S.O.A.R Newsletter

The final few weeks of summer are here. However, for our fall student athletes and musicians, the school year has begun. Band camp has brought the return of music to our hallways and many of our sports teams have either competed or had a scrimmage. The school seems to be waking from the summer!

This week, we will host our Parent University for our freshmen and new parents. In this newsletter, we have updated information about this event. Remember, if families cannot attend, we will post the PowerPoint presentation to our website and this newsletter.

Lets go work,

H.E. Townsend, IV

Principal

AUGUST 15

O-Crew & Nest Leader training from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm in the Cafeteria/hallways

AUGUST 18

Parent University

Session 1: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM in the Auditorium/Cafeteria/hallways

Session 2: 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm in the Auditorium/Cafeteria/hallways

AUGUST 22

Freshman Orientation Day/Freshman Mock Schedule: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Transfer Student Orientation: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Open House: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

AUGUST 28

First day of school

SEPTEMBER 3

Teacher workday/NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

SEPTEMBER 4

Labor Day/NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST (SAT) INFORMATION

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) measures college readiness of our students. The assessment is administered by school divisions, but the College Board registers and accepts payment for the test. The first SAT administration will be AUGUST 26th with a late registration that closes on August 15th.

Please follow this link to register or learn more about the College Board and the SAT: COLLEGE BOARD SAT WEBSITE

SCHEDULE CHANGES

We have completed the scheduling process. However, we understand that changes may be necessary to meet the needs of our students. Students cannot request a schedule change until after the first two days of instruction while we work to identify open spaces in courses and updated student registrations.

Students who want to drop or add a course will need to go to the counseling department for an ADD/DROP Form. While we will try to accommodate every request, our master schedule is built from student course requests. We will work with families to meet the needs of students.

NEW FACES IN THE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT

Catherine Corson joins our Counseling Department. Ms. Corson brings a wealth of counseling experience from the secondary and elementary levels of education. Ms. Corson led small groups, clubs, and supported families in her counseling roles in the past. Please join us in welcoming Ms. Corson to The Nest!

COUNSELING DEPARTMENT INFORMATION

Kirsten Daisley: Students with last names that begin with T – Z

Chelsea Hilliard: Students with last names that begin with A – C

Leigh Pottle: Students with last names that begin with D- I

Catherine Corson: Students with last names that begin with J- N

Robert Hill: Students with last names that begin with O- S

JHS Freshmen!

Are you interested in helping to plan school-wide events like Homecoming and Spring Fest? Do you like to volunteer? If so, we would love for you to join our team and apply to be a Student Council Association (SCA) Freshman Class Representative.

Complete the SCA application and submit it to Alisa Smith no later than Wednesday, September 6th.

Questions? Contact Alisa Smith at alisa.smith@wjccschools.org

Jamestown and the JHS Orientation Crew (O-Crew) would like to invite you to an afternoon designed just for you…our annual Parent University on August 18, 2023. For convenience, we will offer two sessions for our families.

SESSION 1: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

SESSION 2: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

If a parent or guardian cannot attend, Mr. Townsend, our principal, will post the presentation to our school's website. Mr. Townsend will build the presentation from family questions. Please "click" on the button below this message for any topic you want added to the presentation.

The transition from middle school can be challenging for students AND families. The sessions are designed to help parents support their students with the transition. Families will learn more about the following:

· Typical 9th grade day

· Required courses and future options for AP/Dual Enrollment courses

· Electives, Chorus, Band, Orchestra

· GPA and graduation requirements

· Add / drop questions

· Tips for a successful 9th grade year

· Tour of building

We encourage you to leave your rising eagle at home as their orientation day is August 22th, from 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM; however, all other children are certainly welcome to attend with you.

We are very excited to welcome the Class of 2027 to Jamestown High School and we look forward to meeting ninth graders and new students on Orientation Day, AUGUST 22nd from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Our school has recruited some of the best students at JHS to welcome our newest Eagles to The Nest! Our group of students and faculty members are called the Orientation Crew (O-Crew). The sole purpose of O-Crew is to help 9th grade students navigate JHS and feel more comfortable in their new school.

The O-Crew orientation program is designed to both welcome and support freshman by assigning them a junior or senior O-Crew leader as a mentor during the first year. This O-Crew leader is a student who was hand selected from a large pool of applicants and has met the qualifications of being a good role model and a positive leader in our school.

Students will receive a phone call home the week of August 14 from one of their O-Crew leaders to provide important information for Orientation Day. Please make sure your contact information is up-to-date in ParentVUE. If you need assistance with this, please give our school a call at (757) 259-3600.

Here is some information to help families prepare for Freshman Orientation:

1. Your student can expect a day filled with active large group and small group activities. Therefore, please make sure that your student wears comfortable clothing.

2. Orientation day is a student only function. However, families of freshmen are invited to Parent University on August 18th at Jamestown High School.

3. Lunch will be served at no cost to students. If your student has an allergy that causes a hardship, contact the JHS main office at 259-3600.

4. Families are invited to attend Open House later that evening from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. O-Crew leaders will be positioned around the school during Open House to answer any questions you have about life at Jamestown.

5. Bus transportation is available for orientation. Pick up times and stops will be communicated when transportation finalizes bus information. Please make sure your student arrives at the stop at least 10 minutes earlier than the time indicated.

We look forward to meeting your student on orientation day!

LAPTOP DISTRIBUTION

WJCC Laptop and device distribution will commence the first week of instruction through English classes. For any student who does not have an English course (this is rare), our Technology Integration Coach will meet with the student to assign a device.

Please remember the following:

1. Only WJCC issued devices can access our school network. All students will be issued a laptop; there is no need for students to use a personal device to access school work.

2. Students and families must sign and return the WJCC Acceptable Use Policy Form to use a device. There is an opt-out form for families as well. Families can find these forms by "CLICKING" the link below this message.

3. Students will need to return their laptop from last year in order to receive one for the 2023-2024 school year. Laptops from last year will not access the WJCC network as the necessary security updates have not been installed

SUPPLY LISTS

Much of the instructional needs of high school student are met through the use of the WJCC issued laptop. However, some courses may need additional resources like colored pencils or electronic storage for photography. At Open House, teachers will share supply lists in their syllabi. However, here are some common items:

1. Loose-leaf paper

2. Pencils

3. Pens

4. Binders to organize course work.

Families can find the most up-to-date information regarding forms, transportation, and supplies at the link below this message.

In preparation to attend 12th grade this year, the Code of Virginia changed to include- students entering the 12th grade must be vaccinated with Meningococcal vaccine on or after age 16.

This message is to remind you that if you have not provided the documentation of vaccination to JHS, you need to do so before the first day of school. Students may be excluded from school by the principal for incomplete vaccination records.

The records can be faxed or scanned/emailed to the school nurse (757-259-3722 fax or Louisa.Johnson@wjccschools.org). Before sending a fax, please give the school a call so that we can ensure the document's security. Hard copies may be dropped off to Mrs. Sharp or Mrs. Canning in the main office.

Our Open House will be August 22nd from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. At this event, students will receive a copy of their course schedule. Additionally, students can register for clubs, meet sponsors and coaches, meet teachers, and walk their schedule. Students will have the opportunity to request a locker as well (There is no charge for the use of a locker.)

On the August 22nd, families can log-in to StudentVUE and ParentVUE to see student schedules. However, we will have hard copies of schedules in the JHS Cafeteria for students/families. Our counseling department will work in the Cafeteria to support students finding their schedule.

Last year, our students and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) team reviewed our School Climate Data. Our data suggests that we have an opportunity to strengthen our school’s engagement and inclusiveness. Though we have separate classes/grades, we can unify our school with competitions and challenges that directly connect to our School Improvement Goals and School Climate Data.

JHS NEST SYSTEM INFORMATION

The NEST system is based on the Ron Clark Academy’s HOUSE system. To learn more about the HOUSE system, you can follow this link: https://rcahousesystem.com/ Every member of JHS (students, teachers, custodians, administrators, coaches, and school board members) is a part of a nest and can garner points.

NESTS can earn points for the following:

•Best quarterly attendance

•Performance on Interims and Report cards

•Representing FLIGHT in the school

•Being selected for Student of the Month

•Competitions during the day and afterschool

•Attendance at sporting events, concerts, art shows, musicals, etc.

Last year (2022-2023), the DARIN' DUCKS won for the school year! Check out the results from last school year below this message.

2024 will bring the Gold Rush! Our students and families can find 2023 homecoming information below this information. Our student leadership is preparing for a great spirit that will include the following:

1. Talent Show

2. Homecoming Parade (September 21st at 6:00 PM at Duke of Gloucester Street)

3. Pep Rally (September 22nd during the final block of the day)

4. Homecoming Football Game (September 22 at 7:00 PM at Wanner Stadium)

5. Homecoming Dance (September 23rd from 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM at JHS)

As we move closer to Spirit Week (September 18 - 23) we will share updated information.

We will post information about upcoming events and meetings in the Principal's Newsletter. Families can register for the JHS PTSA by "clicking" the link below this information.

ADDRESS:

Eisenhower 9 College Prep

3550 Gulf Bank Rd.

(218) 878-7700

INTERNET/SOCIAL MEDIA:

WEBSITE: www.wjccschools.org/jhs

INSTAGRAM: @jhs_wjcc
TWITTER: @JamestownHigh