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Dear Jackson Family,
As we enter the holiday season, I extend my warmest wishes for a wonderful winter break to each and every one of you. This year has been a memorable journey, filled with learning, growth, and exciting experiences for our students.
As we eagerly anticipate the two-week break, I would like to express my gratitude for your unwavering support and encouragement of our staff. Your partnership with us in nurturing the academic and personal growth of our students is truly invaluable.
Tomorrow marks the last day of school before the holiday break. As we wrap up 2023, I ask parents to take a moment to remind your children of our collective behavioral expectations. While the holiday season is a time for celebration and joy, it is also an opportunity for our students to demonstrate the values of respect, kindness, and responsibility, both in and out of the classroom.
I encourage your children to make the most of their time in school, to be considerate of one another, and to reflect the spirit of the season through acts of goodwill. Together, we can ensure that the final days of first semester are a positive and uplifting experience for everyone. As a reminder, our offices will be closed as our year-round staff members take time off to enjoy the holidays with their families. Should you need assistance during the break, please feel free to email me at RNJones@fcps.edu, and I will respond as my own (very bossy) little boys and family time permit.
I sincerely hope this holiday season brings each of you joy and precious moments with your loved ones, as well as a break from the rigors of class and homework! We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the new year on January 2, 2024!
Wishing you a happy and peaceful holiday season.
RJ
A heartfelt thank you from the entire staff for the wonderful luncheon today and treats! We appreciate those who came to serve as well as the community who donated to make this speciall for our teachers. Many thanks again.
Winter Break: December 18- January 1, 2024
Janurary 15- Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday- No school
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. To make it easier, the form is now available online in SIS ParentVUE. Paper copies were also given to your student on Thursday, November 2 and can be returned to LJMS Student Services. Online submission or paper copy completion is acceptable.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important because information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
Once logged in to SIS ParentVUE, click “Online Packets” in the top right corner. Then, select “Federal Impact Aid Survey.” Get more information.
2023 Federal Impact Aid Video
Need to Register for ParentVUE?
Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey. Find out how to get technical support for ParentVUE.
Only the enrolling parent can complete the Federal Impact Aid Survey in ParentVUE!
This is due to a limitation about the way SIS interacts with ParentVUE. This is a change from what was presented at the training, but it is a requirement to maintain the integrity of student data in SIS.
Additional support for ParentVUE is available from the Parent Technology Help Desk: https://itweb.fcps.edu/itsupport/parent/ or 833-921-3277.
Parents interested in referring your student for the Spring Level IV Screening must submit a Level IV Referral form to Shawn English, the school’s Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART) by December 15, 2023. It may be helpful for you to complete and submit the Parent/Guardian Questionnaire in addition to your referral form. This can also be found on the page that is linked above. Once I receive the referral form, a request for work samples and ratings will be requested from your student’s current teachers. Then the information will be passed along to the screening committee. The screening committee will meet in the spring and make the appropriate recommendations for your student.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, Shawn English, at srenglish@fcps.edu.
 "The Oakton High School Marching Cougars, a prestigious 25-year Virginia Honor Band, has been chosen as a FINALIST in Metallica's inaugural marching band competition, "For Whom the Band Tolls." Metallica has brought their legendary presence to the world of marching bands by inviting high schools and colleges from across the nation to showcase their musical prowess in this unique online competition. The Marching Cougars are competing against four other bands for $15,000 in prizing in the category for high school bands with less than 75 members. You can view the Marching Cougar’s online submission of “Parade to Black” here. Oakton High School encourages the school and local community to proudly vote in support of the Marching Cougars as “Fan Favorite” on this national stage. Vote for the Oakton Marching Cougars by texting #HSOAKTON to (833) 609-0330. Go Cougars!"
This is a program developed in 1980 and featured in Luther Jackson for over 10 years, that promotes college and career readiness, designed to help students develop the skills they need to be successful in college. The program places special emphasis on developing writing, critical thinking, teamwork, organization and reading skills. Students are encouraged to take rigorous courses in both Middle and High School to both challenge and expand their learning, while being given extra support systems like tutors and collaborative study groups to promote critical thinking and problem solving. At Luther Jackson we have 4 sections of AVID, two 7th grade classes led by Mrs. Lazo, and two 8th grade classes led by Ms. Parker.”
Counselors are assigned by alphabet and your first point of contact for any question or concerns you might have.
 Safety is always my #1 focus while working at LJ. I get to work closely with the school security team and administration to make sure that our school is safe from the outside in. And I would like to work with you, as well. If you ever see anything happening inside or outside the school that is suspicious or concerning, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
Take care,
PFC E.J. Green (342395)
Alcohol & The Holidays
Holidays may involve family time, games, movies, food, and possibly drinks. Although loneliness is a cause for alcohol or drug consumption, being around others does not necessarily mean a decrease in unhealthy habits. Alcohol consumption increased during the pandemic and has not decreased after we have returned to a semblance of normalcy. Many people are still trying to figure out how to navigate our “new normal”. We encourage the consideration of a few things as we move towards the end of the year, have time off, and look forward to social interactions.
Questions to consider when drinking with your family:
- What message am I sending if I drink in excess around my underage child?
- Have I had conversations about responsible drinking with my child(ren)?
- Are the conversations I have about alcohol consumption realistic?
- Are the conversations I have with others reinforcing alcohol use as a coping skill during stressful times?
- What messages am I sending my underage child(ren) if I allow them to drink with me or another adult in the house?
Information to consider:
“One-third of Fairfax County students (33.7%) reported drinking alcohol at least once in their lifetime, ranging from 18.8% of eighth-grade students to half of twelfth-grade students (49.4%). One in seven students (15.2%) reported drinking alcohol in the past month, ranging from 4.5% of eighth-grade students to 27.7% of twelfth-grade students.” (FCPS Youth Survey 2020)
“Female students reported higher rates of alcohol use in their lifetime (36.1% compared to 31.2% of male students), in the past month (17.1% and 13.1%, respectively), and binge drinking in the past two weeks (7.3% and 6.5%, respectively)” (FCPS Youth Survey 2020).
Resources:
Holiday Stress
Helpful Info to Quit Vaping
FCPS video on Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs
Substance Abuse Prevention (Spanish)
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270 and be sure to follow us on Twitter at @FCPSSAPS.
For further information & support:
Anna Teeter
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
amteeter@fcps.edu
Food Pantry: The Luther Jackson Middle School Food Pantry needs your help! We need parent volunteers to assist with food pick-up, bag packing, and food distribution. Interested in helping, but your schedule doesn't allow you to volunteer? Please consider donating food, personal hygiene items, household cleaning products, or reusable grocery bags to help our families utilize the food pantry. Follow the Sign-Up Genius link below if you are interested in volunteering:
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/904084DA8AC2EAA8-ljms2
Volunteer for PTA: Multiple volunteer positions are available in PTA committees, such as Hospitality, Nomination Committee, Audit Committee, Fundraising, and bilingual family liaison. It is a rewarding experience with limited time commitment and enough support available to learn the tasks. Please consider volunteering for the PTA by reaching out to president@jacksonmspta.org.
Spirit Wear Sale: Please check out the PTA website, where you can find the links to buy Spirit Wear, join the PTA, or donate: https://jacksonmspta.org/
Food For Neighbor's Holiday Giving program: This is to provide holiday meals for local families.
https://www.foodforneighbors.org/home/holiday-meals/
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