Eagle Eye JMS Parent Newsletter #15
November 7-11
“In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.” - Friedrich Nietzsche.
Hello, Jefferson Middle School families and parents!
We can hardly believe we are in the middle of Term 2! As we all continue to push students toward greater heights, we want to remind our families that each of you is a paramount accelerator of learning at home. Research has shown us consistently that families are our largest asset when it comes to students' academic growth and behavior. We want to encourage families to talk with your children at home; ask them to show you any homework assignments. "Well-designed homework assignments are beneficial to students and can communicate with parents what their children are learning at school." Also, consider reading with your child or prompting them to read independently at home, routinely, for 20 minutes. Have an engaging conversation with questions about what they read! Research proves that "reading at home for at least twenty minutes a day has significant academic benefits." Another way to help your children grow academically and emotionally is to "Set and enforce screen-time limits and steer children toward reading, exercise, and play instead."
(quotes from fordhaminstitute.org for educational excellence)
We encourage you to take time to read through the newsletter this week as there are several events, opportunities, and announcements!
Monumental Moments this past week
- Wednesday SEL Zero Period!
- 8th graders are building roller coasters in our Advanced Stem course with Mr. Jaeger!
- Students are presenting their own innovative business plans in our Business and Marketing course with Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Wright!
We appreciate and encourage all of our families to reach out with any needs, questions, or concerns.
Have a wonderful evening!
Phil Cox, Principal, pcox@ortn.edu
Ben Fowler, Vice Principal, bjfowler@ortn.edu
Brian Tinker, Dean of Students, bjtinker@ortn.edu
Elizabeth Leavitt, Instructional Technology Coach, ealeavitt@ortn.edu
Wednesday Zero Period and Social Emotional Learning
We continue to see growth as we dive deeper; reflecting on values, being equipped with vocabulary to help with emotions, allowing our values to be non-negotiable as they guide as, and seeing the fruit of teamwork even when we have differences!! We are rocking our sessions on Wednesday during our Zero Period.
5th grade: Values in Community
6th grade: Emotion Vocabulary
7th grade: Values as Guides
8th grade: The Value of Teamwork
2022-2023 JMS Student Handbook
Week at a Glance!
Monday, November 7, 2022
- Holiday Food Drive
- Eagle’s Nest Chess Club Library 2:45-3:45
- Atomic Eagles Meeting Science Wing 2:45-4:30
- RadioActive Brix Meeting Rm 223 2:45-4:30
- Master Builders Meeting Rm 102 2:45-4:30
- Basketball Game vs. Lafollette at Lafollette GJV – 5:00, GV – 6:00, BV – 7:00
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
- NO SCHOOL: Election Day
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
- Holiday Food Drive
- Cheer Practice 1:00-2:00
- Talent Show practice 1:00-2:00
- The Chorus Butter Braids will be delivered on Wednesday, Nov. 9. Chorus students and parents should check their Canvas and Skyward announcements for details
- Gardening Club 1:00-2:00
- Girls Basketball Practice Gym 1:00-3:00
- Boys Basketball Practice Gym 3:00-5:00
Thursday, November 10, 2022
- Holiday Food Drive
- 8th Grade Orchestra Veteran’s Day Performance at ORAU 10:30-1:30
- RadioActive Brix Meeting Rm 223 2:45-4:30
- Basketball Game vs. Jacksboro at JMS (ORHS JR ROTC will provide Color Guard) GJV – 5:00, GV – 6:00, BV – 7:00
Friday, November 11, 2022
- Youth for Christ-Band Room 7:10
- Ms. Kala’s class to OR Public Library 1:45-2:00
- Girls Basketball Practice Gym 3:00-5:00 Boys Basketball Practice Gym 5:00-7:00
Mental Health Virtual Event: Thursday, November 10
K-5 Turkey Trot! Thursday, November 17!
Holiday Food Drive
For well over 30 years, Jefferson has sponsored a food drive to aid our Oak Ridge families in need. This year, the food drive runs from November 1-10. We encourage all students to consider donating non-perishable food to the cause. All of the contributions go to two Oak Ridge food pantries. In the past, we have collected more than 30 boxes of food. Here is how to help:
- Food pantries can only accept non-perishable foods
- Canned goods, boxed food mixes, cereal, condiments, spices.
- Please check to make sure food is not expired
- Bring donation to your homeroom
- Homeroom reps will keep track of number of items donated
- Homeroom with the most donations receive a prize
Please consider participating in this worthy cause. If everyone brings in just one item, we will have donated over 700 items!
Ms. Kala's Students Visit UT Arboretum, Create with Maker Space, and Adopt a Street!!
New digital sign board coming!
For years, our sign board was frequently updated by Mr. Randolph, our JMS head of maintenance, and we thank him for the many hours he spent making sure our messages got out to the community. We offered him access to the sign board when it comes online, but he politely declined. We are very excited to have a new way of communicating with all the stakeholders of JMS.
PORTRAIT of a GRADUATE NOVEMBER Focus: 4 Cs: Critical Thinking
4 Cs: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity
FOCUS: Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is just that--CRITICAL! Critical thinking is crucial for middle school students to be equipped to respond to academic, social, and emotional challenges successfully.We must provide learning opportunities, experiences, and platforms that allow and even insist that students think critically
CHALLENGE: One part of our rubric, "I can demonstrate critical thinking while creating a question, answering a question, proposing a solution, and/or solving a problem"
Inquiry-based learning is a cornerstone of critical thinking skills. Give your child a topic and have them build questions from their own thinking; Inquiry builds analytical skills.
8th Grade Students Use Critical Thinking Skills
- Building Roller Coasters in STEM! Students will be testing what they have created by using a marble to "take a ride"! They will then analyze the experience to determine the strengths and weakness of their engineered roller coaster! GO MR. JAEGER's STUDENTS!
- Analyzing Dialogue in Language Arts through guided notes, interactive notebooks, and high-level questioning to determine if a character's dialogue "propels action, provokes a decision, or reveals character." GREAT WORK, MS. MACMAHON's STUDENTS!
- Presenting Business Plans in Business/Marketing! Students have been working over the past few days to develop business plans; categorizing the types, analyzing the market, critically thinking about funding, sources, and qualifications. Their classmates activated their listening skills so that they could vote and justify whether each business should be funded. They presented their plans this week! WAY TO GO, MR. MITCHELL's STUDENTS!
Backpacking Trip was a Successful Adventure of Fun and Learning!
"Day of the Dead": Ms. Kerr and Ms. Sample's Classes
Day of the Dead has various Spanish (Catholic) and Aztec (indigenous) influences. In many US cities that border Mexico, one may find that Day of the Dead has adopted many American (Halloween) influences, as well. Day of the Dead isn’t celebrated by all Hispanic countries. It really varies from country to country, city to city, and household to household. However, this holiday is celebrated heavily in Mexico and because that’s where I lived, I like to spend additional time sharing my own, personal experiences with our students. -Ms. Kerr
Some items you may have seen on the altar in our lobby this past week:
-3 levels (representing heaven, earth, and hell)
-Flowers, fruit, and other decorative items
-Pictures of deceased friends or family we are celebrating on these 2 special days
-Calaveras: happy skulls/skeletons representing joy in the afterlife
-Calacas: sugar skulls (typical candy for Day of the Dead—again, handmade by some of our students)
-Candles for the souls to warm their hands upon returning to earth for the 2 days of celebration (Our altars contain flameless candles or candles that will not be lit. J)
-Items the deceased enjoyed doing during his/her lifetime
November Character Trait: Empathy
STUDENTS of the WEEK
We want to congratulate our Student of the Week winners, nominated by their teachers. We are so proud!
- 6th grade Dakota Chambers and Litzy Villegas Prado
- 7th grade: Alexis Cox and Neyland Ross
- 8th grade:Allie Jennings, Leah McVay. Alyssa Whitson, Keyrey Hernandez, and Duncan Rowden
The Reading Eagle - Messages from Ms. Haverkamp!
JMS ATHLETIC UPDATES from COACH BOLLING!
Athletic Update:
Regular season games for the Jefferson basketball teams begin this week!
- On Monday, November 7, Jefferson will travel to Lafollette. Girls JV will play at 5pm, followed by girls varsity at 6pm and boys varsity at 7pm.
- On Thursday, Jefferson hosts their first basketball game of the season against Jacksboro. Girls JV plays at 5pm, followed by girls varsity at 6pm and boys varsity at 7pm.
Admission for all home JMS basketball games is $5 and children 6 and under are free. Good luck to the JMS basketball teams and cheerleaders this season!
Go Eagles!
Our BASKETBALL schedule is below!
Coach Katie Bolling
Author Visit: We loved it!!! Dusti Bowling
Counseling Corner
Ms. Candie Price (5th and 7th Grade)
Mr. Paul Sudderth (6th and 8th Grade)
Please contact our school counseling department with any other questions at 865-425-9302. Ms. Amy Myers, school registrar, is happy to assist with enrollment, withdrawal paperwork, transportation, Skyward, school updates, etc.
COUNSELING CORNER
Character Strong Update: October is Gratitude Month!
This month our district wide SEL curriculum is focused on Gratitude. Character Strong, defines Gratitude as “choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives.” Practicing Gratitude can increase our well-being and our happiness. Throughout the school, students will be working to develop skills with emotion regulation, positive self-talk and stress management.
Fun Family Challenge #1:
As a family, what are some small, specific things that you are grateful for? Maybe it is your favorite water cup, the way the cat sleeps on the chair or when your grandma bakes banana bread. Spend some time as a family trying to think of at least 10 small things that you have gratitude for and then choose to notice them this week with a smile.
Fun Family Challenge #2:
Review Gratitude as a family! Remember that Gratitude is choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives. Find a place in your home to display a glass jar. Cut up small slips of paper and place them next to the jar. Use the jar to collect special people, places, events, and memories that your family is thankful for. Find a time each week to add slips of Gratitude to the jar and assist students in writing or drawing gratitude as needed. Having a gloomy day or a challenging time as a family? Pull out the slips of Gratitude and read them aloud together as a reminder of your Grateful moments.
Clothing Closet Accepting Donations
JMS is pleased to offer support for students in need through our “clothing closet”. We are accepting clean, gently used clothing items for students in need. Please make sure all donated items meet JMS dress code policy. Donated items can be dropped off in the JMS Counseling office. Thank you for your support!
ORHS Trunk or Treat
ORHS is hosting a Trunk or Treat on October 24th from 5pm-7pm. The event will take place in the school parking lot (on the Turnpike side). Future Wildcats are welcome to participate.
- Ms. Price - 5th and 7th Grade Counselor - clprice@ortn.edu
- Mr. Sudderth - 6th and 8th Grade Counselor - pwsudderth@orth.edu
- Ms. Myers - Registrar - amyers@ortn.edu
JMS EXPECTATIONS
Student Success Assembly Information
JMS is a REWARD SCHOOL!
The Tennessee Department of Education announced today the 2022 Reward and Priority schools, which are two key designations under Tennessee’s school accountability system. The Oak Ridge School district is proud to share that four schools have been named Reward Schools: Linden Elementary, Glenwood Elementary, Willow Brook Elementary, and Jefferson Middle School. Reward status is the top distinction a school can earn in Tennessee. Reward schools are those that are improving overall student academic achievement and student growth for all students and for student groups, and they are identified annually.
Dr. Borchers states, “The Oak Ridge School District focuses on growth and improvement, even in times of instability, and because our students are much more than the sum of their test scores, we will continue to focus on the Oak Ridge Schools’ Portrait of a Graduate which can be found on our district website at www.ortn.edu/pog. The Portrait of a Graduate was developed collaboratively with the community and focuses on achieving college and career readiness for every student by developing a shared vision among all key stakeholders regarding the key competencies that students need to be successful in work, citizenship, and life.”
WEDNESDAY Homework Help!
SIGN UP for CANVAS to See What Your Child is Doing Each Week!!
Reminders about Drop Off and Pick Up
- JMS's weather policy is to load busses and release car riders during most weather events EXCEPT lightning or severe rain/wind. When lightning is present we will push our students back to the building and delay releasing students. We have had three major lightning issues and a major wind/rain events during our releases over the first term, and we wanted to reiterate what our hold policy is. We thank our parents for their patience as we do our best to keep our students safe.
- DO NOT enter the bus loop when buses are present!
- Please pull your vehicle all the way up so we can keep as many cars as possible off of Fairbanks Road.
- When dropping off AFTER 7:30am, students will be directed towards the main entrance. Go ahead and pull all the way up.
- Make sure your child is ready to exit the vehicle and doesn't have to access the trunk for items, as this holds up the line.
- DO NOT park or leave your vehicles in the neighborhoods across the street from Jefferson. Traffic is heavy during pickup and drop off and parking on those streets only increases the danger to our students and parents attempting to navigate the traffic.