2025 JMS Eagle Eye #4

Thank you for coming out to our Open House last week. It was jam packed! Cars were parked all up and down the street and families enjoyed Kona Ice and the Taco Truck well after Open House closed. We are always pleased to have parents and students in our building together to explore what our staff spends so many hours preparing. We love to hear your feedback about how our programming can help students be more successful. From your feedback, we have re-arranged the newsletter so it is a bit easier to digest NEW news, while keeping important pieces at your fingertips. Hopefully you like the small redesign.

On to Week 4: School is in full swing! We have had our first sporting events, our first sets of quizzes and assessments and experiments... We are rocking!

Students are doing a fantastic job of coming to school prepared to learn, getting to class on time, and participating in all the classroom activities their teachers ask of them. The only recurring issue this year has been getting into their lockers!

We have an exciting week ahead, so if you need anything, let us know how we can assist.

Mr. Phil Cox, Principal pcox@ortn.edu

Dr. Benjamin Fowler, Vice Principal bjfowler@ortn.edu

Dr. Jacob Quilliams, Dean of Students jrquilliams@ortn.edu

Monday 12 A day

• Volleyball (Varsity ONLY) vs Northview @ Northview 6:30
• Football Practice 3:00-5:00
• Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:30

Tuesday 13 B day

• Football Practice 3:00-5:00
• Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:30
• Volleyball (Varsity ONLY) vs Sevier County @ RMS 6:30

Wednesday 14 A day

• Football Practice 1:00-2:00
  
• Volleyball Practice 1:00-2:00
• Cheer Practice 1:00-3:00
• Cross Country Practice 1:00-2:30

Thursday 15 B day

• Volleyball vs Wartburg @ Jefferson JV 4:30; Varsity 5:30
• Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:30
• Football vs Loudon @ Loudon 6:30

Friday 16 A day

• Fire Drill 1:00
• Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:30
• Volleyball Practice 3:00-4:30

Saturday 17

• Lego League Boot Camp @ JMS 9:00-4:00

Picture day is in three weeks! Help your student start planning for the middle school photos that will last the ages! Ms. Haverkamp was helping a student look up her mom's 4 years at Jefferson from sometime at the end of the last century, and sure enough it was a full representation of the 1990s.

It is chess time at JMS!

If you like the game of Chess and would like to join the JMS Chess Club, please pick up a permission from Mrs. Haverkamp in the Library.

The chess club will start meeting every Friday after school from 2.45pm until 3:45pm. Starting Friday, August 30th, 2024. The Chess Club will offer a wide variety of activities, including instruction, rated games, simuls, lectures, and recreational play. It’s not at all necessary for you to be a skilled player or to have prior experience.

Limited availability! Spots will fill up fast. Deadline to submit permission forms is Friday, August 16th. Submission forms need to be handed into Ms. Kala Room 101

Just a reminder that the SEL Student Universal Wellness Screener is coming up soon!

Our first administration is August 19-23. We didn’t do this screener last year, so just a reminder that this is the one students access through email. They go into their email and click on the link to access their survey. This is a unique link for each student so it cannot be accessed through Clever or any type of single sign on.

Skylert Automated Student Absenteeism Calls

Due to elementary schools beginning at 8:30 a.m., we are adjusting the timing for student attendance Skylert calls. Our daily Skyward attendance report will run at 9:00 a.m., and attendance calls will be sent at approximately 9:15 a.m. This adjustment provides elementary staff with additional time to enter student attendance and reduce the number of false calls.

Student of the Week nominations go out in the morning. Expect to see the name of excellent Eagles here in next week's newsletter.

We have another busy week of JMS athletics ahead! On Monday, the Lady Eagles volleyball team will travel to Northview Academy for a varsity match at 6:30pm. On Tuesday, our volleyball team will take on Sevier County in a varsity match, played at Robertsville, at 6:30pm. On Thursday, the Lady Eagles will host Wartburg for a JV match at 4:30pm followed by a varsity match at 5:30pm. Our football team will travel to Loudon on Thursday for a varsity game kicking off at 6:30pm.

Please make plans to come out and support the Eagles and Lady Eagles this week! Go Eagles!

Please make plans to come out and support the Eagles this week. Go Eagles!

Be sure to check out additional information about our school counselors on our webpage and in their monthly newsletters!

School Counseling - Jefferson Middle (ortn.edu)

Our counselors for the 2023-2024 School Year are:

5th/7th Grade - Ms. Candie Price (clprice@ortn.edu)

6th/8th Grade - Ms. Cassidy Coffman (cacoffman@ortn.edu)

Nurse Kelly says we have seen an uptick in "upset stomachs" in the morning. Often we find that they haven't had a breakfast and their stomachs settle pretty quick after that. Our growing students need breakfast to operate! The cafeteria opens up at 7 am if you want them to grab breakfast here at JMS. Otherwise, be sure to remind them to eat at home before they arrive!

Just a reminder: STUDENTS are NOT allowed to carry or bring medication to school. Parents must bring the medication in and fill out a form with the school nurse.

If a student has medications for asthma, allergies, or seizures (or any other potential emergencies) that needs to be with them at school, please reach out to me via phone (865-425-9338) or email (kcjones@ortn.edu) or come see me in the clinic.

The position of Instructional Technology Coach has now morphed into the Innovation Coach. It holds many of the same responsibilities of helping our students, parents, and staff to access our digital tool sets, as well as added responsibilities of building relationships with our community to bring our great successes out to the community and then find partnerships to bring great opportunities to our building.

Ms. Smith is our innovation coach. He has been a 6th grade math teacher at JMS for the last 19 years and he brings his love of tech, data, and kids to the position. Any questions about our technology access pieces, reach out to him at jrsmith@ortn.edu

The JMS PTO would like to thank all the parents that came out for Open House. If you couldn't make it, we invite you to learn more about PTO activities and how you can get involved. Email us at jmseaglespto@gmail.com if you are interested!

We are moving our meetings to the evening times this year due to parent requests. We will start at 530 in the Jefferson Library. Look to this space for updates from JMS PTO President, Kayla Colwell.

You get a ton of forms at the start of the year, so here is a quick guide as to what is what and where.

Forms on Paper:

ORS district handbook have been sent home. There is a paper form in the front for you to sign. Please have you AND your student sign it and return it this week to your student's first period teacher.

Forms in ParentSquare:

• McKinney Vento
• Parent Occupational Survey

• Media Release

• Survey Opt-In form
• Biometric Form (Cafeteria Identification Form)

Forms in Skyward

These forms will need to be filled out in Skyward Family Access in web browser, not the app

• First Student- Bus

• Free and Reduced Lunch

If you have any issues with the forms, please reach out to John Smith, our Innovation coach at jrsmith@ortn.edu or Dr. Fowler at bjfowler@ortn.edu

Safety is our number one priority at Jefferson Middle School. The video below helps show the process for both drop off and pick up each day. We want our parents and students to be aware of the process in order to create the safest environment for all during these busy times. The following times below give you the best idea for drop off times:

There are two loops on campus. One loop on the gym/football field side of campus, which is a car drop off loop all morning long. The second loop on the softball field side is the bus loop at the beginning of the morning and becomes a car loop after buses leave. Buses will enter the loop from 7am - 7:10am each day. Please do not enter the loop if buses are present. In addition, please do not pass buses at any time while in the loop.

Please utilize the loop on the gym side to drop off your child each morning. When 5th grade students arrive on campus, they report to the gym until 7:30 am.

• Free and Reduced Lunch forms are now available in Skyward. Be sure to log in to your Skyward Account to complete the form. The sooner we get that processed, the sooner we can make sure we are serving your students as best we can.
• Students must be enrolled in a school to receive school meals. Students attending virtual academies are not eligible to participate in either of the federal school meal programs.
• Meals shall only be provided and served on days when school is in session.

For additional information, please visit:

https://www.ortn.edu/district/food-services/food-services/

The Board of Education believes that appropriate dress and grooming contribute to a productive learning environment. The Board expects students to give proper attention to personal cleanliness and to wear suitable clothing. Students are asked to wear simple, comfortable clothing that is clean and neat. Shoes should be always worn. Students are not to wear clothing which compromises safety or modesty; nor clothing which is disruptive to the educational process.

Students are prohibited from wearing:

1. Clothing or accessories which by reasonable judgment is considered unsafe, dangerous or a health hazard (examples include, but are not limited to wallet chains, spiked collars, necklaces or rings with spikes or sharp edges, oversized belt buckles, picks and combs.

2. Clothing or accessories which contain or suggest offensive or obscene symbols, signs, slogans or words degrading any gender, cultural, religious or ethnic values.

3. Clothing or accessories which contain or suggest language or symbols oriented toward violence, vandalism, sex, drugs, alcohol or tobacco.

4. Pajamas or clothing resembling sleepwear. This also includes house shoes.

5. Apparel

• a. Shirts, shorts, jeans or pants with holes, skirts and dresses that compromise modesty or are disruptive to the learning environment.
• b. The following attire is not permitted: bare midriffs; halter or tube tops; short shorts; tight, see through, or revealing clothing; or clothing which allows underwear to be exposed, such as sagging pants, spaghetti strap tops, muscle shirts.
• c. A belt is mandatory if pants or shorts will not stay at the waist without one.
• d. Hats, head coverings, bandanas, and sunglasses are not to be worn inside the school building.

6. Any articles which can be related to gang activity such as: items with gang names; gang initials; or individual gang member monikers; gang related jewelry; gang related tattoos; or self-inflicted scars. (TCA 49-6- 4215)

7. Any manner of grooming, which by its color, arrangement, trademark, or any other attribute that is gang related. This may include such items as shoelaces, belt buckles, hats or tattoos.

8. All students must wear shoes. It is strongly suggested that students wear shoes which either enclose the foot or are secured with heel straps. Flip flops are not allowed in grades PreK-4.

9. Heavy coats must be removed upon arrival at school, be placed in lockers and left there until the student leaves the building. (At campuses that have multiple buildings that require outside travel between classes, the principal may exercise discretion.)

The school building administrator may make exceptions to dress requirements to accommodate the special needs of classes (examples include but are not limited to science labs, welding, cooking labs) and/or certain sports/activities.

All students are expected to comply with the general dress code policy of the Oak Ridge School Board. Students who fail to comply with the Dress Code Policy shall be advised of the policy and offered the opportunity to take corrective action. The school shall attempt to contact the student's parents. Students who repeatedly fail to dress in accordance with the Dress Code Policy may be subject to disciplinary actions as set forth in the Oak Ridge Schools Discipline Code. The Administration reserves the right to judge what is appropriate or not.

Consequences for violations of the dress code guidelines will follow the ORS District Disciplinary Code.

https://www.ortn.edu/jefferson/supply-lists/

Please be sure to visit the link below to review this year's Student Handbook.

Students are required to turn off phones and place in lockers when they arrive to school. Students are not permitted to have phones throughout the building. In the event of an emergency, parents can contact the main phone line (425-9301) and students may use the main phone line to contact home.

Additionally, NO wired or wireless headphones or earbuds or personal electronic devices are permitted for use during the school day unless at the direction of a teacher for a classroom activity.

Due to concerns about social media and improper use of cell phones during the school day, please see detailed cell phone policy below:

1. Students must turn off cell phone upon arriving to campus and place in their locker.

2. Students are not to use cell phones during the school day unless instructed by a teacher. Teachers will make administration aware when they will be using phones in advance.

3. Any student found to be sharing or distributing inappropriate messages or pictures online will be immediately reported to our SRO and the Oak Ridge Police Department.

4. Per the ORS Code of Conduct, "students are prohibited from using personally owned devices to record (video, audio, photograph) others". This could also be considered Cyberbullying - the use of cell phones, social networking sites or other types of digital technology to harass, threaten, discriminate, or intimidate others.

Any violation of the cell phone policy will lead to action from administration including but not limited to consequences below:

1st violation: student cell phone, headphones, earbuds, or personal electronic devices will be confiscated and sent to the office. Student will be issued a warning in Skyward and phone will be kept in the office until parent/guardian comes to the school to pick up the phone.

2nd violation: student cell phone, headphones, earbuds, or personal electronic devices will be confiscated and sent to the office. Student will be assigned an after-school detention in Skyward and phone will be kept in the office until parent/guardian comes to the school to pick up the phone.

3rd violation: student cell phone, headphones, earbuds, or personal electronic devices will be confiscated and sent to the office. Student will be issued ISS in Skyward and phone will be kept in the office until parent/guardian comes to the school to pick up the phone.

4th violation: student cell phone, headphones, earbuds, or personal electronic devices will be confiscated and sent to the office. Student will be issued an OSS in Skyward and phone will be kept in the office until parent/guardian comes to the school to pick up the phone. In addition, student may lose privilege of bringing phone to school for a time to be determined.

SECURE ENTRANCE TELEPHONE USAGE

School phones are for business and emergency use only. Students who are required to remain after school to make up work or for other reasons can call to arrange a ride home.

Canvas is our learning management system. We utilize Canvas in order to communicate with students and parents including announcements, information that is important to the class, links to resources to help support in class learning and also digital assignments.

Our teachers are AMAZING in the amount of detail they provide on their Canvas page. We encourage parents to spend 10 minutes each week with their child logged on to Canvas and read the details for each teacher's page, announcements, and assignments.

In Canvas our teachers work to provide:

• Announcements - A weekly look at what will be taught throughout the week
• Assignments - Some assignments will be digital and completed through Canvas and some will be analog and completed on paper. The goal for teachers here is to update with information to help explain the assignment and the due date.
• Calendar - A student calendar that shows all of the student's class and helps to color code each. The calendar allows for parents to see due dates for assignments, quiz and test dates

To learn more about Canvas and how we use it each day, please access the video below.