Welcome Back, Joan MacQueen Students and Families!

We are excited to begin the 2021-2022 school year and hope you are as well. I know that I speak for the entire staff in that we are excited to have all of our students on campus for the start of this school year.

The Weekly Update, our online Newsletter, is our primary form of communication and is emailed home on Fridays. We also post a link to the Newsletter on our website, Facebook, and Twitter pages. If you are not receiving our communications, please reach out to Leslie Perricone to make sure we have the correct information in our database.

This year our goal is to return students to a typical learning environment. We will be doing all we can to ensure that students have a solid year of learning and support. Our goal is to create the safest possible learning environment aligning with all mandates from the San Diego County Department of Public Health. Please remember that vaccinations are available for children 12 and up (COVID19 vaccination sites).

The first day of school is on Wednesday, August 18th, and it is a staff collaboration day so classes begin at 8:30 am, 30 minutes later than our normal start time of 8:00 am. Students will be attending their odd day schedule (see below), and school ends at 2:28 pm. This link is to our school calendar and will help you navigate the myriad of different start and end times JMMS uses. Use this link to locate the various bell schedules used at JMMS.

On Tuesday, August 24th, we will be hosting our 2021-22 Back to School Night. Please save this date as we are still planning the event, and more information will be forthcoming.

If your child does not have a learning device (Chromebook, computer, etc.) and needs one, email the Joan MacQueen Dean of Students, Stephanie Bautista.

Thank you for all you do to support our Dust Devils :)

Sincerely,

Casey Currigan, Principal

Joan MacQueen Middle School

Hi! My name is Nancy Harman. I was born and raised in Santee. I have a beautiful family that includes my 3 young children. My son Kilian is six and my two daughters are Arya (4) and Myla (2). My husband and I have been married for 8 years and we recently purchased our forever home in Alpine. We also have 3 dogs and a bearded dragon and just recently inherited some beautiful Koi fish. I love spending time with my family and going on adventures with them. We love traveling with our kids and showing them the beauty of this world.

I have been a special education teacher for 7 years and have loved every minute of it. I have experience working in self-contained classrooms and also as an RSP teacher. I am so excited to get to work so close to home. I can't wait to see what this year brings me!!

I am honored to be the new District School Social Worker for Joan MacQueen Middle School! I have a Master’s Degree in School Social Work from Arizona State University as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from San Diego State University. As a trained mental health professional, I am here to assist your children with any mental health needs, behavioral concerns, providing crisis intervention, facilitating social groups, as well as providing counseling in order to promote student academic success. Most importantly, I am here to support you and your families! I am beyond excited to meet you all and be part of your community. Please feel free to reach out to me any time through email (Should be online shortly).

Applications are now being accepted for students who are interested in participating in Student Government. Join Mrs. Tompkins in planning school events and providing the school and district feedback on plans and initiatives. If you are interested please fill out this online form. Enrollment in this class will not interfere with the elective that you selected. For example, if you signed up for Engineering you can be enrolled in Engineering and ASB at the same time. The class will replace your period 5/6 Learning Strategies Class.

If you are registered in an elective that you did not sign up for as either a first or second choice use this form to place a request for a new elective. If you did not receive your first choice for a semester elective (i.e. Art, Outdoor Rec., Culinary Arts) it is likely that you will be enrolled in that class second semester.

8th Grade - Teacher Assistant, Coding, Introduction to HS Spanish (Counts for HS Sequencing), and Engineering.

7th Grade - Teacher Assistant, Intro to Spanish (Semester), and Engineering.

Some courses are full and considered closed. We will do our best to make sure that students are enrolled in their first choice elective second semester.

Applications are now being accepted for yearbook editors. If you are interested in joining Mrs. Skovmand in creating the Joan MacQueen Yearbook for the 2021/22 school year please submit this online form. Enrollment in this class will not interfere with the elective that you selected. For example, if you signed up for Engineering you can be enrolled in Engineering and Yearbook at the same time. The class will replace your period 5/6 Learning Strategies Class.

Reach out to your child’s teachers and administration
Attend Back to School Night, orientation, or other welcome events, but don't stop there. Make a point of introducing yourself and learning about class activities and expectations for the year. Find out how each teacher prefers to communicate.
Many use e-mail as the main form of contact, but phone calls and conferences (make an appointment first) are usually welcome, too.

Get in the groove
Establish healthy at-home routines for school days, such as consistent waking times and getting-ready patterns. Decide on a regular homework time, and create a comfortable, quiet workspace. Set bedtimes that allow middle school-age kids to get 8½ to 9½ hours of sleep. Limit video games to Friday and Saturday nights.

Time things right
Stay on top of everyone's school, activity, and work schedules with a free online calendar or a smartphone app.

Pack smart
Make sure your child's backpack never weighs more than 20 percent of their body weight; heavy packs can strain developing muscles and joints. Encourage your child to use both straps, and tighten them so the pack hangs close to the body, about two inches above your child's waist.

Email: ccurrigan@alpineschools.net
Website: https://alpineunionsdca.sites.thrillshare.com/o/jmms
Location: 2001 Tavern Road, Alpine, CA, USA
Phone: 619 445-3245
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Joan.MacQueen
Twitter: @MacQueenMS