Eagle Eye JMS Parent Newsletter #34

Our benchmark data shows that we are preparing your students well. Historical data shows that we outperform our own benchmarks when it comes to the TCAP exam. Our newsletter next week, our internal bulletin board system, and our announcements will tell students more about the exams and more about the testing schedule. We will be broadcasting videos and tips on test taking, reducing anxiety, and stress relief. Your students take these tests seriously, and we are appreciative. All we ask is that they come to school well-rested and with a mind to finish their testing strong.

After testing, your JMS teachers have MORE educational opportunities for students. Many teachers will turn to Project Based Learning (PBL), some will continue to refine and dive deep into parts of the curriculum to ground the knowledge your students have gained this year. And some will prepare your students' skillsets for next year.

Behavior and Academic Expectations:

As we enter our final weeks of school, occasionally the warming temperatures and the allure of a near summer vacation, can combine with a "TCAPS are done; I'm done!" attitude which can lead students to discipline trouble. Just like the dress code, our expectations at JMS don't change with the change of the season. You can see the JMS Student Handbook, the ORS Code of Conduct, and our Student Success Assembly presentation below in the email. We will have another Student Success assembly in the next week, but we would love for you to have a similar conversation with your student.

Let's finish this term strong! Thank you so much for all you do to support your children, our JMS Eagles!

Phil Cox, Principal, pcox@ortn.edu

Ben Fowler, Vice Principal, bjfowler@ortn.edu

Jacob Quilliams, Dean of Students jrquilliams@ortn.edu

Elizabeth Leavitt, Instructional Technology Coach, ealeavitt@ortn.edu

l7th/8th Grade Dance Tickets on sale

Monday, and Tuesday during lunch

Monday 15 B day

7th/8th Grade Dance Tickets on sale during lunch

Instructional Coaches Meeting POG 2:00

JMS Master Builders Practice 2:45-4:30

Chess Club Practice Library 3:00-4:00

French Trip Meeting Eagle Innovation Ctr. 6:

Track & Field Meet @ ORHS 5:00

Tuesday 16. A day

7th/8th Grade Dance Tickets on sale during lunch

RadioActive Brix Practice 2:45-4:30

Track & Field Practice 3:00-4:30

Wednesday. 17 B day

TCAP-ELA Subpart 1

Spring Athletic Coaches Meeting Eagle’s Nest 3:00

Track & Field Practice 1:00-3:00

Thursday 18 A day

TCAP-ELA Subparts 2 and 3

Track & Field Meet @ Lenior City MS 4:30

Friday19 B day

TCAP-ELA Subpart 4

7th/8th Grade Dance Gym 6:30-8:30 PM

Saturday 20

5th/6th Grade Bands to Music in the Parks

@ Seymour HS/Dollywood 6:30AM-8:00PM

Hello JMS Parents!

The end of the year is fast approaching, and our current 8th graders will soon be freshmen!!! When did that happen?!

We are seeking as many donations as possible of $10 gift cards to distribute as prizes to our 8th grade graduating class this year.

Chic fil A, McDonalds, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Dutch Bros--Are all favorites! We always have an end of year party for our 8th grade students that will be moving onto ORHS. We will give them away as prizes. You do not need to be an 8th grade parent to participate in donating!! Remember you’ll have an 8th grader very soon!! We hope we can rely on your generous donations; we would greatly appreciate it. The 8th grade party will take place on Tuesday, May 28th, 2024.

*PLEASE DONATE NO LATER THAN MAY 17th, 2024*

You can drop your donations off to JMS in care of Susanne Wren PTO President.

We are also requesting volunteers and donations of prepackaged desserts.

With appreciation,

PTO

Susanne Wren, Kayla Colwell, Eric Schmitt, Amanda Steele

But in the meantime, here is our schedule for testing!

April 19th 6:30-8:30 Jefferson Middle School Gymnasium

Tickets will be sold during lunch April 9th, April 11th -12th.

Tickets are $10.00 each (May NOT be purchased the night of the dance) please keep up with tickets as this is your way in.

Attire: Semi-Formal/Sunday Best (School dress code does apply)

Finger Foods and drinks will be provided

Creative Imagery photography will be taking pictures envelopes and order forms will be given with the ticket purchase. Picture money/order forms must be given to the photographer when your picture is taken the night of the dance.

As administrators, we strive to create pathways for your participation, ensuring that we listen and gain better insights into your concerns and needs. Here are some key points we’d like to share:

1. Collaboration Matters: True parent engagement is a collaborative experience. We want to discuss issues and brainstorm solutions together. Your voice is essential, and we value the perspectives that come from different members of our educational village.

2. Flexible Communication: We understand that family time commitments have evolved. Many of you have busy schedules, and we respect that. To keep you informed, we regularly communicate using various tools such as emails, phone calls, smartphones, and social media.

3. Authentic Experiences: When families do have opportunities to engage, we make that time count. Authentic experiences with meaningful opportunities for dialogue and relationship building are crucial. Whether it’s attending school events, participating in student programs, or contributing to our community, your involvement matters.

4. Listening First: We promise to listen. Your concerns, hopes, and expectations are essential to us. Our teachers invest time in communicating with you about your child’s successes, challenges, and accomplishments. We’re here to respond thoughtfully and address any questions you may have.

Remember, the village—comprising educators, parents, and caregivers—is responsible for nurturing our children’s growth. Let’s continue working together to ensure student success and create lasting memories for our families.

Sources:

1. Administrators share advice for engaging families1
2. Guidance for School Administrators to Communicate with Students2
3. Family engagement and student success: What the research says3

Parents, this is a friendly reminder that students CANNOT bring medications to school. Parents must bring the medication to the clinic. This policy is both for student safety and making sure the documentation is complete. Parents, please bring any medication for your students to the clinic to Nurse Callison.

There are two opportunities to obtain a 2024-2025 sports physical next weekend!

On Saturday and Sunday, April 20th and 21st, there will be FREE sports physicals at Roane State Community College in Harriman.

On Saturday, April 20th, sports physicals will be offered at Oak Ridge High School Wildcat Arena from 9am-noon. The cost for the physicals is $10.

2024-2025 Sports Physical Forms are now available for student-athletes to pick up in the in the main office, at the security entrance or during PE in the gym. All requirements, links to forms, and announcements by sport are also posted on our school website at: https://www.ortn.edu/jefferson/athletics/

Athletic Update for Newsletter:

The Jefferson Track & Field Team has a busy week this upcoming week with two track meets. On Monday, Jefferson will travel across town to Oak Ridge High School for a very competitive meet beginning at 5pm. On Thursday, Jefferson will travel to Coulter Grove Intermediate School, in Maryville, for another extremely competitive meet beginning at 4:30pm. Please come out and support the JMS Track & Field Team this week. Go Eagles!

2024-2025 JMS Athletics Try-Out Information:

JMS Athletics try-outs for the 2024-2025 school year are coming soon! Prior to trying out, all athletes must have a sports physical on file. 2024-2025 sports physical forms will be available after April 15, 2024. The date that free sports physicals will be offered will be announced soon. Specific details about try-outs and the requirements of the sports physical will be shared at the individual sports interest meetings.

Girls Basketball:

Interest Meeting: April 22nd at 7:10am in room 218

Try-Outs: May 13th and 14th—3-4:30pm both days

Boys Basketball:

Interest Meeting: April 24th at 7:10am in room 218

Try-Outs: May 13th and 14th—4:30pm-6pm both days

Volleyball:

Interest Meeting: April 23rd at 7:10am in room 218

Try-Outs: May 29th (1:30-3pm) and May 30th (9-10:30am)

Football:

Try-outs will be on Thursday May 2nd & Friday May 3rd from 3-4:30pm both days.

Cheerleading:

Interest Meeting: April 9th 7:10am in room 306

Tryouts, April 22nd—25th.

• Monday & Tuesday: Cheer Clinic 3:30-5:30pm
• Wednesday: Mock Tryouts 1-2pm
• Thursday: Tryouts from 3:30-5:30pm

Cross Country:

TBD

If you have any questions about spring athletic try-outs, please reach out to the coach of the team or to Athletic Director, Katie Bolling.

Dear JMS Parents,

We open every sporting event at JMS with the same comments about Good Sportsmanship. We believe that student athletes develop life-long personal and interpersonal skill sets by participation in and support of our extracurricular events. We rarely have any issues on this front. For example, the City Basketball Championship this past weekend between RMS and JMS was a rousing demonstration of GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP --fantastic fans, dedicated players, and supportive family and friends. Though we compete and play hard, we (the parents, the staff, the supporters) engaged in the good sportsmanship we want to see in our students. We thank you for that! Even though the Eagles did not come out victorious and the day itself was rainy and chilly, it was a great experience for kids and the many parents and staff members it takes to run this event. The comradery at these events builds into our great ORHS fan base.

However, due to changes in TSSAA rules, JMS Admin wanted to remind all spectators of the policies regarding expectations of spectators at any school athletic event. Whether here at Jefferson or away at another school, we hold our students and our supporters to the same high standards. Some of these policies are state level requirements. Due to recent events at other sporting venues in Tennessee, TSSAA updated their bylaws in July 2023. Article II section 9 of the TSSAA bylaws now states that:

For fans ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct during a contests, the school will be fined a minimum of $250.00. In addition, other non-monetary disciplinary action may occur, including but not limited to probation and/or restricted probation for the entire athletic program.

As such, any JMS parent or supporter that is ejected from a game will be required to pay whatever fine is assessed before they can attend future extracurricular events.

Game officials (referees, school administrators, athletic directors, and SROs) have the power to remove a supporter from a venue for unsportsmanlike conduct. Per the TSSAA website, "The most common unsportsmanlike scenarios involve coaches and fans displaying disrespectful behavior towards officials, players, and other coaches. This includes yelling and arguing with officials, making inappropriate comments, refusing to leave the court or gymnasium when asked, and even physically confronting or threatening officials." Ultimately, the definition of unsportsmanlike conduct will be at the general discretion of the game officials, and game officials control access to the playing field.

In the event of an emergency, the JMS administration will work with you to ensure that you have access to your student. Your student safety is paramount to us. It may take us a moment, but we will work with you.

The goal of JMS administration is to uphold the high standards which make JMS a school of excellence. To achieve this goal we ask that all or our fans adhere to the JMS code of conduct and follow the guidelines below:

• Good sportsmanship should always be emphasized by student athletes and spectators.

• Booing has no place at school-sponsored activities.

• Students and parents in attendance at athletic events should remain seated in the stands during the contest and stay off the basketball court, football field, track, and other playing areas.

• JMS campus is smoke free. This includes e-cigarettes, and other types of devices, including all VAPING.

Again, we rarely have these issues, but with changing state policies, we like to keep our parents informed. Thank you so much for being such great supporters of Jefferson sports and other extra curricular activities. If you have any questions, please let us know.

- Mr. Cox, Mr. Fowler, and Dr. Quilliams.

Congratulations to our students of the week! We are always so proud; teachers and staff nominate students carefully and with specific reasons and actions displayed by each student.

• Z'Meire Sanders
• Miguel Ayala Hernandez
• Kay'Den Gorden
• C.J. Stewart

The links below contain resources for setting up and accessing Skyward and Canvas, an updated calendar, along with a welcome message from our ITC coach and a link to district and school websites.

• Elizabeth Leavitt, ITC: Welcome Message

• School Calendar

• ORS District Website

• Jefferson Middle School Website

• Canvas Parent Account Setup.docx
  
• Skyward Family Access Account SETUP .docx
  

Please reach out to Elizabeth Leavitt at ealeavit@ortn.edu

When accessing Clever from the home network, it should initially pop up with this image:

Click on “Log in with Active Directory.” The next page should look like this:

This is where the student should log in using the format shown in the text boxes of this image, where “xxxxxxx” is the students username that they use to log into their laptop. Once the login has been completed, Clever should load into the page the student normally sees when their laptop is connected to our school network

Don’t forget to order your copy of the yearbook! We have sold half of what is available and they are first come first serve, so don’t wait! Go to jostensyearbooks.com and search for Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge, TN. Cost is $20 per yearbook.

You have received many communications this summer from the district about registering for the Bus through Skyward. If you have, but are not sure what bus your student is riding, here is how you check it.

FIRST! Log into Tyler's Versatrans E-Link https://transportation.ortn.edu/elinkrp/Login.aspx

Username: (use student’s name) firstname.lastname This is case sensitive–example: john.smith
Password: (use student birth date) in this format 03122007 for March 12, 2007

Click on Students, then View My Students. If you see a bus route there, you should be good. If you DO NOT see a bus route, you will need to update bus service! You will not have bus service on the first day of school.

To get bus service, log into Skyward and click on Forms. There is a bus request form. Transportation is working to move quickly to add new students to the bus, but it will take a few days before your student can be added to bus service.

First Student Transportation is working hard to get routes assigned to all students who requested bus service.

Once you are registered for transportation, you will be able to track your child's bus using the app information detailed below. Please see information on how to register for MyStop below.

MyStop - Parent/Student Login (You may click on the MyStop Picture to the left!)

• Username: (use student’s name - case sensitive) firstname.lastname
• Password: (use student birth date) in this format 03122007 for March 12, 2007

MyStop Phone App Available In Your App Store

Go to: Versatrans My Stop™ provides mobile access to bus information. This app displays the location of the user’s assigned school bus, as well as the estimated time of arrival to their stop. Students can plan for late or on-time arrival, and prevent missed pick-ups or being left outside in inclement weather.

Can’t Access the MyStop App?

If you are having difficulty accessing the MyStop App please take the following steps:

1. Please confirm the following:
2. You have downloaded the App from Tyler Technologies.
3. You are using the legal student name as listed in Skyward.
4. You have selected all lower case letters.First Student Transportation is working hard to get routes assigned to all students who requested bus service.

   
   

The local news has reported a small rise in COVID cases over the last couple of weeks. Below is a screenshot of the Isolation Guidance from the TN Department of Health (last updated 11 October 2022). The full document is linked below: https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/Isolation-QuarantineRelease.pdf