JMMES Weekly Update
The newsletter of the JMMES Community-Vol.22 2/1/21
Community Announcements
Hello Parents/Guardians,
Please take some time to review the important information below regarding OKCPS secondary schools' return to campus plan. The week of Feb. 1 will begin our A/B schedule with Monday, Feb. 1 being a remote learning day and Tues., Feb. 2 being an A day.
General Announcements:
ACCESS FOR VISITORS/VOLUNTEERS: To help ensure we maintain a safe environment for OKCPS students and staff, we will not allow access for outside guests at this time. Parents/Guardians may visit the school’s front office (preferably with an appointment), but we will not allow access of any kind for other visitors such as volunteers, outside speakers, or members of the media at this time.
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES: OKCPS Parent/Teacher conferences will take place Thursday, February 11th in the evening and Friday, February 12th during the day. Conferences will once again be held online or over the phone, and we expect teachers to contact all families to schedule a conference. Over-the-phone interpretation is available for families who do not speak English. Please note the OKCPS meal service will not be available on Friday, February 12.
JMMES Families:
Dates to Remember:
Feb. 12-Parent/Teacher Conference Day (No School)
Feb. 15-Changed from a PD day to a regular instructional day.
March 15-19-Spring Break (No School)
Spring Sports Update: Click Here for Document.
Practice for Baseball, Soccer and Track begins Feb. 2nd
JMMES Dress Code for 2020-21 School Year
5th-Red Polo-style shirt and khaki pants/shorts
6th-White Polo-style shirt and khaki pants/shorts
7th-Blue Polo-style shirt and khaki pants/shorts
8th-Gray Polo-style shirt and khaki pants/shorts
No hats, doo-rags, wraps, slides, flip-flops, yoga pants, or sweat pants allowed on school grounds. Athletic and sponsored t-shirts are allowed with special permission from the administration team.
Students in violation of the dress code will be asked to change first and parents will be notified for pick up if needed.
JMMES Cell Phone Policy for 2020-21 School Year
Students are allowed to possess their cell phones for emergency purposes only. No cell phones are to be used in the classroom during instructional time. Any distracting devices will be confiscated and kept in the front office for parent pick up.
Bus Routing Information (click link to find your bus route and bus #)
“Where’s My Stop” Address Tool
Bus Stop Lists by School
Additional Transportation Information on the district website:
https://www.okcps.org/Page/5588
en espanol
https://www.okcps.org/Page/5589
Backpack Announcements
Parents, students are encouraged to bring clear or mesh backpacks when JMMES begins in-person instruction. This will help get students through the scanning process faster.
Student Check Out Procedures
Student Checkout:Parents who are checking out their students must call ahead 5 minutes to notify the school. Upon arrival the parent will call the school again and come to the main entrance to pick up the student with photo ID. Staff will escort the student to the main entrance out into the custody of the parent/guardian. Staff will sign the student out to the parent.
Message from Dr. McDaniel Regarding Safety Protocols
OKCPS remains committed to the health and safety of OKCPS students and staff, and I'm very proud of our OKCPS’ Six-Point Safety Plan. That said, now that some of our students have been back to school in-person, we want to highlight a few important safety reminders:
If someone in your household has COVID-like symptoms and/or has received a positive COVID-19 test, please DO NOT send your child to school. Keep your child home and contact the school to report this as a “close contact” exposure. The school will provide you with information about receiving instruction during a required isolation period based on the CDC guidelines OKCPS is following.
If your child is sick, has a fever or any other COVID-like symptoms, please keep them home and contact the school for further guidance.
Face masks that cover both the nose and mouth are required for all staff, students and visitors. A face shield may be worn in addition to a face mask, but not in place of one. If your child has unique circumstances that prevent them from wearing a face mask, please contact your child’s school to make accommodations.
While we are excited to have a number of our students back for in-person learning, we must do so safely and responsibly. We all have to work together and stay vigilant with our hygiene and safety practices. You can learn more about the district’s expectations for health and safety by visiting www.okcps.org/covid19 .
Support & Reminders
The window to submit applications for one of our five OKCPS Application Schools is now open through March 5. Students interested in attending one these schools for the 2021-22 school year must complete an application online to be considered for admission. For more information or to start your application, please visit the district’s website at www.okcps.org/applicationschools.
OKCPS remains committed to supporting you in every way possible as we move into the next phase of our Return to Campus plan. Below are some resources for families and staff:
58-STUDY (587-8839) for academic support and 587-HELP (4357) for technical support, and our Student Services Team is also available for emotional support and crisis intervention at 587-0489.
OKCPS Employee Assistance Program is available to district staff for emotional support, legal and financial guidance and much more at no cost.
2-1-1 HeartLine is open 24/7 for help with counseling, rental assistance, food pantries, affordable housing, health resources, child care, after-school programs, caregiver support, financial programs, literacy, and job programs. As always, please call 911 for emergencies.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call 2-1-1 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-TALK (8255) for 24/7 support.
OKCPS Reading Challenge
Please congratulate these students the following students for meeting the 320-minute winter reading goal:
Arinwine, Ladajasha -8th grade Mrs. Price ELA teacher
Arrizon Nunez, Valeria - 8th grade Mr. Price ELA teacher
Roberts, Kiya - 6th grade Ms. R. Brown ELA teacher
Roark, Brielynn - 5th grade Ms. Clonts ELA teacher
District Resources for Families and Staff
OKCPS remains committed to supporting you in every way possible. Below are some resources for families and staff:
58-STUDY (587-8839) for academic support and 587-HELP (4357) for technical support, and our Student Services Team is also available for emotional support and crisis intervention at 587-0489.
OKCPS Employee Assistance Program is available to district staff for emotional support, legal and financial guidance and much more at no cost.
2-1-1 HeartLine is open 24/7 for help with counseling, rental assistance, food pantries, affordable housing, health resources, child care, after-school programs, caregiver support, financial programs, literacy, and job programs. As always, please call 911 for emergencies.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call 2-1-1 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-TALK (8255) for 24/7 support.
COVID-19 REPORTING PROCEDURES (UPDATED)
Staff
OKCPS employees who work at a school building (with the exception of SNS staff) should report a positive COVID-19 test or exposure to your principal and/or your school’s contact tracer.
OKCPS employees who work at the Clara Luper Center for Educational Services, the Operations Center, Student Support Services at Westwood should report a positive COVID-19 test or exposure by calling the district’s COVID-19 line, (405) 587-CV19. SNS staff members should also use the CV19 line to report a positive COVID-19 test or exposure.
Families
Families should report student positive test results for COVID-19 or exposure to a positive case by calling their child’s school. The school’s designated contact tracer will provide instructions related to isolating and receiving instruction remotely during the isolation period.
Staff Announcements
Staff,
As we get ready to welcome students back to our campus, please remember our shared purpose and ensure that you are doing all you can to show up to work each day. Leaving your teammates to cover classes while trying to teach their own classes is not optimal and we can and will do better.
Also, if it is a planned absence make sure your sub folders are uploaded to your Canvas homepage as well as an announcement to students. Failure to adhere to this directive will result in required training on absences and Canvas protocols.
Reminders:
- Teachers, if you ordered a gray t-shirt(final order/Seward), please see Mrs. Hemphill to retrieve yours.
- Admin team will be conducting additional walkthroughs next week, with a focus on PBIS-SWAG implementation in classes.
Hallway Bulletin Boards:
All teachers are to help decorate their grade-level or department's bulletin board located in their given hallways. All should be completed/decorated by reopening on Feb.1st. Ideas: Power Standards; Motivationals; Test-Taking Skill/Tips; Student of the Month(per grade-level), etc.
JMMES February 8-19, 2020 Benchmark Testing Calendar
District Announcement on the Instructional Calendar:
On Monday, our OKCPS Board of Education approved a district calendar change to address the instructional time we lost during our recent winter storm. In order to wrap our school year up before the end of May 2021, OKCPS adjusted our plan to make up the days missed through a combination of additional days and minutes.
February 15th & May 26th will be added to the calendar as instructional days
10 minutes will also be added to the day starting January 4, 2021. (5 minutes at the start of the day and 5 minutes at the end of the day)
If additional days are needed for inclement weather, May 27th & May 28th will be designated as inclement weather days
Spring Sports Update: Click Here for Document.
Practice for Baseball, Soccer and Track begins Feb. 2nd
Staff Absences during Remote Learning:
1. Contact Ms. Seward and Mr. Harris before 8am via text or phone call.
2. Contact your GRADE LEVEL administrator.
3. Publish your sub slides and make them your front page so it is the first thing that kids see.
4. Fill out the necessary leave forms for Ms. Seward.
Here are the Leave Forms:
Planned - Request for Leave
Unplanned - Absence Report
Congrats to Ms. Rice for being Selected as the Rookie All-Star Teacher of the Month!
Big Shoutout to Mrs. Ward for Working Hard on our Hallways! They Look Great!
Thank You to Susan Good from Southwestern Oklahoma State University for the Donation of Bunt Cakes for our Staff!
Thank You to North Church for the Wonderful Snacks for our Staff!
SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER/STUDENT ASSISTANCE COUNSELOR-Mrs. Wyatt
IF for any reason, there are ANY concerns regarding the physical, mental, and or emotional health of a student, parent, and or staff member please see the contact info below to contact Mrs. Wyatt. We have multiple teams in place with resources to assist with decreasing stress during such a challenging time!
Office direct line: 587-3112; kdwyatt@okcps.org; 405-254-6040 (Google Voice)
Youth under 18 who find themselves in crisis or dangerous situations can go to any OKC FIRE STATION or ONCUE EXPRESS location and ask for help.
Whether they are experiencing abuse or neglect or need to talk about a problem, help is available at SAFE PLACE LOCATIONS.
When a youth requests help, Pivot is contacted to provide support as needed.
Pivot advocates for those in need, those disadvantaged, those who struggle, those who may be unseen and unheard.
Youth under 18 are encouraged to look for the yellow and black SAFE PLACE SIGN when seeking help.
They can also text SAFE to 4HELP (44357) with their location to find the closest Safe Place location.
Call Center Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday.
OKCPS recognizes the stressors our families and students face. In response, we have created a community call center which will be available during the 2020-21 school year. It will be staffed by our counselors and social workers to provide emotional support and crisis intervention to OKCPS students and families.
Wisdom, Inspiration, or Humor
"The most important ability is availability"-Unknown
About Us
Email: vdseward@okcps.org
Website: https://www.okcps.org/Domain/24
Location: 2401 Northwest 115th Terrace, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
Phone: 405-587-3100
Facebook: facebook.com/JohnMarshallMiddleSchool
Twitter: @middle_marshall