Eagle Eye JMS Parent Newsletter #29
February 28-March 3, 2023
Hello, Jefferson Middle School families and parents!
As we begin our final round of benchmark testing this week, we are anticipating success in all of our classes! Students and teachers have been working so diligently towards specific, measurable, timebound goals. We are so honored to be part of a team that impacts student progress and achievement. We will say it again; JMS has the very best families, and we are so thankful for your support and efforts as we are on our last leg of the race this year. Please encourage your child to sleep and eat well, arrive to school on time, and to perform their best on their MVP benchmark tests. We will also do our best to ensure all students have an optimal testing environment with all accommodations.
We have several events and upcoming opportunities for families and students in our newsletter. Be sure to check it all out.
Please do not ever hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Have a wonderful week!
Phil Cox, Principal, pcox@ortn.edu
Ben Fowler, Vice Principal, bjfowler@ortn.edu
Brian Tinker, Dean of Students, bjtinker@ortn.edu
Elizabeth Leavitt, Instructional Technology Coach, ealeavitt@ortn.edu
February 27-March 3, 2023
Monday 27, A Day
- Human Sexuality Presentation 8th Gr during PE
- Track Practice 3:00-4:30 Chess Club Library 2:45-3:45
- Board of Ed Meeting SAB 5:00
- Wilderness Connections Parent/Student Meeting JPAC 6:30
Tuesday, 28, B Day
- Human Sexuality Presentation 8th Gr during PE
- Track Practice 3:00-4:30
Wednesday, March 1, A Day
- Spring Benchmark-Math/Soc Studies
- Track Practice 1:00-2:30
Thursday, March 2, B Day
- Spring Benchmark-Math/Soc Studies
- Track Practice 3:00-4:30
Friday, March 3, A Day
- Youth for Christ Band Room 7:10 AM
- Spring Benchmark-Math/Soc Studies
- Ms. Kala’s class to The Oak Ridger Wilderness Connections to Big South Fork NRAA 3:00
- Track Practice 3:00-4:30
Saturday, March 4
- Wilderness Connections return 3:30
Parents, check out the Class of 2027 newsletter; it is LOADED with valuable information, documents, and tips to help your 8th grade child be successful, even before the first day of high school!
JMS's very own Joseph Golden was presented with "EMPLOYEE of the YEAR" award, and while we want to congratulate him, we are not at all surprised. Anyone who knows or meets Joseph is well aware that, as his last name echoes, he is so valuable to all of us and shines with a golden heart and work ethic. He consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that our school, students, and staff are accommodated. Hats off to Joseph! Well-deserved!
Black History Month Essay Contest 2023: Submissions Due by March 6!
BLACK HISTORY MONTH CONTEST 2023 The Branch’s Education Committee is sponsoring a Black History Month Contest for Oak Ridge School/Anderson County Schools Middle (6-8) and High School (9-12) youths. Awards will be given to 1st, 2nd and 3rdPlace winners from Oak Ridge Schools and Anderson County Schools. The Black History Month Contest question will be:
“How would you create a curriculum to include the Clinton 12 or the Scarboro 85 in the school system.” You could create a podcast, develop a lesson plan, or develop a creative or dramatic art project (like a mural or a play for example).
*Please see the attached flyer for details!
JMS Track & Field is in full swing; coaches and students are dedicating time and energy to conditioning and practicing. We are so excited for the upcoming competitive season!
We also took time to celebrate our Eagles, Lady Eagles, and Cheerleaders now that basketball has ended for a short season.
The 2023 JMS Track & Field Schedule is below.
As always, GO EAGLES!
Thank you,
Coach Bolling
Attention Parents and Guardians of 6th and 8th grade students
On February 16th, 17th, 6th graders participated, and this week during PE; this week (Feb. 27 and 28), 8th graders will participate in the Oak Ridge Board of Education approved Family Life curriculum.
The programming will be age appropriate and address topics covered in the 6th and 8th grade Health Education standards.
6th Grade Family Life Information
Lessons presented will be age- appropriate information on the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up. Boys and girls will be separated for this presentation, but will watch the same video. The link for the video is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw1N06PKhu4
8th Grade Family Life Information
Lessons presented will be age-appropriate information on the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up. Information on sexually transmitted diseases, refusal skills, abstinence, HIV/AIDS is also included. Students will remain in the same classroom, unlike when boys and girls were separated in the 6th grade program. This information will be presented by Mrs. Tracey Robbins.
Per School Board Policy 4.213, a parent/guardian has the right to opt their child out of participating in the family life education programming. Your child may be assigned alternative health activities and will not be penalized academically.
https://forms.office.com/r/gGV1b9H2pc
If you would like additional information about the program, or if you have further questions, please feel free to contact Katie Bolling, Sean Jessie or Casey Ensley at 425-9301 or by email at ksbolling@ortn.edu, skjessie@ortn.edu, or ceensley@ortn.edu.
The Benefits of Eating Meals as a Family
Take a moment right now and think about when your family sits down together to eat a meal—is it something that happens frequently or a rare occurrence? Is a TV usually on? Do you all sit and linger, or does everyone hurry in and hurry out to continue whatever they were doing? The family meal has become a bit of a lost art in the modern age, where life moves at breakneck speed, long work schedules are juggled, screens are glued to everyone, and activities and other commitments fill up the “off” hours.
But whether your family is just two people or ten, eating together at the table should be a priority because it offers more benefits than most people realize. Family meals don’t have to be extravagant or consist of complicated dishes; it’s less about what’s on the table than who’s at the table.
Why eat together?
Besides the obvious fact that family time is important for bonding, here are other research-backed benefits to eating together:
Physical health:
Meals tend to be more balanced and nutritious, containing the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. People eat slower and talk more, which allows more time for digestion and helps prevent overeating because there is more time to recognize fullness. Kids who eat with their family are exposed to a wider variety of foods and become less picky.
Mental and emotional health:
It’s much-needed time to catch up, reconnect, and find out what’s happening in your children’s lives. This builds closer bonds, and you recognize potential issues your children may be having.
Through this time together, kids build greater self-esteem and parents are able to role model healthy behaviors, whether it’s choosing nutritious foods or problem-solving a conflict. Kids and teens who eat family meals may earn higher grades in school, experience fewer symptoms of depression, and are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, like drug use. For kids in early childhood, family meals help develop language and social skills.
And one final benefit? It saves money—potentially quite a bit, depending on how frequently your family eats outside the home.
For more tips on how to make the most of family meals, visit Action for Healthy Kids Web Site.
STUDENTS of the WEEK
Congratulations to our students who were recognized for honesty this short week back to school. We are so proud of our Character Trait winners each week!
6th Grade: Erica Schildt😁
7th Grade: Gretchen Grubb🙂 and Kaleigh Wright😃
8th Grade: Brody Parker😊
We also want to note that our Character Trait program is tied directly to our ORS district POG, as represented in "LIFE READY" above: Students exhibit traits of citizens ready for life with age-appropriate measures of self-awareness, self-discipline, and empathy.
