October`s Jabber - Jefferson Middle School

Jefferson Jabber
Thomas Jefferson Middle School
October 2012
Reminders & Info:
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL,
ANNE FISCHER
I had a great time meeting and greeting
you and your families on September 19th
when our wonderful PTO hosted our All
School Picnic. Do your kids still have
the beaded necklace from our All
School Picnic? If you were not able to
attend, don’t let too much time pass by
before you find an event or activity at
Jefferson that you will attend. Family
involvement in our children’s education
is crucial, as Ron Taffel (http://
authors.simonandschuster.com/RonTaffel/45374717 ) asserts:
"As kids reach adolescence,
they need more than ever for us to
watch over them.
Adolescence is not about letting go.
It's about hanging on during a very
bumpy ride."
Taffel’s sense of humor and his encouragement for parents, teachers and caregivers of adolescents. During the exciting years that define middle school,
adults need to keep close - but not
smothering - contact with their children.
I hope you make time every day to find
out something interesting, strange, astounding, surprising, and even ordinary
that happened to your middle school
child.
We at Jefferson are REALLY enjoying
these fabulous young people you send us
each day.
I believe that by the time this news letter
reaches you, you will have already had an
opportunity to get a glimpse of your
child’s day through our Back to School
Night event. This evening gives you a
chance to really visualize and understand
where your child spends his/her day. You
should also be looking for the upcoming
Progress Reports for your child. During
enrollment, you chose to have report
cards mailed to you, or viewed on email.
If you DO NOT receive notice of the Progress Report, or if you do not receive it in
the mail, please call the main office so
that we can help you. If you and your
child need help with accessing your IC
(infinite campus) account, please contact
us as well. We can be reached at 6636403.
We are off to an exceptionally smooth
start for our students. All Jefferson staff
appreciate the partnership with parents
which will ensure that we continue to operate under such desirable conditions! I
would like to offer a special thanks to the
parents, staff and students who take the
time to contact me with concerns, and
with compliments.
Oct. 9 & 10 ~8th Grade students
to Eagle Cave
Oct. 16 ~A Principal
Experience
~8th Grade Choir &
Orchestra students
to the Madison Symphony Orchestra
8:15-11:15 am
Oct. 18 ~Picture Retakes
(for pics with flaws)
Oct. 19 ~BIG GAMES
Oct. 25-26 ~NO SCHOOL
Nov. 7 ~End of 12t Quarter
~PTO Meeting 7pm
Nov. 9 ~School Dance
(PCT Schedule)
Nov. 13 ~Orchestra Concert
@ JMM Aud 7pm
One concern raised a number of times involved bus
safety.
Please continue to check in with your children about
how this is going. Students have responded positively to your expectations, and to some school interventions. We want a safe ride for everyone, every
day.
Upcoming Challenges
pension and expulsion
The many ways that Jefferson staff and students work together to ensure a happy,
healthy, productive school climate
If you’d like to view this PowerPoint for yourself, it is
posted on the Jefferson web page at :
https://jeffersonweb.madison.k12.wi.us/files/
jefferson/code.pdf
As I have in the past, I emphasized the connection
between excellent student behavior and academic
achievement. My “Code Talks” gave me a great opportunity to reinforce what high expectations I hold
for all students, and how impressed I am with their
efforts and enthusiasm about being great citizens at
Jefferson. Your children are truly remarkable young
people!
Please make sure that you ask your student about
the blue Secondary Handbook that they brought
home to share with you.
Scripps Spelling Bee The Spelling Bee doesn’t come
around until January, but signing up in December will
give your child a chance to pick up a practice packet
and polish their skills.
This year we have some exciting challenges which will
be available to any student who would like to try their
hand at some extra-curricular learning. Some of the
activities are coming soon and some are a bit more
distant, but each will be available for Jefferson students to take part. The following is a list of such acSecondary Handbook & the Student Code and Disci- tivities coming up that may appeal to your child:
pline Plan
Mathcounts This is a competitive math team which
I have now met with every homeroom group to restudents try out for by taking a screening test. The
view the 2012-13 Handbook which outlines Rights
Mathcounts test for qualification is coming soon. Stuand Responsibilities as well as the Student Code of
dents must sign up in the LMC by October 11 in order
Conduct and Discipline Plan. This year, I created a
to take the test which will be held on Friday. October
simple PowerPoint to guide this important informa12 during period 2 (8:44). Based on the screening
tion sharing with students. I focused on:
scores, 12 to 15 students will be invited to join the
• Rights and Responsibilities
team. Practices are on Sunday evenings at Epic on To• Our message of “Everyone Responsible. Everykay Blvd.
one Achieving.”
National Geographic Geography Bee If your child has
• A review of the plan – all Levels of offenses –
a knack for geography and would like to learn more,
100, 200, 300, 400
this is an opportunity for them. Sign-ups for the Ge• Discussion of Level 300 and 400 offenses in
ography Bee are not until mid November, but keep
detail (as these can lead to suspension and
this in mind if your child would like to participate in
expulsion)
the December Geography Bee.
• Explanation of the difference between sus•
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Optimist Oratorical Contest Speech writing and performance are what this is all about. Coaches from the
Optimist Club will come to Jefferson during lunch
times to help coach students with writing speeches
and performing. This opportunity will begin at the
end of January and ending in March. We have a
proud tradition of contest winners from Jefferson.
Students will be able to see informational materials
up on bulletin boards around school announcing
when and where they can sign up for activities. If
there are further inquiries please contact the Learning
Coordinator, Julie Riebau at [email protected].
Jefferson Jabber
From the office of the social worker…
Koats for Kids
Koats for Kids offers winter outerwear for children and families with incomes at or below
125% of the Federal Poverty Level. If you would
like to sign up for this program and think you
qualify, please contact Sarah Estrella, Jefferson
School Social Worker at 608-663-6434.
If you would like to donate to Koats for Kids,
please contact the Community Action Coalition
at 608-246-4703 x200.
Thanksgiving Baskets
If you need assistance providing a Thanksgiving
meal for your family, you can register for a Thanksgiving Basket
through the Goodman Community
Center. Call 241-1574 and ask the
operator to put your call through
to voice mailbox 249. Hurry! The deadline to
register is October 15th!
Donations
Cleaning out closets? The social work office and
nurse’s office could use the following donations
(washed, please!):
• hoodie sweatshirts- any
size
• girls’ and boys’ sweatpants- any size
• boys’ gym shorts- any size
• girls’ leggings- any size
• belts for boys and girls
Thank you!
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COOKIE DOUGH FUNDRAISER
Choir and General Music
Students will be coming home
with information about the annual Cookie Dough/Magazine
Fundraiser. This event's goal is
to raise money for the music
department at Jefferson Middle School. These funds supplement the choir
and general music programs, field trips, equipment, music, and other supplies that cannot be
covered by normal funds.
Important information: The fundraiser officially kicks off Thursday, September 27, 2012.
The sale will be continuing until Monday, October 15, 2012. At that time, order forms are due
to Mr. Debbink. They will then be sent in to be
processed. The products will be delivered to the
school on Monday, November 12, 2012. This is
the time when arrangements should be made to
pick up cookie dough and magazine vouchers
after school. The cookie dough should be kept
frozen, so please do not forget!
Money should be turned in to Mr. Debbink on
the day of pick up, Monday, November 12,
2012. He will not accept money before this date.
Whether you collect the money from sales at
point of purchase or point of delivery is up to
you.
Prizes will be distributed on Thursday, December 19, 2012 during students' lunch period. Announcements will be made in school, as well as
during class. Please do not forget!
If you would like to help with the fundraiser
(or the music boosters), or have any questions,
please don't hesitate to contact Mr. Debbink at
663-7516 or [email protected] .
Jefferson Jabber
Stay connected with Jefferson events by being part of our JABBER LITE email list!
It’s simple.
It’s easy.
Just send an email to:
[email protected]
Technology News
Computer classes have spent a week working on our
Netbooks in the lecture hall, thereby receiving an introduction into the world of mobile technology. This
unit will be repeated each quarter so all student in
6th and 7th grade will have the opportunity to work
on the Netbooks.
7th Grade Happenings
In Mr. Waz's Geography Class, the students are finishing up the unit Tools of Geography and using maps to
represent a variety of information about our earth.
Later in October we going to start on Mapping the
World By Heart, which is a year long mapping project
where in the end, students will have drawn the entire
world without looking at a map. In late October, we
are also going to take a break from our usual curriculum to study the upcoming presidential election. We
will talk about everything from the candidate's
stances on issues, to campaign finance. We will also
hold a mock election to see which way Team Walking
Sticks lean politically.
Mr. Waz was also part of a “Best Dressed” competition against School Psychologist Mr. Hussien. The
point of the competition was who looked most
“stylish”. Unfortunately for Mr. Waz, Mr. Hussien won
the competition. Here are a couple pics - - YOU BE THE JUDGE!
MR. WAZ
MR. HUSSIEN
Marqueze Fowler at the Memorial Organic Garden.
Students in Ms. Struve’s 7th Grade English class visited the Memorial Organic Garden on a gorgeous fall
day to do some creative writing using their senses.
Ask your student to show you what they experienced!
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Jefferson Jabber
New to Jefferson in 2012-13 - AVID
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a college readiness program for elementary through postsecondary that is designed to increase student understanding
of rigorous school curriculum. The AVID program is in its
first year of implementation at Jefferson Middle School.
AVID is being taught by 8th grade teacher, Ms. Emily
Kintzer. AVID is a class designed to provide supports and
strategies for college-bound students. Focus is on student
responsibility and self-advocacy. So far this year we have
spent time organizing our materials using a binder system,
and practicing taking Cornell Notes and setting goals for
the upcoming year.
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In Ms. Adams 8th Grade Science Class, there are quizzes
every Thursday. Starting September 12 “Snack and Study”
will be held in room 213C. This is an opportunity for students to study from 2:40-3:00. We cover
the previous weeks content as well has
have a snack in the process. This is a great
opportunity for students to study for their
quizzes, learn studying techniques, and
HOPEFULLY get a good grade! If you would
like to donate individualized snacks to our
class it would be greatly appreciated.
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Check out Ms. Adams’ classroom website! There are
many resources from our classroom. To access this information, go to www.mrsadams8thgrade.weebly.com.
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In Ms. Adams 8th grade science class, we are constantly
working on labs. These labs use LOTS of materials.
Many of the items are found around the home. If you
would like to donate these items to our classroom they
will be greatly appreciated! We will use and reuse them
in various forms. These are some of the first quarter
items that we need!
-Spiral notebooks (even old ones)
-Mouse Traps (new)
-ANY plastic containers that could be recycled for a
wide variety of uses in our classroom
-Two-Liter bottles (rinsed and with the lid)
-Potting Soil
-Pea Gravel
-Purple Kool-Aid packets
-Limestone rock
-Old Jeans
-Old tennis shoes
-Knit mittens
-Shoe boxes
-Rubber gloves
-String of all kinds
-plastic bags (all sizes)
-tin foil
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“I’m Just Going to Skip Reading Tonight”
Let’s face it…were ALL busy! It is difficult to “fit in” all that
needs to be done in a day. We are often faced with having to
make choices about what stays and what goes in our schedules.
As an eighth grade team we are asking our students to read 100
minutes a week or 20 minutes a night.
So, why is it so critical to include 20 minutes of reading in your
daily schedule?
Lets figure it out - - mathematically.
Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week;
Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!
Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.
Student A reads 20 min. x 5 times a
week = 100 minutes
Student B reads 4 minutes x 5
times a week = 20 minutes
Step 2: Multiply minutes a week x 4
weeks each month.
Student A reads 400 minutes a month.
Student B reads 80 minutes a month.
Step 3: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months/school
year
Student A reads 3600 min. in a school year.
Student B reads 720 min. in a school year.
Student A practices reading the equivalent of TEN
whole school days a year.
Student B gets the equivalent of only TWO school days
of reading practice.
If this started in 1st grade, by the end of 8th grade if
Student A and Student B maintained these same reading habits, Student A will have read the equivalent of 80
whole school days. Student B will have read the equivalent of only 16 school days.
The amount of free reading done outside of school has consistently been found to relate to growth in vocabulary, reading comprehension, verbal fluency, and general information (Anderson,
Wilson, and Fielding 1988; Greaney 1980; Guthrie and Greaney
1991; Taylor, Frye, and Maruyama 1990). Students who read
independently become better readers, score higher on achievement tests in all subject areas, and have greater content knowledge than those who do not (Krashen 1993; Cunningham and
Stanovich 1991; Stanovich and Cunningham 1993).
Source: Cullinan, Bernice. "Independent Reading and School
Achievement." American Association of School Librarians. U.S.
Department of Education, 2000.
Jefferson Jabber
Attention 8th Grade Families:
The eighth grade staff is planning to take the
students on a field trip to Eagle Cave near Blue River on
the way to Richland Center. We have found this to be a
very positive, confidence building experience. It is important for all students to attend. We would also like to
include parents; in fact the trips will not be possible
without parent participation. (There is no cost to participating parents and parents can help chaperon a trip
of their than their child’s trip.)
This can be a messy field trip; plan on dirty
clothes (we have extras if you don’t – let us know.)
They cave is muddy in places. Check the back of this
sheet for helpful hints and what to bring/have on that
day.
Students will go to the cave by academic homeroom groups. Students in Mr. Jensen’s, Mrs. Bush’s and
Mrs. Tormey’s (French) room will be divided. The trip
dates and times are as follows:
WHAT TO BRING TO EAGLE CAVE:
REQUIRED~Clothing – old warm
clothes because
they can get really
dirty.
~Boots/ old tennis
shoes
~Food – Bag lunch
and drink
~Flashlight – with
new batteries
~Large garbage bag
~A set of after-cave clothes
(especially dry socks)
~Money for ice cream at Culver’s for
our stop on the way back
DATE
TIME
HOMEROOM
October 9
7:45am - 2:40pm
Mullen
9:40am - 4:45pm
Kintzer
7:45am - 2:40pm
Ball
OPTIONAL-
9:40am - 4:45pm
Adams
(but highly recommended for an exceptional trip!)
October 10
If students are on the 7:45 am - 2:40 pm trip,
they will come to and return from school in the usual
manner. They need to report to the bus for the cave
immediately when they arrive at Jefferson.
If students are on the 9:40 am - 4:45 pm trip,
they will come to school at the usual time. They will
report to the cafeteria after their second hour class. On
return from the cave, the bus will stop at TJMS and then
proceed to the Allied Drive Community Center to drop
off student who live near there. Students will need to
make prior arrangements for transportation home from
Jefferson since the regular school bus runs will not be
available.
The cost of the trip is $25.00; free/reduced
lunch students pay $10.00. Checks should be make
payable to Jefferson Middle School or TJMS. Please use
the Helpful hints List to ensure your child is prepared
for the day.
Students receiving free/reduced lunch, or who
currently have money in their MMSD lunch account,
may request a sack lunch through the MMSD food service. Please provide the necessary information on the
permission slip.
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~Gloves (which can get muddy)
~Knee pads
~Additional water
~Certified bike helmet
*Extra shoes and clothes are available
upon request*
Eagle Cave is located north of HWY 60, near
Blue River. In an emergency, please call the
TJMS office at 663-6404, they will relay the
message to a staff member.
Jefferson Jabber
What’s up in pe4life?
We’ve been keeping active with some partner
fitness stations, running/walking on Mondays,
Ultimate Frisbee and Disc Golf. We have disc’s
available for students/families to check out if
they want to try the free disc golf course at
Elver!
We are thankful for donations of various size
tires which allowed students to experience how
to get fit using tires! We flipped, rolled, jumped
on and had relay races with them!
Crazy Cool Fitness!
Curling
What is it? Curling is a sport in which players slide
stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area.
There are two teams that take turns sliding heavy,
polished granite stones, ("rocks"), across the ice towards the circular target marked on the ice. Both
teams have eight stones. The purpose is to obtain the
highest score at the end – after each team has thrown
all of their stones.
What do I need to start? Nothing (at Madison Curling
Club).
What does it cost? Suggested donation of $5 for the
open house on Thursday October 18th 6-9pm and
Monday October 22nd 6-9pm
Who should I contact?
Madison Curling Club
608.838.5875
[email protected]
madisoncurlingclub.com
Each month Crazy Cool Fitness will feature a unique
type of fitness activity that students (and adults) can
get involved in!
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Help Jefferson raise money while you save money!
Reminders for 7th grade students: Monday’s
you don’t have PE class – you need to do 20
minutes of walking/running at home or during
lunch! Bring in a signed sheet to get credit!
Jefferson is part of The Community Change program
which partners with local merchants to market their
gift cards to Madisonians at a huge savings. You purchase these offers on The Community Change website, and select Thomas Jefferson Middle School as
the charity to receive the donation!
Deals as low as $5 included at…
Needs & Wants: If you have extra/old fitness
equipment (hula hoops, weights, mats, medicine
balls, etc.) you would like to donate – or to make
a donation to the program, please contact Mary
Kok at [email protected] or 663-6458.
Stay healthy!!!
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and MANY MANY more!
Be sure to pass along this website
(www.thecommunitychange.com) and let people know
to select Thomas Jefferson Middle School for the
charity to donate to!
Jefferson Jabber
News and Notes from the Library
Displays: Approximately once a month, new displays are created to showcase different genres or
themes of books. Currently, Horror books are displayed under the ghosts in the North entrance. Author Rick Riordan has popularized mythology books
which are displayed near
the South entrance. Soon
8th graders go on their caving trip to Eagle Cave, so a
display of books about
caves and caving was created. Under the kites by the
front desk are books on kites and paper airplanes.
“Display” means look at me, pick me up and take me
home! In this way we try to introduce your student
to many different varieties of books.
Magazines: In addition to books, we encourage our
students to check out the many popular interest
magazines to which the Library subscribes. Due to
the demise of the print edition of our most popular
magazine ever, Shonen Jump, we have ordered two
new magazines to take its place, Game Informer and
Justice League. Two other magazines new to our collection are J-14 and Jet. Other favorites include BMX
Plus and Motor Trend, which tend to be popular with
our male students; and Discovery Girls, Girls Life, and
Justine, which tend to be of most interest to our female students. The Library also has three sportsrelated magazines, Sports Illustrated, Transworld
Skateboarding, and Transworld Snowboarding, along
with two popular culture magazines, People and Rolling Stone. Most magazines are relatively fast and fun
reading. Encourage your student to come and check
one out.
Playaways: Does your middle schooler hate to
read? Are you planning a trip? Try enticing him or
her to new reading experiences with
audio books! The Library has a selection of books on CD and the newest
form of audio books, the "Playaway."
Playaways look like MP3 players and are
easily kept in your pocket or hand.
You can bookmark your favorite section, adjust the
speed of the narrator's voice, and remember where
you stopped. Some of the new ones in the Library
include Eldest ("Inheritance" #2) by Christopher
Paolini, Middle School, the Worst Years of my Life by
James Patterson, several by Rick Riordan ( The Son of
Neptune, The Throne of Fire, The Titan's Curse, and
The Battle of the Labyrinth), What my Mother Doesn't
Know By Sonya Sones, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin
Fever by Jeff Kinney, and Lockdown: Escape from Furnace by Alexander Smith. A display of new arrivals is
located on top of the reference shelves in the middle
of the library.
Research Resources: We all Google, but googling can
yield an overwhelming number of hits, be saturated
with advertisements, and yield a large number of inappropriate and inaccurate sites. When your student
is doing research and wants or needs to use web sites,
encourage the use of pre-selected web sites. Preselected web sites have been vetted by professionals
in the field who evaluate them for their usefulness,
accuracy and reliability. There are three excellent
sources where you can find these evaluated web sites.
The first is "Webpath Express" which is accessed
through the library catalog (http://
destiny.madison.k12.wi.us > Jefferson). Choose the
catalog tab from the upper left. On the left side of
the next screen, click on Webpath Express. Key in
your topic, such as a person's name, a country, or any
number of topics that your student might be researching. You might have to adjust how specific or
how broad the search terms are in order to narrow or
expand the results list.
The second source is Britannica Online. Go to the
home page of the library catalog. From the list of databases and resources choose Britannica Online
(login/password: madmetro). Search on your topic.
On the right side of the results screen, under
"Additional Content," you may access web sites as
well as magazine and journal articles.
The third excellent source for evaluated web sites
is IPL2 (Internet Public Library http://ipl.org/). Here
you can key in your topic or choose from a wide variety of categories.
Eileen McGlynn and Jean Penshorn, Library Staff
Page 8
Jefferson Jabber
BAND NEWS
MADISON ALL-CITY HONOR BAND
6 GRADE BAND STUDENTS ARE
NOW PLAYING INSTRUMENTS!
MACHB for 7th and 8th grade band students that meets
on Tuesday evenings is also underway for the first
semester, with their first rehearsal occurring on September 25th at East High School. This semester’s
honor band participants from Jefferson include:
th
A reminder to all parents of 6th
grade band students- Your kids are
now in the process of learning how
to make proper sounds on their mouthpieces, and
learning how to play their full instrument. Please be
patient with these interesting new sounds and encourage them to practice 5-6 days a week for 10-15
minutes at a time, as required by our grading policy.
Also, your band students may need helpful reminders to take good care of their instruments, to bring
their instruments to school and back home, and
some students may even need help with transportation from you. We appreciate your understanding
and support of your young musicians as they continue to grow- you’ll be amazed with what they’ll accomplish by their first concert in December!
TAKING PRIVATE LESSONS GIVES BAND STUDENTS A GREAT ADVANTAGE
Band students who take private lessons gain not only
advanced playing skills but also self-confidence in
their performance. You can increase the enjoyment
of playing for your child by arranging for some lessons. This extra individual attention can be especially
helpful for beginning 6th grade students. Please see
me for a list of reputable teachers in our area on
each individual instrument.
JAZZ BAND IS NOW UNDERWAY!
Jazz Band meets every Wednesday right after school
until around 3:30 p.m. This group is
for 7th and 8th grade students. If your
student is a 6th grader who is interested, please have them see Mr.
Nichols to talk about the level of
music for this group to determine if
participation would be appropriate their first year.
The first Jazz Band concert will be on Dec. 5th, 2011,
in conjunction with the 7-8th grade bands’ first concert.
Page 9
Anirudh Desikan, Tenor Sax
Bella Greenleaf, Bassoon
Stay tuned for their fall concert, which will be at LaFollette High School on Thursday, Nov. 15th, at 7:30
p.m. Interested students will also be given a chance to
join up for the spring semester (located on the west
side at Hamilton MS/West High) in January. Please see
Mr. Nichols for an application.
POSSIBLE INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE IN OUR COMMUNITY:
Families are frequently looking for good quality used
instruments to purchase for their children. If you
have an instrument to sell, please let me know and I
can pass on your information on to interested students. Thanks!
THIS YEAR’S CONCERT SCHEDULE FOR
BAND:
All concerts are at 7:00p.m. in the Jefferson
Gym unless otherwise specified.
Dec. 5th – 7-8th Grade Bands and Jazz Band
Dec. 12th - 6th Grade Band and Chorus
Mar. 6th – 6-7th Grade Bands and Jazz Band
May 29th – 6th Grade Band and Chorus
June 5th – 7-8th Grade Bands and Jazz Band
Jefferson Jabber
PBIS – Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports
What is PBIS?
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PBIS is a research-based school-wide approach for
creating an inclusive community in which all students
can learn.
Behavioral expectations are taught and are consistent in
all settings within the school.
Focus on modeling, practicing, and reinforcing
positive behavior.
Direct skill instruction encourages developmentally
appropriate social and emotional learning.
Practices emphasize cultural relevancy.
How does PBIS work?
Tertiary Practices: Individual interventions that reduce intensity and complexity of problem behaviors.
Secondary Practices: Targeted interventions to support students not responding to universal practices.
Primary/Universal: Practices to enhance school climate, teach social and emotional skills, and maintain
clear behavioral guidelines school-wide.
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Jefferson Jabber
Goals of PBIS
-All staff members interact with students using same behavioral
guidelines and vocabulary.
-Increased instructional time and academic achievement
-Increase social and emotional capacities among students
-Improved school safety
-Decreased discipline issues
PBIS at Jefferson Middle School
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PBIS Coach, Scott Mueller: Works directly in classrooms with
students; Meets with teams, parents, groups of kids; Leads the
work of PBIS (information, coaching, professional development,
data review).
CORE Practices are connected to Developmental Designs approach to teaching adolescents: Morning Meeting; TAB-in (Take
a Break In the room); TAB-out and back (Buddy Room), and TAB
-Out (Take a Break Out of the room).
Balance Code of Conduct Talks with Jaguar pride information
and Rights and Responsibilities of being part of a community.
The PBIS Team: A group of 15 Jefferson staff who examine and
disaggregate behavior data
° determine needs based on data
° lead interventions/lessons (Morning Meeting CPR Lessons) to be taught school wide
° have the responsibility of carrying the PBIS work/
discussions to the rest of the school community
Jaguar Pride Tickets – based on specific lessons (to class on
time; respectful peer interactions, appropriate hallway behavior, etc.). Can be used for monthly drawings or can be used to
purchase items at the school store.
Jefferson Jabber
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School store – Open every Thursday during lunch. Students
work in the store. Students may purchase school supplies and
healthy snacks or turn in Jaguar Pride Tickets for novelty
items.
•
Jaguar Pride Drawing – Usually occurs on the last Friday of the
month. Students put Jaguar Pride Tickets in grade level buckets for the monthly drawing. Students are acknowledged by
winning gift cards, jaguar pride wear, free bowling from
Schwoegler’s, free Laser Tag from Ultrazone, and many other
types of prizes.
Big Games - is a school wide inclusive activity that provides an opportunity for
competition between students and staff,
helping build connections through fun.
“Big Games” will occur Friday, October 19th.
We will again have Big Games in the Spring.
Games included: Playing or Watching Basketball, Playing
or Watching Soccer, Playing or
Watching Kickball, Playing Ping
Pong, Playing Board Games, and
Frisbee Golf.
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PBIS Calendar
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Friday, October 19th - Big Games (PCT schedule) - Oct 24th rain date
Tuesday, October 30th - Morning Meeting CPR Lesson
Wednesday, October 31st - Monthly Jaguar Pride Drawing
Tuesday, November 6th - Morning Meeting CPR Lesson
Friday, November 9th - School Dance (PCT schedule)
Tuesday, November 27th - Morning Meeting CPR Lesson
Friday, November 30th - Monthly Jaguar Pride Drawing
Tuesday, December 11th - Morning Meeting CPR Lesson
Friday, December 21st - Monthly Jaguar Pride Drawing
Jefferson Jabber
**Attention Problem Solvers**
Coming in October
Screening Test for
Jefferson Middle School’s
2012-13 Mathcounts team
Screening Test Details
Friday, October 12th
Jefferson Middle School
Lecture Hall
Period 2 - 8:44 AM
To sign up please contact Mrs.Riebau
Learning Coordinator at Jefferson Middle School
Based on the screening scores only 12 to 15 students
will be invited to the Mathcounts Fall practice sessions
Mathcounts practice will be held at
Epic 5301 Tokay Blvd Madison
on Sundays from 5:00 to 7:30 PM starting November
through the State Competition in March/April
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Jefferson Jabber
Schools of Hope – Tutoring Program
Partnership of the Urban League of Greater Madison, Centro Hispano of Dane County and the United Way
We have eighteen volunteers coming in to Jefferson each week to work with some of our students; but there are still more youth who are hoping for tutors! The need continues to rise
and some students are behind on their homework already or struggling to understand some of
the information they are learning every day.
Our tutors from the University of Wisconsin and Edgewood College are enthusiastic and here
to help Jefferson students get homework done, work on reading and to be good role models for
our students. We have tutors who are students in the schools of Education, Veterinary Sciences, Economics, Psychology, Mathematics, and several Master’s programs as well. We enjoy
having their energy and enthusiasm for working with middle school students!
Six of our current tutors are not college students. They are parents, professionals, recent
graduates and retirees who want to give back to their community through helping youth succeed in school. We love having community members come and tutor, since they have a more
stable schedule and a breadth of experience to pull from when working with students.
If you are interested in volunteering as a tutor here at Jefferson (or at another middle or
high school in Madison) we can help! Please call the Schools of Hope Tutor Coordinator at Jefferson, Layne Hammond-Champion at 663-6427.
MSCR Youth Resource Center – After School Program
Madison School and Community Recreation, Centro Hispano and Lussier Community Education Center
There will be NO After School programming on:
NOVEMBER 19th, 20th, and 21st (the week of Thanksgiving)
Due to budget cuts for MSCR, we have been instructed to reduce the number of days
we offer programming. This has led to fewer days we are able to run after school programs at every middle school in Madison. We will have program throughout December - Monday-Thursday until December 20th .
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Jefferson Jabber
MONDAY PROGRAMMING
Our early release programming happens on the days when teachers have Professional Collaboration Time (PCT).
Our program runs from 1:45-4:00pm on these days:
October 1, 8, 15, 29
November 5, 26
December 3, 10, 17
January 7, 14
February 6, 13, 27
March 4, 11, 18
April 8, 15, 22, 29
May 6, 13, 20
When there is not early release on a Monday when school is in session, we offer our regular
programming from 2:45-5:00pm.
CLUBS
Anime Club
Every Thursday students gather in room 206B from 2:40-3:30pm to discuss and watch
some amazing Japanese animation together. Ms. Hinahara gets to learn a little from
the students who are passionate about this art form, as she supervises the club each
week.
Chess Club
The Jefferson Chess Club meets every Thursday from 2:40-3:30 in the library with Ms.
Shahrani. Students of all levels come together to play and learn. The club is always
open to new participants!
Cooking Club
This is one of our most popular clubs at Jefferson. Every Monday, from 1:45-4:00pm,
students work together in the Family and Consumer Science Room 110 to prepare
yummy meals and eat together.
If you have abundance from your garden that you’d like have used by our students,
please feel free to donate it to our cooking club. We will happily take any food or
monetary donations to help offset the cost for this club.
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Jefferson Jabber
Dance and Drill Team
We have a wonderful Dance and Drill Team instructor, DeVonna Jackson. She is a Jefferson alumnus who is a freshman in college. The team is preparing routines to try out
for the Jefferson Talent Show later this year and for the annual MSCR Arts Festival
which will happen this spring.
The club will be meeting every Tuesday for boys and Thursday for girls from 3:305:00pm in the Chorus Room. Students who are interested are encouraged to stay after
school to participate. If you have any questions, please contact Layne HammondChampion the MSCR Coordinator at Jefferson (608) 663-6427.
Scrabble Club
Anyone with a love of words is welcome to join our new after school Scrabble Club with
Ms. Tormey in the library after school every Tuesday from 2:45-3:30pm. They will be
using traditional boards and computers to play.
Ski Club
Ski club will be starting in December. We will have registration forms available for the
club at the end of November during all lunches. Students who join the club will then be
able to sign up for each individual trip the Thursday and Friday the week before the
trip is scheduled to happen. More information will be available in the next Jabber!
VOLUNTEER CLUB LEADERS and SUPPLIES NEEDED!
If you have any interest in leading a club or know someone else who would, please contact Layne in the MSCR office at 663-6427.
There are students interested in Jewelry Making, Zumba, Dungeons and Dragons, Knitting, Legos, Journalism and Movie Making. If you have any beads, games, knitting or crochet needles, Lego sets, old cameras, food or other equipment you would like to donate
please drop them off in the office and make a note that it is for MSCR.
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Jefferson Jabber
SPORTS
NEW: All student athletes will be required to turn in the MSCR Middle School
Student Athlete Eligibility Form every Friday, signed by their teachers, during
each sports season. Every student must have all of their assignments in their
classes completed to participate in after school sports.
THERE ARE NO SPORTS PRACTICES ON MONDAYS OR FRIDAYS.
8th Grade Boys Basketball
8th Grade Boys basketball will be starting practices on October 30th. They will practice
on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:45-5:00pm. Their games will be on Wednesdays
starting on November 7th. The full schedule will be released once all teams have met
and started practices. The team is being coached by Ben Serwe and Raheem Whitfield.
There will be a final tournament on Saturday, December 8th at the LaFollette Field
House.
7th Grade Boys Basketball
Practices are starting on October 30th from 2:45-5:00pm. The 7th grade team will be
practicing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Games will be on Thursdays starting November 8th. The game schedule will be released once all teams have been formed and
started practices. The coaches for this team are David Freeman and Carson Nyquist.
WINTER SPORTS
Co-Ed Wrestling for 6th, 7th and 8th Grade will begin the week of January 7th.
The team will be practicing with Toki students at Memorial High School in the same
gym with the high school team two days a week (TBA). Matches will be held against
other middle school teams throughout Madison. The coaches are Mike Allen and
Raheem Whitfield.
7th and 8th Girls Basketball will start practicing on January 8th.
Games for the 8th grade team will be on Wednesdays and the 7th graders will have their
games on Thursdays, beginning the week of January 21st. Both teams will practice together on Tuesdays.
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Jefferson Jabber
SPRING SPORTS
Co-ed Soccer
Soccer will start the week of April 8th (weather permitting). They will have
games on Wednesdays starting April 24th. 7th and 8th grade students only.
Co-ed Softball
Softball will start the week of April 8th (weather permitting). They will have
games on Thursdays starting April 25th. 7th and 8th grade students only.
Co-ed Tennis
Tennis will be offered for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students starting the week of
April 8th. We usually have two teams for Jefferson. Each team will practice one
day a week and have matches on Wednesdays, starting April 24th.
Track will be covered in gym class, with the qualifying eighth grade students
competing in the West Side and/or All City Track meets in May.
All students participating in After School Sports will be
required to attend and participate in all practices and
games, unless absent from school or excused by the
coaches.
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Jefferson Jabber
Thomas Jefferson Middle School
101 S. Gammon Road
Madison, WI 53717
Main Office: 663-6403
Safe Arrival Line: 663-6415
Fax: 442-2193
Thomas Jefferson Middle School was
originally named Memorial Junior High.
It was built in 1969 with the open classroom concept. Since then, the school has
changed some, but the program of the
school remains the same:
As Principal Richard Meister puts it:
“This is a child-centered-program rather
than a subject-oriented approach.”
Principal Richard Meister was the first
principal of Thomas Jefferson Middle
School.
REMINDERS FROM THE MAIN OFFICE:
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE call the SAFE
ARRIVAL LINE at 663-6415 to report
student absences. You can call 24
hours a day to leave a message.
Thank you for your cooperation!
If your student needs to leave during the
school day for ANY reason:
Please help us avoid unnecessary office and
classroom interruptions by sending a note to
school with your child excusing them for any appointments that occur during the school day.
Your child should bring the note to the office
before school starts for an excused pass.