News and events - February 9, 2024
JMS Talent Show
Please join us tonight, Friday, February 9, at 7:00 PM, for the annual JMS Talent Show in Jaguar Gym 1.
We have an eclectic group of student performances planned and would love to have you join us to celebrate our students' talents. There is no cost and the show should run about 60 minutes.
We'll also be opening the show with a performance from the JMS Fiddle Club.
February is I Love to Read Month
It's I Love to Read month at Jackson! In the Library, students will find some ways to celebrate. Recommend a book or take recommendations from staff and students. Design a bookmark for our contest. Winners will be printed and available for others in the Library! Check out a book based only on its first line with our Pick Up Lines cart. Last, are you great with puns? Submit an idea for naming the Library book carts. Info on these activities are available in the Library. It's also Black History Month. Visit the Library for displays featuring Black characters and themes. There's also a Black Authors trivia contest. Happy I Love to Read Month!
Calendar Reminders
February 19 - No school, district holiday
February 20 - No school, Staff Development day
March 5 - No school, Staff Development day
March 11-15 - No school - Spring Break
March 18 - No school - Staff planning/grading day
JMS Observatory Public Viewing Nights
Join us at the JMS Observatory to look at stars, the moon, constellations, and anything else we can find in space. Public viewings will be held , along with special event nights, as long as the sky is clear, when something of interest is happening in the sky above us. Weather is always an issue so if it is cloudy, raining, or snowing, the public viewing will be cancelled. Dress for the weather as the temperature of the dome is the same as that of the outdoors.
Please check the Observatory page on the JMS website at 6 pm on viewing dates to make sure viewing has not been cancelled.
Upcoming dates:
Monday, February 12; 6 – 8 pm
Thursday, February 15; 6 – 8 pm
Tuesday, February 20; 6 – 8 pm
Thursday, February 22; 6 – 8 pm
Directions to the Observatory
Volunteers Needed
We need the help of volunteers to make upcoming JMS events a success! Whether you can spare an hour or commit to several shifts, your time and effort will make a difference in the lives of our students. Plus, volunteering is a great way to meet other parents and community members while making a positive impact on our school.
Cookie Gram Sales
Our student council is hosting a Cookie Gram Sales event, and we need your help to make it a success. We are searching for responsible volunteers who share our love for cookies to help us monitor students, handle cash for sales, and pick up and return the cash box to the main office.
Paw Print Prizes
We are seeking small prizes for our Paw Print winners! Students can earn "Jaguar Paw Prints" as an acknowledgment for displaying kindness and respect in school. There is a weekly drawing, and the winner can pick out a small trinket. Possible suggestions are cute socks, mittens/gloves, hats, pencils, cheap earbuds, small packs of markers or colored pencils, small notebooks, keychains, chapstick, small packs of gum, stickers, small fidgets, locker accessories, etc. If you are able to donate, please click on the link to sign up.
NEW this year: All of our current volunteer opportunities are on the JMS website in real-time here.
As a reminder, individuals who wish to volunteer must complete the volunteer application and criminal record history release form at each site every school year.
We appreciate your support and look forward to making this winter season a memorable one for our staff and students.
FOCUS on district news
Check your mailbox this week for the Anoka-Hennepin Schools’ quarterly "Focus" newsletter, which is mailed to all homes and businesses in the community as a report on services and updates from the school district.
Inside this edition of the newsletter, you can read about a school recognized with the Minnesota's Future Award from the Minnesota Business Partnership, students named AP scholars, College Now - a partnership giving students a head start on college, a student author, Minnesota State High School League Triple "A" Award winners, demographic projections for the district and more.
Read the electronic version of the Focus newsletter at ahschools.us/focus.
Parent Engage 360
Next Parent Engage 360 event set for Thursday, Feb. 29
Join parents and guardians from the Anoka-Hennepin Schools community for information and resources to support the needs of students today.
The big picture: Anoka-Hennepin is hosting three Parent Engage 360 community and parent education events during the 2023-24 school year. These events aim to provide resources for parents and guardians to support their students and others in the community. Topics range from mental health, chemical health, internet safety, and more. Parent Engage 360 forum events are offered both in-person and in virtual formats and are free and open to the public.
What to expect: The second Parent Engage 360 event will be held on Thursday, Feb. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the Champlin Park High School auditorium and will feature Beth Lovre, family peer educator with the National Alliance of Mental Illness Minnesota. The event, titled You’re the Expert: How to successfully advocate for your child, will provide parents/guardians with information and resources on how parents can be an advocate for their child in the doctor’s office, the mental health system and in public education settings.
Learn more about Parent Engage 360 events at ahschools.us/parentengage360.
Register for this event (registration is not required, but helps with planning).
What’s next:
Thursday, Feb. 29: You’re the Expert: How to successfully advocate for your child
Speaker: Beth Lovre, Family Peer Educator, National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota
Location: Champlin Park High School, auditorium
Time: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Register for this event (registration is not required, but helps with planning)
Monday, April 1: Chemical Health: Tobacco and vaping prevention
Speaker: Claire Weiss, Youth Programs Coordinator, myHealth for Teens and Young Adults
Location: Andover High School, auditorium
Time: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Register for this event (registration is not required, but helps with planning)
Go deeper: For more resources, tune in to the award-winning Parent Engage 360 Podcast which is available on more of your favorite podcasting platforms. Listen to the podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, Spotify, iHeartRadio and Samsung Podcasts. To register and learn more about Parent Engage 360 events, please visit ahschools.us/parentengage360.
Parent Engage 360 Podcast Episode 40
One parent’s story on navigating special education services
Alison Kacer began her journey as an advocate for her son, Lucas, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder when he was four years old. Then, her mindset shifted from finding a fix to finding the right support system for her son.
That support system now includes Andover Elementary School special education teacher Donna Macoskey. On the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast, Alison and Donna joined host Liz Burgard to discuss the Kacer family’s experience navigating the district’s special education services and the importance of the relationship between home and school.
Alison and her son Lucas were featured in KARE 11 journalist Boyd Huppert’s Land of 10,000 Stories, sharing Lucas’ passion for pencil sharpening.
Tune in to the Parent Engage 360 Podcast on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, or at ahschools.us/parentengage360. The podcast is also available on Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, iHeartRadio and Samsung Podcasts.
Episode highlights:
3:12 - Alison shares the story about her son Lucas’ autism diagnosis and his being featured in KARE 11 journalist Boyd Huppert’s Land of 10,000 Stories, sharing Lucas’ passion for pencil sharpening.
11:30 - Alison shares her family’s experience in learning about her son’s diagnosis and how she went about seeking support.
16:33 - Donna discusses support systems that are available in schools across Anoka-Hennepin for families seeking extra support for their children, including special education services.
22:04 - Alison and Donna talked about the importance of a team approach to supporting Lucas at home and in school.
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.
This e-newsletter is published by Jackson Middle School, supported by the Anoka-Hennepin communication and public relations department. Questions, comment or concerns about the school e-newsletter? Contact us.