Jefferson Middle School
August 2023 Newsletter
Principal's Welcome
I hope you have had a wonderful summer so far! We have been working hard this summer to get ready to welcome students back for the 2023-24 school year!
You'll notice some changes this school year, but many things will remain familiar. One major change is in our office. As many of you know, Jane Schuld retired after 32 and a half years of service to the School District of Jefferson. While Mrs. Schuld's service to the district and to JMS is difficult to replace, we are very excited to welcome Stephanie Leath into that position! Our former and current East families will know Mrs. Leath as the former administrative assistant at East Elementary.
We also have several other new staff members that we would like to welcome:
Melissa Agnew- 6th Grade Special Education Teacher
Ayssa Bocanegra- 7th Grade Special Education Teacher
Heather Wyman- LMC Paraprofessional
There are also some other important changes that are spelled out in more detail below. Please take some time to read through them. As we move into August, we will continue to send out more communication to our students and families about many of the things mentioned below.
I hope you enjoy the last several weeks of summer. We have a lot to look forward to, and I look forward to working with you for the benefit of all of our JMS students!
Respectfully,
Mike Matteson
JMS Principal
Chromebooks
As in the past, every JMS student is issued a Chromebook as a tool for furthering learning. Previously, students were expected to take their Chromebook home every night to charge and then bring back to school the next day. This lead to some Chromebooks not being brought back to school, coming to school uncharged, or being damaged while out of school. Starting this year, students will be expected to return their Chromebook to an assigned charging station in the building at the end of each day. Keeping the Chromebooks at school will ensure that more Chromebooks are charged and ready to go for students. Students will still have their own individual Chromebook issued to them directly as we have done in the past.
We also understand there may be a need at times for students to have to bring a Chromebook home. We will have a system where students can check out a Chromebook to complete work outside of school if needed.
Student Schedules
You will notice a couple of changes to student schedules for this upcoming school year. First, they are much nicer to look at, and hopefully easier to navigate. One important change to the school day is when Advisory and WIN happen during the day. Previously, we started each day in Advisory, and ended each day in WIN.
This year, Advisory and WIN are in the middle of the day for 30 minutes each, along with the student lunch period which is also 30 minutes this year. Each grade has a different order for Advisory, Lunch, and WIN. You will see that reflected on the sample schedule as periods 5A, 5B, and 5C. Aside from that, our class structure is the same. Math and ELA classes are an 80 minute block, and all other classes are a 40 minute "skinny". The only exception to this is period 1, which is 47 minutes long, and period 9, which is 42 minutes long. This extra time allows for the pledge, lunch counts, and students getting their Chromebooks in the morning, and 2 extra minutes for returning their Chromebooks at the end of the day.
Student Pin Numbers for Lunch
As mentioned above on the student schedules, each student will be assigned a 4 digit pin number that they can use when going through the lunch line when getting their school lunch and/or breakfast. Students should memorize this pin number to use in the lunchroom and should not share the number with others. We will work with students in the first days of school so that they are ready and able to do this. Having students use their pin will get them through the lunch lines faster and will give them more time to eat.
JMS Picture Day
To order photos please click on the Lifetouch link above and use the following JMS Picture ID code: EVTKJW6MM
Return to Learn
JMS will start the year as it has in the past with our Return to Learn Conferences. On August 28th, we will have an afternoon and early evening session where students and parents can attend a conference with the student's advisory. Parents and students are strongly encouraged to attend, as this is an important time to share necessary information pertaining to school. It also provides an opportunity for parents to meet their student's advisor, and for our advisors to meet our parents.
Similar to last year, we will be sending out a Sign Up Genius link to all parents via BrightArrow. When that information comes, please sign up for a time slot that works for you. Each conference is about 15 minutes in length. Return to Learn Conferences will run from 1:45-3:45 PM and 5:30-7:30 PM on August 28th.
JMS Parent/Teacher Organization
Please consider becoming a part of our PTO. The JMS PTO does a lot to benefit the students and staff at Jefferson Middle School. Meetings are held typically on the first Monday of the month at 6PM. They are held in person, but there is also a virtual option to attend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do F1, F2, F3, and F4 Fridays mean at JMS?
F1-F4 Fridays are simply a rotation that is used to provide balance for our students who are involved in Band, Choir, or Band and Choir. The first Friday with students, Friday September 1st, will be an "F1". The following Friday will be an "F2", and so on. When a Friday comes that is not a school day with students, we move whichever Friday that was supposed to be to the next Friday. For example, Friday, September 29th is a day that students are not in session, and would've been an "F1". The following Friday, October 6th, then becomes an "F1" and the cycle continues. The other parts of the schedule are the same as any other day, regardless of which Friday it is.
How much is a lock for the student lockers and why do students have to purchase one?
Students are expected to purchase a lock for their locker when they come to JMS. The lockers do not have a lock built in. After purchasing one, students are allowed to keep that lock for their time at JMS, and can then use the same lock for their gym locker at the high school. Students are required to purchase a lock from the JMS office, and are not allowed to bring their own lock from home. The cost of a lock is $7.50. If a family is not able to afford to buy a lock, please see Mrs. Leath in the office.
Upcoming Events
July 31st-August 3rd- JMS Jumpstart Session 1
August 1st- Picture Day
August 7th-August 10th- JMS Jumpstart Session 2
August 10th- Make up picture day
August 28th- Return to Learn Conferences
August 30th- 6th Grade Only Day
501 South Taft Avenue
Jefferson, WI 53549
phone: (920) 675-1300
fax: (920) 675-1320
Attendance: (920) 675-1315