Family Update - October 18, 2026
Parent Update, October 18, 2026
FROM THE PRINCIPALS
Dear Families,
Quarter 1 has come to a close. It is hard to believe that we are already finished with the first quarter. It seems like we were just starting the school year. There have been so many highlights over the past nine weeks, and there are many more to come. From successful extracurricular activities and athletic events to engaging classroom learning experiences, our students have demonstrated tremendous growth, perseverance, and enthusiasm. Thank you to our students, staff, and families for your support and partnership in helping make the first quarter a success. As we begin Quarter 2, we look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to provide meaningful opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and thrive.
Reminders
- No School for students on Monday, October 19th.
- Picture retakes will be October 21st.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Our first evening conference opportunity is on Thursday, November 5th from 4pm-7:30pm. If your child’s teachers are requesting a conference, invitations will be sent this week. If you do not receive an invitation, your child is progressing as expected and there are no concerns at this time. If you have questions, families are always welcome to communicate with teachers via email, as this is the quickest way to share information.
As part of our upcoming Safety Week, Jones Middle School students in grade 6 will have the opportunity to attend a digital safety presentation with expert Jesse Weinberger at Jones Middle School. She will provide age-appropriate presentations for students in grades 3-6 focused on digital citizenship, responsible technology use, online decision-making, and personal safety. As part of the presentation, students will be invited to complete a brief anonymous survey to provide district-level information that can help inform our ongoing digital safety education and prevention efforts.
Parents/guardians of Jones students in grade 6 — please complete this permission form by October 16. Please submit one form for each participating child in grades 3-5 in your family. If you do not want your child to participate, we will provide an alternate, supervised learning activity at their school during the presentation time.
We hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend.
Warm regards,
Jasa George, Principal
Keona Walker, Assistant Principal
Jasa George, Principal
Keona Walker, Assistant Principal
What's Happening At Jones
PAW Award
PAW Award Winners will be announced on Friday morning. Teachers will nominate students based on the district's characteristics in the Profile of an Engaged Learner.
The Profile of an Engaged Learner reflects the vision for all Upper Arlington learners, at every stage and every grade. Developed with input from students and all teachers across the district and solidified by a districtwide work group of educators, the Profile of an Engaged Learner document articulates the skills and characteristics that Upper Arlington Schools believes will prepare our students to serve, lead and succeed in Upper Arlington and beyond.
The characteristics include being a solution seeker, creative, skilled communicator, open-minded & empathetic, responsible & resilient, and well-balanced.
This Week's PAW Award Winners are as follows:
Madison Carroll for being open-minded
Adelyn Evanchan for being creative
James McCarthy for being responsible & resilient
Evan Wright for being responsible & resilient
Morgan Minerd for being open-minded
Brenna Masters for being responsible & resilient,
Juliet Stearns for being a skilled communicator
Graeme Gaible for being well-balanced
Volunteer Opportunity for Students
Looking for volunteer hours, or just to make a difference? Sign up to volunteer for the first-ever Special Olympics State Corn Hole Tournament. It will take place on October 24th. Details and the link to sign up are listed here.
Students in current grades 6-8 have an exciting opportunity to travel to Europe in 2028! Mademoiselle Newcomer is leading a trip to France, Switzerland and Germany! There will be an informational meeting at UA High School on Wednesday, October 21, from 6-7pm for those who are interested in getting more information about this exciting opportunity! Use this form to RSVP https://forms.gle/SCidsRH3jDJZR8tu9 and to become eligible for a scholarship! Email Mademoiselle Newcomer (knewcomer@uaschools.org) with questions, but hope to see you on October 21!
Ohio AI Impact Student Showcase
On October 14, 8th-grade students accompanied Mrs. Tope to represent Upper Arlington Schools at the statewide Ohio AI Impact Student Showcase at The Ohioan in Lewis Center. Co-hosted by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Intel, and the ESC of Central Ohio, this invitation-only event highlighted pioneering work in AI and STEM education across Ohio.
Our students presented “How We Work WITH AI”. Students demonstrated:
VEX IQ AI Vision Sensors showing how they train the sensor to detect colors
Autonomous robotics-a line sensing robot and robots that locate, pick up, and place beanbags into a goal
How they use generative AI as a critical-thinking tool to troubleshoot complex code.
The students involved were: Neville Bharucha-Goebel, Taylor Ingram, Brendan Lane, Harper Polesovsky, and Adele Winkle. They all did an amazing job of speaking to educators, industry leaders, and community partners.
We are thrilled to see our middle school engineers step into the spotlight and share their work with state leaders!
Career Exploration Session on Real Estate & Entrepreneurship!
Our Career Speaker Series continued this week with a packed house as Frank Sasso (Co-Founder of E8 Partners) spoke to over 300 students about real estate development and starting a company. Mr. Sasso shared real-world stories behind major Columbus projects like Gravity and LeVeque Tower, demystified how businesses start, and challenged students to connect their childhood hobbies to future careers. He emphasized that combining "left brain" analytical skills with "right brain" creativity is key to building something from scratch. Thank you to Mr. Sasso for inspiring our future entrepreneurs and builders!
6th Grade Camp Medications
If you have meds/bottles from camp that you would like back, please pick up before Fri 10/23/26,
otherwise they will be disposed of. Thanks ~ Shannon Johnson, School Nurse.
Calling All Scientists
Three of our middle school science teachers, Mrs. Belair, Mr. Menhorn, and Mrs. Schneider, are starting a Science Olympiad Club at Jones. All science teachers are sharing the details in their classes.
Here is the Science Olympiad flyer with details for how to be involved.
UA Safety Week - October 18-24
This week, UA Schools along with the City of Upper Arlington, the Upper Arlington Police Division and the Upper Arlington Fire Division will have UA Safety Week. Throughout the week, we will be sharing daily announcements for students, as well as daily tips and videos with students and families, on the following topics:
Sunday: UA Safety Week introduction
Monday: School safety and prevention efforts
Tuesday: Digital safety
Wednesday: Road safety — with a focus on e-bikes and scooters
Thursday: Drug prevention
Friday: Well-being and prevention
Saturday: Fire safety and prevention
Ski Club Parent/Student Meeting
Ski club dates are below (weather permitting):
Friday: 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5
Make up dates: 2/12 & 2/19 (if needed)
Mandatory Parent meeting date:
Wednesday, October 28th at 7pm in the auditorium
Yearbook Info.
Congratulations to the winners of this year's yearbook design contest, Adalyn Rudolph for her JMS design and Kate Hendricks for her cover design!
Don't forget to order your 2026-2027 JMS yearbook HERE.
If you missed your chance to purchase a 2025-2026 JMS yearbook, now is your chance! We have extra copies that will be for sale for $55. Please email ppickering@uaschools.org or stop by the front office if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Checks can be made out to Upper Arlington City Schools. Please include 'yearbook' in the memo.
The Yearbook Team is still looking for photos from our middle school fall sports season! Parents, if you have great action shots, team photos, or fun moments from games and events, we would love to include them in this year’s yearbook. Please email your photos to ppickering@uaschools.org. Thank you for helping make this year's yearbook a great one!
8th grade Veterans Day Parent Volunteer Sign-Up:
We are looking for volunteers to help set up for the 8th Grade Veteran's Day Celebration on Thursday, November 5th, as well as volunteers to help during the actual celebration on Friday, November 6th. Those who volunteer on the 6th, we ask that you dress nicely to honor the Veterans.
Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A4DA5AC28A5FC1-59560108-veterans#/
Resources for Military Families
The Ohio Department of Education & Workforce has many resources for military families. See below for some of these resources:
Save the Date: 8th-Grade Shadowing Day on Friday, April 16, 2027!
We are excited to announce the return of 8th-Grade Shadowing Day on Friday, April 16, 2027! This mandatory experiential learning event allows all 8th-grade students to step outside the classroom and explore career paths in real-world professional settings before they transition to high school. Students will spend this official school day off campus with a host and earn instructional-hour attendance credit upon submission of a reflection form.
How Parents Can Help:
Identify a Host: Support your student in reaching out to a relative, family friend, local business owner, or community professional to serve as their workplace host.
Prepare & Plan Ahead: Review the Outreach Guide, discuss career interests with your child, and check out the Shadowing FAQ to help them prepare.
Ensure Attendance Credit: Remind your child to complete and submit the post-event reflection.
If you have questions or are interested in volunteering as a host for local students, please contact Leah Miller, Career Development and Service Learning Specialist, at lmiller@uaschools.org or 614-487-5000.
Save the Date: Mandatory Washington, D.C. Trip Meeting!
Attention 8th Grade Families! Please mark your calendars for our mandatory D.C. Trip Parent/Student Meeting on Tuesday, April 27th, 2027, at 7:30 PM in the Jones Auditorium. This is the preferred meeting for our families to attend.
If it is absolutely impossible for your family to make the Tuesday session, you may attend the alternative meeting on Monday, April 26th, 2027, at 7:30 PM in the Hastings Auditorium.
Attendance is required for both the student AND at least one parent/guardian. It is vital that both attend, as we will go over critical trip logistics, safety protocols, and the final itinerary. Having every family fully present ensures everyone is aligned and prepared for a safe, smooth, and unforgettable experience.
Thank you for prioritizing this. We look forward to seeing you there! Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding the DC Trip, Nick Judy, njudy@uaschools.org.
Report Cards
Click here for directions to accessing the reports.
National Make a Difference Day
National Make a Difference Day takes place on Saturday, October 24, 2026. It is one of the largest single days of community service and volunteerism in the United States.
This is a wonderful opportunity to encourage your child to complete some of their service hours while making a positive difference in our community.
During the Jones Service Learning Day Kick-Off on September 16, we discussed a variety of service opportunities available in the community, as well as simple ways students can serve right in their own neighborhoods. Some ideas included:
- Raking leaves for a neighbor
- Writing thank-you or kind notes to community mentors
- Babysitting
- Finding other small ways to help neighbors, friends, or community members
You can find more information about community service and how to log service hours on the Jones website. For any act to count as community service, it must be performed free of charge.
If your child or family would like to participate in a larger service project, these organizations offer a variety of opportunities:
You can also explore the article 50 Ways to Volunteer in Columbus for additional ideas and choose a family service opportunity to complete on a later date.
Whether it’s a large project or a small act of kindness, every effort makes a difference. We encourage Jones students to use Make a Difference Day as an opportunity to serve, connect, and make a positive impact in our community!
District News
Testing for Gifted Identification (Elementary)
Third and fifth-grade students referred for testing will take the CogAT in November. Parents should use this Google Form to request gifted testing. The deadline to request testing is 11/3/26.
All second-grade students will be tested for gifted identification in superior cognitive ability and reading in December. All fourth-graders will be tested for gifted identification in superior cognitive ability in December. Star Math is now used to screen all students in grade 1 and up. Star Reading is now used to screen all students in grade 3 and up.
OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2026
October 19 - No School
October 20 - Quarter 2 Begins
October 21 - Picture Retakes, 8:30am
October 23 - 25 - Fall Production
October 28 - Parent/Student Ski Club Meeting, 7pm
November 2 - PTO Meeting, 8:30am
November 2 - Packing for the Streets, 3:30pm
November 3 - No School - Election Day
November 3 - PTO Bake Sale
November 5 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 4 to 8pm
November 6 - Veteran's Day Celebration
November 12 - Band Concert, 7:30pm
November 25 - 27 - No School - Thanksgiving Break
IMPORTANT LINKS
PaySchoolsCentral.com (Pay Fees and Add $$ to lunch accounts)
schoolbusquestions@uaschools.org or call 614-487-6477 (Transportation)
https://www.uaschools.org/students-families/lunch-menus (Nutritional Services)
https://ps-uar.metasolutions.net/public/home.html (PowerSchool Parent Portal)
This email has been sent to you by JONES MIDDLE SCHOOL. If you received this email in error, please contact allcall@uaschools.org.