Jaguar Junction

It's hard to believe that October is already here and the first quarter is ending on October 10th. With that said, students do not have school on Monday, Oct 13 or Tuesday, Oct 14 for professional development of teachers. With the end of the nine weeks comes Parent/Teacher Conferences. Advisor Base teachers will be reaching out about scheduling conferences with you. As previously, we are doing student-led conferences where each of our students will be preparing and presenting a powerpoint during the AB conference time. It is our continued goal to help students take more ownership, take accountability, and to be a part of the educational process with the team. We are looking forward to conferences and meeting with each of you with your student in attendance to talk about the progress of your student at Jardine Middle School. Conferences will be in either the lunchroom or the activity room and although the AB teacher sets up your initial time, please set additional time aside to stay and meet with other teachers, as well, to make the school and home connection strong.

P/T Conferences for the Fall semester are on Wednesday, Oct. 22 from 3:30 pm until 7:00 pm and then all day on Oct. 23 from 7:30 am - 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Students DO have a full day of school on Wednesday, Oct. 22 but have NO school on Oct. 23 and 24. Again - we look forward to seeing everyone at conferences.

At Jardine Middle School, we believe in recognizing students who consistently meet and exceed our expectations. Throughout the school year, students will have multiple opportunities to earn points by following Jardine’s Expectation Matrix, keeping up with their academic responsibilities, and maintaining good attendance.

We’re excited to continue our Synergy Store this year! Points earned can be redeemed for a variety of weekly and quarterly rewards. Students can check their point balance and select items by logging into Synergy, choosing MTSS from the left-hand sidebar, clicking on Rewards, and selecting their desired item.

In addition, we’re thrilled to announce our first celebration of the year, the “No Disciplinary Referral Celebration” on October 9th. This special event will recognize students who have not received any disciplinary referrals during the first quarter of the school year. In addition, we will celebrate Honor Roll on the following dates: October 29th for 6th grade, October 30th for 7th grade, and October 31st for 8th grade. We look forward to celebrating our JMS students’ hard work and positive choices!

Easily pay School Fees online! Create your free MySchoolBucks account to conveniently and securely pay for your student’s school fees online or with the mobile app.

With MySchoolBucks you’ll be able to quickly browse school items in our School Store, be notified when fees are due, and make payments from anywhere!

Get Started Today:

1. Go to myschoolbucks.com or download the mobile app

2. Create your free account and add your students using their school name / student ID

3. Add school items or invoices to your cart

4. Check out using your credit / debit card or electronic check
   
   

If you need assistance with your account, you can find helpful how-to videos and answers to commonly asked questions by visiting myschoolbucks.com. Or, you can contact MySchoolBucks directly by logging into your account to start a chat conversation or give them a call at (855) 832-5226.

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Click this link for a step by step with pictures!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qL34CZPfQvHPEog9rNYRTaYB1DmqG5eG/view?usp=drive_link

Mr. Falk is the counselor for the 6th and 8th grade (last name A-M). Mr. Barber is the counselor for the 7th grade and 8th Grade (last name N-Z). Jardine Guidance Counselors provide services for students regarding academics, career planning, and personal/social needs. Students may request to meet with a counselor by completing a “Request to See” form which can be found on the Jardine Website under the “Student Resources” tab.

Character Education Program

Jardine Middle School has a Positive Character Program which recognizes positive character traits of Self-Awareness, Compassion, Responsibility, and Respect. The goals of the program are to recognize students for exhibiting positive character qualities at school, encourage positive behaviors, and make students more aware of their actions. Therefore, this program helps Jardine to be recognized as a safe and welcoming learning community.

Jardine grade level teams nominate four students to recognize each month. Each student is nominated for exhibiting one of the four character traits on a consistent basis. These students will get a certificate as well as twenty 5-Star Student points to purchase an item or enter their name into a quarterly prize drawing.

Xello

Naviance is our career exploration program for the district. Specific lessons and tasks within Naviance are required by the State of Kansas to be completed at each grade level. AB teachers will be working with students to complete Naviance lessons prior to October Parent/Teacher Conferences. The lessons will encourage students to identify their strengths and interests, set goals for personal growth, and explore options they will have after high school. Mr. Falk and Mr. Barber are going into grade level classes to have the student complete Naviance self-assessments. These assessments will help them create goals, understand their learning style, choose future classes, consider post-secondary opportunities available to them, and explore possible career interests. Parents will be notified at Parent/Teacher conferences if their students have not completed any tasks or lessons.

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week is October 23-31 every year. The theme this year is “Life is a Puzzle. Solve it Drug Free”. School wide activities will be set up to recognize Red Ribbon Week.

I want to thank all the students and families of Jardine Middle School with the support of the book fair that was held the first week of September. The book fair was very successful. There will be another one held in the spring. In the library, the students will begin learning about the system we use in the library to search for books and what they have checked out to them. Please remind your student to bring back any books that are overdue. On another note if your student's computer is not working properly please have them come see me in the library so I can help them get the computer working again. Make sure your student is charging their device every night so they are ready for the school day.

Happy October Jardine Jaguars!!

Is sleep a priority in your home?

Sleep is a topic staff talk about pretty regularly–well actually the lack of sleep adults often experience. I was inspired by this topic to take the time to remind parents how important sleep is for their middle school students. Of course AI has a lot to say about why sleep is important for your children and I have listed them below.

Physical Health:

• Sleep supports growth and development by releasing hormones that promote muscle and bone growth.

• It helps regulate the immune system, reducing the risk of infections.

• Sleep deprivation can lead to fatigue, reduced physical activity, and an increased risk of obesity.

Mental Health:

• Sleep is essential for brain development and function.

• It helps consolidate memories and improve cognitive abilities, such as attention, focus, and problem-solving.

• Sleep deprivation can contribute to mood disorders, anxiety, and depression.

Academic Performance:

• Adequate sleep enhances attention, memory, and learning capabilities, leading to better academic performance.

• Sleep-deprived adolescents may have difficulty concentrating, making decisions, and retaining information.

Emotional Regulation:

• Sleep helps regulate emotions and reduces impulsivity.

• Adolescents who get enough sleep are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as substance use or accidents.

Overall Well-being:

• Sleep promotes a sense of well-being and improves overall health.

• Adolescents who get sufficient sleep tend to have better coping mechanisms, higher energy levels, and a more positive outlook on life.

In conclusion, sleep is essential for adolescents' physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. It is recommended that adolescents get 8-10 hours of quality sleep each night.

You can find more information of course on various websites where you will find actual research data that supports this information.

Friday, November 14th is hearing and vision for our 7th grade students. If your student wears glasses, please make sure they have them with them that day! Thank you!

8th Grade Intro to FACS Newsletter

Growing Skills for Life and Kindness

Dear Families and Students,

We’ve had a wonderful start to our 8th grade Intro to FACS class, focusing on building both life skills and strong character! Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve explored so far and what’s coming up next.

What We’ve Covered

• Social Skills: We’ve emphasized kindness and learning how to control emotions to build healthy relationships.

• Literature Connection: We read The Giving Tree and discussed the importance of giving while maintaining personal boundaries—a valuable lesson for life!

• Food Labs: Students have enjoyed hands-on labs including the Egg Lab and French Toast Lab. We practiced kitchen safety and cooking basics.

• Knife Skills & Fruit Salad: We sharpened our knife skills and made fresh fruit salads, combining safety with tasty results!

Special Visits

• The KSU Extension Office will be visiting our class on Fridays to share additional expertise and resources. We’re excited about their support!

Looking Ahead

• As we move through the semester, our focus will shift toward exploring jobs and careers. We will learn about different paths students can take after high school to plan for their futures.

How You Can Help

• Encourage your student to share what they’ve learned about kindness and emotional control.

• Ask about their favorite food lab and invite them to try cooking at home.

• Talk with them about their interests and future career ideas.

Thank you for your support in helping our students grow in skills and character this semester. If you have questions or want to get involved, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Best regards,
Janet Wentz
8th Grade Intro to FACS Teacher

Prompt Prepared Participate Pleasant

DAILY PHYSICAL EDUCATION GOALS, LEARNING TARGETS AND OBJECTIVES

The 4 “P”s -

PROMPT

• I will show up to class on time ready to learn.

PLEASANT

• I am pleasant towards staff and students.

• I am positive towards the activity.

• I can follow directions.

PREPARED

• I am wearing the correct clothes & shoes.

PARTICIPATE

• I WILL DO MY BEST!

What to expect in October

Sept. 29-Oct.3 - 4 days-Health & Flip Flop/2 days outside with Kickball/2 days

inside with Kooshball

October-

Oct. 6-10 - 5 days-Fitness Week (see lesson plan for details) 2 days 4 way

frisbee for Friday’s mass game

END OF 1ST QUARTER

Oct. 15-17 - 3 days-No health this Monday/Pickleball on Tennis court (weather

permitting), downward pickleball in gym with hula hoops. Mass Game on Friday-

Flip Flop with paddles and wiffle ball. Health

Oct. 20-22 - 3 days-Scooter Health/Cageball/Bodyball/Donut Basketball/Steal

the Bacon- Conferences. 23rd - Health

Oct. 27-Oct. 31 5 days-600 run/walk/ outside paddle ball (like kickball rules), or

inside a kooshball tournament. Health

Contacts:

Mr. Mitchell

Coach P.E. Teacher

kmitchell@tps501.org

Mrs. Remer

P.E. Teacher

bremer@tps501.org

6th Grade

In 6th grade ELA, our students are exploring different perspectives on animal intelligence. This unit focuses on:

• Summarizing key ideas from texts

• Understanding point of view and how authors convince reader

This unit encourages students to analyze characters and complete a project-based learning presentation demonstrating how animals show intelligence

7th Grade

We are currently reading The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez. This is a story about a child growing up in a migrant family. As we read this book, we are exploring its themes and writing thematic statements. We are also further exploring new grammar concepts as we review compound and complex sentences. As we near the end of the novel, students will also begin working on final projects for The Circuit.

8th Grade

This month, we'll be finishing up our first unit discussing "Culture and Belonging". Then, we'll jump into our second unit, "The Thrill of Horror". In this unit, we'll read some classic horror stories, as well as discuss themes and figurative language!

6th Grade

Students have started Unit 2 working with the Ratios and Proportions standards. After learning ratio notation and language, students will find equivalent ratios, and solve ratio word problems. Then students will work with the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percents before moving into solving "quantity of" problems by setting up proportions. Students will practice skills on IXL and can work on those skills at home as well.

7th Grade

Students in the 7th grade will be learning and working with rational numbers this month. All four basic operations (Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division) with positive and negative integers will also be a part of their learning experiences and activities. Doing these 4 operations with positive and negative fractions will also be a part of October learning.

8th Grade

In 8th-grade math, students are learning about the basics of geometry! They’ll be practicing how to use protractors to create and measure angles, applying angle relationships (like vertical and supplementary angles) to solve equations, and exploring how lines and transversals work together. We’ll also use the Angle Sum Theorem and Exterior Angle Theorem to analyze triangles, and apply the Angle Angle Criterion to understand triangle similarity.

6th Grade

Hello from the Jardine sixth grade science department. I hope you and your child are enjoying the change of seasons. In science we are finishing up our unit on engineering and will soon be learning about the Structure of Matter. We are defining matter, mass, volume, and weight. We are using this knowledge to measure properties of matter such as density. We will also cover physical and chemical properties and the structure of atoms and the periodic table of elements. ​​

7th Grade

Seventh graders are continuing to learn about Physics through the many forms of Energy and its Energy transfers-transformations. Students have completed classwork, done computer simulations, investigations and labs to help them understand those concepts. We will be moving on to learn all about Waves next.

8th Grade

The 8th graders are still slowly moving through Earth's history. We have finished looking at fossils and are now looking at how life has changed throughout history and how that compares to organisms alive today. Some of the similarities will be used to show how scientists came up with the theory of evolution. Comparing different animal embryos, their anatomical structures, and briefly comparing DNA will all be used as pieces of evidence. This will finish out the first Unit of study before moving into something new.

6th Grade

Sixth Grade Ancient World History - We are starting the exciting unit of Mesopotamia. We will be learning about one of the earliest civilizations known as Mesopotamia (the land between the two rivers). We will look at what characteristic traits define a civilization as we study how these early Neolithic societies overcame several factors in their development of becoming a civilization including new inventions such as a system of writing, religions, epic stories, irrigation systems, and the development of empires.

7th Grade

Seventh grade Social Studies is gearing up to learn all about Globalization, and the pros and cons of it. We will examine outsourcing policies, environmental factors, and human issues associated with globalization and what actions we can take to improve on it.

As always, we are learning about continents, oceans, and our states and capitals. Please help your student study those.

8th Grade

The 8th Graders have been dissecting and learning about the Constitution for the past few weeks. We will be moving on to our Early Republic Unit, focusing on the first five presidents' policies at home and abroad.

Newcomer 1 classes are finishing unit 1 and will be taking their first unit test. In this last unit, we studied school related topics and themes, using numbers in written form in English, using high frequency words, grammar, reading our first short story in English as well as answering comprehension questions by speaking and writing the answer in English.

Newcomer 2 classes are also finishing unit 1: Dog Detectives. We have been working on identifying cause and effect, new vocabulary words, writing and answering everything in English, and learning about how service dogs help people around the world. We are reading the novel Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. We have been learning story elements such as: characters, setting, characters, character traits, the story’s climax, conflict, resolution, rising action, falling action, and theme.

Each student has a Rosetta Stone account paid for by the district. Each student has access to Rosetta Stone in Google Classroom. Feel free to have your child practice English at home after school, on the weekends, or during extended vacations. This will really help advance their English skills.

Parent-teacher conferences will be coming up soon! Please be on the lookout for an email and a conference paper in the next few weeks to schedule times for a conference.

Upcoming PTO events:

PTO fundraiser - Jason's Deli Night on Oct. 7

PTO meeting on Oct. 21

Follow this link to become familiar with our student handbook! This should answer most questions you will have!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bx7KDzsRF0vwL-RlsEJnVIto7wqktwxp/view

We Support Equal Opportunities

The Topeka Public Schools, Unified School District No. 501 is committed to affirmative action and equal opportunity. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin or ancestry be denied lawful access to any appropriate educational service, program, or activity provided by the school district. For students, the Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504 compliance coordinator is the General Counsel for the district. For employment, the EEO/AA and Title VII compliance officer is the general director of human resources. Compliance coordinators may be contacted at 624 S.W. 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294, (785) 295-3000. The clerk of the Board of Education has been designated to receive and redirect or handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, regulations, and procedures. The clerk may be contacted by calling (785) 295-3059 or by writing to 624 S.W. 24th Street, Topeka, Kansas 66611-1294.