Jaguar Journal

Hello JMS families!

We're getting closer! Next week are our 7th Grade Orientation and Schedule Pickup events! Between planning for these, and seeing our building come to life with practices and camps, the excitement of the school year is building!

Please take a look at the important information below. There are a lot of tasks to complete for the start of the school year (Annual Update Information, Immunizations, etc) and groups to join (PTSA, Arts & Athletics Boosters). There are also a couple highlighted procedures included below (Bus Passes, External Food/Drink) and a reference to the new state law regarding the importance of School Attendance.

As always, we start with our important dates, and the information follows below.

Thanks,

Daniel Boland

Principal

Jackson Middle School

jms.swcsd.us

Follow us on X: @JMS_Jaguars

Fri Aug 7 - Fall Pay To Participate Fees Due (Fees have been loaded into IC this week)

Tue Aug 11 - 7th Grade Orientation, 1:30 - 4:30

Tue Aug 11 - 8th Grade Schedule Pickup, 6:30 - 8:00

Wed Aug 19 - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Tue Aug 25 - Open House, 5pm - 7pm

Fri Sep 4 - School Picture Day

Mon Sep 7 - NO SCHOOL, Labor Day

Fri Sep 11 - District Safety Drill Day

Thu Oct 1 - Parent Teacher Conferences (sign up directions will be communicated in September)

See below for more information on these items

Getting Here

If you typically ride a bus to school during the year, you will have bus transportation available to you on orientation day. In the first week of August, you should receive a postcard from the Transportation Department with your bus stop and pick-up time for Orientation. If you do not typically ride a bus, students should arrive on their own between 1:15 and 1:30.

Getting Home

There is no bus transportation home - all students need to be picked up. Again, we invite parents to meet Mr. Boland at the gym at 4:00 for an overview of the school year. Students will then come to the gym to meet their parents after Orientation. Students and parents are welcome to walk the building between 4:30 and 5:30, so your child can show you everything they learned during orientation. We will close the building at 5:30 to allow our staff time to eat prior to the evening activities for 8th graders.

Not able to attend?

Students' schedule will be available in the main office starting the day after orientation and schedule pick-up (August 12). Feel free to come in during office hours (8am - 4pm) to pick up a copy and walk the building finding your classes and locker!

More information about 7th Grade Orientation will be emailed home closer to the date.

Beginning this school year, South Western City Schools is updating its student transportation procedures regarding bus passes and alternate drop-off locations to improve student safety and ensure accurate transportation for every child.

Students will continue to be assigned one morning pick-up location and one afternoon drop-off location within their school attendance boundaries. For families with established split-custody arrangements, Transportation can continue to accommodate consistent weekly schedules, such as specific weekdays, when they are communicated in advance.

However, students will no longer be permitted to ride home on a different bus with friends or relatives for social visits or other informal arrangements. Daily transportation changes create challenges for school offices and bus drivers, particularly substitute drivers, and increase the risk of students being transported to the wrong location. These updated procedures help ensure every student arrives safely at their authorized destination each day.

Students are NOT able to bring in outside food/drink for lunch. This includes dropping off food from restaurants or having food delivered. The student handbook for all middle schools states this:

"We operate under a closed lunch policy. Students may not leave during the school day to get food. Students cannot order food for delivery from outside restaurants or businesses. Please do not bring restaurant food for your students during the day." (Page 15)

Thank you for your cooperation with this expectation!

As we begin a new school year, it is important to know that every school day matters. At South-Western City Schools, our goal is simple: "Every student. HERE. Every day."

Student attendance is the constant to learning. Daily attendance is about more than simply being physically present—it ensures students are actively engaged, building skills, and accessing the instruction and support they need to succeed. Even missing part of a school day or arriving late can interrupt learning and have a lasting impact on academic growth. Establishing strong attendance habits right from the start helps students stay connected to school and prepares them for long-term success.

A Statewide Focus on Attendance:

Our district's goal aligns with a broader, statewide attendance emphasis led by Governor DeWine. As part of this renewed focus across Ohio, updated state attendance laws (House Bill 96) bring new requirements for how schools communicate with families.

To keep you better informed, parents and guardians can expect earlier and more frequent attendance notifications this school year:

• The 5% Notice: You will be notified when your student reaches 5% of missed instructional hours for any reason.

• The 10% Threshold: Under state law, students who miss 10% of the school year are now officially identified as chronically absent.

Our Commitment to You and Your Student:

While these state requirements have changed, our commitment to our families has not. Our focus remains on partnering with you, identifying barriers to attendance, and providing tiered supports to help every student attend regularly, stay engaged, and thrive.

Learn more about attendance expectations, recent legislative changes, frequently asked questions, and available supports at https://www.swcsd.us/Attendance.aspx.

Families will have the opportunity to meet their child's teachers at Open House on Tuesday, August 25th, from 5:00 - 7:00pm. At this event, we start with a welcome from Mr. Boland in the gymnasium right at 5pm. Then we run a bell schedule, allowing you to follow your child's schedule from 5:20 until about 6:15. Teachers are then available from 6:15 - 7:00 to meet anyone that missed their period or couldn't meet due to having multiple kids' schedules to follow.

Joining our PTSA is the easiest way to help support the students and staff at Jackson Middle School. Click the button below to join! They will also have a table for people to join both at schedule pickups on 8/11 and at Open House on 8/25. PTSA usually meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 6pm in the library. Stay tuned for more ways you can help our PTSA as the year progresses!

Our Arts and Athletics Boosters are also a great way to get involved and help our musicians and athletes throughout the school year. They typically meet on the first Monday of the month at 6pm in the library. You can also show your support for this organization by becoming a member. Click the button below to be able to join the Boosters!

One more way you can help our Arts and Athletics Boosters is by signing up for Kroger Community Rewards! Click the button below for information on how to sign up, and our Arts and Athletics Boosters will receive donations with no work from you at all! Thank you for your help!

Just like last year, cell phones are prohibited from the time we enter the building at 8:45am until we start bus dismissal at 3:50pm. Phones must be off and out of sight during these times. At JMS, we warn our students in the first week at class meetings, and ANY violations from there forward start with After School Detentions. Repeat offenses can result in leaving the phone either at home or in the office for the entirety of the school day. We encourage families to help our students meet this expectation by reminding them of the rule and the consequences, and by not texting students during the day. If there is an emergent message that needs to get to your child, please call the main office a 614-801-3800.

Each year, it is vital for every family to log in to the Parent Portal and update and/or confirm the emergency contact information for their child. We need to ensure we have the most current information to reach parents. Click the button below to get to the Parent Portal. On the left side menu, press the "More" button, then look for Annual Information Update. Please complete this information as soon as possible.

Apply Today!

It is that time of year again to complete a Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application! For many families, they wonder if they qualify and for some that believe they do not qualify…sometimes they are surprised that they do end up qualifying and avoid unnecessary costs and meal debt in the process. As a rule of thumb, we suggest “it does not hurt to apply!” Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications need to be completed annually each school year.

Free and Reduced-Price Lunch eligibility is determined annually at the federal level using a sliding scale based upon a household’s combined income. Once a family qualifies, they receive either Free or Reduced-Price breakfast and lunch. Additionally, qualifying families are eligible for academic fee waivers for school supplies.

Arrival

Students may enter the building and go straight to the cafeteria beginning at 8:45am. Students should not arrive before 8:45, as staff is not available for supervision. When dropping students off, please ONLY drop off on the south side of the building. Our busses needing extra assistance drop off on the north side, and we cannot have extra traffic on this side. When dropping off on the south side (Mallow Lane side) please do not enter the bus lane closest to the building. Instead turn down the drop off lane, and pull as far forward as possible to drop off. The further you pull down, the more cars we can get in the lane to drop off at once, and the less waiting around you do as parents. Staff members will be in the drop-off lane encouraging you to pull forward, and to help monitor traffic flow and safety. Students should cross the bus lane ONLY at one of the two crosswalks.

Departure

We begin dismissal at 3:50 by dismissing car riders and walkers first. Again, please only use the south side of the building for picking up students - our busses need to not deal with extra traffic on the north side of the building. When picking students up, we form TWO lines in the drop-off lane, one on the left and one on the right. Please pull as far forward as possible to accommodate as many cars as possible. Once the drop-off lane is full, the rest of the cars are then directed to pull into the parking lot just south of the drop-off lane and park in a parking spot waiting for your child. Please be be patient getting out of the spot with the cars entering and exiting the lot. Students riding busses are then dismissed in the order their bus arrives.

Beginning this school year, South Western City Schools students in grades 7-12 will begin using SchooLinks, a comprehensive college and career readiness platform designed to help every student answer one important question: What's my plan after graduation? Whether a student's future includes college, the military, a skilled trade, an apprenticeship, or entering the workforce, SchooLinks provides personalized tools to explore interests, discover career pathways, and build a meaningful post-graduation plan.

Save the Date! SWCS will be hosting a SchooLinks Guardian Training Webinar on Wednesday, September 2 from 6:30pm to 7:30 p.m. to introduce parents and guardians to the new platform so they can be involved in their child's career planning.

Throughout middle and high school, students will complete career interest assessments, create personalized academic and career plans, explore colleges, scholarships, internships, and workforce opportunities, and track progress toward Ohio's graduation requirements. By connecting classroom learning to real-world opportunities, SchooLinks empowers students to make informed decisions and graduate with a clear plan and the confidence to take their next step. Families can learn more by visiting https://www.swcsd.us/SchoolLinks.aspx.

Our sports teams have worked hard all summer in open gyms and conditioning, and we look forward to amazing seasons to cheer on our Jaguars! Each week, we'll have the upcoming week's athletics schedule here, along with links to where you can purchase tickets.

Sports passes can be purchased, allowing adults a discounted entry for multiple events through the season. The pass works as a punch card, giving you a certain number of entries. Click the button below to be directed to the purchasing website. Passes will then be able to be picked up in our front office.

PLEASE LET US KNOW!!

ATTENDANCE HOTLINE 614-801-8884

SWCS is excited to continue using an innovative new tool for parents and guardians this school year in the form of a new Absence Request tool within the Infinite Campus Parent Portal (web or mobile application)! Parents and guardians can use this new Absence Request tool to submit a request that informs the office in advance when their student is not going to be in school. After the request is processed, an attendance record is created for the student. The tool helps parents log all types of absences at the ease of their fingertips, while also automating administrative tasks for school front offices in the process.

As a reminder, Ohio law requires written notification of all types of absences, including full-day absences, late arrivals, and early dismissals. Absence Requests can now be submitted through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Click the button below for instructions.

Reminder to all 7th Grade Parents: The Ohio Department of Health requires all 7th graders to have a Tdap and Meningococcal vaccination prior to the start of the school year. Please turn in updated vaccine records to our school nurse, Jessica Vehr, or you can email them to jessica.vehr@swcsd.us

There are two documents linked below with more information!

• Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
• Annual Emergency Information Update
• Free and Reduced Lunch Application
• JMS Daily Announcements

Jackson Middle School

Asst. Principal: Laurie Buchieri

Main Office: 614-801-3800

Attendance Line: 614-801-8884

Website: jms.swcsd.us
Location: 2271 Holton Road, Grove City, OH 43123
Twitter: @JMS_Jaguars

Previous Weekly Newsletters: https://jms.swcsd.us/newsletters