We have some very talented scholars at JCTMS. Our scholars are thriving Academically, Athletically and in the Arts (music, theater & choir). Our 6th Graders are on their way to being 7th graders in a couple months and we must make sure they are prepared. As we finish up the school year, my goal as their counselor is to help all students accomplish their goals and to finish the year strong. Parents please continue to encourage your child to work hard during instructional time, advocate for themselves, ask questions if they do not understand, stay on top of their assignments and missing work. If there are any barriers that is stopping your child from being successful, please give me a call.

Mrs. Walker

• This Month, ALL 6th Grade Academy students had a lesson with Mrs. Walker on the importance of limiting screen time, online safety and social media.
• Parents at the beginning of our lesson I gave the 6th grade students a survey to see how many have cellphones, how many parents monitor their phones and limit screen time. 90 percent of our students have phones and 75-80 percent stated that their parents does not monitor their phones.
• Parents we need your partnership to monitor cellphones!!! The social media, chat groups and cellphone conflicts are taking away from instructional time.

• Parents please check your child's grades/missing assignments in parent portal. If you need help accessing parent portal please contact the school.
• Please ask your child daily if they have homework and check their google classrooms.
• At this point of the school year, majority of our students have adjusted to middle school. Please continue to remind your child that it is their responsibility to keep up with their assignments/missing work and ask for help if they do not understand.
• 2nd 3 Weeks grades will be updated in Parent Portal This week. The 9 week term will end 3/15.

Attention Students and Families!

Are you excited for the 6th and 7th grade dance on March 15th? Here's a reminder about eligibility and an awesome incentive to make good choices!

Important information:

• Students who receive a referral for level 2 or 3 behaviors or 2 or more conduct marks between February 29th and March 15th will not be able to attend the dance.

• Students must be passing all of their classes as of March 12th. Administration will pull grades on March 12th, any student with a “U” will not be allowed to attend the dance

• If you have any questions, please reach out to your grade level administrator.

1. Take it seriously & act swiftly.

2. Learn the tools of the trade.

3. Teach basic digital safety.

4. Limit “screen time.”

5. Keep tabs on what your child does online.

See monitoring apps. → → →

1. Set up security.

2. Explain the difference between reporting and tattling.

1. Block the person displaying bullying behavior

2. Report inappropriate people and pages (fight pages)

3. Teach your child how to respond.

4. Keep an eye on your child’s behavior.

5. Keep the conversation going.

Kids do NOT deserve privacy without accountability!

1. Stress the importance of respect.

2. Treat others the way you want to be treated

3. Explain the difference between bullying and conflict & why bullying is wrong.

4. Prepare your child on how to respond in a bullying situation.

5. Use realistic scenarios and role play to generate realistic responses.

6. Teach your child to be assertive, not aggressive.

7. Build social skills.

8. Empathy, Respect, & Accountability

9. Discuss your child’s responsibility if they see bullying behavior

10. Recognize warning signs.

11. Stay calm and supportive.

12. Form positive relationships with school staff.

13. Get involved and stay in the loop!

Recognizing signs of vaping can be difficult if you don’t know what to look for. One of the most telling signs that your teen may be vaping is the presence of vaping equipment among his or her belongings. Vaping equipment includes e-cigarettes, flavored liquid bottles, and small pods or cartridges that can contain THC oil. It’s important to know that e-cigarettes come in many different shapes and sizes, and may not resemble a tobacco product. Many often resemble a pen or flash drive that can be plugged into a laptop to charge. Other signs include, but are not limited to: smells of flavoring scents faint that you can’t locate or identify; An increase in your teen’s thirst level; A rise in the number and frequency of nosebleeds your teen experiences; and decrease of consumption of caffeine.

• Free tutoring and mentorship (www.educationaljustice.org)
• St. Georges Community Scholar Institute (www.stgeorgesky.org)
• Sowing Seeds with Faith(www.sowsseedswithfaith.org)
• Louisville Urban League (Kumon) (www.lul.org)

Summer Bridge program seeks out students who need time catching up and space to find their academic confidence. This program tend to look for kids who are starting to struggle, not academic superstars. But we will consider every student who applies.

Program starts June 10 and ends July 19 and is held at Louisville Collegiate (they donate their space to us). Day starts at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m. We can provide transportation to a majority of our kids. We cannot accept every child and we limit each school to 5 students to reduce cliques during the summer. This is not a drop-in program--students can only miss 3 days throughout the 6 weeks. Go to summerbridgelouisville.org to apply.

Contact Kate Lindsay at katelindsay@summerbridgelouisville.org or at 502-767-6663 for any questions.