Jaguar News!
One School, One Purpose: Together We Can!
Monday, October 2, 2023, Volume 1, Issue 8
Weekly Update from Dr. B.
Dear Unity Braxton Parents, Guardians, and students,
UBMS will go live with our EVOLV Screening System on Thursday, October 5, 2023. Beginning on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, we will be taking the opportunity to provide our students with the opportunity to practice lining up, removing their laptops from their backpacks, and other small steps that need to be taken to ensure the screening system is not alerted. Please remind your children to limit the items stored in their backpacks, and only bring essentials to school.
This Wednesday, October 4, 2023, UBMS will be hosting our 1st School Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting of the 2023-2024 school year. We will be meeting in the UBMS Library at 5:30 p.m. Our SAC meetings are very important for our school community, as our SAC has the opportunity to learn about possible new initiatives provide input, and assist with the decision-making process. The UBMS SAC is open to teachers, staff, parents, and community stakeholders. I look forward to welcoming everyone who is interested in participating this Wednesday.
As a reminder, school begins at 8:15 a.m. Students will be marked tardy if they arrive at Advisory class after the tardy bell at 8:18 a.m. Please help your middle school student to arrive on-time for school.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
Yours truly,
Dr. B
"High Expectations are the Foundations of our Success!?
7th Annual Title I Family Camp
Dear Families,
The Seventh Annual Title I FamilyCamp is right around the corner. The Title I program hopes you can attend this free event from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at Hampton Middle School, 14800 Darbydale Avenue, Woodbridge, VA 22193.
This will be a wonderful day of learning and sharing with other parents, school staff, and community partners!
Session topics will include:
· Reading, math, science, and social studies
· Gifted Education
· English language learners
· Career and technical education
· Mental health, managing behaviors
· Understanding vaping
· College readiness
· Community resource fair
Your children and potty-trained preschoolers are welcome to join the KidCamp and Pre-K Camp so they can learn and play while you attend sessions of your choice. This is not a “drop off” event; you must register for the FamilyCamp for your children to participate.
Please visit the Title I FamilyCamp webpage to register.
UBMS Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
This week we will highlight the contributions of Sonya Sotomayor:
Sonia Sotomayor is the first Latinx justice on the supreme court. She was born in the Bronx in 1954. Her father died when she was 11. Ms. Sotomayor’s mother worked as a nurse and stressed the value of education to her children. Sonia worked hard throughout school and attended Princeton, where she struggled at first. Not one to give up, she sought remediation and graduated college with the highest possible academic honors. She went on to law school at Yale.
In addition to her work as a judge, Ms. Sotomayor has written several books: Pasando Paginas, Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You!, and My Beloved World.
Monday, October 2, 2023
Attendance Review Team @ 2:00 p.m.
Department Mtgs @ 3:15-4:00 p.m.
Boys' Soccer vs. UBMS @ Gainesville
Volleyball vs. UBMS @ Reagan
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
SST Mtgs 8:30-10:00 a.m.
Grade-Level Mtgs
Football vs. Bull Run @ UBMS
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Boys' Soccer vs. Metz @ UBMS
Volleyball vs. Bull Run @ UBMS
UBMS School Advisory Council (SAC) @ 5:30-6:30 p.m.
School Board Mtg @ 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 5, 2023
PICTURE DAY
Girls' Track vs. Gainesville @ UBMS
Friday, October 6, 2023
PICTURE DAY
Monday, October 9, 2023
No School for Students - Professional Learning Day for Teachers
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM THE UBMS CAFETERIA
STUDENT LAPTOPS
STUDENT LAPTOPS
Student laptops will be distributed to each student the first day of school. Please make sure to finish your first-day packet online before the first day through ParentVUE. Information will be shared in JAGUAR NEWS. Students will also benefit from having a set of headphones that are compatible with their school laptop.
Availability of optional device insurance
- Parents/guardians have the option to purchase low-cost student device insurance through the PWCS-approved third-party vendor, Securranty. This optional insurance opportunity will be shared with PWCS parents/guardians by the Communications Department once school begins.
- Parents/guardians will sign up on their own with the following information:
- a. School name
- b. Student last name, first name
- c. Student ID number
- d. Debit/credit card information
- If purchased, the insurance covers unlimited repairs or replacements for everything from broken screens, lost chargers, and accidental damage, with a zero deductible for one year on a school-issued HP device. The insurance cost is $32.95, which may be significantly less than repair or replacement costs without insurance.
- TSSPECs at each school location will be trained in accessing the insurance website specific to each school to see the families who have paid for the insurance, how to file a claim, and how to contact Daly for a repair and/or replacement.
UBMS NON-NEGOTIABLES
We are keeping it specific this year...
NO HATS
NO HOODIES
NO CELL PHONES
NO EARBUDS/AIRPODS
SCHOOL STATUS COMMUNICATION SETTINGS
Parents - Check your School Status Communications Settings:
Stay in the know! Check or Modify your SchoolStatus communications settings:
Check your Subscription Status - text STATUS to 939393
Subscribe to School Messages - text START to 939393
Unsubscribe from School Messages - text STOP to 939393
UBMS DRESS CODE (FROM PWCS CODE OF BEHAVIOR)
The following clothing items are prohibited:
- reveal bare skin to the extent that they distract or may foreseeably distract other students or staff;
- reveal or expose undergarments;
- fit in a manner as to reveal or expose undergarments;
- contain vulgar, discriminatory, lewd patently offensive, or obscene language or images;
- contain threats or gang symbols;
- promotes the use of weapons and violence, or the use of alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs, and/or associated paraphernalia;
- cause or may foreseeably cause a disruption to the learning environment; and
- accessories that could be regarded as or used as a weapon
- bandanas
- crop tops
- hoods
- excessively tight/revealing clothing
PWCS TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
Wondering where the bus is? Check out Here Comes the Bus
Wondering if the bus is delayed? Check out the PWCS Bus Delay Website
Questions or concerns about your bus route? Contact Transportation Services
Student Behavior
Dear Parents, Guardians, & Students,
It is important that every member of the UBMS community understands that participating and/or spectating at PWCS school-sponsored events is a privilege and not an expectation. Students are expected to model their best behavior and be a role models for their peers. Additionally, students who choose to be spectators to any school events, are also required to follow the PWCS Code of Behavior and model acceptable behavior and respect to others.
In the rare situation when a student is not able to follow these expectations, is reminded by a member of staff to correct their behavior, and fails to do so, they will be asked to leave the event/activity. Additionally, a student who is unable to represent themselves in a positive light may be restricted from attending any after-school events.
Parents and guardians, please remind your students of our expectations. We want to represent the best UBMS has to offer to our visiting schools and community.
ARRIVAL
SCHOOL BEGINS AT 8:15 a.m.
- Door One (1) will open at 7:45 a.m.
- ALL students will enter through DOOR ONE. They can either go LEFT for Breakfast, or STRAIGHT AHEAD/RIGHT to head to their Advisory Class. Students who choose to go in the direction of their classes first, WILL NOT be able to loop back around and then go to breakfast.
- Breakfast will be served from 7:45-8:10 a.m. (except for late buses)
- Students will be given from 8:10-8:15 a.m. to arrive at their Advisory Class.
- Students who arrive after 8:15 a.m. will be marked LATE to school & class.
- ANNOUNCEMENTS will begin at 8:18 a.m. EVERY MORNING
DISMISSAL
SCHOOL DISMISSAL BEGINS at 2:55 p.m.
- Afternoon Announcements BEGIN at 2:52 p.m.
- At 2:55 p.m. we will begin DISMISSAL.
- DISMISSAL Procedures will be displayed via PADLET for students, and will be announced over the PA.
- Students WILL NOT be allowed to leave the building and RE-ENTER.
- Students will be required to take the mode of transportation indicated in the HUB. (If they are a walker, then will be dismissed with walkers; if they ride a bus, they will be dismissed with bus riders).
- AFTER 2:35 p.m. NO STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO BE SIGNED OUT FOR EARLY DISMISSAL. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY
Parents and Guardians: have you activated your ParentVUE account? This online portal allows you to access some student information (Student ID, Student email), grades, schedules, emergency card information and more.
Important: Please contact the main office if you do not have the activation key required to create the account and have your current email address available.
➡️ Read more about getting started with ParentVUE
You may access ParentVUE online, but for the best mobile experience, we encourage you to download the ParentVUE App from the Google Play Store and Apple Store.
PWCS uses the “Say Something” Anonymous Reporting System (SS-ARS) designed specifically for students in grades 6-12 and staff to report any type of serious or potentially violent concerns of unsafe behavior or threats of harm to self or others. Say Something is a youth violence prevention program from the national nonprofit organization Sandy Hook Promise and is provided and sustained at no cost to PWCS.
“Tipsters” can send reports on anything from school threats they’ve seen or overheard to personal crises including sexual harassment, self-harm, and depression. The system enables school administrators and those in law enforcement to create effective interventions and intervene upon at-risk individuals to help prevent violence, suicide, bullying, self-harm, and other forms of threatening behavior.
All tips submitted receive an immediate response by one of the highly skilled crisis counselors at the Sandy Hook Promise National Crisis Center; this person then determines the necessary support steps. When credible tips are received that are life-threatening and require immediate attention, the crisis center will notify school-based representatives, even after hours. And, in cases of imminent threat, the crisis center will contact local 911 dispatch and involve law enforcement. Users can submit a tip by calling 1-844-5-SAYNOW or by visiting www.saysomething.net. The free app is available for download from the App Store and Google Play Store, where students can submit tips instantly.
The Unity Braxton Middle School PTO is looking for a few good people to join the board as well as enthusiastic volunteers for this school year. If you are interested, please email ubmspto@gmail.com.
Vice President: Assist the President with staff communication, event planning, fundraising, and more.,
Treasurer: Collect and deposit dues and payments, write checks, maintain the books, and report monthly.,
Secretary: Take meeting minutes, post social media announcements, and manage email newsletter lists.,
VP Fundraising: Coordinate fundraising efforts, publicize them to the school community, and monitor progress."