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Espanol
 Dear Jackson Families,
As we approach the winter season, I want to share a few updates and reminders to keep our students warm, supported, and healthy.
We are excited to roll out a new Advisory system starting the week we return from Thanksgiving Break. This system will allow students who are not in required intervention groups to rotate between different teachers each week during Advisory. This flexible approach enables teachers to offer focused support, such as test re-takes, re-teaching, and tutoring to students who need extra assistance. We believe this system will further enhance our commitment to personalized support for all learners.
As the temperatures drop, we remind families to ensure students dress appropriately for the colder weather. Outdoor recess continues throughout the year and is only canceled during cold/wind advisories or precipitation. Please encourage your child to wear warm clothing, including coats, hats, and gloves. Lightweight pajamas or onesies are not ideal for school-based activities or cold weather, and students should wear hard-soled shoes to school for safety. House slippers or soft-soled shoes are not suitable and can lead to injury or frostbite in wet or snowy conditions.
If your child needs assistance obtaining coats or winter clothing, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Social Worker, Ms. Ali Smith, for support. We are here to help!
Finally, I’d like to wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving Break. Please note that the break begins on November 26th, and students return to school on December 2nd. I hope you enjoy this time with loved ones and come back rested and ready to learn!
Thank you for your continued partnership in your child's success!
Sincerely,
R. Jones
November 27, 28, 29- Holiday (Thanksgiving)- School Closed
Families, remember that when coming to the school to pick up your student, an official photo ID must be presented to the Main Office staff. Please understand that this is for security purposes. Driver’s licenses, passports, and military IDs are appropriate examples of official IDs.
Regular school attendance is crucial for student success, and we are committed to ensuring all students have the opportunity to learn and thrive. Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. When students reach six (6) or more days absent from school they will be invited to attend our Attendance Recovery Program. These are after-school sessions to make up for missed instructional time. This will help them stay on track with their coursework and avoid falling behind. Student may also choose for other After-School Academic offerings, such as staying with a teacher, to make up for missed instructional time.
Benefits of Attending After-School Sessions:
- Catch up on missed classwork and assignments
- Receive personalized assistance from teachers
- Improve academic performance and understanding
Parents interested in referring your student for the Spring Level IV Screening must submit a Level IV Referral form to Shawn English, Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART), by December 15, 2024. 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 at srenglish@fcps.edu.
Did you know that our 5 day a week after-school program (LJ After Hours) is totally free, and includes a free snack supper, and late buses on Monday-Thursday?? There are over 40 clubs, activities and intramural sports to choose from each week. All you need to do in order to access this fantastic program is complete the online registration/parental permission form. We need a form for any student who stays after school for any reason... even if it's just to re-take a test with a teacher. Parents who have NOT completed the form will get a reminder email from Mr. Hoffert, with the link to the form included. It takes just a few minutes to fill it out... you just need your student's ID number in order to complete it.
Currently, only 33.5% of students who have attended after-school so far this year have a completed registration form on file. Please help!
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE AFTER SCHOOL REGISTRATION FORM
Yes! That's a thing!
We are excited to offer two new activities on FRIDAYS this fall, starting on September 20th through December 13th (skipping Oct 4, Nov 1, and Nov 29 because of school holidays).
Both activities will meet from 2:35-3:35pm, and we will offer study hall and/or open gym for students until the parent pickup deadline (4:00pm).
No late buses are available on Fridays.
Magnus Chess Academy
Magnus Chess Academy has been teaching chess in Fairfax County since 2008. Over that time period we've taught more than 30,000 students in after school clubs, before school clubs, and camps. They include kids who've won seventeen state championships and four national championships, but most of our students are beginners looking to learn a fun new game. That's how all the champions start out too!
Super Sleuths (Crime Scene Investigators)
Get out your magnifying glasses and detective hats; we have clues to decipher and crimes to solve! We’ll put our critical thinking skills and STEM knowledge to the test and get to the bottom of mysteries by learning the tricks real investigators use to solve cases. While experimenting with simple detection techniques, your reasoning skills will grow, and your problem-solving skills will be on par with real CSI Agents!
-->COMING IN JANUARY<--
Group Guitar Class
Whether you're a regular John Mayer, or you can't remember if a guitar has 4 or 6 strings, this is your chance to start learning or sharpen the face-melting skills you already have. Fridays, after school, starting in January. We'll provide the guitar (there's a $20 rental fee... talk to Mr. Hoffert if that's an issue).
January 17-March 21 (10 weeks)
Each activity has room for a max of 20 students, so sign up today!
Students must register separately for these two Friday activities, using the form below.
FRIDAY ACTIVITY REGISTRATION
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LJMS Drama presents, Aesop Live!, a funny comedy that twists old fables into a fun-filled evening for audiences of all ages! Please come and support the over 100 students who have been working both on and offstage to create the world of Aesop with all its silly animals, zany gods and people who just cannot get things right! Tickets available online now for only $5 ($6 at the door). There will also be tickets available during all lunches the week before the show. Bring your family and friends and come and have some fun! Doors open ½ hour before curtain. Show dates are Thursday, Nov 21, Friday Nov 22 & Saturday, Nov 23rd. Flowers are available to purchase for your favorite cast & crew.
Aesop Live! Ticket Link
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.
Whether students miss school because of illness or any other reason, missing school leads to learning loss.
Help your child succeed by encouraging them to attend as many days as possible, but do make sure your child stays home if they are sick. Visit FCPS’ website for information on when to keep your child at home.
If your child has a chronic illness, make sure to notify their teacher so that support can be provided if needed. Also, keep an open line of communication with your school's public health staff.
Read about how families can help form good attendance habits. Attend today, achieve tomorrow!
📋 Permission Forms
Families can easily grant permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. Parents can opt their child in or out of resources including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed. Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. See how to use the tool.
The "Discrimination and Harassment: Let's Talk" platform is an essential tool that allows anyone within our school community to report incidents of discrimination, harassment, or other concerning behaviors confidentially. More information about the platform, including how to access and use it, can be found at https://www.fcps.edu/submit-discrimination-and-harassment-report.
Quarter 1 Report Cards Report cards are issued every nine weeks to provide an overview of students' academic progress based on curriculum objectives. Grades are now available in SIS StudentVUE and ParentVUE, and a physical copy has been mailed home. If you do not receive your student’s report card within a week of this date, please reach out to our registrar, Ms. Carbajal, for assistance.
Questions About Grades? For information on grading scales, please visit Grading Scales for Secondary Schools.
Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available online in SIS ParentVUE. If you have not already filled out the form online, we will provide paper forms in November. Please be sure to return them by Friday, November 17.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important, because information from this survey resulted in more than $4 million in funding last year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
Please watch this video and visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page for more information.
Need to Register for ParentVUE?
Learn how to activate your SIS ParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey.
Technical support for using ParentVUE or completing the survey online is available by submitting a Parent Support Request ticket. Select SISParent in the Application dropdown menu and type Federal Impact Aid Survey under Issue Description. Or, call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS).
Social and Emotional Learning Screener Results Coming Soon
One of the ways FCPS supports the mental wellness of all students is through the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener. In October, students in grades 3-12 took this screener, which gives information about their skills such as achieving goals, handling emotions, building relationships with adults and peers, and making good choices.
The screener also helps students evaluate their school community’s efforts to make them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to create learning, experiences, and environments for students to succeed.
In early December, families will be able to view student SEL Screener results in SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent by mail.
Learn more about the screener on the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage. For help understanding your child’s results or ideas to support them at home, review the Family Guide or contact us.
Counselors are assigned by alphabet and your first point of contact for any question or concerns you might have.
Restaurant Night Tuesday, November 26th: Silver Diner Merrifield is hosting an LJMS PTA fundraiser from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 20% of all orders will go to LJMS PTA funds!
Order in-person or online at silverdiner.com. Orders from third-party food delivery apps do not count toward the fundraiser. Silver Diner membership cardholders are requested not to use their cards while ordering. Instead, it is recommended that LJMS be added to it as a designated charity so donations are transferred to LJMS anytime you dine at Silver Diner locations. Please invite your family, friends, and neighbors to the event because Silver Diner is always fun!!!
Volunteer opportunities: Volunteer for PTA LJMS fundraising and sign up to work at PTA tables before "Aesop Live!" and at "Silver Diner Merrifield Night" using the link below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0844A8AB22A6FFC34-53401567-silver
PTA Membership: The LJMS PTA serves as a bridge between our school's administration, teachers, and parents, fostering a supportive student environment. You are invited to become a PTA member and donate online at https://jacksonmspta.org/
Contact president@jacksonmspta.org
 
Parents can complete the Lightspeed Parent Report Request. This request provides parents with Weekly Parent Reports delivered by Lightspeed directly to an authorized parent email over the weekend. These reports summarize the websites visited by the student while using an FCPS device.
At the bottom of the weekly report, parents can register for the Parent Relay Portal, which provides detailed browsing information. The sign-up is embedded within the Lightspeed report and does not require any further submission to IT or IT intervention. The extended access also gives parents the ability to pause internet access on their child’s FCPS laptop during non-school hours, such as dinner or bedtime. However, parents cannot pause the internet during the school day.
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/r/is01/pdcp/login?session=17253181329964. You can find further direction here: 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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If a student returns a Chromebook damaged, they will receive a warning, and if there is a second instance of the same damage, they will have to pay for the repair cost. If a student returns a Chromebook damaged and the case is removed, they will have to pay for the repair cost in the first instance. Repair costs are listed below.
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HP Fortis Parts
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Cost
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Chromebook replacement
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$444
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Charger
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$10
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System Board
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$315
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Screen
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$90
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Keyboard and palm rest
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$48
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Touchpad
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$21
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Heatsink
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$30
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Daughterboard
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$22
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Base enclosure
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$20
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Bezel
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$18
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Speaker
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$16
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