about the appropriate reviews so s/he is adequately prepared.

Have a great week!

Dr. Laudani

Principal

Upcoming Important Dates

9/19 - 7 pm Band Middle School Night @ Hagerty HS football game

9/22 - Vball vs. JHMS - Boys @ home

9/23 - PTSA Spirit Night @ Chipotle 5-9 pm - see below

9/25 - 10:30 am Code Red Drill - Lockdown

VB vs. Galileo - Girls @ home - no Boys games

9/26 - Childhood Cancer Awareness Day - Wear Yellow

9/29 - VB vs. TWMS - Girls @ home

10/3 - HHS/OHS Dress Up Day

10/5 - Deadline to purchase Magic tickets - see below

10/6-7 - QBAs - ELA/SCI/Spanish

10/7 - Band Concert @ HHS

10/8 - Vball vs. Milwee - Boys @ home

10/9-10 - QBAs - Math/SS

10/9 - 4:45 pm SAC

10/10 - Last day of Q1

Middle School Night @ Oviedo HS Football game

10/13 - Teacher Workday - No School

Action Items

Talk to your student about the PTSA Reflections Contest (see below)
Check Skyward for Progress Report grades - contact teachers if you have any questions. Email addresses are on the Staff page of the LCMS Website: https://www.lcms.scps.k12.fl.us/staff
Prepurchase tickets for volleyball games. (see below)
Sign up to be a Dividend (see below)
Join PTSA (see below)

After School Tutorial

Tutoring starts October 7, 2025 and concludes on April 23, 2026 and will be held from 4:15-5:15 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students will receive homework help as well as tutoring in math and reading by teachers and high school students. Transportation will only be available from LCMS to Geneva Elementary (for those that need it). All others will need to secure a ride after school. If your child will be walking home from LCMS on these days, there will not be a crossing guard to assist.

As a reminder, students participating in the after school tutorial program are expected to follow school expectations and guidelines. These standards ensure a safe and positive environment for everyone. Students who do not uphold these expectations may be dismissed from the program.

Questions? Contact Ms. Brinker-Martin at 407-871-7110 or Paige_Brinker-Martin@scps.k12.fl.us

September is National Attendance Awareness Month

Attendance at school is a critical component of student achievement and it is a focus of Seminole County Public Schools.

One change this year is the Skyward absence request. Every time your child misses class, a request must be submitted in Skyward. This includes:

If your child signs in late
If your child signs out early
If your child goes home sick
If your child is absent for any reason

If your child is seen by a medical professional and you were given a medical excuse note, please email the note to lcms_attendance@scps.k12.fl.us or drop it off in the front office. We must receive the note within 5 business days or one week of the absence. This is in addition to entering the Skyward absence request.

Directions for entering the Skyward absence request can be found here:

How to submit a Skyward Excuse Note

Student Planners

All 6th graders were provided with a planner free of charge.

If you would like to purchase one for your 7th or 8th grader, you can via MySchoolBucks:

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZOKY9Z04VE4_ZZ67MW20W6GRHU8

2025 Volleyball Season

Tickets must be purchased through MySchoolBucks. Cash will not be accepted at the door.

Purchase tickets here: https://www.lcms.scps.k12.fl.us/187365_2

Cash will be accepted for concessions: pizza, candy, soda, water

Club Listing

Several of our clubs are up and running.

Parents MUST sign a Google permission slip for each club their child plans to attend.

Visit the Students page of the LCMS website for a list of clubs & their Google permission forms:

https://www.lcms.scps.k12.fl.us/students

Visit the list to see all the new clubs!

**New Club Alert: Open Gym starts soon. See listing for details

Support LCMS PBIS

Come check out the Orlando Magic vs. Miami Heat. A portion of the proceeds go to our PBIS program to pay for student rewards and items in the PAWS-itive Store.

Tickets must be purchased by 10/5.

Who to Call Flowchart

Have an issue? Don't know who to contact? Follow this flowchart.

All staff emails can be found on the Staff page of the LCMS Website: https://www.lcms.scps.k12.fl.us/staff

Administrator content areas can be found on the Our School page of the LCMS Website: https://www.lcms.scps.k12.fl.us/187285_2

The Conference Request Form can be found on the Parents page of the LCMS Website and at the bottom of this newsletter:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScw0R4y5dat1synlqFq3Re8JRU5zIJR5ZrhLZbHmw0BgFdLLw/viewform

Join LCMS in The Rising 5K

Join the LCMS group participating in The Rising 5K put on by the Oviedo Run Club on Saturday, October 25. The school with the largest group receives a $500 grant!

Right now, kids who sign up for the 5K pay their age to register. Parents and siblings can participate too - the more the merrier - just be sure to register using the link below as part of the Lawton Chiles group.

PTSA Reflections

The LCMS PTSA Reflections Program is Back!

This year’s theme is “I Belong.”

The Reflections program encourages students to explore the arts and express their ideas through creativity. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to develop confidence, showcase their talent, and earn recognition.

Students can submit ORIGINAL works in these categories:

Dance Choreography
Film Production
Literature
Music Composition
Photography
Visual Arts

Deadline: October 10, 2025

Questions? reflections@lcmptsa.com

Top 3 entries in each category move on to the Seminole County level!

Tip: Entries should reflect the theme “I Belong”—interpret it creatively!

Scan the QR code on the flyer for details or visit: www.lcmsptsa.com/reflections

Join PTSA

Panther Families — We’re SO close to crushing our PTSA Membership Goals for 2025-2026! T

Goal 1: 519 Members — Parents, teachers, students, grandparents, & community members are ALL welcome!

Goal 2: 100% Faculty & Staff — Teachers, don’t forget: you must be a PTSA member to apply for Teacher Mini Grants.

Goal 3: Community Support — Businesses, you can help too with a community membership (or spirit nights or donations)!

Why it matters: If we reach these goals, LCMS could earn awards at the county and state level — giving us an even greater chance to secure school funding and resources.

Help us make LCMS even better with your contribution of just $12 for a PTSA Membership!

bit.ly/JoinLCMSPTSA

LCMS PTSA

PTSA Board Member Emails:

president@lcmsptsa.com @⁨Courtney Witt⁩

vicepresident@lcmsptsa.com @⁨Yadi Soto⁩

treasurer@lcmsptsa.com @⁨Maura Ward⁩

secretary@lcmsptsa.com @⁨Lindsey Smallwood⁩

membership@lcmsptsa.com @⁨Sarah T⁩apia

grants@lcmsptsa.com @⁨Kourtney Greenstein⁩

hospitality@lcmsptsa.com @⁨Felicia Prior⁩

8thgrade@lcmsptsa.com @⁨Kellie Burzee⁩

reflections@lcmsptsa.com @Monica Hagan

SACRep@lcmsptsa.com @⁨Kelly R⁩epstien

socialmedia@lcmsptsa.com Lisa Bartek

studentperks@lcmsptsa.com @⁨Kelly R⁩epstien

spiritnights@lcmsptsa.com @⁨January Sambell⁩

If you are interested in volunteering in the Lorenzo Library before school or during lunches, email Kelly Repstien at either of the emails above.

For more information about LCMS PTSA, visit: https://www.lcmsptsa.com/

To sign up for LCMS PTSA, visit: https://lcmsptsa.givebacks.com/shop?category=17470

To register to be a Dividend, visit: https://dvd.scps.k12.fl.us/

PTSA Facebook: LCMS PTSA

PTSA Facebook Group: Lawton Chiles Middle School Families Oviedo, FL

PTSA Instagram: chilesptsa

No Food Deliveries & Drop Offs

We do not accept any food deliveries (Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc.) for students.

We do not accept any drop offs of any kind - PE Uniforms, lunch, homework, etc. If a student forgot their lunch, they will still be fed by Red Apple Dining.

We do not allow students to bring and share cupcakes or other treats. Please save the birthday celebrations for after school.