Author: Mr. Jenson

It’s nearly the end of first quarter. Make sure you’ve checked Skyward and there are no surprises. As a reminder, we have no school all next week. We’ll come back on October 30th to start 2nd Quarter. See below for our Halloween dress guidelines.

We also want to kick off Fall Break right, so we’re celebrating our first-ever CROCtober. Wear your Crocs on Friday, October 20th and we’ll give away some Croc bluetooth speaker jibbitz during lunches on Thursday so that the winners can sport them on Friday.

Finding Nemo Jr., Tickets

Get your FREE tickets to Finding Nemo JR at SOJO November 9-14. Tickets are free but they are required for the show. Reserve your tickets HERE. Performances are November 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14 at 7:00 PM and November 11 at 2:00 PM. Doors open 30 minutes before each performance. It’s a great show, and we can’t wait for you to see it!

Please only reserve tickets you actually intend to use. One unintended consequence of not charging for tickets was that patrons would reserve banks of tickets for multiple nights “just in case” and not end up using them. This made it so we had sold out shows where people thought we didn’t have seats, when we really did. Please, please only reserve tickets if you plan to use them, and if something comes up, please go in and cancel your tickets so others can attend.

Halloween Dress Guidelines

Halloween is a great chance to see the personality and creativity of our students. We want the day to be fun, and we also want to be able to have a productive day in class. With that in mind, what follows is a list of guidelines to help us do both:

• The School Dress Code and the Student Code of Conduct still apply
• Students should come to school already dressed with any makeup already applied
• Students should avoid costumes that degrade any other group of people
• We must be able to easily see who you are
  • Avoid masks worn on the face
  • Makeup or other costume additions must still allow us to identify you
• We must be able to move in the halls and function in class, including avoiding disruptions to teachers and other students
• Costumes must be safe, and make others feel safe
  • No weapons or facsimiles of weapons
• Footwear must be worn all day

Above all, if you’re aren’t sure you should wear it, just don’t. We can’t wait to see what you come up with, and be sure to check our social media channels for pics of our costume contest.

Dear Parents,

As a precaution, South Jordan Middle School students and staff were evacuated at the end of the school day due to an unusual odor reported inside the building. The South Jordan Fire Department arrived immediately, and after their investigation determined the school is safe and there is no danger to students and staff.

All students are safe and accounted for and were released at the regular dismissal time. After-school activities will resume on a regular schedule.

Tomorrow will be a regular school day.

Safety is our top priority. 

Picture Retakes Tomorrow

Picture retakes will be offered tomorrow, October 5th. The link and access code are the same as they were for the original pictures if you didn’t make an order at that time:

https://eastmanadamsonline.com/ordering/access

Access Code: V2GFTQ78

College Week

It’s college week next week, and we have a theme each day that will involve a dress-up options, lunchtime activities, and messaging from our counseling department. Here’s what to look forward to:

• Monday – My Future is So Bright I Have to Wear Sunglasses
  • Wear bright colors and sunglasses (teachers may ask you to remove them during class)
• Tuesday – Don’t Sleep on Preparing for Your Future
  • Wear Pajamas (school appropriate, of course)
• Wednesday  – Dress for Success
  • Wear nice clothes/business attire
• Thursday – Rep Your College
  • Wear college gear
• Friday – Remember Where You Came From
  • Wear SoJo gear

Community Council 

Our first community council meeting of the year will be held on Monday, October 16th at 4 pm in the main office. The school community council is responsible for our land trust plan, and serves as a method of parent and community input on other plans and issues affecting our school. The meeting is open to the public, and we meet in the main office conference room unless there are enough attendees we need to move to the media center.

Our parent-teacher conferences are this Wednesday (In-Person) and Thursday (Virtual) from 4- 7:30 pm both nights. You do not need an appointment for the in-person night on Wednesday. To schedule an appointment for Thursday, log into Skyward. If you select an appointment for Thursday, you can access the Zoom links here. All Zoom links will be updated by Thursday before the conferences begin.

If you attend conferences in the gym tonight, please be aware of other parents and keep conversations to less than five minutes per teacher. If you need more time than that, we are happy to set up another time to talk.

Above all, please remember that while parent conferences offer a great chance to meet with multiple teachers in a single night, teachers and staff are available year-round via email, phone, or in-person appointment. If there is ever anything you wonder about or would like to address, please don’t feel you have to wait for the conference to bring it up.

In addition, if a line is long or you don’t get the appointment slot you need, just reach out to the teacher and pick another day and time to talk. We love working with your wonderful children, and good two-way communication makes a huge difference for everyone.

We want to know how school is going so we know how to help you have a good experience. Take a moment to take our survey.

Your student number is your access key.

We have a lot of exciting things coming up in the next few weeks, from parent conferences to picture retakes and the Reflections art contest. Check it out, and we’ll see you out there.

No School on September 22nd

Friday, September 22nd is designated as a professional development day for teachers, which means that students get the day off. We appreciate the time to work with teachers to improve the experience for students, and we appreciate your support.

Parent Conferences

Parent conferences will be held on September 27th (In-Person) and 28th (Virtual) from 4 – 7:30 pm. You do not need an appointment for the in-person night, but line length can vary. For the virtual night, you will schedule appointments in Skyward later this week. There will be no school on Friday, September 29th as a compensatory day for teachers due to the late nights of parent conferences. 

Please know that teachers are available at any time of year, and not just during parent conferences. If you can’t make it, just reach out to the teacher and make an appointment, send them an email, or give them a call after school. Parent conferences are a great way to do it, but are definitely not the only way.

Picture Retakes

Picture retakes will be offered on October 5th. The link and access code are the same as they were for the original pictures if you didn’t make an order at that time:

https://eastmanadamsonline.com/ordering/access

Access Code V2GFTQ78

Student Survey

This Tuesday, students will be taking our district’s Panorama Survey. This survey will be given to students during 2nd period, and should only take about 15-20 minutes. Students will be asked how they think and feel about school. Here is a link to some of the questions that your student may be asked.

This data will be used alongside academic, behavioral, and attendance records in order to support the whole child. By using Panorama our school will be able to act on data and plan solutions at the school, classroom, and student level. This survey is not a curriculum, nor is it a mental health screener. Thank you so much for your support at home. 

PTA Reflections Contest

Does your child love art? Have them submit their work for the 2023 Reflections contest. The theme this year is, “I am hopeful because…” Students submit their completed works of art in one or all of the available arts categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts. Submissions are due October 10th, and can be submitted here.

Phones, headphones, personal items

All personal items brought to school are the responsibility of the student. Students should not leave items unattended in the cafe, locker room, classrooms or hallways. This includes student backpacks. We have had several students upset because they cannot find their phone or headphones. Unfortunately, we cannot find them either. If students are worried about their backpack at lunch; they can put items in their locker. There is a five minute passing period between lunch and class where they can go back to their locker. The school has a lost-and-found in the Attendance Office. Students may check there, but the school cannot be responsible for lost items. Please help us help your students by reminding them to keep track of their personal belongings, and to make use of their locker.

10 days in, and it feels great! We can never say this enough, but thank you for raising such wonderful children. Everyone has pretty much settled into the routine of school again, and there is just such an energy and excitement to learning and growing that you don’t find anywhere else.

In this week’s Skylert, we’re going to spend most of our time talking about Prowl.

What’s Prowl?

Prowl is a dynamic class period that happens Monday through Thursday from 9:50 – 10:20 am that will change day-to-day and week-to-week based on the needs and interests of students. Through our electronic scheduling system, Edficiency, students now have the ability to see available options for things offered during Prowl, and can request help from specific teachers during that time. Teachers likewise have the opportunity to request students they feel could use extra help or reinforcement of things covered previously. All sessions fit one of the following five categories:

• LEARN – A place where I go and learn something I missed or didn’t understand the first time.
• ASK – A place where I go to ask questions about things I’m working on, or need help with.
• TEST – A place where I can take or retake a test or complete an assessment.
• STUDY – A place where I can work on homework alone or in groups.
• EXPLORE – A place where I can do something in that subject area that’s more hands-on and I’m not graded in any way.

Students will see a variety of options, from ‘LEARN – Review of Mitosis and Cellular Division,’ or ‘STUDY – Open Band Practice Time’ to ‘EXPLORE – Capture the Flag’. If they don’t request a session and no teacher requests them, they are placed with one of their current teachers (if possible). We also use this time to offer clubs and other academic groups to meet like the National Junior Honors Society, although priority is always given to academic needs.

Your student will get an email each morning stating which session they have been assigned based on their requests and the requests of their teachers, and students can request sessions up to a week in advance. We encourage you to look over the options in Edficiency, and to proactively request teachers where they could use extra support. We’re excited to offer access to help and enrichment in new and exciting ways, and we hope you’ll make the most of it!

9TH GRADE BABY PICTURES DUE SEPTEMBER 8TH! 

The book has a section specifically for our 9th graders. Be sure to get your student’s photo in by September 8th. Please check the flier for tips on quality photo selection before you upload them. Submit photos using the following link. https://images.jostens.com/0Dtqrefryv3dR0VBuRip1Ug

MEMORY BOOK STAFF APPLICATIONS DUE SEPTEMBER 8TH!

Positions are open to all grades. This link will take you to the application that has detailed information. Apply before the September 8 deadline because a small assignment is required. https://forms.gle/y8AByjkcdVC2AXJr6

MEMORY BOOK COVER CONTEST DEADLINE EXTENDED. SJMS artists, the PTSA wants you to design this year’s cover! Details are in the attached flier, in the Main office and on the PTSA’s Instagram at southjordanmiddleschoolptsa. Submissions are due on September 8th.