JMS Parent Newsletter

Good evening, JMS Parents & Families!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Midterm reports were distributed for our A-K students on Thursday, February 11th and to our L-Z students on Friday, February 12th. Please remember that at any time, you can access Skyward to see the most up to date reflection of your child's grades.

Jefferson Middle School is continuing the staggered schedule (A-K & L-Z) with required attendance synchronous learning via Zoom while at home. There will be no change to the middle school schedule at this time. Oak Ridge Schools will continue to monitor the middle school’s data (Covid cases, isolation numbers, etc.) and we will keep you posted as information is received.

If you have an 8th grade student interested in AVID, ORHS has extended the application window through this Friday, February 19th. If you are interested, please reach out to Ms. Sullivan, Ms. Castle, Ms. McMahon or Mr. Sprouse for specific information.

You should have received information regarding the Human Sexuality Program taking place in PE this March for our 6th & 8th graders. Tennessee law mandates we have parental permission for students to be involved in this class. Please return form (at the bottom of this newsletter) if you DO NOT want your child to be involved in this program. If we do not receive your opt out form, your child will be involved in this program. If you would like additional information about either program, or if you have further questions, please feel free to contact Katie Bolling, Nelson Glover, or Brian Wilson at 425-9301 or by e-mail at ksbolling@ortn.edu, nglover@ortn.edu, or bwilson@ortn.edu.

We also wanted to remind you that you can drop off and pick up in either bus loop each morning and afternoon. Please be sure that you do not enter a bus loop when buses are present!

We truly appreciate your support and are looking forward to a great week!

Phil Cox, Principal, pcox@ortn.edu

Jenifer Laurendine, Vice Principal, jllaurendine@ortn.edu

Nick Corrigan, Dean of Students, njcorrigan@ortn.edu

Ben Fowler, Instructional Technology Coach, bjfowler@ortn.edu

Monday, February 15

A Day

A – K on campus

L – Z via Zoom

PTO Meeting via Zoom - 7:45am

Hearing Screenings 6th/8th graders during Science classes

Atomic Master Brix Meeting Rm 102 2:45-4:30

Truancy referrals due

Tuesday, February 16

A Day

L – Z on campus

A – K via Zoom

ORHS NJROTC - Gym - 8th graders - 9:35am

Hearing Screenings 6th/8th graders during Science classes

Atomic Master Brix Meeting - Room 102 - 2:45-4:30pm

School Counseling PLC via Zoom 3:30-4:30pm

Wednesday, February 17

All students Remote learning

Admin PLC Team Meeting - Eagle Innovation Center 6:30am

Food Truck-The Soulful Cup - 7:30am

System-wide Groups

Thursday, February 18

B Day

A – K on campus

L – Z via Zoom

Youth for Christ

ORHS NJROTC - Gym - 8th graders - 9:35am

Student Focus Meetings via Zoom - 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th periods

Girls Basketball End of Season Awards - Gym - 3:00-4:00pm

Friday, February 19

B Day

L – Z on campus

A – K via Zoom

Youth for Christ

ORHS NJROTC - Gym - 8th graders - 9:35am

We want to ensure all students and staff are safe while in our building. We wanted to provide a refresher of our Covid Protocol. Please be sure to contact JMS administration immediately if your child has been tested or has been exposed to a positive case of Covid 19.

In an effort to mitigate transmission, please keep your child(ren) home if:

1. They have been tested for Covid-19
2. They have been exposed to a positive case of Covid-19
3. If someone in your household has tested positive for Covid-19. Additionally, notify JMS Administration as soon as possible.
4. If your child(ren) are displaying any of the following symptoms:

• Fever or Chills Temperature > 100.4 F
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• New loss of taste or smell
• Muscle or Body Aches
• Headache
• Sore Throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting

We launched our staff appreciation cart this week at JMS! Our Instructional Coaches decorated their cart below and our admin team went from room to room to show our appreciation to our staff!

Each month, we will have a new theme and a sponsor for the cart! This Valentine's cart was sponsored by ASAP of Anderson County!

If your child is struggling, please reach out about our After School Help and/or Super Wednesdays! Please contact your child's school counselors (Mrs. Castle mccastle@ortn.edu - 5th & 7th grade and Ms. Sullivan fcsullilvan@ortn.edu - 6th & 8th grade) if you would like more information about these programs.

In addition, please see the photo below for out of school homework help support!

Hello JMS Parents!

Midterms went out this week, and if you are looking for a way to better monitor Canvas to make sure your student is submitting their work on time, check out the Parent Canvas App. If you do not have a Canvas parent account, follow the instructions in this video https://youtu.be/qtZ4WLlyYMY to get your account set up, then see the video and instructions below.

If you already have a Canvas parent account, you can go straight to this quick video tutorial, https://youtu.be/MV_l_fjXLu0 to install the app on your Android or Apple phone OR look at the photos below.

As always if you have any questions, please reach out to bjfowler@ortn.edu.

The show will go on - a bit different due to Covid, of course!

Any 5th or 6th grade student will need to come to JMS at 1:00pm on Wednesday, February 24 ready to perform! They will need to bring their music, outfits, etc.

Parents will drop students off and will not be permitted in the JPAC at this time due to social distancing. This will take at least an hour for everyone to perform!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Goldberg at agoldberg@ortn.edu.

One area of our Portrait of a Graduate is Communication. How can we help our children become effective communicators?

Many of our teachers are modeling how to communicate not only verbally, but via email. It is important that our students understand how to effectively communicate when self-advocating in person, via email, etc.

Please see below for some helpful hints when you speak to your children about effective communication.

• How were you an effective communicator today?
• What questions did you ask that led to further understanding of _____?
• In what ways did you share your ideas?
• Give me an example of how you self-advocated through email today? Social Media?
• What digital tools did you use to help you to [research, create new ideas, communicate with others, collaborate, etc.]? How did it build on your learning?

Next PTO Meeting

The next PTO meeting will be Monday, February 15 at 7:50am via Zoom. Meetings are kept short and are conveniently scheduled immediately after drop-off so anyone can attend. If you would like to receive a Zoom invite, please email sandy@issi.net.

Help JMS PTO by Using the Kroger Rewards Program

If you shop at Kroger, your regular purchases can help the PTO’s mission to support teacher and student’s needs at JMS. By enrolling your Kroger Plus card in the Community Rewards program and having it scanned at checkout, Kroger will donate a small percentage of your purchases to JMS. It’s easy – just follow the instructions below to enroll your card at the beginning of each school year:

1. Go to https://www.kroger.com/account/enrollCommunityRewardsNow/
2. Click “I’m a Customer. Want to enroll in Community Rewards? View Details”.
3. Sign into your Kroger account or create a Kroger account.
4. Click on “Find Organization” and search for Jefferson. Select Jefferson Middle School PTO as your organization. That’s it!

If you have questions about how you can get involved with PTO at JMS, please contact Sandy Pelletier sandy@issi.net

Good evening from the JMS Counselors!!! We hope that you are having a wonderful Valentine’s Day! We also hope that you have been extra sweet and kind to your parents or guardians on this day of love! Make sure you make a homemade card or some special brownies or cupcakes.

Virtual Junior Achievement Career Expo - March 11th

This program will provide 7th and 8th grade students during their year-long Career Exploration and during their PE or rotational classes they would attend on Thursday, March 11th with the opportunity to hear speakers that will discuss important topics that will prepare them for the job search and career planning! The students will visit virtual company booths where they will learn about different industries and careers available in East Tennessee. See video above!

Are You Looking For Free Tutoring?

If you or your child think that they need tutoring to close the gap on a particular lesson or maybe a particular subject may not be their greatest strength, there is FREE tutoring available and even prizes. Please see the image posted above with the After School/Super Wednesdays program.

Mental Health Resources

For further mental health support, please feel free to reach out to the Jefferson Middle School Counseling department at (865) 425-9301. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please refer to the information below:

Mobile Crisis/Youth Villages: 866-779-9225

Ridgeview Behavioral Health in Oak Ridge: 482-1076

Statewide Crisis Text line: Text TN to 741741

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255

We Need Your Help!

Thank you so much to those who have considered donating prepackaged snacks for our After-School Homework Help Program. We are still asking all who are able and interested in supporting this program to donate nutritious, prepackaged snacks for our students. All donations can be dropped off to the Jefferson Middle School Counseling Office or in the office at the front entrance. We thank you so much for your willingness to support this wonderful program here at JMS.

Eighth Graders Interviews with AVID

This week our 8th graders dressed for the part and used their interview skills to get a chance to be accepted into the AVID program at Oak Ridge High School for the 2020-2021 school year. We know that many of our students were nervous about their interview but they came out with a smile and only positive statements about their experience. We thank Oak Ridge High School for taking the time on February 8th and 9th to interview our students for this life changing experience.

GOOD NEWS - Attention all 8th grade students!

The AVID program has decided to extend the deadline to apply until next Friday, February 19th. If you are at all interested, please seek out Mr. Sprouse, Ms. McMahon, or Ms. Sullivan for more information. This is the last chance to get in on this special opportunity.

What is AVID?

AVID is a program for students at ORHS. Its goal is to provide the structure, support and skills for students to succeed in high level (Honors & AP) classes and to create a high school transcript that reflects the highest of their abilities. Students receive support via tutorology (collaborative work on assignments and help from college-age students with difficult classes, etc…). They can also work on skills development (organization, focus, self-advocacy) and intentionality regarding college attendance (planning early, learning about colleges, help with financial aid/scholarships and college visits). Additionally, this program creates a family of students who navigate ORHS together. Each student creates their own schedule, of course, but the AVID elective class provides opportunities for collaboration, support and personal development.

How Do I Apply?

• Application Link (Due 02/19): https://forms.gle/3xPtKNgHkoirPnX17

• Teacher Recommendation Request Link: https://forms.gle/EWuRyVuhKGRoYENa6

Please see Mr. Sprouse, Ms. McMahon and Ms. Sullivan for all questions or support!

Student of the Week:

Jose Alamedares Pavon

Angel Contreras-Padron

Emily Bolton

Stephanie Kenworthy

Michael Ferrari-Hackney

Natalie Adams

Evelyn Bonner

Important Dates:

February 11th and 12th- 4 ½ week grades given to students

NJROTC visits to 8th grade PE Classes - this week!

WIDA Testing for ELL Students- February 2nd-March 26th

Virtual Junior Achievement “Inspired” Event for 7th and 8th graders during rotational classes and year-long Career Explorations- March 11th

End of 9-weeks-March 12th

Spring Break- March 15th-26th

TCAP-Alt- March 15th -April 30th

TNReady Testing Window April 19st-May 14th

Thank you to all students who attended the JMS Track & Field interest meetings this week. If you didn’t attend the meetings, but still have interest in running track this spring, please see Coach Byas, Coach Wilson, or Coach Bolling.

Please see the 2021 JMS Track & Field schedule below!

JMS Track & Field practice will begin on Monday, February 22nd (A-K students) and Tuesday, February 23rd (L-Z students). You must have a complete 2020-2021 Sports Physical on file prior to participating in JMS Track & Field practice. The entire JMS Sports Physical packet is linked here: http://www.ortn.edu/Jefferson/FY21_JMS_Physical_Packet.pdf.

Every year in Physical Education, we provide a Human Sexuality program for our 6th and 8th grade students only. The Oak Ridge Board of Education approved Human Sexuality program, provides age-appropriate information on the emotional, social, and physical aspects of growing up. Information on sexually transmitted diseases, refusal skills, abstinence is included.

Eighth grade students will remain in the same classroom. However, 6th grade students will be separated by boys and girls for the program. The program will be provided during Physical Education Classes on the following dates: 3/8/21, 3/9/21, 3/11/21, and 3/12/21.

The information for 8th graders will be presented by Mrs. Tracey Robbins. Our 6th grade students will be shown the following two short videos on puberty for boys and puberty for girls. The links for the videos are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEBXr-d8dXo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RrXAhtObBI

If you would like additional information about either program, or if you have further questions, please feel free to contact Katie Bolling, Nelson Glover, or Brian Wilson at 425-9301 or by e-mail at ksbolling@ortn.edu, nglover@ortn.edu, or bwilson@ortn.edu.

Tennessee law mandates that we have parental permission for students to be involved in this class. If we do not receive your opt out form, your child will be involved in this program. We have included the forms below and they will also be handed out in PE classes for 6th and 8th grade students this week.

Please return the form below if you DO NOT want your child to be involved in this program. If we do not receive your opt out form, your child will be involved in this program.