Pool Party

We are so excited to continue the wonderful tradition of the annual 8th Grade Pool Party! This is such an amazing experience for our students and a perfect send-off to high school.

The Pool Party will be held on the last day of school, Thursday, May 25th. This day will include a special breakfast at school for all 8th graders and some fun slideshow memories for the class before they head to the Plain City pool for a day of contests, swimming, food, and fun! The cost to attend is $15 per student, which covers the cost of the pool, food, door prizes, and gift card prizes for multiple students.

We are in need of help to pull this epic day off for our kids! Please take a look at the signup form to see ways you can help make this event possible. Thank you for your help!

Non-perishable items can be sent in anytime, but we would love to have them by Tuesday, May 23rd. Your student can just give them to their HR teachers.

Perishable items need to be brought in or dropped off first thing, the morning of the Pool Party, Thursday, May 25th.

If you have any questions, please email Mr. Mott (mottad@japioneers.org) or Mrs. Hall (hallro@japioneers.org).

Thank you for all of your help and support in making this wonderful day happen for our kids!

As summer approaches, we are all excited to get a break from the school day routine. Most of our sports teams will be hosting a Pioneer Summer Youth Camp this summer, and whether you are a parent or student, summer camp is one thing both groups look forward to. With that said, our hope is to make your registration and information source simple and easy to navigate. New this year, we are running all registrations for our Youth Summer Sports Camps through a website where all camps can be found in one location. That website is alderathletics.com. In addition, you can also navigate to our summer camps website through the Athletic Boosters website at jaboosters.com and click on Team Camps & Fundraisers.

What you will find with our new website is that all of our camps are in one location, and the online registration process is quick and easy. You can register and pay online, so everything is completed with a one-stop shop and it keeps you from having to mail, drop off, or send in a registration with your student. Most of our teams' Summer Youth Camps are live now, so please check out our website and get your children signed up for multiple sports camps. If you need any help in navigating the website, registration, making a payment, or have any questions please feel free to call us in the Athletic Office at 614-873-4642. We look forward to seeing your kids at our Pioneer Youth Summer Camps and ask you to visit the website soon to get them registered.

YOUTH SUMMER CAMPS WEBSITE - Jonathan Alder Athletic Payments

Do you want to explore new educational and enrichment opportunities outside of school? Well, now you can!

Recently, state education officials in Ohio announced that qualifying families can receive up to $1,000 per child for enrichment and educational activities during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years through the Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) educational savings account program.

The program is managed by the state and Merit International and was created to provide "educational activities to students who experienced learning disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic." The guidelines have been expanded to include more children, including those between the ages of 6 and 18 whose family income is at or less than 400% of the federal poverty level, who participate in income-based programs such as Medicaid and SNAP, and who reside in school districts identified as experiencing high rates of chronic absenteeism or schools identified as low-performing.

In the past, household income was required to be at or below 300%. However, now, the threshold has increased to $54,360 for a one-person household and up to $111,000 for a four-person household, which means that 80% of Ohio families could qualify for the credit.

So, what kind of programming qualifies for this opportunity? Before- or after-school educational programs, summer camps, music lessons, tutoring, and more all qualify.

To apply, Ohioans should go to aceohio.org for an educational savings account. Once an application is approved, search for participating service providers in the "ACE Education Marketplace" by category, grade, and location. Finally, submit claims for reimbursement using Merit's Ohio ACE app, and families will receive an email notifying them when a claim has been approved or rejected.

This program is an excellent opportunity for Ohio families to explore new educational and enrichment opportunities, and we encourage you to take advantage of it if you qualify.

The College of Engineering at Ohio Northern University (ONU) in Ada, OH, is hosting a FREE (!!!) week-long Cybersecurity Summer Camp for middle school girls. It is open to female students in grades 6-8 for Fall 2023. Participants will spend six days making new friends and engaging in fun hands-on activities in the field of cybersecurity. Upon completion of the camp, participants will have a strong understanding of cybersecurity in addition to mastering basic skills that can help them be safer online. The funding for this camp is provided jointly by the NSA and the NSF. We will be happy to come to your school if you allow us to demonstrate to your students. Please let us know if you are interested.

Please find more details below and the attached flyers. Please feel free to forward it to your students and any teachers/administrators at other schools.

CAMP DATES

• CAMP 1: June 11-16, 2023
• CAMP 2: June 18-23, 2023

Quick Facts

• NO COST for all participants
• RESIDENTIAL CAMP at the ONU College of Engineering
• Students will gain VALUABLE cybersecurity knowledge and skills and learn about career opportunities in cybersecurity
• ONU PROFESSORS will provide instruction and mentorship
• FREE Raspberry Pi kit, t-shirt, and daily meals and snacks to all participants
• FEMALE STUDENTS must be in grades 6-8 in Fall 2023 to be eligible to apply

REGISTRATION

Please visit THIS LINK for more details, and THIS LINK to register. Registration is now open and will continue through April 30.

You are invited to join the 2024 JAHS Summer trip to Greece and Italy! It is going to be an incredible trip of a lifetime! You can lock in the lowest price with a monthly payment option now. Read all the details and sign up here.

Please email Miss Dollinger (group leader) with any questions at dollinli@japioneers.org. Yes, parents can come. :) Hope you can travel with us in 2024.

If you haven't done so already, please take a moment to watch this helpful VIDEO on how to pair with your student and set up notifications on Canvas!