JMS Weekly Update
March 20, 2022
Dear JMS Families,
This week's Update contains information about the following:
- Food and Beverages in School - G Fuel
- Safe Walking
- Down Syndrome Awareness Day
- JMS Musical - Oliver Jr. - Ticket Sale
- Save the Children - Fundraiser for Ukraine
Please complete this FORM if anyone in your family has tested positive for COVID-19 or has been experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. We want to keep the children here and we want to keep them safe. This information is critical to the safety of the students and staff at JMS.
Take Care,
Dr. Sarah Shaw, Principal
Ms. Katelyn Deet, Assistant Principal
Weekly Schedule
Tuesday - Day 2 - Tuesday Talk
Wednesday - Day 3
Thursday - Day 4
Friday - Day 5
Monday (3/28) - Day 1
New News
Food and Beverages in School - G Fuel
It has come to our attention that students are bringing containers of G Fuel to school with the intent to mix, drink, share and sell. G Fuel is an energy drink mix that is popular among gamers. The caffeine content in this powdery mix is more than that found in Monster and Redbull drinks. We encourage you to review the following resources that share some insight about this drink and the impact it can have on teens.
We do not believe that students should have unlimited access to this stimulant while at school. If we see containers of G Fuel in school, they will be confiscated. Additionally, the behavior surrounding this product should promote conversations at home with your children. Specifically, the desire to consume with intent to feel hyped and the idea of selling and buying a substance.
Additionally, we would like to remind you to review our handbook with your child. Our handbook states:
Food and Beverages in School
Students must consume all food and beverages with the exception of water in the cafeteria, including food or beverages brought from home unless given permission and supervised by a teacher. Food or beverages that are dropped or spilled in the building create serious litter and health problems. Delivery of food to school is prohibited unless under the supervision of a staff member. Lunches that are delivered to school after the start of the school day are to be signed in at the Attendance Office.
Students are not permitted to sell food in school unless the sale is part of an administratively approved fundraising activity.
With the weather getting nicer, and more students walking to school we wanted to remind you how to cross the streets safely. Please look at these maps and review these safe walking routes with your child.
- Students SHOULD NOT be crossing at the corner of Bower Hill and Ruth.
- Students SHOULD walk to the crosswalk and cross at Linda Lane and Ruth.
- Students SHOULD NOT be crossing at the corner Moffett and Pin Oak.
- Students SHOULD walk to the crosswalk and cross Moffett in the crosswalk.
World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated annually on March 21, or 3/21, to represent the three copies of the 21st chromosome that people with Down syndrome are rockin’. It is a call for awareness, and more importantly, acceptance. We wear funky, mismatched socks to start a
conversation.
In honor of World Down Syndrome Day, Mt. Lebanon School District will be having a funky, mismatched sock and/or blue and yellow day on Monday, March 21st. Please wear your funky mismatched sock and/or blue and yellow to show your support.
Are you interested in seeing the amazing production of OLIVER JR. on March 24, 25, or 26?
If so, have your child visit Ms. Beckett's room (123) at any time to purchase as many tickets as you need for March 24, 25, or 26.
Please email Ashlee Beckett at abeckett@mtlsd.net if you have any questions or would like to arrange to pick up your tickets in the main office. All tickets are $10 and CASH ONLY is accepted! Come cheer on your peers as they share their talents and hard work with the JMS community!
JMS Save the Children - Fundraiser for Ukraine
6th graders at JMS are on a mission to raise money to help the people of Ukraine. We will be selling child and adult t-shirts to support "Save the Children - Ukraine". You can ORDER YOUR SHIRT HERE.
You can buy a t-shirt for one week only -- through March 27. Here's the link to buy the kid-designed shirt that says #bethekindkid and has the Ukrainian flag in a heart. 100% of the proceeds from this sale will be donated to SAVE THE CHILDREN to assist their efforts in helping the children of Ukraine.
JMS and the kids thank you for your support!
Other Information
If your child has a district issued chromebook (black), and has not yet exchanged it for a new model (gray) please email RemoteSupport@mtlsd.net to arrange a day and time to drop by the high school with their current chromebook to receive a new one.
PSSA/Keystone Testing Schedule
The district will be administering the PSSAs and the Keystones this year. The results we achieve on these exams provide us with valuable information that can be used to assess our students knowledge of grade level standards, our teaching, and our educational programing.
Our testing schedule for the Spring of 2022 is as follows:
- April 26-28 - English Language Arts (ELA) PSSA - Grades 6-8
- May 2 & 3 - Math PSSA - Grades 6-8
- May 4 & 5 - Science PSSA - Grade 8 only
- Keystone Algebra 1 - May 23 & 24 - Grade 8 only
Please understand that during the testing window, pre-approved absences will not be approved.
Technology
Families In Need of Technology
As we prepare to start the 2021-2022 school year, we are asking families who need to borrow student technology to please complete the form linked below:
Be sure to list every student for whom you need to borrow a device on this form. Once you have submitted your form, you will receive status emails including device pickup details from an @mtlsd.net email address. Please also be sure to whitelist @mtlsd.net email addresses with your email provider to ensure that you receive these communications from us.
Please direct any and all questions regarding loaned equipment to our support address: RemoteSupport@mtlsd.net
Athletics
Middle School Athletics
You can learn everything you need to know about Middle School Athletics, including starting dates, by visiting the MS Athletics Webpage.
JMS PTA Information
SHOPPER & SCHOOL REWARD PROGRAMS
Amazon
If you haven’t used AmazonSmile Before:
- Go to smile.amazon.com and sign in with your regular Amazon username and password.
- You will be prompted to choose a charity. You should enter "Jefferson Middle School PTA Inc” into the search box that appears. It will say "Pittsburgh, PA" as the location for the charity.
- Make sure whenever you check out, you always go to smile.amazon.com on your browser.
If you already use AmazonSmile:
- Go to smile.amazon.com and sign in with your username and password
- Make sure the charity you’ve selected is "Jefferson Middle School PTA Inc." This information is located under the search bar where it says “supporting”.
- If it isn’t, you can change it by clicking on the charity and selecting “change”
- This will bring you to a page where you can search for “Jefferson Middle School PTA Inc” and allow you to switch charities.
Make sure whenever you check out, you always go to smile.amazon.com to checkout.
If you shop on the Amazon app. Please activate Amazon Smile on your mobile app by opening the app and finding ’Settings’ in the main menu (☰). Tap on ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile on your phone.
Box Tops
Scanning Box Tops is an easy way to earn money for our school. See Box Tops for more information on how to scan Box Tops and to download the app. Receipts must be scanned within 14 days for the Box Tops to be scanned electronically.
Office Depot/Office Max
Office Depot/Office Max has a school rewards program. When shopping, remember to ask the cashier to tag Jefferson Middle School. For online orders, enter our school ID (Thomas Jefferson Middle School ID:70088453 Pittsburgh, PA) on the Thank You Confirmation page.
Resources For Families
The MTLSD School Counselors in partnership with The Allegheny Children's Initiative Inc., have compiled a list of social services resources that may be helpful to you and your family. Please take a look and reach out to these organizations. They are here to help with any of the following:
- Food
- Rent/Mortgage
- Utilities
- Pets
- Abuse
- Mental Health
- General Assistance
Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late. With Safe2Say Something, it’s easy and confidential to report safety concerns to help prevent violence and tragedies.
Here’s how it works:
- Submit a report through the Safe2SaySomething system
- Crisis center reviews, assesses and processes all submissions
- Crisis center sends all submissions to school administration and/or law enforcement for intervention
- If needed, crisis center may contact tipster anonymously through the app
Jefferson Middle School
The Jefferson Middle School learning community has an exceptional reputation for its dedicated teachers, staff and parents working together to provide learning experiences for our children that include high expectations, a challenging curriculum and a shared commitment to provide the best education possible for each and every student.
Email: sshaw@mtlsd.net
Website: https://jms.mtlsd.org/
Location: 21 Moffett Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Phone: (412) 344-2120
Facebook: facebook.com/jmslebo
Twitter: @JMSMTLSD