JMS Parent Newsletter - Week 3

Good Sunday evening, JMS Parents!

Thank you for another great week with our staggered schedule! We are so proud of our students and the way the are wearing their masks and handling temperature checks each morning. They are also doing a great job social distancing in the hallways, at lunch and at dismissal.

Our staff is working hard to remind them to social distance and how to properly wear their masks. Our focus will continue to be the health and safety of everyone who enters our building.

We are looking forward to another great week! Please continue to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Have a great week and stay well!

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 10th

A Day

A – K on campus

L – Z Remote learning

Math & ELA STAR Screener

Volleyball Match (Varsity Only) at Lafollette 5:30 & 6:30

Football Practice 3-5pm

Cross Country 3-4:30pm

Tuesday, August 11th

A Day

Math & ELA STAR Screener

L – Z on campus

A – K Remote learning

Volleyball Practice 3-5pm (Gym)

Football Practice 3-5pm

Cross Country 3-4:30pm

Wednesday, August 12th

No students in building (all students remote learning)

RTI Meetings

Volleyball Practice 3-5pm (Gym)

Football Practice 3-5pm

Cross Country 3-4:30pm

Thursday, August 13th

B Day

A – K on campus

L – Z Remote learning

Volleyball Practice 3-5pm (Gym)

Football Practice 3-5pm

Cross Country 3-4:30pm

Cheer Interest Meeting 5:00pm in front of JMS near picnic tables

Friday, August 14th

B Day

L – Z on campus

A – K Remote learning

Volleyball Practice 3-4:30pm (Gym)

Football Practice 3-5pm

Cross Country 3-4:30pm

Last week we provided detailed information about the RTI Process at Jefferson Middle School. We will take our first screener this week in an effort to identify any student that is in need of RTI support.

Our students will take the STAR Screener in ELA and Math this Monday, August 10th and Tuesday, August 11th in their ELA and Math classes. It is very important that your child charge their device Sunday evening in preparation of the online screener. In addition, please speak with your child and encourage them to take their time and do their best on each test.

Response to Intervention is a multi-tier approach to identify and support students with learning needs. This a fluid process that allows students to move into and out of RTI every 4.5 weeks when data supports the move. Once identified through the screener, your child will be placed in Tier 1 (the whole class and all students served at this level), Tier 2 (Small Group Interventions for students testing in the 25th percentile-11th percentile) or Tier 3 (Intensive Interventions at or below 10th percentile).

As we begin to settle into our new normal, we wanted to reach out ensure parents and students understand the expectations that accompany the staggered scheduled. Please see below for a reminder of how the Staggered Schedule may effect your child's grades and attendance. Mr. Fowler has put together a few videos that will help you maintain productivity during this staggered schedule.

1. Check Canvas & Check Email

• Please be sure that your child checks their Canvas page and email each day. Communication is key during this time and it is very important for your child to check all classes on Canvas and their email every day. Please see video below "Remote Learning Tips for JMS Students".

2. Remote Learning Days

• Please remember your child is responsible for logging on and completing assignments via Canvas on the days they are not in the building (working remotely). this material is being graded. Teachers will track student attendance by the assignments they complete on their remote learning days so it is crucial that your child log on and complete assignments when they are not in the building. Again , please keep in mind that these items are graded and if your child doesn't complete the work, it will effect their grades in Skyward.

3. Attendance

• If your child does not log onto Canvas and complete assignments when they are not in building (working remotely), they will be counted absent for that day. Please keep in mind that attendance is taken every day (when students are in the building and working remotely) and students can still be submitted to truancy once they are absent for 7 days without parent or doctor notes.

4. Internet Access

• If your child does not have Internet access to complete assignments, please contact Ms. Laurendine or Mr. Corrigan to request a Sprint MiFi hotspot. Please email jllaurendine@ortn.edu or njcorrigan@ortn.edu and we will make the request immediately.

5. We are here to HELP

• Our teachers, counselors and admin team are here to help you! Please email or reach out to your teachers if you have any questions or concerns. Please see videos below that will assist you if you are having issues hearing a video or if you need assistance uploading a file to Canvas. For Canvas or email assistance, please reach out to Mr. Fowler at bjfowler@ortn.edu.

Please click here to see a message from Dr. Williams (ORS Executive Director of Teaching and Learning) regarding the ConnectOR launch this week: https://www.ortn.edu/COVID19/ConnectOR_Aug5.mp4

As your classes begin this Wednesday, these links are for your students particularly. If you haven’t heard about the Online Orientation Zoom meetings scheduled for Monday, August 10, for JMS/RMS students, please see below for the links to those meetings:

• 5th Grade: 5:30-6:15pm - https://ortn.zoom.us/j/86173426180?pwd=TlMrbXNVTHZoenNqeWdPRnY2UEJPUT09
• 6th Grade: 6:00-6:45pm - https://ortn.zoom.us/j/88405233054?pwd=UHZnWEJ6RmQrNUpUVlpnRjlkSWd2UT09
• 7th Grade: 6:30-7:15pm - https://ortn.zoom.us/j/81754830115?pwd=VVZMZTVMSEt5TnV1OHREdTZJVUwxUT09
• 8th Grade: 7:00-7:45pm - https://ortn.zoom.us/j/89567469006?pwd=VURhcUJiSHdlY2ZmNjU0Sm5FQUhzUT09

Introduction to APEX: Students taking French, Spanish, Intro to Business, and Algebra will be using the APEX program. Those classes are not created quite yet, but please see video below on how you will access APEX.

If you have not picked up your child's device from JMS, please stop by the school any day from 7:30am - 5:00pm and buzz in the front entrance. You may also contact Jenifer Laurendine at 865-425-9257 to schedule a time to pick up.

If you have any questions regarding ConnectOR, please contact me at bjfowler@ortn.edu.

Welcome to the first edition of the JMS Library Reading Eagle Report!

Did you know that the library has a Canvas Page? For all things library please join our JMS library Canvas page. You and your student can join by going to: https://www.ortn.edu/jefferson/academics/library/. Click on the link and then click to enroll in the Canvas Course.

The main goal of the library is to get students reading and to promote literacy. A great tool to help accomplish the goal is the ability to put books on Holds. Holds on books can be placed by virtual students, as well as in person JMS Students. Video instructions detailing how to put a book on hold is located on the library Canvas page along with a virtual classroom with live links to all things library.

In person book holds will be delivered to students by Mrs. Haverkamp during their scheduled school day. AccessOR Students will receive an email when their hold is ready that details how/where to pick up their book.

FYI: Per our COVID-19 procedures, books that have been circulated will be quarantined for a total of three days before being available to students.

The JMS library also has a growing eBook library that any JMS student or AccessOR Student can access. Just got to Destiny Discover from the library site (linked above) or the Library Canvas page and select eBooks.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our librarian, Mrs. Haverkamp, with any concerns or questions. She is available by email, ewhaverkamp@ortn.edu and by phone 865-425-9343.

Morning Drop Off Reminders:

• Reminder that all students must have masks on and have temperature taken upon arriving to school.
• When arriving to drop off near the gym, please pull all the way up to the front of the school so traffic does not back up on Fairbanks Road.
• Please do not drop off your student in the Bus Loop (loop closest to the softball field) between 7:00am - 7:15am as the buses come during that time.
• 5th and 6th grade students will go to the gym at drop off between 7:00am - 7:25am.
• 7th grade students will enter in the JPAC entrance.
• 8th grade students will go to the main lobby entrance.

• In order to keep students socially distanced, bus riders are dismissed at 2:40pm each day buses leave around 7 or 8 minutes after dismissal.
  

Afternoon Pick Up Reminders:

• 5th grade students will be dismissed daily from the cafeteria/softball side.
• Please obey speed limits posted and watch for students. About 10-15 minutes after dismissal, the traffic congestion reduces greatly.
• Students need to know their transportation home each day.
• Students are not permitted to ride home with another student unless they turn in a note and it is approved by the Main Office the same day!
• Supervision is provided for only 30 minutes after dismissal (until 3:15pm). At that point, students still left on campus will go to the main office to make contact with their rides.

During this staggered schedule, communication is crucial to success. It is very important for students to view their Canvas pages and check their email each day.

Canvas will house announcements, links to resources, videos, PowerPoint notes, links to OneNote and other information from teachers that are are instrumental in completing the required work on days of remote learning. In an effort to ensure parents understand how to utilize Canvas, we have included the "Parent Introduction to Canvas" video below again for your convenience.

Our teachers are here to assist so please reach out to them at any time if you have questions regarding their individual classes.

Any student who is participating in ConnectOR or participating in the staggered schedule can receive lunches from Aramark on the days they are not in the building. Please see below for details.

If you need to order meals:

• 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.

Good Evening from the JMS Counseling office!

We hope that everyone is in the swing of things with JMS weekly learning schedule. It has been so nice to see the students happy in the hallways and interacting with peers. This week we want to focus on online learning while students that signed up for ConnectOR will begin this Wednesday. We want to provide tips for you to ensure your child(ren) are successful while participating in online learning. According toTeachthought, there are 17 tips that can used to help children complete assignments. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your school counselor at any time. Ms. Castle (5th & 7th Grade) can be contacted via email mccastle@ortn.edu. Ms. Sullivan (6th & 8th Grade) can be reach via email at fcsullivan@ortn.edu.

17 Remote Learning Tips

1. Set (and keep) a schedule

• The closer this is to a ‘school schedule,’ the easier it will likely be on everyone. You may have to come up with many schedules as a back-up until you find one that works. But once you’ve got something that works, stick to it. And this almost certainly means to use some sort of timer to at least clarify how much time is being spent on what.

2. Make sure they have any materials necessary to complete all assignments

• Whether its pencil and paper, a stable WiFi connection, log-in information for all accounts whatever they need to get the work done.

3. Provide an environment conducive to learning

• Provide a place that has the least distractions but yet a place you can observe their progress.

4. Create a daily plan

• A daily plan looks at the schedule and then identifies to-do items for that day and combines the two for a specific plan for that specific day.

5. Don’t teach–help them understand

• Helping students understand is one of the more obvious remote learning tips for parents. This could vary greatly from student to student and grade level to grade level and content area to content area. As a parent you may have to sit with your child and learn alongside your child–or even learn it first yourself and then review it with them after. The bottom line is that helping your child understand the content is definitely part of the ‘bare minimum’ range of tips.

6. Make sure all work is completed

• And any work that remains incomplete is incomplete for a good reason and has a time-bound, actionable next-step (e.g., email the teacher of record and ask for clarification on a specific part of the lesson that was not understood and ask that you can turn it in tomorrow by noon).

7. Help them check messages and communicate with school

• Check for messages daily from the teacher of record and other students that are participating in ConnectOR and make sure to reply to any messages that require one.

8. Keep in mind that it’s about the child, not the work

• This can be difficult for some parents to keep in mind when there is so much pressure (on everyone) to complete the work. What matters is that your child is understanding the material and is happy working at a pace that allows them to be successful.

9. Learn to identify the barriers

• When students say, ‘I don’t get it,’ the first step is to identify exactly what ‘it’ is–and this isn’t always easy. Most students don’t know what they don’t know. That’s why you (and an internet full of resources) are there to help them making this an especially powerful remote learning tip for parents.

10. Use school resources

• Contact your child’s teacher of record in the district. This is especially critical if your child has an IEP or 504 plan and requires additional support and services at school.

11. Personalize the learning

• You can almost always personalize your child’s learning space (sound, light, room, equipment, etc.) and you can likely adjust their schedule. Use your child’s strengths and gifts and build backward from them as much as possible.

12. Encourage a growth mindset

• This isn’t about what to learn or how to learn but rather how to think about what they’re learning.

13. Mix in Genius Learning

• The goal is to help empower your child to see learning as something they have control of and that curiosity can lead them anywhere.

14. Organize their learning environment

• Or help them organize their learning environments (both physical and digital). Make an area in the house that fits the needs of your child with all the items that may need to be successful (desk, chair, laptop, pencil, paper, calendar to mark due dates of assignments etc).

15. Encourage self-direction

• The more your child owns their learning–and ideally have voice and choice in their work–the easier and more fulfilling everything will be for everyone.

16. Honor the complexity of learning

• Think differently about ‘helping’ your child ‘with their school work.’ Realize that your child needs a wide range of ‘support’: academic, collaborative, psychological, technological, disciplinary, etc.

17. Help them find their own motivation

• Children range so drastically in not only their levels of motivation and where that motivation comes from. Further, the dynamic of parent-to-child is necessarily different from the parents-as-teacher-to-child. Help them ‘want to’ learn without punishing them psychologically or making all motivation external and independent from the actual value of the knowledge being gleaned.

Compassion Ministries - Mobile Food Pantry

Saturday, August 15th, 2020

10:00 am

Linden Elementary School

700 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge, TN

Free food Compassion Ministries, Inc will have a "drive thru mobile pantry" on Aug. 15th at Linden Elementary School, 700 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge, TN.

The food will be pre-boxed so please have your car trunk empty so that the volunteers can put your food in the car for you. Please do not exit your vehicle until asked to do so to open the trunk. You will be asked for: Name, address, phone #, # of people in household between ages 18-59, 60+, & 0-17. Please have this information ready so the line will move smoothly.

We look forward to seeing you.

Robin Rolland: 865) 755-9512

Steve McCullar: 865) 456-1263

www.compassionministries.net

Facebook: Compassion Ministries, Inc.

Jefferson Athletics Update—8/9/20

Our 2020-2021 Jefferson athletic teams are excited to get back into action following all COVID-19 guidelines. Below are updates for each JMS sport:

Volleyball: The JMS Volleyball Team has their first match tomorrow at Lafollette. Their first home match is on August 20th against Clinton. Their updated match schedule is attached below.

Football: The JMS Football Team is hard at work preparing for their first game on August 27th. Their updated game schedule is attached below.

Cross Country: Cross Country practice begins tomorrow afternoon from 3-4:30pm. All students planning to run Cross Country this season must have an updated sports physical, COVID-19 waiver, and online compliance forms filled out prior to participating. See Coach John Smith or Coach Katie Wilson with any questions.

Cheerleading: There will be a JMS Cheer Interest Meeting on Thursday, August 13th at 5pm at the picnic tables in front of JMS. Please bring your own chairs to social distance and masks are encouraged. All attendees temperatures will be taken. Try-Out Clinic will be on August 18th from 3-5pm (JMS Gym) and Try-Outs will be on August 20th from 3-5pm (JPAC). Practice will begin on August 24th.

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 Physical:

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.