J.B. Martin Middle School

Principal ~ Steven Guitterrez Asst. Principals ~ Angela Butler, Aubrey Hager, Chase Petit

February 2021

434 South Street

Paradis, La. 70080

Phone: (985) 758-7579

Fax: (985) 758-7570

http://www.stcharles.k12.la.us

Principal’s Message:

It seems as if every month has a theme. February is African American History Month, American Heart Month,

Bake for Family Fun Month, and International Boost Self Esteem Month. The one that sticks out for me is that February is

also International Expect Success Month. It surprises me that expecting success only has one month. It is our belief here

at J. B. Martin Middle School that we expect success every day for every one of our students. Being successful doesn’t

just happen because we “expect success”. It takes hard work and dedication. It takes a partnership between home and

school to instill in our students to expect success within themselves and work hard to achieve that success. Nothing in

the world is going to be given to us, and students must learn to work hard and be self-motivated to achieve success.

Expect your children to expect success within themselves. Don’t rescue your kids from failure. Use failure as a learning

experience so that they can learn from it and then feel success the next time. Completing assignments, chores, and other

work is a life skill that we must instill in our students to help them be successful as adults. Students will feel more success

the more they learn from their failures and the better prepared they are. We can Expect Success when we are prepared

and have the skills to achieve at higher levels.

Mission

J.B. Martin Middle School is committed to inspiring student growth by promoting and facilitating meaningful and

equitable opportunities in a respectful climate to foster future readiness.

Our Belief Statement

The primary focus of our school is to promote and facilitate continuous academic, physical, social, and emotional growth.

Sincerely,

Steven Guitterrez

Principal

J. B. Martin Middle School

Important Dates:

Feb. 1-5 National School Counseling Week

Feb. 4 Soccer vs. Hurst @ DHS

Feb. 5 Science and Social Studies LEAP

Practice Tests

Feb. 8-11 Dance Team Tryouts

Feb. 9 Soccer vs. Cammon @ HHS

Feb. 11 Soccer vs. R.K. Smith @ HHS

Feb. 15-19 Mardi Gras Holidays

March 1-4 Cheerleader Tryouts

Important Testing Information

Students will be taking the LEAP 2025 tests this year online. This includes 2-3 parts each for ELA, Math, Science and Social

Studies.

LEAP Connect Testing Window - Feb. 1-Mar. 12

LEAP 2025 ELA - April 27-28

LEAP 2025 Science - April 29-30

LEAP 2025 Math – May 4-5

LEAP 2025 Social Studies – May 6-7

EOC - Algebra I students only – May 10-11

Online Tools Training (OTT)

During the next couple of months, your child’s teacher will continue preparing students for testing on the computer utilizing the Online Tools Training or OTTs. The OTTs provide teachers and students examples of interactive, technology-enhanced items so they can become familiar with the computer-based testing format. Parents can utilize the OTTs at home to give students additional opportunities to practice computer-based testing skills. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have questions about the Online Tools Training.

Follow the directions below to access the Online Tools Training (OTT) at home: • In Google Chrome, go to: wbte.drcedirect.com/LA.

• Google Chrome is the only web browser that will run the OTT. • Select the Online Tools Training found under LEAP Practice Test. • Select the course then grade span in which you’re enrolled. • Type in the Username and Password listed on the screen and click SIGN IN. • Click CONTINUE, then the name of the course. Read the following screens and click NEXT as you finish

each one. When you’re ready, select BEGIN THE TEST which will start the training session.

Promotion and Summer School At the end of each school year, student promotion to the next grade is

determined in accordance with the requirements of the St. Charles Parish

Pupil Progression Plan (PPP). Students must pass Math, ELA, Science, and

Social Studies, and meet attendance requirements in order to pass for the

year. For students who do not meet the PPP requirements, summer

remediation or repeating the grade level may be required.

For 8th graders, they must also meet PPP requirements. If they do not, the

School Building Level Committee (SBLC) will determine if the student has

made sufficient progress to be placed in transitional 9th grade or whether

retention in grade 8 is warranted.

If it appears that your child may be required to attend the summer school,

you will be notified with the 3rd quarter report cards. Final decisions

about eligibility to participate in summer school will be made when the

end of year report cards are completed. For more information about

promotion requirements, please visit www.stcharles.k12.la.us. The St.

Charles Parish Pupil Progression Plan is located under “About the District”

and “Guiding Documents”.

I Like Takis and Skittles I like Takis and skittles, but I also like to feel my best. When we don’t eat breakfast or lunch, and we snack on junk throughout the day, we tend to feel ravenous when we get home, devouring any and everything in the fridge. We probably ask for an extra Dorito taco at dinner, too, if our stomachs are growling loud enough. In addition to that, we’ve spent most of our day using our brains and muscles at school, walking a large campus; some of us even have after school sports to worry about. When we eat junk food throughout the day, we are eating food that tastes good, but doesn’t have a lot of nutritional value. It’s devoid of important vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber that keeps us full throughout the day. If we are snacking on candy and sugary drinks, these give us momentary energy, but ultimately, have no value or fuel for us. Your body is like a sports car. You need to put good fuel (gas) in it for it to run well. If you put in poor fuel, your sports car won’t run like it needs to. This is the same as your body. If you put poor fuel into it, it will ultimately catch up to you. Food with little to no nutritional value can impact our mood and our health, and it can cause us to overeat. It’s also important to eat a variety of foods. Don’t just eat food from one food group; you won’t be getting a variety of nutrients if you do this. Some tips: -Stay hydrated. Sometimes when we are feeling hungry, we may actually be lacking water. -Eat a fiber and protein filled breakfast and/or lunch. These include fruits and vegetables, lean meats like chicken, and legumes like beans. Eat a variety of foods. -Enjoy snacks in moderation. Don’t fill up on chips and candy. A treat here and there is okay, but don’t overdo it. -Try replacing a few unhealthy snacks with a healthier option. A piece of fruit or carrots and hummus are good options. -Eat food slowly. It takes a few minutes for your stomach to send a signal to your brain to tell it it’s full.

Chase Petit, M. Ed Assistant Principal JB Martin Middle School

J B M S c h o o l C o u n s e l i n g P r o g r a m

Tiffany Matthews: 6th & 7th (Teams 4, 5, 6, and 7)

Jennifer Vial: 7th & 8th (Teams 1, 2, and 3)

We are committed to helping all of our students be prepared for success beyond high school,

and success beyond high school can begin long before high school graduation.

Therefore, we are excited to introduce you to Naviance, an online platform that we will be

using to help students in grades 6-12 develop essential competencies needed to be successful

after high school. Naviance is aligned to a research-backed framework that outlines six

essential competencies required for postsecondary success: social emotional learning,

interpersonal skills, academic skills, career knowledge, college knowledge, and transition skills.

In Naviance, starting in 6th grade and going through 12th grade, students will complete a grade-

level sequence of self-inventories, lessons, and activities intended to help them uncover their

strengths and unique skills so they can develop confidence and see their potential. Using the

information from these activities, students will better understand their interests, strengths,

and needs so we can individualize support to help them reach their goals. Naviance can help

connect the dots between their interests and college and career choices so that students can

choose their best-fit post-secondary path.

How to Access Naviance: Students can access Naviance by logging into their Google Chrome

account. Naviance is an app that is made available in the Google Chrome platform.

You can contact us at 985-758-7579.

JBM Directions for dropping off in the mornings 7:50-8:10 From Hwy 90 westbound: If you are turning onto Louisiana St. from HWY 90, please turn right onto Commons St. Then turn left onto South St. and left again onto Barber Rd. to merge into the line. **No left turn from Louisiana St. onto Barber Road between 7:50-8:10. **Please do not turn left onto Peter St. or Common St. to by-pass the line. This is causing congestion near the drop-off entrance/exit on Eula St. and the entrance to campus. There are busses and cars exiting campus through the narrow bridge over the canal and the tight turn onto Barber Rd. Plus it is disrespectful to attempt to by-pass the families who are following the drop-off line procedure. Parents can also go up to the next turn onto Kirk St. and then turn onto Barber Rd to get in line. From Bayou Gauche, Des Allemands, or other areas west of campus: From Bayou Gauche Road, follow Barber Rd to campus. **See Map below**