Parent Newsletter
Sept. 2nd - 6th
No School Monday Sept. 2nd for Labor Day Holiday
Week 5
On Friday, August 30th, students received their midterm reports for the first nine weeks. To learn more about resources to help students for the second half of the first nine weeks please check out the following below:
- TN Ready Individual Student Reports and Midterms
- A look at the Week Ahead
- Tips for a Strong Second Half
- Tips to help Parents and Students with OneNote, Canvas and Skyward
- Helping Students Understand Grit
- September is Attendance Awareness Month
- Understanding the need for Student Soft Skills
- Counselors Corner
Thanks for all that you do to support Jefferson Middle School,
Phil Cox, Principal
Chris Layton, Vice Principal
Jenifer Laurendine, Dean of Students
Mid Terms and TN Ready Information
In the spring of 2019 our students took the TN Ready exam. On Friday August 30th, students received the Individual Student Report which helps outline their skills for the ELA, Math and Social Studies. As you read the Individual Student Report you will see the following:
Student Performance Level scaled 1 - 4 with the descriptions of each level. In addition the report gives you an idea as to your student's performance compared to the school average, the district average and the state average.
Performance Level Comparison - Allows you to see how your students performance measures against students performances within the school, across the district, and across the state.
The second page shows sub score category which shows how students did in various categories and skills specific to the subject you are reviewing (Math, ELA or Social Studies). The second page also provides areas of strength for your student, areas for improvement and next steps in order to help support your student's growth.
Midterms
Students were given progress reports for the first nine weeks midterm which ended on Wednesday August 28th. The printed midterms were given out on Friday August 30th, which means it is possible that the student's grade has changed from Wednesday to Friday. A great tool to keep up with student progress is to review Skyward. It is important to know and understand for both students and parents that the midterm is not a final grade, but rather a glance at their grade to this point.
We often spend time with students at the midterm reflecting on strategies to help maintain, increase or raise their grades. It's important to remember that there is also 4.5 weeks from the midterm to the end of the quarter, which provides a lot of great opportunities for students to continue to improve.
In this newsletter, we have included more information about how to check and use Canvas, Skyward and OneNote, all of which are great digital tools to help students monitor, track and organize themselves academically. Check out the resources below to learn more about each.
A Look at the Week Ahead
Monday-2
NO School - Labor Day Holiday
Tuesday-3
B day
8th Grade Morning Homework Help (Haun) Rm 204 7:05-7:35
5th/6th Grade Morning Homework Help (Martin) Rm 319 7:00-7:30
5th/6th Grade After School Homework Help (Martin) Rm 319 2:45-3:30
Atomic Eagles Lego League Team Meeting (Shanafield) Science Wing 2:45-4:45 Master Builders Lego League Team Meeting (Scott) Rm 102 2:45-4:30
Cross Country Meet @ Panther Creek All Comers, Morristown 6:00
Volleyball vs. Horace Maynard Middle School @ HMMS Varsity ONLY 6:30
Football Practice 3:00-5:30 PM
Cheer Practice 3:00-5:00 PM
Wednesday-4
A day
8th Grade Morning Homework Help (Haun) Rm 204 7:05-7:35
FCA-JPAC 7:15-7:30
Cross Country Practice 1:00-2:15
Volleyball Practice 1:00-2:30
Football Practice 1:00-3:30 PM
Girls Fall League Basketball Practice 5:00-6:30
Boys Fall League Basketball Practice 6:30-8:00
Thursday-5
B day
8th Grade Morning Homework Help (Haun) Rm 204 7:05-7:35
5th/6th Grade Morning Homework Help (Martin) Rm 319 7:00-7:30
Math Club (Tracy) Rm 203 2:45-4:00
RadioActiv Brix Lego League Team Meeting (Davis) Rm 223 2:45-4:45
5th/6th Grade After School Homework Help (Martin) Rm 319 2:45-3:30
7th/8th Grade After School Tutoring (Hondorf) Rm 301 2:45-3:30
Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:30
Volleyball Practice 3:00-4:30
Football vs. First Baptist Academy at Blankenship Field 6:00
Friday-6
A day
8th Grade Morning Homework Help (Haun) Rm 204 7:05-7:35
YFC JPAC 7:00-7:30
Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:30
Volleyball Practice 3:00-5:00
Football Practice 3:00-5:30
Saturday-7
First Lego League Sumo Bot Competition at TN Valley Fair-Chilhowee Park
Canvas 101 for Parents
PTO News
PTO Annual Fundraiser Coming September 9: Each year, the PTO does one “no-sale” fundraiser. Instead of asking the students to sell items door to door, we just ask for a monetary donation. The main benefits of this fundraising method are: MUCH less work for students and their families AND we keep 100% of the money raised instead of giving 50% to an outside vendor. That means more money to help JMS! The annual fundraiser has allowed the PTO to help JMS with purchasing things like supplies for the nurse’s clinic, flexible seating for classrooms, engineering notebooks for STEM classes, hurdles for the track team and much much more so please keep an eye out for the fundraiser letter and envelope coming home soon and consider helping out JMS with this once a year monetary donation!
Fundraiser Spotlight: Are you curious about how your fundraiser dollars are being used? Each week, the PTO section of this newsletter will feature a different department or classroom from JMS that was helped with money from our annual direct drive fundraiser! This week the spotlight is on the JMS Maintenance Department. In need of an easier way to clean up the grounds at school and Blankenship, the maintenance department requested help purchasing a cordless leaf blower. PTO was able to purchase this for them using funds from the direct drive fundraiser. Thank you JMS families!
Parents, have you heard about OneNote? Learn More Here
A Strong Second Half to the Nine Weeks
Myth # 1 - Once you have an F at midterm, you will have an F at the end of the nine weeks
Remember, in the time you missed assignments, performed poorly on assignments etc. in the first four and half weeks you have the same amount to work to do better in the remaining four weeks.
Myth # 2 - I don't understand it and there is no one to help
Check out the graphic below and ask yourself this question: What steps have I taken to get the support I need to better understand?
Myth # 3 - I don't have any opportunities to turn in assignments
In many classes, teachers offer opportunities to resubmit, make corrections and submit work late. It is important for students to take advantage of these opportunities.
Myth # 4 - I have no way to check my grades until the nine weeks ends.....
Teachers keep Skyward updated weekly with grades. Students should make a regular routine to check their grades weekly. In addition to Skyward, it is important for students and parents to check Canvas each week and in some cases daily in order to have a better idea of assignments, projects, quizzes etc. for students.
Myth # 5 - Zeroes do not have a major impact on my grade
The reality is that most of the time students have poor grades primarily due to missing assignments and zeroes. We spend a lot of time helping students and parents understand that it is important to submit every assignment.
Utilizing Skyward and Canvas
You have probably heard about Canvas or Skyward, but you may not know how they are used by teachers. Both are incredible tools that work to help both students and teachers keep up with their classes. Below are some brief descriptions for each tool and how you can utilize them at home to help your student stay organized and on top of their work.
Skyward - (video above)
For the 2019 - 2020 school year parents will be able to check out student grades in Skyward. Teachers will work to keep the grade book up to date weekly. This will help to have a better idea of student's progress weekly. Around 4.5 weeks into the nine weeks, students will get a midterm report sent home and at the end of the nine weeks.
Canvas (video below)
For 2019 - 2020 Canvas will serve as the place to get information about your child's class. For example, "what did you do in school today?" or "what did you learn about today?" etc. Canvas allows teachers to post announcements, links to resources, videos, PowerPoint notes, links to OneNote and other information that will help students in the class.
We ask our teachers to work to keep the announcements section updated each week in Canvas. This will allow parents to see a glance at the week ahead. Please keep in mind that some assignments, quizzes, tests, projects etc. may be subject to change and that the look at the week ahead is a tool to help students and parents have an idea of what will be discussed each week.
Helping Students Understand Grit
One way to think about grit is to consider what grit isn’t.
Grit isn’t talent. Grit isn’t luck. Grit isn’t how intensely, for the moment, you want something.
Instead, grit is about having what some researchers call an”ultimate concern”–a goal you care about so much that it organizes and gives meaning to almost everything you do. And grit is holding steadfast to that goal. Even when you fall down. Even when you screw up. Even when progress toward that goal is halting or slow.
Talent and luck matter to success. But talent and luck are no guarantee of grit. And in the very long run, I think grit may matter as least as much, if not more."
Dr. Duckworth has spent a lot of time studying various groups and working to understand how success is often achieved. Through various intangibles, skills, backgrounds and groups she has determined that more often than not one of the most important criteria for success comes down to GRIT. Check out the video below to learn more about how she defines and establishes her findings.
How can you help your student be gritty?
Grit Idea # 1
Encourage your student to take advantage of learning from their mistakes even if they won't receive credit for them.
Grit Idea # 2
When teachers offer opportunities for corrections to be made to work, students should take advantage of this not only to earn back points, but also to grow and learn.
Grit Idea # 3
Challenge yourself to do extra, spend more time to learn, and put more time into all the goals you have set for yourself. If you can solve three problems with ease, try to find three that challenge you and work to solve those.
Friends of Oak Ridge Schools Teacher of the Week: Mr. Ed Wright
Mr. Ed Wright was selected as the Friends of Oak Ridge Schools "Teacher of the Week" for the week of Aug. 19th - 23rd. Learn more about the amazing things Mr. Wright does to support the students of both JMS and ORHS.
Mr. Wright does an amazing job teaching Career Explorations at Jefferson Middle School. In his role, he works with all of the students at JMS through his Special Areas class. He does a great job of working to build relationships with his students and creating lessons that connect to the real world. Students in his class are given opportunities focused on a wide range of careers, skills needed for careers and resources on how to connect their ideas and passions for careers into their core classes.
Mr. Wright works in a collaborative manner with the staff at JMS and works to support many of our subjects by presenting tie ins and connections to his class. He also has a great program working with other CTE programs to help build real world opportunities and connections for students. Mr. Wright is an advocate for his students and does a great job to work to support their growth and access to careers. In addition to his duties at JMS he does an amazing job as the head coach of the ORHS cross country program.
September is Attendance Awareness Month
If a student has to miss school......
1. Please make sure to check Canvas to see what information and assignments you missed from class. For many teachers, they post notes, resources, assignments and information to Canvas weekly. While it is not a substitute for classroom instruction it can help keep students up to date upon their return.
2. If it is a pre-arranged absence, please contact teachers ahead of time to get information for assignments they may need.
3. Get ahead and up to date of quizzes, tests, projects etc. by checking the announcements section. If you miss a Monday and Tuesday, but see that there will be a quiz on Friday, make sure to check for that information to help yourself for the quiz or test.
JMS Science Classes are doing Amazing Work!
Ms. Little's 5th grade students spent time observing science "in the field" as their classes went outside to observe nature and draw various species of plant and animal life they saw. The exercise allowed our students to utilize their abilities and skills as scientists to observe, record and apply their scientific skills. Ms. Wyatt's class learned about states of matter as they worked with solids (chocolate) and liquids (whipping cream) and working to transfer each state of matter. The end result was they were able to make butter for some crackers and chocolate for pretzels. The key to the lesson was helping students understand how matter can change and transform.
Mr. Byas' science class was working on learning more about the engineering process and how to design a bridge utilizing various tools and materials (pasta, toothpicks, shipping peanuts etc.) Students were broken into teams and were given the task to begin to research, collaborate, and design an idea for a bridge. The teams had the task of building a bridge that could hold weights without their bridge touching water that was filled in a tub. The activity was a great example of utilizing 21st century skills. In Ms. McCullough's class the students were learning about kinetic energy and given a challenge to design a roller coaster. The students were deeply immersed in the engineering design process as they worked in teams to collaborate and test their design ideas with marbles, bouncy balls, and ping pong balls.
In 7th grade, Mr. Murphy's students were learning using their online textbooks to view a model about the impact of pressure and heat. Students were able to learn the impacts of creating a vacuum by experimenting with a marshmallow being pumped due to a vacuum effect. In addition, students learned about states of matter and how temperature can have an impact on the states of matter. In Mr. Beard's class, Students used chalk to draw an outline of an atom’s structure on their lab table. They used three colors of Play Doh or clay to create protons, neutrons, and electrons. Students used the periodic table to identify an element and determine particle numbers. They placed the particles in the correct location on the atom outline on their lab table. Students completed a worksheet that had them demonstrate their understanding of each atom built.
In 8th grade, both Ms. Roop and Ms. Davis had their classes engaged in an escape room activity working as a review for a test. Students were broken up into two teams that were tasked to play puzzle games and collaborate to find answers. The groups had to use their previous understanding of ideas like Newton's laws etc. to find answers to each puzzle. The goals of this activity not only served as a review for students, but was also a great exercise for students to perform 21st century skills including critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration.
It was a great day to visit these science classes and see all of the innovative and engaging lessons. Our teachers and students were giving great efforts and working hard to learn more about science while developing 21st century skills.
Understanding the Need for Soft Skills for Our Students
We all agree that students need an education that prepares them for college and career. We know the statistics about students who go to college unprepared for the rigors of college coursework, relegated to taking courses for no credit, decreasing the likelihood that they will graduate.
But preparation for college and career success requires much more than exposure to a robust curriculum. While a solid knowledge base in classic literature or advanced levels of math certainly won't hurt a young person on the precipice of adulthood, the voices of workforce leaders describe a skills gap of a different nature, a gap in competencies rather than content.
Today's employers perceive a lack of soft skills among recent graduates. Soft skills, sometimes called key skills, core skills, key competencies, or employability skills, are those desirable qualities that apply across a variety of jobs and life situations—traits such as integrity, communication, courtesy, responsibility, professionalism, flexibility, and teamwork.
While these soft skills are cited as integral to workplace success—according to CareerBuilder, 77% of employers say that soft skills are just as important as hard skills—college professors identify the same characteristics as important to college success. Young people who transition successfully from high school to college show an ability to manage their time, meet deadlines, get along with classmates and roommates, and deal with setbacks.
People develop soft skills through socialization, learning the values, attitudes, and actions through interactions with others. Because socialization and relationship-building are a critical part of young adolescents' lives, middle school is a perfect place to incorporate soft skill development into the school day. By adding this important element to instructional plans and classroom expectations, educators help prepare students for success after graduation.
Where to Begin
Many free soft skills instructional programs offer high-interest, middle grades-appropriate activities that allow students to reflect on and think about their own development of soft skills. However, the most effective way to develop students' soft skills is to incorporate development into various aspects of the curriculum. Here are some strategies.
Integrity. Foster integrity by incorporating group work into classroom activities. Each member of the group should be responsible for a specific job or outcome. At the end of the group work assignment, ask students to reflect on how they contributed to the work and why they deserve a share of the final grade.
Communication. Develop students' communication skills in writing for authentic audiences, participating in group discussions, and presenting to the group. They should be able to demonstrate academically productive speech as they move through a class discussion (http://wordgen.serpmedia.org/academic_vocabulary-and-apt.html).
Courtesy. Require students to be respectful and courteous to each other in class and when collaborating with others online. Accountable talk is one strategy that promotes respectful and courteous communication.
Responsibility. Don't rely on giving zeros for late or missing work as a means to promote responsibility. Students who fail to turn in work should be required to explain why the work was not completed and what they will do to remedy the situation in the future. Don't propose an extension—if they want to turn the work in late, they must request the extension.
Professionalism. Promote professionalism through class expectations, such as being on time and coming prepared, being respectful of others, completing assignments, and adapting writing to the needs of others.
Flexibility. Give students long-term, problem-based projects that must be completed within parameters and interim deadlines as they see fit. These activities will encourage them to be organized and focused, to problem-solve and self-monitor.
Teamwork. Encourage teamwork and collaboration through group work and by assigning diverse students to work together. Emphasize communication, trust, integrity, responsibility, and collaboration.
Outside the classroom, teachers can promote soft skills development by providing opportunities for students to visit job sites or participate in job shadowing activities. However, the easiest and most authentic way to instill soft skills is to model them. When students regularly see adults who demonstrate these skills—by teaming, being respectful toward students and other teachers, communicating clearly, and being on time and prepared, they not only understand the value of soft skills, they know how they apply to real-life situations.
Counselors Corner
Important Dates to Remember
Dates to Remember:
Labor Day (No School) – Monday, September 2nd
Fall Break – Monday, September 30th through Friday, October 11th
Intersession – Monday, September 30th through Thursday, October 3rd
ACT Aspire Test (8th grade only) – Wednesday, November 13th (English and Math) and Thursday, November 14th (Science and Reading)
We hope that your child has settled into the school year and have set up their routine to allow them to be on a positive track to success! Believe it or not midterm ends this Wednesday and report cards will be distributed this Friday. Here are five tips that will help your child stay on top of their grades and to stay away from feeling behind.
1. Get enough sleep.
A good amount of sleep is essential to reading comprehension and retention. If you want to do well on that test, an all-nighter playing video games, communications through social media or studying it actually isn’t the best choice. It would be better to go to bed and get eight hours’ of sleep!
This isn’t always possible, but do it as much as you can. That might mean you have to say no to some extra- curricular events during the week, but if it helps you accomplish your goals, that’s a small sacrifice! You can also try designating certain nights of the week for study (with an end time) and certain nights for hanging out with friends and setting a reasonable time to go to bed,
2. Start your projects as early as possible
Something it helps a lot to break down big, projects into small goal oriented steps. Then scatter these smaller tasks into a planner a few weeks ahead of the final due date. For example, work on your paper four weeks before the due date, compiling your book list the same week, and then work on the finishing touches the last week.
3. Surround yourself with positive community.
This is a time to surround yourself with people who care about you and encourage you to do your best. Don’t hang out with the Debbie Downers! Choose people who are motivated and help you finish strong. If you can’t avoid the people who drag you down, try to set boundaries and expectations that tell them clearly what your priorities are. If your friends continually text you about boys when you’re trying to do homework (the kind that HAS to get to done), try kindly explaining that you are taking Monday nights to concentrate on work—and can’t talk. Then choose a different night for catching up.
Another important part of community is discipleship. Be sure you’re plugged into a community group that encourages and equips you. A small group would be great as well—someplace you can gather with people who help you grow in a positive manner.
4. Take notes in class.
Maybe you already do this, but if not, you should start. Ideally, handwrite them—people who handwrite notes retain the concepts better because the action of writing connects the information more effectively to the brain!
5. Give yourself mercy.
Lastly, give yourself mercy. You might not get the perfect “A” on that test. You might work SO hard and still fail to meet your own expectations. You might not land the achievement you wanted. But people who care about you, are still present, even in things that seem unattainable. You can bring your stress and worries to them. Start by bringing your stress and concerns to those who care about you early so that they are aware of your personal goals and expectations.