Gov. TJMS Newsletter
January 2021
Our Mission
At GTJMS, we strive everyday to create an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity, academic achievement, and well-being. Our mission is to empower students for success today and persevere through tomorrow’s 21st century challenges.
Our Vision
Governor Thomas Johnson Middle School is a diverse community of students, educators, support staff, parents and local organizations working collaboratively to provide an academically rigorous education, which includes the technology skills necessary for the 21st century. By holding students, educators and parents accountable for success, we are creating lifelong learners who take responsibility for their own educational goals and positive personal development. Excellence in teaching and learning is paramount to developing productive citizens who have promising and successful lives.
Upcoming Important Dates
Welcome Kristy Ritchie
Ms. Ritchie is coming from Fairfax County Public School's Glasglow Middle School as their 7th grade Administrator who also oversaw the science department.
Ms. Ritchie has been assistant principal since 2015 at Glasglow. Prior to that she was their Dean of Students for a year after being a science teacher at various schools in Virginia since 2006.
We are excited to have Ms. Ritchie joining us.
School Imporvement Plan Spotlight
This section is dedicated to GTJMS School Improvement Plan (SIP)! Last month we went over detailed explanations of Goal 3: Student Achievement-ELA and Goal 4: Student Achievement- Math. This month we will detail some more information.
This month we will go over Evidence-Based Strategies. At GTJMS, we incorporate 3 strategies to aid in improving our culture and climate, as well, as out achievement. Below are our 3 Evidence-based strategies and a short description.
Mindsets that Build Resilience & Determination
GTJMS staff is focus on needs of the student, as well, as holding consistent expectations. We work through challenges and mistakes
Aid Memory - Formative Assessment & Retrieval
GTJMS staff use many different strategies to help students remember information over time. This includes retrieval practice (pulling out information), warm-ups, repeating information
Collective Teacher Efficacy
GTJMS work together to build a “family” type environment. We cover SEL lesson, have a fun patriot portal, and work together to be successful
Cultural Heritage Information
January is Frederick Heritage Month! Click on the link to access the calendar full of different links related to Frederick Heritage.
This month also share many other holiday’s and date:
New Year’s Day
Three Kings Day
MLK Day
World Religion Day
January Meeting
Fundraiser Volunteers
Contacts
If you have questions about the PTSA, please feel free to reach out to one of our board members:
Caitlyn Reed- President
Jenny Lazarus- Treasurer
Susan Myers- Secretary
Registration for the 2022-2023 school year is beginning. 8th grade teachers are meeting with our feeder high schools this week and next week and Mr. Dwyer will begin talking to students about 4-year plans. Look for Find Out First information in the coming weeks.
For current 6th and 7th grade students, the registration process will begin in February.
TJMS Counseling Department
- Sarah Gunter- 6th grade/ sarah.gunter@fcps.org 240-236-4851
- Laura Rudy- 7th grade/ laura.rudy@fcps.org 240-236-4852
- Brian Dwyer-8th grade/brian.dwyer@fcps.org 240-236-4884
School Culture
The team is also planning some other fun and exciting events that will align with the School Improvements Plan of more physical fitness. Stay tuned.
Math: 6th Grade Mathematicians are working on Unit 4. We have learned how to write/translate algebraic expressions and how to identify parts of algebraic expressions. We will be evaluating algebraic expressions and simplifying them using the distributive property and the commutative property.
Science: 6th graders are wrapping up the Balanced Body module by considering how the body systems all work together. They realize that without just one of their systems, everything falls apart! After this module, students will be moving on to the Water module where they will learn about states of matter, changing states of matter, molecular structures and motion, and conservation of energy and mass.
Social Studies: 6th graders are finishing up ancient India and will be moving on to ancient China. We will be focusing on the geography of China, the Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han Dynasties as well as the Silk Road.
Food Science: Finishing this term of Food Science with a digital unit on Financial Literacy.
Lab 21:6th grade students are closing out their time in Lab-2, which is a ½ year course. Students finished up their exploration computational thinking skills using Edison Robots and created a Scratch presentation about a famous scientist or engineer on how they used computational thinking skills.
Tech Expo: The Tech Expo classes are in the midst of their transportation unit, and constructing their Downill Racers. Many are completing now, but some still are completing the process. As such, this will be their first 3rd term grade. The exciting races will be next week!
Language Arts: Ms. Hohlfeld’s 7th grade classes are finishing the novel A Long Walk to Water and preparing to write an essay about how the theme is shown throughout the text. Upon completion of this we’ll start a new cycle focusing on human rights, key Civil Rights events in America, and analyzing how authors structure their texts to achieve their purpose and convey their central ideas.
Mrs. Andrukat’s classes have started a new cycle: Champions of Human Rights. We will be researching key Civil Rights events in America, and then move on to reading several non-fiction texts, then analyzing how authors structure their texts to achieve their purpose and convey their central ideas. Students are also reading self-selected novels loosely based on our theme and completing weekly Blog Posts.
Math: 7 Accelerated: Happy New Year! Students have been learning how to calculate unit rate using complex fractions. They are also learning how to identify if two quantities are in a proportional relationship. Percents will be the next topic students begin to explore. The new year is a great time to replenish supplies (especially pencils).
Science: 7th graders have been learning about evidence of how the Earth has changed based on past plate motions. We started by learning about the “continental drift” theory and will move into what we now know as “tectonic plates”. The evidence we study includes seafloor spreading, Pangaea, and tectonic plates movement. Upon finishing this topic, we will move on to learn about how resources are unevenly distributed across the Earth and how to determine the age of different time periods.
Social Studies: Students will continue to work on Asia in the Medieval Times. We will be wrapping up with Imperial China and moving toward Feudal Japan.
Creative Arts: Ms. Galla would like to wish her Term 1&2 students good luck as they head over to I&I for the second half of the year and WELCOME to her new group of students!! We will be reviewing the class syllabus, what PRIDE looks like in the art classroom, and create a class contract to begin our Creative Arts experience together. Afterwards we will jump right into our first unit: Culture. Students will explore their own individual and their class cultures through some art projects!
Invention and Innovation: Our final unit of the class, TinkerCAD, has now wrapped up. Students were also given two extra credit opportunities in the past two weeks. Thank you for all the support you have given your student in this class!
Life Skills: Finishing this term of Food Science with a digital unit on Financial Literacy.
Students will be comparing and contrasting various texts that illustrate the essential question: How are people changed by love? Students will be analyzing how point of view reveals the theme of a literary work. We will also be reviewing various types of figurative language as they contribute to the meaning of a piece of literature.
Mrs. Andrukat’s students are also reading self-selected novels loosely based on our theme and completing weekly Blog Posts.
Math: 8th Grade: Happy New Year! Students will continue to work on graphing linear equations, determining the slope of the line and using a graph to make sense of a real world situation. The new year is a great time to replenish supplies (especially pencils).
Algebra: Happy New Year! Students just completed their Unit 3 Test. In Unit 4 the students will draw on past skills as they begin to explore how to identify, simplify and factor polynomials. The new year is a great time to replenish supplies (especially pencils).
Science: Students are currently wrapping up the Biotic Diversity module by researching species that have developed unique adaptations based on changes in their environment. They know that organisms have 3 options - move, adapt, or die - with adaptation being the most favorable option. After this module, students will segue into Inheritance essentially discovering how adaptations and variations within a species come to exist.
Social Studies: 8th graders continue to work on their westward expansion unit. Students have been exploring the Age of Jackson and the Trail of Tears. Moving forward we will examine subjects like the Oregon Trail, Texas Revolution, Mexican American War, California Gold Rush, and 19th century immigration.
Foreign Language
Spanish 1: Students are working with chapter 4.1. We have introduced the grammatical concept of stem-changing verbs (e→ie).
Spanish 2: Students are on chapter 4.1. We are working with the grammatical concept of imperfect verbs.
WLEX: Students have chosen a French-speaking country and are collecting information to make a presentation about said country.English Language
Expressions Program
Consult the monthly calendar to review the Expressions Team weekly academic, themes and skills information as well as school closings. This month, school is closed on Friday, Jan. 14th for students: teacher work day. School is also closed on Monday, Jan. 17th for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Be sure to consult Schoology for assignments in each academic area.
Reading:How to Make a Snowman
Math: Numbers and Fractions Review
Science: Chemical and Physical reactions
Reading:Snow and Winter Books
Math:Positive and Negative Numbers (Temperature)
Science: Chemical and Physical reactions-daily experiments and observationsReading: Weather (What to Wear in the Cold)
Math:Ratios
Science: States of Matter-daily
PE & Health
As Term 2 concludes, Mrs. Fohner and Ms. Nixon’s classes will be returning to PE. They will begin working on striking with implements in hockey, diamond games and racquet sports in the upcoming weeks. Students will also be completing fitness testing for term 3 at the beginning of February.
Ms. Broadhurst and Mrs. Moats will be beginning Health on January 18th (Term 3). The policy for family life has changed. IF YOU DO NOT wish for your student to be a part of this unit you will need to complete an opt out form or notify your students’ teacher via email, schoology message or phone.
Health & Wellness Tip
Life Skills
Cairns: Students recently finished the Financial Literacy and Service Learning Unit during Term 2. During Term 3 students will be learning how fabric is made, how to wash and care for different types of fabric, and how to sew.
Wilson: Finishing this term of Life Skills with a digital unit on Financial Literacy.
Visual Arts
Music/Choir
Band, orchestra, and choir students are all learning new music for the spring concert.
Band students are creating and implementing personal practice plans.
Orchestra students are practicing new techniques, glissando and tremolo. Choir students are working on pure vowels while singing in Latin.
Music Performance Lab students are playing chords on piano. We will be working on making quick and confident changes between chords within a song.
Theatre Arts
Students are currently finishing their improvisation Unit where they explored 5 different exercises that can be used to create a skit. Next students will choose 1 of the exercises to expand upon and perform it for the class as their final assessment.
During Term 3 Students will be auditioning for roles in the class play. This is a Performance Benchmark assignment that is a requirement for all students in Theater Arts. Students will be rehearsing the script in class and then will have an informal performance for family and friends. Dates and times for the performance will be coming soon.
Pre-Engineering
CSI
Mrs. Lucas-Literacy Specialist
We are proud to announce the GTJMS winners of the Young Author’s Contest.
Congratulations to…
Aurora Darby- 7th Grade Poem
Raegan Strawn- 7th Grade Short Story
Chloe Vandevander- 8th Grade Poem
These students’ works have been submitted for judging against all of the other Frederick County middle school winners. Join us in wishing them the best of luck at the county competition!
Mrs. Gemmill- Math Specialist
Mrs. Cole-Advanced Academics
Student Service Learning
News from our Media Specialist- Mrs. Ralston
Do you want FREE access to ebooks, audiobooks, movies, TV shows, online classes, foreign language lessons, magazines like Consumer Reports and music you can download legally and keep forever?
Then you need a Frederick County Public Library card!
TJMS Book Recommendations
Ongoing Announcements
Arrival & Dismissal Procedures Reminder
Dismissal: All students must be picked up at the curb in the car rider line. Students are not to be in the parking lot. Do not pick up on Schifferstadt. It is not safe to have students cross Schifferstadt and it causes a back up on the road.
If you need to pick up your child from school early, or be one of the first ones out of the lot, please arrive prior to 2:45 to get a curb side space or one of the first backing in spaces.
There have been numerous close calls lately where students have jumped out of moving cars and almost got hurt. Safety is very important at TJMS. We need full cooperation to make this work.
Dismissal Line is clear between 3:20 & 3:25 (8-13 mins after student dismissal bell)
Attendance
Possible Attendance Scenarios since One Call is now active:
Scenario 1: If you know your child will be absent
- Send email to TJMS.attendance@fcps.org
Scenario 2: If your child will be leaving early for the day
- Send them in with a note to the front office to pick up a pass or
- Send email to TJMS.attendance@fcps.org
Scenario 3: If your child is absent and you receive a One Call voice message stating your child is absent from school
- Send email to TJMS.attendance@fcps.org
Scenario 4: If you receive a phone call from One Call stating your child is not in school, and you believe they are at school. please call 240-236-4900
If you are going to pick up your child from school early, please send in a note with them. Ask them to come to the front office to turn that note in. By doing this, this helps your wait time for pick up.
Buses
News From Our School Health Room
Frederick County Health Department / Frederick County Public Schools
If you have any health related concerns or questions, please reach out.
Reliable Resources
Frederick County Health Department
Maryland Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Governor's COVID-19 Pandemic: Orders and Guidance