Jefferson Families,

Can you believe that summer has already come to a close? I hope all of you had a fun and relaxing break; I for one am delighted to have everyone back. The school is a very quiet and lonely place without teachers and students moving about! Needless to say, I am very excited to be welcoming all of our Jefferson families to the 2023-2024 school year.

There are many opportunities for parental involvement at JMS. Our first JPO (Jefferson Parent Organization) meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 22nd at 9:30 a.m. in the media center. I also encourage you to stay up to date on school events by following our official Thomas Jefferson Middle School Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ThomasJeffersonMiddleSchool) and joining our JPO Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1475419682778936/).

I would like to invite all of our JMS families to join us for Open House on August 17th at 6 p.m. During Open House, we will start in the cafeteria with a few brief announcements and then you will have the opportunity to walk your child’s schedule to hear more about classroom procedures and academics. Please ensure that you bring a copy of your child’s schedule (on Focus) so you know where to go each period.

A few important school reminders…

• School starts at 9:30 each day. Students should be seated in their first period classroom, ready to begin the day at that time.

• Supervision begins each day at 9:05. Please do not drop students off at school prior to 9:05. Office hours are 8:30 – 4:45. School supervision is provided from 9:05 – 4:30. If your child is a car rider, please pick him or her up from school by 4:30.

• Morning School will begin on Monday, August 28. Morning School takes place daily from 8:00 -9:05 in the media center. Morning school is open to all students and is a time for students to get extra help with assignments or homework, study for a test, silent read, and/or use the computers for educational purposes. Any student on campus prior to 9:00 will be required to go to morning school. More information will be shared in the near future.

• Students will only be held after school in situations where there is dangerous weather in the area at dismissal time (tornado warning, lightning, etc.). In these situations, we will hold students until it is safe to dismiss them. We will not hold students for light or moderate rain. If your child is a walker or a bike rider, please ensure that he or she knows the plan for what to do when it rains.

• We have new car loop procedures this year. We have a new traffic pattern and parents are no longer allowed to park and wait for students. Please see below for our new process.

• As the school year begins, please know that we will be practicing a variety of safety and evacuation drills to help each student know what to do in the event of an emergency on our campus.

• If your student needs to take or carry prescribed medication, please know that it MUST be dropped off to the front office by a parent. Students are not allowed to carry prescribed medication on their person.

• Volunteer information is located online at brevardschools.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=2327. I encourage you to take part in your student’s education in any way you can at school.

• Please encourage your student to eat a nutritious breakfast and lunch daily. Our breakfast is free for all students. Lunch payments may be made online at www.mypaymentsplus.com or in the cafeteria.

• Please remember that the front office cannot accept any items, including lunches, from individuals not on a student's contact screen. Please try to limit the need to drop items off during the school day. At JMS, academics are our #1 priority. Students need to be in class as much as possible to get the education they need.

• Outside food will only be allowed in designated areas away from the school cafeteria. Parents/guardians who bring in outside food will be able to eat with their student in a designated area.

• If anyone other than a legal guardian will be checking your child out of school, please make sure you contact the school ahead of time. This includes people who are listed on the pick up list. We apologize for the inconvenience, but this is a district policy to ensure safety.

In closing, please know that we make every effort to help your child achieve at their maximum potential. As the school year gets started, I encourage you to maintain regular communication with your student’s teachers. We are looking forward to a successful 2023-24 school year!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Trine

School Principal

Thomas Jefferson Middle School