Justice Family Newsletter

Welcome to another exciting month at Justice Thurgood Marshall Intermediate School! As we celebrate Black History Month, we take pride in our namesake and his remarkable contributions to justice, equality, and education. His legacy inspires us every day to strive for excellence and to stand up for what is right in our own community.

This month, we are focusing on developing self-management skills and goal setting with our students. By learning to set clear, achievable goals and taking ownership of their learning, our students are empowered to succeed both inside and outside the classroom. We believe that these essential skills will not only enhance academic achievement but also build character and independence.

In addition, we encourage all families to support reading at home. Whether it’s exploring new genres, discussing favorite books, or simply sharing the joy of reading together, your involvement makes a significant difference in fostering a lifelong love of learning.

Thank you for being an integral part of our community. Let’s work together to honor our namesake and build a future filled with promise, determination, and the power of education.

Starting this semester, we are holding a homeroom attendance competition. Each day that a homeroom has perfect attendance, they get a bee added to their jar. The homeroom with the most days of perfect attendance at the end of each month will get donuts! Congratulations to Mr. King's homeroom. They had nine days of perfect attendance in January!

It’s been an exciting and successful season for our winter sports teams. The boys’ basketball team remains undefeated, including a strong victory at the Tippy Valley Tournament. With five games still on the schedule, the momentum is high as the season continues. The girls’ basketball team is also off to a solid start, diving into the heart of their season with six games lined up for the month ahead. We’re proud to see many of our students taking advantage of the newly established youth basketball league at the Boys and Girls Club. Best of luck to those who are using this opportunity to hone their skills and grow as athletes.

Open swim sessions have begun for any student interested in joining the swim team, and the wrestling team has also kicked off their practices. A special thanks to the transportation department for their continued support in getting our athletes to and from practice each day.

In February, Soccer Saturdays will begin with Coach Berry in the Justice Gym. Announcements have been made at school but feel free to contact us about further information.

As former Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Smith once said, “Relationships are the foundation upon which all winning teams are built, and all great relationships are based on value, respect, love, trust, and care.” We are deeply grateful to all the adults who invest in our athletes daily—teaching, coaching, and supporting them both on and off the field.

Life is a team activity.

Coach Alsup

kalsup@marion.k12.in.us

Band section: All students who signed up for Solo and Ensemble will perform on Saturday, February 8th. These dedicated musicians have been working hard since December to perfect their solo pieces. Additionally, the band will energize the crowd with pep band music at the girls’ and boys’ basketball games on Tuesday, February 4th and Monday, February 17th. We’re thrilled to bring the excitement and spirit to our Justice Basketball teams!

Choir News: We have nearly 80 Marion students participating in this regional music festival, which we are hosting here at Marion High School's Walton Performing Arts Center! The performance will take place at 3:30 pm on Saturday, February 15. Students from Justice Intermediate include:

• Melissa Carpenter

• Leland Craig

• Aubrey Dear

• Brooklyn Boogar

• CJ Jordan

• Keyly Lechuga

• Lily McComas

• Amayah Morales-Tenorio

• Ryleigh Ortega

• Addison Phillips

• Kennedy Polsley

• Hannah Reeves

• Navi Rittenhouse

• Elenor Runyan

• Jasmine Sanchez

• Eliana Tetactle

Addison Phillips also got to sing in the 2025 Elementary All-State Choir, which included 140 singers from all over the state! She performed at the Embassy Theater in Fort Wayne as a part of the Indiana Music Education Association Convention.

We are proud of all our singing “Giants”!!!

Tips for Preventing Influenza:

Get vaccinated annually

Wash hands frequently with soap and water

Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow

Avoid touching your face

Stay home when sick.

February in the Library: "BEE" a Great Reader!

This month, we are buzzing with excitement in the library as we continue to encourage our students to "BEE" a great reader! We are incredibly fortunate to offer so many engaging opportunities for our students, all designed to foster a love for reading, learning, and exploring new ideas.

Our Book Breaks program is a highlight this month, featuring interviews with notable authors who share their personal life stories and writing journeys. These inspiring conversations provide a behind-the-scenes look at how authors develop their stories and connect with readers.

In addition, our Book Taco program continues to thrive! Students read a book, take a quiz to test their knowledge and earn rewards. We are also excited to announce several contests, with our biggest contest yet: the top 15 Book Taco program readers from each grade will earn a trip to a Tin Caps game! What an exciting way to celebrate reading achievements! To celebrate Black History Month, we are excited to announce the "Draw the Past, Inspire the Future: Celebrating Black History Month" bookmark drawing contest! We invite all students to participate and create a unique design that honors the past while inspiring the future. Of course, our library is home to over 14,000 books for students to explore and enjoy, offering something for every reading interest. Whether they are reading for pleasure, completing assignments, or discovering new worlds, there is always something exciting waiting on the shelves. We look forward to offering even more educational activities each month, helping our students develop a lifelong love of reading and learning. What a wonderful time to "bee" part of the library family!

February 3 -- eLearning

February 7 -- Robotic League; First Friday Dress Up Day: Jersey Day (Super Bowl Friday)

February 8 -- Solo and Ensemble @ Eastbrook; Unified Robotics @ Taylor University

February 15 -- Circle of the State with Song @ Marion High School

February 17 -- No School Presidents Day