Jardine Middle School
September 2023 Newsletter
Note from the Principal
Students have been taking all the beginning of the year assessments with MAP and Fastbridge that give some great Math and Reading data on each of our students as they grow in their individual learning.
Our chromebooks are all brand new this school year again. I want to remind parents and families to have an onboarding process in place at home to monitor your students online usage as well as assuring technology is charged each morning to assure they are prepared for learning. With the added touch screen, I also encourage to make sure to have processes in place at home to assure screens are protected at all times. Touch Screens can be quite expensive for our families to replace.
As we progress throughout the first quarter, we are here to partner with you to ensure the success of each of your students. Developing positive home to school relationships is crucial to the overall success of each of our students as they mature academically and socially. Please check your emails and voicemails on a routine basis for important information from the school.
School Hours
School hours are 7:50 am to 2:45 pm. Our front doors open to all students at 7:15 a.m. Students who walk or who are car riders use our front drive and doors. Bus riders will enter through the south gym parking doors.
Dress Code
Students/Parents/Guardians -
I wanted to take this opportunity to send out a reminder on our Jardine Middle School dress code from our student handbook (page 13) as a reminder of what may or may not be worn to JMS. Please review this dress code with your student. The Dress Code states:
"The purpose of a dress code is to encourage students to dress tastefully. A general statement of our dress code may be defined with three words: NEAT, CLEAN, and APPROPRIATE for the job of being a student!"
Not acceptable - halters, half-shirts, midriffs or short tops not covering the stomach area, spaghetti straps, oversized armholes, bare feet, slippers, short shorts/skirts, sagging pants, as well as any other clothing, belts/buckles, notebooks, or tote bags designed to make references to illegal drugs, alcohol, violence, gangs, profane statements, or otherwise determined inappropriate by the school administration will not be permitted. Sagging pants are not permitted.
Other guidelines - Pant legs must be uniform (you may not have one pant leg rolled up, etc.); hats, sunglasses, combs, and gloves are NOT to be worn in the building. Ripped Jeans, where most of the legs are showing, are not appropriate for school. Administration will determine if a student in question will need to make changes.
Jackets/coats designed for outside wear are to be in lockers and not worn in classrooms. Sweatshirts/sweaters/hoodies may be worn in cool classrooms, HOWEVER, hoods must remain down while inside the building. Students will be asked to comply with this or may have consequences for failure to comply.
Students who violate the dress code will have the option of correcting the situation by putting on different clothing, borrowing clothing from the school to wear, or by having a parent bring them an acceptable piece of clothing. If students refuse, it will become a disciplinary matter and may result in consequences.
Coats, hats, bandanas, book bags, string bags, and purses will be placed in student lockers. Backpacks, bookbags, string bags, and purses will not be allowed to be carried around to classes. "
Thank you for addressing this with your student(s).
Counselor Corner - Mr. Falk & Mr. Barber
We would like to welcome all students and parents to a new year at Jardine Middle School. Mr. Falk is the counselor for the 6th and 8th grade (last name A-M). Mr. Barber is the counselor for the 7th grade and 8th Grade (last name N-Z). Jardine Guidance Counselors provide services for students regarding academics, career planning, and personal/social needs. Students may request to meet with a counselor by completing a “Request to See” form which can be found on the Jardine Website under the “Student Resources” tab.
Jardine Safe School Policy Statements
All students and staff have the right to be safe at school.
Behaviors that compromise student safety will not be tolerated.
All known safety issues are to be reported to a counselor, administrator, school resource officer, or trusted Jardine staff member.
Parents are encouraged to report any safety concerns to school officials.
Jardine students and staff:
Will not spread rumors, bully others, use physical violence, racial or sexual harassment.
When safe, will help others who are victims of these behaviors.
Will include students who feel left out
Will tell an adult at home and school when we know a student is a victim of these action or any unsafe behavior.
Spreading rumors is defined as passing unwanted, untrue or hurtful information about another student verbally, in writing, e-mail, or by repeating and/or encouraging rumors by receiving rumors (verbally or in writing). Frequently, extreme conflicts, threats of violence, or violence are a result of rumors.
Bullying is identified as any ongoing physical or verbal mistreatment that involves an imbalance of power and the victim is exposed repeatedly to negative actions on the part of one or more students.
Threats & Physical Violence occurs when anyone inflicts or threatens to inflict physical or emotional injury upon another student’s body or feelings.
Racial Harassment
(Board Policy #8110) “The Board of Education is committed to providing a positive and productive learning and working environment, free from discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, or national origin (‘racial harassment’) shall not be tolerated in the school district. Racial harassment of employees or students of the district by Board members, administrators, certificated or support personnel, students, vendors, or any other person having business or other contact with the school district is strictly prohibited.” Jardine supports and follows the district guidelines.
Sexual Harassment is defined as unwanted and unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature. Sexual Harassment can be in verbal, written, physical, or nonverbal form. Sexual harassment will not be tolerated at Jardine Middle School.
Students and Parents are encouraged to report these behaviors by completing a Safety Report which can be found on the Jardine website under the “Student Resources” tab.
After School Program
Our after school program has started up as of Aug. 28. Our current activities include:
Cooking Club (4 weeks at a time) on Monday through Wednesday from 3 - 4:30
Robotics Club (Closed group) on Monday/Wednesday from 3 - 4.
Drones Club on Thursdays from 3 - 4.
Gardening Club on Tuesdays from 3 - 4:30.
LGBTQ+ Club on Wednesdays from 3 - 4.
Creative Writing Club on Thursdays from 3 - 4:30.
Tutoring on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday from 3 - 4:30.
There is no transportation with this program so someone will need to be here to pick up your student at the appropriate time. For questions, please contact Mr. Haag, Asst. Principal, thaag@tps501.org
Transportation
Please remember busing services are a privilege for students who qualify and students are expected to follow all bus expectations in our student handbook. Questions regarding busing can be answered by TPS transportation department at 295-3910 or Kansas Central Bus Service @ 233-2009
Social Work Corner - Ms. Sparks
Welcome back to school Jardine Jaguars and parents!!
We definitely seemed to be experiencing weather issues that have never happened since I have been at JMS–23 years. Since my focus at Jardine is supporting your student’s mental health I was curious what the real experts have to say on what all of us may be subjected to during this season of “eternal fire”. As it turns out , heat does affect our state of well being.
Read below to learn more about how to survive the hot season. Also know that we at Jardine, in fact, the whole district, are paying close attention to staff and student’s health and well being. The district is providing water, ability to wear cooler apparel, and excused absences for those who walk to school.
R. Sparks–school social worker
UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF HEAT ON MENTAL HEALTH
BY DEB BALZER –JULY 2023 Mayo Clinic
A heat wave is affecting parts of the U.S., including much of the Southwest, through the Southeast and parts of Europe. When temperatures soar, the heat can take a toll more than just physically. Our well-being can suffer as well.
"A study of over 2 million people found an increased visit rate or incidence of people going to the emergency department with psychiatric and mental health-related concerns during periods of high heat," says Dr. Robert Bright, a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist. "It showed a higher level of visits for substance abuse, anxiety, mood disorders, and even people with schizophrenia had an increased incidence of distress or issues with their illness, bringing them to the emergency department."
Heat and emotions
A common side effect of extreme heat is irritability, which can arise from physical discomfort and disrupted sleep patterns. The fatigue from sweating, working in the heat and the lack of quality sleep can leave people feeling stressed and on edge.
Dr. Bright says that others may be irritable due to heat. That can lead to tempers flaring or even road rage.
"It's really important for people to have grace for themselves and grace for other people. Everybody's struggling. It truly is something that's affecting every one of us, so step back and try to think through these things at a cognitive high-level. This is what's happening. Recognize that and do not just react impulsively from that emotional part of your brain," says Dr. Bright.
Heat and psychiatric medications
Certain medications can heighten the risk of heat-related issues from a psychiatric and medical perspective. Diuretics, for instance, can cause increased urine output, leading to dehydration, mental status changes and confusion.
"Medications used for mental health for illnesses, such as schizophrenia or bipolar illness, can change your regulation of heat and your ability to sense that you're too hot, your ability to sweat. I've seen people walk around with heavy mink coats when it's 100 and 105 degrees outside not recognizing that because of their lack of thermo regulation or ability to regulate their body temperature," says Dr. Bright.
Dehydration can also affect levels of some medications, such as lithium — which can become more concentrated in the body and potentially lead to toxicity.
"Some medications like lithium, for example, if you get dehydrated, your lithium level can rise significantly. Lithium has a very narrow therapeutic range. And you can become quite toxic with lithium, which can be quite serious with heart arrhythmias, coma, seizures and even death, if it got severe enough," Dr. Bright says.
Drinking plenty of water and staying cool can help mitigate these risks.
What to do
And if you need help, seek help.
"If you're feeling really overwhelmed and as though you truly can't cope, then it's time to reach out for help," says Dr. Bright. "Whether that is walking into an emergency room and asking for assistance or contacting a therapist or counselor."
Finding ways to stay cool may be a good starting point to help reduce periods of intense heat. Dr. Bright says he knows only some people have air conditioning and recommends trying public spaces that may offer relief if you don't have access at home. "If you don't have a place where you have air conditioning, and if you can, go to a cool place with air conditioning, go to the mall, go wherever it might be that you can go hang out for the day, go to the library to do those things to relieve yourself of some of the stress of the heat," says Dr. Whiteside.
Library News - Ms. Gilliland
The students visited the library with their ELA classes for the first time in the last couple weeks. We reviewed rules, talked about the location of books, and the checkout procedure.
Throughout the year your students will gain knowledge in information skills to use in various educational settings. They will also get their choice of books to checkout each time they come to the library.
If your student is having chromebook issues, please tell them to visit the library during AB time to talk to Ms. Gilliland
Each student at Jardine is allowed to check out up to 3 library books at a time. The students are allowed to checkout anytime they have permission from their teachers.
Chromebook chargers: You can purchase one from A office for $25 or follow these links at Walmart.com or Amazon. Please do not continue to charge your chromebook with a phone charger as this will destroy the chromebook battery due to the different watts.
The Book Fair is coming!!!
Shop online from September 2-10
Materials are delivered directly to your residence.
https://www.scholastic.com/bf/jardinemiddleelementary
And in person September 4–8
Open 7:30am-4:00pm daily
in the Middle School Library
Information from Nurse Bailey
Sports & Other Extracurricular Activities - Mr. Snyder
Mike Singletary of the Chicago Bears once said, “Do you know what my favorite part about the game is? The opportunity to play.” We at Jardine Middle School want you to know that every student has an opportunity to participate in after school activities.
To begin the school year our fall activities are: Volleyball, coached by Mrs. Gilliland, Mr. Falk, Ms. Scott, Mrs Latham. Girls Tennis, coached Mrs. Abellon and Mr. Morris. Football, coached by Mr. Daniels, Mr. Brown, Mr. Roe, Mr. Fairfield, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Samuels. Cross Country is coached by Mr. Taylor. All students participating must have a physical on file and have maintained grades set by KSHSAA and USD 501 regulations.
We will check grades each week prior to an event; if a student-athlete has an F in any class they will have an opportunity to get the grade to passing before they will be allowed to compete during the week. Our coaches and I will go over concussion protocols with our student-athletes. Jardine will have a certified trainer for our athletes; parents will need to sign a release form in order to be seen.
I want to remind all spectators about KSHSAA rule 52 on sportsmanship. We want everyone to be courteous to all participants, coaches, and officials. Jardine will win with character and lose with dignity, let us be positive role models for our student-athletes.
This year our drama department is presenting the play “Fee,Fi,Fo,Fum,” directed by Mrs. Rowe and Mrs. Shelton. We encourage all students from 6th , 7th and 8th grade to participate. Play try-outs begin Sept. 11th and performance will be in November.
Language Arts Team
The Language Arts Department will continue using the “Collections” textbooks this year. The textbook has an online feature that the students will be able to log on to. my.hrw.com Textbooks will remain in the classroom but everything they need can be accessed through the online feature when away from class.
6th Grade: (Ms. Appelhanz, Mr. Henry, Ms. Morlock Unit 1: - “Facing Fears”
inference, main idea, homophones, plot elements; Novel: Among the Hidden
7th Grade: (Ms. Bisconer, Ms. Morlock, Ms. Carrington) Unit 1: “Bold Actions” Students will be focusing on crucial skills involving plot elements, inferencing, main idea, and theme.
Novels – The Hunger Games, The Giver
8th Grade: (Ms. Watson, Ms. Pumford, Ms. Bisconer) Unit 1: “What Culture Means to Us”
Focus on Main Idea and Details as well as Context Clues. Students will read a variety of texts that focus on immigration and cultural understanding. They will also be reviewing grammar basics and diving into current event discussions.
The Newcomer students are off to a great start this year! This year we have students from: Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Ukraine. In September, the Newcomer 1 class will be learning all about school: school supplies, school places, and the jobs of different people who work in our school. The Newcomer 2 students will expand their vocabulary, spelling, and grammar skills as we study foods, nutrition, and where our foods come from.
¡Los estudiantes recién llegados han tenido un gran comienzo este año! Este año tenemos estudiantes de: México, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua y Ucrania. En septiembre, la clase Newcomer 1 aprenderá todo sobre la escuela: útiles escolares, lugares escolares y los trabajos de las diferentes personas que trabajan en nuestra escuela. Los estudiantes Newcomer 2 ampliarán su vocabulario, ortografía y gramática a medida que estudiamos los alimentos, la nutrición y el origen de nuestros alimentos.
Студенти-новачки чудово розпочали цей рік! Цього року у нас є студенти з: Мексики, Гондурасу, Гватемали, Нікарагуа та України. У вересні новачок 1 класу дізнається все про школу: шкільне приладдя, шкільні місця та роботу різних людей, які працюють у нашій школі. Учні Newcomer 2 розширять свій словниковий запас, орфографічні та граматичні навички, коли ми вивчатимемо їжу, харчування та походження нашої їжі.
Remember, practice makes PERMANENT! Having your student read 20 minutes every night is an excellent practice to start now. Generally, the more time you are exposed to something and the more time you spend practicing it, the better you’ll become at performing it. This is absolutely true for reading. Research shows that children who have repeatedly been
exposed to books from birth generally exhibit strong reading abilities.
Readers are leaders!
History Happenings
6th Grade Ancient World History: Hello and welcome from the 6th grade History team of Mr. Barrett and Mr. Jennings. We will be starting out this year with the study of social scientists and how they are like detectives; using clues to solve mysteries. We will begin with prehistory and move into the agricultural revolution of how early people made the shift from hunter gatherers to farming. That will then be followed by the earliest civilizations of the Sumerians and later Mesopotamian kingdoms.
With a new textbook and resources that are available through the Clever portal on your student's chromebook, availability for students is much greater. We are excited as we all navigate a new text and discover new and exciting learning materials
Please help your stident by reminding them to learn the 50 states and their capitals. This is ongoing all year.
8th Grade United States History
Welcome back! The 8th grade year is going to fly by quickly so enjoy as much of it as you can with your child. Ms. Morelli and Mr. Barrett are the 8th-grade United States History Teachers. In 8th grade United States History we will cover as we can from the American Revolution to Early 1900's Immigration. In the past two weeks, the students have been learning about the causes of the American Revolution and the first battle of the Revolutionary War. Our next unit will be over the Constitutution.
In this class your child we be critical thinking, analyzing documents, writing reflections, and having fun learning about the history of our country, If you have any questions or concerns please email your child's teacher.
Mighty Math Team
6th grade will be finishing their current unit mid-September. It is a lot of 5th grade review with a few additional pieces that bump the content to 6th grade standards. So far we have divided all types of fractions and will move into adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing decimals as well as some work with least common multiple and greatest common factor. After a unit assessment, we finish off September by beginning our 2nd unit on Ratios and Proportions. Your student uses the IXL program in class for additional practice on our content and it is also available for students to use at home. The IXL app is located in students' Clever accounts. Thank you for supporting your student!
Welcome back students and parents. 8th Grade Algebra is off to a quick start, and will continue to be fast paced as we are covering two years of math standards in one school year. It is vital that your student(s) keep up with work, ask questions, and come in for help if they start to feel overwhelmed. The first couple of weeks have focused on solving equations, and simplifying equations to determine the number of solutions- one, infinite, or none. From here, we will move into solving literal equations- which is usually a math formula of some type. For example, the area of a rectangle is A=lw, where the equation is solved for A. Students will be using math properties to transform the equation and solve for either the l or the w, such as l=A/w or w=A/l. The ability to transform literal equations will be paramount when we cover geometric formulas and solving for unknowns. The unit will conclude with solving one-step, two-step, and multi-step inequalities as well as compound inequalities. Students will need to know how to represent these solutions on a number line by using either open or closed circles on a number line and shading the number line to represent where possible answers can be found. This is a foundational skill for when we graph linear equations in two-variables later this year. Couple of items to get on your calendar: September 20th is Family Fun Night at Hummer Sports park at 5:30 PM. October 25th-26th will be Student Led Parent/Teacher Conferences.
Science Team
HMH Science Dimensions™ is our online program for science. This will be our resource for readings, various assignments, and labs. Just because we are moving towards being more digital does not mean the hands-on stuff is gone. Part of science will always be about learning through experiences.
These are our 6th grade focus for the month of September.
Explore how engineers solve problems through connecting engineering, science, and society.
● Develop an understanding of the system and system models that are used to describe natural andengineered designs.
● Model the engineering design process by defining a problem, identifying the criteria and constraints for
that problem, and how society is impacted.
● Develop and test modification to designs and analyze results in order to optimize a design solution.
Students will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge as they design a casing to support their egg from breaking during the landing as we drop it, 17 ft high, this project is called "Moon Landing"
The 7th graders are off to a great start! We are learning Scientific Method and lab equipment we will be using during our investigations and experiments this year. In our first quarter this year we will be learning all about the different types of Energies through labs and investigations. This will be our Physics section this quarter.
We start out the year talking about Earth’s history in 8th grade. We will learn about fossils and learn to use them to discover how organisms have changed over time. Using this information, students find out how to organize it into a geologic timeline. Using what we learn about how life has changed throughout history will lead us to questions about how they happened which we will be investigated later.
JMS Music Department
Jardine students are already making wonderful music! 7th and 8th Grade Band students are planning to perform at the Middle School Football Classic October 11 at Hummer Sports Park.
Check out the Jardine Middle School BAND Facebook page!
JMS Drama Department
You’ll love this musical version of Jack and the Beanstalk. See Jack as he goes up the beanstalk and into the castle where he not only fights Gogmagog, the giant, but a malicious troll as well. Join us to learn the exciting outcome in “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum!”
Auditions will take place September 11-13 after school in the Music Room (A-400). There will be an information meeting for parents and students immediately following the first practice on September 18 at 4:30 pm in the JMS Commons. Performances are November 9-10. Please call Tracy Rowe at 785-730-8125 or email trowe@trowetps501.org if you have questions.
Check out the Jardine Middle School Drama Facebook page!
PE - Mr. Mitchell & Ms. Remer
Hi Jardine family, my name is Mr. Mitchell, and I am excited to be starting my new career as a
middle school P.E. teacher. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Physical Education from
the University of Science & Arts Oklahoma.
I have a huge passion for sports, especially soccer! During the school year I will strive to
inspire others to love and appreciate sports, health & wellness as much as I do. I look
forward to an active year and teaching your students along side, Ms. Remer.
*****
DAILY PHYSICAL EDUCATION GOALS, LEARNING TARGETS AND OBJECTIVES
The 4 “P”s
PROMPT
- I will show up to class on time ready to learn.
PLEASANT
- I am pleasant towards staff and students.
- I am positive towards the activity.
- I can follow directions.
PREPARED
- I am wearing the correct clothes & shoes.
PARTICIPATE
- I WILL DO MY BEST!
*****
Calendar/Sports & Games-
Aug 21 – Frizz Tournament
Aug 28 – H-ball/Bocce
Sept. 5 – Football skills/Kickball
Sept. 11 – Tennis/Floor Hockey
Sept. 18 – Tennis/Floor Hockey
Sept. 25- Foxtail/Ragball
*****
Contact Info-
Mr. Mitchell
P.E. Teacher/Coach
Mrs. Remer
P.E. Teacher