News and events - Nov. 11, 2022
Fall Musical Performances - November 18 & 19
Jackson Middle School 6th through 8th grade students will perform the musical "Frozen Jr." on November 18 and 19 at 7 PM in Jaguar Gym 1.
Disney's Frozen JR. is based on the 2018 Broadway musical and brings Elsa, Anna, and the magical land of Arendelle to life onstage. When Queen Elsa accidentally sets off an eternal winter in the town of Arendelle, her younger sister Anna (along with her friends Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven) goes off on a thrilling adventure to find her sister and save the kingdom.
All are welcome to attend! Tickets are taken at the door-- $10 family, $5 adults, $2 students. The doors will open at 6:45 PM on each night of the performances. Come early to get a good seat!
Technology Protection Plan - DEADLINE TO ENROLL EXTENDED!
Families now have until December 2, 2022 to enroll in the Technology Protection Plan.
- Damage to Chromebooks after 12/2/22 will be assessed the full replacement cost of the parts or the device (up to $410 for a new Chromebook or $190 for a new screen - our most common accidental damage)
- The cost of the plan is $20 for a single student and $60 for a family of three or more in grades 6-12 with a $15 per incident deductible.
- Reduced lunch families pay $10 per student ($15 per incident deductible)
- Free lunch families pay $0 ($15 per incident deductible)
For more information, please see this brochure.
Young Scientist Roundtable
6th, 7th, and 8th grade students attended the Young Scientist Roundtable at Central Middle School in Plymouth on Thursday, November 10. This event is put on by the Wayzata School District and featured University of Minnesota's Dr. Joanne L. Slavin discussing “Microbiome - It's Impact on Brain Health”. This was a great opportunity for our students to extend their learning day.
Health and Wellness in School
Minnesota is starting to see an uptick in flu cases, according to new data from the state department of health. We have also seen the number of illnesses in our JMS students on the rise. We want to continue to keep our students and staff healthy and safe. If your child does get sick, keep them home from school so they don't share their illness with others. Please reference the school districts guidelines to help with this decision:
If a student has had a fever of 100 degrees or more, the student must stay home for 24 hours after the temperature returns to normal without fever-reducing medication.
If a student vomited or had diarrhea, the student must stay home until 24 hours after the last episode.
If a student is ill, please call the school daily to report the illness 763-506-5206
If you have questions, please contact our JMS Health Office at 763-506-5204 or
visit the district's resources for more information.
Join the Jackson Middle School Team - AVID Tutors Needed
Are you, or a family member, looking for a part-time job? Jackson’s AVID program is in need of high school graduates that would like to work two days a week with small groups of 7th and 8th grade students. The paraeducator job is every Monday and Wednesday from 12:30 to 3:30. Paraeducators receive training and work with AVID teachers and other paras. The goal is to provide consistent support to students as they use questioning to help each other through classwork in all academic areas. These small groups are student directed and promote connections and teamwork through questioning. Understanding of teaching various subjects is not required, but please check the Anoka-Hennepin postings for the specifics (AVID Paraeducators - Supplemental Programs). There is also a 3-day a week position that is shared with Coon Rapids Middle if interested in more hours and experiences.
This is a thriving program that continues for students to Champlin Park and we would love to have you as part of the support team for our diverse group of 7th and 8th grade AVID students. Please contact Dawn Kugler-Park (dawn.kuglerpark@ahschools.us) with questions.
National Parent Involvement Day - November 17
When Families, Teachers, Students and others view one another as Partners in Education, students succeed. November 17 is National Parent Involvement Day. Thank you to the wonderful Jackson Middle School volunteers who give of their time each day. Our volunteers have put in 815 hours this school year.
If you are not yet one of our volunteers, sign up today. Please reach out to our Volunteer Service Coordinator, Kristine Wippich, at kristine.wippich@ahschools.us with any questions or follow this link to fill out your volunteer forms today JMS Volunteer Application
Parents/Guardians don't forget to complete your back-to-school forms online.
Parents/guardians are asked to complete the back-to-school annual information verification, if you haven't already done so. This is a required annual process for families to sign off on photo restriction, directory information, and updates to student's information. If you have more than one student, you will need to complete this for each student.
Start at the school district website https://www.ahschools.us/ and follow the instructions.
Providing family choice: Anoka-Hennepin features four specialty and magnet schools at the high school level
Anoka-Hennepin offers four specialty and magnet schools at the high school level that are designed to provide families with additional choices at no cost. Students who live within the Anoka-Hennepin boundaries may apply to enroll at any of the specialty or magnet schools.
The specialty and magnet programs provide in-demand educational options such as the arts, science, technology, math, engineering and biomedical sciences (STEM/STEAM), as well as International Baccalaureate (IB).
The magnet schools are offered to students districtwide in partnership with the Northwest Suburban Integration School District (NWSISD) which provides transportation to those schools. The application window is open for the 2023-24 school year, closing Dec. 31, 2022. Students may also enroll at the specialty schools using an in-district transfer process without transportation. Applications are accepted between Dec. 1, 2022 and Jan. 15, 2023 for priority consideration.
The specialty and magnet schools are hosting information nights/open houses for families to learn more about the programs offered. The schools are also offering in-person tours upon request. View the full list of school offerings and open house or tour information.
Upcoming in-person and virtual open house/information nights
High Schools
Nov. 14 - 5:45 p.m. - Blaine High School - More information and sign up
Nov. 16 - 6-8 p.m. - Anoka High School - LMC/Makerspace
Dec. 6 - 6:30 p.m. - Coon Rapids High School - Auditorium
Dec. 13 - 6-7 p.m. - Champlin Park High School - South Lecture Hall
Dec. 15 - 6-8 p.m. - Anoka High School - LMC/Makerspace
Jan. 5 - 6-7 p.m. - Champlin Park High School - South Lecture Hall
Winter weather reminders
Minnesota weather is shifting gears, and the Anoka-Hennepin School District has plans in place for when extreme winter weather arrives.
The safety of all students is the first priority when determining if schools should stay open in adverse weather. If a determination is made to close school due to extreme winter weather, the district will alert families in a variety of ways, including:
Phone, text or email message from AHlert system (for Anoka-Hennepin parents/guardians only).
District and school websites.
District and school social media pages (e.g. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).
Media outlets including WCCO, KSTP, FOX 9, KARE 11, CCX Media, WCCO radio and Star Tribune newspaper.
Those responsible for activities scheduled in schools over the weekend will determine if adverse weather conditions necessitate a cancellation.
Read more about the district’s policies on extreme winter weather at ahschools.us/weather.
School Based Mental Health Newsletter
This e-newsletter is published by Jackson Middle School, supported by the Anoka-Hennepin communication and public relations department. Questions, comment or concerns about the school e-newsletter? Contact us.