Luther Jackson June 7, 2024

Espanol


summer

Upcoming Events :

June 12- Last Day of School- Early Release at 12:15pm

June 17- Holiday (Eid-al-Adha) Schools Closed

June 19- Holiday (Juneteenth) Schools Closed

 

***Starting June 18th- Summer Hours will begin:***

                     Monday-Friday 9am to 1pm


Admin Team:

When students need to miss school, it is important for parents/guardians to communicate those absences with the school.  This can be done by calling the attendance phone line at 703-204-8282 or by using the online reporting form which can be accessed by CLICKING HERE or on our Luther Jackson Middle School website.   Please DO NOT report absences through the Talking Points app. 


Admin Team Information

Contact Information Chart

Counselors:

Counselors are assigned by alphabet and your first point of contact for any question or concerns you might have.

capture 3

Middle School After-School Program Survey for Parents

survey seal

Below is a link for a quick survey about the Middle School After-School Program. The survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. The survey is an important component of the after-school program evaluation and is critical for future funding. The more responses we receive, the more valuable and reliable the data. The responses not only allow us to assess the impact of the after-school program but they help drive program improvement and program quality.

This survey is FCPS approved. Approval Number is 24234.

All survey responses are due by June 7, 2024.

 

ASP Parent Survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WCQKSN8

Thank you for completing the survey and for your support of the after-school program. 


From Student Services:

Our last day of school is June 12.  Report cards will be mailed home the week of June 24.


Kiss & Ride Dropoff /Pickup Reminders:

Parents and guardians, we have a new security fence by the Golds Gym parking lot and we need to make sure student morning drop off and afternoon pick up stays a safe procedure.

  • Please DO NOT drop your child off or pick them up on Gallows Rd in front of the school.  This is very dangerous and could cause a car accident and injury.
  • Please make RIGHT TURNS only out of the parking lot and no left turns to help with traffic flow.
  • More parents are letting their children off while in the drop off line and students walking through the parking lot to avoid being tardy to class. Students should always use sidewalks and crosswalks when walking to school and in our parking lot.
  • If dropping your child off in the Golds Gym parking lot, students should walk the Gallows Rd. sidewalk to school, and use sidewalks and crosswalks.  Students should not crawl under the fence or climb over the fence to go between the LJMS parking lot and the Golds Gym parking lot.

Thank you for making these adjustments as we work to keep LJMS students safe!


70th Anniversary of Luther Jackson:

70th

Food Pantry Needs Your Help:

Our food pantry is empty and we have a distribution June 11th. We also want to keep the pantry going over the summer. Kids and families do better when they are not worried about if they are going to eat.

We really need your help!! You can donate food in person, via Amazon, or with a cash donation. Please ask your friends and family too. Feel free to forward this email! You may bring food to room 613 or (if you have a car load!) schedule a time to drop it off at the food pantry before/after school.

We need the following items most:

Food

Pasta

Pasta sauce/tomato sauce

Canned vegetables

Cereal

Pancake mix/syrup

Oil

Maseca (a kind of corn flour)

Instant coffee/tea

Canned fruit/fruit cups

Ramen

Shelf stable milk

 

Household Goods

Paper towels

Toilet paper

Laundry detergent

Dish Soap

If you have students who you think need food at home, contact Amanda Isaac, our social worker. She will contact the family for you and determine eligibility.

If you are interested in getting involved with the food pantry next year, come and talk to me! It’s fun and easy and you will make a huge difference to 80 families!!


School Laptops:

Laptop and MiFi Collection The laptop and MiFi collection will take place on June 6th and 7th during PE class, so please make sure your child brings their laptop and charger to turn in.  We do not need the laptop case back.  If they have checked out a MiFi hotspot, please have them bring that as well.  They can only keep their laptop and MiFi if they are attending a summer program.  During the process, students will need to remove any stickers, clean their laptops with a wipe, and let us know if there is any damage or problems with the laptop or charger.

In preparation for returning school laptops, please make sure your child follows the steps below to clean and prepare their laptop for collection:

  • Clean off any ink and remove any stickers that have been placed on the laptop as well as all adhesive left behind before collection
  • The cost of replacement chargers is $23
  • The cost of replacement laptops is $481

Students Attending Summer Programs 

If your child is attending a summer program, they can keep the laptop and MiFi during the summer program.  Please return them to the school when the summer program ends.


Advanced Academics:

Luther Jackson Middle School and Poe Middle School are offering a summer institute for Advanced Academic Students and Young Scholars. The Summer Challenge Institute will provide a variety of sessions focusing on academic and enrichment activities. The activities are designed to be both challenging and fun.

The dates for the Summer Challenge Institute are June 24 - 28, 2024. The institute is being held at Luther Jackson Middle School. Monday - Thursday sessions will be at Jackson and Friday we will be going to the Smithsonian National Zoo. The program is free and limited transportation will be provided from local elementary schools.

Click on this link to register your student - The Summer Challenge Institute Registration. Registration closes Friday, May 24, 2024. We are only accepting 100 students to participate.

If you have any questions, please email Shawn English at srenglish@fcps.edu or call at 703-813-3944


TJ Prep Camp:

TJ

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.

 


Parktakes Summer Classes:

Choose from a variety of options and formats:

  • Outdoor and indoor fitness classes
  • Learn to swim group lessons and private lessons.
  • Children’s and adult classes
  • Summer Camps
  • Nature & history programs
  • Sports
  • Scouting
  • Golf lessons
  • Gardening
  • Virtual classes and camps – Fitness, nature, music, drama, coding

Oakton High School Youth Camp:

Oakton HS

PTA Corner:

New PTA Officers elected for 2024-25: Congratulations to all the PTA officers elected during the May PTA meeting for the next school year! President (Rajiv Sharma), Secretary (Amy Chai),
Treasurer (Robyn Berkenbilt), Membership (Wendy Bang),
Spirit wear (Ally Paddock),
Technology (Jay Berkenbilt), Food team (Megan Dho).

A big thanks to the outgoing officers for your exceptional support to the PTA! Lili Cui (Treasurer), Lynn Ploch-Craner (Spirit wear), Huaizhang Deng (Technology), Jenna von Elling (Food team), and Meredith Caldwell (Reflections)

The following positions are still vacant: Vice President, Reflections chair, Hospitality chair, Fundraising/Restaurant night chair, and Spanish liaison/Diversity chair. You are encouraged to apply for these open positions by sending a note to president@jacksonmspta.org

8th Grade Dance Friday, June 7th from 6:30-8:30 pm: It's almost the end of the school year, which means it's time to celebrate! We are looking for parent volunteers to help create lasting memories for our 8th graders. Use this link to sign up for specific roles at the dance.

You may donate gently used, clean clothing such as formal dresses (male and female), heels, shoes, jewelry, and men’s shirts by sending them to the school office of ‘Student Services / Tanya Shuford.’

You can also donate via Zelle to treasurer@jacksonmspta.org. Any amount is appreciated and welcome!

To check other benefits for PTA members, visit https://vapta.org/member-benefits/

 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

PTA Fundraising through glass recycling: Glass Goat was launched by LJ alumni to help with glass no longer being accepted by Fairfax County in recyclables. They offer a curbside glass pickup service that makes it easy and simple to recycle your glass responsibly without hassle. They are owned and operated entirely by hard-working teens, give a free custom bin, and send timely text reminders the day before pickup!

LJMS PTA gets $20 for each sign-up, use code Tigers20.  https://glassgoatrecycling.com/

goat

 

PTA website: Please check out the PTA website, where you can find the links to buy Spirit Wear, join the PTA, or donate: https://jacksonmspta.org/


Summer Camps:

The Department of Neighborhood and community Services offers a variety of youth and teen summer camps at public schools and community centers throughout Fairfax County. All programs offer reduced fees for eligible families. please see the Flyer for more info:

camps

College Partnership Program (CPP)

Madison HS Students Host Summer Debate Camp

Madison Debate Camp will take place on Monday, July 29th through Friday, August 2nd @JMHS from 12PM to 4PM on each of those days. The price of the camp is $50 and includes lunch every day, instruction from national level debaters (who will also just be back from Nationals), and a tournament (with awards). The rest of the proceeds go to the JMHS debate team to cover team costs during the season.

Every day will have new, fun lessons that will teach you the skills of a high school debater, giving you a foundational understanding of the basics of argumentation, public speaking, and debate as a whole. At the end of the camp, participants will also have an opportunity to participate in a high-school style tournament on the week’s chosen debate topic!

Sign-Up Link: https://forms.gle/qv7Kim31PtRu5SMk6


Join the Oakton Band!:

 

COURSE NUMBER

ENSEMBLE

DESCRIPTION

923415

923315

 

Advanced Band Level 1/Band Level 1

“Concert Band 2”

Rising 9th graders and new students to band register here.  Exact band placements will be made after auditions are complete. Marching Band is optional

923416

923316

Advanced Band Level 2/

Band Level 2

“Concert Band 1”

Students who have been in band. Present members instructed to sign up for this class again and will be auditioned for upper level classes in May/June.  Marching Band is optional

923417

Advanced Band Level 3

“Symphonic Band”

Auditions in May/June.

Marching Band required (with some limited exceptions)

924016

Jazz Ensemble

Must be enrolled in a band class (exceptions for keyboard, guitar, and bass guitar). Meets after school for credit.  Begins mid-fall after the conclusion of the marching season.

922604

AP Music Theory

Open to grades 10-12.

**ALL BANDS ARE OPEN TO 9th GRADERS**

Marching Band ◊ Concert Band ◊ Color Guard ◊ Jazz Band ◊ Drumline ◊ Indoor Winter Guard

Band “Mythbusters”

  1. It is possible to do athletics and band.
  2. You can do clubs and honor societies and band.
  3. You can do band all four years and still get the most advanced diploma.
  4. You can still get into a great college without taking every AP class.

Important Date:

  • Marching Band camp: July 29-August 9, 2024

Questions?

Ask Dr. VanValkenburg (director@oaktonbands.org)


debate camp

Bell Schedule

LJMS Red/White Calendar

Red White 2024 Feb-June

Back to School Immunization Clinics:

3345678910

Clinic