JMS Family Update - January 8, 2025
Good Afternoon JMS families,
Here at JMS, we are ready to make 2025 a year filled with success! We are looking forward to providing students with opportunities so that they can continue to grow and learn.
I want our families to be mindful of re-establishing the necessary routines to ensure that your students are in attendance and on time each morning to get each school day off to a great start. In addition to morning routines, I also ask our families to continue to be mindful of early dismissal habits as well. Although there are times when an occasional early dismissal is necessary for an appointment or urgent family need, early dismissals should be minimal as this loss of instructional time can certainly affect a student’s academic growth. As always, I appreciate your support as our teachers and students strive to maximize their instructional time shared each day.
School Policy Regarding Toys: Please remember toys from home are not allowed at school. This includes trading cards (i.e. Pokemon), stuffed animals, electronic equipment, handheld video games, cell phones, or expensive jewelry. Toys and trading cards are frequently a distraction and are difficult to monitor. Bringing toys, collectibles, stuffed animals, or articles of value is not allowed unless they have been brought with teacher permission for a classroom event, directed activity, or project. More information regarding our policy can be found on pages 27 and 28 in the Parent Student Handbook. Jacques Memorial School will not accept responsibility for lost, broken, or stolen items.
Mid-Year Academic Benchmarking: Three times a year your child participates in academic benchmarking. These assessments help us determine how well your child responds to instruction and what areas need improvement. Two main assessments that are administered are Acadience and NWEA (1st grade). The purpose of Acadience Reading is to monitor your child’s development in reading to identify students who need additional help and guide the teacher’s instruction. Acadience Reading consists of several brief tests used as indicators of critical skills students need to master to become good readers.
Also, January 21-24, your child will take a MAP® Growth™ test from NWEA® on a computer. MAP Growth Reading and Math scores help teachers check student performance by measuring achievement and growth. Teachers use results to tailor classroom lessons and set goals for students. MAP Growth tests are unique and adapt to your child’s responses to measure your child’s knowledge. If your child answers a question correctly, the next question is more challenging. If they answer incorrectly, the next one is easier. These results will provide a more complete picture of where your child is on their learning journey— regardless of whether they are on, above, or below their grade level. Please connect with your child’s teacher if you have any questions. Your child’s teacher will also communicate with you about the testing dates.
MES PTO January Meeting: The January MES PTO Meeting will be held tonight Wednesday, January 8th at 6:30 PM at the Heron Pond School Library. We would love for you to join us! If you cannot attend in person please click the Zoom link below to participate virtually.
Topic: MES PTO’s January Meeting
Date/Time: Jan 8, 2025, 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87873399111?pwd=21irNaafkcIthD7WQm95hpolC8iD59.1
Meeting ID: 878 7339 9111
Passcode: 39t4bE
MES PTO Hockey Night: Join us for an exciting night of college hockey and help support MES PTO! Come cheer on UMass as they take on Maine in an action-packed hockey game!
When: Saturday, January 11th at 6:05 PM
Where: Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA
Tickets: $15–$18
A portion of every ticket sale goes directly to supporting the MES PTO. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy a great game and give back to our school community! Click the link below to purchase tickets.
https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/Milfordelementary3
Get your tickets today and make a difference!
Coming soon to JMS! On Friday, February 21st, Jacques Memorial is celebrating Read Across America with a guest appearance from award-winning children's authors, Chris and Maureen Harrington, alongside their very determined French bulldog! Ivy is a paralyzed pup who will accompany her (human) mom and teach our jaguars all about perseverance and overcoming obstacles! Books may be purchased at a discounted price of $10. See the attached order form and return it to your child’s teacher by Friday, February 14th. We will send home hard copies as well. To learn more about Ivy, please visit: https://www.ivysbook.com/.
Please find attached to this email several district-approved flyers from our community partners.
We are thrilled to kick off 2025 on such a positive note here at JMS! Your dedication and hard work are the foundation of our success, and we deeply appreciate all you do to support our students, staff, and school community. Together, we’re building an incredible year ahead!
Tim O’Connell
Principal