Family Update - May 9, 2021

BELL SCHEDULE FOR MAY 10 - MAY 14

A/B & PERIOD ROTATION FOR ALL IN LEARNING - Click HERE to access our updated calendar.  Thanks for your patience waiting for this!

8th GRADE IPAD SWAP DATES & PROCEDURES - Location is in the Learning Center

Monday, May 10: Jones MS Staff and 8th Grade 2:00-3:20 during Flex

Thursday, May 13, Jones MS  Staff and 8th Grade 2:00-3:20 during Flex

Please take the following steps to prepare before the end of April to avoid losing important data. 1. Check your iCloud Settings, 2. Back Up Notability and Other Files.  

Students should access this flyer for information to guide them through steps needed to ensure files are backed up.

ONLINE ACADEMY SECTION

8th Grade iPad Swap Dates for Online Academy Students - Learning Center.

Monday, May 10: Reserving morning hours 8-11 am  for just Online Academy Students Thursday, May 13: Reserving morning hours 8-11 am  for just Online Academy Students

 *Online Academy students can report to the main office in the front of the building. 

Please take the following steps to prepare before the end of April to avoid losing important data. 1. Check your iCloud Settings, 2. Back Up Notability and Other Files.  

Students should access this flyer for information to guide them through steps needed to ensure files are backed up.

ALL EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS

MAY IMPORTANT DATES

May 10 - 8th Grade Class Photo, Flex

May 14 - Spring Dance Club, All Grades (see below)

May 21 - 6th & 7th Grade Orchestra Concerts, UAHS Auditorium, 6pm (immediate family only)

May 21 - 8th Grade Orchestra Concert, UAHS Auditorium, 7:30pm (immediate family only)

May 27 - Last Day for Students

May 27 - Early Dismissal, 1:30pm

May 27 - 8th Grade Parade on Coventry Road, 3:15pm

TALENT SHOW 2020-2021 - For this year's Talent Show, Jones students had the opportunity to perform on stage in front of a live audience or record a virtual act. Congratulations to all of the live and virtual performers! Also, a big shout out to the Jones Tech and Stage Crew who played a large role in producing this year's show! Reminder to all students and families who did not participate in the show that you do not have permission to capture, record, or share any of the JMS talent show acts.  

 We now present the Jones Middle School Talent Show 2021. Enjoy the show! 

 Click here to view the talent show.

Julia Gomez & Chris Lape, co-directors

LATE ARRIVALS - We have noticed an increase in students getting to school well after the tardy bell at 8:10am. The city of UA has been able to open up the second lane on Coventry near the pool to assist us with the flow of traffic.  We encourage families to continue pulling all the way forward before letting your child out of the vehicle safely to assist us with the flow.  We also encourage you to leave a few minutes early to account for the expected delays.  

APPROPRIATE SCHOOL ATTIRE - As we move into warmer weather on a consistent basis we ask for your support in ensuring that students are wearing clothing that is appropriate for school.  We appreciate our families support as we move closer to the end of the school year!

SUSTAINABILITY CLUB - Sustainability club will meet next Wednesday after school to do a Spring planting.  Bring a small shovel and meet in 306 ater school.  See Mrs. Mendoza or Gomez for details ([email protected], [email protected]).

Thank you!

VOLLEYBALL OPEN GYMS & TRYOUT DATES - Attention current 6th and 7th graders girls interested in playing volleyball in the Fall. Open gyms will be held;

Dates:

Jones Volleyball Open Gyms 

July 6 - At JONES 4:00pm-5:30pm

July 14 - At JONES 9:00am-10:30am

July 20 - At JONES 4:00pm-5:30pm

July 27 - At JONES 9:00am-10:30am

July 29 – AT JONES 9:00am-10:30am

Tryouts will be held  August 2nd, 3rd, 4th from 8:00 am to 9:30 am in the Jones Middle School Gymnasium. A 3-day tryout is required.

JONES SPRING PRODUCTION INFO & TICKETS - Do you want to build a snowman?  Jones Fall Pro announces a special spring production of FROZEN Kids.  This year we will be selling family tickets for $10 enabling families to stream the show directly to their own device at showtimes:

Friday, May 21 at 7pm

Saturday, May 22 at 7pm

Sunday, May 23 at 4pm

For more information and to purchase your link to watch, go to Jonespto.com. Ticket sales begin Monday, May 3.

FRIDAY, MAY 14, SPRING DANCE CLUB: Thanks to a generous donation from the Andy Tice Memorial Fund through the Upper Arlington Education Foundation and planning/support from our PTO, we have arranged for all grade levels to participate safely and physically distanced in an activity in our football stadium led by Ron Clark. Ron has worked with Upper Arlington Schools for 40 years offering Dance Club to our students and has modified his approach to provide safety features in alignment with our Covid protocols. We have also secured the 32 Below Novelty Ice Cream Truck for our students to enjoy a treat during this time.  A rain date has been scheduled for Friday, May 21 and we will follow the schedule below.  Online Academy students are invited to attend.  

• 6th Grade Report to the Stadium for Dance and Ice Cream Truck - 12:30pm-1:15pm
• 7th Grade Report to the Stadium for Dance and Ice Cream Truck - 1:30pm-2:15pm
• 8th Grade Report to the Stadium for Dance and Ice Cream Truck - 2:30pm-3:15pm (8th grade will dismiss from the stadium)

WEEK OF MAY 17 - HONOR ROLL/SCHOLAR ATHLETES EMAIL RECOGNITION: Similar to last year, families of students who meet the requirement for honor roll or scholar athletes for the 2020-21 school year will receive an email indicating this honor along with  a certificate. We are happy to print this certificate for your family if you like and you can email Melissa Thien ([email protected]) to request a printed copy once this email has been received.

7th & 8th GRADERS TAKING OHYES SURVEY - Upper Arlington Schools is committed to the safety and well-being of our students, and we are working hard to better understand youth behaviors that both protect their health and put their health at risk.  As part of this effort, we are asking students in grades 7 through 12 to participate in an anonymous survey called the Ohio Healthy Youth Environments Survey (OHYES).  The OHYES survey is a collaborative effort by the Ohio Departments of Education, Health, and Mental Health and Addiction Services and numerous other programs advocating for youth. You may review the survey questions here. All responses will be completely anonymous. Jones students will take the survey on Tuesday, May 18 (7th grade) and Wednesday, May 19 (8th grade). 

Please see this attached file for more information about the OHYES survey. If you would like to opt your child out of taking the survey, please complete the form on the final page of that attachment and return it to your school no later than May 7, 2021.

FUTURE UAHS GIRLS SOCCER PLAYERS - Annual Middle School Camp (girls entering grades 6-8) will be at Tremont Turf Field from 4:30-6:15pm June 14-17. Please fill out the registration form at the UAGS website for more information HERE. Deadline to register is May 14, 2021.

SYNTERO SUMMER GROUPS - Syntero will be running virtual summer groups again this year. Please view the attached flyer to learn more about the offerings for middle school students. The sign-up link will go live on May 10th at 12:00p.m. 

WITHDRAWING STUDENTS & SENIORS -  Families with confirmed plans on moving or withdrawing from UACS must turn in their iPad’s and/or laptops on the last day of school to their homeroom teacher or the media specialist.  Families who move or withdraw over the summer months must return the district owned iPad to The Graf Center and can make arrangements by emailing [email protected]. Failure to return the iPad will result in a $310 fee and a transcript hold until the device is returned or the fee is paid. Additionally the iPad will be remotely locked and unusable. Use Google TakeOut to Move Your School Files to Another Account Before the Last Day of School - Please Watch This Video on how to use Google TakeOut for Schools and follow the directions BEFORE your last day of school.  If you have used your school email address to sign up for memberships or accounts to different sites, make sure you change those accounts because you will lose access to your school email at the end of June.

SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY DEVICES MUST REMAIN IN THE COUNTRY - This is a reminder that district-owned devices - laptops and iPads - are not permitted outside the country.  If you are planning on traveling outside of the country the device should be left at home or school in a secure location.  Since our devices are proxied and we do not allow access to our network from devices that reside outside of the United States, your device would most likely not be able to connect to content anyway.

ATTENTION 6TH GRADE PARENTS - Beat the August rush to the pediatrician’s office and schedule your child’s well check-up today! Students entering 7th grade this August are required to have the booster shot called Tdap. Don’t confuse this with the series your child got when they were under 5 years old! This booster vaccine is for preteens and teens. Students entering 7th grade this August are also required to get a meningococcal shot. See attachments for both shots at the end of this update for more information. Send your child’s immunization record to the school nurse at [email protected]

PRE-PLANNED ABSENCES - If your child is quarantining due to Covid concerns, and not if a person in your family has been exposed, please complete this Planned Absence form so we are aware of their return date.  

BUS GUESTS RIDERSHIP IS SUSPENDED - Due to COVID guidelines and contact tracing, our Transportation Department is suspending guest ridership on buses for the remainder of the year. Though this is something we totally support, student safety is our priority. Some buses are at capacity and seats are assigned. Please reach out to Don Williams ([email protected]) with questions. 

JMS YEARBOOK - Place your orders online for a 2020-21 Jones Yearbook. Please go to www.jostensyearbooks.com. Yearbooks can be purchased anytime between now and May 2021.  

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES - The Educational Service Center of Central Ohio has put together a resource directory of summer camp and summer school opportunities for students with disabilities for this upcoming summer.  

FLYER CONNECTION -  Be sure to visit the Flyer Connection to keep up with programs and opportunities available to Upper Arlington students and families! 

VIRTUAL WELLNESS GROUPS - Syntero is excited to announce a third round of the Virtual Student Wellness Groups! These groups will focus on helping students build skills to navigate difficulties many of us are experiencing during this time. Groups begin the week of April 5, and will be offered once a week for approximately 6 weeks ending the week of May 10. There will be separate groups for students who have returned to school, and students who are online-only (all groups will be virtual). The groups are scheduled as follows:

Middle School:

• 6-8 After School Virtual: Wednesdays at 4:00-4:30pm
• 6-8 Online Learners Only: Wednesdays at 12:00-12:30pm            
• The link to register is:   (opens March 23rd at 8:00 am): https://forms.gle/yqYEYBRZJBu5puBr5 .  Please see the attached flyer for more information.

SUMMER MATH ACADEMY - Summer Math Camp is being offered by UA Schools Summer Academy. Please press here for more information.

CLINIC NEWS - If you are looking for information on our middle school Health Services, please visit the Jones Health Services webpage by clicking and bookmarking the site here!

You will find valuable information about immunization requirements and medication forms.  For the most up to date information, click on the current newsletter!

Stay healthy! Jane Mead, School Nurse

COVID-19 TRAVEL ADVISORIES  - Please be aware of the following guidance if you are planning to travel outside of the state of Ohio or the country.

• If you are leaving the state of Ohio and traveling within the United States, please check to see if your destination is on Ohio's COVID-19 Travel Advisory list. It is advised that anyone entering Ohio from a state with a high incidence of COVID-19 quarantine for 14 days from the time they left that state. The list of states is updated every Wednesday. Please note that if the state you have traveled to is added to the list while you are there, it is advised that your student quarantine for 14 days before returning to school. 
• If you are planning to travel outside the country, please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for recommendations by country. 

SPEAK UP - SAFETY REPORTING LINK - Click HERE

FOLLOW JONES MIDDLE SCHOOL ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY!!!

Instagram – @jones_middle

Twitter - @jmsbears

                 @jonesfine

JMS PTO

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES - The PTO is looking for volunteers for the 2021-2022 school year! Please review the form attached below if you are interested in getting involved! There are so many opportunities for ways to get involved with varying levels of involvement including many with very minimal or flexible time commitments! Please reach out to Ali Petty at [email protected] or 513 227 7650 if you have any questions at all. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxypbYL2oLiI_ptwDbC36N9VfqTFulH0BVOP4x9VL7-bLHoQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

STUDENT DIRECTORY - Last year, Jones, Barrington and Tremont moved to Membership Toolkit for the online student directory. Many of you already have an account, but may need to make updates (address changes, etc.).  If you are new to the district and do not have an account it is easy to set-up! 

Go to https://jonesmspto.membershiptoolkit.com

• Click on the Register/Login button.
• If you are creating a new account for the first time, select “Create Account” and fill in the name, email and password information.
• Click “Verify My Email” and then check your email for a link to complete the process. The link expires in two hours. If you have not received the email, check your spam or junk folders.
• Once you have verified your email address, log back in and finish the registration process. Once you are logged in, you can review your family’s account page:
• Complete the Parent/Family and Student Information.
• Complete the Directory/Publish Preferences.

We will use this information for the printed directory as well, so please make any updates before February 5th. 

PTO MEMBERSHIP - It’s not too late to join PTO! We will take membership sign-ups through February 5th.   You can sign-up today for your family membership here: https://jonespto.com/family-membership-jones-pto-2020-2021/ to support student enrichment year-round!  Can’t remember if you have already signed up? Check your e-mail for a confirmation from Jones Middle School PTO / Subject: Jones PTO Family Membership. If you have any additional questions about membership, please contact Erin Smith: [email protected].  

Family Connect Program:  We are here to help connect new families who could use help navigating all the things related to school and community (such as academics, sports, clubs, PTO, extracurriculars, community traditions and celebrations, etc.) to those families who have more experience. Our end goal with this program is to promote hospitality and friendship. If you are new to the school and interested in being connected to a Host Family, please click here:

https://forms.gle/Hn6UovsaV3C5W7q37

If you are interested in learning more about being a Host Family, please click here:

https://forms.gle/dNnqMiQ16snrWefH7

If you have any questions at all please contact Elaine Alicea ([email protected]) or Lisa Wang ([email protected])