JTMS Messenger

October 2008
1000 Weldon Road Oak Ridge, NJ 07438 (973)697-1980

Dates to Remember:

> Thursday, Oct. 2—Back-to-School Night > Friday, Oct. 17—6th Grade Harvest Carnival

> Monday, Oct. 6 through 8—7 White Team Stokes Trip > Monday, Oct. 27 through 31—JTMS PTA Fall Book Fair

> Tuesday, Oct. 7—6th Grade Grandparents’ Day > Monday, Oct. 27 through 29—7 Blue Team Stokes Trip

> Wednesday, Oct. 8—Mid-Point First Marking Period > Wednesday, Oct. 29 through 31—7 Gold Stokes Trip

> Thursday, Oct. 16—7th & 8th Grade Grandparent’s Day and > Monday, Nov. 10—Marking Period 2 Begins
JTMS PTA Meeting 7:00pm JTMS Media Center

Grandparents’ Day
One of the most positive center where they partake
program promoted by JTMS in a morning refreshment Grandparents walk the
and family unity is Grand- and snack until their grand- halls, go from class to
parents’ Day. JTMS Faculty child picks them up. You class, and remain with the
and Staff in cooperation can image the glow on student until lunch.
with the building JTEA and grandparents faces when
JTMS PTA, coordinate two their grandchild walk into At lunch students bring
Grandparents’ Day events the media center—all faces their grandparents back to
each year; one day solely light up. the media center where
Volume 1, Issue 1

for sixth grade students JTEA and the PTA provide a

followed by one day for This is an opportunity not luncheon for attendees
seventh and eighth grade only for grandparents to before they continue on
students. The event makes share time with their grand- their journey for the day.
it possible for students to child but to realize the edu-
bring their grandparents to cational changes from Letters for the sixth grade
school for a day. when they attended school. event have been sent
It’s truly a cross- home. Letters for the sev-
JTMS PTA volunteers wel- generational event which enth and eighth graders
come grandparents and brings together our entire will be forth coming.
Inside this issue: escort them to the media school- family community.

Grandparents’ Day 1 Scheduled

Back-to-School Night
School Closings
Back-to-School Night 1
JTMS Back-to-School Night out the night. Please note
Thursday, October 9
will be held on Thursday, that not all grade levels will Yom Kippur
New Staff 2
October 2, 2008. Parents be following the same School Closed
will report to the cafeteria schedule; grades 7-8 will
New Staff 3 Monday, October 13
for general announce- meet from 7:00-8:30p.m.
Columbus Day
Grade Level Events 3 ments and then meet with and grade 6 will meet from
School Closed
their team teachers. Elec- 7:30-9:00p.m. On October
Principal Message 4 tive and exploratory teach- 1st, your child will bring Thursday & Friday,
ers will be available to home a detailed schedule November 6 & 7
meet with parents through- for you to follow. NJEA Convention
Special Feature 4
School Closed
 Page 2
JTMS Messenger
Teaching Staff

Cherylin Brooks
Kira Arnold 7th Grade Sarah Corring Carol Gargone Krista Going
Part Time Social Worker Guidance Counselor 8th Grande Math—Gold Team 6th Grade Math—Blue Team 7th Grade Math—Gold Team
Volume 1, Issue 1

Daniel Papa Rosemarie Papasavas

Jane Guglielmello Lauren Major 6th Grade 7th & 8th Grade Kimberly Simon
8th Grade Math—White Team 6th Grade Science-Blue Team Social Studies –Gold Team SCP Language Art 7th Grade Science—White Team

Lindsay Strother Jennifer Vincente Sara Vybihal

Special Education 7th & 8th Grade Spanish 6th Grade Language Arts

Support Staff
Jacqueline Mole-Hseih
World Language, ESL &
Music Supervisor
K-12

Kim Fleming Robyn Malejko Elizabeth Marks

Main Office Secretary Aide Aide
Principal’s Coffee
Tuesday, October 14
10a.m. or 7p.m.
To Register
Call
973.697.1980 ext. 5710

Jenifer Plevin Linda Rogalsky Kelly Tarsitano

Aide Aide Aide
 Page 3
New Hall Monitors & Lunch Aide

Janet Bohman Sanlee Halma Craig Peters Susan Sincavage

Lunch Room Aide Hall Monitor Hall Monitor Hall Monitor

Apples and Education

The seventh grade termine a mean for the class, Book. While at the orchard,
SCP Mathematics class is as well as median, mode, students will use the five
currently studying estimation, range and outlier. Then, we senses to free-write in a jour-
mean, median, mode, range will be able to discuss these nal about their experience.
and outliers. Apple picking comparisons and discover The focus will be on how the
complements the curriculum reasons why the numbers five senses relate to real-life
and allows for the students worked out the way they did. and how to incorporate the
to make real-life connections In the seventh grade five senses in descriptions.
to their lessons. Students SCP Language Arts class, The Apple Picking
will estimate how many ap- students are reading and Trip is tentatively scheduled
ples a bag can hold and com- analyzing short stories and for Friday, Oct. 17 from
pare their estimations to the poetry. Leading up to the 9:00a.m. to 1:30p.m. Rain or
actual number and deter- trip, the students will discuss Shine.
mine percent error. Also, and discover the five sense
students will be able to de- by creating a Sensory Shape

“There are some

Election 2008
people, who live in
Mrs. King’s, Mr. As part of this activ- maps to see which candidate a dream world,
Migliacci’s, and Mrs. Miski- ity, on Monday, November 3 is ahead in the Electoral
mon’s eighth grade social a vote will take place in Vote. and there are
studies classes are teaming homeroom. Each homeroom Additionally, ar- some who face
up with Mrs. Harris’ Gifted has been designated as a rangements have been made
reality; and then
and Talented program to different state. As the day to have two voting booths
bring the presidential elec- progresses, results of the delivered to the school on there are those
tion to JMTS. The teachers morning vote will be an- October 10. These machines who turn one into
will teach a unit on the elec- nounced. The results of this will allow students the oppor-
tion process to their stu- vote will be used to reinforce tunity to learn how to cast a the other.”
dents. Students will then the concepts of the Electoral vote in the same manner as Douglas Everett
teach this information to the College. Students will chart registered voters do.
sixth and seventh graders. the progress on election
 Note From the Principal, Jeanne Howe JTMS Name That Location
JTMS Messenger
Last year, JTMS worked with the National Middle
School Association's (NMSA) School Improvement
Toolkit to identify areas where we can improve.
The NMSA developed recommendations for JTMS
based on student, teacher, and parent surveys.
From those recommendations, I developed a MS
Action Plan. The action plan includes working with
stakeholders on improving the master schedule, Do you know where this photo was taken at JTMS?
investigating an advisory program, piloting student- A. Cafeteria B. Gymnasium
led conferences, increasing student participation C. Hallway D. Exterior of Building

in the performing arts, and promoting student lead-

ership. Please stay tuned for more information in
these areas. If you are interested in becoming News from 6 Blue
involved in one or more of these areas, please call
Mrs. Kucinski ran a 5K at Woodbourne Park in
the middle school.
Wantage, NJ on September 13th. She wore a
shirt signed by 6 Blue Students. Students were
allowed to sign the shirt only if they participated
in the AR program since they learned about the
program. The shirt was awarded to a lucky 6
Blue student.

A Parent’s Guide to the Jefferson Township Middle School (JTMS)

Whether you are a parent of a mation regarding organizations for the things ranging from building informa-
new or returning student, the beginning entire Jefferson Township Community. tion, photos and information regarding
of a new school year can be filled with Where is a parent to go if he upcoming events. The district website
excitement, anticipation and anxiety. or she still has questions or concerns also offers the staff directory which
JTMS wants to inform parents after reviewing the calendar? A parent enables open communication via e-
of all the resources available to them should begin by addressing his or her mail, along with district calendar to
and the chain of command through child’s teacher with concerns, ques- acknowledge after school activities,
which concerns should be directed. tions or problems. If a parent feels the athletic schedules and addresses the
To keep parents informed, concerns were not handled to his or her most recent concerns in the district.
JTMS provides an agenda book to all satisfaction by the teacher, the parents Another resource is the Par-
students and the district provides one should direct their concerns to the ent Teacher Association (PTA). JTMS
school calendar to all families. grade level guidance counselor. The PTA helps the school by offering pro-
The agenda book is a way for guidance counselors are a parent’s link grams, sponsoring book fairs, raising
the student and parent to track home- to the working of the middle school. If funds for educational items for staff; in
work and communicate with child’s the counselor is unable to satisfy a addition members volunteer to help
teachers. The front pages of the parent’s concerns, the next step would within the facilities. At PTA meetings,
agenda book provides a wealth of infor- be to contact the students grade level members learn of upcoming events,
mation pertaining to JTMS. administrator. Parents should know where volunteers are needed, and
The calendar notifies parents that most times their concerns, issues, building administrators/principals
who the representatives are within the questions or problems can be allevi- share news from each facility. Parents
school district, administration, dates of ated at the building administrator level. have the opportunity to communicate
school, breaks, holidays, early dis- Other resources available to and learn about his or her child’s
missal days, monthly Board of Educa- middle school parents include visiting school environment. As a member of a
tion Meetings, all PTA meetings, school www.schoolnotes.com as well as PTA, a parent is actively taking part in
activities and events for the building. www.new.schoolnotes.com to check his or her child’s educational experi-
The calendar is an invaluable tool to homework and other information pro- ence. The PTA is not just an organiza-
every parent, filled with pages of infor- vided by teaching staff. On the Jeffer- tion but another resources within the
mation not only pertaining to every son Township School District website, middle school.
school, but it also includes district poli- www.jefftwp.org, parents can click on
cies and procedures and provides infor- their child’s school to see a number of