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Greetings, Jackson Families!
As we close out week 2 of the school year, I’d like to take a moment to share what our students have engaged in during our first 2 opening weeks. During week 1, students spent time learning where their classes are and how to transition from place to place within the building. They also engaged in getting to know you activities in their classrooms and spent time helping to create and learn classroom and school-wide procedures. Our Tigers were off to a great start, and quickly learned to navigate the building and clear hallways as safely and quickly as possible during transitions!
During week 2, students attended school-wide Student Rights and Responsibilities assemblies led by our deans and assistant principals. During these assemblies, students re-visited FCPS conduct expectations, learned about their rights as students in the county, and were introduced to Jackson specific school-wide expectations. They also met and were able to ask questions of our administrative team. My personal favorite was “Is it true that there is an ice cream machine that students get to use when we’re on time to class?”
Week 2 was also a time for teachers to begin introducing academic content in their classes. The instructional focus of the week was collecting baseline data to ascertain what our students know and what they have yet to learn. We also made space for students to tell us how they learn best, and how they like to receive information. Teachers will utilize the data they gathered to guide instructional delivery throughout the first quarter of school, and to plan engaging lessons in their content areas. Our first two weeks of school were exciting, filled with exploration and learning, and great fun for all involved! Thank you to all who helped make our opening a wonderful experience!
As we settle into the daily routine of learning and instruction at Jackson, I’d like to remind you that there is support available throughout the school year should you see that your child needs additional care in any area. Should you have academic, social-emotional, or wellness concerns for your child, please reach out to our counselors in Student Services or to your child’s administrator for assistance. We sincerely want to make this year a great one for each of our students, and early identification and intervention are essential to success in middle grades.
Next week I look forward to introducing a new feature in our Newsletter. The “Did You Know” section will highlight interesting facts about our school that we want everyone to know. If there is something you’ve always wanted to know about our school, please send an email to RNJones@fcps.edu and you might find the answer in our “Did You Know” feature of the week!
I hope that each of you finds time to enjoy the last days of summer during the long weekend and look forward to seeing everyone back at Jackson next Tuesday!
Sincerely,
R. Jones
Students are continuing to have a great start to the year. We held our in person Student Rights & Responsibilities (SR&R) assemblies with all students on Monday 8/28 and 8/29. Students were engaged and asked great questions and gave both examples and non-examples of appropriate behaviors. It was a positive way for students and administrators to connect and make sure school expectations are clear.
Please remind students that they should be to school and class on time. They have 4 minute to transition between classes. Today we started our sprint for the first Friday Fun Day of quarter 1. Our Deans, Kerri Kirk and Mike Wisniewski, are leading the Positive Behavior Support Intervention group. For students to be eligible for this fun event, they must have 3 or fewer unexcused tardies starting today August 31 through Friday September 29. And they can not have any ISS (In-School Suspension) or OSS (Out of School Suspension.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have.
2023 Student Rights and Responsibilities
FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. In late June, the School Board approved changes to the SR&R for the 2023-24 school year. Updates include a revision of dress code expectations, bystander expectations for students witnessing harmful or unsafe behaviors, bullying, and substance abuse responses. Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s letter to families regarding the SR&R.
Parents/caregivers should talk to their child(ren) about expectations for this school year. Also, please log in to SIS ParentVUE and sign to acknowledge your review of the SR&R, or sign and return the signature sheet to your child’s school by Friday, September 29.
September 1-4: Labor Day Break
September 12: Back to School Night (6-8pm)
September 25: Student Holiday
Representatives from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) will be giving an information presentation on Thursday, September 21st, at 2:30PM in the LJMS auditorium. Information about TJHSST and the application process will be discussed. The presentation is approximately 30 minutes with additional time for questions and answers. Both students and parents are invited to attend. No registration is necessary. Please note that students attending this information session will need to sign up for a second after school session if they are not leaving school with a parent after the presentation. Please contact Mr. Tickle at BRTickle@fcps.edu or 703 204 8124 for questions or for help with the application process. For more information, please visit the TJ Admissions webpage at https://www.fcps.edu/tjadmissions.
PTA Meeting: We are excited to invite you to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting at 5:30 p.m. before the Back to School Night (BTSN) in the school auditorium on Tuesday, September 12th.
Parent Coffee: Would you like to meet with other LJMS parents over coffee? We are setting up coffee meet-up for parents to connect! If interested, please send the following information, via email or this link: https://forms.gle/EFhGUvvHXwFpkKdV7
- Your name, 2. Your child's name, 3. Grade, 4. the high school your child will attend, 5. the elementary school they are coming from, 6. Are you interested in hosting other parents in your home for a Parent Coffee? We will arrange for Parent Coffees based on your child’s grade level and high school.
Contact: Susan Harris at harrissusan100@gmail.com
Reflections Call For Entries: Reflections is a National PTA-sponsored program that encourages students to express themselves through the arts. Students can submit work in the following six categories: Dance Choreography, Music Composition, Literature, Film Production, Visual Arts and Photography.
Student submissions are reviewed by independent third-party judges based on artistic skill as well as interpretation of the theme. The winner in each category moves on to the County level, then possibly to the State level and finally to the National competition. This year entries can either be submitted digitally https://jacksonmspta.org/reflections/
or entry forms can be picked up and returned to Ms. Lundeen’s art room 410.
This year's theme is: "I am Hopeful Because…”
 Deadline: Tuesday November 14, 2023.
Student submission links will be updated soon. Visit the Reflections website to see entry guidelines for each art category. If you have any questions, please contact the Reflections program Chair Meredith Caldwell at reflections@jacksonmspta.org
Join your PTA:
The PTA serves as a bridge between our school's administration, teachers, and parents, fostering a supportive and thriving educational community. You can join or donate to the PTA during the BTSN or online at https://jacksonmspta.org/
Would you like to volunteer for the PTA? Contact president@jacksonmspta.org
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Families,
We Need Your Consent for Select Digital Resources
At Jackson Middle School, our teachers will use a variety of digital resources to support student learning and promote communication and collaboration with students and families. Some of the digital resources your child may use this year will require your consent before they can be used. Please find the link to the digital form, where you can give your consent, here: https://digitalconsent.fcps.edu/ispb/is01/r/pdcp/login?session=3173032781249 . You can find a list of the resources that require parental consent here: https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/technology/digital-resources/consent.
Need technical support? Call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS). This will be answered by staff members from 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
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Parents, please read survey and opt-out information here. https://www.fcps.edu/registration/opt-out-forms Student Services will be giving a Needs Assessment to students in September to ascertain student wellness needs for the 23-24 school year. Please contact Tanya Shuford at twshuford@fcps.edu if there are any questions.
After ten stellar years of student advocacy, and serving and leading our community, school counselor Ms. Shannon White is moving on to professional pursuits outside of FCPS. We wish her all the best and are in the process of finding a qualified counselor to work with her students. Thank you Ms. White for your passion, dedication, and advocacy for our students over the years! Please see the school counselor coverage below for students.
Counselors are assigned by teams and are your first point of contact for any question or concerns you might have.
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