JMS Parent Newsletter
WELCOME BACK: January 5 - January 8, 2021
“The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written.” ~ Melody Beattie
Week 1: January 5 - January 8, 2021
We hope that you and your family had a wonderful Winter Break and have remained healthy throughout this time. We are excited to kick of a new semester and help all of our students opportunities for success!
As we return back to school on the staggered schedule starting Tuesday, January 5th (L-Z students), please be reminded of the following Covid 19 protocols:
- If your child was ill or quarantined over Winter Break, please contact us immediately via the email addresses below so that we can confirm return dates.
- If your child has been tested for COVID 19 and/or awaiting results, they are not permitted in the building until you provide us with a negative test. Again, please contact us immediately.
- If your child is exhibiting any symptoms, please keep them home. Please do not send your child to school with symptoms.
- All absences related to COVID 19 testing, isolation, etc., will be excused.
Report cards will be sent home on Thursday, January 7th (A-K students) and Friday, January 8th (L-Z) students. Please be sure that you reach out regarding afterschool/Super Wednesday homework help if your child needs help to start off the 9 weeks on the right foot! These sessions will begin this week.
Again, we hope you had a wonderful Holiday and we are looking forward to starting off this New Year in a positive, successful manner! If at any time we can assist, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at any time.
Phil Cox, Principal, pcox@ortn.edu
Jenifer Laurendine, Vice Principal, jllaurendine@ortn.edu
Nick Corrigan, Dean of Students, njcorrigan@ortn.edu
Ben Fowler, Instructional Technology Coach, bjfowler@ortn.edu
The Eagle Eye - A Look at the Week Ahead
Monday, January 4
No School for students
Teacher Professional Development Day
Instructional Coaches Meeting via Zoom - 1:30pm
Good News deadline
Girls Basketball Practice - Gym - 3-5pm
Boys Basketball Practice - 5-7pm
Tuesday, January 5
STUDENTS RETURN
A Day
L – Z on campus
A – K Remote
Atomic Master Brix Meeting - Rm 102 - 2:45-4:30pm
Girls Basketball Practice - Gym- 3-5pm
Boys Basketball Practice -Gym - 5-7pm
Wednesday, January 6
All students Remote learning
Admin Team Meeting - Eagle Innovation Center - 6:30am
Collaborative Teams
Special Education Meeting via Zoom - 1:30pm
Girls Basketball Practice - Gym - 1-3pm
Boys Basketball Practice- Gym - 3-5pm
Thursday, January 7
B Day
A – K on campus
L – Z Remote
Grade Level Meetings via Zoom (2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th periods)
Blue and Gold day
Grade Reports distributed to students 7th period
Girls Basketball Practice - Gym - 3-5pm
Boys Basketball Practice - Gym - 5 -7pm
Friday, January 8
B Day
L – Z on campus
A – K Remote
Blue and Gold day
Math Visits (1-4 periods) - see email from Mrs. Laurendine dated 12/21
Grade Reports distributed to students 7th period
Girls Basketball Practice - Gym - 3-5pm
Boys Basketball Practice - Gym - 5-7pm
Saturday, January 9
Basketball Game vs. Robertsville MS @ ORHS (Wildcat Arena)
Boys JV - 1:00pm
Girls Varsity - 2:15pm
Boys Varsity - 3:30pm
JMS 2020 Virtual Winter Concert
Please find the link below to the JMS 2020 Virtual Winter Concert! This video is a compilation of our band, chorus and orchestra classes.
A huge thank you to Mr. Cantrell, Ms. Damiano, Ms. Wilson and Mr. Rutherford for their vision, time and creativity to make this concert a reality for our students, staff and community during this unprecedented time.
Preparing for Success!
The new year equals a new opportunity for success at JMS!
We want to help each of our families and students to start our in a positive way the 3rd Nine Weeks! Please take a look below for some things you can do to help your child stay organized and on track this semester. In addition, please be sure to utilize Canvas, Zoom, Email, Attendance links, etc., on a daily basis.
CHECK CANVAS DAILY
- Canvas will have all of the information your child will need regarding assignments, curriculum, Zoom links, etc.
ZOOM
- When your child is at home (via the staggered schedule, Wednesdays or due to the unfortunate event they are isolated from being in school due to contact tracing), they have the opportunity to receive direct instruction by logging into Zoom for their classes. We are working to make this type of learning accessible for all classes. If it is not available, teachers will always have the Canvas pages up to date with assignments, curriculum links, videos, etc.
- When your child is Zooming during the day, they must have their videos turned off and have their microphones muted. Additionally, they will need to communicate with their teacher via email if they have any questions from the lesson.
- Please see the Wednesday Zoom Schedule pictured below.
CHECK SKYWARD
- Check your child's grades in Skyward. You will be able to tell what their current grade is and what assignments are missing.
CONTACT TEACHER
- If your child has missing assignments, reach out to their teacher to see what steps can be taken to possibly make them up. Many teachers provide opportunities to resubmit or make up assignments.
REMOTE ATTENDANCE
- With the staggered schedule, it is crucial that your child accesses Canvas and clicks on the attendance portion of every class, every day they are at home.
- Please be sure to bring in a doctor or parent note within 3 days of returning to school when your child is absent. Students are only permitted 7 parent notes for a sickness that does not require a doctor note.
Please feel free to reach out to Vice Principal Jen Laurendine at jllaurendine@ortn.edu (865-425-9257) or Dean of Students Nick Corrigan at njcorrigan@ortn.edu (865-425-9271) if we can assist in any way.
Wednesday Remote Learning Schedule
ITC Corner - Tips from Mr. Fowler
Hello, JMS Families!
There are some major changes coming to the way students will use Canvas's content editor for assignments. They will go into effect on January 16th. We will send out this same information to students, but we wanted parents to know. Please attached file below for detailed information.
As you help your students with assignments, if you have any questions about these changes, let me know. I will be happy to help. You can reach me via email at bjfowler@ortn.edu.
After School Homework Help & Super Wednesday
As we begin a new year, it is the perfect time to reflect on how the first semester has gone and what we can do to improve going into Term 3. This is often one of the most challenging terms of the school year, so it is important that students stay caught up on their schoolwork in order to be successful. Be sure to take the time this week and review your student’s Term 2 Report Card. If you find they have several low grades, please reach out so that we can provide some extra support. We will also be discussing these students in our grade level student focus meetings in the coming weeks.
We will continue after school homework help groups on the staggered schedule by last name. This will help us to continue providing adequate levels of support to our students in smaller groups. Please be sure to arrange this by emailing one of us with the addresses below prior to coming so that we can make necessary arrangements.
We meet in the Eagle Innovation Center in the front lobby. This space has been a wonderful atmosphere for students to work and allow teachers to drop in after school to provide additional support. The white boards, interactive television, and charging spaces have been critical to work with students.
After School Homework Help
Monday & Thursday – Last Names A-K can stay after school
Tuesday & Friday – Last Names L-Z can stay after school
Please remember that students will need to be picked up by 3:45 PM.
Super Wednesday Homework Help
Students should report to the Eagle Innovation Center (main lobby). Wednesday Homework Help session is from 1-3:45 PM. Please remember that students will need to be picked up by 3:45 PM.
Nick Corrigan – Dean of Students njcorrigan@ortn.edu
Maria Castle – 5th and 7th Grade Counselor mccastle@ortn.edu
Falon Sullivan – 6th and 8th Grade Counselor fcsullivan@ortn.edu
Corey Huddleston – Homework Help Teaching Assistant cdhuddleston@ortn.edu
Blue & Gold Day - Thursday & Friday!
On Saturday, January 9th, Jefferson will host cross-town rival, Robertsville in the City Championship basketball game at Oak Ridge High School. Per Governor Lee’s Executive Order, No. 70, to help curb the spread of COVID-19, attendance at all basketball games will be limited to players’ parents or guardians and immediate household members only. No students or community members will be permitted to purchase a ticket/attend the game. Even though everyone cannot attend the games, we would like to support the JEFFERSON basketball teams and wish them the best of luck in the City Championship! Please show your school spirit by wearing all BLUE and GOLD to school on Thursday and Friday! JMS dress code applies, and no pajamas or onesies are allowed. You also cannot bring face paint to school. Get creative, show your school spirit and support the Eagles! GO EAGLES!
Spelling Bee in JPAC January 13th at 9:00am
What if the Weather Outside is Frightful?
- Any school cancelation/delay decisions are made by 5:15am. Upon decision being made, notifications will then begin from ORS District Admin.
- Please remember Oak Ridge Schools will be announced as Oak Ridge City Schools (not Anderson County Schools).
- Delays may include a 1 hour delay (breakfast is served) or a 2 hour delay (no breakfast served).
- Skylert messages will be made by the district regarding any delay or cancellation. To ensure you receive the call, please be sure your contact information is up to date in Skyward. To make any changes, please contact our registrar, Amy Myers at amyers@ortn.edu.
- Updates will be available on www.ortn.edu , www.wbir.com/weather, www.local8now.com and the ORS and JMS Twitter Pages (@ORSchools and @JMS_Eagles).
Portrait of a Graduate - Students Will Understand Career Options
Please see below how each 5th - 8th grade student will understand career options as part of the POG framework.
For more information, please visit https://www.ortn.edu/pog/.
Celebrating our 8th grade Basketball players & Cheerleaders!
JMS Yearbook Sharing App!
This year has posed unique challenges for the yearbook staff to get photographs for the yearbook. JMS is still committed to creating a yearbook for our students to enjoy on the last day of school. Please see information about a program in which you are able to share pictures from your child's events that can be used in our yearbook!
Please see below:
- Go to www.hjeshare.com and type in our school code JMSEAGLES to share photos.
- You can also go to the www.hjeshare.com and use this link to bypass entering the school code: http://www.hjeshare.com/eShare/?code=JMSEAGLES
- You can also download the HJ e-share app for iPhone or Google Play to your device and submit them straight from your phone.
The photos will go straight to our online yearbook photo content and only our Yearbook Sponsors, Ms. Humphrey, Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Casalenuovo, will be able to see the photos.
If you have any questions about the app, please contact Mr. Fowler at bjfowler@ortn.edu for more information.
2021 Art Aviation Contest - Please Check Out this Opportunity!
JMS kids made cards for Diversicare patients!
Mrs. Fox's students wrote letters to Santa!
Holiday wishes!
JMS Counselors Corner
Welcome back from JMS Counseling Office!! We hope that you spent time with family and were able to relax before starting up a new semester. If you are a parent of a current 8th grade student please be sure to read the newsletter weekly so you can get the latest updates on freshman registration for Oak Ridge High School. If you know that your child will not attend Oak Ridge High School for 2021-2022 school year please contact Amy Myers, JMS Registrar at 865-425-9302. We are sure that you were excited to see that we had a “White December 25th “.
Many students at JMS show acts of caring and compassion and are rewarded when noticed by teachers by being nominated for “Student of the Week”. We would like to start out the new year with showing kindness to one another for the month of January. We are excited to see how many student we will “catch” being kind to one another. Before leaving for winter break JMS students made Holiday cards for residents at Diversicare of Oak Ridge to show that they are being thought of and they are loved during the holiday season. Vickie at Diversicare was very appreciative of the kindness that our students expressed in the cards. Mrs. Fox’s 5th grade students wrote letters to Santa. Their holiday wishes were not for themselves but for others.
Congrats to our “Students of the Week”
Brandy Edwards
Beyonce DeLeon
Dakota Duncan
Important Dates
January 5 & 7th -Students return to school and receive their Term 3 schedules within their homeroom. Remember that your child may have had RTI changes and their schedule may look different than before Winter break.
No School- Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday- January 18, 2021
January 28th & 29th -Wear a pin, shirt or sweatshirt that shows words of kindness
Spring Break- March 15th-26th
Acts of Kindness For This Week
January 5th & 7th - Offer your pencil to a classmate (after you sanitize it of course)
January 8th - Send a letter to a good friend instead of a text
For mental health support, please feel free to reach out to the Jefferson Middle School Counseling department at (865) 425-9301.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please refer to the information below:
Mobile Crisis/Youth Villages: 866-779-9225
Ridgeview Behavioral Health in Oak Ridge: 482-1076
Statewide Crisis Hotline: 1-855-Crisis-1 or 1-855-274-7471 or
Statewide Crisis Textline: Text TN to 741741
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255
Eagles defeat RMS 39-38 at Wildcat Arena in a last second thriller!
Shakira Goins drives to the basket for 2 against the Lady Rams!
JMS Athletic Update
The Jefferson basketball teams resume District play this Thursday when they travel to Jacksboro. The girls game will begin at 5pm and the boys game will follow at 6pm. On Saturday, Jefferson hosts Robertsville at Oak Ridge High School. The boys JV game will tip at 1pm. The girls varsity game will follow at 2:15pm and the boys varsity game will begin at 3:30pm.
Per Governor Lee’s Executive Order No. 70, only players’ parents or guardians and immediate household members will be allowed to attend basketball games through January 19th. Temperature checks, masks, and social distancing between persons from different households is still required.
In addition the following protocols will be followed:
- All spectators will be required to wear a mask properly at all times while at any Jefferson Middle School athletic events. Spectators will be asked to leave if they do not keep their masks on.
- Upon conclusion of the girls game, we request that fans not staying for the boys game exit the gym out the front gym doors to allow space in the bleachers for the spectators arriving for the boys game.
- Spectators attending the boy’s game are requested to arrive as close to tip-off as possible to allow fans attending the girls game time to exit the gym. All fans and spectators will enter Jefferson through the main front doors.
- At conclusion of games, all fans should exit the gym through the front gym doors.
- Spectators will have their temperatures taken upon arrival and are expected to maintain social distance in the bleachers from anyone other than those living in the same household.