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News and events - January 29, 2024
![News and events - January 29, 2024](https://cdn.smore.com/u/thumbs/071d/thumb-d7961af365d4ff651b947469cd0b662b.jpeg)
JMS Spelling Bee
Congratulations to all participants of the JMS Spelling Bee that took place on January 10, 2024. There were 47 students who participated in this school event, and it went eight rounds to determine our school champion. The winning word this year was Macao. All participants did an outstanding job!
Special recognition goes out to our top three spellers: third place, Nyasa Hicks (8); second place, Ivan Oldroyd (7); and our school champion, Turner Moll (8). Turner will go on to take an online qualifying test in order to represent JMS at the regional Spelling Bee on March 7, 2024.
7th Grade Scary Story Writing Contest
Seventh grade students participated in a scary story writing contest to practice creative writing skills The top three stories were chosen from ELA classes. Congratulations to all of our amazing writers here at JMS!
Environmental Science Field Trip
Ms. Garrett's Environmental Science classes explored three different water treatment facilities. They went to Elk River's wastewater treatment plant to understand how wastewater is cleaned and returned to the Mississippi River. They went to the Champlin water treatment plant to learn how Champlin takes water from an aquifer, treats it and sends it to homes. The last stop was a visit to the Minneapolis Water treatment plant. This tour explained how Minneapolis takes water from the Mississippi River, treats it and sends it to homes. It was a memorable day for all of the students with lots of learning.
A Message from the Library
This school year, the JMS Library has seen an increase in book damage. We understand that there are Library books that are well loved that have been read many, many times. These may have worn covers or spines that need to be repaired. Sometimes they have already been taped together. That is typical wear and tear.
The damage that we have seen is more severe. Books have been returned with extreme water damage. If I get a book right after it has been wet, there is a chance that I can save the book. A book that has been left wet can grow mold, or the pages may be damaged so much that they can not be read. We have had books with food inside or paint on the pages. We even have had books that have been chewed on by pets.
If your child checks out a book that was previously damaged, encourage them to notify us at the Circulation Desk as soon as possible. We appreciate them letting us know, and we can note that the issue existed before they checked out the book.
We do understand that accidents happen. When students talk to us about what happened with a book, we can try to repair the book. We do our best to get books back to shelf-ready without having to charge the family for an incident.
If a book can not be saved, we will contact the family about replacement costs.
Thank you!
Jen Legatt
Library Media Specialist
Volunteer Needs
We are in need of volunteers to help make upcoming JMS events a success. Whether you can spare an hour or commit to several shifts, your time and effort will make a difference in the lives of our students. Plus, volunteering is a great way to meet other parents and community members while making a positive impact on our school.
We are also excited to announce that our 6th-grade students will soon embark on an unforgettable field trip as part of Influence Day. However, in order to make this trip a success, we need your help! We are currently seeking volunteers who are interested in chaperoning the field trip and assisting with various activities throughout the day. This is a fantastic opportunity to get directly involved with education and to make a difference in the lives of our young students. If you are interested in volunteering for the 6th grade Influence Day field trip, please visit the following link: 6th Grade Influence Day.
We are currently seeking volunteers to tutor reading and math subjects to JMS students during the school day. As a volunteer, you would come in once per week (or more, depending on your schedule) and provide extra help to students who need it. The schedule is flexible as long as it is consistent. To sign up to volunteer for tutoring, please view the link Reading & Math Tutors.
As a reminder, individuals who wish to volunteer must complete the volunteer application and criminal record history release form at each site every school year.
We appreciate your support and look forward to making this winter season a memorable one for our staff and students.
This e-newsletter is published by Jackson Middle School, supported by the Anoka-Hennepin communication and public relations department. Questions, comment or concerns about the school e-newsletter? Contact us.