Jag WIRE Nov22
Jones Middle School Newsletter
November 2022
A Message From Principal Thornton
Dear Jones Families,
Thank you to those of you that attended the Community Meeting via Zoom I facilitated earlier this month. During this meeting we discussed our school's goals and the work we are doing to achieve them. If you were unable to attend, there is a copy of the recorded Zoom our website under the Parent tab.
Over the next few weeks before Thanksgiving Break, doing three things will ensure your child's success:
- Encourage them to read every night
- Monitor parent portal for NTIs
- Engage in discussions about what they are learning in all of their classes
In addition to focusing on academic success please talk with your children about social media and dangerous TikTok trends/challenges like the One Chip Challenge. The warning on the box indicates that students could experience difficulty breathing, fainting, or extended nausea.
Jones Middle School and Seckinger High School would like to invite all parents of students in grades 6-12 to delve into the life of a teenager and the temptations and trends they are faced with in today’s society.
Location: Seckinger High School Theater
Audience: Parents of Students in Grades 6-12
Date: Tuesday, December 13, 2022
Time: 6:00 PM
Topics Include
- Social Media
- Dangerous APPs
- Cyberbullying/Online Threats
- Dangerous Drugs and Trends for Teens
Hosted by Principal Lin Thornton of Jones Middle School and Principal Memorie Reesman of Seckinger High School.
Introducing Dr. Felecia McClain-Sturdivant
Dr. Sturdivant is our new 7th grade assistant principal. She is honored to have this opportunity to provide meaningful contributions to our school community.
During her tenure as an educator, she has had the privilege of collaborating with all stakeholders to ensure a positive and rigorous learning experience for each and every student. When she is not serving teachers, students, and families, she loves participating in community service activities, reading, traveling, writing children's books, and spending time with her family.
She loves that Jones is a place for all stakeholders to teach, learn, grow, serve, and change. She looks forward to working together impacting lives of students, families, and the community during the 2022-2023 school year!
2023-2024 Calendar Options
Survey Ends October 31st
(1)What is most important to you in the calendar options?
(2) What do you like/dislike about the calendar options?
(3) What would you like to see in future calendar options?
(4) What potential conflicts or problems may exist with each option?
Native American Heritage Month
Jones Middle School celebrates National Native American Heritage Month this November! This is a time to celebrate and learn about the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, histories, and legacies of Native people.
If your family would like to share your culture this National Native American Heritage Month for morning announcements, please reach out to Ms. Cho at ahra.cho@gcpsk12.org.
Fall Orchestra Concerts
6th Grade Orchestra Concert: Thursday, November 10 @ 7 PM
7th & 8th Grade Orchestra Concert: Tuesday, November 15 @ 7 PM
All concerts are located in the Jones MS Cafeteria
Concerts are free and open to the public. Come support our Orchestra students in their first performance of the school year!
YEARBOOKS ARE ON SALE NOW!
Yearbooks, which even have customizable page options, are on sale now. Use the link below to purchase your yearbook and/or an ad. The deadline is April 3rd. JMS is not purchasing any extra yearbooks, so make sure you purchase yours by the deadline.
Boy Scouts of America
Parents, you and your student are invited to a Scouts BSA Parent Sign-up Night on Wednesday, November 17th at 6:30pm in the Jones Cafeteria. You’re invited to attend the meeting and learn about how to sign your son or daughter up for the Scouting program, Scout events, and get any questions answered that you may have about Scouts BSA. This event is open to students in all middle school grades.
Gwinnett Department of Community Services
Check out the November events from the Gwinnett Department of Community Services
“Away for the Day” - Electronic Devices
Meet the Jaguars
Ms. Hummell: From New York, Ms. Hummell enjoys working out and watching her children play sports. She has been teaching for 19 years.
Ms. Allen: Ms. Allen is originally from Nashville, but has lived in Georgia most of her life. She has been teaching for 15 years. She enjoys arts and crafts and watching her son play flag football.
Ms. Eads: A Georgia native, Ms. Eads loves any outdoor activity. She has been teaching for 3 years.
This team of 7th grade teachers inspire and motivate their students daily!
AI at JMS
Family AI Challenge -Tetherball
Use Javascript to code a fun game out of swinging circles.
Click HERE to begin.
AI Student Spotlight - DLI Language and Literacy
Jones Middle School’s Dual Language Immersion students have been studying technology in the 21st century. More specifically, we’ve learned how robots can be used to assist police officers and how they can help in manufacturing. Students wrote a letter to the mayor of Buford to help him decide if a police robot would be beneficial to our town. Many think so! Police robots can help to identify suspects, go into dangerous areas, and complete tasks that might put human police officers at risk. We are currently trying to decide if the continued use of robots will create or steal jobs from human beings. Our reading tells us that by 2030, one third of the workforce will be robots, but professions requiring compassion still require a human touch. Students will think of the profession they would like in the future and if it can be completed by robots. They will debate the need for humans or robots in their chosen professions. If you see a DLI student, please ask their opinions on robots in the work force and how it might affect their futures!
PTSA
PBIS for Parents
PBIS welcomes all students and families to Jones Middle School 2022-2023 school year!
Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is an approach schools use to promote school safety and good behavior. With PBIS, schools teach kids about behavior expectations and strategies. The focus of PBIS is prevention, not punishment. The broad purpose of PBIS is to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of schools and other agencies. PBIS improves social, emotional, and academic outcomes for all students.
The PBIS store is OPEN every month and students can access the store by this link https://forms.gle/Ni4ShacjgRCeKrJM7
Counselors' Corner
Your JMS Counselors are excited to support our students and families as the weather gets cooler and we head into November! Students may start to feel more pressure with their grades during this time, so we’ve included some information regarding anxiety and tips to help with this.
Please see the flyer below on how you can become a mentor at JMS!
News You Can Use:
- November Book of the Month for Parents & Caregivers: Anxious Kids Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children By: Reid Wilson, PhD & Lynn Lyons, LICSW
- Article of the Month: How Does Anxiety Affect Kids in School? By: Rachel Ehmke
We Need Your Help:
Shena Manning
6th grade Counselor
Nathan Shope
7th Grade Counselor
Ashley White
8th Grade Counselor
Jones Media Center
Gwinnett Student Media Festival
Students who enjoy making digital media products can enter the Media Festival in the following categories: websites, live action video, sequential stills, interactive stills, animation and podcasts.
For guidelines and more information:
Book Bistro
Students who read at least 4 books and log them in Beanstack by Jan. 1st are eligible to attend the game day in the Media Center. Books should be a minimum of 150 pages, one book can be a graphic novel, books can be fiction or nonfiction.
JMS Clubs and Organizations
Girls Who Code
Upcoming Meetings: every other Tuesday @ 4:15 - 5:15
*Permission form available in the Media Center.
October 4 & 18
November 1 & 15 & 29
December 13
Basketball
The first basketball games will be November 10th at Peachtree Ridge High School. The Girls' game starts at 5:30pm with the Boys' game following after.
School of the Arts
The School of the Arts at Central Gwinnett High is accepting applications now through November 18th. Please access the audition information linked HERE for details.
Important Dates:
Audition Workshop - November 7th
Application Closes - November 18th
Auditions - January 4 & 5
More information - www.gcpsk12.org/SOTA
Questions - megan.rose@gcpsk12.org
Seckinger Activites
Gwinnett Parent Portal
The Parent Portal is our primary communication tool. Here you can find information about grades, teacher correspondence, assessment data, transportation, attendance, etc in real time. Please be sure you know your username and password before the year starts. Our recommendation is to check the Parent Portal once a week.
If you currently do not have a Parent Portal account, use this link to request one.
Interested in getting involved at JMS?
We will have several volunteer opportunities for parents throughout our school year. If you would be interested in volunteering, fill out the form with your information. We will e-mail you with volunteer opportunities throughout the year as they become available.
We will have opportunities for parents and community members to share their expertise in AI fields throughout our school year. If you would be interested in presenting, sharing resources, or collaborating, fill out the form with your information. We will e-mail you with opportunities throughout the year as they become available.
Upcoming Dates
- 11/1 to 11/18: Give-A-Thon
- 11/8: Digital Learning Day
- 11/9: Fall Picture Retakes
- 11/10: 6th Grade Orchestra Concert
- 11/10: Basketball Games @ PRHS
- 11/11: Rockin' Jump Spirit Night
- 11/12: Basketball Games @ Duluth HS
- 11/15: 7th & 8th Grade Orchestra Concert
- 11/17: Basketball Games @ Seckinger HS
- 11/21 to 11/25: Thanksgiving Break
Communication
Address: 3575 Ridge Road, Buford, GA 30519
Phone: 770-904-5450
Fax: 770-904-5452