Cyclone Watch
January 15, 2021
Important Updates
- If your child has been identified as positive for COVID -19 or a close contact with a positive individual, please notify the school immediately so we can support your student while quarantined or in isolation.
- Bus information - STA will be opening the parent portal today and families will be able access their student's bus information.
- It is important; that parents monitor the health of your student. If your student is exhibiting any symptoms of illness, please keep them at home.
- Over the three-day weekend, your student will receive an email from their first hour teacher with directions to their first class on Tuesday or Thursday. As students will be reporting to their first hour class each morning when they return, it is important to read this email prior to arriving at JMS. First hour teachers will assist students in locating the rest of their classes on their schedule.
- Friday, CPS will be releasing schedule information. You will be able to view the information and identify if your student is included in Group A (Monday/Tuesday in-person) or Group B (Thursday/Friday in-person). Generally, students will last names A-K will be in Group A and students L-Z will be in Group B. There are a few exceptions based on special circumstances. Please make sure to verify which group your child belongs to.
- Students will Zoom in to their classes from home on the days they are not scheduled to attend in-person. The learning will be simultaneous in many respects as teachers will be teaching students virtually and in-person during the same class period.
- As all learning will continue to be facilitated through the Schoology platform, it is necessary for students to bring their iPad to school daily charged and ready for learning.
- Masks will be required to be worn by all students and staff at JMS and on our school buses. This is mandatory in order to maintain a safe learning environment.
- Students will be asked to assist in facilitating safety protocols. Students may be assisting with sanitizing their area during lunch and in classrooms. We appreciate you speaking with your child regarding the importance of assisting in this process.
- Social distancing will be expected and facilitated as best possible in all areas of JMS.
A map of JMS has been provided with this newsletter for your convenience.
Unfortunately, due to our situation, we will not be able to allow students to access microwaves during lunch. We don't want to create a situation with many students having contact with the device. Therefore, if your child brings their own lunch to school, please prepare accordingly.
We will not allow food to be eaten in classrooms beyond breakfast during first hour. This will limit the amount to time students will have masks off during the day. Students eating breakfast; will be asked to move to locations in classrooms to limit exposure to others.
Class schedules were shared with students in class on Thursday. Please contact our guidance department should your student need assistance with their schedule. We will not be making any schedule changes at this time.
At dismissal, students will go immediately to their bus or parent pick-up area. Students will not be permitted to congregate in the halls.
If your child is scheduled to be in-person, they must attend school on their given day in-person. Students not coming to school will be marked absent even if they zoom in to class if it is their designated days to be present.
Student athletes must attend school on their designated days in-person or they will be ineligible to participate on that day.
We will not be able to utilize volunteers at the present time.
School Supply List
- Backpack
- Water Bottle
- 2 masks (1 on face and a clean to spare
- iPad (100% charged!)
- Headphones/earbuds
- Pencil(s)
- Pen(s)
- Binder with loose-leaf paper OR notebook and folder
- Whatever materials your teachers provide
Media Center News
iPad Updates
Books and Such
We encourage kids to use Destiny catalog to find and place holds on books. We will get them delivered to your student here at school. We also ask that students bring their overdue CPS books to JMS and place them in the boxes outside the media center or the main office. Students will enter the building in these 2 locations so returning them should be simple. We will get books off the student accounts and/or send them on to the CPS schools from which they were checked out.
Please feel free to contact:
Mrs. Jill Kiley: jkiley@cpsk12.org or Ms. Boeckman:aboeckman@cpsk12.org with any media center questions you may have.
Welcome Back From The Health Room
The health room is happy to welcome your middle school student to Jefferson Middle School!
If your student requires daily medication while at school, please contact the health room to arrange contactless medication drop off. A parent or guardian must bring the medication to the nurse and complete the required paperwork.
CPS will send any child home who is exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 that can’t be otherwise explained. Please be sure your phone number is current so that we can reach you if your student needs to go home.
Ask your middle school student how they are feeling every morning. Check their temperature and keep them home if they have a temperature over 100.4. Please do not send your student to school if they are not feeling well. Let the attendance secretary know if your student will be absent from school.
Betty Cramer, RN, BSN School Nurse
Sheryl Mitchell, Health Secretary
573-214-3213
Information shared with students on Thursday and Friday of this week
Student & Parent Information – Cyclone Building Expectations and Procedures
Information includes:
- COVID-19 Safety Videos Created by CPS Nurses
- JMS Building Tour Video
- JMS Building Procedures Video
- Information for Reading Student Schedules in Home Access
- Morning Arrival Procedures
- Student Handbook – Expectations, Procedures, & Policies
- Student Support – Guidance, Media Center, Health Office, & Main Office
- Dismissal Procedures
IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR CURRENT 7TH GRADE STUDENTS
*AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE NURSE*
The State of Missouri mandates a Tdap and Meningitis vaccine for all students before they begin 8th grade.
· For all incoming 8th grade students, one Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine will be required. In addition, one meningococcal vaccine (meningitis) will be required. Written proof of vaccination must be on file in the health room.
If your child has received a recent Tdap and/or meningitis vaccine, please send written proof of the immunization to your school nurse or have the health care provider fax the immunization record to the school nurse at 573-214-3399 (FAX).
If your child has not received these vaccines, the immunizations need to be completed before they can attend 2021 summer school and /or receive schedules for the 2021-2022 school year next August.
Immunizations are available from:
· Local health care providers
· Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services, 1005 W. Worley, Call for appointment: 573-874-7758; M-F 8-4:30.
For questions regarding your child’s vaccination history, please call your school nurse at 573-214-3213.
If your 7th grade student has a physical examination scheduled any time in 2021, please ask their physician to give these two vaccinations. A student who is 10 years of age or older may be given these vaccines.
When Columbia Public Schools can return to in-person education, current 8th grade students who have not provided written proof of these mandatory vaccinations will not be able to enter the building. These vaccinations were due in August before school started. Please plan to get the TDAP and Meningitis vaccines done immediately. You have been contacted by the nurse if this applies to your child.
Thank you,
Betty Cramer, RN, BSN
573-214-3213
Cyclone Book Club
Orchestra reminder
- Bring your instrument, music folder, and book. You do not need to bring a stand
- Make sure you have rosin, a cleaning cloth, pencils, and an endpin rest/shoulder rest in your case
- When you arrive at school, you will drop your instrument off in the orchestra room (on a shelf for violins/violas and rack for cellos/basses), then go to your first class. You will pick your instrument up after school from the orchestra room
JMS Drama Club News
Our JMS Drama Club will meet again on Tuesday, January 26th VIRTUALLY using the same Zoom Link we did for our Holiday party in December. In order to make sure those of our students who are back in-seat have time to get home, the link and time will be sent out again via our JMS Drama Club Schoololgy Group before the meeting, after we have information from those involved about when they are arriving home. : )
Thank you for being flexible with us during this time of transition, but we thought it might be convenient to get the word out so those interested can mark their calendars AND those who want to be included in our Schoology group and memos about JMS Drama Club meetings can email Ms. Edmondson at sedmondson@cpsk12.org to be added to the list if you haven’t already indicated you want to be included. ALSO, parents of interested JMS Drama Club students, please let Ms. Edmondson know if you DO NOT want to receive our club memos. Otherwise, the memos will go out to “BOTH” students and families.
Also, during the FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY, we will have our JMS DRAMA CLUB FRENZY WEEK, where we will have activity club meetings on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, AND Thursday (February 1st - 4th)! This helps us make-up for the meetings we MIGHT miss when we are busy with rehearsals for our spring scenes production. Although many of our drama CLUB kids are also in our production troupe that we call Rogers Street Players, some are not, so we like to have one full week of meetings that we run like very much like a workshop setting with acting exercises, theater games, and improv scene work.
This workshop setting not only allows the club kids more meetings before we concentrate on auditions, castings, rehearsals, and a commercially written production, but it helps the Rogers Street Players hone their acting skills BEFORE auditions. Likewise, some club kids who were not sure if they were ready to audition, have a better idea how they feel about the commitment after our Frenzy Week. And in the meantime, our Cyclones who enjoy theatre have a series of social activity club meetings with people they may not have in any other classes to get to know better, which is always a positive experience for students.
Please let me know if you have any specific questions, comments, or thoughts. But for now, know that I am very excited about our group this year and am talking to a couple of playwrights I have worked with in the past to find “just the right piece” to showcase OUR talented kids in a piece we can record and send out to audiences—so both in-seat and virtual kids can participate (AND with a few health concerns still unknown by the time some material decisions needed to be made).
As always, thank you for ALL you do to get our students ready for EVERYTHING middle school. Each teacher in our school knows we could not do what we hope to do without everything you have done all along the way for each of these superstars.
With much respect and appreciation,
Ms. Edmondson,
JMS Theatre Director
sedmondson@cpsk12.org
Theatrical Arts (Grades 6, 7, 8)/Speech & Debate 8/STEAM Theater (Grades 6 & 8)
Cyclone Athletics A. D.’s Corner
Important dates to note:
January 19 – 22nd
OMS 8th Grade Boys Basketball Tournament
7TH & 8TH GRADE TRACK STARTS UP MARCH 1ST – BE SURE TO HAVE A PHSYICAL READY TO GO
YOU CAN CONTACT COACH CLOWE FOR MORE INFO: jclowe@cpsk12.org
Quick Thank you: I wanted to express my gratitude for all the athletes and their parents who participated in our athletic programs so far this year! Your commitment to JMS will not be forgotten. Football had an incredible season with an undefeated record - our first as a middle school. Our Volleyball program really developed, and we finished the season playing our best volleyball as a team (family). We are hoping to see more athletes participating in Track!!
With Gratitude,
Coach Rowe
We are selling Cyclone Masks for $8 if you want to help our Athletic Program this year!!
JMS Track and Field Information
Guidance Office Updates
Guidance Game Kahoots
Do you love Kahoots?
Would you love to test your knowledge about a movie series?
Would you love to pick a topic for a Kahoot game?
Then come join us for a QUICK, FUN game time with your friends!
First topic is Harry Potter!!
When? Wednesdays
Where? Online
How do I sign up? Email Mrs. Baker at: abaker@cpsk12.org
First one will be: January 27th
Sixth grade: 10:00 – Wednesdays
Seventh Grade: 12:30 - Wednesdays
Eighth Grade: 2:45 - Wednesdays
These games/fun time should not last more than 20-30 min, so you can still do office hours with a teacher if you need to. Come play!!
Individual & Group Counseling (free or accepting insurance; in-person & telehealth)
- Boone County Provider List - https://bocomoproviders.org/
- HeartSpace Clinic – (573) 355-2568 (https://heartspaceclinic.org/essentialworkers)
- MU Psychological Services Clinic – (573) 882-5805 (https://psychology.missouri.edu/psychological-services-clinic)
- Compass Health Network – (844) 853-8937 (or direct walk-in at 3501 Berrywood Drive) (http://compasshealthnetwork.org/services/behavioral-health/)
- Burrell Behavioral Health – (573) 777-8455 (https://www.burrellcenter.com/our-services/therapy-psychiatry/therapy-counseling/individual-therapy/)
- FACE (Family Access Center of Excellence) -573-771-3223 (https://faceofboonecounty.org/) In collaboration with the Boone County Children's Services Fund, FACE is able to connect youth and their families desiring to initiate counseling services to a local mental health provider and pay for up to 6 therapy sessions (who are unable to pay for such services).
- MU Center for Evidenced-Basked Youth Mental Health- 573-882-4677 To request services for yourself or your child, please fill out this confidential online form: https://missouri.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0P2CTmhICVICCXj
For Immediate Crises
- Compass Health Network – (888) 237-4567
- Burrell Behavioral Health – (800) 395-2132
- Missouri Psychiatric Center – (573) 884-1300
- CenterPointe Hospital – (855) 623-7016
- Missouri Crisis Line – (888) 761-4357 or text HAND to 839-863
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – (800) 273-8255