Jaguar Junction
February 2021 Newsletter
A Note from the Principal - Mr. Haire
With February comes conferences. Conferences are being scheduled for the 17th and 18th. Please consider signing up at least one or two zoom conferences so we can stay connected and plugged in about progress. If for some reason zoom is uncomfortable for you, please let the teacher know so they can schedule a phone conference with you instead. It is our goal to stay communicated and to support our families as much as we can.
As always, I want to reiterate the plethora of academic supports that we have in place for kids outside the hours of their school day. We have during and after school tutoring via zoom and onsite, small groups in-person tutoring during remote and hybrid, as well as several teachers providing different sessions to offer up support and resources for the students. For assistance signing up for any of these, please contact administration.
A Note from the Assistant Principal - Mr. Haag
Tips For Being Successful During Remote Learning -
Parents/Guardians and Students - here are some tips you can use to be successful while we are in our remote learning phase:
Set a routine - get up at the same time every day. Put your schedule next to your computer to refer to. Get plenty of sleep.
Find a place to use as your “Learning Center.” Find a quiet place away from distractions. Set up your computer in a place where you can focus. YOUR BED IS NOT A LEARNING CENTER. If you are too comfortable your brain will be more distracted.
Have your camera on during direct instruction from your teachers. This is a school wide expectation that must be followed. You may be put into the waiting room until you comply with this reasonable request.
Be engaged in your learning. Ask questions. Answer questions. Take ownership of your learning.
Remember - your attendance counts. Missing classes (even remotely) goes against your attendance status and could result in issues with truancy.
Remember - Not turning in work lowers your grades. Some were surprised with their grades from the first quarter. The lower grades for many was due to two reasons: 1. Not turning in assignments and 2. Not preparing for their assessments which are weighted more heavily. Taking care of these two things can greatly improve your grade.
Please remember - just because you are at home during this time does not mean the expectations have lessened. You are still in school, just doing it from a different place.
Counselor Corner - Mr. Falk
Mr. Falk is still needing some students to complete their Naviance task and lessons. These are required by the State of Kansas for all students grades 6-12 to complete assigned tasks and lessons as a part of their Individual Plan of Study (IPS). Videos have been emailed out, students have had work time on Wednesdays during 1st period, and Mr. Falk has made himself available through Zoom and class breakout rooms. Please check with your student about this.
Mr. Falk is remotely going into science classrooms preparing the students for high school pre-enrollment. The students are entering required courses and electives they would like to take on Tyler SIS. Videos of the information presented have been emailed out by Mr. Haire following each classroom lesson. This allows students to review the information or stay caught up if they were absent. It also keeps parents informed so they can stay involved in the choices their students are making regarding their academic 9th grade year. Material that would be helpful regarding high school pre-enrollment is also put on their science classes Google Classroom.
Reminder: Students are required to enroll at their assigned high school based on their home address unless a transfer is approved. Transfers applications are available on the Topeka Public Schools website.
High school parent informational meetings are still planned remotely, but dates have not been set.
Mr. Falk will be available remotely to all 8th grade parents during Parent/Teacher Conferences on February 17th and 18th to review their students' course requests and to answer any other questions regarding the high school enrollment process. A Zoom Link will be sent out closer to conferences. There will not be assigned times. The Zoom will be open during conference times and Mr. Falk will let parents in one at a time from the waiting room. Please remain patient in the waiting room as Mr. Falk talks to parents.
If you have questions regarding your student’s high school enrollment prior to conferences, please feel free to contact Mr. Falk at 730-8115.
Activities - Mr. Snyder
John Wooden once said, “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
I would like to remind all students that want to participate in athletics that KSHSAA has a rule you must pass five of your classes before you can participate. This rule applies to the quarter before each season. For the sixth graders who want to participate next year, your eligibility will be based on your fourth quarter grades. The district has an eligibility rule that you must pass all classes in order to play during your season. We run weekly grade checks and if you are failing a class you have until the day of the game to pass that class. This does not mean waiting until 1pm the day of the game to turn in late work. Please be a student first and the rest will take care of its self. KSHSAA also has a rule on physicals, if you want to participate for the 2020-2021 season. You must have a physical on file dates after May 2021.
Social Work - Ms. Sparks
Here we are again--Newsletter time! February is upon us and we still find ourselves attending school remotely. On the last newsletter I listed ways to enhance the learning experience at home. Now I would like to discuss ways to help take care of our emotional experience during our remote learning environment. Being at home all of the time can feel isolating and frankly depressing. The Born This Way/ Foundation has created a booklet that suggests ways teenagers can care for their mental health during their time at home.
Tips For Mental Health And Coping:
Maintain a daily routine--consistent sleep, activity and study patterns. Get up! Take a shower and get dressed. Get your day moving.
Talk to people- stay connected and visit with people you care about and trust. Zoom, text, or e-mail can all be ways of contacting friends and family.
Eat breakfast- make sure you include protein--start your day with energy
Limit coffee or energy drinks. They can increase anxiety and make it difficult to relax.
Relax!! Physical exercise and activity can help release stress. Also, journaling, listening to music, and talking with friends can help you to relax and take your mind off stressful events. Go to bed at a regular time and try for 8 to 10 hrs of snooze time.
These are just a few ways you can increase your coping skills during the winter months of remote learning. Always, always tell your parents, teachers, social workers, or counselors if the stress feels like it is too much for you to handle. There is no need to go through this time alone--for we really are all in this together.
The Bookfair is HERE - Ms. G
The
BOOK FAIR
Is here!!
Shop anytime online from February 10-23
Materials are delivered directly to your residence.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Information
Bigs are one-to-one adult mentors. They're an extra person outside the household ready to invest their time in youth enrolled in our programs. Bigs encourage youth in their education, healthy behaviors and choices.
Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters (KSBBBS) matches youth facing adversity with caring,
adult mentors outside of their home. We believe that all youth - regardless of race,
socioeconomic status, or family background - can achieve success in life, especially with
the guidance and support of a caring adult mentor. These one-to-one professionally
supported, case-managed friendships last a minimum of one year. However, the effects of these friendships last a lifetime.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1urREEiXDoXQfzbLwgxtnHLmocJbbJxyc/view?usp=sharing
Do you know a youth that could benefit from having a Big in their life?
Please visit: www.kansasbigs.org
Or contact your local
office at:
KSBBBS Serving Shawnee County
(785) 234-5524
Math
6th grade is working on unit 4. It's all about expressions and equations. Students will be developing a deeper understanding of the mathematical properties with applications. They will revisit order of operations with the addition of exponents and parentheses. 6th graders will be introduced to the concept of letters that replace numbers and writing expressions using mathematical language. Finally, students will understand and practice the distributive property. This is a wonderful unit that introduces students to more mature abstract thinking and the development of foundational concepts for future mathematics!
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In 7th grade math, we are in the middle of Module 3: Expressions and Equations. This module consolidates and expands students’ previous work with generating equivalent expressions and solving equations. Students solve real-life and mathematical problems using numerical and algebraic expressions and equations. Their work with expressions and equations is applied to finding unknown angles and problems involving area, volume, and surface area. Your child will be successful if they can:
▪ Determine whether a given value is the solution to an equation.
▪ Write, solve, and interpret equations and inequalities given various contexts.
▪ Use angle relationships, write an equation to solve for the value of a variable and/or determine the measure of an unknown angle.
▪ Use the properties of inequalities to write a true inequality statement.
▪ Determine when an inequality statement will be true and when the same statement will be false.
▪ Graph the solution of an inequality on a number line.If your child needs additional support in math, please consider after school tutoring.
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8th grade just finished their long unit on Slope and Y intercept. Please check to see how they did on their Unit 3 Assessment. We are moving into Pythagorean Theorem. We will be working on cube roots and square roots. We definitely miss seeing the kids in person, but most of them are doing an amazing job learning remotely. Keep up the good work!
PE - Mr. Coffman & Ms. Remer
We are closing in on the end of our first semester of PE here at Jardine. This means that grades will be coming up soon. It was great to get some in person learning to start 2021! Grading is different again with us going back to full remote, so with conferences coming up lets take this opportunity to review what it takes to get an A in PE. Remember, some of their grade was figured as in person learning and some was due to remote and activity logs so again, here are the criteria we used for in person/remote learning:
No more suiting out!!!
With no locker rooms any more there isn’t any opportunities to suit out. We do ask that the students bring tennis shoes to participate in.
Show up on TIME!!!
If you are a remote student, or a live student pleas be on time to class or a zoom call.
PARTICIPATE!!!
This is why you are in PE...to get physical activity! This is obviously important to not only your physical health, but your brain as well. It is a proven FACT that physical activity stimulates the brain.
TURN IN YOUR ACTIVITY LOGS
This is for REMOTE STUDENTS ONLY!!! This is the only way to track if you are getting your exercise done and is very important to your grade.
So as you can all see an A in PE is right there for the taking!!! Let’s all finish out this semester strong!!
Mr. Coffman
Mrs. Remer
Computer Applications - Mr. Esau
Band News- Ms. Rowe
Jardine Jaguar musicians continue to make music even though we are working remotely! Please encourage your student to practice on their own time and not just our Zoom meeting time. We hope to have some sort of performance in May. Please stay tuned for more information!
Please contact Mrs. Rowe at trowe@tps501.org if you have questions or concerns.
“LIKE” our Jardine Middle School Band Facebook page!
Language Arts
Reading AND Technology DO go together!
The Topeka Public Library has some fantastic apps that allow students to both read and listen to novels! In fact, there are THREE different novel based downloads that are available to students using their Chromebooks! If you have a Topeka Public Library card, you can enjoy any or all of the following!
· Hoopla Digital
o Free audiobooks, eBooks, and comics! You can download them right to your device so that WIFI isn’t necessary in order to enjoy a great story.
· Overdrive
o Thousands of great eBooks and audiobooks! New titles are added every week!
· Flipster
o Check out hundreds of magazines online! This includes children’s magazines!
Go onto the Topeka Public Library website and check out the downloads!
Here's what's happening in Language Arts ------------
6th Grade: du Bois/Wooten: Unit 3; focus on: Main Idea, Fact & Opinion, Cause & Effect, Homophones, Vocabulary & Context Clues. Novel: “Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key” (du Bois) Ms. Wooten’s class has a book report due March 3rd. Some time in class will be given to read but students need to make time to read outside of class too. Book report project listed in Google Clasroom under Book Reports.
7th Grade: Bisconer/Martin: Unit 3 – we will be diving into point of view, word parts, and adding to our repertoire of figurative language with personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia.
8th Grade: Pumford/Watson: Starting Collection ¾ and will do a deep dive into Harriet Tubman and what freedom means to ALL Americans.
6-8th Reading Intervention: Appelhanz: nonfiction texts in Action Reading Magazine; fact & opinion; cause & effect
ELL – Shelton: Newcomer 1: we are learning the parts of the body, feelings, and emotions. Newcomer 2: is learning Spelling words with the letter Y, and the three branches of government.
Scott: ESOL Electives
Enduring Understandings (Big Ideas/Concepts): How can people overcome conflict?
Essential Question(s):
· What is internal/external conflict?
· What is the effect of figurative language in a text?
· How do I use reading strategies to interpret complex inferences in a text?
· How are compound and complex sentences different?
February Health Link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jSw_jUsS44HSUgF9J3PmPO0P2xcKNl7O/view?usp=sharing
Chromebook Information - Ms. G
Chromebooks
The following information are tips about your chromebooks.
If your chromebook is broken or not working correctly, please follow these steps:
1. Restart your device-power off with the button on the side or go to the clock bubble in the bottom right corner and power off
2. Sign out of your device-go to the clock bubble in the bottom right corner and click, in the pop up menu in the top left you will see your name-click sign out
3. Make contact with your school Librarian-Ms. Gilliland at agilliland@tps501.org
4. If Ms. Gilliland can’t be reached please contact techsupport@tps501.org the district Information Technology department
TYLER SIS logins are different from the chromebook login. Please use the following format user name: ###### (student Id) password: birthdate: mmddyy
All students will still be responsible for any damages to their device during this time, so please keep your device in a secure location out of the way of liquids, dropping from heights, and small toddlers.
School based sites and programs that content areas have in common are, but are not limited to are: NoRedInk, Newsela, MobyMax, Google Classroom, Zoom, HMH, and Clever
Reading Resources HIGHLIGHT!!
As our continuous learning evolves please use the following resources to help with additional reading while away from the physical school library.
http://destiny.topeka501.org/-Our Online School Card catalog located under the TPS 501 Bookmarks-you can access ebooks or put books on hold for circulation
https://www.worldbookonline.com/-World Book is an online encyclopedia subscription the district pays for. They have opened up many additional resources since this online learning was taking place. All students will need the username: tps501 and password: library to access the MANY resources for all grade levels
https://kslib.info/221/Online-Databases-The State Library of Kansas has many additional resources available. Many databases along with many elearning audio books and platforms. If you need a State Library ID or card, please email me and I will get you one. agilliland@tps501.org
https://tscpl.org/-Topeka Shawnee County Library is always a good source. You can sign up to get a free digital library card. Your username is: 501###### (student id) Password is: year of graduation-6th grade-2027, 7th grade-2026, 8th grade-2025
Para Spotlight - Ms. Ringham
History Happenings
We completed Egypt and have started to learn about Greece, the foundation civilization of western culture. We will learn about the geography of Greece and how that made this civilization very different from the river civilizations we have learned about previously. Additionally, we will compare and contrast 4 different governments; monarchy, oligarchy, tyranny, and democracy through the lens of Athens’ experience evolving through all 4 systems. We will also learn about two very different Greek cities, Athens and Sparta. We look forward to seeing you at Parent Teacher conferences on February 17th and 18th. The links to sign up for conferences will be in your child’s Google classroom after February 3rd. ****
At the beginning of the new semester, we will be starting a new subject in 7th Grade. We will be shifting from Geography to Kansas History. There is no online textbook for this subject so students will be given a PDF copy of each chapter. Our first section will be about the Native American tribes from Kansas and their lives and struggles. We will also discuss the importance of the buffalo and trading among the tribes.
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8th Grade History
We are diving right into Westward Expansion. Students will be learning about how the United States acquired the majority of the land we call the United States, the impact gaining the land had on America, and the negative effect it had on the Native Americans, and the growing controversy of the expansion of slavery.
Science
Hello from Jardine’s 6th grade Science team. We have just finished up working on the structure of matter and will now be looking Forces, Motion, and Fields. This unit will look at the magnetic and electric forces. We will then study the Laws of Motion with a study of Newton’s Laws of Motion. Have a great February and we look forward to talking at conferences.
In 7th grade Science, we are currently learning all about how Energy works and how Energy Transfers/Transforms in our everyday lives . Students have learned this through investigations, class work and online simulations. We will then be moving to Geologic Processes and Earth History. We will look at what types of cycles ( Plate Tectonics and Rock Cycle) our planet goes through and how long these cycles have been occurring.
Para Spotlight - Mr. Ortiz
Mr. Ortiz has been a paraprofessional at Jardine Middle School for the last 9 years. When not working with our students, Mr. Ortiz likes to cook, bake, do yard work, and go for walks with his 12-year-old dog, Eddie. He loves to be with family and friends whenever possible. When Mr. Ortiz is not reading a good novel, he loves to watch movies on Netflix, HBO max, and Hulu. Thank you Mr. Ortiz for all you do for our students here at Jardine.
Gifted - Dr. Spero
Gifted Language Arts students are preparing their authorship speeches for the upcoming Topeka Model United Nations on February 22nd. Students have written Country Position Papers and Resolutions as delegates on behalf of their assigned countries.
Students have completed Collection 4 in their respective Language Arts texts. 6th Grade students wrote a persuasive essay for their performance task. 7th and 8th grade students wrote a literary analysis of a fictional story contained in their texts. 6th grade students completed a number of Shakespeare stories including Macbeth, King Lear, and The Merchant of Venice. 7th grade students completed their reading and analysis of Tom Sawyer and 8th grade students completed Huckleberry Finn. 7th and 8th graders are completing The Diary of Anne Frank.
Art - Ms. Latham
7th Grade artists are starting to wrap up their semester and It has been an inspiring year with this group of artists. We recently completed our public art project where our students were asked to create uplifting messages for our community using visual symbolism. Students were given a choice of theme and then were asked to put their work in a public space so that it may be seen by a wide audience. Themes that students could choose from where kindness matters, Jardine strong, and celebrating covid heroes. As work was being turned into me, I was so happy to see posters on front porches, telephone poles, apartment windows and placed in front windows and doors of their homes. Some of our students sent work with their parents to work like Stormont Vail Hospital. We then transitioned to our final project where students ended the year learning the wax resist process,
and learning to paint a cake in the style of Wayne Thiebaud.
8th grade artists will begin Design One and get to take this class for high school credit. Our focus for the first unit will center around a review of the elements of art and an introduction to color theory and design principles. This class is going to set them up for success in any future art class they choose to take as these elements and principles are the foundation to all visual art .