1) Looking for a summer reading skills program? Upper Iowa University is offering programs for students from K-12 to improve their reading skills. The program for students entering grades 6-8 focuses on reading skills to assist with reading informational text, note taking, and study skills along with improving reading speed. The program for students entering grades 6-8 is held on Thursdays from 9-11:30 AM at Clarke University (June 18-July 16). For more information please contact Upper Iowa at 1-800-570-8936.
2) Four Mounds Foundation is announcing the early registration is ongoing for the Adventure Day Camp. There are scholarships available for those in need. Stop by the main office before May 20th and pick up an informational packet.
3) The 2nd annual Middle School State Bowling championship is May 16th, if you want to sign up see Mr. Hatcher for more information.
4) From the LRC...All books will be due and must be returned to the LRC by Friday, May 22nd.
5) All students enrolling in an Iowa high school as 9th graders or newly enrolled are required to have a dental screening. The Certificate of Dental Screening is available on the Dubuque Community School District website at http://www.dbqschools.org/parents/quick-links/forms. It is one of the forms that can be downloaded as part of the online registration process. Please make your appointments early for your student’s dental screening. The certificate can be brought with you at registration at the high schools or can be sent to the school health office at any time prior to the start of school.
6) Iowa legislation requires all students entering the 7th grade to provide proof that a Tdap immunization booster was given if born on or after September 15, 2000. Tdap contains a booster dose of tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. This new requirement will help protect your child and others from whooping cough. Documentation of the Tdap vaccine on a Certificate of Immunization will need to be provided to the school nurse prior to the first day of school unless your doctor signs a Certificate of Exemption, excluding them from receiving the vaccine. If a Tdap dose was administered to your child on or after their 10th birthday, this will meet the new school requirement. During summer break, check with your doctor or Public Health to see if your child needs to receive this booster. Bring the Certificate of Immunization with you on registration day or give a copy to the school health office before classes resume. This is a state requirement and if your child does not receive the vaccine or an exemption from your doctor, he/she will be excluded from school until the vaccine has been administered.
7) Due to the bookfair this week. Homework Help will be held in teacher’s classrooms! (Thursday-Ms. Pelkey and Friday-Mrs. Schober.)
8) Our last school dance is May 15th. Dodgeball tournament, 3 on 3 tournament, karaoke, live DJ, lots of food, Connect-4 tournament, and much, much more! See you there HillHawks! Four or more office referrals since our last dance (January 16th) means you cannot attend.
9) This is the perfect time of year to get your sports physicals, schedule them now and you will be covered for all sports seasons in 2015-2016!
10) No LEAP this Friday, May 15th and no 6th grade intramurals due to the dance.
Cell Phone Policy - Effective 5/1/15 Special Announcement Starting today, May 1st, we will be implementing new expectations on the use of cell phones and other electronic devices in our school. As the principal of this school I am responsible for the learning environment and for student achievement. We are all here for one reason ---- education. Students are here to learn. Teachers are here to teach. And everyone else is here to support both the students as learners and the teachers as instructors. Cell phones and other electronic devices have become a distraction to this environment. Students are being distracted from fully participating in their own learning. Students are in hallways using these devices instead of being in their classes. Students are sending inappropriate messages to other students during the school day. Students are more interested in playing a video game than they are completing their class work. Student achievement is suffering and we need to get back on the right path. A path of finishing the year on a strong academic note – doing our best and working hard. Therefore, here are the expectations for these devices at Jefferson, effective immediately. 1. All devices are to be put away and out of sight from the time you enter the building in the morning until the day ends at 2:30 pm. 2. Phones/devices are not to be used or seen in the hallways/restrooms/locker rooms at any time. 3. These devices are not to be used or seen in the lunchroom during lunch/breakfast. 4. Teachers may allow students to use these devices if they have an imperative significance to the learning that is taking place inside the classroom. 5. Teachers are not permitted to allow students to be listening to music in their classrooms at any time. 6. All Staff members are expected to enforce these expectations. Students that violate these expectations will be asked to turn their device into the office immediately. They will be allowed to come to the office at the end of the day to get their device back. This will only be the case once. If students violate these expectations a second time, they will be asked to turn their device into the office immediately and a parent or guardian will have to come to school to get the device back. There are 19 days of school remaining. Make them count. The Choice is Yours!
