Family Newsletter

Jefferson Jaguar Pride Family Newsletter

(Boletín familiar Jefferson Orgullo Jaguar)

September 2021

(septiembre 2021)

Main Office/Oficina Principal (608) 663-6403 Para Español:(608) 663-7349

Email: [email protected]

Absences: If your child will be late, has an appointment, or is sick, please call the Jefferson main number (608) 663-6403 - Option 1 for attendance. Absences can also be reported online. On-Line Attendance Link

Ausencias: Si su hijo(a) va a llegar tarde, tiene una cita o está enfermo, llame al número principal de Jefferson (608) 663-6403 - Opción 1 para asistir. Las ausencias también se pueden informar en línea.

Para Español:(608) 663-7349 (deje mensaje detallado) On-Line Attendance Link

Principal's Corner:/Esquina de la Directora:

Dear Jefferson Families,

Welcome back -- or, if this applies to you, welcome to Jefferson Middle School! We are very excited to be returning to a new school year and glad you are a part of our family. As we gear up for the first day, there will be a lot of information to share. Our newsletter this month contains important dates + helpful information for the upcoming year.

Last year was difficult for many of us, but we are committed to moving forward together while giving our students the support and care that they deserve. As a staff, we will be hyper-focused on safety, equity, and social-emotional learning for our scholars. We want to send a special thank you to our families, staff, and community partners for your dedication as we continue to navigate through this pandemic, together.

You can expect to receive a family newsletter the first week of every month throughout the school year. However, please know you can contact us with questions at any time. Below is the information needed to start the year strong:

Student Drop Off & Pick Up Before and After School: To ensure the safety of our staff and students, there is no pick-up or drop-off before and after school on the north side of the building (Lussier side).

Upon entering Jefferson’s drive off Gammon Rd you will turn right and

follow the clearly marked signs for the traffic pattern/flow on the south side of the building (Memorial High School side).

During the school day, if you are picking up your student for an appointment, you may use the north lot where there is visitor parking outside our middle school entrance

Student Entrance Doors to Start the Day: All Students will either enter door #2 if they are using the bus or door #3 if they are being dropped off. There will be staff assigned to each of the doors to greet all of the students every day to point students in the right directions. The doors will be open between 8:18 am and 8:38 am. After that, all students must enter door #1 and go to the office for a pass. We will have lots of staff outside on the first few days of school to support students and get them to their right homeroom.

Behavior Education Plan (BEP): Please review the Behavior Education Plan with your child BEP. Also, note the dress code policy that is on page 27 of this plan.

Cell Phone Policy: Please help your student know that they will not be allowed to use their phones at school based on the BOE Cell Phone Policy which states: Students are permitted to possess a cellular phone, personal digital assistant, personal music/video/gaming device, camera, or other personal electronic device with communication functions or the capability to capture/record voice or image information, (collectively within this Policy, “Device” or “Devices”), provided that students refrain from using such Devices (1) in a manner that detracts from and/or disrupts the learning of oneself or others, (2) in a school bathroom, locker room, or other dressing area at any time, and (3) at such other times as have been identified in advance by a school-issued policy, rule or directive.

Masks: Required at all times while inside the building, except when eating or drinking. Students are expected to wear masks while riding buses to and from school. The current plan is that students will be able to remove their masks while outside. Our mask-wearing compliance among all students this past spring was really high!

Lockers: Yes, we are going to use lockers this year. We purchased an additional set of lockers so that students will no longer have to share lockers. 6th grade will be upstairs and 7th and 8th will be on the lower level

Parents, Visitors, and Volunteers: Unfortunately, we can not have visitors inside the building except for the unique circumstances necessary to meet the needs of individual students.

Breakfast/Lunch: We will be eating breakfast and lunch in the classrooms. Students will be eating and going outside in cohorts of A or B to keep with the social distancing and contact tracing regulations. We will not be using the cafeteria as we can not maintain social distancing.

Special Events: At this time, indoor special events such as an open house, concerts, and dances are not allowed. We are hopeful that these events will be returned to normal sometime during the coming school year. We will also not be having all school or grade level assemblies for the same reasons.

Welcome to 6th Grade: This year we’d like to invite all 6th-grade families to a

Zoom meeting on Tuesday, August 31 from 6:00 - 7:00 pm. We will have a short presentation and time for questions and answers about starting middle school.

Take care,

Sue Abplanalp, Ph.D., Principal