TJ Today
Thomas Jefferson Middle School 2020 - 21
May
May 26 - 8th Grade Celebration
May 27 - 1/2 Day of School - Awards Day
May 19 - Books/Supplies Returned - 7th and 8th Grade
If any student has a copy of any textbooks, books, or anything else that was sent home (especially remote learners), please make sure they are returned to their teachers no later than Tuesday, May 21st. It is important that we get all things loaned out back in a timely manner. Please note you will be charged for any unreturned books.
STATE CHAMPIONS!!
State Champions again! It never gets old and it’s just as exciting every year. Our Thomas Jeffersom MS Science Olympiad Team competed in our State virtual competition hosted by Purdue University on March 20, defeating 28 other schools. TJ won 10 first place medals competing in 23 different events.
Please congratulate the following students on their hard work and great team spirit. Matthew Smith, Liam Utesch, Tyler Edwards, Nick Wills, Karissa Kasper, Amy Yu, Chase Henry, Aliya Mayer, Ian Dutz, Albert Iceman, Clara Warren, Daniel Nathan, Vincent LaFollette and Jennifer Wang.
The Science Olympiad National Tournament is the pinnacle of achievement for 120 of the country's best Science Olympiad teams, representing more than 2,000 students. The 37th Annual Science Olympiad National Tournament will be hosted on May 21-22, 2021, by Arizona State University - and again it will be all-virtual! We are looking forward to competing at a National level and hope to represent the State of indiana successfully.
6th Grade—the school year is winding down…
New Hobby?
Our students have been reading and enjoying the novel, Becoming Naomi Leon in their ELA classes. And, like the main character of the story, the students are getting ready to try their hands at soap carving. They truly enjoy this activity and look forward to it every year! I can’t wait to see their creations!
Did someone say Poetry Contest?
It’s that time of year again for the annual TJMS 6th grade poetry contest. Core + students were asked to pick and memorize a poem (16 lines or more). Students will also be creating a video presentation of their poems in class. We are all looking forward to their final products!
Books/Supplies:
If any student has a copy of any textbooks, books, or anything else that was sent home (especially remote learners), please make sure they are returned to their teachers no later than Wednesday, May 19th. It is important that we get all things loaned out back in a timely manner. Please note you will be charged for any unreturned books.
And we’re finished!:
ILearn testing has concluded! Way to go, TJ 6th graders, we knew you could do it! Take a deep breath—we’re done!
Parents—the school year is coming to an end, if you could please:
● Check grades and assignments on Skyward/Canvas weekly.
● If you see a missing assignment, communicate with your child and let them know it needs to be completed/turned in.
● Contact your child’s teacher with any questions/concerns if your child is struggling academically—We all want your children to be successful!
7TH Grade
8th Grade Coming to a Close
It is hard to believe that this year is coming to an end. We are so proud of our 8th graders for making it through such a crazy year. We hope that the skills your students developed here will help them have a successful career in high school. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to view some virtual college tours during the month of May in Viking Time. On the 8th grade Canvas page, there are links to a number of Indiana Universities/Colleges that students and parents can view. Even though college is still four years away, it is never too early for students to start thinking and planning for their future.
As the year comes to a close, we still have some work to accomplish and hope that students will continue to give it their best until the end. Below are are some important dates as we close the year:
End of the year happenings…
Final Exams/Tests
Mon, May 10 & Tues, May 11 - Algebra Final Exam
Thurs, May 20 - Social Studies - Civil War Test
Fri, May 21 - Spanish and German Final Exams
Mon, May 24 - Biology Capstone Project is due
Mon, May 24 & Tues, May 25 - Math 8 Final Exam
Celebrations
Wed, May 26 (afternoon) - 8th grade Celebration
Students will enjoy activities & special treats outside (weather permitting) to celebrate the end of their middle school career. Students should wear their Class of 2025 VT shirts
Thurs, May 27 (morning) - Awards Day
Dress-up Day
Awards Day
8th Grade Parade
Special Note: Remote Learners are welcome to attend on Wednesday, May 26 and/or Thursday, May 27. If your child is planning to attend either or both of those days and needs bus transportation, you will need to call the transportation department at 531-3121 at least one week in advance.
TJMS Academic Super Team!
Orchestra News
The TJMS orchestras are excited to get to perform live again! Although we've made musical Christmas cards, music videos, and recordings, we have not performed live since early Oct.
Our concerts will be in the VHS auditorium on Tues. May 11 - for 7th grade at 6:00, with 8th grade at 7:00, and Wed. May 12 at 7:00 for 6th grade.
Special thanks to the 7th and 8th grade classes who did "Recruitment Zooms" with the 4th grade elementary classes. Your enthusiasm and great playing enticed over 100 4th graders to sign-up for beginning summer orchestra!
Current 6th and 7th graders will be invited to a special summer orchestra day at VHS, Thursday, July 15. -Save the Date
Builders Club
Start saving your change because the Builders Club jar wars fundraiser is Monday, May 10 through Friday, May 14! This is a Viking Time competition with all funds raised going to Lakeshore Paws. The last hike of this school year will be on Saturday, May 15 from 9:30-11:30.
Thank you to all of the students who participated in Builders Club this year. We hope to see you again next year! If you were not involved this year, but would like to be active in something at TJMS while helping others and meeting new people, please consider joining us next year.
End of Year Return of School Materials -- May 19th
Remote learners are asked to return items belonging to the school to school on Wednesday,, May 19th between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Please enter door #1 on Roosevelt Road.
The following items have been distributed to remote learners throughout the school year and should be returned on May 19th:
6th grade
Science -- textbook -- hard cover
Social Studies -- Aztec--Interactive History Books
Language Arts -- Pearson Realize Literature Hardcover book
The following paperback novels: 1) Touching Spirit Bear, 2) Wrinkle in Time, 3) Becoming Naomi Leon, 4) Benefits of Being an Octopus, and 5) Adventures of Ulysses
Twenty-First Century Scholars Scholarship
Attention 7th and 8th parents, please consider enrolling your child into the Twenty-first Century Scholars scholarship. This scholarship must be started in 7th or 8th grade! The deadline for signing up for this scholarship is approaching. Indiana eighth graders must get signed up by June 2021.
This is an opportunity for your child to have all or part of his or her college tuition paid for by the state! The 21st Century Scholars program began years ago as a way of helping students afford a college education. The scholarship eligibility is based on family income. Once a student is enrolled in the program, he or she will pledge to meet good citizen guidelines throughout the rest of their school years which will include some check in points each year in high school.
In order for a student to be enrolled, parents must fill out an application online before the deadline. Please click on this link for more information about eligibility and for the link to the application:
https://learnmoreindiana.org/scholars/students/middle-school/
Para leer este informacion en espanol, haz click aqui https://scholars.in.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/21CS-Enrollment-Flyer-2019-Spanish-Flyer-1.pdf
Please reach out to your child’s school counselor for any help or additional information you might need. We are happy to help and excited for the chance at your student attending and Indiana college or university with free or reduced tuition!
Media Center News
- Welcome to our new Media Aide, Mrs. Koehn. Mrs. Koehn comes to us from Cooks Corners and is a familiar addition to the TJ family. (She and Linda Hummel worked together about 20 years ago; in addition, many of our students recognize Mrs. Koehn from elementary school and summer camp!)
- School library books are due by Friday, May 14. Students can return books using the book drop located outside of the media center. Keep in mind that we don't charge late fees. We do charge for any lost books as we use those funds to purchase replacements.
- All families and students can look forward to a forthcoming interactive virtual media center resource with links to digital books and author videos - in addition to online maker opportunities. The link to this resource will be posted to the TJMS Media Center page in the coming weeks.
Guidance News
Attention 7th and 8th parents, please consider enrolling your child into the Twenty-first Century Scholars scholarship. This scholarship must be started in 7th or 8th grade! The deadline for signing up for this scholarship is approaching. Indiana eighth graders must get signed up by June 2021.
This is an opportunity for your child to have all or part of his or her college tuition paid for by the state! The 21st Century Scholars program began years ago as a way of helping students afford a college education. The scholarship eligibility is based on family income. Once a student is enrolled in the program, he or she will pledge to meet good citizen guidelines throughout the rest of their school years which will include some check in points each year in high school.
In order for a student to be enrolled, parents must fill out an application online before the deadline. Please click on this link for more information about eligibility and for the link to the application:
https://learnmoreindiana.org/scholars/students/middle-school/
Para leer este informacion en espanol, haz click aqui https://scholars.in.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/21CS-Enrollment-Flyer-2019-Spanish-Flyer-1.pdf
Please reach out to your child’s school counselor for any help or additional information you might need. We are happy to help and excited for the chance at your student attending and Indiana college or university with free or reduced tuition!
News from the Media Center
The yearbook staff invites students and parents to submit photos for the yearbook. If you've got great photos of school and community events , we'd like to see them. SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS HERE!
REMINDER OF OUR OFFICE PROCEDURES
No student drop off in front of the building from 8:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. Buses are dropping off in this time period.