Jaguar Junction

It's hard to believe that October is already here and the first quarter is ending on October 11th. With that said, students do not have school on Monday, Oct 14 or Tuesday, Oct 15 for professional development of teachers. With the end of the nine weeks comes Parent/Teacher Conferences. Advisor Base teachers will be reaching out about scheduling conferences with you. As previously, we are doing student-led conferences where each of our students will be preparing and presenting a powerpoint during the AB conference time. It is our continued goal to help students take more ownership, take accountability, and to be a part of the educational process with the team. We are looking forward to conferences and meeting with each of you with your student in attendance to talk about the progress of your student at Jardine Middle School. Conferences will be on site and although the AB teacher sets up your initial time, please set additional time aside to stay and meet with other teachers as well to make the school and home connection strong.

P/T Conferences for the Fall semester are on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 3:30 pm until 7:00 pm and then all day on Oct. 24 from 7:30 am - 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Students DO have a full day of school on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but have NO school on Oct. 24 and 25. Again - we look forward to seeing everyone at conferences.

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Click this link for a step by step with pictures!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qL34CZPfQvHPEog9rNYRTaYB1DmqG5eG/view?usp=drive_link

Hello! First, I would love to say thank you so much for your support at the book fair! Our total ended up at $11645.73. Your support for the book fairs helps build and support programs. With some of our rewards, we got several new graphic novels and scary books that the students will enjoy! Next, we have just completed our first two weeks of library lessons where we were introduced to the library and these last two weeks we got to talk about book challenges! Right now in BeanStack, our students have read a total of 29 books and 9896 Minutes! Remind your students to log those minutes!

Upcoming Events from 6th hour Advanced Orchestra.

Our Advanced Orchestra has been working hard to develop new skills, which can unlock more challenging music. I am very proud of their work so far this semester.

We will present our first concert on Tuesday October 22nd at 6:30 p.m.

Our concerts are on the stage of the commons area/lunchroom.

Student musicians need to be there no later than 6:15 and dressed appropriately (concert black and/or white).

This will be a relatively short concert of 4-5 pieces of music, as 7th hour will not be a part of this concert.

We have a band performance just around the corner! The 7th and 8th Grade Band will perform at the Jardine Football Classic at Hummer Sports Park. The game is Wednesday night, October 16. We do not have an exact start time yet. Students will meet Mrs. Rowe at the sports park with their instruments and music. We will play music for pregame, halftime and post game in the bleachers. Our Jaguar musicians will wear black shirts/hoodies/jackets, dark pants (no faded/ripped jeans or shorts), and tennis shoes/sneakers (no boots/sandals/slides/Crocs).

Check out the Jardine Middle School BAND Facebook page!

Dear Families,

We hope this newsletter finds you well and that you are enjoying the changing season. As we continue our journey together this semester, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt appreciation for your ongoing support and partnership. Your involvement makes a significant difference in our students’ lives, and we are grateful for everything you do.

Important Announcements

• Free Labs: We are pleased to announce that free choice food labs will continue throughout the semester! This is a wonderful opportunity for students to engage in hands-on learning experiences while celebrating their success in the class. To participate, students must earn a "C" or higher on their assignments and have no behavior issues. The labs are voluntary.

Celebrations from the Week
We had an exciting month filled with learning and growth! Here are some highlights:

• Growth Mindset: Students explored the concept of a growth mindset, learning how challenges can lead to personal development.

• Fixed Mindset: Discussions about the fixed mindset helped students recognize the importance of perseverance.

• Self-Assessments: Students conducted self-assessments to reflect on their progress, and set new goals, and possible career choices.

• Cooking Labs: Culinary creativity flourished in our cooking labs, where students worked collaboratively to prepare delicious meals!

These moments not only showcase our students’ academic achievements but also their personal growth and teamwork skills.

Additional Information
As we move forward, we encourage families to engage in conversations about the growth mindset at home. Sharing experiences and discussing challenges can reinforce these concepts and support our students' learning.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support! We truly appreciate the role you play in enhancing our school community. Together, we can create an enriching environment for our children to thrive.

Looking Ahead
We are excited about the upcoming weeks and the opportunities they will bring for our students. We look forward to collaborating with you to ensure the best possible experiences for our children.

Warm regards,
Janet Wentz
Career and Life Planning Teacher

Greetings from the Jardine Physical Education Department!

We are hard at work learning P.E. Expectations, Boys Town, and getting a lot of physical activity in class.

Throughout the year we will be sharing our NEW national standards. Let’s start with Standard #1.

These “Motor Skill Performance” statements allow students to directly and personally “connect” with the standard-based outcomes we want them to learn during our daily PE lessons. The statements are brief but POWERFUL!

Our current newsletter program may not allow for the visual to be posted, so if you are waiting to see the NEW visual, please email Mrs. Remer at bremer@tps501.org or click and connect below.

https://www.shapeamerica.org/standards/pe/new-pe-standards.aspx

Examples are:

I can demonstrate the difference between walking, sprinting and running.

I can hop, skip, gallop, leap, slide and run while traveling.

I can sequence and control movements that require weight transfer and balance.

I can perform selected dance steps and movement patterns.

I can change speeds, directions, pathways and levels while on the move.

I can jump and land in a variety of practice tasks and games.

As always, please feel free to call/email with any questions or concerns you may have. Thank you for sharing your middle school student with us. We are off to a great year!

Mrs. Remer-6th graders and/or girls’ locker room bremer@tps501.org

Mr. Mitchell 7-8th graders and/or boys’ locker room kmitchell@tps501.org

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New Physical Education National Standards

Standard 1: Develops a variety of motor skills

Rationale: Through learning experiences in physical education, the student develops motor skills across a variety of environments. Motor skills are a foundational part of child development and support the movements of everyday life. The development of motor skills contributes to an individual’s physical literacy journey.

1.8.1 Demonstrates correct technique in a variety of outdoor activities.

1.8.2 Demonstrates movement sequences within varied dance forms.

1.8.3 Demonstrates appropriate form in a variety of health-related fitness activities.

1.8.4 Demonstrates appropriate form in a variety of skill-related fitness activities.

1.8.5 Demonstrates a striking motion with a long-handled implement

1.8.6 Demonstrates a correct rolling and throwing (underhand, sidearm, overhand) technique in a variety of practice tasks and modified target games.

1.8.7 Demonstrates striking a self-tossed/pitched ball with an implement to open space in a variety of practice tasks and small-sided games.

1.8.8 Demonstrates a proper catch with or without an implement in a variety of practice tasks and small-sided games.

1.8.9 Demonstrates throwing for accuracy, distance, and power in a variety of practice tasks and small sided games.

1.8.10 Demonstrates a proper underhand and overhand serve using the hand in a variety of practice tasks and modified small-sided games.

1.8.11 Demonstrates a proper underhand and overhand serve using a short or long-handled implement in a variety of practice tasks and modified small-sided games.

1.8.12 Demonstrates the correct form of a forehand and backhand stroke with a short-handled and long-handled implement in a variety of practice tasks and modified small-sided games.

1.8.13 Demonstrates a volley using a short-handled and long-handled implement in a variety of practice tasks and modified net and wall games.

1.8.14 Demonstrates sending and receiving in combination with locomotor skills in a variety of small-sided games.

1.8.15 Demonstrates dribbling skill in a variety of practice tasks and small-sided games.

1.8.16 Demonstrates dribbling an object with an implement in a variety of practice tasks and small-sided games.

1.8.17 Demonstrates a shot on goal with and without an implement in a variety of practice tasks and small sided games.

1.8.18 Demonstrates multiple techniques to create open space during a variety of practice tasks and small-sided games (offense).

1.8.19 Demonstrates a defensive ready position in a variety of practice tasks and small-sided games.

1.8.20 Demonstrates water safety skills. If a pool facility is available, demonstrates water safety and basic swimming skills.

The 6th grade math team is wrapping up their first module on Arithmetic operations including division of fractions. Heading into our second unit, students will be introduced to the concepts of ratio and rate. After the concept of ratio equivalence is defined, the students will explore collections of equivalent ratios in real-world contexts. Students have access to IXL which allows our students to work on their current and previous math skills. They can access their assignments anywhere they have internet access so please encourage your student to practice at home.

6th Grade - Ancient World History - We are starting the exciting unit of Mesopotamia. We will be learning about one of the earliest civilizations known as Mesopotamia (the land between the two rivers). We will look at what characteristic traits define a civilization as we study how these early Neolithic societies overcame several factors in their development of becoming a civilization including new inventions such as a system of writing, religions, epic stories, irrigation systems, and the development of empires.

7th Grade - The year is off to a good start. In geography, 7th graders are currently learning about the consequences of not having/or lacking natural resources due to the impact of pollution and human use. Our next unit will be on globalization. With this unit, the students will create a project for the 7th grade state assessment.

8th Grade - It's amazing how fast this year is going. In 8th Grade US History students are currently learning about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and political parties. Our next unit will be about the Early Republic and how the first 4 Presidents handled issues and home and with other countries. The students are also working on memorizing the US Map. We are currently on the states east of the Mississippi River. We will be adding the states west of the Mississippi River next.

6th Grade - Sixth grade science has just finished up working with our engineering skills and are jumping into our next unit of study. We will be investigating the Structure of Matter. What is matter? How do we model the atomic structure? What is the Periodic Table of Elements? Physical vs. Chemical Properties.... and so much more.

7th Grade - Seventh graders are finishing up All about Physics through the many forms of Energy and its Energy transfers-transformations. Students have completed classwork, done computer simulations, investigations and labs to help them understand those concepts. We will be moving on learning all about Waves, how Waves are used in everyday day communication(s) and technology.

8th Grade - Eighth grade students are completing learning about The History of Life On Earth and will be moving on to learning about the Theory of Evolution. Students will complete classwork, computer simulations, and lab investigations to understand those concepts better.

Newcomer 1 and 2 classes have finally settled into routines. They are very familiar with their lockers and the location of all of their classes. They have learned to navigate their chromebooks with ease and do not need much help from me finding classwork in Google Classroom or using other online resources independently. Both classes are getting ready to take their first unit test. It has taken us a lot of work and time to break everything down in our curriculum to be sufficient enough for newcomers to understand, but we did it! The Newcomer 1 class will move on to a new unit called “Set the Table” next week. We will be doing some fun activities with food. The Newcomer 2 class will be moving onto our next unit called “Make a Difference!” This unit is all about how various people have made a difference in our country.

Follow this link to become familiar with our student handbook! This should answer most questions you will have!

https://cdnsm5-ss11.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_8259061/Image/JMS%20Planners%20handbook%2024-25.pdf

We Support Equal Opportunities

The Topeka Public Schools, Unified School District No. 501 is committed to affirmative action and equal opportunity. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin or ancestry be denied lawful access to any appropriate educational service, program, or activity provided by the school district. For students, the Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504 compliance coordinator is the General Counsel for the district. For employment, the EEO/AA and Title VII compliance officer is the general director of human resources. Compliance coordinators may be contacted at 624 S.W. 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294, (785) 295-3000. The clerk of the Board of Education has been designated to receive and redirect or handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, regulations, and procedures. The clerk may be contacted by calling (785) 295-3059 or by writing to 624 S.W. 24th Street, Topeka, Kansas 66611-1294.