Superintendent Chronicle

The beginning of the school year is a time for goal setting and my executive team is setting multiple goals this month. We want to see an increase in the number of families participating in our weekly meal distribution. The USDA has announced that it will allow school districts to provide meals under the Seamless Summer Option - meaning we will have greater options for getting meals to our students. This announcement is huge! I’m brainstorming, along with civic leaders within the City of Jackson and Madison County, to come up with creative avenues for student meal distribution throughout our district. Additionally, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables are waiting for you at curbside meal delivery -on Wednesdays and Fridays - at the following locations thanks to a grant award from the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program :

• Alexander Elementary
  
• Andrew Jackson Elementary
  
• Arlington Elementary
  
• Denmark Elementary
  
• East Elementary
  
• Isaac Lane Elementary
  
• Lincoln Elementary
  
• South Elementary
  
• Thelma Barker Elementary
  

JMCSS will continue to create ways to help students develop lifelong and healthy eating habits!

We have several reasons to be proud of this school district and the caliber of graduates that JMCSS produces. You will begin to see this administration celebrate our graduates in magazines, social media, and on billboards. Jalyn Butler, an educational assistant at Alexander Elementary School, has designed a series of promotional graphics to highlight the accomplishments of JMCSS alums.

This is just the beginning. On behalf of the district, I would like to thank Judge York and Attorney Smith for their work in our community. They, and many others graduates of this district, help JMCSS STANDOUT! Is there a JMCSS graduate you would like to see us highlight this fall? Send photos to our Chief of Staff and Public Information, Mr. Greg Hammond at gdhammond@jmcss.org.

Surveying and construction layout are taking place right now for the new lobby at the Jackson-Central Merry High School building. Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC work is ongoing. The roof is ongoing and is about 80% complete. Interior framing is to begin shortly. The new lobby will be among the centerpieces of this major renovation project.

AND just a few blocks away the new Madison Academic is headed to the next level, literally. Beams are up three stories high on the U of M campus. Foundations are complete and about 3/4ths of the slab has been poured as of last week. The plumbing underground is complete. The steel is being erected. Be sure to attend our monthly board meetings for the latest updates on these projects. We are #WINNING

The United Way of West Tennessee has partnered with the Jackson Housing Authority to provide internet connectivity for hundreds of JMCSS students and families this school year. Matthew Marshall, President and CEO of the United Way of West Tennessee delivered 212 T-Mobile WiFi devices to the Jackson-Madison County School System’s Central Office on Tuesday. In addition to the hotspots provided to our school district by the United Way of West Tennessee, the Jackson Housing Authority is providing 500 WiFi devices for families in public housing, many of whom have students in the Jackson-Madison County School System.

Meanwhile our technology department is delivering Verizon WiFi devices this week to several schools. The 30 hotspots requested by Denmark Elementary were delivered on Tuesday. JMCSS technology department members image and inventory the devices prior to delivery to schools. Cool point - Principal Quinn’s team cross referenced her Denmark request with West Bemis and South Side. Some families who requested devices had students at multiple schools. So instead of needing 41, Denmark only needed 30. That’s #WINNING #TOGETHER

The Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department, along with our city and county mayors, are working to keep our community up to date on the impact COVID-19 continues to have on Jackson and Madison County. Valuable information is shared throughout the week. I have adjusted my schedule to participate in these live media briefings every Wednesday. If you tuned in today, you heard me mention surveys principals are conducting with teachers to determine employee comfort level concerning plans to offer in-person instruction for students later this month. Be sure to tune in to WBBJ-ABC 7 or online via the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department’s Facebook page to watch my Wednesday reports.

Take a look at our FAQ page updates concerning questions related to the Re-Entry Phase of our New Normal Initiative https://jmcss.org/domain/1476

Email: news@jmcss.org
Website: www.jmcss.org
Location: 310 North Parkway, Jackson, TN, USA
Phone: 731-664-2500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacksonMadisonCountySchools/
Twitter: @JMCSchools

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