Family Update - March 9, 2025

Dear Families,

Thank you to all who were able to make it to our curriculum meetings last Thursday. It was great to see you! We know how busy families are, and that some of you were not able to be there. Here are the slides with the information we covered. Please reach out to your grade level counselor with any questions.

Tomorrow we begin Belonging Week at Jones. This week we focus not only on including students with disabilities but also finding ways to include everyone! All of our students are welcome and are an important part of the Jones community! Please see additional information below including the theme for each day.

This Friday we will conclude the third quarter which is hard to believe! Your students have been working hard, and we are so proud of them! Because many of your will be traveling next week, we will postpone our next Family Update until March 23rd. However you are spending spring break, we hope that you and your families are able to rest, recharge and to enjoy additional time together.

Warm regards,

Aimee and Keona

Here is the link to Jones Weekend Update: https://youtu.be/ro_Azvc7XPo

This semester, we are thrilled to introduce the Career Explorations Speaker Series. This optional program will take place during Flex in the JMS cafeteria, providing students with the chance to learn from professionals in a variety of fields and gain insights into potential career paths. Students can sign up for sessions with speakers that interest them by visiting this link: Career Explorations Speaker Series Sign Up. Here's the dynamic list of our JMS speaker series open to all grade levels:

• March 26, Meghan Moledor, PMP (Pharmaceutical Scientist)

• April 1, Dr. Kelly Tyler (Dermatologist/Physician)

• April 2, Angela Morelli (LISW-S; Clinical Social Worker)

• April 14, Dr. Elizabeth Griffith (Professor of Earth Sciences at The Ohio State University)

Jones staff and students are coordinating activities to celebrate Belonging Week and would love some parent help. If you are available to work more than 1 lunch shift, please sign up for multiple.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A44A9A629ABF49-55355626-inclusion

Please don't forget that the final payment for the trip is due by March 14th.

As announced in the fall, the MANDATORY final/pre-departure parent/student meeting is April 30th at 7:30 pm. Please put it on your calendar now if it isn't already on it. If you absolutely can not make it to that meeting, you can attend the HMS meeting on May 1 at 7:30 pm at Hastings. This option is not ideal as you will not hear specifics about the Jones trip nor get to meet your child's chaperone.

Tomb of the Unknowns Writing Contest 2025

On March 26th during Flex, 8th-grade students will have an opportunity to write an essay responding to the following prompt, "What would it mean to you to lay the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery?" Based on their responses, four students will be selected to lay the wreath during our visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, D.C. Participation is voluntary. The students will be writing their essay on paper, not on their iPads.

Responses will be scored according to the following criteria:

Creativity - The response presents a unique and interesting perspective and may include an anecdote or extended metaphor, for example.

Personal Connection - The response demonstrates a meaningful personal reason explaining the student’s desire to be a wreath layer. The response demonstrates how the student’s life will be impacted by the opportunity.

Format & Mechanics - The essay is easy to read and understand. Student has made a reasonable effort to correct errors in spelling, sentence structure, and grammar.

Keeping your student healthy and safe is our priority. Please complete the DC Health Form for the school nurse to prepare for your student’s well being:

1. Log into your Parent PowerSchool account

2. Navigate to Student Forms

3. Ensure that 2024-2025 Enrollment forms have been submitted (DC Health Form cannot be accessed until this information has been completed)

4. Scroll down to DC Health Form to complete the form and submit ** you will need all your child’s medication information to complete this form** (you will no longer need to provide insurance information). Please note: you must indicate ‘yes’ your child takes medications outside of the school day for the section to open up to be completed. The prescription medication form is hyperlinked in this section.

5. This form opens Friday, February 14. Please complete one form for each student as soon as possible. It will close prior to Spring Break on Friday, March 14, to allow the nursing staff time to organize and process this important information. You will receive a weekly reminder to help with this first step of preparation for our trip.

6. If you are having technical difficulties, you may contact familytechhelp@uaschools.org

7. Any other questions, please contact your school nurse Shannon Johnson at snjohnson@uaschools.org

If your baby is graduating 8th grade this year, send in a photo and some words of encouragement for the Jones yearbook! The cost is $20, and the funds raised go towards scholarships for camps and school trips for Jones students.

The deadline to submit is March 15th, but we do have limited space in the yearbook pages, so don't delay!

*Please send in only one tribute per student to allow for as many students as possible to get a spot.

Link to our page on Local Level Events

If you have any questions, email Alice Speegle at aspeegle@uaschools.org

International Travel Opportunity: Central Europe

We are excited to announce an international educational travel opportunity in June of 2026 that will be open to current 8th, 9th and 10th grade students. Kim Brown and Cynthia Ballheim from Upper Arlington High School will be leading a Central Europe tour through Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Krakow and Budapest.

We will be offering a parent information session where you can learn all about this tour including itinerary specifics, academic opportunities, costs and enrollment options — and meet the tour leaders. The session will be held Wednesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in the first floor North Learning Commons at Upper Arlington High School, 1625 Zollinger Road. Please RSVP for the session here: https://bit.ly/4krwpgf.

We need your feedback! Your voice matters!

We need your feedback on the initial draft options for repairing, renovating or rebuilding Hastings Middle School, Jones Middle School and Burbank Early Childhood School! If you weren’t able to attend one of the community meetings, please visit our website to see the options and share your thoughts by March 9. Your feedback is critically important and we work to refine the options and determine which have the support to be brought forward for further consideration. Your voice matters!

Engaged Learner Competency and Well-being Survey Administration

Between Tuesday, March 25, and Tuesday, April 8, all students in grades K-12 will have an opportunity to complete an online survey during the school day to provide us with information to better understand our students. Our Engaged Learner Competency and Well-being Survey aligns with the priorities identified for our 2025-2030 strategic plan and our Profile of an Engaged Learner. Developed by UA Schools’ educators with feedback from students and teachers, the Profile of an Engaged Learner identifies the skills and characteristics that we believe will prepare students to serve, lead and succeed both now and in their futures. Please see the following letter for more details: caregiver letter.

iPad Parent Control Information

The UACS Technology department provides 2 ways for caregivers to manage screen time, review web history, manage apps and internet access after school hours. The typical built-in Apple ScreenTime and Parental controls do not work because the district manages iPads for school use at a district level - the typical consumer level settings are not available. Caregivers can review web activity and disable internet access through the Lightspeed Relay Parent Portal. Additionally, caregivers can control app access and set rules through the JAMF Parent app. Questions may be directed to FamilyTechHelp@uaschools.org.

JAMF Parental Controls Manual

JAMF Parental Setup and Guide Videos

Lightspeed Parent Portal

Transportation Questions: schoolbusquestions@uaschools.org or call 614-487-6477

Upper Arlington Schools Lunch Information link: https://www.uaschools.org/NutritionalServices.aspx

PowerSchool Parent Portal: https://ps-uar.metasolutions.net/public/home.html

If you need assistance logging into PowerSchool, you may reach out to: Building Secretary Melissa Thien at mthien@uaschools.org or familytechhelp@uaschools.org

Student Fees/SPS EZpay: https://www.spsezpay.com/upperarlington/login.aspx

MARCH 2025

March 10 - 14 - Belonging Week (see info above)

March 14 - End of 3rd Grading Period

March 17 - 21 - No School - Spring Break

March 24 - No School - Teacher Work Day

March 25 - 4th Quarter Begins

March 28 - 8th Grade Class Picture, Flex