Warrior Beat
#worldchangingwarriors
Word for the Warrior....
Hey Warriors!
I don't know about you, but I am beginning to get WEARY! Listen...what keeps ME going is YOU! Dr. Moorhouse announced over social media last week that our last day of instruction will be May 15. Feel free to share this with your students. I shared it in my memo with parents, so let's get the word out. Two more weeks! WE. CAN. DO. THIS!
You all have been troopers. Seriously. I cannot believe the tireless work you all have put in, not only to transform school to online learning LITERALLY over night, but the even more countless hours you have put in reaching out to our kids who are hard to contact, emailing counselors, admin and SROs about kids are you worried about, seeking out kids who you know are struggling socially and academically....the list is just too long to even try to replicate.
Please know that your work is SEEN. Your work is FELT. Your work MATTERS. What is most significant and what I wish everyone could see is the relentless love and care that drives and inspires all of what you do. Your commitment for our kids just does not quit. I was asked recently how often I have regularly zoomed with you all as a whole group. My honest answer was "Not much….because… the LAST thing I want to do is get in their way and take time away from the amazing work that is happening!"
That is what being a part of this Warrior family means to me. I actually just got teary typing that. I cannot talk about you all or your work without getting emotional, because it is humbling to be a part of a battalion of Warriors who are real life difference-makers every single day. It is just a sacred and holy thing.
I am so grateful to be a part of it.
JSMS JAM...
Student Referrals to Counseling
What I said to parents in the Warrior Connection (JUST FYI)....
Word for the Warrior...
Hello Warriors!
I hope everyone is doing well! We continue to miss having our school filled with students and teachers and we miss hearing the laughing and chatting of a typical school day! Please know that we enjoy each interaction we have with you as we continue to seek to end the school year, virtually!
As many of you may have watched on our KCS social media outlets, Dr. Moorhouse recently announced that our last day of instruction for students will be May 15. We will continue to be in close communication and continue to support students instructionally through that time.
The KCS District will be sending a communication early this week that will answer many of the questions that you have regarding end of year procedures and closure. Schools will follow up with specifics to the district communication once that communication has been sent to KCS families.
KCS has been working closely with the Sullivan County Health Department regarding guidance for our end of year procedures. While I know it is healthy to focus on the surprise blessings regarding our sheltering in place these past few weeks, I cannot help but also grieve the lack of a sense of closure and absence of end of school year traditions that we hold dear. Please know that while this school year will end without the same sense of togetherness that we often experience, the memories and relationships that we have developed together will far outlast this season of quarantine.
While the district will answer most of our end of year questions in their communication, we have had many questions regarding retrieving items from lockers that are unique to middle school. Dr. May (Sullivan County Health Department) has advised us against having a day where we invite students back into the building to retrieve items on a designated day or days. However, we can do this slowly and over time. Beginning this week, if you child has items to retrieve from a locker, please come with your child to Sevier (Dr. May has told us students should not be in the building without a parent/guardian.), and we can allow you and your child to go to his/her locker and get your child's belongings. We ask that you leave the lock on the locker, unlocked. The building will be open between 8:00-3:00 daily. Our phone number is 423-378-2450.
As always, please let us know how we can support you during this time! We are here for you!
Washington DC Refunds
STREAMWORKS Virtual Camps K–8
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, June summer camps are going virtual! Join us for thrilling, fun, and exciting activities led by your favorite STREAMWORKS staff live from the STEM Gym via video teleconference (Zoom). K–4th grade students will meet M–F, 10 am –12 pm and 5th–8th grade students will meet M–F, 12–2 pm. Choose from several different summer camps (or attend all!) covering computer-aided design (CAD) Space Camp, Engineering Camp, and Coding Camp. Also, expect a few celebrity Zoom pop ins during the camps.
7th Grade Immunizations
TO ALL FAMILIES OF RISING 7th GRADERS:
Students entering 7th grade this fall are required to provide proof that they have had a booster dose of tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccine (known as Tdap) by 7th grade.
Students are NOT ALLOWED to begin school on the first day of school and go to class if an immunization form has not been submitted to the school office.
As your child recieves these immunizations, please either mail immunization forms to Sevier or come by the front office of the school between 9:00-1:00 each day.
John Sevier Middle School
1200 Wateree St.
Kingsport, Tn. 37664
Please CLICK HERE to see a sample of the TN Immunization Certificate.
Physicals
All JSMS athletes must have a physical form filled out and signed by a doctor before participation in sports can begin. This includes practice.
Each athlete must have a new physical each year. Currently, physicals are good through the end of June. Beginning July 1, to practice or participate in any sport at Sevier, we must have a copy of your child's updated physical form.
Students may not practice during the month of July or begin practice the first week of school without an updated form. Fall sports that are immediately necesssary for updated forms are: football, cross-country, volleyball, cheer, dance.
You may either mail the physical form to our office, have the doctor fax it to our office, or turn it into our office any work day between 9:00-1:00.
Please CLICK HERE to access the Physical Form.
Summer Reading Choices for RISING 6th Graders
Summer Reading Choices for RISING 7th Graders
Summer Reading Choices for RISING 8th Graders
Message from LifeTouch
Lifetouch picture facilities have been temporarily closed due to government mandates and our staff has been greatly reduced because of stay at home orders. We will let you know when we have more information. Lifetouch is actually holding all shipments at the plant until we get the green light to ship pictures. ---From LifeTouch
Yearbooks!
For those of you who have already purchased yearbooks, please know that we will be communicating in the coming weeks how these yearbooks will be distributed to you!
DB Cheer Tryouts-Rising 9th Graders
Student Emails
We have had several parents tell us that students do not know their email address. This should not be new information for students, but if they need a reminder, here is the format of KCS student emails:
1st 4 letters of first name
middle initial
full last name
Free Childcare for Essential Workers
Parent Communication: Google Hangout Etiquette
Click here for a letter to KCS families about student virtual meetings.
PLEASE respond to the 2020 CENSUS-When You Shape Education, You Shape Our Future
A Challenge from our own SS Teacher, Chris Carr!
I hope your quarantine time is going well. Yesterday, I had an idea. In our 7th grade class, we read lots of primary sources about the major events we cover in our curriculum. I thought it would be interesting to create a student book of primary sources from this unprecedented time we are in right now. After thinking about it some more, I thought it would be important to document the thoughts and actions of ALL KCS families, not just my own students.
What I am envisioning is a collection of diary entries, essays, poems, drawings, photographs, etc. showing the daily activities of our students, while we are waiting this out. Students and parents would email me their submissions, which I would compile using an online publisher, and then have printed into a hard copy, or copies. The result would be a book of primary sources by KCS families, that would give future students insight as to the fears, concerns, and daily life our children are experiencing right now. This could also give children a creative outlet to alleviate the stresses of isolation.
I'm asking each teacher to make mention of this in his or her Canvas or Google Classroom (or whatever platform you are using) lessons. Depending on the grade level, hand-drawn pictures or a few sentences would be great; you know the ability levels of your children. If you wouldn't mind telling parents to email their child's submission directly to me (ccarr@k12k.com), or if you could forward them to me, I can begin compiling them. I would like for the work to include the student's name, and age.
I'm sending this to everyone, because I want your submissions as well! This is your chance to tell future generations how you spent your time during the spring of 2020. Get creative! I'd like to have May 1 as the deadline for submitting work. That way, I can assemble the book, and hopefully have a hard copy, or copies, by the start of the next school year. Thank you in advance for your help with this endeavor. If I haven't made myself clear, or if you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Stay safe, and stay sanitized!
Thank you for all you do, Nurse Traci!
Baby Collins is Here! Congratulations to Malisha Collins and the entire Collins Family!
Ainsley Collins
April 29, 2020
6:31 am
8 lbs 11 oz
19 ¾ inches