JMS Weekly Update
September 6, 2020
Dear JMS Families,
We have completed our first week of the 2020-2021 school year!
We know that there were some bumps, but we also know that there were many things to be grateful for. This week, we heard the children and teachers laughing together. We saw the children connecting with their peers. We saw teachers teaching and children learning and we saw many, many smiles. These are moments to celebrate.
We are proud of all of you (children, teachers, parents, etc.) for your hard work and flexibility as we acclimate to this new learning environment. We will continue to work to smooth out the bumps and we will continue to be grateful for moments to celebrate!
Please reach out to your child's teacher, myself or Ms. Deet with any questions. We appreciate your continued support.
Take care and stay safe,
Dr. Sarah Shaw, Principal
Ms. Katelyn Deet, Assistant Principal
Weekly Schedule
Tuesday - Day 1
Wednesday - Day 2
Thursday - Day 3
Friday - Day 4
Monday (9/14) - Day 5
New News
JMS First Days of School 2020 Video
Welcome back, JMS! It was nice to see the all of these smiles!
Online learning expectations have been shared with all of the children. We are asking for your help to review and support these expectations in our online learning environment. Google Meets/Zoom is a virtual classroom; therefore, all classroom rules and handbook procedures apply.
Respect Each Other
- Use appropriate language
- Treat others with courtesy and respect
Log In Using Your MLT Login
- username@mtlstudents.net
- Use your name in Zoom meetings.
Respect Privacy
- Do not share meeting IDs and passwords with others outside of class.
- Do not take a screenshot, picture, and/or recording of your class without permission from your teacher.
Arrive On Time
- Arrive on time to the class session.
- Mute your mic upon entry.
- Keep your microphone muted until it is your turn to speak.
Come Prepared
- Report to session dressed appropriately.
- Be Ready to learn.
- Participate in class.
We Want To See Your Faces! (Google Profile Pictures)
Students are not required to turn their cameras on during their class session, however, getting to know each of our students is important to us.
We are asking that your child uses a picture of him/her/them self as their Google profile picture. Although we enjoy getting to know their pets, where they like to vacation, their favorite sport teams, etc, we want to see their faces!
If your child does not currently have a picture of themself set as their Google profile picture, please have them change it to a school appropriate picture of them. Thank you!
Attendance
If your child is absent, please send an excuse to the homeroom teacher within three days of returning from your absence.
If your child is "arriving late" or has an "early dismissal" please send your note to Mrs. Harris (jharris@mtlsd.net) in the attendance office.
More information about attendance can be found on our orientation webpage and on the Jefferson Middle School Website.
Micro-experiences
We are in the process of developing micro-experiences for students. These experiences will take place at JMS. Initially, these experiences will occur before/after school. Students who participate in these experiences should complete the Self-Assessment Form and the MTLSD Athletic & Activities Participation Waiver, prior to participating. Students will also be required to comply with the universal masking and physical distancing requirements.
At this time, participation in these micro-experiences is voluntary. Students will not be penalized (grades, attendance, etc.) for choosing not to participate in these activities.
Other Information
During the first 9 weeks of the school year, Mt. Lebanon School District will be operating via remote instruction of our students. The Food Service Department will be distributing meals daily outside of each elementary school during remote instruction! For more information, click on the link above.
Meals will be available from 10:45 until 1:15 every day to accommodate all students during their lunch periods.
Athletics
We are excited to announce that we are now offering the convenience of online registration for our athletic programs through partner company, FamilyID (www.familyid.com). FamilyID is a secure registration platform that provides you with an easy, user-friendly way to register for our programs, and helps us to be more administratively efficient and environmentally responsible. When you register through FamilyID, you enter your information once for multiple uses, multiple kids and multiple programs.
Technology
Families In Need of Technology
As we prepare to start the 2020-2021 school year, we are asking families who need to borrow student technology to please complete the form linked below:
Be sure to list every student for whom you need to borrow a device on this form. Once you have submitted your form, you will receive status emails including device pickup details from an @mtlsd.net email address. Please also be sure to whitelist @mtlsd.net email addresses with your email provider to ensure that you receive these communications from us.
Please direct any and all questions regarding loaned equipment to our support address: RemoteSupport@mtlsd.net
JMS PTA Information
PTA Membership and Directory Access
We are in the process of preparing the JMS Membership Toolkit Database for the coming 2020-2021 school year. Our membership store will reopen for the 2020-20221 school year once team assignments come out in August. Directory access is available to JMS PTA members only.
Remember, no matter which school path you are on, all roads lead back to JMS. Please email jmsptamtl@gmail.com if you have any questions.
SHOPPER & SCHOOL REWARD PROGRAM/ BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION
Amazon
Please bookmark our Amazon link and save it to your browser favorites or add it to your home screen for easy shopping. JMS does not earn any rewards when the Amazon app is used.
Android devices - click on this Amazon link. Hit the 3 dots in the top corner of the Chrome browser and select "Add to Home Screen."
Apple devices - click on this Amazon link. In Safari, tap the Share button [box with arrow]. On the bottom row of icons, scroll over and tap Add to Home Screen. On the next screen, choose a name for the link on your home screen and tap Add. The link will now look like its own "app" icon.
The school earns up to 10% on eligible purchases.
Box Tops
Clipping Box Tops is an easy way to earn money for our school. Each Box Top is worth 10 cents, so don't forget to physically and electronically clip the for us! The clipped Box Tops can be turned into the office.
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.
Giant Eagle
Giant Eagle Support our students! Enroll your Giant Eagle Advantage Card and earn points for FREE educational rewards with every shopping trip.
Click here to register your card. Our school code is 3369. The Giant Eagle card program is also easy to use - just register your card and shop away as usual!
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
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, USA
Phone: (412) 344-2120
Facebook: facebook.com/jmslebo
Twitter: @JMSMTLSD