EJMS Jaguar Weekly Sept.21 - 25

From our Administration

The Borders Bulletin

EJMS Families,

I hope everyone had a wonderful week! We had a great time celebrating School Safety Week! We are only 2 short weeks away from Fall Break, which is hard to believe. The grass is green where you water it, and we are spending our days intentionally watering the great things happening at East Jessamine Middle!

💯 Midterms Available and Accessing Grades through IC Parent Portal

The first Nine Weeks Midterm grade reports posted on Friday, September 19th and are available through Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Do you need help with Infinite Campus Parent Portal? Don’t know how to check on your child’s grades? Check out this IC Parent Portal Grades Doc for help.

🆙 New Resource for East Families: Upchieve

We are really excited to announce our partnership with Upchieve, a free 24/7 on-demand tutoring service for 6-12 students at EJMS and EJHS! Your students have already been introduced to this at school and have even been using it in some of their classes. Ask them to show you this amazing service!

✅ Incentive Eligibility

We are approaching the time for the school and individual grade levels to have incentive opportunities. Students must have at least four out of a possible five points in order to attend reward days, field trips, and dances throughout the year, as well as ensuring all fees are paid on Infinite Campus The graphic has additional details explaining how students can lose and earn points back. Students are able to check their points with their Homeroom Teacher. All information regarding our behavior system can be found in the Parent-Family Handbook.

🏆Gifted Auditions

The District Gifted and Talented program will begin screening students in grades 4-8 in the area of Visual and Performing Arts. If your child is interested in the audition process to be identified in the area of Art, Music, Dance, or Drama, please read the information in the linked document. Any questions can be emailed to: lindsay.cornelius@jessamine.kyschools.us.

GT Arts Identification Process

New Grading Scale

As students begin receiving grades in Infinite Campus, we want to communicate to all families the Jessamine County Schools Middle School grading policy. This informational document details the scale, summative assessment retakes policy, graduate profile measurements, and more. This policy mirrors our high school policy to help ease all students into that transition. We recommend keeping this document on hand and reminding students of the importance of every assignment.

See more of the grading informational document here

Want to Get More Involved at EJMS? Join a Committee!

Additional parent members needed on committees

We have additional opportunities to serve on school committees. Please read the name and description of each committee below.

PBIS committee: uses data and research to review and recommend changes to discipline and classroom management policies, while also focusing on implementing social-emotional learning to proactively support student behavior.
Technology committee: develops and oversees the annual school budget and the allocation of resources, with a specific focus on recommending and monitoring technology investments based on identified needs.
School culture committee: responsible for planning and implementing school-wide clubs and recognition programs, including incentives, monthly themes, and awards for both students and staff.
Curriculum and instruction committee: focuses on academic policy and instructional best practices, with a specific charge to develop plans for student interventions, monitor academic data systems, and research and recommend improvements to advanced courses and homework policies.
Parent & Family Engagement Committee: works to strengthen partnerships between families and the school by gathering input and identifying ways to support student learning as well as ensuring family voices are reflected in school decisions and programs.

If interested in any of these committees, please contact Jenny Borders: jennifer.borders@jessamine.kyschools.us

Upcoming Dates (SBDM Meetings at 4:30 PM in the EJMS library):

Friday, Oct. 2 - Flag Football Tournament
Monday, Oct. 5-Friday, Oct. 9 - Fall Break, No School for Students
Tuesday, Oct. 13 - Picture Day

Have a wonderful week ahead!

From our Youth Services Coordinator

EJMS Youth Service Center Weekly News:
Hey Jaguar Families! Here’s a quick roundup of everything happening around the Youth Service Center this week and what's coming up soon.

What’s New with Our Advisory Council

Our Advisory Council met recently to go over our goals and center budget. To stay better connected with our school community, we’ve decided to move from meeting every other month to monthly meetings in Room 179.

We’ve also voted to launch a school-wide donation drive before Fall Break! Homerooms will be competing to bring in non-perishable food. The homeroom with the most donations gets a Donut, so stay tuned for details! We’re also exploring a "Dollar Club" to help local families with utility bills, and we’ll be sending out student and parent surveys on ParentSquare soon to get your feedback.

Clubs & Upcoming Events

TOP Club (Teen Outreach Program): Kickoff is Thursday, September 24 from 4:15 to 5:15 PM! We’re partnering with the Jessamine County Health Department to help students build life skills, explore personal growth, and work on fun community service projects. Have your student see Mr. Hager to sign up!
Big Smiles Dental Visits: Mark your calendars for Friday, January 22, 2027. The Big Smiles mobile dental team will be at school to provide exams, cleanings, and care. Consent forms are coming home with all students, or you can register online anytime at www.myschooldentist.com.

August & September Impact Spotlight

Thanks to our incredible community partners, church supporters, and staff, we’ve been busy making sure our students have everything they need to succeed in the classroom:

201 total student service visits completed over the last two months.
$2,460 raised in total financial and item donations (including major food drive support from Mount Lebanon Church, Wilmore Freedom, and St. Luke).
29 students supplied clothing or shoes, and 7 helped with emergency hygiene supplies.
15 students enrolled in monthly weekend food assistance.
Student Leadership: 28 students helped lead 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Awareness Day, 24 joined the UK Girls Lunch Group, and 12 Ambassadors helped out at the Block Party!

Thank you all for your continued support in keeping our students cared for and ready to learn! Have a great week!

September is national Hispanic Heritage Month

Title 1 News

TItle 1 Family/School Compact

Each Title I school must hold an Annual Title 1 Meeting in which information regarding the program's purpose and how our school uses Title 1 Funds in order to improve academic achievement and staff development at EJMS. During this meeting, parents and families also receive the School/Family Compact to sign and return back to the school. This year, the Annual Title 1 Meeting was part of our recent Open House/Block Party. If you were not able to attend the event or did not have the chance to view the presentation, you can do so and sign the family/school compact through the below Google form. There is also a narrated recording of the presentation below.