March 10, 2025 Family Newsletter
SCHOOL NEWS:
CMAS, PSAT & SAT testing are testing mandates from the state. State testing is a standardized assessment used to measure how well students are meeting their state's academic standards in various subjects, providing data to evaluate student learning, inform instructional decisions, and hold schools accountable for student achievement across a state; essentially, it's a way to gauge how well students are learning the curriculum set by their state and identify areas where improvements might be needed.
With over 600+ students online testing, requiring school computer/WiFi use- it is necessary to have two days of state testing. Spring testing dates are not released until after school begins in the fall; therefore will not appear on family calendars. Please reach out to Mrs. Porreco at mporreco@jajags.com with any questions.
Super testing days are coming - School attendance is of utmost importance every day-and very important during our assessment season. Please make sure students eat a good breakfast and arrive at school on time.
CMAS ELA & Math for 7 & 8 grade are scheduled in Math and Language Arts classrooms beginning April 7 through April 14.
SAT 11 & CMAS Science 8 is Wednesday, April 16. SAT for 11th grade will be finished by approximately 12 noon and 8th grade CMAS Science will be done by approximately 1:30pm. **Please note–NO SCHOOL for 7, 9, 10 & 12 grade. (8th grade please bring a sack lunch that day! No lunch service provided!)
PSAT 9, PSAT 10 & CMAS Science 11 is Thursday, April 17. PSAT 9 for 9th grade and PSAT 10 for 10th grade will be finished by approximately 12 noon. CMAS Science 11 for 11th grade will begin at 1pm and will be finished by 3pm. **Please note–NO SCHOOL for 7, 8, 12 grade. (No lunch service provided!)
Please be aware that recently a scam involving College Board(PSAT/SAT) has been taking place. Callers, posing as employees of the College Board, contact students and families attempting to sell test preparation products or requesting sensitive personally identifying information, such as credit card and social security numbers. You can learn more here, but know this is a scam and in no way connected to JA or College Board.
Enrollment for 2025-2026 School Year - If you know that your student will not be returning to JA Secondary next year, please contact Anne Leoni at aleoni@jajags.com. This information helps us plan our class sizes and enrollment for next year.
Spring Break - Just a reminder that Spring Break is March 17 - March 24. Students return to school on TUESDAY, March 25th. Enjoy the time off!
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES:
ASCENT (Accelerating Students through Concurrent Enrollment) - *ASCENT is a fifth-year high school program that allows students to participate in concurrent enrollment the year after 12th grade. Your first year of college at a participating school would be tuition-free. You will need to pay for books and fees. It’s important to note students may participate in graduation with their class but will not get their diploma or officially graduate until after they complete their ASCENT year. While there are multiple qualifications for ASCENT, the main one is the student must complete 9 credit hours of college coursework.
An email with additional details was sent to students on February 26.
If you are interested, students must complete the application by March 14. Students will be notified of their status in April once we have confirmation that the program is moving forward.
*There may be potential changes to ASCENT due to Colorado budget shortcomings. This includes reducing or eliminating the program. We should know the final decision by April. I share this not to alarm anyone, but to keep all informed. At this point, we are moving forward with the JA application process but please know that we won’t be able to award any slots until we receive confirmation that the program will be an option for folks for fall 2025.
Class of 2026 families:
Planning for senior year is underway! If your student is taking college classes, due to the timing of Front Range registration, Ms. LeValley has begun the process of meeting with students on their senior year schedules. She will be meeting with juniors not taking college classes starting in April. In addition to senior year schedules, she will be having general conversations on post-secondary plans. Parents are welcome to attend the meetings. Students will be the ones to schedule the meeting time.
Regarding Senior Seminar (a graduation requirement that all seniors take quarter 1), a packet of information will be given to each Junior soon with information on the career shadow as well as other course considerations.
Quarter 4 schedule changes - Schedule changes are open until Wednesday, March 12th @ 3pm. 7th-9th graders can email Ms. Adams, kadams@jajags.com and 10th-12th graders can email Ms. LeValley, alevalley@jajags.com.
RYLA (current 10th, 11th, 12th graders) & Young RYLA (for current 7th graders) - RYLA & Young RYLA are leadership-training programs sponsored by Rotary International that promote, encourage and reward outstanding young people. An all-expenses-paid five-day conference that brings together a special group of boys and girls from Colorado and Wyoming to share ideas about becoming better leaders. An action-packed program of activities that helps build confidence and leadership skills (like problem-solving games, challenge course, zip-line skits, group discussions and teambuilding activities). Interested in applying? Visit https://rockymountainryla.org/. Applications are due March 30th. For more information, contact the Westminster Rotary, Pat Wall, 720-314-0312.
Upcoming College Visits - Registration is encouraged to ensure we have enough seats, but it is not required.
Western Colorado University, Gunnison, CO, Tuesday, March 11, Library, 9:15 am.
Upcoming National Virtual College Fair - These virtual fairs are open to all and will have 175 – 400 colleges attending.
ACTIVITIES:
Current 7th grade students–DC/NY Trip 2026–There’s still space on the 2026 8th grade DC/NY educational trip. You can sign up two ways–www.efexploreamerica.com tour #2822048SS or by calling EF at 888-333-9756. Don’t miss out on this incredible learning opportunity. Contact Mrs. Porreco with any questions at mporreco@jajags.com.
ATHLETICS:
Online Ticket Sales for Home Games - For any and all home athletic events going forward, we will no longer accept cash or credit cards at the door. You must have a ticket on your phone or printed to enter. Metro passes and CHSAA passes will still be accepted. Students must have an activity pass sticker on their school ID in order to get in or they will be required to purchase a ticket. We will no longer have a list of students' names at the gate. Please encourage your student to stop by the office to get their sticker if they haven’t already done so. You can purchase your tickets here.
IMPORTANT LINKS: