The Shepherdstown Middle School Jazz Band performed at the Eastern Regional Jazz Festival on Saturday, February 24th and received a superior rating. Outstanding soloist award winners were Nick Randell, Myla Turner, Eadyn Kruger, Logan Meredith, and the saxophone section. A recording of their performance was anonymously submitted to the state jazz judges. On Sunday, the Shepherdstown Middle School Jazz Band was named the #1 middle school jazz band in the State of West Virginia. As the WV Honor Jazz Band, the SMS Jazz band was invited to perform at the West Virginia Music Educators Association conference in Charleston, WV on Thursday, February 29th - quite an honor. Congratulations, Cardinals!
Each year 6th grade science students in Ms Kessler's classes make maple syrup. SMS is home to one silver maple tree with three large trunks. The students tapped the two trunks on January 25th - an important date as the weather must be below freezing at night and above freezing during the day to have sap flow. They collected 25 gallons of sap and slowly cooked the water off until it reached syrup stage (219 F). The total syrup was 11.5 cups. Next a taste test was done in the Teacher's Lounges comparing SMS syrup to Dollar General and Walmart brand. A tasty investigation into practical science. Nice work, Cardinals!
This week, Ms. Colbert's Math 8 students wrapped up the unit on the Pythagorean Theorem with a horse race! Students worked in teams to answer questions. A correct answer moved your horse one length closer to the finish line! A fun, friendly competition and review!
Shepherdstown Middle School is excited to play host to Jefferson County's first-ever VEX IQ robotics tournament! 🤖 Three veteran teams from SMS and five new teams from Wildwood Middle School will compete with other middle school robotics teams from around the panhandle this Saturday, February 24, in the VEX IQ Robotics Competition: Full Volume. The family-friendly STEAM event is free and open to the public. Learn more here 👉https://www.jcswv.org/article/1471266
Shepherd University invites high school students and their families (including rising freshmen!) to one of two upcoming dual enrollment information nights on February 22 and March 12. Students will learn how they can simultaneously receive high school and college credits while getting a head start on their college education! Register to attend at https://www.shepherd.edu/admissions/dualenrollment.
Don't forget! ⏰ Submissions for the JCS Black History Month art competition are due next Friday, February 23! Students are invited to celebrate notable figures throughout Black history with original artwork that highlights strength and resilience, explores creativity, and inspires others. Winners will showcase their creations at a community-wide Black History Month celebration on March 2 in Shepherdstown. Visit www.jcswv.org/bhm-art to learn more!
Due to the forecasted inclement weather, all Jefferson County Schools extracurricular activities taking place on Saturday, February 17, 2024, are canceled. This includes extracurricular activities, athletic practices, and competitions taking place at home or away. The Regional Wrestling Tournament at Jefferson High School is rescheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 18. All other rescheduled activities will be communicated at a later date.
⏰ A reminder that all Jefferson County schools will dismiss two hours early today, Friday, February 16, for faculty senate meetings.
Congratulations to aspiring scientists John Danzey and Evelyn Groff on their winning projects at this year's regional Science and Engineering Fair! Visit https://jcswv.org/regionalsciencefair for a complete list of winners and their projects.
2/15/2024: Shepherdstown Middle School is experiencing issues with the main phone line. Please dial 304-671-7436 if you need to reach the front office. Thank you.
Jefferson County Schools joins the Wildwood Middle School community in mourning the passing of Principal Jodi R. Brock, a dedicated and valued member of the WMS staff since 2008. WMS will honor Ms. Brock's memory with a candlelight vigil on Thursday, February 15, at 6:30 p.m. in the front bus loop of the school. If you plan to attend, please enter at the WMS parent entrance and park in the side or back parking lots. If those lots become full, overflow traffic may park at Jefferson High School.
Mrs. French's and Mrs. Cogle's ELA classes investigated the passengers of the Titanic for their current unit. Students researched a passenger, investigated what class they traveled in and whether they survived. Then they wrote a letter to a loved one from that perspective. It was an opportunity to be creative and factual. Excellent work, Cardinals!
Congratulations to Holly Helwig, who represented SMS at the 2024 West Virginia American Choral Directors All-State Choir Conference last weekend in Morgantown! To learn more about this prestigious choral event, visit http://rb.gy/phrp2b.
2/7/24: Phone service has been restored as of 12:50 p.m. Thank you for your patience.
2/7/2024: Shepherdstown Middle School is experiencing issues with the main phone line. Please dial 304-671-7436 if you need to reach the front office. Thank you.
JCS is proud to highlight the unique contribution of school counselors to the public education landscape! As we celebrate National School Counseling Week 2024, check out what some of our own counselors have to say about why they enjoy working with JCS students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels 👉 http://rb.gy/i3px3l
As we kick off Black History Month, JCS is proud to recognize the achievements of Black men and women throughout history with a district-wide student art competition! We invite our numerous talented student artists to highlight the strength and resilience of notable figures in Black History with original artwork that explores creativity and inspires others. Winners will showcase their creations at a community-wide Black History Month celebration on March 2 in Shepherdstown. The contest is open to all JCS middle and high school students. Visit www.jcswv.org/bhm-art for more details!
JANUARY 31, 2024: We would like to provide an update on an external threat reported this morning. Working with our partners in law enforcement, Jefferson County Schools has learned that no credible threat existed to the communities of North Jefferson Elementary School, T.A. Lowery Elementary School, Wildwood Middle School, or Jefferson High School. Upon being detained, law enforcement determined that the suspect in question was training for the U.S. armed forces while wearing a weight belt and did not threaten any of our school communities. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
Last Saturday, SMS hosted Middle School Math Field Day. It was a great day of math and camaraderie. Congratulations to all who competed! Individual winners are: Cadmon Kesecker - 1st place, 8th grade; Joel Dillow - 3rd place, 8th grade; Harrison Hanna - 1st alternate 7th Grade. In the team competition, the 8th graders beat all comers to take home the trophy! Special thanks to Mrs. Athey for coaching the team and Ms. Muia for being the coordinator of the spectacular event!
JCS kicked off its annual Math Field Day events this past weekend with the middle school-level competition! Afterward, students relaxed with games and camaraderie while waiting for the winners to be announced. Math Field Day continues tomorrow, January 30, at the elementary level and concludes next Tuesday, February 6, with the high school competition. Stay tuned for a district-wide announcement of all winners then!
