Principal's Update
From Dr. Duffy, James Monroe High School
April 30, 2021
Graduation
It is hard to believe that graduation time is almost here! Commencement for the Class of 2021 will be held at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, May 27, 2021, at the Fredericksburg Nationals Ballpark, 42 Jackie Robinson Way. The James Monroe High School faculty and staff look forward to watching another group of deserving young men and women cross into the next phase of their life. Our goal is to make our commencement exercises meaningful and memorable for all involved. Each graduate will be given four (4) tickets for admission to the graduation ceremony. Seats will be grouped in either a group of four or a group of two to accommodate families and practice social distancing. Face masks must be worn at all times while in the stadium. In the event of rain or the threat of severe weather the venue for the graduation ceremony will be James Monroe High School. Graduation will be held in the gymnasium and one (1) guest will be allowed for each graduate. One (1) additional guest will be allowed to view the ceremony by a live stream in the auditorium. The decision to move the venue will be made by 10:00 AM on May 27, 2021. Admission to graduation will be with a ticket only and this includes small children. Due to the size of our graduating class, no additional requests for tickets will be honored. You can access Dr. Duffy’s letter to seniors here.
Rising Seniors (Class of 2022)
Lifetouch will be here June 1,2,3 to photograph rising Seniors. Portrait sessions are by appointment only. Senior portraits ensure that every Senior is included in our yearbook and that every Senior receives a school ID. There is no charge for the basic portrait sitting. There are other packages available which do require a fee. Please be on the lookout for correspondence from Lifetouch with more details. Their Senior Portrait division is Prestige Portraits. Parents and rising Seniors should receive a postcard in the mail with the Senior’s appointment time.
MAP Testing Calendar
All students in grades 9-11 will participate in MAP testing this spring. These tests provide data that will be used to support instruction next year, so it is important that students do their best on these assessments. These tests will be taken by students at home on Wednesdays. Staff will be in touch with students with more information about the logistics of taking the tests. The only exception to this is students in math courses above Algebra 2 or students in science classes above chemistry. The testing schedule is listed below.
- April 28 – Reading tests
- May 5 – Math tests
- May 12 – Science tests
- May 19th – Language Usage
More information can be found about MAP testing on this website: https://www.nwea.org/map-growth/. Note that students do not need to do anything to study for or prepare for these tests. They should think of MAP tests as pre-tests.
Teacher Appreciate Week
The week of May 3-7 is National Teacher Appreciation Week. Please join us in thanking our dedicated educators for all they do for our students!
School Lunch Hero Day
May 7th is School Lunch Hero Day. Nutritious meals at school are an essential part of the school day. The Nutrition Staff of James Monroe High School are committed to providing healthful, nutritious meals to the students. The men and women who prepare and serve school meals help nurture our students through their daily interaction and support. JMHS expresses its deep appreciation to these valuable employees and commends their good work on behalf of our students.
A big THANK YOU to:
- Brian Kiernan – Division Food Service Mgr.
- Valerie Morgan – Division Food Service Secretary
- Myriam Donahue – Cafeteria Mgr.
- Tammy Vandevander
- Carolyn Withers
- Maria Lopez
- Rosa Orellana
- Cinthia Maldonado
Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month
FCPS celebrates Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month in May. We encourage you to visit these sites for resources and activities.
https://asianpacificheritage.gov/
https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/proclamations/proclamation/asian-american-and-pacific-islander-heritage-month.htmlNational Mental Health Awareness Month
In recognition of National Mental Health Awareness Month in May, check out these resources:
Fredericksburg Counseling Services
Rappahannock Area Community Services Board
Additional resources are available on JM’s Counseling Center webpage.
Vaccinate Virginia Update
The Rappahannock Area Health District, which includes Fredericksburg and the surrounding localities, is now in Phase 2 for COVID-19 Vaccinations. That means anyone 16 or older is now eligible for the vaccine. Pre-registration for the vaccine can be found at https://vaccinate.virginia.gov/ or call 1-877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682).
Morning Announcements
JM Team Store
It's time to gear up in JM style. Show your pride! Click on this link to access JM's Team Store.