Eagle Eye -JMS Parent Newsletter#20
December 13 - 17, 2021 - Week 20
Happy Friday!
Jefferson Parents & Families:
It has been another outstanding week at JMS! In the midst of the busyness of the semester and season we are so proud of the continued engagement and effort of our students! We know they are excited about the upcoming break and holidays and we hope you, your families, and loved ones are able to enjoy some rest and time together!
There is a lot happening at JMS in our final week of Term 2 including the winter Band concert at ORHS on Monday, the 5th/6th Grade Chorus concert in the JPAC Tuesday evening, Lego League throughout the week, Chess Club, multiple basketball games, and STEM Day on Friday. Additionally, JMS students will also be finishing the TE21 Winter Benchmark assessments on Monday 12/13 and Tuesday 12/14. Please note that on Friday, December 17 our instructional day will conclude at 12:45.
Finally, with an eye toward January, the first week of Term 3 will be Spirit Week at JMS! We would love for your student to participate by dressing up on any of the following theme days:
Tuesday, January 4 = Dress to Impress
Wednesday, January 5 = Jersey Day
Thursday, January 6 = Twin Day
Friday, January 7 = Blue/Gold Day
Check out the weekly schedule and information below for more details!
As always, we thank you for your support and hope you have a great weekend!
Phil Cox, Principal, pcox@ortn.edu
Dr. Josh Tipton, Vice Principal, jctipton@ortn.edu
Nick Corrigan, Dean of Students, njcorrigan@ortn.edu
What Should I do if My Child is Sick?
In an effort to ensure all of our students and staff stay as healthy as possible, we recommend that you keep your child home if they are sick, if they have been tested or have been exposed to a positive case of Covid 19. Further, the use of voluntary face coverings by members of the school community is still encouraged for the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff.
Please see all scenarios listed below and please reach out to Mr. Corrigan at njcorrigan@ortn.edu if you have any questions!
In an effort to mitigate transmission, please keep your child(ren) home if:
- They have been tested for Covid-19
- They have been exposed to a positive case of Covid-19
- If someone in your household has tested positive for Covid-19. Additionally, notify JMS Administration as soon as possible, as Nurse Cousins is able to test (with parent permission) with results within 24 hours.
- If your child(ren) are displaying any of the following symptoms:
- Fever or Chills Temperature > 100.4 F
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- New loss of taste or smell
- Muscle or Body Aches
- Headache
- Sore Throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
Winter Benchmarks Conclude This Week!!
Your students have already completed their benchmark assessments in ELA, Science, and Math. This week they will be finishing up with the Social Studies benchmark on Monday and Tuesday.
We thank you for encouraging your students to do their best on these assessments so that we can continue to apply our benchmark data to planning for classroom instruction and student supports!
Drop off/Pick Up
- Please avoid entering 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.
- 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.
2021-2022 JMS Student Handbook
Reminder: Attendance & Tardy Policies
We wanted to share a reminder about the attendance policy in ORS as well as the expectations held at Jefferson Middle School. The policies are outlined below. Please reach out to Mr. Nick Corrigan, Dean of Students, with any questions or concerns regarding attendance or tardies. He can be reached via email at njcorrigan@ortn.edu or by calling the school at (865) 425-9301.
JMS Tardy to School Policy
Student tardies will be marked unexcused unless a note is received within three days from a parent or physician stating an acceptable excuse for being tardy. Students are allotted 4 unexcused tardies per 9 weeks. After the 4th tardy to school each 9 weeks, students will receive an after-school detention for every tardy to school received (starting with the 5th). Each 9 weeks, the tardies will start over for each student.
Please remember that student drop off begins at 7am each morning. The school day begins at 7:40am. We encourage students to be on campus 5-10 minutes early to ensure they are in class on time.
JMS Tardy to Individual Class Policy
Teacher will contact parent and submits Student Support Document on 3rd tardy to class. After 3rd tardy to class, teacher will submit a Skyward referral.
ORS Attendance Policy
Attendance is a key factor in student achievement and therefore, students are expected to be present each day school is in session.
Students are expected to:
- Be present and on time for all assigned classes (skipping classes will count as unexcused absences).
- Present documentation of parental permission before checking out of school. Class absences as a result of early checkout are considered the same as any other absence and are subject to all attendance policy rules.
- Provide a written excuse for each absence from his/her parent or custodial parent giving the date and reason for the absence(s).
- Make up assigned work missed during excused absences
Excused Absences
Students must be in school unless the absence has been excused for one of the reasons listed below. It is the responsibility of each student’s parent/guardian to explain the student’s absence to the school in a manner satisfactory to the principal. Absences may be classified as either excused or unexcused as determined by the principal or his/her designee. Absences will only be excused for the following reasons:
- Personal illness
- Only seven days, whether consecutive or not can be excused by a parent note;
- After a child has had (7) days, not necessarily consecutive, of illness related absences excused by a parent note, any future illness related absence must have a doctor’s note stating that the absence is medically necessary.
- All parent and doctor notes must be turned into the school within three school days of the child returning to school.
- Death in the family
- Religious observations
- Extreme weather conditions
- Court appearance or legal mandates
- Verifiable family emergency
- School sponsored events
- Principal has discretion to excuse absences based on the following:
- The absence must be prearranged
- The absence must not have an adverse effect on the child’s academic standing
- The child must have a good attendance history
- The child must have a good behavior record
- The Director of Schools must agree
Week at a Glance - December 13 - 17, 2021
Monday 13
A day
Environmental Club 2:45-5:00
Atomic Eagles Meeting Science Wing 2:45-4:30
Master Builders Meeting Room 102 2:45-4:30
Radioactive Brix Meeting Room 223 2:45-4:30
Chess Club Meeting Library 2:45-3:45
SECME Room 101 2:45-3:45
Girls Basketball Practice 3:00-5:00
Boys Basketball Practice 5:00-7:00
Band Winter Concert ORHS Auditorium 7:00
Tuesday 14
B day
Girl Scouts Meeting Room 208 3:00-5:00
Atomic Eagles Meeting Science Wing 2:45-4:30
Master Builders Meeting Room 102 2:45-4:30
Girls Basketball Practice 3:00-5:00
Boys Basketball Practice 5:00-7:00
5th/6th Grade Choral Concert JPAC 7:00
Wednesday 15
A day
After School HW Help is Cancelled
Staff Meeting Library 1:00
Girls Basketball Practice 1:00-3:00
Boys Basketball Practice 3:00-5:00
Cheer Practice 1:00-2:15
Thursday 16
B day
Special Areas Meeting
Basketball Game vs. Lafollette @ Lafollette
Girls JV 5:00 Girls Varsity 6:00 Boys Varsity 7:00
Friday 17
A Day
Early dismissal-12:45
Grade Posting closes 11:59 PM
Youth for Christ Band Room 7:00 AM
Ms. Kala’s class to Movie Theatre 11:45
Student Council Meeting JPAC 7th period
Basketball-Coalfield Christmas Tournament @ Petros Joyner
7:15 PM Boys vs. South Fentress
8:15 PM Girls vs. South Fentress
Saturday 18
Basketball-Coalfield Christmas Tournament Games TBD-Double Elimination
FREE BREAKFAST & LUNCH FOR ALL STUDENTS! December Menus
The USDA has extended FREE breakfast and lunch for ALL students this school year!
Please find the December Breakfast and Lunch Menus attached below for your convenience!
Counseling Corner
If your child would like to visit with their school counselor, please have them click the following link:
If you have a School Counseling need, please reach out to:
- Ms. Cormack - 5th & 7th Grade Counselor - khcormack@ortn.edu
- Ms. Price - 6th & 8th Grade Counselor - clprice@ortn.edu
- Ms. Myers - Registrar - amyers@ortn.edu
Jefferson Middle School Counseling Connection: December Newsletter
Junior Achievement Virtual Career Fair Opportunity!
Check out this awesome opportunity for students! (Guide attached)
This information was shared with our teachers recently, but we wanted to parents/guardians aware of a great college and career opportunity for our students!
Students who have an idea of what they want to do after high school, based on their self-awareness and exposure to business opportunities, are much more likely to take relevant courses, stay in school, and graduate. Junior Achievement has created a virtual career fair for students with corresponding sessions for teachers. Consider sharing some of the resources in the attached guide with your students!
Students will login with their school email to access the different career options. Our hope is that after exposure to these resources they will be excited about their future, have a better understanding of their potential, a plan for postsecondary education, and a clearer pathway to a career.
Virtual Fair Link for Students: https://jaetinspire.vfairs.com/
Student Guide: JAET_JA_Inspire_Virtual_MS-SG by JA East Tennessee - Flipsnack
Students of the Week!!
The following students will be recognized as students of the week for displaying Empathy this week!
5th:
Diana Spence
Alexis Adams
6th:
Kyshana Lawson
Michael Izquierdo
7th:
Jeferson Discua Ponce
Nora Jackson
Boston Wyatt OllisStudents may pick up their certificates in the front office on Monday morning.
Congratulations!!
JMS Band Representatives at the ETSBOA Jr. Band Clinic!
Bronze Band
Dominic Vasquez
Christian Dodson
Gabe Sherman
Drew Rodabaugh
Gabrien Kanko
Silver Band
Tony Sachitano
Audrey Leach
Gold Band
Cynthia Markus-Brock
Jason Mohr
Lewis Niad
Go Eagles!
The Reading Eagle - Messages from Ms. Haverkamp!
JMS Athletic Updates from Coach Bolling
Tomorrow, Jefferson will host Robertsville at the ORHS Wildcat Arena! The boys JV game will begin at 1pm, followed by girls varsity at 2:15pm, and boys varsity at 3:30pm.
Please come out and support the Eagles and Lady Eagles as they take on the Rams in the first round of the City Championship!
Ticket prices are $4/adults and $3/students.
The Jefferson Basketball Teams will travel to Lafollette on Thursday for a girls JV game at 5pm, a girls varsity game at 6pm, and a boys varsity game at 7pm. Jefferson will compete in a Christmas Tournament, hosted by Coalfield, December 17th through the 21st.
Go Eagles!!
Updated JMS Basketball Schedule!
PTO News!
Sign up for the JMS PTO Newsletter!
SECME Diversity in STEM Education
SECME mission is to increase the pool of historically underrepresented and underserved students who will be prepared to enter and complete post-secondary studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), thus creating a diverse and globally competitive workforce. Does this sound like the opportunity you want, are you wanting to learn about careers in STEM, do you want to further your education after high school. Would you like to learn about diversity, and culture? If the answer is yes, SECME is for you. Come pick up a parent permission form from Ms. Kala in room 101. SECME meets every Monday after school from 2.45-3.45pm.
Upcoming ORS Events!
First Student Transportation - Bus Information
Thank you for your patience and communication during our first week back! Please be sure to discuss your child's method of transportation each day to ensure they know where they are to go at dismissal.
First Student Transportation has posted 2021-2022 Bus Routes and you can find them here:
https://www.ortn.edu/Transportation/2021_Revised_JMS_Bus_Routes.pdf
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Ms. Laurendine at jllaurendine@ortn.edu or Ms. Myers at amyers@ortn.edu.
SIGN UP FOR MYSTOP - BUS TRACKING APP!
Once you are registered for transportation, you will be able to track your child's bus using the app information detailed below. Please see information on how to register for MyStop below.
MyStop - Parent/Student Login
- Username: (use student’s name - case sensitive) firstname.lastname
- Password: (use student birth date) in this format 03122007 for March 12, 2007
MyStop Phone App Available In Your App Store
Go to: Versatrans My Stop™ provides mobile access to bus information. This app displays the location of the user’s assigned school bus, as well as the estimated time of arrival to their stop. Students can plan for late or on-time arrival, and prevent missed pick-ups or being left outside in inclement weather.
Can’t Access the MyStop App?
If you are having difficulty accessing the MyStop App please take the following steps:
- Please confirm the following:
- You have downloaded the App from Tyler Technologies.
- You are using the legal student name as listed in Skyward.
- You have selected all lower case letters.
- You have placed a period between the first and last name.
- The birthdate is correct and only consist of 8 numbers.
If this information doesn’t allow you to successfully download your child’s MyStop App account, please contact Amy Myers at 865.425.9302 or email amyers@ortn.edu. You can also view more information on the ORS District website at https://www.ortn.edu/district/bus-routes/.