Jonathan Alder Junior High
April 11, 2025
Message from the Principal
JAJHS Families,
I hope you’ve had a great week!
Our students and staff are already quickly moving into the 4th Quarter! As we prepare for Ohio State Tests in the coming weeks, our kids are working harder than ever! I’m so proud of their positive attitudes and determination!
Please note the important parent technology event mentioned below. I know it can be a busy time of year, but please consider making time for this important topic on Tuesday evening.
As a reminder, there is no school next Friday, April 18th.
Please be sure to review the rest of the newsletter for other important information.
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Mr. Malany
Principal
Important Upcoming Dates
April 11th - Final Payment Due for 8th Grade D.C. Trip
April 15th - Tech Savvy Parenting Event at 6:00 PM at JAJHS
April 18th - NO SCHOOL
April 22nd & 23rd - 7th & 8th Grade ELA OST's
April 29th - 7th & 8th Grade Math OST's
May 1st - 8th Grade Science OST
May 6th - Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL
May 7th - Parent Meeting for 8th Grade D.C. Trip
May 8th - Spring Band Concert
May 10th - Spring Fling
May 13th - 16th - 8th Grade Washington, D.C. Trip
May 20th - Spring Choir Concert
Updated calendar information is always available on the building website.
Tech Savvy Parenting Event and RSVP link
Please plan to join us this Tuesday, April 15, at 6:00 PM, in the JAJHS gym, for our Tech Savvy Parenting event. This evening is designed to equip parents and guardians with valuable insights and tools for navigating the digital world our students are growing up in. Topics will include:
Social media use and its potential impact
Online safety and child exploitation
Recognizing and addressing digital addictions
We are honored to welcome Emily Czerniejewski, an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Ohio, as our guest speaker for the evening. Emily brings a wealth of experience and deep knowledge in child safety and internet crimes.
To assist with planning for the event, please RSVP here.
Kyle Shaner - Career Chat
We are excited to welcome Mr. Kyle Shaner for our next Career Chat this Tuesday, April 15th. Mr. Shaner is a regional health, safety and environment manager for DHL, the world’s largest logistics and warehousing company. Kyle is responsible for the safety, engineering, compliance, and overall mentality of keeping people safe within their 100+ facilities in the Ohio Valley region. Kyle’s work is intertwined with every facet of DHL’s business because safety affects every team member. Kyle is the husband to Jonathan Alder’s Jr. High STEM Educator, Mrs. Brianna Shaner.
JAJHS Cheer Tryouts
7th Grade Math Ohio State Testing Olympic Review
The 7th grade math teachers have planned our FOURTH ANNUAL Ohio State Testing Olympic Review. We do not want the students stressed about testing, but we do want to spend a week reviewing for our assessment for math which takes place on April 29. We are planning an Olympic Games activity the weeks prior to the assessment to try and make our review fun and exciting! Students will earn points for their team based on effort, accuracy, and being a kind and helpful teammate. The first place team will have the opportunity to choose their prize first. The second place team will choose their prize next. ALL students will earn a prize for their efforts! If you are able to donate any of these prizes, we would be SO THANKFUL! The 7th grade teachers will fill in any gaps as well as provide the prize of Der Dutchman Donuts. Thank you for your consideration!
8th Grade Washington, D.C. Updates
- Your student received an email with roommates, bus info and chaperone groups. If you haven't seen this yet, please ask your child to share it with you.
- Mark your calendar for May 7th at 6:00 P.M. in the JAJHS auditorium for a mandatory parent meeting regarding last minute updates and turn in of JA Overnight Trip Medical Authorization form and prescriptions. Any prescription medication that will be taken on the trip will require a Dr'.s signature. This is all included on the form mentioned above. These forms will be sent home with students on Wednesday, April 16th and can also be printed from this link. Please plan on turning this form in at the parent meeting. Plan on having at least one parent in attendance. Students do not need to be in attendance.
- Tuesday, May 13th - students must arrive at JAJHS for departure between 5:45-6:00 A.M. - buses will leave JAJHS at 6:30 A.M. - more details will be given at the parent meeting.
Facilities Update and Planning
Click the link below for important Facilities Master Plan updates from the Superintendent's Office.
- All communications, power points, videos, presentations and data points are posted on ElevateAlder.com
7th & 8th Grade Band May Concert
Thursday, May 8th @ 7:00 p.m.
in the Jonathan Alder High School Auditeria
● Students need to wear their band shirts with dress pants for this concert.
● Doors will open by 6:00 pm
● 7th Grade Band should report to the Band Room by 6:15pm.
● 8th Grade Band should leave cases in the Choir Room and report to the Stage by 6:15pm.
● This concert is a required event and is a large portion of the student’s grade for the fourth 9 weeks.
● There will be a brief informational marching band meeting for 8th grade families immediately following the concert.
**All band students will need to bring their instruments and music home with them on this day**
We look forward to performing for you and seeing you there! If at all possible, we respectfully ask you to stay for the entire concert in support of all of our wonderful musicians. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Mrs. Hostetler at hostetre@japioneers.org or
Mr. Hennig at hennigju@japioneers.org.
JAJHS Hawaiian Spring Fling
Our last dance of the year is Saturday, May 10th from 6-8 PM. The theme for our Spring Fling is Hawaiian! If you would like to volunteer as a chaperone or donate supplies, please follow this link: https://signup.com/go/CEJfCoS. The cost of admission will be $5 at the door. While PTO is donating pizza and there will be donated water, Lil E's food truck will be there if your child would like to bring money for an ice cream treat. We look forward to seeing your child there for a more casual experience!
K-8 Art and PE Summer Camp
Don't Miss Out! Art and PE Summer Camp Registration is now OPEN!!
Join us for a fun filled week of hands on art projects and high energy games while learning new skills. June 9-13th, 3 sections to choose from. Camp open to current Kindergarten - 8th grade. Click here to register.
Join Our Team - JAJHS Daytime Custodian Position
We are actively searching for the next daytime custodian to join the JAJHS team. Please click here to learn more about the position. Feel free to share with any candidates who may be interested!
Stopfinder Enrollment
The transportation department is looking to get more parents enrolled using Stopfinder. This will be the main source for parents to get their student(s') bus schedule for next year. Please see the flyer below for details!
Free Hygiene Drive/Campaña de Higiene Gratuita
Jonathan Alder Local Schools is running a free hygiene drive. If your family could use some assistance, we encourage you to take a few minutes to fill out this Google Form. Please note that while filling out this form does not guarantee that all requested items will be available, we will do our best to fulfill the needs indicated - https://hygieneform.gle/
Actualmente estamos llevando acabo una campaña de higiene gratuita para apoyar a las familias necesitadas.
Si su familia necesitase ayuda, le animamos a que se tome unos minutos para rellenar este formulario de Google. Tenga en cuenta que, rellenar este formulario No Garantiza que todos los articulos solicitados esten disponibles, haremos todo lo posible para satisfacer las necesidades indicadas.
La fecha limite para rellenar este formulario es el 17 de marzo del 2025. Gracias por su tiempo - https://forms.gle/AJh4ZoL8gJtMHdpL6
Facilities Master Plan Updates
- All communications, power points, videos, presentations and data points are posted on ElevateAlder.com
JAJHS - School Breakfast Facts
A great breakfast program is offered in the cafeteria every school day except delay days! Here are 5 good reasons to encourage your child to try it:
It's quick & easy! No need to wake up earlier, worry about what to have, or clean up breakfast dishes. Students can grab a healthy breakfast when they get to school and take it with them to class.
It's inexpensive! $1.50 for full pay, $0 for reduced.
It helps in the classroom! Studies have shown eating a nutritious breakfast helps improve concentration, alertness, focus, and memory. Students who eat breakfast perform better on standardized tests and score higher in key areas like reading and math.
It helps regulate mood! Eating a nutritionally balanced breakfast can support brain activity that controls emotions, moods, expectations, behaviors, and decision making skills.
It's healthy! People who eat breakfast are more likely to meet their recommended daily intakes of vitamins and minerals than people who don't. Eating breakfast is also good for weight management and heart health.
Starting the day with school breakfast is a great way to kick off the day! Encourage your child to give it a try!
Message from JAJHS PTO
Thank you so much to the families who have donated lunch game items through our PTO's Amazon Wish List!! If you would like to contribute, the Wish List is HERE.
Message from the Transportation Department
A friendly reminder from the Transportation Department: due to student capacity on our school buses, we are not able to accommodate bus passes for students to go home with other students. If you have an urgent situation, please contact Misti Graber in the transportation department.
Personal Communication Device Policy Updates
Please review this link to learn about our personal communication device policy updates.
Common Sense Media
Commonsense Media is an online tool that can help parents and students make informed decisions regarding media use. This tool can be used for many types of media, including books, movies, video games, and apps.
Digital Tools for Families
Our website contains information and helpful digital learning tools for our
JA families. Please click here to access helpful resources such as Canvas
support, digital safety, forms, communication, and more!
Medications at School
Sometimes parents ask that school personnel administer medication to their child during the school day. When this is necessary, we require written permission and instructions from the parent and in some instances from the doctor. The required form must be completed and turned in to the junior high office with the medication to be administered.
Come Work With Us!
2025-2026 Calendar Update
Please note that our school calendar for 2025-2026 has changed. The first day of school for students is now on Thursday, August 21st.
Jonathan Alder Updated Academic Calendar
