JML Principal Newsletter
Week 11/6/23
Calendar
November is...
Native American Heritage Month
Veterans/Military Family Month
Hunger/Homeless Awareness Month
World Kindness Day (Nov 12)
Diabetes Awareness Month
Pancreatic & Lung Cancer Awareness Month
International Stress Awareness Week (1st)
At JML:
Wednesdays & Thursdays - Late Bus Days
11/6 - Make up School Picture Day
11/7 - Student Holiday (No School)
11/8 - 8th Grade Special Programs Assembly
11/8 - Career Switcher Program Info Session - "Becoming a Teacher" at Broad Run HS (5:45pm)
11/9 - JML Families & Staff - Dine at BADD Pizza (see below)
11/10 - JML's Veteran's Day Celebration
11/15 - JML's Parent/Teen evening session on Vaping (6:00pm; Auditorium)
11/20 - 8th Grade Class Panoramic Photo (9:00am)
Nov 9 - JML Community Dines at BADD Pizza - Please join us!
Nov 10 - Veteran's Day at JML
On behalf of Mr. Sansonetti, 6th Grade Dean:
I am pleased to share that JML will once again host our Veterans Day Celebration on November 10th, 2023! If you or a loved was a veteran, we would like to invite you to be a guest speaker on this day to teach our students about your real world experience.
Veterans are invited to join us virtually via Google Meet or in person at J. Michael Lunsford from 7:50 – 9:30. Sign up here to participate in our Veterans Day Celebration: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cZhdJG4Q2gpdDiLW1MkpfL4Y4qvqH4Ak/view?usp=sharing
Thank you all for your service, and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!
Attendance Expectations
Attending school daily is an expectation and is Virginia Law. If your child needs to miss school at JML, our Attendance Procedures are here: https://www.lcps.org/Page/226232
Attendance Strategies for Parents of Middle School Students:
- Talk to your child about the importance of being in classes each day.
- Help your teen maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night's sleep.
- Try not to schedule dental and nonemergency medical appointments during the day.
- Find out if your child feels engaged by their classes and feels safe at school.
- Monitor your teen's academic progress and seek help from our teachers when necessary.
- Stay on top of your child's social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school.
- Encourage your child to join meaningful after school activities.
- Notice and support your child if they are showing signs of anxiety regarding coming to school. Call the school counselor if you see a pattern or have ongoing concerns.
Teaching Spotlight - Family & Consumer Sciences (FACS) with Ms. Martinez
Ms. Martinez & 7th Grade Students...
Working Together to ...
Make Cheddar Biscuits!
JML - awarded the Purple Star from the VA Dept of Education
JML has received the VDOE Purple Star Designation based on our support of military families at JML. We honor our military and do all we can to make our students feel comfortable and connected to our school, understand our community and become a part of it, and support in any way we can. A big thank you to school counselor Jennifer Nocito, for leading the application process and for her work with our military connected students.
Principal Message on Safety
Safety is my number one priority at JML. My administrative team shares this priority and we are always a visible presence in classrooms, hallways, the cafeteria, outside at arrival and dismissal, and sweeping bathrooms, ensuring operations are safe and running smoothly. We work together as a team, along with our staff, students, and community, to address concerns promptly so we maintain our safe environment. All students and staff have the right to attend school in a safe environment and we do all we can to educate All, prevent issues from occurring, and respond to issues that do occur.
Thank you for supporting our safety drills by talking with your children, thank you for following our Kiss & Ride procedures, for following our sign in procedures, and for having high expectations for your children. We value the strong relationships we have with parents and students and want to continue to work together to make JML the best school in LCPS! And remember, with safety concerns, "if you see something, say something!"
Nov 15 - Teen Vaping & Upcoming Information Night at JML
JML is a drug-free zone (where vaping devices are prohibited) and our school environment is not only a positive one for teaching and learning, but is also a safe one for All. At times, students will break the Student Rights & Responsibilities rules and bring contraband onto school property. When school officials are aware that this has occurred, we act swiftly by investigating, working with the student(s) and family(ies) involved, assigning disciplinary consequences (up to a 10 day suspension with a recommendation for review at the Central Office level), and offering interventions.
Teen vaping has been growing in popularity, unfortunately. On November 15 at 6:00pm, JML will host an evening for parents and students that will review trends, what to look out for, and how to respond. In the meantime, I recommend parents read articles on teens vaping (such as: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2019/02/vaping-rises-among-teens) and look at vaping devices online so you are aware of this trend. Please have conversations with your children on the dangers associated with vaping, and emphasize your expectations to them. We will be doing the same in November and December with our students through Dean meetings and through HPE classes.
Spirit Week Highlights
Some great photos of our students and staff from October's Spirit Week: October Spirit Week at JML
Tuesday - Pajama Day
All matching? How did they pull this off?
Wednesday - Orange Out
Spirited Staff wear orange to stand against bullying.
Thursday - Hat Day
8th Grade students Sean and Danny.
Did you miss the October Parent Coffee at JML?
Our school counseling team hosted a parent coffee on Bullying. They went over signs of bullying, how to report bullying, showed a clip on what JML students say about bullying, reviewed how we support students who are bullied, and gave resources. Check out the School Counseling Google Site for the recorded presentation and resources: https://sites.google.com/lcps.org/jmlschoolcounseling/socialemotional/bullying-prevention
Staffing Changes and Needs at JML
Ms. Kelly Kenworthy, school counselor, has been at JML since our doors opened. She has been a positive school leader who has helped her students, the school counseling team, and our staff. She has taken a high school counselor position and we will miss her tremendously. We are currently searching for a school counselor to hire; if you know anyone, please send them our way.
Counselor Caseloads:
6th Grade - Ms. Jackson
7th Grade - Ms. Nocito
8th Grade - Ms. Fuhrman
Spectrum & English Language Learners - Ms. Foley
We welcome our new 7th Grade Dean, Mr. Shane Lilly. Mr. Lilly has been a Social Studies teacher at JML and we are excited to now have him on our administrative team. We are currently interviewing Social Studies teachers as well and will update you once we have hired a new team member. In the meantime, Mr. Hassan will be a long-term sub, and will be working with Mr. Lilly & the History team to ensure lessons, activities, and assessments are aligned.
We are still searching for site-based substitutes (2 full-time positions) and one Special Education Math teacher. If you know of anyone, please send them our way.
Career Switcher Program - Becoming a Teacher - Interest Night
Have you considered becoming a teacher? The Career Switcher Alternative Route to Licensure Program is designed to provide an option for career professionals to enter Virginia's classrooms. A presentation will begin at Broad Run HS on November 8th at 5:45pm. To register, email Recruitment@lcps.org
SGA is looking for holiday light donations
If you have strands of working holiday lights that you no longer want, our SGA would like them! Please turn in to Ms. B in the 8th grade office or to Ms. Paczek in the library.
8th Grade Class Panoramic Photo
All 8th graders will sit as a class on Nov 20 and their Class photo will be taken. If you'd like to order a photo, here is the link: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1001035734#login All orders placed before photo day will be shipped with no shipping charge.
JML Staff Members of the Month
Helpful Links
JML Library Newsletter: JML Library November Newsletter
Support the JML PTA, order JML Spirit Gear, Birthday Marquee orders: https://jmlpta1.memberhub.com/
JML UMHT Newsletter: https://www.smore.com/hf89tn
LCPS Guide & Directory: www.lcps.org/Page/213987
LCPS School Calendar: https://www.lcps.org/Page/247996
Sign up for ParentVue: https://www.lcps.org/PVUE
Order a Yearbook: www.yearbookordercenter.com CODE 13759