|
espanol
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
 On Monday, June 5th Luther Jackson MS hosted the Eastern Conference of the Cross-County Battle of the Books Championship. Five FCPS Middle Schools competed to determine which school was most knowledgeable on a list of 15 titles. School teams had all year to read and prepare for this competition. Coached by Librarian Jenny Betten, the Jackson students worked hard and came in 3rd place. The student competitors were Selenia Behrouzi, Raina Gullo, Meg Lagera, Cora Lin, Andrew Maines, Noah Nam, My Nguyen, Lillie Plowgian, and Ida Selander.
PTA Year-End Report: Accomplishments and Appreciation
It is with pride and gratitude that we reflect on the tireless efforts and continued commitment of our dedicated board members, school leadership, teachers, parent volunteers, and LJMS families. We are happy to report that we have accomplished all our goals and much more! To read the PTA’s end-of-the-year report, click here.
These year’s achievements highlight the work our PTA has done to support our students, boost well-being, foster stronger connections with the LJMS teachers and community, and ensure the smooth operation of our PTA. We are proud of these accomplishments and the positive impact they have had on our school community. Please know that we couldn't have done it without your support and active involvement. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
We can't wait to welcome new 7th-grade families and continue collaborating with our current LJMS families. To those of you graduating from middle school, we send you off with our best wishes for an amazing high school journey.
May all of you have a restful and enjoyable summer break!
Election Results
We are happy to announce the new officers for the upcoming year:
PTA Executive Committee
- President: Rajiv Sharma
- Treasurer: Lili Cui
- Secretary: Amy Chai
PTA Committee Chairs
- Webmaster Chair: Huaizhang Deng
- Spiritwear Chair: Lynn Craner
- Reflections Program Chair: Meredith Caldwell
Final PTA meeting Recording
Our recent PTA meeting was filled with valuable information, including the insightful highlights shared by our principal, Ms. Jones. In case you couldn't attend, we have made the meeting recording available for your convenience. Access it here.
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).
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.
Healthy Minds Sessions Recording
The recordings of all three Healthy Minds workshops will be available until June 16th. 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. Session 1, Session 2, and Session 3.
Spirit Wear
Hoodies, magnets, and (new!) t-shirts will be available for purchase this fall. Get ready to show your LJMS spirit!
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.
Laptop and MiFi Collection Laptop and MiFi collection will take place on June 12th and 13th during your PE class, so please bring in the laptop, case, and charger. If you have checked out a MiFi hotspot, please bring that as well. You can only keep your laptop and MiFi if you are attending a summer program. During the process, you will need to remove any stickers, clean your laptop with a wipe, and let us know if there is any damage to the laptop or charger and if there are problems with either device.
In preparation for returning school laptops, please make sure you follow the steps below to clean and prepare your laptop for collection:
- Remove any ink and stickers you placed on the laptop as well as all adhesive left behind
- Put the laptop sleeve in a washing machine to clean it and let it air dry
- On the day of collection please make sure you bring in the laptop sleeve with the laptop shut down and charger inside
- If you have lost your charger, you will be charged $23
- Please complete the Laptop Charger Survey
- With the exception of students attending summer programs, you will have to return your laptop and charger to participate in field day
Students Attending Summer Programs
If you are attending summer school, you can keep the laptop and MiFi during your summer program. Then please return them to the school when your summer program ends.
Replacement laptop chargers
Replacement laptop chargers can be purchased for $23 and there are two options to purchase them. First either bring in a check for $23 made out to Luther Jackson Middle School or bring exactly $23 in cash. If you bring in cash, we cannot make change so please bring in the exact amount. Then request an e-hallpass from any class at the beginning of the period and 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 websites. If your parents do not have an account they can create one. Your parents should purchase the charger under your name and Mr. Waldren, Technology Specialist, will be notified of the purchase. After your parents 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 go to Mr. Waldren's office, room 502 to pick up the charger.
No-Cost Teletherapy Available for All High School Students in FCPS
FCPS has partnered with Hazel Health to offer virtual mental health services to high school students, at no cost to families. Parents/caregivers who have been struggling to find a therapist for their child or who have noticed changes in their child’s behavior are able to connect them virtually with a licensed therapist.
Teletherapy services for students are short-term, evidence-based, and culturally-responsive. These services are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., continuing throughout the summer. Rising 9th grade students will be able to access services beginning August 4th.
Hazel Health’s licensed therapists can help students who are experiencing:
- Mood/behavior changes, lack of motivation, grief/loss.
- Anxiety, worry, fears.
- Bullying, challenging peer and family relationships.
- Academic stress.
The first step for parents is to provide information through an opt-in form. Visit FCPS’ Teletherapy webpage for details.
 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.
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.
 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!
 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
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.
|
