The Cyclone Watch
February/March 2022
Principal Updates
Spring time is almost here! As such, over the next few weeks we will be pushing hard in preparation for the MAP and EOC assessments in April. We appreciate your support in getting students ready to be successful during this critical time.
Also, we will likely continue to see an increase in temperatures. Students usually begin wearing cooler clothing to accommodate this change in the weather. Please remind your child of school expectations regarding attire.
We are excited to acknowledge two of our outstanding staff receiving awards during February.
Cassidy Urie, 6th grade Math Teacher and Math Department Chair, was recognized at the national level. Ms. Urie received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The award is given to a select few nation wide for their excellence as an educator. Congratulations to Ms. Urie!
Nurse Betty Cramer, was recognized as the outstanding staff member of the month for Jefferson Middle School by the Board of Education. Well done Nurse Cramer!
JMS Athletics
Important Upcoming Events:
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR BASKETBALL TEAMS AND WINTER CHEER SQUAD FOR FINISHING UP A GREAT SEASON! THIS SEASON MARKED INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY ALL TEAMS, ESPECIALLY OUR 7TH GRADE GIRLS WHO WENT UNDEFEATED FOR THEIR REGULAR SEASON AND FINISHING 2ND IN THE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT. GO CYCLONE NATION!!
VOLLEYBALL CAMP DATES: WE ARE HAVING VOLLEYBALL CAMP JULY 25 – JULY 28 FROM 9-11. CAMP FLIERS WILL BE GIVEN OUT SOON.
BE SURE TO KEEP LOOKING AT OUR EXTRACURRICULAR/SPORTS PAGE FOR MORE INFO ON CAMPS AS THEY COME OUT.
NOTE TO PARENTS: ANY SOON TO BE 8TH GRADER THAT IS INTERESTED IN PLAYING FALL SPORTS MUST BE PASSING ALL CLASSES AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER OR THEY WILL BE INELIGBLE FOR THE FALL SEASON. MSHSAA RULES.
JMS CYCLONE SCRAMBLE – TBD – LAKE OF THE WOODS GOLF COURSE – START THINKING ABOUT THOSE 4- SOMES
We are looking for hole sponsors, OR Donations to help raise money to support our athletic programs. Please contact Jodi Rowe at jrowe@cpsk12.org for further details.
Email questions to Jodi Rowe (JMS Athletic Director) jrowe@cpsk12.org or call 573-214-3219.
Go Cyclones!
AVID Updates
6th and 7th graders, are you interested in applying for AVID here at JMS for the 2022-23 school year?
The AVID Elective class is a college readiness system that provides structure and support to students in the academic middle. We consider many factors when we recommend a student apply to the AVID program. There is no “one size fits all”, but you might consider applying to AVID if one or more of these sound like you:
- Your grades are mostly As, Bs, and Cs
- Your classroom behavior is positive and respectful
- You have good attendance
- You show dedication to your school work
- You have self-motivation to complete your work
- You have the potential to do well in a rigorous course
Applications are now being accepted. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 4, 2022. You can access the application through the link below or scan the QR code on our posters around school.
Application Link:
Media Center News
It seems as though our days here in the media center have been few and far between. We have missed our scholars, and we look forward to getting back into a routine. We are again open for our morning fun. Any student wanting to hang out with friends before school is welcome to join us. We are a fun and happy space. Our games, groups, and books make a great start to the school day. Please encourage your students to come and check out our space. Don't forget we are also known for our incredible jokes. A new joke is posted outside our door every day.
We are getting a lot of great new books-fiction and nonfiction. While we do have classes come in and get books, please encourage your student to come without their class. We don't want them to miss out on that next great read. Mrs. Kiley and Mrs. Iadanza love to help readers make great book selections.
JMS has a lot of electronic reading material. We are currently promoting reading for enjoyment with our electronic magazines in Flipster. We offer many magazine choices. Please take a minute to sit with your student and their iPad to browse some of our magazines. iPads can be a great reading tool.
iPad Updates
Cyclone Book Club
Book Recommendation
City Spies by James Ponti (Mrs. Kiley has read all 3 of the books in this series so far. LOVE them!!)
Sara Martinez is a hacker facing years in juvenile detention, until she meets Mother, a spy who gets her out of jail and into MI6, British Secret Intelligence.
Operating out of a castle in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from around the world who've fallen through the cracks only to form a family like no other. When they’re not at the local boarding school, they’re mastering spy skills like sleight of hand, breaking and entering, covert observation, and explosives. So they can go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.
Before she knows what she’s doing, Sara's off to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school’s computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain…all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.
Notes From The School Nurse
IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR
CURRENT 7TH GRADE STUDENTS
*AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE NURSE*
Your student requires the following vaccines before they can enter 8th grade.
· Tdap-Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis adult booster
· Meningococcal-meningitis vaccine
If your child has received a recent Tdap and/or meningitis vaccine, please send written proof of the immunization to your school nurse or have the health care provider fax the immunization record to the school nurse at FAX 573-214-3399.
If your child has not received these vaccines, the immunizations need to be completed with written proof on file before they can attend 2022 summer school and / or receive schedules for the 2022-2023 school year next August.
Immunizations are available from:
· Local health care providers
· Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services, 1005 W. Worley, an appointment is necessary; M-F 8-4:30. 573-874-7355
For questions regarding your child’s vaccination history, please call your school nurse at 573-214-3213, or email me at ecramer@cpsk12.org
If your 7th grade student has a physical examination scheduled, please ask their physician to give these two vaccinations. These 2 mandatory vaccines can be given any time after age 10 years.
**All students can carry a water bottle during the school day. Remember to wash their water bottle often. This can help prevent headaches and decrease dizziness due to lack of water. **
**Spring allergies are here. Your student can carry one dose of cold and allergy medication in a labeled container. Students with allergy symptoms have difficulty concentrating in class. Help your student feel and learn better. **
If you have a new phone number or email address, remember to notify the school.
Thank you! Betty Cramer, RN, BSN Jefferson Middle School Nurse
*573-214-3213 phone *573-214-3399 FAX ecramer@cpsk12.org
JMS Robotics Update
The JMS FIRST® LEGO® League teams (6th and 7th grades) and the FIRST® Tech Challenge team (8th grade) wrapped up a great season in January and February.
The FLL theme for this season was Cargo Connect. The robot game and the innovation challenge project centered around moving cargo from one place to another. Robot game challenges included delivering and retrieving various kinds of cargo to and from models and zones on the game board. Both teams had creative mechanisms on their robots for moving cargo. For the innovation project, 7th graders researched the use of biogases and LNG for powering last-mile delivery vehicles. 6th graders re-imagined the way shipping containers are designed, with an eye to improving efficiency of loading and unloading cargo. Both FLL teams competed remotely via Zoom, running their robot and presenting for judges. It was a very fun and successful season for both teams!
The 8th grade FTC team was able to compete in-person at two meets and a league tournament in St. Louis. The long, intense learning curve of building and programming their robot, which uses android-based electronics and Java programming, was helped along by mentors from MU FIRST® Alumni Association and the Army Ants, Columbia’s high school FIRST® Robotics Competition team. At the league tournament on Feb. 6, the team was one of only 2 middle school-based teams out of 22 teams. The rest were high school teams. They surprised themselves by advancing to the semi-finals, where their 3-team alliance was seeded fourth and beat the #1 seeded alliance to advance to the finals. A second place finish earned them a Finalist trophy and their engineering notebook and judging presentation earned them a Connect Award trophy.
JMS Science Olympiad
Congratulations to the JMS Science Olympiad Team for their 2nd place finish at their Regional Competition. Regionals took place on Saturday, February 19th at Missouri S & T in Rolla. The team will advance to the State Competition on Saturday, April 9th at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO.
6th and 7th grade students who are interested in joining the team next year should contact Ms. Cooper (ecooper@cpsk12.org), Mrs. Shikles (nshikles@cpsk12.org), or Mrs. Szydlowski (jszydlowski@cpsk12.org).
Jefferson Middle School - A STEAM Academy
Email: gcaine@cpsk12.org
Website: https://www.cpsk12.org/jms
Location: 713 Rogers Street, Columbia, MO, USA
Phone: 573-214-3210
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JMSCyclones
Twitter: @jmscyclones