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News and events - March 22, 2024
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Calendar Reminder
March 29 - No school, Staff Development day
A Visit from the Raptor Center
All 7th graders were able to see a presentation from The Raptor Center on March 19 or 20. The students were able to view an owl, hawk, falcon and bald eagle. They learned about each raptor and the importance of them in the food chain and what we can learn about the food chain based on the population of these important predators.
7th Grade ELA
A teaching artist from the Loft Literary Center presented to our 7th grade ELA classes on persuasive writing. Students learned techniques of persuasion and then applied them by creating an advertisement.
WEB Leaders for 24-25 School Year
Attention Current 7th Grade Students
We are looking for some soon to be 8th graders who are good role models for younger students and who have been successful at Jackson. We want leaders who can share their stories of middle school and the lessons they learned with incoming Jackson students.
WEB Leaders are trained to work with incoming sixth graders who are entering our school next fall. After a training session this summer, WEB Leaders will run sixth grade orientation before school starts in August. Additionally, throughout the school year, WEB Leaders will meet again with student groups to touch base, discuss problems, and plan social activities. We know that the more contact a sixth grader has with his/her WEB Leader the more successful the sixth grader will be.
IMPORTANT DATES:
- Application Due: Friday, April 5 (turn into the Main Office).
- Interviews: April 17 & 18 during the school day.
- WEB Leader Training (mandatory): August 19 & 20 (8 a.m.-12 p.m.) Transportation not provided.
- 6th Grade Orientation (mandatory): August 21st (7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.). Transportation not provided.
- Three after school activities: one per trimester
You can access the electronic application by clicking on the WEB Leader Application button below.
MCA Testing Coming Up
All JMS students will take the MCA Reading and Math tests to see how much they have learned this year. Our 8th graders will also take the MCA Science test to show their progress in that subject. During testing, students will stay in their first hour classes throughout the morning to finish the test. Please avoid scheduling appointments on these mornings so students can successfully complete the test. Thank you for your help!
MCA Test Dates
April 25 - MCA Reading
April 30 - MCA Math
May 7 - MCA Science (8th grade only)
JMS Observatory
Join us at the JMS Observatory to look at stars, the moon, constellations, and anything else we can find in space. Public viewings will be held , along with special event nights, as long as the sky is clear, when something of interest is happening in the sky above us. Weather is always an issue so if it is cloudy, raining, or snowing, the public viewing will be cancelled. Dress for the weather as the temperature of the dome is the same as that of the outdoors.
Please check the Observatory page on the JMS website at 6 pm on viewing dates to make sure viewing has not been cancelled.
Upcoming dates:
Thursday, April 11: 8 – 10 pm
Tuesday, April 16: 8:30 – 10:30 pm
Thursday, April 18: 8:30 – 10:30pm
Directions to the Observatory
Volunteer Opportunities
As we head into the final trimester of the school year, we are currently seeking volunteers for our upcoming events. We value your membership in our community, and we would be honored to have you join us as a volunteer. Your support will be vital in ensuring that these events are a huge success for our students and staff.
MCA Hallway Heroes
During MCA testing, we're searching for volunteers to be bathroom and hallway heroes. Volunteers will help us out by ensuring that only one student is in the bathroom at a time and students are not talking in the hallways during testing. We'll provide you with a chair to sit on, and a small table too. You can bring your favorite book, tablet, or laptop to pass the time during your shift.
We are currently seeking volunteers to help run the cash box and sell dance tickets to 8th-grade students during the week of April 29. We need 2 volunteers per day in the mornings from 8:00-8:25 am.
We are thrilled to announce that our annual 8th-grade dance is just around the corner, and we're looking for volunteers to help us make it an unforgettable night! We're seeking enthusiastic volunteers to help us chaperone the dance, keep an eye on the dance floor, the gym, cafeteria, hallways, and doors, or sell some delicious concessions.
We're excited to announce our upcoming 5th-grade Welcome Night on May 1 from 6 to 8 pm. As part of this exciting event, we'll be selling some awesome JMS spirit wear to show our school pride! We're looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help us with this task. If you're passionate about our school and love to spread the spirit, this is the perfect opportunity for you!
Garden Clean-Up
We are seeking help to manage and maintain our garden, located in the school courtyard, a few times per year. Our garden is volunteer-run and funded. We would love to keep our garden looking beautiful for our staff and students' enjoyment. Some of the duties will include weeding, planting, watering, and tilling soil. EXPERIENCE IS NOT REQUIRED! We will provide the training and equipment.
Thank you for your time and consideration. We hope to hear back from you soon and see you at our upcoming spring events!
*** All volunteers must complete a volunteer application and background release for the 2023-2024 school year before they can begin volunteering. CLICK HERE to view the forms. ***
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.