Parent Newsletter

Good evening, JMS Parents!

We have made it to MIDTERM of the 1st nine weeks grading period!

The midterm grading period ends this Wednesday, August 26th. Friday, August 30th, all students will receive a paper copy of their midterm during 7th period. Please keep in mind that parents and students should check grades in Skyward regularly each week. You can learn more about checking grades in Skyward below and find out what you need to do if you cannot access Skyward.

Please continue talking with your child(ren) about the importance of logging into Canvas and completing the Virtual Assignments on the days they are working at home. These grades will be graded just like assignments in the building are graded.

We are also continuing to keep our students safe and healthy by reviewing all social distancing guidelines in classrooms and communal spaces and also ensuring our students and staff are wearing their masks. Everyone has done a wonderful job and we are so proud of our students!

This edition of the JMS Parent Newsletter will include the following:

• Student Remote Learning Expectations
• How to Access Skyward to Check Grades
• ConnectOR Update & contact information
• Midterm Information
• PTO Update
• The Reading Eagle
• JMS Counselors Corner
• JMS Athletic Update
• News from the JMS Cafeteria - breakfast/lunch menus, E-funds, free/reduced lunch information, negative lunch accounts and ConnectOR/staggered schedule meal information

If you have any questions, please reach out to your child's teacher at any time. You can also reach out to members of our administrative team by using the email addresses below.

Phil Cox, Principal, pcox@ortn.edu

Jenifer Laurendine, Vice Principal, jllaurendine@ortn.edu

Nick Corrigan, Dean of Students, njcorrigan@ortn.edu

Ben Fowler, Instructional Technology Coach, bjfowler@ortn.edu

Monday, August 24

A day

A – K on campus

L – Z Remote learning

PTO Virtual Meeting 7:50 AM

Volleyball Practice (Varsity Only) 3-5 (Gym)

Football Practice 3-5

Cross Country 3-4:30

Cheer Practice 3-4:30

Board of Education Meeting - 6pm

Tuesday, August 25

A Day

L – Z on campus

A – K Remote learning

Volleyball Practice (JV Only) 3-5 (Gym)

Football Practice 3-5

Cross Country 3-4:30

Cheer Practice 3-4:30

Wednesday, August 26

No students - All students Remote learning

Admin Team Meeting 6:30AM Eagle Innovation Ctr.

Faculty Food Truck -The Soulful Cup 8:15-9:45

SLT - 1pm - Zoom

Staff Meeting - 2pm - Zoom

Student Focus Discussions-Counselors 11am

Grade Posting Window Closes 11:59pm

Football Practice 3-5

Cheer Practice 3-4:30

Thursday, August 27

B Day

A – K on campus

L – Z Remote learning

Cross Country 3-4:30

Football Game vs. Spring City 6:00 (Blankenship Field)

Friday, August 28

B Day

L – Z on campus

A – K Remote learning

Midterm 1 grade reports sent home with all students

Volleyball Practice 3-5 (Gym)

Football Practice 3-5

Cross Country 3-4:30

We wanted to provide another reminder of the student expectations when they are not in the building and learning remotely from home.

All assignments located in Canvas for students to complete when they are at home will be graded just as an assignment that is turned in on face-to-face learning days.

Please see expectations below:

1. Students Must Check Canvas ANNOUNCEMENT Page Daily

• The "Announcement" page is where your child should begin to determine daily assignments & lessons for each class.

2. Virtual Assignments Will be Graded

• Students must complete and submit the the lesson provided by their teacher when they are at home.
• This assignment will be graded.
• Please check Skyward to see what assignments are missing, have been graded and also an updated account of your child's grades.

3. Virtual Day Attendance

• Each grade level team is tracking attendance for each student on their Virtual Learning days.
• If your child does not log onto Canvas, they will be counted absent for the day.

4. Check Email and Canvas Messages Daily

• Teachers provide feedback on assignments that have been submitted via email and Canvas messaging.
• It is important for your child to check for feedback and also to reach out if they need any type of help!

Again, please reach out if you have any questions, as we are always available to assist!

Hello parents. Below are two very important messages for both In-Building and ConnectOR students.

Parents, if you are unable to access Skyward to view your child's grades, please contact our registrar, Amy Myers at amyers@ortn.edu.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know bjfowler@ortn.edu or 425-9290

ConnectOR Parents - If you have any questions please contact connectORms@ortn.edu.

Our first Midterm Report will be sent home with all students this Friday, August 28th. The midterm will close Wednesday, August 26th.

Reminder that all assignments (in person days and at home virtual days) will be graded and reflected in the Midterm grade report.

Please keep in mind you can always access Skyward to check your child's grades. If you have questions about how to access Skyward, please see video below for a quick tutorial.

Hello, I’m David McMahon. This is my 16th year teaching. I love teaching MATH! In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and four children; Alibelle 9, Declan 6, Maddox 2 and Indie 7 weeks. Alibelle is a competitive cheerleader and Declan is a baseball player so we spend most weekends watching our children perform in those activities. Travel is also a passion of ours. My family and I have been to almost every Major League ballpark (29 of 30). We also love to go to Disney World.

We are excited to have welcome Mr. McMahon to our Jefferson Middle School family! He can be reached at dsmcmahon@ortn.edu.

Teacher supply collection this week!

• JMS teachers and the Student Clinic are in need of Clorox Wipes, Kleenex, Hand Sanitizer, 3 oz paper cups and cough drops. Please consider bringing one of these items and dropping them off at the Mantrap entrance (center doors) during the week of August 24. Thanks in advance for helping our teachers and the Clinic!

1st PTO Meeting

• Plan to attend the first meeting of the year on Monday, August 24 at 7:50am via Zoom. Meetings are kept short and are conveniently scheduled immediately after drop-off so anyone can attend. Come and learn about what the JMS PTO is planning for this school year! If you would like to receive a Zoom invite, please email sandy@issi.net.

PTO Mailing List

• If you would like to be added to the PTO contact database and receive text or email reminders of upcoming PTO meetings and events, please click the link below. You will be sent an auto response once you submit your contact information and will then need to opt-in to receive the PTO reminders.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=vdNYGNb6YE61OeUm8KqiP2Oz2qvUyvVNvrYWhtzgeydURTg2TVcyT1FCREVGVDlSUUdKUzNVOFIyOS4u

Late Notices FYI:

Many of our late books are from last March. I know that has been a long time. Please check and see if you can find the missing books at home. Late notices are generated by our library management system and scheduled to go out automatically every week via email. Please contact me if you or your student have in concerns. We do have student helpers and sometimes we make mistakes.

Library Holds:

We have had a wonderful increase in student holds for both online and in person students. This is great! When a student places a book on hold I try to get it to them ASAP. Once an online student’s hold is ready they and a guardian will receive and email from me with instructions. In person students get their books delivered during 1st period and can stop by the library when they have permission to pick up holds. All students can check their hold status in Destiny Discover. (Please see picture below)

Fifth Grade Students:

If you still have a library book that belongs to an elementary school I will happily return it to for you. Just bring it to the library.

Mrs. Haverkamp Reads 2020-2021:

Every year I use a bulletin board in the library to keep up with the books I read during the school year. It is a fun way to keep up with my reading and to talk to students about the books I have read. This year I am doing an online version of this bulletin board. It is located on the JMS Canvas page and is called, Mrs. Haverkamp Reads 2020-2021. See if you can read more books than I can.

-Mrs. H

Thank you so much, Jefferson Family, for another wonderful week back in the building!

We love to see our Eagles engaging with their peers, exerting leadership in the hallways, and forming connections with their new teachers. This week the School Counseling Team will be focusing on tips and tricks for managing our time. As we know, this school year has propelled us forward in growing our comfort level with technology, while also challenging our Eagles to act responsibly and mange their time wisely while outside the building.

The students have done a wonderful job in rising to meet this challenge so far this school year. Moving forward, let’s keep these helpful tips and tricks in mind, in order to help us grow our students and continue this positive momentum.

1. Map Out the Weeks

As the school year continues to progress, the teachers will be assigning more projects and assignments for students to keep track of. Consider sitting down with your students to aid in helping them take a look at the upcoming week’s assignments and preplan to help avoid the late night, last minute studying crunch.

2. Use a Calendar

A calendar is a great tool to use when completing the above step. Whether that is using a physical agenda, a print out of a weekly at-a-glance view, or relying on technology to help schedule upcoming assignments, we recommend starting to normalize the use of this tool with your students. By further relying on this tool, the chances of increased productivity, organization, and responsibility are highly likely. Pro Tip: There are a number of helpful planner apps available to students with smart phones, such as Egenda or My Study Life.

3. Break Larger Tasks Into Smaller Ones

When we have huge tasks to complete, oftentimes, we tend to put it off because we’re not sure where to start. In order to be successful, we sometimes have to break things down into smaller, less-intimidating tasks. Consider sitting down with your students to walk through how to chunk these assignments, into smaller, more manageable pieces and use this as a checklist for completing the task as a whole.

4. Prep for School the Night BEFORE

Your student may be losing key hours of sleep, trying to keep track of everything they’ll need for school the next day. They may be skipping breakfast or not packing a lunch because they don’t have enough time in the mornings. To remedy this, have your student lay out their school clothes and pack their lunch/belongings before they go to sleep each night.

5. Have a Place for Everything

Middle Schoolers don’t always understand the importance of having things in order, but this doesn’t mean it won’t significantly improve their life if they learn! Some tips to help your student organize their space:

• Have them sort their stuff into categories.
• Ask them to find a place for each category of things to go
• Show them how to create labels for their storage spaces
• Remind them to return things to their proper place

6. Time Yourself

When students begin to get a sense for how long things REALLY take versus how long they THINK they take, productivity will oftentimes soar. Encourage students to pick a time-tracking method that works for them stick to it. Pro Tip: There are a number of time tracking apps available for students as well. Check out 30/30 of Toggl to get you started.

7. Use Secure Online Technology Platforms

So often our students work on projects and technology fails us. In order to save you time in the long run, encourage reliance on online platforms, such as Microsoft Word, One Note, One Drive, or Google Docs. These platforms save your student’s work as you go and avoids the panic of losing everything at the final hour.

Please feel free to reach out to our School Counseling Team if you have any questions!

Maria Castle - 5th & 7th Grade - mccastle@ortn.edu

Falon Sullivan - 6th & 8th Grade fcsullivan@ortn.edu

Amy Myers - Registrar - amyers@ortn.edu

The 2020-2021 Jefferson athletic teams are off to a great start this Fall! Our coaches and student-athletes are working hard and following all COVID-19 guidelines. Please see below for updates of each JMS sport.

Volleyball

The JMS Volleyball Team hosts Horace Maynard on Monday, August 31st. The JV match begins at 4:30pm and Varsity follows at 5:30pm and 6:30pm. The Lady Eagles will also host cross-town rival, Robertsville, on September 1st. The JV match begins at 4pm and Varsity follows at 5pm. All social distancing guidelines will be followed by student -athletics, coaches and fans. Masks and temperature checks will be required by all who enter the gym.

Football

The Jefferson Football Team will host their first football game of the season on Thursday night against Spring City. Kickoff is at 6pm at Blankenship Field. All spectators must wear masks and maintain social distance. Temperature checks will be required at the gate. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for students and correct change is appreciated. Limited concessions will be available.

Cross Country

Cross Country is working hard preparing for their first meet on September 2nd.

Cheerleading

The JMS Cheer Squad had try-outs last week and is working hard preparing to cheer at the first football game on Thursday night.

Girls & Boys Basketball

JMS Basketball Teams will have try-outs immediately following Fall Break. Continue to check the daily announcements at school, the weekly newsletters, and the JMS Athletics website for updates.

Track & Field

JMS Track & Field will begin in February 2021.

2020-2021 Sports Physicals

All students participating in athletics at JMS must have a complete sports physical on file prior to participation. Please make sure you complete all four steps below in order to be eligible to participate.

• Step 1: Complete the online compliance form, which includes information about concussions, sudden cardiac arrest, and emergency contact information. The online compliance form is available at this link: https://oakridgeathletics.com/athletic-training/
• Step 2: Obtain a physical from your healthcare provider. Both the online form and the physical must be dated after April 15, 2020 to be eligible for the 2020-2021 season.

• Step 3: Read and sign the Oak Ridge Schools COVID-19 Disclaimer Form. Form can be found at: https://www.ortn.edu/jefferson/school-info/athletics/.
• Step 4: Bring your physical to the front office or your coach in order to participate.

All requirements, links to forms, and announcements by sport are also posted on our school website at: https://www.ortn.edu/jefferson/school-info/athletics/ and a direct link to the sports physical packet is linked here: http://www.ortn.edu/Jefferson/FY21_JMS_Physical_Packet.pdf. Students can also pick up hard copies of these forms in the main office.

If you have any questions regarding JMS Athletics, please contact Athletic Director Katie Bolling at ksbolling@ortn.edu.

Just a reminder that your JMS Cafeteria is busy each day preparing healthy meals for all students! They are taking extreme precaution in regards to Covid-19 protocols to ensure all students are healthy and safe.

Menus

• Please see links below for a breakfast and lunch menu.

E-funds

If you would like to apply for E-funds, please follow instructions below. This will allow you to place money on your child's account, without sending in cash or a check.

• Login to Skyward Family Access
• Click on Student Info
• Click on View (your child’s first name) Family
• On your right, you will find your Family ID #
• This is the number you will use to set up your E-Fund Account
• Click x to exit box
• Then click on Food Service to your left
• Click make a payment
• This will take you to your E-Funds for school
• If you are a new user, click on new users register here and follow the directions. There is a registration guide to click on and walk you through the whole process on how to make a payment.

Free/Reduced Lunch Applications

• 2020-21 Free/Reduced lunch applications were sent home at the beginning of the school year. If you did not fill one out, please contact Ms. Davis in the Main Office and we can send another form home. 865-425-9031

Negative Lunch Balances

• Please be sure there are funds on your child's lunch/breakfast account. We will be reaching out to parents who have an account balance over $10 each week.

ConnectOR/Staggered Schedule Meals

If you need to order meals for child on Staggered Days or if your child is ConnectOR:

• Parents ordering meals should send an email request to jmlunch@ortn.edu.
• The cut-off time for ordering meals is 8:30pm the night before meals are to be picked up.
• Please include the following in the email request: Breakfast and/or lunch, each student’s name, school name, each student’s ID number, and whether each student wants a hot or a cold breakfast and/or lunch.
• Payment is expected for paid and reduced-status students (preferably through E-Funds) at JMS.
• When you order a meal at JMS, you will pick the meals up between 9:45-10:15am on the left side entrance of the building (cafeteria/softball field side) by the sidewalk. Aramark will be distributing the meals between these times each day.

If you have any questions, please contact Jenifer Laurendine at 865-425-9257 or jllaurendine@ortn.edu.