Welcome to the Class of 2023
Dear Rising 6th Graders and Families,
STONEWALL SPOTLIGHT
Dear SJMS Rising Sixth Graders:
Welcome to SJMS! In a few months, you will officially begin middle school at
Stonewall Jackson, Home of the Rebels! Transitioning to a new school can bring
about a series of emotions. The continuum ranges from feelings of nervousness
to pure excitement. Regardless of where you are along this continuum, please
know that the faculty, staff, and I are all committed to ensuring a smooth transition for you to and from SJMS.
Our commitment to your success starts now. Our wonderful sixth grade team,
which includes Mrs. Graves (grade level senior teacher/administrator), Mrs. Augustin (6th grade school counselor), Mr. Arco and Mr. Evans (co-athletic directors) are wonderful resources for you and your family. We invite and encourage
you to use these resources to identify support services available to you at Stonewall and to learn more information about getting involved in one or more of our
athletic programs, clubs/organizations (more than 50 to choose from), or community service initiatives. Note: If you’re interested in participating in a fall sport, a
physical dated after May 1, 2016 must be on file in order to tryout. Tryouts for all
fall sports start the first week of school. Getting involved in extra-curricular activities not only affords you the opportunity to showcase your talents and gifts, but
also is a great way to meet new people.
Finally, a commitment to academic excellence in and outside of the classroom is
an important part of our core values at Stonewall. Such excellence is obtained
through hard work, dedication, and an unwavering mindset to make good decisions daily.
Therefore, I challenge you to be conscientious of your priorities every day. As your
new principal, I am looking forward to meeting
you and your parents in the very near future.
Congratulations on completing elementary
school and have an awesome summer!
Sincerely,
Dr. Quentin L. Ballard
Our open house for 6th grade students is called
SJMS Success Camp, and it will be
held Wednesday, August 31, from 9:00 - 12:00
noon. During this time, students will have the opportunity to pick up their schedules, tour the building, practice their lockers and learn a great deal
about being on a team and being a middle schooler
in general! Parents may place money on their children’s lunch accounts, pay
fees and learn about being the parent of a middle schooler! If a parent/student
cannot attend, a written note may be sent with another adult and we will be glad
to give the schedule and other informational items to him/her for your child.
We are so excited to welcome you
to Stonewall!! Our teachers and staff
have really enjoyed having you come
and tour our school this spring. We
hope this has helped you feel more
prepared for your transition to middle
school.
My name is Mrs. Tracy Graves and
I will be your Senior Teacher when
you get to Stonewall in the fall. I look
forward to spending my time working
with 6th grade students, families, and
teachers to ensure a successful year
for each one of you. I have an office
right in the middle of your team classrooms—you’ll see me out in the halls
each day.
You will quickly find that you have
greater freedom in middle school than
you had in elementary school; however, with greater freedom comes more
responsibility! You will be placed on
one of four wonderful sixth grade
teams not only with new teachers but
also with many new students. Remember, we have four elementary
schools that come to us, so be prepared to meet new friends too!
I work for the full month of August,
which means I am here to answer
questions and address any and all
concerns you or your family may have
regarding our middle school program.
You can email or call me at
[email protected] or 7232260. It is important to us that every
student feels excited and prepared to
begin a great year at Stonewall.
See you in a couple of months!
Mrs. Graves
Welcome Rising 6th Graders!
I am so excited that you will be joining the
SJMS family. I look forward to meeting and
getting to know you as we travel through each
grade level together. As always, the first few
weeks of school can be an adjustment (even for
7th and 8th graders). Remember, there are lots
of people here who are willing to help you find
your way as you figure things out. Keep an
open mind, ask lots of questions, and embrace
this new opportunity to meet new people and
learn new things!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Augustin
6th Grade Counselor
Fall sports try-outs begin
on Wednesday, September 7. The Fall sports are
football, girls' tennis, girls'
basketball, cheering, and boys' soccer. Students MUST have an athletic physical on file with the Athletic Department
BEFORE they are allowed to try-out. Athletic physicals MUST be dated AND
signed by a doctor AFTER May 1,
2016 AND must show proof of insurance. NO studen t is p er m itted to tr y out until this form is completed. Athletic
physicals can be accessed on the school
website under the “Athletics” tab. (http://
hcps2.hanover.k12.va.us/sjms/index.htm).
It is recommended that you turn your
physical into the front office BEFORE the
first week of school.
2016-17 SJMS Cheerleading Open Gym will
take place from 3:45 pm - 5:30 pm, on September 7th through September 12th, in the
cafeteria. Students must have a current
athletic physical and signed permission slip
in order to participate in open gym. Open
gym uniform will consist of black shorts and
a plain white t-shirt. Try outs will be held on
September 13th.
Please contact Ms.
McReynolds at [email protected] if you
have any questions.
Gifted Program News
Welcome to middle school! I look forward to meeting each of you as you join the Stonewall community. As the middle
school GT resource teacher, I will be working with you in a number of capacities. First, I want to dispel one rumor about the
gifted program in middle school: whether you take the GT Seminar elective or not, you are still a part of the gifted programthat does not go away! Often students think if they do not take the elective class, they are no longer a part of the gifted program. Once identified, students retain the identification. However, the delivery of services in middle school does change in
some ways. Students will still be clustered with other gifted students in their core academic classes. I will collaborate with
teachers in the planning process, but will not be in all classrooms on a regular basis. This is due to the larger school enrollment and number of gifted classes.
I hope to see many of you in the GT Seminar class. With a focus on individual responsibility and teamwork (collaboration,
communication, leadership and work ethic), students will think their way through simulations and lessons related to the theme
of Discovery & Change. Lessons and units are designed for the gifted learner to apply the knowledge and skills obtained in
core classes and beyond. There are many opportunities for student choice and challenge in the seminar class.
As you have heard in transition events so far, there are many programs for students to participate in as a middle school
student. Among them are the Saturday programs at the Math Science Innovation Center, Saturday programs at The College
of William and Mary, and the Let's Innovate sessions at the Math Science Innovation Center. At Stonewall, we have Reading
Olympians, theater productions, sports, clubs and many contests throughout the year. Get involved and be an active part of
the Stonewall family!
I look forward to meeting students and parents in August when you pick up schedules. Watch for dates for the fall meeting
concerning IB/AP and Maggie Walker options. This is for all students and parents of 6-8thgraders. It is never too early to find
out about high school options.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions on gifted programs
or Stonewall in general: [email protected].
Mrs. Faires, GT Resource teacher
2
If you like to sing, work hard, have fun, and travel you are cordially
invited to join the SJMS Chorus! Our 6th Grade girl’s chorus
would love to have you be a part our team. During your first year in
chorus you will learn the basics of proper singing technique, music
theory, and music history all while building relationships with your
classmates and of course, having fun. Our chorus performs a winter
and spring concert and competes in a Musical Festival in the
spring.
If you are a 6th grade young man, you will be a part of Up the
Octave and participate in an all-boys chorus class with 6th, 7th, and
8th grade boys. In Up the Octave you will have the opportunity to
learn music theory, history, and basics of singing all while learning
from the experience of the older members of the program. Our allboys class offers a unique opportunity to build a multi-grade group
who work together to create music and have an awesome time doing it. Up the Octave performs a winter and spring concert and
travels on a weekend spring trip to places like Myrtle Beach, New
York, and Atlanta.
Beginning String
Orchestra
Are you ready to learn how to play a new
instrument? Are you ready to have fun
and make new friends? If you answered
yes, then beginning string orchestra is
the place to be. We begin the year learning how to read music and play our instruments. We continue to develop these
skills throughout the year and demonstrate them during our many concerts.
We perform at least 3 concerts and enjoy
a spring performance trip. If you aren’t
already enrolled in beginning strings, it’s
not too late. Looking forward to seeing
you in the fall!
Mrs. Maureen Hawley
We would love to have you be a part of our team! If you have any
questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Fisher-Lasky at [email protected]. Have a great summer and I hope to see
you in Chorus!
WELCOME RISING 6TH GRADE BEGINNING BAND
MEMBERS!!!
When the 2016-2017 school year begins you all will be part of the SJMS band family and we are extremely
excited to welcome you!!! You will instantly be a part of a family here at Stonewall that will help ease some of the
challenges of your first year of middle school. We take a lot of pride in our program here as we try to go above and beyond
the expectations of the typical middle school band.
We will start from scratch and learn the basics of reading music and later apply it to our instruments. By the end of your first year
here you will not only shock your family but also shock yourself with the amount of progress you will make! However, just like with
any sport, band also requires personal dedication and practice to see/hear improvement. In the Spring your development will be
put to the test as we will take a trip and play our music for judges! There also may be a possibility of roller coasters and funnel
cakes close by. : )
Parents, if you have any questions or interest in your son or daughter possibly joining band, please contact me at 723-2260 or
[email protected]. If you are still on the fence about your child’s electives in general, please consider enrolling him or
her in a music class. Participating in either band, chorus or strings will benefit your children in MANY ways.
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER AND SEE YOU IN THE FALL!
-Mr. Charity
3
Did you know there's a 3D printer in the library's makerspace? It doesn't just magically print whatever you
want, but you can design an object for it to
print. This summer, spend some time learning how to
do just that. With your parent, go to tinkercad.com,
create an account, and complete the tutorials to
learn how to use the tools. Then use your imagina-
SJMS School Newspaper
Extra Extra!! Do you enjoy writing or taking pictures? Are you curious about
finding out what is happening at Stonewall throughout the year? Then you
might be a great candidate for our school newspaper.
We will be taking your submissions in September. Look for more information
the first week of school. Contact Mrs. Presseau at [email protected] for
questions.
The Simple Way to Pay
FOR STUDENT FEES AND PURCHASES
Please contact our
registrar, Mrs. Lane, if
you have a change in
your address and/or
phone number over the
summer! Her number is
723-2265.
myschoolbucks.com
——-Conveniently pay fees anytime, anywhere
——-Schedule automatic payments
——-Pay with confidence-your security is our top priority
SIGN UP for your FREE account in
3 EASY Steps
1. Go to myschoolbucks.com
2. Create your account
3. Pay with your credit/debit card or electronic
check
Pay for: Student Store Purchase, Fees and More
Students are not allowed to carry back packs
to classes. Back packs are emptied each
morning and placed in the student’s locker.
Students are able to go to their lockers between each class. Back packs with wheels
DO NOT fit in the student lockers.
General Supplies for All Classes
3 boxes of Tissues (BOYS only) - you will give to your flex teacher
2 containers of Disinfecting Wipes (GIRLS only) - you will give to your flex teacher
2 packs of Index Cards (BOYS only) - you will give to your flex teacher
1 bottle of Hand Sanitizer (GIRLS only) - you will give to your flex teacher
1 quart size plastic zip bags (BOYS only) - you will give to your flex teacher
 1 sandwich size plastic zip bags (GIRLS only) - you will give to your flex teacher
Dry Erase Markers (set of 4) for student use - you will leave in your locker
Pencils (may be mechanical; will need to be replenished throughout the year)
Cap Erasers (will need to be replenished throughout the year)
Pencil Sharpener (hand-held with enclosed case, not battery operated)
Glue Sticks (Elmer’s preferred; will need to be replenished throughout the year)
Hole Reinforcers
Colored Pencils or Crayons (pack of 12)
Multi-Colored Highlighters (1 pack)
Scissors
Ear Buds
Jump Drive
Students and Parents: Please assemble your 3 ring binder with the following items at home and
bring the binder and your class schedule to school on the first day.
2” Binder, canvas zip-up preferred
Notebook Paper (2-3 packages for binder)
Dividers (pack of 8)
Pencil Pouch, 3 ringed to fit inside binder
Language Arts - One 9x11 THREE subject, college ruled spiral notebook; 10 glue sticks to be used strictly for
language arts
U.S. History I - One 1 ½ ” binder, 8 dividers and notebook paper
Mathematics & Science - Be sure to check these teachers’ syllabi, which will be handed out in the first two days of
school, for the specific types of materials they are requesting.
Top Ten Tips for Surviving Sixth Grade
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Always have a sweatshirt with you as some rooms are cold.
Be mindful of what you say.
If a project is assigned, get started right away so you don’t have to do it at the last minute.
Get involved in clubs, sports, activities, etc.
Choose your friends wisely.
Study! A lot of material you will learn requires a lot of studying. Take advantage of your flex time, too.
Stay out of drama and don’t be afraid to say, “No!”
Study even if there aren’t any tests coming up; it will really help later.
Copy down the schedule in front of your agenda, so you know when classes end.
Try and make a friend in every class, so you have someone to rely on.
Before you spend time and money this summer shopping for just the right clothes
for middle school, we thought we would share the Stonewall Dress Code with you.
 For safety reasons, appropriate footwear must be worn at all times. Wheelies, slippers or bare feet are not
permitted.
 Pants and/or shorts are to be worn in such a fashion as not to pose a safety hazard or distraction for the student or any other student.
Students are not permitted to wear pajama pants. The length of shorts, skirts and dresses may not be more than five inches as measured from the top of the knee cap. Pants will be worn at the natural waist.
 Students may wear leggings or yoga pants ONLY with a dress, skirt, shorts or shirt over top that meets the length requirements above.
 Students must wear shirts with sleeves. Students are not to wear spaghetti strap tops, tube tops, halter or tank tops unless they are worn under a
top with sleeves. Bare midriffs are prohibited. Shoulders should be covered.
 Messages on clothing, jewelry and other personal belongings that relate to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sex, vulgarity or that reflect adversely upon
persons because of race, sex, color, creed, national origin or ancestry are not permitted.
 Dress or clothing that interferes with the orderly operation of the school by attracting excessive attention will not be permitted. This includes exposed cleavage, rips or tears in jeans five inches or more above the knee cap, and visible underclothing to include bra straps and underwear.
 Hats or head coverings of any style or fabric are not to be worn inside the school unless prior written approval has been obtained by the school’s principal. Sunglasses may not be worn inside the building. Hats
and sunglasses must be stored in the student’s locker during the school day.
 Chains of any type or studded/spiked jewelry may not be worn or carried by a student.
Greetings from the clinic...
Welcome to Stonewall Jackson Middle School!
I have a couple of requests in order to take the best care of your children. First, and most important, all students entering sixth grade are required by law to have a tetanus, diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) booster dose of
vaccine before the first day of school in September. This is different from Dtap. Documentation that this booster
shot has been administered must be taken to your child’s school nurse prior to the first day of school. Next, I highly
recommend keeping some Ibuprofen or Tylenol at the school for your children, especially for the children who have
frequent headaches, who are getting braces, or for the girls who are adjusting to monthly cramps. Please remember that a
parent must bring in the medicine and fill out a permission form, but then I can keep it here all year, and it might save some
phone calls to you all during the day! I am also very willing to keep other medicines, such as Sudafed or cough drops, if you
fill out a permission form. I do not keep any of these medicines as “stock” in the clinic, but I am happy to give them to your
child if you bring them in. On this note, I do keep a small “stock” of ice in the clinic for injuries that happen during the day at
school. For those children who may become injured during the evening at a sporting event or over the weekend, I ask that
they avoid coming to the clinic the next day for ice. It is in the best interest of the student if instructional time is not interrupted
during the school day. These injuries need to be taken care of at home. If an injury requires ice the following day, it may be
best if a physician evaluate the situation.
Also, if you have any concerns, questions, or information about your child that you would like to share with me, please don’t
hesitate to call me at any time. My clinic number is 723-2278. I will also be in the clinic during the week before school starts if
you would like to come in and speak with me or if you would like to drop off medication-just give me a call. I always appreciate a phone call if your child has a highly contagious illness, such as strep throat, pink eye, chicken pox, ringworm, mononucleosis, etc. This way, I can see if there is a trend in the school for any special illness. Please also remember to call the attendance line if your child will be absent: 723-2267. Finally, the best way for me to track illnesses is for the students to come
through the clinic when they are ill. Please remind your children to use the clinic, and not their cell phones, whether calling or
texting, when they are sick. It is against school policy to use cell phones during the school day. When a student calls their
parents/guardians from the clinic due to not feeling well, the nurse MUST speak with the parent if the parent will not be the
one picking up their child. The parent must state who will be picking up their student. Please understand there is no “pick up
list”. We ask you to provide emergency numbers for just that-emergencies - should a student be badly injured and we CANNOT get in touch with the parents then we would utilize this list. This list is not for picking students up early from the clinic due
to sickness nor will it to be used for an early dismissal. This is for your child’s safety. I am looking forward to meeting all of
you and getting to know you. Please stop in and say hello. Have a wonderful summer!
Peggy Bock, SJMS Nurse
Cafeteria Information
Avoid having your child carry lunch money by putting it on his or her account.
Money can be added in any increment and as often as you like. Students
use their ID number to access their account and make a purchase. You can
also indicate what the money should be used for on your check, i.e. mealsonly, milk, etc. Contact Mrs. Leber, our cafeteria manager, with questions
about balances or how money should be restricted. We also offer a cafeteria
prepay option. This service allows you to add money to your child’s account
by using your VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express card. Visit
www.myschoolbucks.com for more information and to
register.
We always welcome parents, guardians, and other family
members to visit students during lunch.
Parents, are you wondering how you will keep
up with everything going on next year? No worries, sign up for Email Connection. It is so easy
and the best way to stay on top of the many
things happening at Stonewall. Visit the SJMS
at http://hcps.us/sjms and scroll to the bottom of
the page and click on the Email Connection icon.
Sign up today and receive information all
summer long!
¡Hola! Bonjour! Guten tag! Salve! The World
Language Department of Stonewall Jackson Middle School welcomes you to 6thgrade!! As a student at SJMS, you will have the opportunity to
take four different languages: Spanish, French,
German, and Latin! Learning a new language can
be lots of fun, but we would also like to remind
parents that World Language classes at Stonewall
count as HIGH SCHOOL credit
courses. Please talk with your child
and make sure he/she is prepared
for the work load and time commitment that goes with this responsibility. If you have any questions or
concerns, please feel free to contact
the World Language Dept. Chair,
Allison Silva, at [email protected].
Get Yourself Moving
Stonewall Jackson Middle School
8021 Lee Davis Road
Mechanicsville, VA 23111
Phone: (804) 723-2260
Fax: (804) 723-2261
Visit us on the web
http://hcps.us/sjms
is more intense in middle
school. You will learn and participate in a variety of
activities—some you know and some you may not.
The emphasis in physical education is team sports,
personal fitness, and lifetime activity. Health is
taught during the second and third quarters and includes Family Life Education. We have real letter
grades, not just an S or U. Gym suits are required and
we go outside in all sorts of weather. You are required
to purchase a Hanover gym suit.
These will be available during our
6th grade Success Camp in August.
Best of all we have GYM every other
day.
Advice from some of our current 6th graders~
Lockers are a lot easier than they seem.
Just take your time. If you rush, your
locker is not going to open easily. Tell a
teacher if you are having trouble opening
your locker, and maybe she will let you
in without getting a tardy pass.
If your locker gets jammed and the
bell rings, go to a teacher and tell them
your locker is jammed and they will get a
key and open it. If it still won’t open, they
can call the custodians to help you. Don’t
worry, they will not bust the door down.
They just use a hammer to pull up the
handle on your locker.
You will also have a gym
locker, and if you make a
sports team, you get another bigger locker (but still
remember your other gym
locker too because you’ll
get that one back after the
sports over).
I bet you are scared and think that your whole life is going to be ruined here at Stonewall! Don’t let that thought go through your head! Middle school is really no different
than elementary school. You still have lunch, gym, classes, and SOLs. The only things
that are different are that you will have a locker, you will switch classes, and there are
electives so you don’t have to take classes like music and art if you don’t want to! You
really only need to know where your classes are and how to open your locker to succeed
the first few weeks of 6th grade. If you are scared that you will get bullied by 7th or
8th graders, don’t be! You will never make it through life being scared or worried.
Trust me, I was scared when I started middle school. I was really scared! Battlefield
was my life and I didn’t want to leave it! But I found out that I’m kind of glad I left
elementary school because I felt babied, and now in middle school, I’m responsible for
everything like being on time to classes and being prepared for my classes. Well,
that’s just some stuff you need to know. So don’t be worried.
Stonewall is a family.
If you love a sport and are really dedicated to it, you
want to tryout for that sport here at Stonewall. There are a
Get
wide variety of sports to choose from, in fact there are 13.
Involved
physical to tryout! Once you turn in one physical, you’re
There are different seasons, fall, winter, and spring. One
HUGE thing to remember is you HAVE to have your
good for the rest of the year.
The sports in the fall are girls’ basketball, football,
cheerleading (for fall and winter), boys’ soccer, and girls’
Did you know instead of one teacher, you
will have a team of teachers? You have four
teachers on one team. For example I have
Mrs. Stover, Ms. Walston, Mrs. Harrison
and Mrs. Ross. We are the Knights Team!
There are four teams in the sixth grade.
If
you were wondering, you are not the only
tennis. If you are trying out for a fall sport, you need to
have your physical in EARLY! The next season is winter,
and the sports are gymnastics, boys’ basketball, and wrestling. The last season is spring and the sports are softball,
baseball, girls’ soccer, track (for boys and girls), and boys’
tennis.
I tried out for two sports in 6th grade (girls’ basketball
and softball) and made both of them, so try out because
you never know what’s going to happen. Don’t think just
because you’re a 6th grader you won’t make it. If you don’t
one on your team. You have about 90-100
make it, it’s ok because you have two more years to prac-
people on your team. Teams are really fun!
tice, get better, and then show them what you’ve got!