LMMS Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year at Lost Mountain!

We are thrilled to have the kids returning to school!   We want every child and family to have an excellent experience at Lost Mountain this year!   Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions answered to help everything go smoothly for you and your child.  As always, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.  We are happy to help, and we are grateful for your support!

My student is a car rider; what is the earliest time that I can drop them off? 

Our earliest drop off is 8:15. There is no supervision before 8:15.  At 8:15 the theater doors open. Students will remain in the theater for study hall until 8:50 when they can walk up the hall to go to their homeroom. On Wednesdays, study hall meets in the Commons.

Can my student go to the Learning Commons before school? 

Yes!  Before 8:50, students will get a pass from the person in study hall. The other option is to get a pass from the homeroom teacher at 8:50.

Can my student go to music class before school? 

Yes!  Before 8:50, the supervisor for study hall will wait until she hears from music directors that their classes are open for students.

My student is a car rider; how do I drop him/her off at school? 

Drive through the car rider line and drop him/her off at the front of the school.  For safety reasons, do NOT drop a student off in the parking lot.

What time does school start and end? 

9:10 – 4:15  Students must be in their seats in homeroom by 9:10. After 9:10, the student will be marked tardy.  For any student arriving after 9:10, a parent needs to come into the building to sign the student in by using our QR Code.  

How does my child get home from school? 

1. Ride the Bus
2. Walk Home
3. Car Rider

What if I need to change my child’s transportation method during the school day?

                Send an email to our front office staff by 3:00.

leighann.griffin@cobbk12.org or allison.miller@cobbk12.org.

Can my child ride the bus home with another student?   

No.   Our transportation system can only accommodate students on their correctly assigned bus.

How does afternoon car rider line work? 

1. You may drive through the line.
2. You may park in the parking lot.  Due to safety concerns, we will NOT allow students to walk freely in the parking lot.  If you park in the parking lot, students will only be allowed to walk into the lot if they are accompanied by an adult.  Students will be waiting on the sidewalk by the theater.  Parents must walk down to the sidewalk into the emergency lane to greet their child.  Parents may not drive in front of the theater or call their child up to the parking lot.     

What is the dress code for LMMS? 

Given parent and student feedback over the last few years among Cobb County residents and around the nation, many schools have transitioned to a “bare bones” dress code – pun intended!    

Our primary goal is for all students to have the “3 Bs” covered (breasts, belly, bottom) even when students bend over or are wearing a backpack (which often causes shorts to ride up).  We are fine with leggings, jeggings, holes in jeans, long t-shirts, shorts, and short skirts as long as the 3 Bs remain covered by fabric all the way around (even when they bend over).  When wearing leggings, students must wear a long t-shirt to completely cover their bottoms. 

The easiest way for parents to “judge” if shorts meet dress code is to see the fingertip length when students have their arms straight down by their sides.  Fingertips should touch fabric all the way around.  Please note this is just for parents to “judge” – not our staff.  😊  

Other requirements are: 

• Clothing that displays, advertises, or promotes obscene slogans or signs, profanity, or any substance that is illegal for minors, such as beer, tobacco, etc. and clothing or ornamentation that advocates, promotes, or suggests illegal activity (including gang activity) are prohibited.  
• Bandanas, head coverings, sweat-headbands, and hats are not allowed. 

What happens if my student is out of dress code? 

Most dress codes can be fixed by having the student put on another shirt.   So not to inconvenience parents and have the student miss instructional time, the student will get a t-shirt from the front office.  The student will wear the t-shirt for the day and return it to the front office at the end of the day so that it can be washed.  If a student asks if something is appropriate, the best rule of thumb is not to wear it.  If this happens multiple times, the school will contact the parent.   

When is my child allowed to visit the restroom?

Students are allowed to use the restrooms before homeroom, during every class change, before/after lunch, and during dismissal.  Due to security requirements, all classroom doors are locked at all times.  Therefore, we are providing multiple opportunities for students to go      throughout the day to minimize interruptions during class. Our teachers know to give a couple of minutes of grace if a student is late to class because he/she need to stop by the restroom. If there is a restroom emergency during class, students may ask for a pass to use the grade level restrooms or go to the clinic for more pressing emergencies.

What is the last time that I can check my child out of school? 

3:45; Please bring your cell phone as we use a QR code for the sign-in/sign-out process.

Can I visit my child during the school day?

Visitors are not allowed in the building unless to sign in/out their student.  Any individual visiting Lost Mountain must report to the front office.  All visitors are required to sign in at the front office to obtain a visitor’s pass and approval from staff to go to academic areas.  Friends and relatives are not permitted to spend the day at school with students. Parents wishing to visit a class may do so by obtaining prior approval from the principal or designee.  All requests must be made 24 hours in advance.

How can I find information out about the clinic or medications?

lost mountain clinic - Home (weebly.com)

Can my child have water in class?

Beverages must be in a container with a resealable top. Water bottles can be refilled in the 700 and 800 commons water fountains. All beverages, except water, must be consumed in the commons. The only beverage that is permissible to drink in the classroom is water.  Water must be in a container with a resealable top. You will be asked to dispose of all other food and beverages.

What if our family has a change of information or address?

All families must provide the school with a current address, guardian information, and telephone number.  In the event a change needs to be made to this information, the parent must provide proof of the new information via ParentVue and/or to the front office.  The enrolling adult must live in our attendance zone in order to be a student at Lost Mountain.

What if we are moving out of the area?

At least 24 hours in advance, a parent/guardian should notify the Pupil Personnel Clerk with the student’s last day and what school he/she will be attending.  The student will need to turn in their  laptop if they are moving outside the Cobb County School District, return library books  and pay any fines due.

My child was sick, and I need to provide an excuse note.  How do I get it to the school? 

Email notes to Lostmountainmssupport@cobbk12.org.

If there is any issue with uploading a note, please email Allison Miller at  Allison.miller@cobbk12.org

If my child is sick, can they enter class virtually? How do they make-up their work?

While we are unable to provide “live” class sessions when students are absent, teachers do post  their assignments on their CTLS Learn pages to help students get caught up quickly upon returning to school.  The number of days allotted to make up work is the total number of consecutive school days the student was absent. For instance, a student who has been absent for three (3) consecutive days would have three (3) school days to make up her/ his work.  All inquiries, arrangements, and written confirmation of arrangements for make-up work after absences are the student’s responsibility and not their teachers’. Should the student fail to inquire about and arrange for make-up work, zeros will be assigned for all missing work.

My child left something at home; can I drop it off?                                                                                                                         

 No.  There are no drop offs.  This helps students learn to be independent and to self-manage their daily routine and assignments which is an invaluable skill to develop before they move on to high school.  No worries, parents!  This is a good thing!

Will my child have a locker at school?

Students will be given the opportunity to have a locker if they wish.  Lockers will only be used for non-instructional items such as coats, lunches, etc.  Students will be given an opportunity to visit their lockers before homeroom, on the way to lunch, and at the end of the day.  Students will not have textbooks to carry around, and their music instruments will be kept in our music classrooms.  Students do need to dress out for PE, and they will be issued a PE locker.  Students must bring their laptops to every class period.  

Can my child bring a cell phone to school?

Cell phones are not needed at school.  We do not have students use their cell phones for instructional purposes.  If students do bring their cell phones, they need to be “silenced” and  out of sight throughout the school day.  Thank you for your support!

How does lunch work?

Lunch is served during 3^rd period.  Students have 22 minutes to eat lunch.   Food drop off for students is not allowed.  A variety of ala carte items are offered at an additional charge during the lunch serving time (beginning later in August).  Parents may add money to their child’s  account and monitor spending at mypaymentsplus.com.  Students and Parents may explore the  CCSD Food & Nutrition webpage: (Food and Nutrition Services (cobbk12.org)) for all types of information including an allergen list and nutritional values.  Upon receiving medical documentation signed by a physician of any medical and/or allergen issues, an alert is then put   on the students’ account.  All flags and alerts are removed each year.  Please contact the Café manager, Dena Ison, at any time if you have questions or concerns at dena.ison@cobbk12.org.   

What safety drills will my child participate in?

Students will practice emergency drills which include fire, severe weather, and lock-down. Students are expected to follow all directions given by school staff.  For the drills that require students to exit the building, there should be no talking, running, or pushing; students should move quickly and orderly to exit the building.  Parents (via CTLS Parent) and students/staff will be notified just before a lock-down drill is conducted.

What is the behavior management plan?

In middle school, our goal is to help our students be independent learners who treat their teachers, our staff and their peers with kindness and respect.  We use an Eagle Card that students will keep in a folder that we will provide them.  Please check the Eagle Card on a        frequent basis to help us encourage positive behavior habits at school.  We follow the Cobb County School District Student Code of Conduct located at this link Attachment #1  (windows.net) for all disciplinary issues including a primary focus on restorative practices to   learn how to take responsibility for our actions and to learn from our mistakes.

What do I do if I want my child to be in AC classes?   

We uphold the 2022-2023 placement criteria for AC classes, as we are given the charge by the district to establish one that is applied consistently.   We do not schedule students based on parent, student, or teacher requests.  All of our teachers are well-qualified to provide rigorous curriculum to your child at his/her ability level.  If you have a new student, you may check with the office to see if your previous school has sent the records to LMMS.

Can I drop out of AC? 

Deadlines for dropping an AC class for the 2022-2023 school year have already passed.   

Can I change my connections class? 

Except for band, chorus, and orchestra, students are not able to choose their connections like they can in high school.  Connections classes are scheduled randomly.  

What is the bell schedule for the school day?

In addition to a lot of other information, our schedules are posted on our website:  Lost Mountain Middle School (cobbk12.org).

How will the school communicate with me?

Via CTLS Parent

How do field trips work?

No student is ever denied these opportunities because of the inability or unwillingness of the parents/guardians to financially donate in support of those activities.  Our fieldtrips are funded through parent/guardian donations, which are requested and collected to enable every student to participate.  Trips may be cancelled if sufficient funds are not obtained to cover the cost of the trip.  Individual student participation in field trip activities will be contingent upon the individual student’s conduct record.  Students and parents will be given detailed conduct criteria during the planning phase of the fieldtrip.  Students and parents will be notified if a student is in danger of losing their privilege to participate in the fieldtrip prior to the denial of their participation.  If a student is assigned ISS or OSS the day of the fieldtrip, he/she will not participate in the fieldtrip.

What is the grading system?

GRADE ACCESS

Parents and students have access to attendance and grades using Synergy- ParentVue and StudentVue available through the Cobb County School District.  

GRADING SYSTEM

Middle schools in Cobb County use the following grading system:

                A = 90 – 100                           D = 70 - 73

                B = 80 - 89                              F = Below 70

                C = 74 - 79                             

CONDUCT GRADES

Conduct grades are given each grading period.  Proper citizenship development of students is as important as the academic training. The following is a guide to conduct ratings:

 S = Satisfactory                        N = Needs Improvement                         U = Unsatisfactory

How do the Milestones End of Course tests work for my 8^th grader who is taking a high school course?

Eighth grade will have a final exam schedule during the last weeks of school.  It will be the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with the teacher of any final exams he/she will miss due to absences.  The Algebra and Physical Science High school level classes will have a final exam or an EOC (End of Course Assessment). 

Students must take the EOC associated with certain courses in order to earn credit for the course.  Students who do not take a required EOC exam for any reason will receive a zero on the exam until the test is made up at the student’s high school the next school year.  The grade will be re-calculated at the high school.  

How can I make sure my child is successful in their classes?  

Have your child follow this checklist every school night:

The Fabulous 5 Strategies for Success!

1. Every school night, check your StudentVue account to ensure you don’t have any missing assignments.
2. Every school night, check your teachers’ CTLS Learn pages to ensure you complete your nightly assignments and prepare for tests and quizzes.
3. Make flash cards for every test and quiz.  Review them for a couple of days (at least) before tests.
4. Use “Khan Academy” (free, online website) for short videos for review on math and science.
5. Come in for free tutoring sessions every week (starting later this fall; information will be coming soon).

Who do I contact if I need help?

 Typically, please start with your child’s teachers.  Our counselors and administrative team are also happy to help!  

Tracy Fields, Counselor                                                                 Valerie Wombles, Counselor

8^th grade                                                                                              7^th Grade

6^th Grade (Last Names A-L)                                                           6^th Grade (Last Names M-Z)

Greg Barilow, Assistant Principal                                             Allison Paulk, Assistant Principal

6^th and 8^th grades                                                                             7^th Grade 

Christy Gilley, SSA

Special Student Services Administrator

Dr. Ansley Daniel, Principal

We are looking forward to a fantastic year!