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June 15 & June 16 - No Backpacks
On the last two days of school June 15 and June 16, students will not be permitted to bring backpacks. Students will be able to bring a small string backpack or purse for personal items if needed. If students do bring their backpacks, they will be required to place them in a secure designated area for the day.
Main Office- 9 am -1pm
 Sign up for TJ Prep Camp
This summer Jackson Middle School will be hosting a TJ Prep Camp to rising 8th grade students who are interested in taking the TJ admissions exam in the fall.
Please see flyer image above with more details.
Reach out to dsryan@fcps.edu with any questions.
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PTA meeting: Join us for our final PTA meeting of the school year on Tuesday June 6th at 7pm, via Zoom. We are delighted to announce that our principal, Ms. Jones, will be joining us, ready to answer any of your questions. You don't want to miss this opportunity! In addition, we will have the privilege of hearing from Mr. Smith, the Chair of the CTE Department. He will share insights about the impressive achievements of “ESTEEM Stream News” and “Jackson Journal News”, which stand as the first and second largest middle school student publications in the country. We look forward to your active participation!
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86333166498
Meeting ID: 863 3316 6498
Passcode: 320794
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Falls Church HS Renovation Advocacy: If Falls Church High School is within your school pyramid, we invite you to join the FCHS board and administration in their dedicated advocacy efforts to secure full funding for the school's renovations and ensure equitable facilities comparable to other FCPS schools. Your support is crucial in this endeavor. For more details and to get involved, please check out the Sign up form Together, let's make a difference for our students and their future.
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FCPS Sports Exams: Fairfax County Public High Schools are currently offering preparticipation examinations (PPEs) until June 15th for students interested in middle school sports or high school sports. The cost is $50 per student. For more information on PPEs dates check out the registration form at https://forms.gle/EZ9nviiDnQMftz8D7 . Note: You could also have your child’s healthcare provider perform the PPE exam, just make sure they complete the correct form (middle or high school).
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Nominating Committee: We are actively looking for volunteers for the following positions:
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Vice-President – Support the President and assist with outreach efforts.
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Hospitality Chair – Lead the planning of appreciation events in December and May.
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Membership Chair – Lead the membership drive at the beginning of the school year.
If you are interested in volunteering for any of these positions, please contact us at president@jacksonmdpta.org.
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Useful Links: Remember to visit our PTA website for a collection of helpful links to support you and your student. Topics covered include the FCPS Ombuds Office, FCPS Parent Advocacy Handbook, National PTA Healthy Minds Program, FCPS Free Online Tutoring Services, National PTA Family Guides, and more.
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Healthy Minds Sessions Recording: Good news for parents who missed out on our recent sessions! The recordings of all three workshops are now available for you to access until the end of the school year. These sessions provide valuable information on tools to help our students cope with stress and other challenges. Don't miss out on the chance to learn and support your child's social and emotional well-being. Access Session 1, Session 2, and Session 3
7. Spirit Wear: We'll start selling spiritwear again this fall.
Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our LJMS community.
LJMS PTA
FCPS has designated funding in the budget for 2023-24 for middle school spring and fall athletic activities to support student well-being at no cost to students. Pending budget adoption, this will be the first time FCPS has offered middle school students a chance to participate in extracurricular sports programs. Middle schools will start with cross country this fall. Track will follow in spring 2024.
Any middle school students who would like to participate in athletics will need to have a Virginia High School League (VHSL) pre-participation examination (PPE). The physical exam form must be completed and signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant. Fairfax County public high schools will offer PPEs at a cost of $50 per student through June 17. Students who receive free or reduced meals are eligible to receive an exam at no cost. Learn more about PPE and middle school athletics.
Dear Parent or Guardian:
The school health room is reminding parents and guardians that all medication stored in the health room must be picked up no later than the student dismissal time on the last day of school. Medication left in the health room after that time will be destroyed. It is school policy that medications must be picked up by the parent or guardian. Medication cannot be sent home with your student.
  Good afternoon all,
Falls Church will be hosting a Physicals Night on June 6th. I have attached a flyer that has a direct link to register. We would love for your potential Jaguars to sign up! That same night, we will be having a Meet the Coaches Night in the Main Gym at 5:30pm.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!
Have a great weekend!
Christina Lugo
Administrative Assistant
Student Activities
Falls Church High School
703-207-4023
"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value"- Albert Einstein
 Seeking new players & peer buddies for TOPSoccer!
WHAT: A youth soccer program serving members of our community with disabilities and access needs. TOPSoccer emphasizes skill development and meaningful participation in a non-competitive environment. Players are paired with trained peer buddies and guided, at their own pace, through fun activities in a safe, inclusive atmosphere. All ages and ability levels are welcome!
WHO: Players & peer buddies (buddies aged 12-18)
WHERE: Grist Mill Park in Alexandria (4710 Mt. Vernon Memorial Highway)
WHEN: April-June, Sundays 5:00-6:15pm
HOW to register: https://forms.gle/AZhadnwCvUNScEdV6
FREE to all players!
Procedure for purchasing new student laptop chargers
Replacement laptop chargers can be purchased for $23 and there are two options to purchase them. First, have your child either bring in a check for $23 made out to Luther Jackson Middle School or bring exactly $23 in cash. If they bring in cash, we cannot make change so please have them bring in the exact amount. Then they can request an e-hallpass from any class at the beginning of the period and to go to Mr. Waldren's office, room 502 to pick up the charger.
Your second option is to purchase a charger from MySchoolBucks for $23, the link is also at the top of the FCPS and LJMS website. If you do not have an account you can create one. Please purchase the charger under your child's name and Mr. Waldren, Technology Specialist, will be notified of the purchase. After you login to their account, click on School Store at the top, under categories choose [GROUP] Lost or Damaged Technology, click on FCPSON Laptop Replacement Power Cord, and add it to the basket for purchase. If you are in need of a more detailed guide, please use the following, How to Pay for Tech in MySchoolBucks. Then request the tech pass from any class at the beginning of the period and to go to Mr. Waldren's office, room 502 to pick up the charger.
 We are always working to keep your student’s safe while at school, and this often starts for your child knowing how to be safe with their phones.
When it comes to phone safety, it is wise to consider a layer of parental oversight. This may involve being aware of your child’s passcode for their phone, occasionally checking their phone, being aware of their social media applications and the usernames they use on each application and having honest conversations about wise use of the applications and some of the risks involved when they are not used in a safe way. You will decide what is right for your family.
Today, I want to highlight one simple conversation you could have with your child about Apple Airdrop. Apple Airdrop is an iPhone feature that allows files to be sent and received between phones that are close together (like in a cafeteria or a classroom). There are many good reasons why students may share a file (like a photo or a video), but there are also bad reasons. Setting Apple Airdrop to receive files from anyone can create unwanted risks. For example, if your child’s iPhone has Apple Airdrop set to receive a file from anyone, and another students sends an inappropriate or illegal picture to their phone, now your child’s phone may be part of a school or even a police investigation and may need to be seized as evidence. Whether or not your student intended to download the specific file shared, accepting an Apple Airdrop file can create unwanted problems.
Having a conversation about how and when to safely use Apple Airdrop may help prevent a future problem from even happening and will help ensure that your child is more safe and secure while at Luther Jackson Middle School.
As always, if you have any questions or another topic you would like me to discuss, please let me know. I’m here to be your School Resource Officer.
Officer Green (342395) egreen@fcps.edu
Mental Health Awareness Month
The month of May is a time to pause and raise awareness of the fact that many people live everyday with mental and behavioral health issues and there is a need to reduce the stigma attached with the experience. Post-COVID the reality is that millions of Americans are dealing with an increase in mental, behavioral, and substance misuse illnesses in their families (NAMI). Additional mental health challenges by the COVID-19 pandemic have also increased youth related substance use, mental health struggles, and suicide (HHS). According to HHS, suicide is still the second highest cause of death in youth ages 10 to 14 and adults from ages 24 to 35. This prompted the July 2022 launch of 998 the new three digit code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7 call, text, and chat access to crisis counselors. It is for anyone experiencing suicidal, substance use, and/or mental health crises or emotional distress. Concerns about loved ones may also be addressed using the 988 dialing code. SAMHSA has described the new 988 dialing code as an important step in transforming how crisis and trauma situations are handled in the United States. Please note that the 800-273-8255 number still works, 988 is just built off of the 10-digit number.
Resources:
Substance Use Prevention and Encouraging Healthy Brain Development
Together for Mental Health
Fact Sheet: Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month 2022
988 Frequently Asked Questions
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @FCPSSAPS.
For further Information & support:
Anna Teeter
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
Amteeter@fcps.edu
Inspirigil is a nonprofit educational group run by students at Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHSST) that provides free computer science classes, workshops, and events for students with a focus on encouraging girls to participate in computer science. Inspirigirl will be holding free Spring 2023 virtual computer science classes this year between April and May. Learn more here.
Exciting news! SoCo Summer Strings (formally Stallion Summer Strings) is returning this summer! The camp will be hosted at South County Middle School from July 10th-21st from 8:30am-12:30pm, weekdays only.
Camp is open to all rising 5th-9th grade students with at least one year of experience on the violin, viola, cello, or bass. Students will participate in two large ensemble rehearsals, an instrument-specific technique class, and a sectional each day.
You can find more information and registration for camp at www.schsorchestra.org/soco-summer-strings. Early registration is from March 1st-June 9th so sign up soon!
Counselors are assigned by teams and are your first point of contact for any question or concerns you might have.
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