Email: JolliffMiddle@k12cpschools.com
Website: cpschools.com/jms
Location: 1021 Jolliff Road, Chesapeake, VA, USA
Phone: 757-465-5246
Twitter: @JolliffMiddle

JMS Community,

We are about to enter the spring season. Spring in middle school is a little tricky to navigate. Students have noticably grown phyically since school started in September. By spring some of those social and emotional milestones of early adolescence are also starting to show. Lastly, by spring, strong signs of learning growth, like students taking more ownership of their learning and consistently demonstrating good habits, are popping up like those spring flowers.

Teachers often talk to students about having a "growth mindset". What exactly does that mean? A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed with effort, practice, and perseverance. For students, this means understanding that challenges are opportunities to learn and grow, rather than obstacles to avoid. Instead of thinking “I can’t do this,” we teach them to say, “I can’t do this yet, but I can improve with practice.”

Encouraging a growth mindset in your child helps build resilience, self-confidence, and a love for learning. It teaches them that success is not about innate talent but about the effort they put in. This mindset also fosters a positive attitude toward challenges, where students are more likely to tackle difficult tasks without fear of failure. As parents, you can support this mindset by praising your child’s effort and persistence, rather than their natural abilities. Encourage them to keep going, even when things are tough, and help them set realistic goals for improvement. With a growth mindset, students become more engaged, motivated, and willing to take on new challenges, knowing that their abilities will grow with time and effort.

Sincerely,

Mr. John Close

Principal

Caroline Simpson won 1st place in the 2025 CMSL Speech Competition in the Poetry Category. Caroline is the first champion from JMS and we are extremely proud of her accomplishment.

Sandy Barrett, 6th Grade Teacher and SCA Sponsor, was named as a VA Kindness Ambassador by the VDOE in celebration of Virginia Kindness Week. Thank you Mrs. Barrett for all the ways you model compassion and selflessness for our JMS Community!

Congratulations to our Girls Basketball Team and Coaches Holmes and Brooks on a PERFECT season and for winning the first City Championship in JMS history. This is a special group of young ladies who demonstrated what happens when hard work, talent, and passion collide.

Nathan Lanoue- 103lbs.

Javan Crawford- 108lbs.

Conner Pickering- 122lbs.

Ben Carter- 157lbs.

Matthew Poore= 175lbs.

PE Teacher Mr. Michael Brooks was a recipient of the Power of the Peake Award for February. Mr. Brooks is loved by the Jolliff Community because of his compassion towardstudents, his leadership as an educator, and his ability to connect with families. Congratulations and thank you Mr. Brooks for representing the very best of JMS!

The JMS Debate Team continued its run of city championships with its 4th win in 4 years. Congratulations to Mr. Brown and these incredible critical thinkers!

4 years in a row=DOMINANCE

Go JAGS!

JMS Spelling Bee Champion- Annabelle Gonzalez Ruperto! Annabelle will be representing JMS at the Regional Spelling Bee later this month, and she has a chance to make it to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May in Washington D.C.

Get ready for an evening of creativity and innovation at Jolliff Middle School's MakerFest! On Friday, March 7th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, our students will showcase their talents with exciting activities like Nickelodeon Slime, robot obstacle courses, and even mini doughnut making! This student-led event promises fun for the whole family, with drone demonstrations, gaming competitions, and LED paper creations also on the agenda. We encourage all families and students to join us for a night of hands-on learning and imaginative exploration. Mark your calendars for a memorable MakerFest experience!

Tickets for the 8th Grade field trip to Richmond will begin on March 17th on OSP. Look for more information and permission slips soon.

JMS has been chosen to pilot a new resource called Khanmigo ai. Khanmigo is an AI-powered personal tutor and teaching assistant from Khan Academy. The program offers an engaging learning experience for students in subjects such as math, humanities, coding, social studies, and more. Khanmigo is designed with safety and learning as top priorities. This AI tool doesn’t give the students the answers. Instead, it guides learners to find the answer themselves with personalized interactive support. Several of our teachers will be using Khanmigo with their classes in the coming weeks. Take a few minutes this month to explore all the possibilities of Khanmigo and AI in the classroom. Our teachers are on the new journey of harnessing the power of AI for student learning and for students to learn this powerful new resource.

JMS will host Chesapeake's first Aerial Drone Competition and will have a team competing against regional middle and high schools. The competition is Saturday, March 22nd from 9-4. Come check out one of the fastest growing competition programs today.

Chesapeake Public Schools is expanding the Student ID Badge program to include 7th and 8th-grade students. This expansion will enhance safety and efficiency within our school community. We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring your child wears their ID badge daily. Students will recieve their badges on Monday, March 10th and are expected to wear them each day. Badges should be worn on the bus (swiping required) and throughout the school day. Badges and lanyards are free, but replacement badges are $5.

Because middle schoolers tend to grow drastically in what seems like a short amount of time, spring can often mean that clothes that fit perfectly in September don't quite fit as well in March. Middle Schoolers might need a little guidance on what is appropriate for the school setting (or maybe whether that t-shirt they've worn three times this week is smelling fresh). Take a second before your student leaves in the morning to do a "fit check" or even a "cleanliness check" to help them out.

Study Hall will begin next Wednesday, October 9 until 4:40 and is every Wednesday. Students who wish to receive additional help through study hall must have a completed permission slip . Permission slips can also be picked up in each classroom or in the main office. Please note that transportation is NOT provided at this time.

Remember to keep track of your child's attendance! If your child is out due to illness, remember to provide a note. Absences can also be reported via ParentVue. Click here for instructions. Absences without proper documentation will be marked as unexcused, and 5+ unexcused absences will lead to a call from our truancy team. Thank you!

Rising 7th Grade Parents,

Please see this important note from Nurse Simpson regarding the vaccination requirements.

Pick up or print out your Jaguars Refridgerator Reference at any of our back to school events.

We hope you will stay connected to JMS via the platform of your choosing. Our website,

is updated regularly, so please register for notifications by visiting the homepage and scrolling down the right side to submit your email address. Our website can link you to our social media accounts on Twitter - @JolliffMiddle, Instagram - @JolliffMS, and YouTube - @CPS JMS.

The POWER OF THE PEAKE is a new monthly recognition program for all

staff, which will fall under three categories.

● TEACH - Teachers, teacher assistants, instructional coaches, athletic coaches, etc...

● SUPPORT - Custodial, school nutrition, transportation, technology, warehouse, school

plants, clerical, etc...

● LEAD - School-based and central office administrators

Starting in September, students, parents, community members, and other staff members can highlight the remarkable contributions that CPS employees are making on a daily basis within their schools, departments, and communities by completing the nomination form. The POWER OF THE PEAKE is a great way to recognize those members of our school community who exemplify what it means to be a JAGUAR.