Family Update - March 10, 2024
March 10, 2024
From the Principals
Dear Families,
Many thanks to the PTO for providing teachers with dinner last Thursday evening for parent/teacher conferences - always appreciated!
We have laid out lost and found items in the cafeteria. There are many coats, hoodies and water bottles. Please encourage your student to look for their missing items prior to April 5. At that time, we will donate what remains to "Resale for Research", a UA nonprofit. The funds raised go directly to life-saving research at Nationwide Children's Hospital and other hospitals around the country.
Please plan to join us for Curriculum Night this Tuesday. We welcome rising 7th and 8th grade parents from 6:00 to 6:45. Incoming 6th grade parents and students are welcome from 7:00 to 8:00. We hope to see you there!
Attention 8th grade parents: we are in need of chaperones for the dance on Friday, March 15. Please see additional details below.
There is no school tomorrow, March 11, as it is a grading day for teachers to finalize the 3rd quarter. We hope you enjoy the extra time with your students. We will be happy to see them on Tuesday!
Warm regards,
Aimee White, Principal
Heather Markward, Assistant Principal
HEALTH CLINIC UPDATE
Effective March 1, the CDC has updated its COVID guidelines, discontinuing the quarantine period for positive test results. Franklin County Public Health is also adopting these new guidelines. At this time, students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 may return to school when well enough to participate, and they have been fever free for more than 24 hours without the use of fever reduction medication.
Our school nurses track communicable illnesses and work with local public health agencies to mitigate potential outbreaks. We request if your student is diagnosed with or treated for a communicable illness (strep, pinkeye, influenza, COVID-19, lice, etc.), that you report the illness to the school nurse. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure our schools are a healthy learning environment for all of our students.
STRATEGIC PLANNING UPDATE
Work on the latest version of the district’s strategic plan is underway, with students, staff members, parents and community stakeholders coming together to envision the future of learning in Upper Arlington. You can learn more about the strategic planning process in this video.
This spring, there will be three opportunities to hear an update on the process and provide feedback, and there will also be an opportunity to share your feedback online. Please mark your calendars for the following dates:
Coffee & Conversation With Dr. Hunt
March 13 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
March 14 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Kingsdale Market District upstairs meeting room, 3061 Kingsdale Center
Community Engagement Session on Strategic Planning
May 9 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Upper Arlington High School, 1625 Zollinger Road
8TH GRADE DANCE - VOLUNTEERS & DONATIONS NEEDED
Friday, March 15 (6:00-7:30pm)
Our 8th Grade Dance Committee has been hard at work planning, organizing and preparing their school dance. This is a free event for all students! Here is an update from the committee:
- If you are interested in chaperoning and/or making a donation please visit this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080849ADA822A57-48396927-jones#/
- Theme: A Night Under The Stars
- Students can sign ups for the dance during lunch starting Tuesday, March 12 through Thursday, March 14 (sign ups are required to make sure we have an accurate number of chaperones)
- Formal attire is encouraged, but by no means mandatory
- Come as you are and have fun!
- 8th Grade JMS students only
7TH GRADE CAREER DAY
Call for Presenters!
7th Grade Career Fair
April 19, 8:15am-10:15am
Looking for parents and community members interested in sharing their career journey with our 7th-grade students. Volunteers will give several 15-minute presentations to small groups. If you are interested in volunteering your time, please let us know by completing the link below. We have such a wide variety of experts in all of you! Please consider sharing with our students.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSccsNcYTY3GvCEF67LZ7rta2HO2Gmziq5xneHzcypt_FJcfrQ/viewform
ATTENTION - 8TH GRADE PARENTS OF STUDENTS GOING TO WASHINGTON DC
The Health Information Form for DC is live! To find it, log in the PowerSchool parent
portal, scroll down to Forms, and look for 8th Grade DC Trip-Health Information. There will be a
link to upload both sides of your health insurance card. Please make sure the copy of your
insurance card (both sides) is readable.
The Health Information form will need to be completed for your child to go on the trip. The
deadline to submit this form is Friday, March 22, the day before Spring Break!
Next month look for an important tip sheet with information to help everyone have a healthy and
comfortable trip experience.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Jane Mead, RN School Nurse
SERVICE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY
This is geared toward 8th graders but all grades are welcome to participate.
The National Veterans Memorial and Museum is partnering with the local non-profit, A Tribe for Jazz (ATFJ) for a pilot workshop to advance social-emotional learning (SEL), the arts, and emotional well-being for both Veterans and youth. This unique experience, led by clinicians, unites veterans spanning all age groups with their children or grandchildren aged 9 to 17. Through a carefully curated mix of activities rooted in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) objectives, the workshop is designed to deepen relationships and promote bonding among participants. For more specifics, please check out ATFJ’s website: https://www.atribeforjazz.org/projects/a-tribe-for-jazz-unites-with-the-national-veterans-memorial-amp-museum-for-an-arts-based-pilot-program-for-veterans
This is a free event and will take place at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum on Saturday, March 16 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. Space is limited to 10 Veterans and a family member.
UPPER ARLINGTON SCHOOL 2025 TRAVEL NIGHT
Looking for an adventurous way to help your student make the most of spring break or summer 2025? Upper Arlington Schools invites your student to discover the world through an educational travel experience!
Join us for a parent information session where we’ll unveil the life-changing experiences awaiting our students. Whether it’s exploring the expansive German countryside that inspired Beethoven to write his nine symphonies, discovering biodiversity on safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa, or marveling at the majesty of an otherworldly landscape as you hike Sólheimajökull Glacier, these trips will broaden horizons and create lasting memories.
📅 Date: Wednesday, March 13 ⏰ Time: 6 - 7 PM 📍 Location: UAHS Black Box Theater
Webinar alternative: Monday, March 18 Time: 5:30 - 7 PM Location: Zoom link emailed to RSVP'd families
Please register to attend the info session here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/UA2025
SUMMER ACADEMY 2024
Upper Arlington Schools is proud to offer an exceptional summer school program for our students for the summer of 2024. Course descriptions and schedules for Summer Academy 2024 will be available on our Summer Academy website beginning on Friday, March 8, and registration will open at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, April 2. Summer Academy 2024 will offer academic and well-being programming. All courses will be offered free of charge for 2024 thanks to federal funding. Please use this link to access the website:
https://www.uaschools.org/SummerAcademy.aspx
8th GRADERS - SAVE THE DATES
Class of 2028 Photo - Thursday, March 21 during student's flex period. Order forms will be sent home prior if you would like to purchase a Class of 2028 photo.
8th Grade Yearbook Tributes - Every year 8th grade parents have the opportunity to purchase a tribute for their child in the Jones Middle School Yearbook. This is usually wishing them well as they prepare to transition to UAHS in the Fall. The cost is $20 and all orders are ONLINE this year! We ask that you limit your order to one tribute per 8th grade child. The deadline to order is March 31, 2024 but don't wait because we do have a set number of tributes we can accept due to yearbook page restrictions.
Use this link to place your order: https://www.locallevelevents.com/events/details/31723
8th Grade Class Slideshow - In preparation for the 8th grade end of year celebration, we are beginning to organize the Class of 2028 slideshow. Here's how your child can be a part of the slideshow:
- A friendly reminder, the slideshow is optional and is shared with all 8th grade JMS families
- Please send 5-8 photos of your child that represent their middle school years (6-8 grade)
- Email pictures to jones8thgradeslideshow@gmail.com
- Subject line for email is your child's FIRST and LAST NAME/8th Grade Slideshow Pics
- Deadline for photo submission is 3/22/24
8th Grade Class Party - Friday, April 5 during the school day from 10:00-1:30pm.
8th Grade Shadowing Day - Upper Arlington Schools is committed to providing our students with career exploration opportunities. We will continue this commitment with our 8th grade students having the opportunity to career shadow on Friday, April 19, 2024 (excused absence). Shadowing Day is a dynamic opportunity for our students to spend a day observing and interviewing an employee in a career of special interest to your child. Career shadowing gives students the opportunity to explore a job in depth to gain valuable insight about the world of work. Students who have never spent a day at work with an adult may want to consider shadowing a parent, guardian, relative, or close family friend as a first experience. Please use this link to register your student for Shadowing Day:
https://forms.gle/HHL8f6ApP4BHzzam9
8th Grade End of Year Celebration - May 23 at 8:30AM (last day of school) - we will be developing a committee of 8th graders interested in planning the Class of 2028's Celebration. More to come!
JONES YEARBOOK
You can now place your orders online for a 2023-24 Jones Yearbook. Yearbooks can be purchased anytime between now and May 2024. They will be mailed to your house in mid July 2024 so please make sure we have a current home mailing address.
If you have any pictures of Winter JMS Sports, Ski Club, Dance Club, music concerts, etc. occurring at JMS please email them to Janie Greiner at jgreiner@uaschools.org.
Please go here to order your 23-24 Yearbook: https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/1049802/Jones-Middle-School/2024-Yearbook/20230801042909197104/CATALOG_SH
PTO BOOK TALK
This is a collaborative event supported by building PTOs and UA Schools.
Thompson Park North Shelter House on Saturday, May 11, from 12:00 - 2:00.
The book is Just Roll With It, and the author will be joining us at the event. For more information please visit:
ABOUT THE JONES PTO
Each year we strive to support our students and our school. With our annual Golden Bear Spirit fundraiser as well as generous donations, we look for ways to help enrich Jones as a whole in a variety of ways.
Some examples of our work include mini grants used by staff for programming and classroom needs, balls and equipment for students to use during their outdoor time, provide meals for staff events, distribute custom Jones planners for students at no cost, as well as plan class party events and give surprise treats to students such as popsicles and ice cream. These are just a few examples as we continue to evaluate and meet our schools needs in the best way possible. Please click this link for more information on the PTO ---> https://www.jonespto.com/about-us
How Can You Support the PTO?
We encourage every Jones family to become a PTO supporter. This one time fee ($25 per family) will help us off-set some of the expense in supporting our students and school throughout the year. Please consider becoming a Jones PTO supporter. The more involved we are together, the more we can work to build community and enhance our students middle school experiences.
Please click this link if you would like to support the PTO ---> https://www.jonespto.com/support-the-pto
Other Helpful PTO Information
- Please take time to follow us on Instagram at #jones_pto. We post lots of updates and helpful information all throughout the year.
- Our website also has a page that shows important dates throughout the year.
- Want to volunteer? We have lots of opportunities to volunteer at all levels of commitment. Please visit the Support the PTO page and fill out a Volunteer for PTO form if you are interested!
Family Connect Program
We are here to help connect new families who could use help navigating all things related to school and community (such as academics, sports, clubs, PTO, extracurriculars, community traditions and celebrations, etc.) to those families who have more experience. Our end goal with this program is to promote hospitality and friendship. If you are interested in learning more about being involved in this program, please email janina.fowler@gmail.com.
THE STAND PROJECT
The Stand Project is an Upper Arlington community action project focused on the prevention of youth substance abuse and committed to standing by students and families in finding help. While substance abuse prevention is at the core of our mission, we engage the community through education on a broad range of topics that impact young people's risk and protective factors.
Save the dates for these informative programs! Event details and additional resources can be found on our Spring 2024 Flyer and events calendar.
MAR 7 ~ Operation Street Smart, 6-8pm at UAHS
APR 4 ~ The Fentanyl Crisis with Beth Weinstock, MD of BirdieLight, 7-8:30pm at UAHS
APR 22 ~ Community Naloxone Training, 6:30-7:30pm at UA Public Library
STUDENTS RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES HANDBOOK
March 11 - No School - Teacher Work Day
March 12 - 7th/8th Grade Curriculum Night, 6pm
March 12 - 5th Grade Parent Night, 7pm
March 15 - 8th Grade School Dance, 6 - 7:30pm
March 18 - 100 Year Celebration of Jones, Flex
March 19 - No School - Ohio Primary Voting Day
March 21 - 8th Grade Class Picture, Flex
March 25 - 29 - No School - Spring Break
April 1 - PTO Meeting, 8:30am
April 1 - Packing for the Streets, 3:30pm
April 3 - 5 - Talent Show Auditions
April 5 - 8th Grade Class Party, 9:30am to 1:30pm
April 6 - JMS Orchestra, Solo & Ensemble Contest
April 6 - 7th & 8th Grade Choir, Jr. High Solo & Ensemble Adjudicated Event
April 10 - Talent Show Tech Crew Rehearsal, 3:30 - 5pm
April 11 - Talent Show Dress Rehearsal, 3:30 - 6pm
April 11 & 12 - Language Arts Ohio State Test, All Grades, Special Schedule
April 12 - Talent Show, 7pm
April 19 - 8th Grade Shadowing Day
April 25 - Band Concert, Grades 6 - 8, 7:30pm
April 25 & 26 - Math Ohio State Test, All Grades, Special Schedule
April 26 - 6th Grade Class Party, 1:30 - 3:20pm
April 26 - Volley for a Cure, UAHS, 6 - 9pm
May 1 - Science Ohio State Test, 8th Grade Only
This email has been sent to you by JONES MIDDLE SCHOOL. If you received this email in error, please contact allcall@uaschools.org.