Week of February 17th Newsletter

Our Mission & Vision in Action at WJMS!

At West Jackson Middle School, our mission is to empower students, educators, and our community for success. We bring this to life through our Three Panther Pathways: Achievement, Collaboration, and Engagement.

Each week, we’ll highlight how our students, teachers, and families are demonstrating these pathways—whether it’s through academic excellence, teamwork, or innovative learning experiences.

How Can You Get Involved?
We’d love to hear from YOU! If you see a great example of the Panther Pathways in action—whether it’s your student showing leadership, a teacher going above and beyond, or a community member supporting our school—share it with us! Email rhawk@jcss.us or tag us on social media using #PantherPathways to be featured in an upcoming newsletter.

Together, we make WJMS a place where every Panther thrives!

School Announcements

Feb. 17th No School
Feb. 18th Spring Sports Pictures
Feb. 20th Scoliosis Screening for 6th and 7th Graders

Upcoming Dates

Another opportunity for rising 9th Grade Advisement Night at JCHS!

Jackson County High School invites rising freshmen and their families to Advisement Night to start planning for a successful 2025-2026 school year! This is a great opportunity to explore course options, ask questions, and make any necessary schedule adjustments.

Thursday, February 20th,
Drop-in from 5:00-7:00 PM in the JCHS Cafeteria

We look forward to seeing you there!

We strive to make our school better each day and we would love to hear your ideas! Click here to access the GaDOE Family Climate Survey for West Jackson Middle School. We appreciate your input and your feedback.

We are excited to celebrate the achievements of our hardworking students and would like for you to go ahead and save the date for our awards celebration. More information to come for this exciting day!

8th grade students, it is your time to dance the night away! Mark your calendars for the Formal Dance on Friday, April 18th from 6PM to 8PM. We will have more information to come.

Attention families of rising 9th graders, here is an opportunity to take health and PE over the summer. Taking H/PE over the summer allows students an additional elective so they can fit weight training, fine arts, etc. into their schedules.

School Updates

As a reminder, 6th and 7th grade students will participate in scoliosis screenings on February 20th. Should you opt your student out, a 4400 form must be submitted. The form can be found here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C1odYqif7Fq9BXamkzxL0OLFPh96xBxb/view?usp=sharing

Our school will be piloting the new SmartPass program for students to access as digital hallway passes to and from various locations in the building. This platform will help to increase student accountability in reducing the amount of missed instructional time, as well as, simplifying the entire hall pass process, without compromising safety or flexibility.

School Information

WJMS Families, it is incredibly important that students are coming to school each day with their Chromebooks and that the Chromebook is fully charged. When students do not have their resources, it puts the student behind in daily assignments which have to be completed at a later time. Please help us by reminding your student to have their supplies and be best prepared for the day!

As a reminder, students should not bring in any outside food from restaurants. This will help with concerns about food safety, potential disruptions in the classroom, managing food allergies among students, and maintaining the cleanliness of the school environment. Thank you for your help!

Families, please remember that 1st period instruction begins promptly at 8:45 AM each day. To ensure students are in class and ready to learn on time, they need to be in the building no later than 8:40 AM. This allows them time to get to their classrooms and prepare for the day ahead.

Thank you for your help in supporting a smooth start to the school day!

The student dress code policy at WJMS is based on the Jackson County School System Code of Conduct document issued to all students. Click here to revisit this document. We strive to make each day successful and encourage our students to be their best.

Students, please remember,

No hats, caps, head coverings (to include hoodies), bandanas, or stocking caps inside the building.
Clothing should not interfere with learning.
Clothing should not contain the following: gang symbols, racial or sexual connotations, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, double meanings, inappropriate slogans, profanity or obscene language.
Any clothing or accessories that have spikes or bullets.
No blankets worn around the body.

Your best school supply is a library card! JCSS has partnered with the Piedmont Regional Library System, and conveniently, your student ID number acts as a library card for your public library! The public library provides free access to books and online resources to help you succeed, as well as fun resources that help develop a lifelong love of reading.

To view the 2024-25 calendar, click here.

To view the 2025-26 calendar, click here.

School Menus

Get involved at WJMS!

Birthday Shout Outs

Give your student a birthday shoutout on our digital signage. Click here to order your shoutout!

Boost your business and sponsor our school!

We are looking for dedicated families and businesses to sponsor our school. This is a great chance for you to give back to the community of students that becoming great leaders! Email wjmspantherspto@gmail.com for more information.

Snapshots From Around WJMS