Family Update - November 17, 2024

Dear families,

Our musicians did a great job during their performance last Thursday evening! We are proud of the progress they have made this year, and we enjoyed the entertainment!

We are excited to welcome Margaret Peterson Haddix this Tuesday! Many of our students have enjoyed her books this year in language arts and in Flex. Please ask them about their experience on Tuesday.

Our 8th grade students will learn about the Sign of Suicide this week on Wednesday and Thursday. Please find additional information below.

If you are traveling for Thanksgiving and your student will be absent as a result, please use the planned absence form linked here. Thank you!

Warm regards,

Aimee White, Principal

Keona Walker, Assistant Principal

Please go this link for this week's Jones Weekend Update: https://youtu.be/xE5Tw8t4M1U

Registration for ski club is closed. You should have a $100 fee for each child you registered for Ski Club in your EZPay. All fees must be paid by Wednesday 11/20 to be part of Ski Club.

• If you have not purchased an Epic Day pass, Ohio Pass, or Epic Pass please do so ASAP. Prices go up weekly. Last day to purchase a multi-day ski pass is Dec. 10th. After that you will have to pay full lift ticket prices!!!! (Bummer)
• Bus Food sign-ups will be emailed to you to the email you in the coming week and Chaperone sign-ups shortly afterwards.
• Any questions email jonesskiclub@gmail.com

The Jones Winter Spirit Wear sale is now open! Shop for cozy fleece and cute tees, fun accessories, and great giftable items - all while supporting our school. The shop closes on November 25th, and all items will ship by mid-December. Thanks in advance for your support!

https://joneswinterspiritwearsale2024.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Students in grades 7 and 8 will have the opportunity to participate in the Ohio Youth Survey, or OhYes!, on November 26 during Flex.

Please use the link below to learn more about the survey:

https://youthsurveys.ohio.gov/our-surveys/ohyes

Please use this link to view the items included in the survey:

Standard 110-item Survey

Please use this google form if you choose to opt out:

https://forms.gle/o7GYtbW6qHku82x89

We know the winter/holiday season can be challenging when finances are tight. Our Jones community does an amazing job of supporting one another to make the season joyful for all.

*Are you needing support with meals or gifts this winter/holiday season?

Please click here to request support for Thanksgiving and Holiday Gifts. The support will remain confidential; we simply need information so we know whom to contact to collect items from and to whom those items should go.

*Would you like to support a family by providing meals or gifts this winter/holiday season? Please click here to provide support.

8th-Grade Student Presentation

Upper Arlington Schools partners with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to implement the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program for students in grades 8 and 10, aimed at preventing suicidal behavior and supporting mental health. On November 20 and 21, 8th-grade students at Jones Middle School will participate in an in-school presentation led by staff, learning to recognize warning signs of suicide and appropriate responses through video-guided discussions. They will also have the chance to take an electronic screening for depression and suicide risk, with results reviewed by counselors. During the program, mental health professionals will be available for support. The SOS program aligns with Ohio's House Bill 123 criteria and is designed to reduce the stigma surrounding depression, enabling students and adults to provide help. For any inquiries about the program, parents can contact Cathy Ely, Director of Well-being, Prevention and Intervention. If 8th-grade parents wish to opt their child out of the program, they should complete the opt-out request by November 4, 2024.

Parent Presentation - “Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health”

We hosted Rachel Jones from Nationwide Children's Hospital for an in-person parent session on "Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health" on November 13th. We also invite parents who missed this session to learn about risk factors and how to address concerns regarding their child's well-being through a virtual meeting on December 11th from 12 PM - 1 PM. Here is the Zoom link.

Jones uses Jostens for our middle school yearbooks. Look for emails directly from Jostens for the information to order your yearbook if you haven't done so already.

Strategic plan update town hall meeting

Learn more about the strategic planning process by joining district leadership for a town hall meeting on Tuesday, November 19 from 6 until 7:30 p.m. at Upper Arlington High School. Attendees will hear a review of the research and work done to date and then break into smaller groups to learn about the steps planned to implement each strategy during the next five years.

Your voice matters! Phase two of facilities master planning

It’s time to join your friends and neighbors and get involved in phase two of facilities master planning!

Serve as an expert and committed stakeholder for your school(s) of choice by signing up to volunteer for one or more building teams — Hastings, Jones or Burbank. Each team will have three meetings between December 2024 and April 2025. To sign up and learn more, visit the Building Teams page on our website.

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

NOVEMBER, DECEMBER & JANUARY

November 27 - 29 - No School - Thanksgiving Break

December 2 - Packing for the Streets, 3:30pm

December 2 - 6th Grade Choir Concert, 7pm

December 2 - 7th/8th Grade Choir Concert, 8pm

December 4 - Spelling Bee Qualifier, 3:30pm

December 9 - Orchestra Winter Concert, Grades 6 - 8, 7pm

December 11 - 8th Grade Choir at UAHS, 7pm

December 20 - End of Quarter 2, Semester 1

December 23 - January 3 - No School - Winter Break

January 6 - No School - Teacher Work day

January 7 - School Resumes, Quarter 3 Begins

January 8 - District Spelling Bee, JMS, 9am

January 13 - Jones PTO Meeting, 8:30am

January 13 - Packing for the Streets, 3:30pm

January 17 - Ski Club, Week 1

January 20 - No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 22 - Early Dismissal Day, 1:30pm

January 24 - Ski Club, Week 2

January 31 - Ski Club, Week 3