JMS Parent Newsletter
Final Week of the Semester: December 14 - December 18, 2020
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness.” ~ Helen Keller
Week 10: December 14 - December 18, 2020
Thank you for a wonderful week! Our students worked hard last week completing their TE 21 Benchmark testing. We will receive Benchmark results over Winter Break and will share with staff upon returning to school. If your child was absent last week, they will be taking TE 21 Assessments throughout the week. We also sent an email out to parents/students who are in isolation due to Covid throughout the remainder of the semester regarding the process to take the TE 21 Benchmark Assessment via Clever at home. If your child is isolated, will not return until January and you did not receive an email from Ms. Laurendine Friday evening, please reach out to her at jllaurendine@ortn.edu.
As we wrap up the Semester, please be sure to see below for tips to ensure your child finishes strong and gets all missing assignments turned in. If you have questions about turning in work, please reach out to your child's teachers.
Please be sure:
- If your child gets ill or is quarantined over Winter Break, please continue to contact us immediately via the email addresses below.
- If your child is exhibiting any symptoms, they are kept at home. Please do not send your child to school with symptoms.
- If your child is tested for COVID 19, they are not permitted in the building until you provide us with a negative test. Please call us and let us know. All absences related to COVID 19 testing, isolation, etc., will be excused.
Please remember that Friday is an early dismissal for all students! The Parent Newsletter will resume on Sunday, January 3, 2021. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our admin team throughout the break. We are always happy to assist!
We cannot thank our JMS Community enough for their support throughout the past five months. We wish all of our students, parents and families a wonderful Winter Break, a happy holiday and a healthy New Year!
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, December 14
A Day
A – K on campus
L – Z Remote
STAR Written Expression
PTO Meeting via Zoom 7:45am
Atomic Master Brix Meeting - Room 102 - 2:45-4:30pm
Girls Basketball Pictures & Practice 3 - 5pm
Tuesday, December 15
B Day
L – Z on campus
A – K Remote
STAR Written Expression
JMS Progress Meeting via Zoom - 8:45-9:45am
Truancy referral due
School Counseling PLC - 3:30-4:30pm
Atomic Master Brix Meeting - Room 102 - 2:45-4:30pm
Girls Basketball Practice - Gym - 3-5:30pm
Wednesday, December 16
All students Remote learning
NO Super Wednesday Help!
Admin Team Meeting - Eagle Innovation Center - 6:30AM
STEM Innovator Meeting via Zoom - 10 -10:30am
Admin Scheduling Meeting via Zoom - 11:00am
Faculty Food Truck-The Crave 11:00-1:30pm
Staff Holiday Party via Zoom - 1:30pm
Girls Basketball Practice - Gym - 2:30-4pm
Thursday, December 17
B Day
A – K on campus
L – Z Remote
Student Focus Meeting via Zoom (2,3,6,7 period)
Fire Drill - 2pm
Interact Club Meeting via Zoom 4:00-4:30pm
Boys Basketball Practice - Gym - 3-5pm
Girls Basketball Practice - Gym 5-7pm
Friday, December 18
B Day
L – Z on campus
A – K Remote
Early Dismissal - 12:45pm
No after school help today
Grade Posting closes at 11:59pm
Boys Basketball Practice - Gym - 1-3pm
Girls Basketball Practice - Gym - 3-5pm
Saturday, December 19
Basketball Game vs. Robertsville at ORHS (Wildcat Arena)
Girls JV 1pm, Girls Varsity 2:15pm, Boys Varsity 3:30pm
****8th Grade Recognition for basketball teams and cheerleaders.
December 21-January 1
Winter Break!
Monday, January 4
No students - Staff PD
Tuesday, January 5
A Day
L – Z on campus
A – K Remote
Students Return
After School/Super Wednesday Schedule for December 14-18
Monday – Homework Help from 2:45 – 3:45pm (Last Names A-K)
Tuesday – Homework Help from 2:45 – 3:45pm (Last Names L-Z)
Wednesday – No Super Wednesday this week.
Thursday – Homework Help from 2:45-3:45pm (Last Names A-K)
Friday – No after school homework help.
Final Week of the Semester!
This is the final week of the Semester! See below for steps you can take be sure your child is on track to finish strong!
Check Skyward
- This provides a live snapshot of you child's grade in each class. It will let you know if they have any missing assignments. Please see below in "Tips from Mr. Fowler" for more information about Skyward.
Contact Teachers
- Please reach out to your teachers as soon as possible if you have any questions about your child's grades, missing assignments, make up work, etc.
Technology Issues
- If your child is having technology issues or trouble accessing something on Canvas, please contact Ben Fowler, Instructional Technology Coach at bjfowler@ortn.edu, for assistance.
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.
Tips from Mr. Fowler - Final Grades
Hello parents!
As the term comes to a close this Friday, we wanted to remind you how we account for grades at JMS. As Canvas is our Learning Management System (LMS), we post assignments and resources and grade assignments there. However, Canvas is NOT our final grade repository. We have many programs that offer assignments that we take grades for, so Skyward, our Student Management System (SMS) is always the final repository for grades. Skyward is how we communicate attendance, lunch transactions, schedules, and grades to parents, students, and staff.
So, when trying to help your student look at their final grade, check Skyward. If trying to help them make up assignments, check Skyward and then look in Canvas for the assignment itself.
- Intro to Skyward - https://youtu.be/LPRZenR1v6A
- Intro to Canvas - https://youtu.be/qtZ4WLlyYMY
If you need help accessing Skyward or Canvas, please let me know bjfowler@ortn.edu or 425-9290
Congratulations to our 2021 Spelling Bee Qualifiers!
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).
PTO News
The next PTO meeting will be Monday, December 14 at 7:50am via Zoom. The meeting will include information on the budget, teacher requests and activities for the remainder of the year. If you would like a Zoom invite, please contact Sandy Pelletier sandy@issi.net.
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 Nurse’s Clinic. Nurse Cousins works throughout the year to help JMS students when they are hurt or feeling sick. Her kind heart and warm smile have comforted all students at one time or another during their time at JMS. Although the school system budget allocates some funds to the clinic, it does not cover all of its needs. Recently, PTO was able to purchase supplies needed by the clinic using funds from the Direct Drive. Thank you JMS families!
Portrait of a Graduate - Introduction to the 4 C's - Collaboration & Creativity
Last week we focused on Creative Thinking and Communication. This week, please see below for information about the Collaboration & Creativity skills our Jefferson Middle School students will obtain from 5th - 8th grade.
For more information, please visit https://www.ortn.edu/pog/.
Career Exploration Workspace Almost Complete!
Green Room!
Beautiful carpet and paint!
Virtual reality work space!
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.
ORHS NJROTC presenting the colors at the JMS/Norris Basketball game!
The Reading Eagle
We LOVE our JMS Staff!
Shout out to our Jefferson Middle School Fall Athletic Teams for sponsoring a number of Angel Tree kiddos this holiday season. We love to see our Eagles giving back year-round, but especially during this season of giving!
2021 Art Aviation Contest - Please Check Out this Opportunity!
JMS Counselors Corner
Good Evening from the Jefferson Middle School Counseling Department.
Thank you for another great week here at Jefferson Middle School. We feel blessed to get to serve you and your students daily. As we enter into our final week of classes before Winter Break, please remember to track assignments on virtual days, complete any missing assignments, and finish strong! We hope that each of you have a blessed holiday season.
Preparing for Our Futures
As this month’s theme is preparing for our futures, specifically in advancing to higher grade levels, we thought it would be helpful to provide a tool that would aid in assessing how each of us learn. Pictured below is a survey that allows you to do just that! If you are interested, feel free to read each statement and then rate it from 0 to 5, based on how true the description is to you. Your highest scores will then reflect your learning style! We invite you to get to take a few minutes and get to know yourself!
Mental Health Resources
For further 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
Resources for Families in Need
If you are in need of area food pantries, financial support, housing etc. the link below is a connection to a manual set up to allow you to search based on the area of need, and includes organization contact information, hours, and service criteria.
https://uwayac.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Resource-Manual-Nov-25-19.pdf
2-1-1 is an easy to remember telephone number that connects people with important community services and volunteer opportunities. For example, 2-1-1 can offer access to the following types of services:
- Protecting Community Well-Being: emergency assistance, food banks, clothing closets, shelters, legal assistance, domestic violence.
- Improving People’s Health: health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health, medical information lines, crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention and rehabilitation, senior citizen services.
- Promoting Self-Sufficiency: financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance, education programs.
- Helping Kids Succeed: youth development programs, foster care, adoption, preschools, after-school programs.
- Strengthening and Supporting Families: family resource centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective services, family planning.
- Volunteer Opportunities and Donations
Anderson County residents may dial 2-1-1 to obtain access to social services through a large database of providers. The call is free and the service is available 24 hours a day.
We Need Your Help!
Thank you so much to those who have considered donating prepackaged snacks for our After School Homework Help Program. We are still asking all who are able and interested in supporting this program to donate nutritious, prepackaged snacks for our students. All donations can be dropped off to the Jefferson Middle School Counseling Office. We thank you so much for your willingness to support this wonderful program here at JMS.
Student of the Week
Jocelyn VanMeter ~ Amaijah Bishop
Zayden Kite ~ Torey Holt
Jency Lemus Miranda ~ Isabelle Steele
Kaylee M. Diaz ~ Rose Padilla
Everett Jones ~ Warren Martin
Shiv Patel ~ Malia Barnes
Kendall Hayes ~ Jett Craig
Michael Ferrari-Hackney ~ Cailyn Lawson
Emily Edwards ~ Audrey Leach
Canaan Martin ~ Nick Englehardt
Zoie Ruble ~ Jason Mohr
Duncan Hazenfield
Upcoming Dates:
Winter Break Early Dismissal - December 18th
Winter Break - December 21st- January 4th
No School- Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday- January 18, 2021
Students return from Winter Break- January 5, 2021
No School- Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday- January 18, 2021
Spring Break- March 15th-26th
Student Get to Know You Survey - JMS School Counseling!
JMS Athletic Update
The Lady Eagles and Eagles basketball teams traveled to Eagleton last Monday night. The Eagles defeated Eagleton 21-18. The Lady Eagles fell to Eagleton 17-23. On Thursday Night, the Lady Eagles fell to Norris at home.
Next Saturday, December 19th, both Jefferson basketball teams will take on cross-town rival, Robertsville. The games will be played in the Wildcat Arena at Oak Ridge High School. The girls JV game will begin at 1pm, followed by girls varsity at 2:15pm, and boys varsity at 3:30pm. We will recognize are 8th grade cheerleaders and basketball players throughout the afternoon. Please come out and support the Jefferson basketball teams next Saturday!
Just a reminder of the COVID guidelines being followed at all home basketball games this season:
- All spectators will be required to wear a mask at all times while inside Jefferson Middle School. Spectators will be asked to leave if they do not keep their masks on.
- Out of an abundance of caution and safety, seating capacity for all home basketball games at Jefferson Middle School during the 2020-2021 season will be limited to 200 fans and spectators to allow for appropriate social distancing.
- 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.
- Admission will be $4/adults and $3/students—correct change is appreciated.
- We will have limited, pre-packaged concessions available for purchase.