This upcoming week is always one of the best weeks of the year. With spirit days leading up to our high school prom and a variety of events taking place, we know every student can find something that interests them and be involved. Our student government has put a ton of time and thought into creating a spectacular week for our student body and you can find the schedule of events below in our activities section. 

As you check in with your child and hear more about the exciting week, I also encourage you to ask about school-work, grades and their general well-being. The last month of school is one kids look forward to, but also can be stressful with projects, events and the countdown to summer. With the end of the school year just weeks away, now is the time to support your child, not the week of finals, should any academic challenges exist. In addition to discussing grades, visiting about your child's mental health this time of year is also invaluable. Reach out to our staff if you have any worries about their wellbeing. 

8th Grade Athletic Information Night

We would like to invite all 8th graders (and their families) that are intending to play sports in high school to an informational meeting on Monday, April 29th in the Auditorium at 6:00pm. Information will be provided on available sports at JA and also how to be a part of the JA advantage to play sports at others schools not offered at JA. Please come with questions so that your student will feel well informed of the expectations of a high school athlete. We hope to see you there.

JH Girls Volleyball and JH Boys Basketball Tryouts

Are you interested in playing girls volleyball or boys basketball next year during school? Volleyball and basketball are offered as PE credits during D-Block of the 1st and 2nd quarters and that means tryouts are coming soon. If you are wondering why we hold tryouts so early, it is because rosters for first semester classes need to be set before the end of this school year. 

Girls Volleyball Tryouts (class will be D-block, 1st quarter):

• Who: Current 6th & 7th grade girls (will be 7th and 8th next year)

• Date: Thursday and Friday, May 16th & 17th

• Time: 3:50-5:20

• Location: JA Secondary - Main Gym

• What to bring: Athletic shoes, athletic wear, water bottle, and knee pads if you have them

Boys Basketball Tryouts (class will be D-block, 2nd quarter):

• Who: Current 6th & 7th grade boys (will be 7th and 8th next year):

• Date: Monday, May 13th

• Time: 3:50-5:20

• Location: JA Secondary - Main Gym

• What to bring: Athletic shoes, athletic wear, water bottle

Tryouts for boys soccer will be in Mid-August, dates will follow soon. Tryouts for girls basketball will be held sometime in mid-October. Junior High Cross Country will start in the fall and all interested student-athletes can participate. Watch for more info that will be included in upcoming newsletters. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Shayna Chichirico at schichirico@jajags.com. We hope to see you all at tryouts.

It's PROM WEEK! 

• Monday, 4.29.24: Soccer Game BBQ at 6:00pm

• Tuesday, 4.30.24: Girls Soccer Senior Night + Food Trucks at 6:30pm 

• Wednesday, 5.1.24: Co-Ed Volleyball Tournament

• Thursday, 5.2.24: Capture the Flag at 7:45pm

• Friday, 5.3.24: Prom Assembly 1:00pm

Saturday, 5.4.24: Prom!

The event the whole week builds to! The Prom dance is from 8:30-11:30pm at Ant Life Gallery at 2150 Market Street in Denver. There will be a parking lot available for $3 a vehicle. Tickets are available for purchase now! ticket right now! Prom is an upperclassmen-only event unless you have specifically been invited by an upperclassman. Guest slips are available in the office and must be turned in on May 2nd.

Saturday, 5.4.24: After prom

After prom runs immediately following Prom, from 11:30pm to 2:30am. After prom this year will be at the Bowlero located at the Promenade, close to JA. The price of After prom is included in the normal Prom ticket price. After prom is mandatory for all Prom attendees unless you are called out by your guardian. Non-Prom attendees may attend After prom but must purchase a separate ticket for the After prom event. 

Prom Week Spirit Days 

Monday: College Day

Rep your favorite college with merch!

Tuesday: Dynamic Duo

Dress up and match with a friend—or, dress up as an iconic duo! 

Wednesday: Pinkout

Wear all pink! 

Thursday: Walking Yearbook

Wear a white shirt and get it signed throughout the day! 

Friday: Eras Day

Dress as a specific era with your class! 

Freshman: ‘80s

Sophomores: Roaring ‘20s

Juniors: ‘60s

Seniors: Greek Empire (Wear Togas!)

Teachers: Cavemen

Freshman Class Families!  Can you lend a hand?
It's the Freshmen Class families' chance to thank our JA staff with a staff appreciation 'Snack Day' in April. Donations from our 9th-grade families will help us put together a really special afternoon for the staff. Please donate via CheddarUp at https://hospitality-donations-41526.cheddarup.com, or drop off an envelope in the office indicating "Freshman lunch donation for Boosters."  Thank you!

After-Prom Volunteers Needed!
After Prom cannot happen without our wonderful volunteers. Grab a friend and come hang out at Bowlero Promenade for After Prom from 11:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Volunteers typically start to leave 30 minutes before the end of the event.  Sign up HERE.

JH "Not Prom" Party Help

As students enter Junior High we know parents want to continue to support their kids and get into the school for events. We have just the opportunity to make this happen early next month on Friday, May 3rd. On this date from 12:30 p.m. to 1:40 p.m., we will treat our junior high students to an informal party, while high school kids are having their prom assembly. Maybe we'll call it the "Not Prom" party. :-). 

Student planners are looking to have indoor and outdoor games and activities available for the students and we need volunteers to help make it happen. You can sign up here to let student organizers know you can help out. There will also be snacks for sale at the concession stand in the commons. Some ideas of ways you can contribute might include:

• Bringing and/or supervising games (cornhole, 4 square, Spikeball, board games, etc.) You would need to arrive to check in at the office and set up your game around 12:10, which will be during the end of high school lunch. 

• If you can come and supervise a game but not bring one, that would be great, too.

• Decorations; creative people, go for it. We cannot have balloons, but any other ideas, just shoot them to Miss Babcock.

• People who can assist with clean-up, as the teachers all have to go right back to class.

• Help out with selling snacks in the concession stand (not hotdogs, popcorn or nachos, just the packaged snacks)

Thank you for considering. If we can get enough family support, we'll let the kids know it will happen!  Feel free to email Ms. Babcock at ebabcock@jajags.com if you have questions or ideas.

Tips for the final weeks of school

1. Students should be spending time with teachers before or after school as frequently as possible.

2. All homework/classwork needs to be turned in on time for the remainder of the semester to earn full credit and recover previous low grades.

3. If there are missing assignments listed in Canvas that can still be turned in for credit, students need to get these completed and turned in to teachers as soon as possible to recover any potential credit. 

4. Many teachers will have study sessions or study guides leading up to final exams. Students should be attending each study session and completing all study guides.

5. Here is a link for study strategies in each content area.

6. Here is a link to teacher office hours & tutoring options.

Resources

• • Executive Functioning Skills

    • • Building Executive Functioning Skills Over the Summer

      • College Readiness Executive Functioning Skills

      • Other free resources for parents

  • Suicide Prevention Resources:

    • • Common Warning Signs, Risk Factors and Protective Factors

      • What To Know About Suicide

Upcoming Opportunities

• • Girls Who Code - free summer trainings.  Our two-week virtual Summer Immersion Program (SIP) is your ticket to mastering game design using p5.js, a JavaScript library for creative coding. Whether you're a coding beginner or have some experience, this program is your chance to level up! In SIP, you’ll join classmates and dedicated Teaching Teams in live virtual classrooms hosted by top companies like MetLife, Bank of America, Logitech, and Synchrony. Immerse yourself in a supportive community of like-minded friends and mentors. Who knows – you might even qualify for a $300 SIP Student Grant or snag a laptop with hot spot access for the summer! Don't miss this chance to supercharge your coding skills, make lifelong connections, and have a blast along the way. Ready to kickstart your future? Apply to our waitlist here by the end of the April to receive priority! 

• Suicide Prevention Community Training - Imagine by Northpoint is offering a FREE community training in the proven suicide prevention technique of QPR – Question. Persuade. Refer. QPR Gatekeepers are individuals who can confidently intervene with a person who may be feeling suicidal and help save lives. Any and all are welcome to sign up for this event, but space is limited so please encourage those interested to RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/882606619157?aff=oddtdtcreator

  • • • Thursday, May 16th, 2024

      • 4-5pm

      • 12365 Huron St, Ste 1600, Westminster, CO 80234

Student Fees

All student fees need to be paid by the end of the school year.  This includes course fees, activity fees, and sports fees.  The Fees tab on Infinite Campus usually comes up empty but this isn't accurate.  Please follow the Fee Payment Guide cheat sheet to see your most up-to-date status.  Payments can be made online through Infinite Campus with a credit card or in person by cash, check, or credit card.  Please contact Mr. Melville (cmelville@jajags.com) if you have any questions about fees or need to set up a payment plan.

Please refer to the Activities section above for this week's events schedule. 

• Boosters

• JA Secondary Calendar

• Infinite Campus Parent Portal 

• Safe2Tell

• 2024-2025 Family calendar