JMS Parent Newsletter
Excellence in Education
"Love recognizes no barriers." ~ Maya Angelou
HAPPY mOTHER'S dAY!
Week 7: May 10 - 14, 2021
Good evening, JMS Parents & Families!
We want to thank you all for a great two weeks of testing! This week we will focus to make up all tests and also finish up ConnectOR testing on Wednesday
Just a reminder of Device Roll Up/Collection with you. Mr. Fowler has included some helpful tips to assist with device roll up.
Please see specifics below:
- In building student devices will be collected Monday, May 24 and Tuesday, May 25th.
- Students enrolled in ConnectOR will have their devices collected on Wednesday, May 26th from 1:00pm - 4:00pm. ConnectOR parents can drop off the device, device case and charger to JMS during the times listed above.
We only have 6 sports available for Summer Bridge Camp (Summer School)! Please reach out to enroll today!
Please see below for updated information about the Rising 8th Grade Williamsburg Trip, ORPSEF grant recipients, the Orchestra Concert and yearbook sales!
Also, don't forget the information about JMS Athletics, upcoming try outs, community swim camps, Dance Cat Tryouts and free physicals!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
Have a great week!
Phil Cox, Principal, pcox@ortn.edu
Jenifer Laurendine, Vice Principal, jllaurendine@ortn.edu
Nick Corrigan, Dean of Students, njcorrigan@ortn.edu
Ben Fowler, Instructional Technology Coach, bjfowler@ortn.edu
The Eagle Eye - A Look at the Week Ahead
Monday, May 10
B Day
TNReady TCAP - Make ups
Last day for internal restricted account purchase order approval
Cheer Practice 3 - 4:30pm
Homework help for ALL students - 2:45-3:45pm
Football Spring Practice 3 - 5pm
Track Practice 3 - 4:30pm
Budget presented to Board of Education SAB - 5:30pm
Tuesday, May 11
A Day
TNReady TCAP - Make ups
STAR Spring screener in all ELA classes
Environmental Club - 2:45-5pm
Instructional Coaches Meeting - Library - 2:45-3:15pm
Girls Basketball Tryouts - 3 - 4:30pm
Track Practice 3 - 4:30pm
Football Spring Practice - 3 - 5pm
Cross Country Interest Meeting - picnic tables in front of school 5pm
Wednesday, May 12
B day
TNReady TCAP - ConnectOR - Grades 6-8 SS Subpart 1 & 2 - 1 - 3pm
Spring screener Written Expression
8th grade boys interest meeting for ORHS Boys basketball - Room 227 (Murphy) 7:10am
8th grade girls interest meeting for ORHS Girls Basketball - Room 218 (Taylor) 7:10am
Faculty Food Truck - The Crave
Special Education Meeting via Zoom - 1:30 - 2pm
Safety Team Meeting via Zoom 2 - 3pm
Football Spring Practice - 1-3pm
Track Practice 1-2:30pm
Interact Club Meeting-The Blossom Center - 4:30-5:30pm
No Super Wednesday
Budget work session - SAB 5:30pm
Thursday, May 13
A Day
TNReady TCAP - Make ups
STAR Spring Screener in all Math classes
Coach Gaddis speaks to 8th grade boys about ORHS football - PE Class
Girls Basketball Tryouts - 3-4:30pm
Football Spring Practice - 3-5pm
Track Practice - 3-4:30pm
Friday, May 14
B Day
Chorus Concert recording - JPAC - 7:30-9:30am
Truancy referrals due
Coach Gaddis speaks to 8th grade boys about ORHS football - PE Class
Track Practice - 3-4:30pm
Inner Squad Football Scrimmage @ Blankenship Field - 3:00pm
Sunday, May 16
Free Sports Physical Clinic @ ORHS - 3- 4pm
Attention 7th Grade Parents - 2022 Williamsburg Information!
Dear 7th Grade Students and Parents,
One of the highlights for many of Jefferson’s 8th graders each year is our field trip to Williamsburg, Virginia. Prior to the trip being cancelled in September of 2020 due to COVID restrictions, JMS had taken this trip annually since 1975, 44 years running. We would like to gauge interest for a potential trip taking place at the beginning of Spring Break, March 11-14, 2022.
Our draft itinerary is attached. We will spend three nights at the Embassy Suites in Williamsburg and tour Jamestown (1st permanent English settlement), Williamsburg (colonial Virginia’s capital during much of the American Revolution period), and Yorktown (where the British surrendered and independence was won). On the way back, we will stop in Charlottesville to tour Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.
The projected cost of the trip is $600. This amount includes hotel, transportation, tickets for all events, and all meals during the trip. A final price will be set in August once we know our final student count.
Since this learning opportunity is not part of the school day and is not a required school activity, fee waivers are not applicable to cover trip costs. Limited scholarship funds may become available, but we cannot guarantee them at this time. Students must also meet certain academic, attendance, and behavioral criteria to be eligible for the trip.
In order to reserve buses and hotel rooms for the trip, we must collect $200 deposits at the beginning of next school year, in August 2021. Priority Bus Lines will be providing our transportation with two coach busses that includes WIFI, electrical outlets at the seats, televisions, and a restroom. The student hotel rooms in Williamsburg will all be suites. Each suite will accommodate three students, and each student will have their own bed.
To gauge interest in the trip at this time, we have supplied a link to a very short survey. Please take a moment to fill this out and submit it back to us by Thursday, May 13th. Please find survey here: https://forms.office.com/r/zgMuutY38m
You may certainly change your mind between now and August, and in no way does this “lock you in” to an obligation one way or the other. However, it is important that we have some estimate regarding student numbers in order to proceed with the trip.
Please contact 8th grade American History teachers, Scott Linn (slinn@ortn.edu) or Ben Brewer, (btbrewer@ortn.edu) if you have questions.
We are looking forward to this trip! Thank you so much!
Tips from Mr. Fowler - OneDrive Status
Hello JMS Families!
With the approaching close of the school year, we will pick up devices soon. In-building student devices will be collected Monday, May 24 and Tuesday, May 25th. Students enrolled in ConnectOR will have their devices collected on Wednesday, May 26th from 1:00pm - 4:00pm. ConnectOR parents will drop off the device, device case and charger to JMS during the times listed above. All students must turn in their devices. Students enrolled in the Bridge Camp will have theirs handed back to them at device pick up. Devices are then checked for repair or replaced depending on their operational life cycle.
With that being said, we want to make sure that our student files are being properly synced to the OneDrive cloud server. The cloud server backup allows students to access their files from any internet enabled device. Should some disaster befall their laptop, we can quickly roll out a loaner device and students will have access to their files quickly.
Follow the steps below to help your student make sure their file backup is happening appropriately.
So Thankful for Nurse Cousins!
JMS Yearbooks - Last Day of School Sales
Be sure to Save the Date as the remaining yearbooks will be sold on the last day of school during 1st period1
We will begin with 8th graders first, 7th graders second, etc. The office will call out each grade.
The cost will be $15 cash.
Summer Bridge Camp - 6 spots left!
We have 6 spots left for Bridge Camp! Please reach out asap for this awesome learning oppourtnity!
The Learning Loss Summer Bridge Camp for students will include daily programming from June 2-15 from 7:45am-1:45pm each day. Students will receive instruction and intervention in both reading and math, along with a block for both STEM and physical activities. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to all students in attendance.
If you would like more information about JMS Bridge Camp or are interested in your child attending, please contact Callie Painter at CLPainter@ortn.edu. We have also included the enrollment letter below. Please fill out and return to the main office.
Bridge Camp will be daily from June 2nd - June 15th, then also the first week of each Fall/Spring Break of the 21-22 school year. Transportation and meals will be provided. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Painter at clpainter@ortn.edu or Ms. Laurendine at jllaurendine@ortn.edu.
The Mira Kimmelman 'Learning from the Holocaust' Contest
Mira Kimmelman was a Woman of Valor. A Holocaust survivor who endured not only incarceration in Auschwitz, but a deadly and horrific death march to Bergen-Belsen, she turned to volunteering and education after coming to the United States. For over fifty years, she dedicated herself to the Jewish communities of Tennessee and Holocaust education efforts around the state. A twice-published author, she raised her voice in the hope that continuing education and remembrance of this atrocity would ensure that no one should suffer such atrocities ever again.
For more than fifty years, she challenged students to reflect upon the history of the Holocaust and contemporary examples of injustice. The contest continues her work and legacy, asking Tennessee students to create projects that reflect how the lessons of the Holocaust are relevant to current events and their own lives. The contest has both middle school and high school entry options, all of which prompt students to reflect on the lessons learned through the study of Holocaust history.
The winner of the high school contest receives a prize of $750, with the first runner up receiving $500 and the second runner up receiving $250.
The winner of the middle school contest receives a prize of $500, with the first runner up receiving $300 and the second runner up receiving $150.
For contest details, please visit the link below. Deadline for all submissions is June 1. The application can be accessed Communications - OneDrive (sharepoint.com).
JMS PTO News - Urgent Need for Board Members!
Next PTO Meeting and Board Elections
The next PTO meeting will be Monday, May 17 at 7:50am via Zoom. We will hold board elections for the 2021-22 school year at this meeting. If you would like to receive a Zoom invite, please email sandy@issi.net.
PTO Board Elections Are Coming Soon and Your Help Is Needed
At the May 17th meeting, new PTO Board members will be elected. In order for the PTO to continue at Jefferson, new board members are urgently needed. All current board members are either moving up to the High School or can no longer serve. Please consider serving in one of the board positions next year. For more info, contact Sandy Pelletier sandy@issi.net or plan to logon to our next Zoom meeting on May 17.
Congratulations to our ORPSEF Grant Winners!
- Alex Cantrell (Purchasing New Clarinets and Saxophones)
- Jenifer Laurendine (The HoloLens 2: Opportunity Awaits!)
- Ed Wright, Chris Jaeger, and John Mitchell (Career Exploration through Aviation with the use of flight simulators)
Including this year’s grants, the Education Foundation has awarded more than $1.3 million in total grant funding. The Foundation’s Board is committed to continue an annual grants campaign moving forward.
For more information about the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation or to make a donation, contact Jessica Steed at (865) 241-3667 or Jessica.steed@orpsef.org or through the website at http://www.orpsef.org/.
Outdoor Orchestra Concert - 7/8 Grade w/ ORHS!
JMS Counselors Corner
Good Evening, JMS Staff!
We want to thank all of our staff and students for their hard work with TN Ready testing over the past weeks. We appreciate your work to assist in making up tests!
Rising ORHS Freshmen
April 19th – 30th: Connect OR families will be contacted via ORHS Counseling Department, in order to register your students.
Here are some friendly reminders as we enter into this exciting new chapter:
- Parents should review and sign off on course recommendations.
- Parents must sign off, stating recognition and agreement, if your student signs up for more six or more Advanced Placement courses.
- Parents should reach out to the ORHS Counseling Department for questions concerning course options and graduation planning.
- Please contact the ORHS Counseling Department if your child has not registered for their 2021-2022 classes at (865) 425-9607.
We are so excited for our students to take this next step along their academic journey! We look forward to collaborating with ORHS, in order to provide a seamless, successful transition.
8th Grade Tour Video:
You can virtually visit some of the programs at ORHS by watching the video in this link:
If you have any questions feel free to contact ORHS freshman school counselor Ashley Bennewitz at abennewitz@ortn.edu or JMS 8th grade school counselor Falon Sullivan at fcsullivan@ortn.edu
Registration for rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders
If you are a Connector student and you have not signed up for electives for the 2021-2022 school year please follow the directions below. WATCH the brief overviews by the grade level counselors and teachers. They will explain what rotational classes you will take, and what options you have a choice in.
- Discuss what classes fit their interests, academic goals, future career goals, and just seem fun.
- Students log into Skyward, click on Schedule and select electives (ONE for rising 6th graders and TWO for rising 7th and 8th graders). Rising 5th graders (current 4th graders) will select their electives in the fall after they get to JMS.
- Students select ALTERNATIVE courses in Skyward. If for some reason the course does not work in their schedule, students should choose TWO elective courses they are also interested in. There are over 12 electives for 7th and 8th graders to choose from, so their alternative choices are important.
- Watch the videos for your grade level and read the guides below.
JMS 2021 Electives – 5th Grade playlist
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBX9jG90vAUlyaUERUQObfohgYZdOMIz2 (Links to an external site.)
JMS 2021 Electives – 6th Grade playlist
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBX9jG90vAUnJczjMbTRdoGByP_Em-SOP (Links to an external site.)
JMS 2021 Electives – 7th Grade playlist
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBX9jG90vAUlqcXHZ5kdbf15D_L_Hf9g8 (Links to an external site.)
JMS 2021 Electives – 8th Grade playlist
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBX9jG90vAUnf_5sbGF2EZwXpVPeapjoF (Links to an external site.)
You can access all these resources on our school website, https://www.ortn.edu/jefferson/academics/curriculum/ (Links to an external site.)
Mental Health Resources
For further mental health support, please feel free to reach out to the Jefferson Middle School Counseling department at (865) 425-9301. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please refer to the information below:
Mobile Crisis/Youth Villages: 866-779-9225
Ridgeview Behavioral Health in Oak Ridge: 482-1076
Statewide Crisis Text line: Text TN to 741741
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255
Important Dates:
May 10th-May 14th -TNReady Testing Make Ups
May 20th - Glenwood & Woodland Admin Zooming with 4th grade classes
May 20th - 5th Grade Parent Night from 5pm – 6pm
May 24 & 25 - Device Roll Up
May 26th - COR Device Roll Up
May 20th- JMS Open House via Zoom (sent at later date)
May 28th - Last Day for students
August 3rd - Tentative Fall Open House
JMS Athletic Update
Congratulations to the JMS Girls & Boys Track & Field Team for winning the City Championship on Thursday night!
Electra Wadley finished 2nd in the 200 meter dash. Lily Moran won the 400 meter dash, followed by Samiah Wooten in 2nd place. Hailey Thompson finished 3rd in the 800 meter run. Emily Edwards won the mile run and also the 100 meter hurdles. The JMS girls won the 4 x 400 meter relay. Emily Edwards won the high jump. Lily Moran won the long jump, followed by Samiah Wooten in 2nd, and Maiah Adams in 3rd place. Katie Raffety won the shot put and Saniah Williams finished 2nd. Maiah Adams won the discus, Katie Raffety finished 3rd and Saniah Williams finished 4th.
Troy Welch won the 100 meter dash and Mason Greenhalgh finished 3rd. Adam Washington finished 2nd in the 200 meter dash followed by Joey Gilpin in 4th place. Dallas Frendt won the 400 meter run, followed by Mason Greenhalgh in 3rd and Gage Cook in 4th. Evan Biewer won the 800 meter run, Aaron Fiscor finished 3rd,Elijah Moran finished 4th, and Keegan Morris finished 6th. Evan Biewer won the mile run, followed by Aaron Fiscor in 2nd and Elijah Moran in 4th. Devin Slattery won the 110 meter hurdles and Adam Washington finished 3rd. Jefferson boys swept the 4 x 100, 4 x 200, and 4 x 400 meter relays. Dallas Frendt won the high jump, followed by Tyson Triplett in 2nd place and Joey Gilpin in 3rd place. Troy Welch won the long jump, followed by Adam Washington in 2nd place, and Joey Gilpin in 3rd place. Tyson Triplett won the shot put and Tim Walters finished 3rd. Gage Cook won the discus.
Congratulations to all of the JMS Track & Field Athletes on winning the City Championship and good luck to all of the team members who qualified to compete at the TMSAA State Track & Field Meet on May 22nd.
Spring athletic try-outs continue this week. Please see information listed below by sport and please contact Athletic Director, Katie Bolling, at ksbolling@ortn.edu if you have any questions.
JMS Athletics Try-Outs Information:
JMS Volleyball: Try-Outs—May 28th—1:30-3pm and June 1st—9:30-11am.
JMS Girls Basketball: Try-Outs—May 11th & May 13th—3-4:30pm.
JMS Boys Basketball: Try-Outs—May 17th & May 18th—5-7pm.
JMS Football: Try-Outs & Spring Practice—May 5 through May 18th—3-5pm. 1-3pm on Wednesday’s.
JMS Cross Country Interest Meeting: Wednesday, May 12th @ 5-6pm @ the picnic tables in front of JMS.
Free Sports Physical Clinic @ ORHS: Oak Ridge High School will be hosting a free sports physical clinic on Sunday, May 16th from 3-4pm for middle school athletes. Please make plans to take advantage of this great opportunity!
ORHS Try-Out Information for rising 9th graders:
ORHS Volleyball: June 1st and June 2nd—2-4pm both days. Student-athletes must attend both days. Sports physicals, dated after April 15, 2021, must be on file to try-out. Contact Coach Kolodney at dmkolodney@ortn.edu with any questions.
ORHS Football: Head Football Coach, Joe Gaddis, will be at JMS on Thursday, May 13th and Friday, May 14th to speak with all 8th graders interested in trying out for the ORHS Football Team during PE classes.
ORHS Girls Basketball: Head Girls Basketball Coach, Paige Taylor, will be at JMS on Wednesday, May 12th at 7:10am to meet with any 8th grade girls interested in trying out for girls basketball at ORHS. The meeting will be held in Coach Taylor’s classroom (room 218).
ORHS Boys Basketball: Head Boys Basketball Coach, Aaron Green, will be at JMS on Wednesday, May 12th at 7:10am to meet with any 8th grade boys interested in trying out for boys basketball at ORHS. The meeting will be held in Coach Murphy’s classroom (room 227).