Parent Newsletter
Week of June 1st - 5th
Thank you for a Great Year
- Remote Learning Success
- Dropping off Student Laptops and Locker Content Retrieval
- Virtual Registration and Orientation for the 2020-2021 school year
- Signing up for 2020-2021 School Devices
- First Floor Lobby Transformation
- Keys to Learning and Growing over the summer
- PTO News
- Counselors Corner
Thank you for all that you do to support Jefferson Middle School,
Phil Cox, Principal
Chris Layton, Vice Principal
Jenifer Laurendine, Dean of Students
Thanks for a great 19-20 School Year
In a time of great challenge, our JMS community worked so hard to step up and respond in a positive way. Our students had over 1.1 million page views in Canvas, there were over 300 zoom sessions held across our staff, we had several staff members provide assistance with device collection, we had multiple staff work to provide food, hot spots for wifi etc. for students and families. Our students innovated, created and designed amazing projects and participated in online lessons to show how they could continue to learn and grow. We received the kindest feedback from so many parents and students. In all of this time, our students and families worked so hard to help our school and for that we say THANK YOU!
We can't conclude this year without one final THANK YOU to our amazing teachers and staff. In a time of great uncertainty our staff responded by asking what could they do, how could they help, organizing outreach to students and families etc. All the while providing students and families with opportunities to learn and grow. Our teachers, were simply AMAZING!
As we move into the 2020-2021 school year, we know there is a chance that there may be extended closures in the new wake of Covid-19 type closures. As always we will keep our families posted on any information, but as we prepare for the reality of school in a Covid-19 world, we want to reflect on the importance on checking Canvas and helping students navigate our digital resources upon our return. Our teachers will be working to develop lessons and plans in Canvas in order to be prepared for any potential future school closings. We will continue to share tips and different guidelines for parents about Canvas, OneNote and other digital tools used by our teachers. As we near the start of the school year, we will have more information to provide to our students and families about the 2020-2021 school year.
We want you to have a great summer! We want you to be safe, stay healthy and continue to challenge yourself to learn and grow.
Thanks for your efforts to finish the year strong!
Returning Laptops and Student Locker Exchange
If you were unable to drop off your laptop and/or pick up locker items we will be having a second opportunity for students during the week of Monday June 1st and continued through Friday June 5th.
We will be available for collection of laptops and distribution of student locker items from 8 am – 10 am and 1 pm – 3 pm every week day beginning Monday June 1st continued through Friday June 5th. When you arrive on campus, please call 425-9301 to let us know you are here. We will need your student’s name, so we can get any belongings for the locker retrieval to your student. A JMS staff member will walk the items out to your vehicle and collect your student’s laptop. In order to keep proper CDC guidelines and maintain social distancing, please do not exit your vehicle. Please call 425-9301 and we will work to meet you to collect and deliver.
If you feel you are receiving this message in error, and that you have already returned your student’s device and collected your personal belongings, please reach out to Mr. Layton at calayton@ortn.edu or 425-9271 so that we can confirm this information with you. If you have any specific questions in regards to this process or making arrangements etc. please reach out to Ms. Laurendine at jllaurendine@ortn.edu or Mr. Layton at calayton@ortn.edu.
Sign Up for Student Laptop 20/21 School Year
We hope you and your family are safe and healthy at this time. It’s that time of year again where we need parents to sign up for student devices for the 2020-2021 school year. The process to sign up needs to completed in Skyward. Students will not be issued a device for the 2020-2021 school year until the appropriate CELA and TUA forms have been signed on Skyward. Below are the steps on how to complete the sign up process. In addition, you can watch the following video to help walk you through the process: Click Here for the Video (Also featured above)
This should be available in Skyward beginning Monday May 18th . We wanted to provide this video before that time to help alert you to the information before Monday May 18th.
Very Important:
**Please make sure you are signed in as parent/guardian when looking to complete the form**
You MUST be signed in the Parent Access to Complete the Forms. Not the Student Access forms.
Steps to complete (You can also watch in the video, shown above)
1. Go to www.ortn.edu
2. Click on Tab Online @ORS
3. Click on Tab for Students and Families
4. Log on to Family Access to Skyward (Make Sure to Log On as Parent/Guardian Access)
5. You should see on the Homepage a message that states, “An Online Form is Now Available to Fill Out”
6. Click on the link “Fill Out an Online Form”
7. Pop Up “Would you like to complete it now?” Answer Yes.
8. Read the form and complete the tasks at the bottom
9. Complete and submit. You will see that you have successfully submitted at this point
For Rising 9th Grade Students ONLY:
We are very excited to welcome the Class of 2024 to Oak Ridge High School next year!! As your family prepares for this transition, the high school invites everyone to fill out their online computer distribution form via the parent Skyward account. Moving to the high school, you will find an additional item regarding the stylus on your Technology User Agreement. We felt the importance of sharing how heavily this instrument is used at ORHS, particularly in the math and sciences. There will be an opportunity to check the permission box for your rising freshman to obtain a stylus when the computer is issued prior to the beginning of school. Our friends coming from Jefferson Middle School are largely accustomed to classroom sets being provided. Should you have any questions regarding this process, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Thompson sathompson@ortn.edu
We look forward to welcoming our RISING FRESHMAN TO ORHS - EQUIPPED AND READY TO LEARN
If a parent/guardian has not completed these steps as outlined in the video and above then students will not be issued a device until the forms have been completed. In addition, any students with any outstanding damage and/or missing items from 2019-2020 will not receive their device until that damage and/or missing item has been addressed.
If you have not signed up for Skyward, please see the attachment below for more instructions. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Layton at calayton@ortn.edu or 425-9301
Innovation Center at JMS
We will be working over the summer months to equip this new area with 21st century furniture and resources as it will be unveiled to serve as space for innovation, creativity, and learning for the 2020-2021 school year. We are excited to have begun work on this new resource designed to support our students and staff. Also, this will provide more seating and area for students during am lobby hours prior to the start of first period. We will keep you posted on the progress in the coming weeks. The removal of these lockers downstairs also coincides with the installation of new lockers in the building. These lockers have been replaced and 7th and 8th students will be receiving new lockers, set to be installed later this summer.
Special thanks to Mr. Randolph and his crew along with several school district building and maintenance crew members for their efforts to so effectively and efficiently work on this project this week. They were amazing at removing the lockers, concrete and getting the sites prepped for installation of new lockers in 7th grade and 8th grade along with getting the lobby space ready for the innovation center.
Special thanks to JMS PTO for their help to sponsor some of the furniture that will be included in our new Innovation Center.
JMS Athletics Information
JMS Athletics Update - Go Eagles!
Please visit - https://www.ortn.edu/jefferson/school-info/athletics/ for the latest updates.
JMS has currently postponed all face-to-face tryouts, practices, and athletic events until July 6, 2020 at the earliest. Specific updates regarding each sport are below. We encourage you to read the Oak Ridge Schools Return to Play plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic available at the link above. The ORS COVID-19 Guidelines for Athletics will be followed on our return date of July 6, 2020.
Information regarding student physicals is also available at the site above.
Tryouts: Contingent upon Governor’s Directives, TSSAA Information and Oak Ridge Schools Administration, we believe the safest way to move forward with tryouts of any kind is to tentatively schedule them for later in the summer or when we return to school as we want to continue to keep our students, staff and families safe. We are working to establish this timeline but updates for each sport are below:
- Football – Tryouts are to be determined. We will update as soon as possible. Summer workouts are currently scheduled to begin on July 6, 2020 in accordance with the COVID-19 Return to Play Guidelines available on the JMS Athletics webpage.
- Volleyball – Tentatively schedule for July 6-7. Time will be announced soon as we work to establish a plan that best fits the COVID-19 Return to Play Guidelines.
- Cheer – There will be no summer camp this year. We hope to have tryouts scheduled for July. We will update with more information as soon as possible.
- Cross Country – Tryouts will be announced upon returning to school.
- Girls Basketball – Tryouts will more than likely need to be postponed until the start of the 2020-2021 season (after Fall Break) as we will miss the Spring Practice and Tryout timeframe allowed by the TSSAA.
- Boys Basketball – Tryouts will more than likely need to be postponed until the start of the 2020-2021 season (after Fall Break) as we will miss the Spring Practice and Tryout timeframe allowed by the TSSAA. Coach Murphy
- Track – The 2020 track season has been canceled. Dates for next year’s season and schedule will be posted at a much later time.
Freshman Class of 2024
Students can enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card each week of the summer break. Students simply read a selection from the suggested summer reading list and complete the Google entry form posted on the Oak Ridge High School’s webpage. Entries will include the author, the title, and a brief review of the text. After completing the entry form, students will be automatically entered for a gift card drawing to be held at the end of each week from June 5, through July 24.
https://forms.gle/x9mzCVEmQePsP3LY7
Oak Ridge High School will not be requiring students to complete a traditional summer reading assignment for the upcoming summer break. We feel under the present conditions the task would be too burdensome and the logistics too difficult to overcome. Instead, this year, we are posting to the school’s website a list of recommended readings for students in order to provide options for continued learning and to mitigate potential losses in reading skills over the summer. The list includes selected works from different disciplines and departments at the high school for students who might be interested in science, math, technology, history, social science, and classic literature. There is a mix of all nonfiction and fiction genres, and the selections range from high-interest contemporary works to traditional, canonical texts. Although we have made every effort to consider content and subject matter in order to avoid sensitive topics, controversial issues, or mature subject matter, parents or guardians are ultimately the best judges of what is suitable for their students. Therefore, we strongly suggest that parents or guardians evaluate each selected text to determine whether a work is appropriate for their students. The list also identifies if and where a text may be available online in a free eBook or audiobook format. We hope that students enjoy the works we have selected, and if there are any questions, please contact Michael Feuer, Oak Ridge High School Department of English Coordinator: mfeuer@ortn.edu. More information about the suggested summer reading list will be available on the Oak Ridge High School website.
Follow ORHS on Social Media
Class of 2024 Parents Please Consider Following ORHS on Social Media:
The ORHS class of 2024 has a social media presence on both Facebook and Twitter, you can access the Facebook page for more information ORHS Class of 2024 Facebook page. ORHS administration has asked for parents to "like" the page. This is a site in where the administration can communicate directly with parents regarding important information as well as post tons of pictures to celebrate their kids. We have found this to be HUGELY successful in our communications to specific classes, especially as we approach the junior and senior year. https://www.facebook.com/groups/197134894660295/
Twitter: @ORHSClassof2024. https://twitter.com/home
Summer Reading information for rising 9th grade students can be found below in the attachments.
ORHS Athletics for 9th Grade
Rising 9th graders interested in participating in athletics at ORHS should use the contact information below for more information:
- Football: Please send the student's name, address, cell phone, previous middle school, Parent Name, Cell Phone, and Parent Email to Coach Gaddis's email (jbgaddis@ortn.edu) or mail to Joe Gaddis, Oak Ridge High School, 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
- Volleyball: Tryouts are scheduled for July 6-7 from 1-4PM at ORHS Arena. Coach Kolodney will host an information session on Zoom on June 1st at 6 PM for any families interested. The meeting is not mandatory but could be helpful for new families to get an idea of how our program works and what it would look like if your daughter were to make the team. Please contact Coach Kolodney (dmkolodney@ortn.edu) in order to access the Zoom meeting or ask any additional questions or concerns.
- Girls Basketball: Please send the student's name, parent's name(s) and phone numbers to Coach Redman (hptaylor@ortn.edu).
- Baseball: Baseball will host tryouts starting Wednesday June 3rd and Thursday June 4th.
These times will vary based on group sizes. Coach Free needs each player interested in trying out to email him directly at tafree@ortn.edu. He will then set up a tryout date and time for your son. Attached are the guidelines for the returning to activity that ORS has put in place for all sports and the summer months. Please read and familiarize yourself with these guidelines. Also you will find the attached COVID 19- waiver (below) that will need to be signed and brought to the tryout. Coach Free will just need the disclaimer form returned. Please let Coach Free know you are interested and he will be in touch in a timely manner.
- Boys Basketball: Please send the student's name, address, and phone number as well as a parent's name, phone number, and email to Coach Scott (sco34tt@yahoo.com)
The boys basketball team has an interest form to fill out for tryouts. If you could post the following:
Have you dreamed of playing basketball for the Oak Ridge Wildcats? Here is your chance! Fill out the interest information and Coach Scott will reach out to your family! The Google form does not have to be accessed through the ortn.edu network. If you have problems, please print the attached form and email it to Coach Scott at sco34tt@yahoo.com as soon as possible! Thank you!
Preventing the Summer Slide
1. To begin, Reading is paramount to being a lifelong learner. We highly encourage students read over the summer. They need to find a book that they enjoy or something that excites them to read and spend 10 or 15 or 30 minutes a day just taking time to read.
2. Math is all around you! When you hear someone say you should practice math skills over the summer the first thing that may pop up in your head may be, worksheets for math facts. Try not to think of it like that! Try to find a career that involves a lot of math and try to learn more about that career. For example, have you ever wondered what it would be like to be an engineer, fashion designer, computer programmer, video game designer, construction career, professional athlete etc. Almost any career you can imagine involves some use of math and math skills. Spend time over the summer researching a career and finding out specifically how can math be related to that career, more than likely you will be surprised.
3. Design a project for yourself! Open up your creative mind and design a project to complete yourself. It could be something utilizing technology, arts and crafts etc. Take time over the summer to have your brain operate in a creative space. Spend some time looking up information about how and why so many companies in the future are looking to hire creative people. There are a lot of great resources out there to help you get a better idea about how creativity can have an impact in not only education, but also future careers.
RTI for 20/21 School Year
RTI- (Response To Intervention) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning needs. This a fluid process that allows students to move into and out of RTI every 4.5 weeks, if data supports the move.
Tier 1: The Whole Class (every student is served at this level)
In the general education classroom, the teacher measures everyone’s skills. This is known as a universal screening that is given 3 times a year to the whole school (Fall, Winter and Spring) to determine the students that fall at the 25th percentile or below for extra Tier 1 support. If your child falls at or below the 25th percentile your child will be placed in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 class in the areas of Math or English to provide more support because they are performing below their grade level. The screening helps the teacher work with students in small groups based on their skill levels. The school will let you know if your child is struggling and will update you on his/her RTI progress. If your child scores at the Tier 2 or Tier 3 level they will be taken out of one or both of their electives. This class is a revolving door class, which means your child can make their way of the class with showing progress and gains above the 25th percentile. A goal is made for your child in their Tier 2/3 class an academic goal is developed in the progress monitoring software. It takes on the average 6 weeks for the progress monitoring tool to show if your child is making progress on their goal.
During the intervention, the RTI team monitors students’ progress to see who might need additional support. Many students respond successfully to Tier 1 support and achieve grade-level expectations.
Tier 2: Small Group Interventions (25th percentile-11th percentile)
If your child is not making adequate progress in Tier 1, he/she will start to receive more targeted help. This is in addition to the regular classroom instruction (Tier 1), not a replacement for it. Tier 2 interventions take place every day during a designated period and will not miss any core instruction in the classroom.
During these extra help sessions, he/she will be taught in small groups using a different method than in Tier 1 because the first method was not successful. The teacher may also ask you to work with your child at home on certain skills.
The school will monitor your child’s progress so it is clear whether the Tier 2 intervention is helping through 4 ½-week progress reports sent by the school.
Tier 3: Intensive Interventions (at or below 10th percentile)
Typically, only a small percentage of the class will require Tier 3 support. In many schools, though, that number is much higher. If your child needs Tier 3 support, it will be tailored to his/her needs. Every day he/she will receive one-on-one instruction or work in very small groups.
Your child will continue to spend most of the day in the general education classroom. If he/she does not make adequate progress in Tier 3, it is likely that the school will recommend an evaluation for special education services.
The school will monitor your child’s progress so it is clear whether the Tier 2 intervention is helping through 4 ½-week progress reports sent by the school.
Core Focus-(English or Math) This class is for those students that score close to above the 25th percentile or the teacher has identified will benefit from extra support with current core classes. Students will be able to work on homework intermittently during the week and may need re-teaching of Tier 1 instruction.
Counselors Corner
Good Evening from JMS Counseling Office! We hope that you had a great week and you were able to drop off your laptop, pick up personal items from your lockers and purchase a yearbook if you were not able to come the week of May 18-22, 2020. If you still need to drop items off and pick items please call the JMS main line at 865-425-9301. This week we will leave you with some resources to prevent your child from falling behind their peers this summer even with the pandemic.
Academics and Literacy
TIME for Kids – Authentic journalism to motivate curious minds (K-6th grade)
Daily Learning Activities for Kids (Pre-K – High School) – WideOpenSchool
Random House: Resources for Educators, Librarians, and Parents
Arts
Wellness
STEM
Khan Academy: Weekly learning plans in math for grade 3 through Algebra 2
National Geographic Learn at Home Courses (K-12th grade)
Teachers In the Parks Live! Live, 15 minute Reading and Math lessons
MLB baseball-themed online learning course for at-home students
General/Parents
BellXcel Remote – BellXcelremoteprovides all of the tools and resources to design, organize, implement, and assess a remote classroom environment with a strong social-emotional learning approach.
COVID-19 Resources for Parents – American Camp Association (ACA)
PBS KIDS Video App – Stream the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel for FREE
Comcast Internet Essentials: Free Internet During Public Health Crisis
4 practices for anyone parenting quarantined kids – greatschools.org
JMS Enrollment and Withdraw
If you have a family member or a friend that needs to enroll their child for the 2020-2021 school year at JMS please follow link below.
Enrollment: Please be sure to read the entire document and fill out everything that is required. The top of the document is an extensive check list of documents you will need when you go to enroll your student. Be sure to save often to your device to prevent losing the whole document.
If you have moved or plan to move out of the Oak Ridge City District please follow the link below.
Withdrawal: Please be sure to read the entire document and fill out everything that is required. Please remember that a student will not be fully withdrawn from Oak Ridge Schools until we have received a request for records from the new school.
Contact Amy Myers-Counseling Registrar for more information or questions at amyers@ortn.edu
Summer Reading
Rising 5th and 6th Grade
We encourage you to read 20 minutes a day in increase reading fluency and comprehension. Questions contact mfox@ortn.edu or njcorrigan@ortn.edu (5th grade) or skwilson@ortn.edu (6th grade)
Rising 7th Grade
This summer we are encouraging rising 7th graders to read one of four novels listed below. We realize these times are different and that accessing any of these books might be difficult. That is why we are suggesting students read but not requiring it. These are all books we have used for summer reading in years prior, and students tend to enjoy them. Of course, we are thrilled that students participate in any reading, so if there are other books students would like to read, that is wonderful.
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, or
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
To encourage careful reading of any book a student might read, we will have a day of voluntary reporting on what students read over the summer. The student can bring in his/her book(s) and give a verbal synopsis of it. We hope this will give other students ideas on what they might like to read through the school year.
If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Humphrey at jhumphrey@ortn.edu or Ms. Sears at crsears@ortn.edu.
Rising 8th Grade
Welcome to the 8th Grade! Due to the crazy end of the school years, we will not be doing the traditional summer reading. Instead, we’ve compiled a book of recommended reading. Ms. McMahon and Mr. Sprouse would love for you to pick at least one book off of this list to read over the summer. Though it is not required, it can help you avoid losing all the skills you’ve gained over the last year. When we return, Mr. Sprouse and Ms. McMahon will provide a project, quiz, or writing assignment to earn extra credit on your first midterm for completing summer reading.
Stay safe and healthy...and read!
If you have any additional questions feel free to contact us by email at: Ms. McMahon jamcmahon@ortn.edu or Mr. Sprouse cjsprouse@ortn.edu.
Action/Adventure
*Call of the Wild - Jack London
The Hunger Games -Suzanne Collins
Non-Fiction
Lion: a long way home -Saroo Brierly
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind -William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Mystery
The Westing Game -Ellen Raskin
When You Reach Me –Rebecca Stead
*The Moonstone –Wilkie Collins
*The Hound of the Baskervilles –Sir Conan Doyle
Sci-Fi
Uglies -Scott Westerfeld
The Giver – Lowis Lowery
Fantasy
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (if you haven’t read it already) -JK Rowling
The Lost Hero –Rick Riordan
Magnus Chase: the sword of summer –Rick Riordan
*The Hobbit –JRR Tolkien
Realistic Fiction
Freak the Mighty
Okay, For Now -Gary Schmidt
Ghost –Jason Reynolds
Historical Fiction
The Mighty Ms. Malone - Christopher Paul Hunt
Across Five Aprils -Irene Hunt
Classic Literature
*Little Women _Louisa May Alcott
*Treasure Island -Robert Louis Stevenson
Other
Crossover -Kwame Alexander (poetry)
Leviathan –Scott Westerfeld (steam punk)
The Marvels -Brian Selznick (graphic novel, of a sort)
*More advanced literature, but open for anyone to read
Rising Freshman
Oak Ridge High School will not be requiring students to complete a traditional summer reading assignment for the upcoming summer break. We feel under the present conditions the task would be too burdensome and the logistics too difficult to overcome. Instead, this year, we are posting to the school’s website a list of recommended readings for students in order to provide options for continued learning and to mitigate potential losses in reading skills over the summer. The list includes selected works from different disciplines and departments at the high school for students who might be interested in science, math, technology, history, social science, and classic literature. There is a mix of all nonfiction and fiction genres, and the selections range from high-interest contemporary works to traditional, canonical texts. Although we have made every effort to consider content and subject matter in order to avoid sensitive topics, controversial issues, or mature subject matter, parents or guardians are ultimately the best judges of what is suitable for their students. Therefore, we strongly suggest that parents or guardians evaluate each selected text to determine whether a work is appropriate for their students. The list also identifies if and where a text may be available online in a free eBook or audiobook format.
https://www.ortn.edu/ORHS/summerreading2020.pdf
We hope that students enjoy the works we have selected, and if there are any questions, please contact Michael Feuer, Oak Ridge High School Department of English Coordinator: mfeuer@ortn.edu
Have a great summer and reach out if we can help in anyway this summer!
Mrs. Castle mccastle@ortn.edu
