JMS Weekly Update
April 9, 2023
Hello JMS!
This week's Update contains information about the following:
- Thank you!
- Teacher Appreciation
- Schoology Tip for Students
Please notify our nurse, Mrs. Raco, and complete this FORM if your child has tested positive for COVID-19.
Take care,
Dr. Sarah Shaw, Principal
Mrs. Amanda Jackson, Assistant Principal
Weekly Schedule
Tuesday - Day 5
Wednesday - Day 1
Thursday - Day 2
Friday - Day 3
Monday (4/17) - Day 4
New News
On behalf of the entire Jefferson Middle School community, we wanted to express our sincerest thanks for your generous (and delicious) donations for this year's student/faculty basketball game. Your willingness to contribute at a moment's notice is one of the many reasons JMS is such an amazing place! Thank you!
Teacher Appreciation - It's all about the MMMMs
Monumental Middle School Month of May aMazing Teacher & Staff Appreciation:
It is that time of year again. Teacher and Staff Appreciation 2023 is just around the corner!! Each Friday in May (and one Thursday) we will be honoring our 80 JMS Teachers and Staff by celebrating them and conveying our gratitude for everything they have done for our students!!
HOW CAN YOU HELP?!?
- Volunteer via our Sign-Up Genius to provide a breakfast item for our teacher/staff breakfast on Friday, May 5th. Click HERE to sign up
- Purchase something from our Amazon wish list for our Teacher Snack Packs that we will be distributing on May 12th (FYI, I am creating this list now and will send the link)
- MOST NEEDED -PLEASE donate to help cover the costs associated with all of the activities for the month (see below) for 80 teachers and staff. If you would like to donate funds or help with setting up the Breakfast, Lunch or Ice Cream Bar (see dates below), please text Carrie Conboy at 412.999.9192 or Dawn Keezer at 412.512.8780.
Carrie & Dawn will both be accepting monetary contributions via Venmo, Zelle or you can give a cash donation to either one of them. (See Schedule for the month below).
Finally, you can send a handwritten note or an email from you and/or your child telling a teacher and/or staff member (or several) about something great that they have done for you personally and/or for JMS students.
ONCE AGAIN.... We have 80 amazing teachers and staff to thank at JMS, so we can definitely use all of the support we can get!
THANK YOU!!
TEACHER & STAFF APPRECIATION SCHEDULE FOR THE MONTH:
FRIDAY 5/5:
MUFFINS & MORE…: Breakfast (Muffins, donuts, bagels & cream cheese, yogurt, fruit, granola, quiche/breakfast casseroles, juice, coffee)
FRIDAY 5/12:
MID-DAY MUNCHIES: Teachers will choose 1 item each from 5 categories (Fruit, Morning, Salty, Sweet, and Treat) for “snack packs” to be delivered along with waters in the morning. If budget allows (also Starbucks cards to be included).
FRIDAY 5/19:
MILLIE’S MARVELOUS ICE CREAM BAR: Luncheon Ice Cream Bar set-up with 3 flavors and toppings!
THURSDAY 5/25:
MEL’S PETIT CAFÉ LUNCHEON: Lunches and mini-crepe desserts for all teachers and staff.
Carrie Conboy and Dawn Keezer
Reminders
For families that would like to see a comprehensive report of a student’s academic performance throughout an academic year, the following steps can help.
Please check your Dashboard account for quarter grades and related teacher comments. Dashboard/PowerSchool is the gradebook of record where final, quarterly grades are stored. If you notice discrepancies between Dashboard/PowerSchool and Schoology, please contact your student's teacher(s) directly.
We are excited to support a Lebo dad, Jamie Silva, and his company, Townie Time.
Help support the Jefferson Middle School PTA and order your spring spirit wear! The PTA earns $5 from each item purchased. The online store is live now through mid April.
**Items will be delivered to your home within a few days of placing your order.
Place your order here: https://townietime.com/collections/jeffersonmiddle
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 2023 is as follows:
- April 24-26 - 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.
Parents! Are you looking to know more about the status of your child's assignments. Are you curious about what they have turned in and perhaps what is still missing? Schoology can help you with this! Learn how to set your schoology preferences for easy notification HERE.
Check out this week's Schoology Tip for Students!
Technology
The federal government released an additional program this year for families in need that will subsidize their home broadband Internet access as well as partially reimburse the purchase of personal devices at home.
The FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is highlighted on our Families=>Technology Resources=>Internet@Home page (LINK).
Families In Need of Technology
As we prepare to start the 2022-2023 school year, we are asking families who need to borrow student technology to please visit www.mtlsd.org/families/technology/one-to-one
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.
Cheerleading Tryout information meeting - April 3rd @ 3:00PM
We wanted to share information about 6th and 7th grade about athletic opportunities during the fall season of their 7th and 8th grade year in order for you to begin to plan. Please find attached the opportunities for 7th and 8th graders during the fall sports season, each sports start date, and its head coach.
We will be continuing to offer the convenience of online registration for our athletic programs through partner company, FamilyID (www.familyid.com).
JMS PTA Information
PTA Membership and Directory Access
Our Membership Store is now open! We hope you will consider joining out PTA to help fund excellent educational opportunities for our children. Directory access is available to JMS PTA members only.
You can join the PTA HERE.
Please email jmsptamtl@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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, United States
Phone: (412) 344-2120
Facebook: facebook.com/jmslebo
Twitter: @JMSMTLSD