Parent and Student Newsletter

We were excited to see all our students and teachers return from Spring Break energized and ready to learn. This nine weeks, we are going to focus our message for the newsletter on Grit, Perseverance, and Growth Mindset. As we progress through the last nine weeks of the year, we want our students to finish with their best efforts. One area we have found we need to help our students with is the area of submission of work. For many of our students who are not receiving the grades they would like and are very capable of receiving it often comes down to failure to submit in class assignments, homework assignment and/or prepare for tests and quizzes.

Our goal for this nine weeks is to promote "Grit, Perseverance, and Growth Mindset" for all students. Even our students who are excelling in all phases of academics can be motivated to dig deeper, analyze more and think more critically. As education is changing, much with the speed of technology and the workforce, we recognize that in addition to the core content and curriculum we also need to help our students develop these tools of "Grit, Perseverance and Growth Mindset" in an effort to help them for 21st century education and job market.

Below you will find some very useful resources of information to help learn more about the power of Grit, Perseverance, and Growth Mindset. In addition, last week we kicked off this campaign with our 4th nine weeks Success Assembly. For our 7th and 8th grade students we spent time talking about how to choose success through effort. We also focused with our 7th and 8th graders by talking about the pathways that will begin to unfold them at ORHS and beyond. We want our students to get a real world view of what is needed for the careers they wish to pursue. This week when we meet with our 5th and 6th grade students, we will talk about making the transition to the next grade level including improving our organizational skills, communications skills and effort!

Our goal is to provide a challenging learning environment for all students, but we also want students to see the opportunity that they have to learn and not the obligation to be at school. We hope through our continuous message this nine weeks, presentation of resources to help students and parents, and communication to students and parents we can help challenge all students to reach for their best.

Thanks for all of your support of Jefferson Middle School,

Phil Cox, Principal

Chris Layton, Vice Principal

1. BOOK FAIR - The JMS Book Fair sponsored by the PTO will be held in the library Monday through Friday, April 4 - April 8. (M, T, R 7:15 – 3:00; W, 7:15 – 1:00; Fri, am only. The money raised goes toward PTO projects for the school.

2. Success Assemblies – Eagle Time on Monday for 6th grade and Tuesday for 5th grade.

3. Lego League will travel to TVA on Wednesday from 7:45-12:45.
Janie Shanafield, Lexie Scott, Norma Franco and Dave Hundermark will attend this field trip.

4. ATHLETICS- Track this week:

Thursday-April 6 @ 4:30 at ORHS

5. Student Council will meet on Thursday morning during 1st period in Ms. Brewster’s room.

6. 7th / 8th GRADE DANCE will be Friday night from 6-8 in our gym. Dress is semi-formal. Please dress appropriately.

7. Yearbooks – will be sold in Homeroom on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday and Friday they will be sold in the School Store. The cost is $10.

It is that time of year again when the air begins to warm and the dress code may become an issue. We would like to advise that the JMS dress code is in full effect all year long, but we often see our most violations at the beginning and end of school due to warm weather. Please reference the JMS Code of Conduct sent home with students at the beginning of the year for more details. Students in violation of the JMS dress code can potentially receive a discipline consequence for the violation. In addition, students may have to contact home in order to get an outfit that fits the code before they are permitted back to class.

FLIP FLOPS

We strongly advise against the wearing of Flip Flops (single toe) due to the possibility of breaking causing a student to not have proper footwear to complete their school day. In addition, often students who routinely wear flip flops, often forget their athletic shoes for PE which does not allow them to participate in PE classes.

This can have a negative impact on their grade, if the student is not properly attired for PE and therefor cannot participate to earn points for the day.

I have been an advocate for technology and hands-on learning for as long as I can remember. I was a student member of the Technology Student Association for seven years and served in State and National leadership positions before I graduated high school. The teachers who supported me along the way inspired me to become a Technology Engineering Education Teacher during my time at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. As a product of Career and Technical Education (CTE), I have advocated to State and National government policy makers about the importance of supporting programs that prepare students for college and careers at any post-secondary level. There are high-wage, high-skill and high-demand jobs waiting for students who complete a 2-year or 4-year higher education path. I believe it is important for educators to make connections to real-world challenges, and help students see how education can be the key to solving problems we face globally.

After graduating from UTK, I was fortunate enough to walk into a brand new Technology Education program at Karns Middle School in Knoxville where I chose the entire curriculum, materials, and even the furniture for the learning space. It was a dream job for a recent college graduate. I quickly started a Technology Student Association chapter for students in grades 6-8. After three years of hard work, our program became one of the Top 5 National middle school chapters based on student competition awards at the annual conference. I enjoy working with middle school students because of their unique perspectives, and their desire to explore their interests while solving challenging problems.

While working on a curriculum project for the Tennessee Department of Education, I was offered a position to work as the State Advisor for the Tennessee Technology Student Association. I left my teaching job for the opportunity to work full time as director of the student organization that inspired my passion for student leadership, technology education, and innovation. During my years at the Department of Education, I developed and delivered student and teacher leadership programs, designed new process to improve our regional, state, and national conferences, traveled for CTE advocacy, and evaluated state CTE programs receiving Federal Carl Perkins grant monies. I was honored to lead the state organization and met so many wonderful students, teachers and parents with whom I have created life-long friendships.

While working for the State and earning my Master’s degree in K-12 Administration from Middle Tennessee State University, I also started a family. After years on the road, it was time to make a change. I am extremely fortunate that I became an Instructional Technology Coach for Oak Ridge Schools. I have learned so much during my five years in this position and have grown professionally as I learn more each day about educational technology trends and the use of technology in the classroom. After 16 years in education, I still enjoy working at the middle school level. Our kids are smart, funny, and have creative ideas for solving problems. I am most proud of serving on the District AccessOR committee to bring a 1:1 laptop environment to the middle schools, and for learning how to write grants to add exciting new learning opportunities to Jefferson Middle. Since 2012, we have been awarded nearly $40,000 in grants from the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation for innovative ideas such as the Library Makerspace.

My hobbies include spending time with my family, cooking, reading and yoga. My advice to students is never stop reading, learning, and trying new things. I would also advise choosing kindness. It is easy to judge others and react negatively when compassion and reflection are the better choices. My favorite quotes are: “Shoot for the Moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” and “The function of leadership in not to create followers, it is to create more leaders.”

Ms. Durman explained of her career in education, "My teaching career began with teaching special education grades 9-12 in the areas of math and English. I taught for 7 years, I then decided to go back to school to become a school psychologist which I have been doing for 20 years. I have taught/worked in Roane County, Knox County and have spent the last 13 years here in the Oak Ridge School system. I absolutely love my job, I could think of nothing else I would rather do. I also taught the psychology classes at Tusculum College for 4 years."

She went on to add, "I chose to work in the education system because I have a passion for learning, watching students grow educationally and emotionally; I love to see those ‘ah ha’ moments! I enjoy working with teachers and parents and to help provide a great learning environment for everyone."

As for her education, Ms. Durman shared, "I attended UTK for my undergraduate in Special Education K-12, UTC for my Masters in School Psychology and TN Tech in Cookeville for my Ed.S. also in School Psychology."

Ms. Durman added some advice she felt was important for students. She said, "Always strive to do Your very best. If there are obstacles in your way, find a way to work around them and keep going. And I like this saying, "If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced." - Vincent Van Gogh

In her free time away from work Ms. Durman has many hobbies and activities she likes to do. She reported, "My hobbies include working out, reading, gardening, hiking and walking my dog."

Ms. Durman said of her job at Jefferson Middle School as a school psychologist, "In my job, I like to put the ‘puzzle pieces’ together in order to help students understand how they learn and strategies to help them succeed."

She added, "Teaching young minds is a task that cannot be taken lightly. It is full of challenges, frustrations, and responsibilities. However, it is a task that is also full of excitement, wonder, and joy. I strongly believe that all children are capable of learning, if they have the proper motivation and direction from their teachers, parents and other students around them. As an educator I need to be aware of learning, motivation, behavior, and development theories in order to relate to the students I work with and help push them to reach their full potential."

Mrs. Haverkamp started her teaching career in Anderson County. She taught in the elementary classroom for 13 years in grades 3-5. After getting her Master's degree in Library Science she spent the next two years split between Andersonville and Norris Elementary schools working with technology and the library. Mrs Haverkamp taught the longest at Andersonville Elementary School. This is where her mother was teaching and where her dad, grandparents, and great grandparents all had attended. With such a deep connection to Andersonville Elementary it was a big decision to come to JMS, but her dream was always to be in a middle school library. "It was the best decision. I love the students, grade levels, my colleagues, and the books." This is her third year at JMS.

Mrs. Haverkamp graduated from Anderson County High School in 1993. "Honestly, I was not the best student and my experience in school really motivated me later in life to pursue an education degree in order to help students who struggle as I did." She considers one of her gifts as a teacher helping struggling students discover a love of learning.

Mrs. Haverkamp found herself drawn to the library during high school and there her love of the library and reading was fostered by Ms. Nageotte, her high school librarian. She was just 17 when she graduated and decided to attend Roane State. "Roane state prepared me for the next step in my education and I transferred to Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville." Mrs. Haverkamp graduated with a teaching degree in December 1998. In 2008 she went back to school to get her Master's Degree in Administration and Supervision with a Concentration in Library Science from Middle Tennessee State University.

As for best advice she would, of course, encourage everyone to read. She also is a big fan of the author Alex Haley and loves his quote, "If you see a turtle on a fence post realize he had help getting there." For her this means we all need to help and be helped at different times in our lives. "One of the things I like most about JMS is how well the teachers collaborate and work together to improve our students' education. "

When not in the JMS library Mrs. Haverkamp enjoys spending time with her family outside. The family is very active in the summer and enjoys long summer days on Norris Lake waterskiing as often as possible. She also enjoys reading (of course), hiking, and genealogy. Mrs. Haverkamp takes advantage of the summer days to catch up on her reading. "I have a goal to read 60 books this year, I am way behind."

Mrs. Haverkamp's favorite library lesson right now is the scavenger hunts she has developed for the students to help learn more about the orgainzation of the library. "It has been fun to watch students learn how the library is organized and figuring out a book's location without my help". She also loves lessons that include use of the JMS Makerspace, Eagle Labs. During second period last nine weeks some students were creating book scenes using stop motion and the green screen. "I really enjoyed watching the students combine books and technology into a great project." Mrs. Haverkamp shared how rewarding it is as the JMS librarian to work with teachers to create lessons that utilizes the library and Eagle Labs to enhance students' achievement.

There is a quote by JK Rowlings, " If you don't like to read you haven't found the right book". Mrs. Haverkamp concludes, "I love it when a student asks me for a book and then later tells me that they loved it. There is nothing better."

Come to our book fair!

April 3 – 6 Shop during school hours.

April 7th Shop only until 10:00 am.

All proceeds benefit JMS

Online book fair is OPEN!

You can shop the online book fair until April 11.

http://www.scholastic.com/bf/jeffersonmiddleschool25

Or www.scholastic.com/fair

Our return from Spring Break started a new nine weeks, which means all the grades from the third nine weeks are locked and at this point should have been received through grade card distribution on Friday March 31st. Often after final grades come out for a nine weeks, students and parents alike wish to know if they can improve those grades. The reality is, the grades from the the third nine weeks can no longer be improved. It may be a zero on an assignment a student did not submit in January and ask a teacher to grade it on March 29th "if they turn it in before Friday March 31st". The reality is, if a student had a bad nine weeks, the best thing to do is to move forward and start the next nine weeks with a strong effort.

Each nine weeks student's grades are evaluated independently but in the end, they are added together from the 1st nine weeks to the last 4th nine weeks. So here are some tips for students and parents for the fourth nine weeks:

1. Turn in every assignment! It's okay, if you don't get a 100%, but you are much better off with a 70% on an assignment than you are a Zero.

2. Don't hope your teacher is going to take an assignment given in March for any credit in late May. Keep up with the assignments as they come to you!

3. Stop telling your parents, "I don't have any homework!" Because odds are....You do! You need to start seeing "homework" as many things.

For example:

1. Homework may be an assignment not completed in class, but due the next day.

2. Homework may be an actual assignment given to you by your teach to complete at home and be ready for class the next day to use in class. This is to allow you to attempt it on your own and if you need help the next day in class you can bring questions and ask for help.

3. Homework may be the reality that you "feel like you don't have any because you don't have any due the next day, but......" in reality you have two tests on Friday and you have not begun to study for them.

4. Homework could be your portion of a group project that's due next week.

The reality is, when you want to give your best effort in your education, there is always something you can work on outside of class. Create that habit this nine weeks, build on it, and become a lifelong learner who has a growth mindset dedicated to the idea that you will always work to get better.

1. Eliminate "Can't" from your vocabulary. You are capable, but the question is are you willing?

2. Don't talk about dreams, goals and being great IF you want to put in average work or no work at all. Average and Great do NOT go together. Be your best and give your best!

3. No one in this room is their best with all F's, all zeroes, all drama .

Everyone in this room can give effort, overcome adversity, show grit and perseverance. It's the most fundamental element of human survival that we do!

4. Take advantage of every resource you can! ALWAYS work to learn

5. You can make a decision today, Who am I going to be? You choose that path. It's not anyone else's fault When and If you do not give all you can give.

It's not anyone else's fault when you don't study for the test!

It's not anyone else's fault when you don't turn in your assignment because you are afraid it's all wrong........Turn it in! Have some courage, see what your teacher says.....If it's wrong....learn and make the corrections....EVEN if you don't get credit

6. Focus on the Main Event......It's not learning to survive.....it's learning to grow and thrive

7. Education is FREE to you.....absolutely FREE! In fact, people value education so much they pay for you to have it even if they don't know you!

8. Be Respectful!

Respect yourself by giving your best effort! Respect your teachers....they teach because they care! Respect the opportunity you have, hundreds of millions don't have it! See education

9. What do I need to do to improve myself today? Ask yourself that question every day. Start your goals small and realistic, so you will see early success. As you succeed, build your goals and expand on them.

10. Be mindful of others

"Don't judge people until you have walked a mile in their shoes!"

You truly don't know what some people are dealing with and how they feel

Jefferson Middle School will continue it's tradition of visiting the "Colonial Triangle" of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown Virginia during the 2017-2018 Fall Break. The reason 7th grade students receive this information early is because we want to inform all students and families of the opportunity and also the cost. The costs include transportation (charter bus), lodging for 3 nights, access to Monticello, Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown and also some meals for the trip. All of the information for this trip was provided to students on Friday March 31st during our Success Assembly. In addition, the information is presented early to allow families to discuss the opportunity.

The trip is a wonderful experience to see history in action as the sites, sounds and people of the trip are cast in early colonial period dress, a remodel of an early colonial town and portray themselves in the time period.

As we discuss and talk about "Grit, Perseverance, and Growth Mindset" there may not be a better example than the story of Jamestown. A group of English men and women set sail across the ocean in search of land, opportunity and riches. However, the romance of this new adventure became a grim nightmare as the early colony struggled with famine, starvation and lack of true supplies for survival. The success of the Jamestown colony is the ultimate story of grit and survival.

Please consider this opportunity for your student. Please review the information provided to your child on Friday March 31st. There will be further updates in newsletters throughout this nine weeks.

Angela Duckworth does an excellent job of describing grit, but not just specifically to education. She wanted to find an answer to find out what drives success, what is the key element for success? Her video below does a great job of explaining what she found. What do successful cadets at West Point have with students at the National spelling bee? Find out more below.

We know our students are capable of amazing things and incredible feats of learning. Our teachers want to work to help our students improve their skills and knowledge. The goal for our teachers begins by helping students improve with their effort. Yes, many of the subjects students learn in school can be challenging. That is why, we want to focus this nine weeks with our students on the power of "Yet". We want our students to look at the challenges they face in school and beyond and build an attitude of "Yet". This nine weeks our school counselors along with JMS administration look to promote the idea of Grit, Perseverance and Growth Mindset to help our students.