Jag WIRE Feb23
Jones Middle School Newsletter
February 2023
A Message From Principal Thornton
Dear Jones Families and Happy Friday!
I'd like to thank you for all the ways you support your child's learning at home and encourage and support their involvement in activities outside of the classroom. If your child is not connected to a club, activity, and/or sport I encourage you to help them explore ways to get connected by visiting our website. There's a saying that you have to "reach the heart before you reach the head." We have found this to be true. When students feel connected to school, they perform higher academically. The best part of our work is connecting with your child. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of their growth and development.
This is an exciting time to be a Jaguar! We are proud to share that our girls' and boys' basketball teams are advancing to the playoffs on Saturday, February 4th at Peachtree Ridge High School. We will share times once they have been confirmed. Our cheerleaders and steppers have led the way in cheering our teams on and have represented us so well. We can't wait to cheer on our teams alongside you as they fight for a championship!
Additionally, our performing arts students are thriving! We have several 7th and 8th grade students who were selected for All State Chorus, and we are gearing up for LGPE in Orchestra, Chorus, and Band! Every year our students raise the bar, and this year will be no different. Our students' success would not be possible without YOU!
Black History Month
We Want to Hear from YOU
A key pillar of our Blueprint for the Future is Effectiveness. The best way to ensure that what we are doing is working is by using an evaluation system; consequently, The Educational Effectiveness Survey (EES) will be available to Gwinnett County Public Schools’ students between January 17 and February 8. Because students are the primary users and beneficiaries of what we do, it makes sense to survey students in grades 4-12 to help us learn about what they think of their school experience, practices that affect student learning, and how well their school is performing. The feedback collected from this survey will help our schools as they seek to better support the needs of each and every one of our students.
As part of our process, school district leaders wanted to make parents and caregivers aware of this survey, familiarize them with the questions students will be asked, and offer the opportunity for them to opt their child out of taking the survey. Click here to preview the survey questions. Also mark your calendars, the Family Survey is coming February 28 - March 10, 2023 links will be sent via email and available on the Parent Portal.
Download the Free Gwinnett County Public Schools App
Stay on top of the latest news, calendar events, and emergency information by downloading our free Gwinnett County Public Schools mobile app. You can enable notifications and choose your preferred language.
Why download the app?
Receive alerts for school closures or delays and important districtwide information.
Check school and district events calendars.
Access your school’s lunch menu and add money to your student's account..
Access districtwide digital resources.
Read the latest district news.
Search for Gwinnett County Public Schools in the App Store or Google Play to download our app for free.
1. Register your e-mail and/or phone numbers you would like your proofs delivered to (Mom, Dad, Grandma, etc.). Registration is good for the whole school year! (QR Code above.)
2. We send a direct link of the student's image gallery (registered e-mails with your school +registration data from above). *Always check spam/promo folders!
3. Parents go online and select from our wide assortment of school products (and mix your poses and backgrounds for FREE).
4. Orders are shipped to your home!
Sick? Protect Yourself and Others
You should keep your child home from school if he/she might spread an illness to other students. Students who are sick have a difficult time participating in class and learning. To keep from spreading germs, especially to those who are immunocompromised, use the guidance below to determine when you should keep your child home from school. Also, remember to remind your child to wash/sanitize their hands regularly and cover coughs.
Dual Enrollment
Attention 8th Parents/Guardians
Dual Enrollment is designed to prepare students for college and career opportunities leading students to postsecondary institutions for an industry recognized certification or licensure, an associate and/or higher college degree, and successful employment. Georgia has created a singular program known as Dual Enrollment for students in grades 10-12 who qualify to participate. Students may enroll on a part-time or full-time basis as a Dual Enrollment student and take college courses at their high school or on a postsecondary campus. Students will receive high school and college credit simultaneously when attending and passing approved college classes.
Please visit GA Futures web site for more information:
https://www.gafutures.org/hope-state-aid-programs/scholarships-grants/dual-enrollment/
YEARBOOKS ARE ON SALE NOW!
Yearbooks, which even have customizable page options, are on sale now. Use the link below to purchase your yearbook and/or an ad. The deadline is April 3rd. JMS is not purchasing any extra yearbooks, so make sure you purchase yours by the deadline.
“Away for the Day” - Electronic Devices
AI at JMS
Congratulations to the winners of the JMS Science Fair!
1st place winners:
Christiano Chuang & Noah Gomez
Suhee Jung
Nathan Odoeme
Brynn O'Donnell
Elsye Santoso.
2nd place winners:
Louis Dang, Andrew Kim, Lukas Masaitis, & Cristian Romero, Hans Dierdorf, Neel Ranpura, & Jinen Motowani, Joyce Francis & Avery Snipes, Dante Espinosa, Valeria La Rotta, & Collin Zhu, Sarah Gravitt, YuJin Ji, Linn Nguyen, Ariana Rith, Maylee Rosser, and Joseph Ryu.
3rd place winners:
Mylee Brown & Hannah Shaver, Naomi Camacho & Rithanya Anithadevi Sivakumar, Mia Carnell, Lauryn Day & Azahria Hall, London Hale & Reagan Harvey, Sarah Kersey, Abigail Kim, Edward Kim, & Iris Zheng, Daniel Kim & Zachary Orwin, Anslee Long & Ella Opp, Timothy Oh & Noah Park, and Thomas Santoso.
All 25 of these projects will advance the Gwinnett Regional Science Engineering and Innovation Fair.
PBIS for Parents
PBIS welcomes all students and families to Jones Middle School 2022-2023 school year!
Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is an approach schools use to promote school safety and good behavior. With PBIS, schools teach kids about behavior expectations and strategies. The focus of PBIS is prevention, not punishment. The broad purpose of PBIS is to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of schools and other agencies. PBIS improves social, emotional, and academic outcomes for all students.
Counselors' Corner
Your JMS Counseling Team
Shena Manning-6th
Nathan Shope-7th
Ashley White-8th
Books of the Month
For parents
The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers: The Secret to Loving Teens Effectively by Gary Chapman
The Connected Parent: Real-Life Strategies for Building Trust and Attachment
by Karyn Purvis
For Your Pre-teen/Teen:
The DBT Skills Workbook for Teens: A Fun Guide to Manage Anxiety and Stress, Understand Your Emotions and Learn Effective Communication Skills (Life ... Health and Wellness Books For Teenagers)by Teen Thrive
“Behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first.” –Matthew Jacobson
Junior Achievement
Jones PTSA
" Update on our fall Give-A-Thon Fundraiser:
Our incredible community raised $2000! PTSA has donated this money to the school! Ms. Thornton will use this money towards creating Zen spaces throughout the school for students and staff. Thank you for your participation in making our school a wonderful place to be! "
Jones Media Center
Gwinnett Student Media Festival
Students who enjoy making digital media products can enter the Media Festival in the following categories: websites, live action video, sequential stills, interactive stills, animation and podcasts.
For guidelines and more information:
Need help with homework?
Homework Help is offered at GCPL to provide a positive resource for our community by helping students improve self-esteem and succeed academically.
Students in grades 1-8 can drop in during program hours to work with homework help volunteers on specific assignments or to build skills over time during a 30 minute session.
Hamilton Mill Public Library
4pm - 6pm
Thursdays
3690 Braselton Hwy
Dacula, GA 30019
Registration Not Required
First Come, First Serve
Congratulations Sia Sohn- This year's Spelling Bee Champion!
Grace Oh, Sia Sohn (Champion), Dahayven Mowatt
JMS Clubs and Organizations
JMS Orchestra
You're Invited! Jaguar Orchestra LGPE Concerts
The Jones Middle School 7th and 8th Grade Orchestras want to invite the Jaguar community to watch them perform at the 2023 GMEA Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE) at the Lanier High School Theatre! The 8th Grade Orchestra performs on Thursday, February 23rd at 7:00pm. The 7th Grade Orchestra performs on Saturday, February 25th at 9:30am. The concerts are free and open to the public - no ticket required!
2023 All State Chorus
Congratulations to the following students who were selected for the 2023 All State Chorus!
Olivia Bond
Dallin Curtis
Madison McClure
Kira Midgett
Zach Orwin
Alexia Scott
Aaliyah Taylor
Johnny Veres
Tallulah Waldron
Collin Zhu
Belonging Club
We All Belong
During the month of January, students will learned and reflected on what it means to be a Responsible, Respectful, and Reflective Jones Jaguar. The SEL advisement lessons explored "Who am I? Who do I want to be?" and encouraged students to raise their self-awareness to create a sense of belonging for those around them. JMS peer leaders interviewed students and teachers who shared how they are part of the JMS community. We All Belong!
Girls Who Code
Upcoming Meetings: every other Tuesday @ 4:15 - 5:15
*Permission form available in the Media Center.
Jan 17 and 31
Feb 14 and 28
March 14 and 21
April 11 and 25
May 9
Basketball
Our girls and boys basketball teams are headed to Super Saturday playoff games! The games will be held on February 4th at Peachtree Ridge. Please be on the look out for game times when they are announced.
All basketball tickets must be purchased via GoFan. No cash is accepted at the door.
Gwinnett Parent Portal
The Parent Portal is our primary communication tool. Here you can find information about grades, teacher correspondence, assessment data, transportation, attendance, etc in real time. Please be sure you know your username and password before the year starts. Our recommendation is to check the Parent Portal once a week.
If you currently do not have a Parent Portal account, use this link to request one.
Interested in getting involved at JMS?
We will have several volunteer opportunities for parents throughout our school year. If you would be interested in volunteering, fill out the form with your information. We will e-mail you with volunteer opportunities throughout the year as they become available.
We will have opportunities for parents and community members to share their expertise in AI fields throughout our school year. If you would be interested in presenting, sharing resources, or collaborating, fill out the form with your information. We will e-mail you with opportunities throughout the year as they become available.
Upcoming Dates
- Saturday, January 28th @ 12:00 PM Lady Junior Jags Soccer vs Jordan @ McConnell MS
- Thursday, February 2nd SPRING PICTURE DAY
- Friday, February 3rd Digital Learning Day
- Saturday, February 4th - Basketball Playoffs @ Peachtree Ridge High School
- Monday, February 6th - Friday, February 10th Candy Grams sold during lunch
- Saturday, February 11th @ 12:00 PM Lady Junior Jags Soccer vs Duluth @ Duluth MS
- Thursday, February 16th - Monday, February 20th - No School
- Saturday, February 18th @ 12:00 PM vs Creekland @ McConnell MS
Communication
Address: 3575 Ridge Road, Buford, GA 30519
Phone: 770-904-5450
Fax: 770-904-5452