A Message from Dr. Di Nicola
Good evening, JLS Mustang Families!
This past week highlighted so many wonderful attributes of our Mustang students and staff throughout a series of enjoyable events that celebrated our school immensely, one of which included many of you as our families as well!
JLS STUDENT ADVISORY PLANNING TEAM (SAPT): STUDENT AGENCY AND LEADERSHIP AT ITS FINEST!
A huge thank you to Jennifer Herrin and Samantha Ashley for their engagement of more than twenty of our Mustang students alongside the leadership of Loudoun County High School students on Tuesday, January 30 in our first ever JLS Student Advisory Planning Team session, an organization in which students themselves design advisory activity content focused on our HERD initiative (HONORABLE / ENGAGED / RESPECTFUL / DETERMINED), team-building, and other topics of student/staff interest for integration among their peers. Check out some of the photos below for a few scenes from the event!
RISING 7th and 8TH GRADE PARENT INFORMATION / CURRICULUM NIGHT SUCCESS!
Our Rising 7th and 8th Grade Parent Information/Curriculum Night on Tuesday, January 30 proved to be a grand success with many of our families participating in a fun Kahoot about JLS, learning about the nuts and bolts of the scheduling process alongside the school leadership and Unified Mental Health Team, dialoguing with many of our Mustang Professional Educators about course options for next year, and visiting tables brimming with information about ParentVue, Family and Community Engagement, PTO, and our World Languages and Cultures options as showcased by LCHS student leaders. Hopefully you received the Special Edition - Mustang Messenger - Course Selection for Rising 7th-8th-9th Graders yesterday at 12:30 PM in case you were unable to attend our event...and to support your efforts in connecting with your Mustang about making important academic decisions for SY 2024-2025. We look forward very much to the Rising 6th Grade Parent Information / Curriculum Night on Tuesday, February 6!
LCHS DRUMLINE / NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY TUTORING / EDUCATORS RISING / CAPTAINS OUTREACH!
We also had an awesome visit from the LCHS Drumline on Wednesday, January 31 as they shined in performing for Ms. Paquette's band students to start the day off with powerful musicality! We appreciate the opportunity to welcome our Loudoun County HS Captains in so many ways, including their great help in providing Tuesday and Thursday AM tutoring to our Mustangs via National Honor Society, supporting our staff as members of Captains Outreach, and through their Educators Rising program as they engage with students in academics in the classroom. What a great way to keep Mustang + Captain connections strong on a regular basis!
ELECTIVES ASSEMBLY: EMPOWERING MUSTANGS to MAKE POSITIVE ACADEMIC CHOICES for SY 2024-2025!
Thursday, February 1 saw the Electives Assembly come alive for our Rising 7th Graders during their resource blocks, supported by the outstanding organization of Ms. Laura Bolyard and the participation of our Mustang Professional Educators in Fine Arts, Career and Technical Education, and World Languages and Cultures. You can check out their presentation as well in the Special Edition - Mustang Messenger - Course Selection for Rising 7th-8th-9th Graders.
NEW FEATURE FOR PARENTS/FAMILIES: WEEKLY GRADE-LEVEL ACADEMIC UPDATES NEWSLETTER
Please be sure to check out a new feature to our weekly Mustang Messenger below, namely our Weekly Grade-Level Academic Updates Newsletter, graciously generated by our JLS Mustang Professional Educators and managed by Ms. Jennifer Burns as our IF,T so that you can have easy access to TOPICS OF INSTRUCTION, QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR MUSTANG AT HOME, and ASSESSMENTS that are occurring during the current week at your Mustang's grade level. This is a great one-stop shop for you to see exactly what is happening in our classes on a weekly basis!
NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK - FEBRUARY 5-9, 2024: LET'S CELEBRATE OUR UNIFIED MENTAL HEALTH TEAM!
Finally, this forthcoming week is National School Counseling Week, so be sure to express your gratitude to Mica Thomasson (Lead Counselor/Grade 7 Counselor), Alison Hyman (Grade 6 Counselor), Sabrina Jeane (Grade 8 Counselor), Jessica McCarthy (School Social Worker), Heather Rainey (Student Assistance Specialist), and Leslie Chisholm (Family Liaison) as vital members of our Unified Mental Health Team and Family and Community Engagement efforts. We are so fortunate to have them at Simpson each and every day!
Wishing you all a terrific first full week of February...it seems as if sunny, warmer weather may be on its way earlier than expected as we look ahead!
Take care of yourselves and each other...and know that we are always here for all of you!
Dr. Frank G. "Tripp" Di Nicola, III
Principal
JL Simpson Middle School
We are pleased to share our new JLS Grade-Level Academic Weekly Update Newsletter!
Each week our amazing Simpson faculty will share topics covered in class, questions for you to ask at home, and upcoming assessments. We hope you will find this to be a useful tool to discuss what is happening at school with your student(s)!
Click here --> JLSMS Grade Level Academic Weekly Update - February 5 - 9, 2024
HOW CAN I ACCESS THE JLS GRADE-LEVEL ACADEMIC WEEKLY UPDATE NEWSLETTER in MULTIPLE LANGUAGES?
To Translate A Document to a Preferred Language Other Than English:
1. Click on the grade-level newsletter you wish to review.
2. In the top menu, click Tools and then Translate document.
3. Enter a name for the translated document and select a language.
4. Click Translate.
A translated copy of your document will open in a new window. You can also see this copy in your Google Drive.
February 5-8 - Happening All Week:
- National School Counseling Week
- WIDA ACCESS Testing Continues
- SCA Candy Grams on Sale During Lunches
Monday, February 5 - A Day
- Rising 7th and 8th Grade Course Selection - Ms. Hyman & Ms. Thomasson
- Rising 9th Grade Course Selection - Ms. Jeane
- After School Clubs/Events: 3:30 PM - 4:40 PM
- All District Chorus Rehearsal - Ms. Hoey Johnson - Choir Room
- Mary Poppins Rehearsal - Ms. Ashley Lapointe - Choir Room/Auditorium (3:30 PM- 5:00 PM)
- Jazz Band Rehearsal - Ms. Paquette - BAND Room
Tuesday, February 6 - B Day
- Rising 7th and 8th Grade Course Selection - Ms. Hyman & Ms. Thomasson
- Rising 9th Grade Course Selection - Ms. Jeane
- After School Clubs/Events: 3:30 PM - 4:40 PM
- 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM - Rising 6th Grade Mouth Piece / Rhythm Assesment
- 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM - Rising 6th Grade Parent Information/Curriculum Night
Wednesday, February 7 - A Day
- Rising 7th Grade Course Selection - Ms. Hyman
- Clubs During the Day - See the clubs schedule below. Your child's club is also viewable on StudentVue/ParentVue!
- After School Clubs/Events: 3:30 PM - 4:40 PM
- Opportunity Time - M6
- FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) - Ms. O'Hara - Aux Gym
- Weight Lifting Club - Mr. Dunbar - Weight Room
- Candy Grams Committee Meeting - Ms. Herrin - Room B12
- Empowered Girls - Ms. Ashley - Room A17
- Mary Poppins Rehearsal - Ms. Hoey Johnson - Choir Room/Auditorium (3:30 PM- 5:00 PM)
- 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM - Rising 9th Grade Academic Night @LCHS
Thursday, February 8 - B Day
- Rising 7th Grade Course Selection - Ms. Hyman
- After School Clubs/Events: 3:30 PM - 4:40 PM
- Opportunity Time - M6
- Candy Grams Committee Meeting - Ms. Herrin - Room B12
- Select Choir Rehearsal - Ms. Hoey-Johnson - Choir Room
Friday, February 9 - No School - Student Holiday - Lunar New Year
Sunday, February 11
- 12:30 PM: Girls Varsity Basketball Game@Harper Park MS
- 1:45 PM: Boys 6th Grade Basketball Game @River Bend MS
- 4:15 PM: Boys 7th Grade Basketball Game @Smart's Mill MS
Please join us in wishing our wonderful Unified Mental Health Team a Happy National School Counseling Week!
Encourage your students to offer these team members a note or email of appreciation and well wishes.
Thank you to our Unified Mental Health Team for ALL you do for the Mustang Herd! We appreciate you!
Alison Hyman - Grade 6 Counselor alison.hyman@lcps.org
Mica Thomasson - Grade 7 Counselor mica.thomasson@lcps.org
Sabrina Jeane - Grade 8 Counselor sabrina.jeane@lcps.org
Jessica McCarthy - School Social Worker jessica.mccarthy@lcps.org
Leslie Chisholm - Family Liaison leslie.chisholm@lcps.org
Heather Rainey - Student Assistance Specialist heather.rainey@lcps.org
The Loiselle-Fawcett Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society at J.L. Simpson Middle School is excited to invite academically eligible (3.5 or higher GPA) 7th and 8th grade students to submit a candidate information packet.
If your student is eligible for candidacy they will receive an email with the candidate packet the week of February 5, 2024.
National Junior Honor Society members shall exemplify and maintain the five pillars of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. Membership in NJHS does not guarantee membership in NHS during their high school years. All candidate packets will have to be submitted to the committee by Tuesday, February 20th for consideration.
The SCA is selling Valentine Candy Grams to students at school starting on Monday.
The PTO is selling Candy Grams online for parents to purchase for their students only.
Please have students purchase for their friends with cash in school. There are a very limited number of candy grams available for online purchase.
Use this form below to send a Candy Gram to your Mustang! :-)
Volunteers Needed!
The school is looking for several parents to help on Tuesday February 13th during Clubs and Activity Picture Day. Parents will help line students up by height and help move the groups in and out efficiently.
Our Yearbook Staff Is Looking For Fun Photos of Our Mustangs Outside of School!
Our Simpson Yearbook staff is seeking photos of Mustangs outside of the school house!
Please consider sharing your photos of anything that your Mustangs do in relation to volunteering, sports, clubs, pets, favorite Leesburg activities, attending LCHS games, or neighborhood / family events.
Go to HJeshare.com and use code 13625 to submit your pictures!
Thank you for your support!
Virginia Speak Up Family Survey
Be a part of the conversation happening across the state!
Starting on January 15, we will be participating in the Virginia Speak Up Research Project for Digital Learning.
The national Speak Up is the first survey designed to help families share their ideas directly with schools and national policymakers. Speak Up provides parents and guardians with a mechanism for expressing their views to the administrators at their child(ren)’s school and district about key issues impacting their child(ren)’s education.
Since 2003, Speak Up has collected and shared the views of more than 5.4 million students, teachers, and parents/guardians from across the country. By participating in the Virginia Speak Up, you are expressing your views to a wider audience of local, state, and national policy makers —and contributing to the national dialogue about how best to prepare students for the future. The online survey is open to students, educators, and parents/guardians; it’s quick and easy to get involved. All participation is 100% confidential. Surveys take about 20 minutes to complete. To take the survey, visit this link.
To preview any of the surveys (students, teachers, administrator) visit https://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/vaspeakup/
We appreciate you taking the time to share your views with us! We need your input!
SHINE! Spotlighting Heroes in Education Recognition Program
HRTD is excited to launch SHINE! Spotlighting Heroes in Education, a new recognition program that aims to tell the stories of the incredible work happening throughout the division. We encourage schools to promote SHINE both inside their buildings between peers as well as with their school communities through newsletters, websites and social media as all parents, students, staff and community members are welcome to submit a nomination. Each month, Loudoun Education Foundation will choose one submission to provide additional acknowledgement and a special gift.
How it works:
We are seeking submissions for LCPS staff members at schools, central office and support locations who:
Have gone above and beyond in a situation
Have inspired others or have a heartwarming story
Are doing something unique or creative that is leading to results
In general, ANY great news!
Complete the submission form (It’s short and easy!)
The Employee Recognition office notifies the nominee as well as their supervisor of the submission
The story may be placed on the Employee Recognition webpage.
We are honored to announce that Ms. Victoria Curtis-Meyding, Mr. Derrick Jackson, and Ms. Alesha Whitmore have already been recognized by families in our community! You can find their stories on the SHINE webpage under Inspirational Stories.
Our goal is to place a spotlight on the hundreds of positive interactions taking place in LCPS each day...and especially at JLS! We look forward to seeing your celebrations of our JLS Mustang Professionals throughout 2023-2024!
Makeup and Retake Photos Now Available Online
Make Up/Retake School Pictures are now viewable online. 😀
Please visit: vosphoto.com/uc
Use your student ID when prompted for the online code.
For questions regarding school pictures please email: underclass@vosphoto.com
Parent Coaching and Resources
Loudoun County Public Schools is offering new resources for all staff and parents/guardians to use to support students through www.parental guidance.org. You can learn more about this initiative by clicking here.
These resources include easily accessible video-based courses on difficult parenting topics, individualized parent coaching for any LCPS parent/guardian, on their schedule in their home, and weekly interactive webinars to let parents know the mental health needs of our students are a critical concern of Loudoun County Public Schools. Your unified mental health team members are ready to assist parents in accessing the support. You can watch this video about the services available.
Slide deck with additional information: Coaching CCHC LCPS 2024.pptx
"If I Were Mayor" - Essay Contest for 7th and 8th Graders
The Town of Leesburg invites local 7th and 8th grade students to enter the Virginia Municipal League’s (VML) “If I Were Mayor” essay contest.
Students are asked to identify a problem within their community, gather feedback from community members, and offer a proposed solution, which must be presented in a typed essay between 300 and 500 words.
Students must live in the Town of Leesburg, which is considered a VML member locality. All entries must be received by end of day on Monday, March 18. Visit https://www.vml.org/Opportunities/Essay-Contest for full details.
Regional winners selected from around the state will each receive a $150 gift card and a plaque. One statewide winner chosen from the regional winners will receive a $250 gift card and a plaque. The runner-up from the region that receives the statewide award will become that region’s winner.
“This is a great opportunity for our local 7th and 8th grade students to imagine themselves as mayor, identify an issue, and problem solve for their community,” said Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk. “I can't wait to read the great ideas that will come from the essays. If there is a really good idea maybe we can work together.”
Winning essays will be featured in the May issue of VML’s magazine Virginia Town & City.
Middle School Softball Registration Now Open
We are excited to once again host the Leesburg teams in the Loudoun Middle School program for the Spring 2024 season!
LGSL manages the following middle schools: Harper Park, J.L. Simpson, and Smart's Mill.
The Middle School Softball Program provides the opportunity to represent their schools, enhance school spirit, develop camaraderie, encourage teamwork, and further develop their softball skills while developing relationships.
All players (grades 6-8) may register to tryout, but they must also be enrolled in a House or Travel league.
Players interested in trying out please register here- https://leesburggirlssoftball.sportngin.com/.../171216706
How do I join the Simpson Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO)?
Are you trying to figure out how to stay involved during those middle school years?
There are small and big ways that really make an impact on our AMAZING school! Please reach out to Natalie Sutter nsutter@gmail.com or Sara Conner sbc070178@gmail.com if you are interested in helping with our PTO activities in any way. You can also sign up to help by clicking here!
The PTO has many things planned for our staff and students! Check out our Volunteer Signup! A board member will reach out with more details!
- FREE Grade Level Events for each grade
- Monty's Cafe (Coming back for a 3rd year)
- Family Bingo Night w/ Silent Auction and Concessions
- Enhance our social media platforms
- Lots of Appreciation Days / Weeks for Staff
- Joint 5K with other middle schools
Click here for the Official J.L. Simpson MS PTO Webpage.
We look forward to engaging all of our Mustang families in PTO in service and support of all of our children!
Dates to Remember
Be sure to check here often as we will continue to add dates and events as they become available.
February 5-9: National School Counseling Week
February 6 - Rising 6th Grade Parent Information Night - 6 PM - 7:30 PM
February 9 - No School - Holiday - Lunar New Year
February 13 - Club Photo Day / Special Education Parent Coffee 9:00am and 7:00pm
February 14-17: Virginia Kindness Week
February 15 - PEP Meeting - 5:30pm - Cafeteria
February 19 - No School - Holiday - Presidents' Day
February 21 - Monty's Cafe Open at 8am at school main entrance
March 5 - No School - Student Holiday
March 14 - PEP Meeting - 5:30pm - Cafeteria
March 20 - Monty's Cafe Open at 8am at school main entrance
March 25 - 29 - No School - Spring Break
April 4 - End of Third Grading Period
April 5 - No School - Student Holiday
April 10 - No School - Holiday - Eid al Fitr
April 17 - Monty's Cafe Open at 8am at school main entrance
April 18 - PEP Meeting
May 15 - Monty's Cafe Open at 8am at school main entrance
May 27 - No School - Holiday - Memorial Day
June 5 - Monty's Cafe Open at 8am at school main entrance
June 14 - Last Day of School/End of Fourth Grading Period
Follow Us On Social Media!
Email: Tripp.DiNicola@lcps.org
Website: https://www.lcps.org/jlsms
Location: J. Lupton Simpson Middle School, Evergreen Mills Rd, Leesburg, VA, USA
Phone: 5712522840
Instagram: @jlsimpsonms_official_ jl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JLSimpsonMS2020/
X: @JLSMS_Official
