Jaguar Journal

5 Essential Survey: Please take some time to click on the link below that conducts a parent survey through the University of Chicago. This survey will ask questions specifically about Jefferson Middle School from the parent perspective. This data will be used to help gather information to make school improvement goals in the future. http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/

Family/Teacher Conferences: Family/Teacher Conferences will be Thursday, March 13 from 4-8 and Friday, March 14 from 8-11. Teachers will be reaching out next week to set up appointments.

Yearbook Deadline: The deadline to order a yearbook will be Friday, February 28. Please see the flyer below on how to order.

Community Events: Here is the link on the Unit 4 website of different events happening in our community. This will be updated each month so please be sure to check it out.

Attendance Closed March 5-7: The attendance office will be closed March 5th, 6th, and 7th. We hope to have it open back up Monday, March 10. In the meantime, please know that all attendance will be updated but may be delayed in getting processed. Mrs. Madden will have email access and you are more than welcome to email maddenli@u4sd.org any absences for your student/s. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Focused Learning Statement

Jefferson Middle School students will expand their content area vocabulary knowledge in order to increase reading comprehension of informational and literary texts.

Words have power; use them wisely.

• Black History Spirit Week: Feb. 24-28

• Early Out (12:35), March 3

• Family/Teacher Conferences, March 13 & 14

• Spring Break, March 17-21

JMS Bands is excited to announce the Annual Pasta Dinner, which is a community building event for our band. Before the March 5 concert (7pm), please join us for a meal catered by Dish Passionate. Doors open at 5:30 and dinner starts at 5:45. Student ensembles will perform during the dinner! Each ticket is $10 (6 and under eat free), so make your reservations through this google form as soon as you can but no later than Feb. 28 so that we can confirm the number needed. Please invite family and friends! If you want to attend but need some assistance, reach out to the band boosters at kristimcduffie@gmail.com. We would love each of our band students to celebrate together.

Please be sure that students are dressing for the weather. If the feels like temperature is above 20 degrees we may be going out for recess. It is important that students are wearing protective winter attire. If you know someone in need of a coat, hat, or gloves reach out to the school.

Please know that the offices can no longer pass messages to students past 2:00pm. We risk students not getting the message.

If you need to get a message to your student through the offices, please call us before 2:00pm.

Thank you!

Please use the following phone number when calling in your student for an absence: 217-351-3786 or email Mrs. Madden at maddenli@u4sd.org.

The Pens to Lens program, open to K-12 students in the area, is accepting scripts from students until Friday, February 28th. Students write scripts which are then submitted to Champaign area filmmakers who pick their favorites to produce as actual short films. The films are presented to the community in a red carpet event to honor the young writers. Students may also submit their own films to be considered for screening at the event at the Virginia Theater in August! More information can be found at www.Penstolens.com. Deadline for the scripts is coming up soon - end of February, but if students wish to create a short film, the deadline for film submission is in the summer.

Do you want your art featured on the cover of the yearbook? Enter the yearbook cover art contest. Submit your work to Ms. Wood in room 611. Entries will be accepted through February 21st.

Congratulations to the JMS Dance Team! They competed at IDTA State Finals this past weekend and earned a third place win in Pom and 6th place in Hip Hop! Way to bring home the hardware, dancers!

Keep up to date with Jefferson Athletics on Facebook! Follow for try-outs announcements and schedules/game updates!

Champaign Central Maroons Girls Basketball Camp will be on March 17th, 2025 from 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM at Central High School.

Our second field trip of the new year is almost here! Our visit to Krannert is on February 27th and we will be watching a historical play called Boy From Troy, focused on the history of civil rights leaders. Another big thank you to all the parents that donated funds so all students could attend both of our field trips so far!

Attention 8th-grade parents: send your student's baby photo to be featured in the yearbook. Submissions include a short message to your graduate. Email baby photos, your student name, and message to wooder@u4sd.org - $10 fee payable by cash or check due to room 611 by March 3rd.

If you would like to purchase some Jefferson Apparel take a look at our school store!! The store has a large variety and you can order ANYTIME. Order soon to get $20 off orders over $100 with code SAVE20

The following are the names and contact information for the administrators and counselors who will be working with each grade level. They will be your first point of contact for any student concerns, questions, etc. that should arise.

• Principal: Kyle Freeman (freemaky@u4sd.org)

• Associate Principal: Megan Kirby (kirbyme@u4sd.org)

• 6th Grade:

• Mark Butler, Dean of Students (butlerma@u4sd.org)

• Abby Fadelle, Counselor (fadellab@u4sd.org)

• 7th Grade:

• Jeremy Wills, Assistant Principal (willsje@u4sd.org)

• Todd Griffith, Counselor (griffito@u4sd.org)

• 8th Grade:

• Taylor Foltz, AD/Dean (foltzta@u4sd.org)
  

• Jessica Joyner, Counselor (joynerje@u4sd.org)
  

• MTSS Counselor: Whitley Tate, Counselor (tatewh@u4sd.org)

• When dropping your student off in the morning you may drop off in the circle drive or anywhere around Jefferson. Please me mindful to not block traffic in the morning. All students will enter through the main entrance of Jefferson.

• During pick up DO NOT park in the circle drive. MTD and district buses park in the circle drive starting at 2:20. We dismiss at 2:35 and students can exit using their nearest exit of the building.

• Parking in the staff parking lots in order to drop off and/or pick up your student before or after school is NOT ALLOWED. If you are dropping off your student before school for practice or rehearsal, you must drop them off in the circle drive, and they have to enter through the main entrance Do not pull through the service drive.

• Do NOT BLOCK TRAFFIC FLOW IN AND OUT of the circle drive at any time
  

Lunch time at the Middle School is a time where students can eat (lunch is free for all Unit 4 students), socialize appropriately, and take a "brain break" from their school day.

Please note: Students are not allowed to order from food delivery services during their lunch times because they cannot exit building doors to retrieve the items. IF food is ordered (by either the student OR family) and delivered in the Main Office, your students will not receive their food order. Thank you for understanding. Food deliveries cause multiple challenges for our staff, so we appreciate your adherence to this request.

Cell Phone usage in schools has been a nationwide "hot topic." Everyone from the federal government to the surgeon general is weighing in.

The fact of the matter is this: Cell Phone usage in classrooms/schools can be distracting from the learning environment, and can also be harmful to mental/social health.

Jefferson Middle School will be following our Unit 4 School Board Policy regarding Cell Phone usage. Please review the Cell Phone & Electronic Device Guidelines with your student(s).

We encourage you to speak with your student(s) about cell phones. Cell phones will not be aloud at any point throughout the day at Jefferson, this includes lunch. Cell Phones should ideally be put in a student's locker or in a binder. They should not be sitting out on a desk/table.

Is your student concerned about their safety or the safety of others? Securly is a program the district uses for students to report issues around safety. Students can access this program through email, phone, website or app. See below for access information.

• Download the Securly Tipline app from the App Store or Google Play

• Call or text 1-833-300-STOP

• Email tipline@securly.com

• Follow this link: securly.com/tip

Home Access Center (HAC) is a great way to get information about your students' grades, attendance, class assignments, etc.!

Please read the one-pager below and feel free to watch the short videos about Home Access Center.

HAC One-Pager for Families

HAC Introduction Video
Checking Schedules and Grades Video
Checking Attendance Video