Family Update - November 10, 2024

Dear Families,

We had a great time during our Veterans Day Celebration! Thank you to all of the parents who volunteered to assist veterans. Thank you to the PTO for providing them with refreshments. It is always one of our best days!

As architects from Perkins & Will develop options and recommendations for phase two of the district's facilities plan, they would like to speak with students. If your student would like to participate in a focus group during Flex on November 18, please send an email granting permission to acwhite@uaschools.org at your earliest convenience. We need approximately 10 more students, so reach out if you are interested! Thank you!

This week, we will have class meetings during Flex, and we are looking forward to seeing our band students perform Thursday evening at 7:30. We hope to see many of you there!

Thank you for sending us such amazing kids! Enjoy the weekend!

Warm regards,

Aimee White, Principal

Keona Walker, Assistant Principal

Please go this link for this week's Jones Weekend Update: https://youtu.be/kSQDu2h6xDU

The Jones Winter Spirit Wear sale is now open! Shop for cozy fleece and cute tees, fun accessories, and great giftable items - all while supporting our school. The shop closes on November 25th, and all items will ship by mid-December. Thanks in advance for your support!

https://joneswinterspiritwearsale2024.itemorder.com/shop/home/

We invite all 8th-grade band families to attend an important Winter Informational Parent and Student Meeting regarding the Upper Arlington High School Marching Band for the 25-26 School year.

Jones Middle School (JMS): November 14th at 6:45 PM (45 minutes before the concert)

This meeting is an excellent opportunity to learn more about what to expect as your student transitions into the Upper Arlington High School Marching Band for the 2025-2026 school year. We’ll cover important dates, expectations, and answer any questions you may have. If you can’t make the date listed for your school, you can attend at the other as the information is the same.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Students in grades 7 and 8 will have the opportunity to participate in the Ohio Youth Survey, or OhYes!, on November 26 during Flex.

Please use the link below to learn more about the survey:

https://youthsurveys.ohio.gov/our-surveys/ohyes

Please use this link to view the items included in the survey:

Standard 110-item Survey

Please use this google form if you choose to opt out:

https://forms.gle/o7GYtbW6qHku82x89

Registration is now closed. You should see fees showing up in your EZPay in the coming week. If you have any questions please reach out to Todd - jonesskiclub@gmail.com

THINK SNOW! (or at least cooler temperatures)

Gobble Gobble! It’s that time of the year again for Thanksgiving in a Bag. For over 15 years now Jones Middle School has created Thanksgiving meals in a bag for families in need during the holiday season. Each advisory at Jones is tasked with collecting the items needed for a Thanksgiving dinner to donate to families in need this time of year. We partner with the YMCA to give the bags to families at Watkins Elementary School.

Attached to this email is a checklist of items needed for the bag. The bag includes everything a family needs to cook a Thanksgiving meal minus the turkey for obvious reasons. Instead of putting an actual turkey in the bag, we provide the families with gift cards. We give each family a $20 gift card to Kroger to purchase their turkey. This amazing tradition is a great way to show students how when everyone does just a little, we can make a big difference. Please ask your son or daughter what item they signed up to bring in and have them bring that item to their Advisory teacher's classroom by Friday, November 15th.

We greatly appreciate your support!

Sincerely,

Jones Student Council

We know the winter/holiday season can be challenging when finances are tight. Our Jones community does an amazing job of supporting one another to make the season joyful for all.

*Are you needing support with meals or gifts this winter/holiday season?

Please click here to request support for Thanksgiving and Holiday Gifts. The support will remain confidential; we simply need information so we know whom to contact to collect items from and to whom those items should go.

*Would you like to support a family by providing meals or gifts this winter/holiday season? Please click here to provide support.

8th-Grade Student Presentation

Upper Arlington Schools partners with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to implement the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program for students in grades 8 and 10, aimed at preventing suicidal behavior and supporting mental health. On November 20 and 21, 8th-grade students at Jones Middle School will participate in an in-school presentation led by staff, learning to recognize warning signs of suicide and appropriate responses through video-guided discussions. They will also have the chance to take an electronic screening for depression and suicide risk, with results reviewed by counselors. During the program, mental health professionals will be available for support. The SOS program aligns with Ohio's House Bill 123 criteria and is designed to reduce the stigma surrounding depression, enabling students and adults to provide help. For any inquiries about the program, parents can contact Cathy Ely, Director of Well-being, Prevention and Intervention. If 8th-grade parents wish to opt their child out of the program, they should complete the opt-out request by November 4, 2024.

Parent Presentation - “Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health”

A parent session on "Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health" will be held on November 13 at 8:15 AM in the Jones Middle School Cafeteria, inviting parents to learn about risk factors and how to address concerns regarding their child's well-being. Please RSVP here to let us know you can attend.

Jones uses Jostens for our middle school yearbooks. Look for emails directly from Jostens for the information to order your yearbook if you haven't done so already.

Strategic Plan Update Town Hall Meeting

Learn more about the strategic planning process by joining district leadership for a town hall meeting on Tuesday, November 19 from 6 until 7:30 p.m. at Upper Arlington High School. Attendees will hear a review of the research and work done to date and then break into smaller groups to learn about the steps planned to implement each strategy during the next five years.

Your Voice Matters! Phase Two of Facilities Master Planning

It’s time to join your friends and neighbors and get involved in phase two of facilities master planning!

Serve as an expert and committed stakeholder for your school(s) of choice by signing up to volunteer for one or more building teams — Hastings, Jones or Burbank. Each team will have three meetings between December 2024 and April 2025. To sign up and learn more, visit the Building Teams page on our website.

World Kindness Day

World Kindness Day is Wednesday, November 13. That’s right, Upper Arlington is partnering with the world to bring a little extra kindness into our spaces. School counselors designed these BINGO-style cards to encourage students to Start with Heart and participate in acts of kindness. First introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, World Kindness Day offers an opportunity to highlight good deeds in the community and the common thread of kindness. Studies have found that acts of kindness are linked to an increase in well-being, self-esteem, empathy, compassion, and mood.

iPad Parent Control Information

The UACS Technology department provides 2 ways for caregivers to manage screen time, review web history, manage apps and internet access after school hours. The typical built-in Apple ScreenTime and Parental controls do not work because the district manages iPads for school use at a district level - the typical consumer level settings are not available. Caregivers can review web activity and disable internet access through the Lightspeed Relay Parent Portal. Additionally, caregivers can control app access and set rules through the JAMF Parent app. Questions may be directed to FamilyTechHelp@uaschools.org.

JAMF Parental Controls Manual

JAMF Parental Setup and Guide Videos

Lightspeed Parent Portal

Transportation Questions: schoolbusquestions@uaschools.org or call 614-487-6477

Upper Arlington Schools Lunch Information link: https://www.uaschools.org/NutritionalServices.aspx

PowerSchool Parent Portal: https://ps-uar.metasolutions.net/public/home.html

If you need assistance logging into PowerSchool, you may reach out to: Building Secretary Melissa Thien at mthien@uaschools.org or familytechhelp@uaschools.org

Student Fees/SPS EZpay: https://www.spsezpay.com/upperarlington/login.aspx

NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2024

November 14 - Band Concert, Grades 6 - 8, 7:30pm

November 27 - 29 - No School - Thanksgiving Break

December 2 - Packing for the Streets, 3:30pm

December 2 - 6th Grade Choir Concert, 7pm

December 2 - 7th/8th Grade Choir Concert, 8pm

December 4 - Spelling Bee Qualifier, 3:30pm

December 9 - Orchestra Winter Concert, Grades 6 - 8, 7pm

December 11 - 8th Grade Choir at UAHS, 7pm

December 20 - End of Quarter 2, Semester 1

December 23 - January 3 - No School - Winter Break

January 7 - School Resumes