Bulldog Bulletin

November 15, 2024

The Bulldog Bulletin features school events, updates on student life, and general information about JFDS.

Be sure to check the JFDS website regularly for news, the events calendar, and more. Download the Bangor App as well to help stay connected!

Upcoming Dates

Here are some upcoming dates to remember :

Wednesday, November 20th - Eighth Grade Field Trip to UTC
Thursday, November 21st - Maine Bioscience Day
Monday, November 25th & Tuesday, November 26th - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, November 27th through Friday, November 29th - No School
Friday, December 6th - Fun Night (6 to 8PM)
Thursday, December 12th - Middle School Winter Concert at BHS (6:30PM)
Monday, December 23rd through Wednesday, January 3rd - Winter Vacation

PBIS Surveys

Help the JFDS staff learn about our school.

The Bangor School Department is in its third year of PBIS implementation.
Please fill out this survey in and help the JFDS learn about your perspective on the school.
The survey window closes at the end of November.
JFDS staff and students have also completed surveys, providing feedback about the school from multiple viewpoints.

Social-Emotional Learning

What is Social-Emotional Learning?

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process of developing students’ self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision making.
Social emotional learning fosters resiliency and builds on both problem solving skills and interpersonal skills.
You may see an increase in academic achievement, coping skills, social awareness, communication skills, and conflict resolution.
How do you help with childrens' emotional well-being? You can do things like using positive self-talk, staying physically active, eating a balanced diet, talking about thoughts & feelings, getting enough sleep, and spending time with friends & family.

What Does Social-Emotional Learning Look Like in Mrs. Cousins' Classroom?

Students in eighth grade General Music created music using the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) Soundtrap. Students had a project to create a piece of music with a purpose in mind. This could be to relax, show an emotion of happiness, frustration, anger, ect., pump up for a game and so many other options to express themselves or ways to help themselves. If you scan the QR code, you will be able to listen to a song created by students. We hope you enjoy!

Lots of Great SEL Happening in Mrs. Smart’s Room!

Students in Mrs. Smart's class and experience SEL in several ways:

$5 Word: get a paper "$5" when they use a vocabulary word in a sentence correctly.
Chair of Honor: Get to sit in the teachers' chair for the entire class if they find a mistake she has made and can respectfully tell her and give her the correct alternative.
Birthday Serenade: On their birthdays Mrs. Smart sings to to students in whatever genre they pick, costumes and all.
Golden Apple: If they raise their i-Ready Reading Diagnostic score from the previous score, students get a Golden Apple and are honored with a brief ceremony.
Bulldog Free Day: If students acquire the set amount of stickers from completing expectations, and all their work is done, students have a free day to play board/card games and do crafts together at the end of each month.

JMG Guest Speaker

Dr. Robinson visits JMG!

Superintendent Robinson visited the JMG classroom at Doughty. She spoke about her career path, as well as the importance of attendance both in a school and work setting. Superintendent Robinson spoke about her first job as a newspaper delivery person, all the way to becoming a superintendent of our district. We were so happy she took time out of her day to be in the JMG classroom.

JFDS Chorus Update

Mrs. Cousins and the JFDS Chorus have been busy!

Congratulations to the following students who participated in the Maine Music Educators District 5 Chorus Honors Festival on Saturday, November 2nd: Ava Robicheau, Whitney Godwin, Sam Denty, Blake Bridges, Hailynn Deschaine, Emmy Goodson, Victoria Benoit, Abby Godin, Maggie Olsenwiciz, and Norah Alley. There were two groups, an Intermediate (5th/6th) Chorus and an Advanced (7th/8th) Chorus. Students prepared separate music different from our school's choral group and combined with other students from around the Maine Music Educators District 5 region. Students rehearsed the entire day and performed a concert that afternoon.
The Doughty/Cohen Chorus performed with the University of Maine Collegiate Choral on Thursday Night at UMaine. The group performed two pieces on their own and a combined piece with the college chorus. It was a wonderful experience for all!

You can see a stream of the event here!

The Middle School Band, Chorus, and Orchestra concert will be on Thursday, December 12, 2024 at Peakes Auditorium at Bangor High. The show starts at 6:30PM.
Interested in joining Chorus? Reach out to Mrs. Cousins at scousins@bangorschools.net

Internet Safety

Learn more from ConnectSafely

ConnectSafely helps to educate people about online safety, privacy, security, & digital wellness.
Click here to find out more information.

JFDS School Store

Looking for a way to show school pride?

Back by popular demand, Wight's Sporting Goods has re-opened the JFDS School Store.
Wight's offers hats, hoodies, t-shirts, & more!
All orders are due by the end of the day on Tuesday, November 19th.
All orders will be returned by December 20th.
Click here to access the School Store

Powerschool Parent Access

Would you like access to the parent portal of PowerSchool? Click on this link to sign up:

https://forms.gle/apRn3BWD2FJEjXWXA

Confirmation of your account will come from techsis@bangorschools.net

School Questions?

Do you have school related questions or need help from someone at the school? Feel free to reach out to the main office at (207) 941-6220.