Over the next couple of weeks, all students at JMS will be learning a bit more about themselves.

Students will be taking three short tests to learning about their learning styles, multiple intelligences, and even brain dominance.

These tests will be discussed in critical thinking classes and lessons will be taught that will help students use their strengths to excel.

Use the links below to access the tests you need.

Use the form provided by Mrs. Gastelum.

Visit each link.  Take the tests and then complete the appropriate section on your paper.

The Personal Learning Styles Inventory

Multiple Intelligences

Brain Dominance

Teachers: Download the learning styles test form now so you can learn more about your learning style, top intelligence and Brain Dominance too!

Jenkins Middle School participates in the Reading Counts program. This system of incentives and assessments helps a student to improve his or her reading skills and is designed to offer students a wide choice among fiction and non-fiction books.  We currently have over 4000 RC tests available for our students and will be increasing that number to over 42,000 with a new service provided by Scholastic.  This means students will no longer be limited to books just in the library or classrooms.  New tests will be available monthly and students will find test on books they own as well as those sold in stores and available in the public library.

Our card catalog, which is accessible from the Library Media Center (LMC) and our Reading Counts Program which is accessbile from the LMC and some Language Arts classrooms, identifies any book found as an RC book and gives the reading level and point value.

If the book is not part of the RC program, it has no identifying information in the entry. If a student wishes to search through RC books only, there is a button marked RC on the tool bar at the top of the online catalog.

Students are encouraged to print a Reading List after taking the Scholastic Reading Inventory.  This list provides titles of books that are available in the LMC and are on the right reading level or lexile of each student.

Students are expected to earn the following number of Reading Counts points each nine weeks:

1st nine weeks - 25 points
2nd nine weeks - 35 points
3rd nine weeks - 35 points
4th nine weeks - 25 points

These points count as part of each student’s Language Arts grade in ALL Language Arts Classes as part of our commitment to the Florida Reading Initiative.  If you have any questions about Reading Counts, please email Mrs. G or call 329-0588.

Books With Bite @ Your Library

Do you love to draw, paint or create? Do your friends and family tell you what a good artist you are? Well here’s a chance to show off your skill. Enter our scary poster contest today. Just use the Teen Read Week Theme: “Books With Bite@ Your library”, and then create your scariest look. You can illustrate your favorite scary book or design something that makes your skin crawl. Please keep it scary, but don’t make it violent. Monster, ghosts, worms, and other things that make your skin crawl are fine. Don’t show people hurting or killing each other, but there’s nothing wrong with a stake through the heart of a terrifying vampire!

Contest rules are as follows:

Entries must be on white paper no larger than 11 X 18. You can get paper from the Media Center.

Posters must include the phrase: Books With Bite@ Your Library

Entries will be judged on originality, design, and overall scariness.

Deadline for submitting poster is Monday, October 27, 2008. All entries must be submitted to Mrs. Gastelum in the Media Center.

Posters will be displayed in the Media Center and winners will be announced the last week of October. There will be a first, second and third place winner and all winers will receive a prize and have their photo placed on the JMS Eagles website, in the yearbook and in the newspaper.

Don’t miss out on a chance to show off your artistic talent AND scare your friends! Create your best scary poster today!

Could it be the soon to be crisp air, which–like a ghostly hand–envelops you in its chilly grip? Maybe it is the lengthening shadows, which conceal threats real and imagined. Or perhaps it is the deadening of the landscape, as leaves fall from trees and blossoms shrivel. Whatever the reason, the coming of fall brings with it a sense of gloom and terror and loss. So why not use it to spin a mind-bendingly spooky story that will scare the pants off your peers? You may earn a cool prize on the side!

It’s here!

The JMS Scary Story Writing Contest!

Contest rules are as follows:

Entries must be original stories that are no longer than 500 words. Entries longer than 500 words will be disqualified. (Neither your personal information nor the title count towards the 500-word total.)

Entries may be typed or hand-written, but please make sure it’s neat.

Entries will be judged on originality, use of details, good use of grammar and conventions, and overall scariness.

Deadline for submitting stories is Monday, October 27, 2008. All entries must be submitted to Mrs. Gastelum in the Library Media Center.

Winners will be announced the last week of October. There will be a first, second and third place winner and all winners will receive a trophy and have their photo placed on the JMS Eagles website and in the newspaper.

Don’t miss out on a chance to show off your writing talent AND scare your friends! Write your best scary story today!

Last year’s Back-To-School Book Fair was such a huge success, we’re going to do it again! 

On August 18th, the Library Media Center will open its doors at 5 PM for this event.  All students and parents are invited to attend. 

The 6th Grade Open House will start in the gym at 6 PM.  Parents and students can come to the library first or attend Open House at 6 PM, visit teachers and then come to the Library Media Center to visit the Book Fair.  The Library Media Center will remain open until 8 PM to give everyone an opportunity to see the wonderful selection of books on hand.

The Book Fair will also be open from 5 PM- 8 PM on August 19th.  Open House for 7th and 8th graders will also take place beginning at 6 PM in the gym.

The Book Fair will be open until August 29th and students will be visiting through their Language Arts classes.

We look forward to seeing you in the Library Media Center.  Support your school and get some great books too!