JMS Weekly Update
January 17, 2021
Hello JMS!
This week's Update contains information about the beginning of the second semester and our return to hybrid instruction.
Wednesday, January 20th is the first day of the second semester. This also the last day of fully remote instruction. We will have an extended homeroom for all students on Wednesday, January 20th to present new expectations for the 2nd semester, review current expectations, and discuss any information needed for the resumption of hybrid instruction. Both hybrid and cyber academy students need to attend the extended homeroom.
We will be following this January 21st Bell Schedule on Wednesday.
On January 21st we will resume our Hybrid model of instruction with Cohort B reporting to JMS on Thursday (1/21) and Friday (1/22). Cohort A will join us in the building on Monday (1/25) and Tuesday (1/26). Our Cyber Academy students will continue to log into class as they have been.
You can visit the "Returning to Hybrid" section of this week's update for more information.
Please continue to let our nurse, Mrs. Suess, know if anyone in your family is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. With a planned return to school on January 21st, this information is critical to the safety of the students and staff at JMS.
Do your best to stay home, wear a mask, physically distance (6ft or more), avoid congregating in groups, and wash your hands.
Stay Safe,
Dr. Sarah Shaw, Principal
Ms. Katelyn Deet, Assistant Principal
Weekly Schedule
Monday (1/18) - No School
Tuesday (1/19) - No School
Wednesday (1/20) - Day 3 - Extended Homeroom Bell Schedule
Thursday (1/21) - Day 4 - Hybrid Begins
Friday (1/22) - Day 5
Monday (1/25) - Day 1
Preparing For Our Return to Hybrid Instruction
Returning to Hybrid Instruction
We are preparing to return to our Hybrid mode of instruction on January 21, 2021. Please review the following information about returning to Hybrid.
New Information
Material Distribution - 1/18 & 1/19
Quarter 3 Material Distribution will take place during the week of January 18th. Teachers will inform students if materials need to be picked up. Students can pick up their materials for Q3 in the Library during the following times:
- Monday, January 18, 2021: 2pm-6pm
- Tuesday, January 19, 2021: 8am-5pm
Please enter the Library through the D-28 entrance. If the above times do not work for you, please contact Ms. Deet to make alternate arrangements.
New District COVID-19 Dashboard
The district has launched a revised Dashboard. This revised Dashboard is designed to provide more data to create a fuller view of COVID-19 cases in our schools. It aligns with the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s new guidelines regarding the identification of Covid-19 cases in school.
The Dashboard consists of three elements:
- The first chart is aligned with the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Recommendations for Pre-K to 12 Schools Following Identification of a Cases of COVID-19.
- The second chart provides a snapshot of the total number of employee and student positive cases of COVID-19 in the District.
- The third chart displays the total COVID -19 cases by month.
Other Information
8th Grade Transition Meeting - Video Recording
If you were not able to join us for the 8th Grade Transition Meeting on Friday, you can find the presentation here, or by clicking the link above.
Beth Schneider and Jerad Smith were the HS Counselors who presented at this event. Their contact information is linked above and is included below. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. We are here to help!
Beth Schneider - eschneider@mtlsd.net
Jerad Smith - jeradsmith@mtlsd.net
More information about the High School Curriculum Night will be coming soon!
Out of State Travel Restrictions
If you plan to travel out of state, please know that your child will need to quarantine or produce a negative COVID-19 test prior to entering PA, before returning to school. During this time of quarantine you child will be able to log into class remotely, but will not be permitted to physically enter the building.
Contact Ms. Deet or Mrs. Suess with any questions regarding your travel plans.
Resources For Families
The Mt. Lebanon School District will continue serving free Grab-and-Go Meals to any student in the community under the age of 18, with no eligibility requirements, until further notice. The meals will be distributed at the elementary schools.
Meals will be available from 10:45 until 1:15 every day to accommodate all students during their lunch periods.
Families In Need of Technology
As we prepare to start the 2020-2021 school year, we are asking families who need to borrow student technology to please complete the form linked below:
Be sure to list every student for whom you need to borrow a device on this form. Once you have submitted your form, you will receive status emails including device pickup details from an @mtlsd.net email address. Please also be sure to whitelist @mtlsd.net email addresses with your email provider to ensure that you receive these communications from us.
Please direct any and all questions regarding loaned equipment to our support address: RemoteSupport@mtlsd.net
The following resources provide information to help Mt. Lebanon School District families and staff navigate the complexities of COVID-19 and the impact the pandemic it is having on our daily lives. These resources will be updated as more information becomes available.
The MTLSD School Counselors in partnership with The Allegheny Children's Initiative Inc., have compiled a list of social services resources that may be helpful to you and your family. Please take a look and reach out to these organizations. They are here to help with any of the following:
- Food
- Rent/Mortgage
- Utilities
- Pets
- Abuse
- Mental Health
- General Assistance
Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late. With Safe2Say Something, it’s easy and confidential to report safety concerns to help prevent violence and tragedies.
Here’s how it works:
- Submit a report through the Safe2SaySomething system
- Crisis center reviews, assesses and processes all submissions
- Crisis center sends all submissions to school administration and/or law enforcement for intervention
- If needed, crisis center may contact tipster anonymously through the app
Athletics
We are excited to announce that we are now offering the convenience of online registration for our athletic programs through partner company, FamilyID (www.familyid.com). FamilyID is a secure registration platform that provides you with an easy, user-friendly way to register for our programs, and helps us to be more administratively efficient and environmentally responsible. When you register through FamilyID, you enter your information once for multiple uses, multiple kids and multiple programs.
JMS PTA Information
PTA Council is launching a new PTA Newsletter page on their website. All newsletters will now be available on the website. In the coming weeks, resources will be available for families to translate these newsletters into other languages.
Help JMS Earn Money While You Shop!
AmazonSmile
If you haven’t used AmazonSmile Before:
- Go to smile.amazon.com and sign in with your regular Amazon username and password.
- You will be prompted to choose a charity. You should enter "Jefferson Middle School PTA Inc” into the search box that appears. It will say "Pittsburgh, PA" as the location for the charity.
- Make sure whenever you check out, you always go to smile.amazon.com on your browser.
If you already use AmazonSmile:
- Go to smile.amazon.com and sign in with your username and password
- Make sure the charity you’ve selected is "Jefferson Middle School PTA Inc." This information is located under the search bar where it says “supporting”.
- If it isn’t, you can change it by clicking on the charity and selecting “change”
- This will bring you to a page where you can search for “Jefferson Middle School PTA Inc” and allow you to switch charities.
- Make sure whenever you check out, you always go to smile.amazon.com to checkout.
- If you shop on the Amazon app. Please activate Amazon Smile on your mobile app by opening the app and finding ’Settings’ in the main menu (☰). Tap on ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile on your phone.
Box Tops
Clipping Box Tops is an easy way to earn money for our school. Each Box Top is worth 10 cents, so don't forget to physically and electronically clip the for us! The clipped Box Tops can be turned into the office.
See Box Tops for more information on how to scan Box Tops and to download the app. Receipts must be scanned within 14 days for the Box Tops to be scanned electronically.
Giant Eagle
Giant Eagle Support our students! Enroll your Giant Eagle Advantage Card and earn points for FREE educational rewards with every shopping trip.
Click here to register your card. Our school code is 3369. The Giant Eagle card program is also easy to use - just register your card and shop away as usual!
Office Depot/Office Max
Office Depot/Office Max has a school rewards program. When shopping, remember to ask the cashier to tag Jefferson Middle School. For online orders, enter our school ID (Thomas Jefferson Middle School ID:70088453 Pittsburgh, PA) on the Thank You Confirmation page.
Jefferson Middle School
The Jefferson Middle School learning community has an exceptional reputation for its dedicated teachers, staff and parents working together to provide learning experiences for our children that include high expectations, a challenging curriculum and a shared commitment to provide the best education possible for each and every student.
Email: sshaw@mtlsd.net
Website: https://jms.mtlsd.org/
Location: 21 Moffett Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Phone: (412) 344-2120
Facebook: facebook.com/jmslebo
Twitter: @JMSMTLSD