Hello Cougar Families!!! We are moving right along and into February. We are super excited about the second semester as teachers are drilling down into their students' data and making "halftime adjustments" to assure all of our students have a gameplan for growth and success! Our Fifth Grade Step Up Night is Thursday February 5th and we are looking forward to showing all the "Future Cougars" just how amazing our staff and programs are! We will have KIX Country 92.9 on location as well as food and drink trucks from the Englewood Community! Mr. Ostrow and I went to all of the local Elementary schools to share information about L.A. Ainger and the L.A. Ainger Band along with all of the new and exciting programs we offer! It was an awesome experience to get out to the local schools and share why L. A. Ainger is the best Middle School around! We want to thank you all for your continued support and hope you continue to partner with us for all of our students to show us the growth they are capable of! As always, thank you for being a part of our Cougar Family!!!

Steve Smith

Principal

Happy 2026! Your Ainger PTO has been hard at work this school year! Over the last month, we have been offering grants of $100 to any of our teachers for classroom supplies or other things they need.  So far, we have approved six grants! Our PE department got 8 new basketballs and 4 new volleyballs, a few math teachers received much needed supplies like pencils and  paper and our art teacher got sharpies and pencils so Ainger students can continue to create amazing art!  

We want YOU to be a part of the fun! We know time can often be an issue. The Ainger PTO accepts help in many forms (volunteering your time, financial or item donations, sharing our Facebook posts or helping us come up with new ideas!) Even giving just an hour of your time or contacting a local business for a donation can make a huge difference!  We will happily accept any and all support from our Ainger parents & guardians! Please reach out with any questions!

Your PTO Board,

President: Kelly Shamasian

Vice President: Lena Kowalewski

Secretary: Melissa Southwell

Treasurer: Amanda Hubartt

Below is our meeting schedule for this year! Get it in your calendar so you don't miss anything! We try to keep our PTO meetings at 30 minutes or less because we respect your time and know that no one wants to spend a ton of time at a meeting (especially after working all day).  We get it! We promise that joining us is a great way to get involved!

Meetings are hosted with SAC (our School Advisory Council) and begin at 5:30pm with SAC and PTO immediately following.

Feb 9

Mar 9 

Apr 13 - Election slate for board

May 11 - board elections

Here at Ainger, we celebrate our teachers in April instead of May due to state testing.  This year, we'd like to make the week even better than last year.  We had theme days last year, but are open to any new ideas!  Please email us with your thoughts or to assist at aingerpto@gmail.com. We can't wait to show our teachers all the love they deserve!

Our PTO has a facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/LAAPTO)

You can also join our ParentSquare Community to be kept in the loop! 

What a finish to the season! Our Track team sprinted across the finish line on Friday night with incredible energy. We saw countless "Personal Bests" achieved by our athletes. A huge congratulations to the Girls Team for a strong 3rd place finish, and let’s hear it for the Boys Team for taking 1st place and bringing the championship trophy back home to Ainger!

From the track to the pitch! Soccer tryouts are currently underway and will wrap up tomorrow. We are gearing up for an exciting season and can't wait to see our athletes in action.

Come cheer us on at our season opener!

Feb 12 MMS @ LAA LBHS

Feb 19 LAA @ PGM CHS

Feb 24 LAA @ PCM PCHS

*Mar 05 PGM @ LAA LBHS

Mar 12 PCM @ LAA LBHS

Mar 24 LAA @ MMS* PCHS

Mar 28 Playoffs Centennial Park @ 10:00 AM (Saturday)

We aren't done yet! Our final competitive sport, Wrestling, will hit the mats starting the last week of March. Stay tuned for details!

Participation requires every athlete to be fully cleared through the Athletic Clearance platform.

Don't wait! Visit https://athleticclearance.fhsaahome.org/ today to complete your profile. This process includes uploading a current and valid sports physical. No physical on file means no participation in meets.

If competition sports isn't your thing, well we also have many intramural sport options to get involved, learn something new, or hone those skills.

Here's what's on the schedule:

Whether you want to hit the gym or hit the field, there's something for everyone.

The L.A. Ainger Middle School P.E. department is officially upgrading its game. Thanks to the successful acquisition of grant funding from Delta Kappa Gamma and the Suncoast Schoolwide Mini Grant, the school has secured the resources needed to modernize its facilities. This investment directly supports student health and wellness, ensuring the "Cougar Pride" isn't just a slogan, but a standard for their fitness environment. It’s a great example of how community support can turn a standard gym into a top-tier training space for students.

Huge shoutout to all the amazing sponsors who support Ainger! Your generosity makes a real difference for our students and school community. We couldn't do it without you! Thank you for all you do.