JMS Weekly Update
February 11, 2024
JMS Safety Drill - 2/16
In an effort to continually prepare our staff and students for emergency situations, JMS will be conducting a School Safety Drill on Friday, February 16th. We will run this drill at a walk through pace. We are interested in discussing options with students and then carrying out those options in a slow and organized manner, as the instruction is equally as important as the actual evacuation and/or lockdown & barricade. An additional focus for this drill will be to discuss how students can stay safe when out in public (at the mall, movie theatre, restaurant, sporting event, etc), as our ALiCE procedures are not only specific to staying safe in a school building.
The drill will begin with the teachers reviewing and discussing our ALiCE Procedures (Alert, Lockdown, inform, Counter, Evacuate) with the children. Following this review, we will walk through an "unidentified intruder" scenario. There will not actually be an unidentified intruder, but rather we will make an announcement stating that there is an "unidentified intruder" in a specific location of the building. Based on this information the teachers and the students will discuss their options to stay safe (evacuate and/or lockdown and barricade), then they will either practice evacuating the building or they will practice locking down and barricading. The teachers and students will discuss these options and then carry out those options in a slow and organized manner.
This drill will not be a surprise. Teachers and students will be notified about the drill. They will also be notified before the drill begins. It is our goal to create a calm and educational environment during these drills. The power of this practice is in the discussion and thinking through scenarios so that we are all prepared.
The Mt. Lebanon School District is committed to taking proactive measures to protect the safety of all our students and staff members. Thank you for your support of this important program.
JMS International Night
Thursday, February 29, 2024
6:00pm- 8:00pm
Jefferson Middle School Gym and Auditorium
Join us for a wonderful celebration of our school’s diversity. Families can signup to host a table and share their country’s traditions, culture, food, and costumes. There will be basket raffles, additional food for sale, and a variety of live performances in the auditorium. We are looking forward to a fabulous night! Presale for admission will begin in the coming week, a limited amount of wristbands will be sold at the door. You won’t want to miss this!
Click here to HOST A TABLE
Click here to DONATE to our snack table
Click here to DONATE to our raffle baskets
Informational flyers will be sent home this week
If you have any questions please contact Marisa Hupe
7th & 8th Grade Families - Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Prevention Screening (RAAPS)
As parents you are well aware that the physical and mental health of young people plays a key role in their ability to succeed in school, have rewarding relationships with family members and friends, and lead productive and happy lives. Jefferson Middle School is committed to work with you, not only to educate your children, but also to ensure that they reach their full potential outside of the classroom. To that end, we are offering families of 7 and 8th grade students the opportunity to have their teens participate in a wellness check-up utilizing the Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Prevention Services (RAAPS).
Below you will find all the necessary information regarding this program. We hope you will take advantage of this confidential check up.
Attendance is a crucial component to school success for students. We have noticed an increase in students being tardy to school in the morning. Students are expected to be in homerooms by 8:00. If students are tardy without an excuse 3 times within a semester, they are given a warning letter. For each additional 3 unexcused tardies they accumulate after the warning letter, they will be assigned an after-school detention. Thank you for your assistance in ensuring that students start their day off on the right track.
Please review the attendance flyer for additional information about school attendance.
Students in grades 6-8 are required to bring a non-cell phone device with them to school every day. If you would like to borrow a device for your student in grades 6-8, you can submit a request to borrow one from the District on this page.
This page is also where you can report a problem/damage to your student's District-owned device using our form. This page also explains and provides a link to enroll in the District's annual Equipment Protection Plan (EPP) to limit any charges that might come from accidental damage to your student's District-owned device. This plan is optional and is not required.
You can learn everything you need to know about Middle School Athletics, including starting dates, by visiting the MS Athletics Webpage.
Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late. With Safe2Say Something, it’s easy and confidential to report safety concerns to help prevent violence and tragedies.
Here’s how it works:
- Submit a report through the Safe2SaySomething system
- Crisis center reviews, assesses and processes all submissions
- Crisis center sends all submissions to school administration and/or law enforcement for intervention
- If needed, crisis center may contact tipster anonymously through the app
Children need healthy meals to learn, so the Mt. Lebanon School District is committed to offer healthy meals every school day for our students. For the 2023-2024 school year, breakfast is free for all students; lunch costs $2.65 for elementary students and $2.80 for middle school and high school students. Your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals. Reduced price is $.30 for breakfast and $.40 for lunch. Click the link below for free or reduced price meal benefits, and a set of detailed instructions to help you apply.
You can also apply for free and reduced meals online via the state's COMPASS portal.
The MTLSD School Counselors in partnership with The Allegheny Children's Initiative Inc., have compiled a list of social services resources that may be helpful to you and your family. Please take a look and reach out to these organizations. They are here to help with any of the following:
- Food
- Rent/Mortgage
- Utilities
- Pets
- Abuse
- Mental Health
- General Assistance
Jefferson Middle School
The Jefferson Middle School learning community has an exceptional reputation for its dedicated teachers, staff and parents working together to provide learning experiences for our children that include high expectations, a challenging curriculum and a shared commitment to provide the best education possible for each and every student.
Website: https://jms.mtlsd.org/
Location: 21 Moffett Street, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Phone: (412) 344-2167
Facebook: facebook.com/jmslebo
Twitter: @JMSMTLSD