April 6 - TJMS Junior Academic Super Bowl Invitational

April 7 - G.R.E.A.T. Fund Raiser at Kelsey’s Steak House 4-9 p.m.

April 7 - 5th grade Parent Night 6:30

April 18-29 - ISTEP TESTING - AM

April 22 - Snow Make-up Day- School In Session

May 11 - NJHS Induction 7 p.m.

May 13 - No School

May 16-20 - Spring Book Fair

May 19-20 - NWEA Testing

May 30 - No School - Memorial Day

May 31- Incentive Trip

June 2 - Awards Day

June 3 - Last Day of School and Field Day

The Valparaiso Police Officers will once again be waiting tables at Kelsey’s Steak House on Thursday April 7th to raise money for the Gang Resistant Education and Training Program, (G.R.E.A.T.). The GREAT program is taught to all 7th graders yearly in all Valparaiso Schools.

The program is taught by Officer Terry Cox (School Resource Officer), the program is designed to teach life skills to the 7th graders. Topics taught include the dangers of drugs, gangs and violence, the importance of setting goals in life, how bullying affects students, anger management tools and how to be a good citizen in our community.

This year officers will again be waiting tables to raise money. All proceeds raised will go directly to the GREAT program. Everybody is encouraged to come out and support the GREAT program, officers will be waiting tables from 4pm to 9pm on April 7th at the Kelsey’s Steak House in Valparaiso (on Hwy 30).

The Valparaiso Police would like to thank Kelsey’s Steak House for hosting this event and for their continuing support. Thank you!

Congratulations to the Thomas Jefferson Middle School Science Olympiad Team!

Just a few weeks ago, our Science Olympiad team did it again, taking the state championship at Indiana University in Bloomington.

For the 27th consecutive year, the Thomas Jefferson team is headed to the national championships, on May 20th and 21st. The team will compete at the University of Wisconsin, Stout.

The team couldn’t achieve this level of success without their dedication, coaches and parent volunteers who pitch in tirelessly as they experiment, study and learn their way through their many events.

Congratulations to team members, Charlie Trowbridge, Justin Stowers, Hannah Mitchell, Daniel Hu, Kourtney Collier, Ali Will, Zach Hatseras, Adam Biggs, Calvin McMurtrey, Teresa Nelson, Devishi Jha, Zach Heskett, Lauren Skadberg, Ari Kessler, Caden Hamscher, and Max Trowbridge.

Good Luck in May!

Click on the link below to learn how to vote for TJMS!

Yearbook orders can still be placed until May 13th online at:

www.jostens.com

• Be sure that you select Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Valparaiso, as there are several other TJMS options.
• Order now to avoid disappointment on delivery day in June!
• Questions? Email Mrs. Strayer: jstrayer@valpo.k12.in.us

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON YEARBOOKS

If you ordered a yearbook for your child using a nickname ('Cathy' instead of 'Catherine') or a name other than the name recognized by TJMS, you may have received a post card stating that you have not yet purchased a yearbook. The yearbook company does not realize that the name you used is the same as the name on the post card. You can ignore the post card! Rest assured that your order has been placed. It's always a good idea to print out the online yearbook receipt. Thanks for supporting our school yearbook!

If you have any questions, email Mrs. Strayer: jstrayer@valpo.k12.in.us

Believe it or not, the end of the year is quickly approaching. We still have a lot to accomplish with our students, but here are some important dates of special events to come:

Tuesday, April 5 and Thursday, April 7: National Spanish Exam

Wednesday, April 13 and Thursday, April 14: National German Exam

Monday, April 25-Friday, April 29: ISTEP Testing for 8th grade

Wednesday, May 11 - NJHS Induction 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 12: Career Center Field Trip

Tuesday, May 17 and Wednesday, May 18: Spanish Final Exam

Thursday, May 19 and Friday, May 20: NWEA Testing

Monday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 24: Algebra Final Exam

Thursday, May 26 and Friday, May 27: French and German Final Exams

Tuesday, May 31: Biology Final

Tuesday, May 31: Incentive Trip

Wednesday, June 1: 8th Grade Picnic and Farewell

A lot is happening for our Seventh Graders in this month of April where there are no school days off. The main two events are probably the 2nd phase of ISTEP during the third week of April and our 1 to 1 computer initiative beginning Tuesday, April 5th. You can find out a lot more info about these in other sources.

At the end of March, many of our 7th graders participated or enjoyed watching the spring variety show, led by Ms. Ellenson and Mrs. Wagner. Hopefully everyone enjoyed a nice spring break, this year with an added Monday to help regenerate our students and staff for our last 9 week grading period. The last day before break, the entire class worked in advisories, creating and sharing posters as the culmination of studying The Giver in our language arts classes, ending with viewing the movie together on the big screen in the auditorium.

In Language Arts and Math classes, students will continue studying the regular curriculum as well as doing some fine tuning to get ready for ISTEP. Math students will be finishing studying volume and surface area and beginning probability. Science students will be learning about rocks and minerals. Social studies classes are working on our island project. This gives students an opportunity to be creative while learning about Oceania island nations, governments, religions, and cultures. The project brings in aspects of language arts and science.

Some of our students will be preparing for academic competitions, including Academic Superbowl, the Lake-Porter Math Contest, and the National Science Olympiad. Open to all of our students are the Boys and Girls Track teams, hopefully spending our last season on our worn out track and looking forward to getting a brand new track this summer for our 7th graders to enjoy next year. Morning and afternoon help sessions are available almost every day for students who need that little extra to reach their achievement goals.

The 7th grade team would like to thank all of our families for their great support this school year and hope everyone has a great Spring. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any of your questions.

The 6th graders recently participated in their 3rd quarter Pride Reward Trip. PRIDE stands for Personal Responsibility In Daily Effort. We traveled to the Valparaiso Boys and Girls Club to spend the afternoon exploring the club. Students enjoyed basketball, dodgeball, arts and crafts, billards, video gaming, and music. The final reward trip will be at the end of the year at Zao Island.

On May 10, the 6th graders will be taking a field trip to the United States Steel Yard to watch a Rail Cats game. This will be a culminating activity for our baseball unit. Permission slips have been given out and need to be returned byApril 13th.

​Social Studies: We are starting our final unit of the year--Latin America!

We will be studying from Mexico down to the tip of South America. Currently we are discussing ​Aztec, Inca, and Maya civilizations. One of the things we have learned is that chocolate was introduced to us from the Aztecs. Yes! We have several guest speakers coming in also! Keep checking your students progress in Skyward as the last 9 weeks seem to fly by. Thanks for all your help in making sure your child continues to do their best.

Track Season has begun! The TJMS Track and Field Team is open to all academically eligible students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Students have the opportunity to participate in events that include the shot put, long jump, high jump, 75m hurdles, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1600m, and relay races. Student-athletes are required to regularly attend practices that meet Monday through Friday. Student-athletes must also have a current physical in order to participate.

Contactdwassilak@valpo.k12.in.us (boys team) or alaurencell@valpo.k12.in.us (girls team) for more information.

We will have the second and final session of 2015-2016 ISTEPS for all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders on April 18th-29th. Please be sure that your student gets a lot of rest and eats a healthy breakfast during those days. We begin our tests in the mornings so please help your child get to school on time.

Greeter’s Group meets one last time this year for an end of the year pizza lunch. We’d like to thank all of the 6thand 7th graders who volunteered to help greet new students this year and came to the monthly meetings. Your kindness and help is much appreciated!

Thank you to all the families that donated food for our Breakfast Food Drive. The 6th graders were the overall donation winners, but the 7th and 8th graders really picked up the pace at the end of the week. Local food pantries benefited from our group effort.

Did you know that you can view and manage your family cafeteria account and make payments online? Skyward Family Access allows you to view each of your child’s purchases and payments. You can set spending limits, request email low balance reminders, make payments and more. Sign in to Skyward and click the Food Service tab on the left. School Messenger will also contact parents by telephone weekly to alert them of negative cafeteria balances.

Need help? Call Food and Nutrition Services 219-531-3050 and we will be happy to assist you.

Through a Valparaiso Schools Fund grant, our media center now has five new learning tablets - designed for library circulation - that will engage students and enhance their learning experience. Students can use the Launchpads to remediate, reinforce, or enrich their skills in various core subjects, such as math and science. In fact, parents can use the Playaway Launchpad as a way to reward learning efforts since usage stats can be tracked. Your student can show you what they've done, how well they've done it, and the feedback gives you a way to know instantly what your student achieved. Currently, Mrs. Hurley is creating a list of students able to check-out the devices for a few days at a time. Send an e-mail to jhurley@valpo.k12.in.us if you’re interested in learning how to have your son or daughter added to the list.

Utilizing the Canvas Calendar

View the Canvas Calendar on a regular basis as many teachers post assignments as well as upcoming quizzes and tests to the calendar. Some tips follow that will help you navigate the calendar.

1. assignments: typically posted on the due date

2. quizzes/tests: typically posted on the actual day of the assessment

3. details of an assignment: double-click on the assignment if you see a magnifying glass icon, which indicates an attachment

a. click on the 1st icon to preview the attachment

b. click on the 2nd icon to download the attachment

4. Note: Some of the assignments listed may be completed via Canvas; however, keep in mind that many assignments are not to be completed on Canvas, such as a worksheet or online textbook assignment.

Viewing the Canvas Calendar

You can view the Canvas Calendar in 3 ways:

1. week view

2. month view

3. agenda view (shows list of assignments by date)

Located on the right-hand side, you will see the calendar icon. Under this is a listing of all of your child’s classes. To customize which classes appear in the calendar, keep in mind:

1. a class with a colored box next to it is selected and any postings from that class will appear on calendar.

2. a class with a white box next to it is NOT selected and any postings from that class will NOT appear on calendar.

3. to change if a class is selected or not, simply click on the box in front of it to change it to colored (selected) or white (de-selected).

Reminder - Grades posted in Canvas represent a portion of your child's assignments; the average in Canvas is not a complete reflection of your child's performance. Please check Skyward for your child's grades.

Every year during health class Mr. Kaufman's class finds ways to have fun while incorporating technology into the classroom. This year the students were introduced to a new program titled "Touch Cast." "Touch Cast" is a program that allows the students to use a green screen to film themselves with any background they wish. The assignment for this year's 8th graders was to create a Public Service Announcement to keep people off of drugs. The students were very creative and had a lot of fun with the assignment. Here are a few examples of a job well done. Enjoy!

• http://www.touchcast.com/mrkhealth/ryan_alex_ian
  
• http://www.touchcast.com/mrkhealth/ryan_heise_caleb_diston_carter_walworth
  
• http://www.touchcast.com/mrkhealth/eve_julia_sydney
  

Two late buses run Monday - Thursday for all BFMS, TJMS, and VHS students. Both buses pick up at at our front entrance on Roosevelt Road. Below are details about the route and approximate pick up times.

• South Bus #15, 3:50 - begins at TJMS and then goes to VHS, and then to BFMS.
• North Bus #30, 4:05 - begins at BFMS, then goes to VHS, and then comes to TJMS.
  

We have already earned over $600 from Box Tops this year. Thank you!

Remember to keep sending them in. Each little bit adds up to a lot when everyone contributes!

We are excited to let all of you know that we our offering more support for your child's academic success at TJMS! The Media Center will be open Monday through Friday before and after school. Late Start Wednesday morning sessions will take place in the Cafeteria. Morning sessions will run from 7:10 - 7:40 am, and the afternoon sessions will be from 3:00 - 4:00. Students will be able to get assistance with their homework, study for upcoming assessments, and use our computers for school work. Students will be able to ride the late bus(Except for Fridays) if they stay after school for this program or remain at school for a scheduled extracurricular event. We hope that students will take advantage of this opportunity, which will be supported by TJMS teachers, Americorps volunteers, and the Valparaiso University Study Buddy Program. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Krutz, Mr. McKay, or your child's teacher.

I am Mrs. Elizabeth Krutz, principal of Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

Email: ekrutz@valpo.k12.in.us
Website: http://www.valpo.k12.in.us/Domain/248
Location: 1600 Roosevelt Rd, Valparaiso, IN, United States
Phone: 219-531-3140
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TJMS.Valpo
Twitter: @Valpo_TJMS