Dust Devil Weekly

Love was in the air this week as Valentine’s took over the JMMS campus mid week. The buzz over last weekend’s Super Bowl slowly gave way to the Hallmark holiday. Valentine’s Day is always a good time to remind everyone the importance of love and kindness in our world and in our school. Students received that message in Wednesday's Leadership Assembly, where they were also introduced to our new school culture initiative, Expect Respect. Read more about inside.

I hope you all enjoy this three day weekend! School will be closed tomorrow in observance of Presidents’ Day. We will see you all Tuesday morning.

Enjoy this latest edition of the Dust Devil Weekly.

As we continue to focus on attendance at JMMS and districtwide, here are our percentages from the past week:

Monday 2/12: No School

Tuesday 2/13: 91.20%

Wednesday 2/14: 97.22%

Thursday 2/15: 93.29%

Friday 2/16: 90.28%

GRADE LEVEL WINNER (2/5-2/13): 7TH GRADE

PERFECT ATTENDANCE WINNERS: SIERRA GORDON, NOELLE LAUGHNER, GRACIE SABASKO, RILEY SEEBOLD, NATHANAEL TAYLOR

Excused and unexcused absences have the same negative effect on student academic performance. So, having the fewest total absences is always best!!

- Mr. Bailey announcing the JMMS Classified Employee of the Year at the Leadership Assembly... CONGRATULATIONS TO MISS LAURA!! She is the glue that holds JMMS together and we love her!!

- Mr. Bailey announcing the JMMS Teacher of the Year at the Leadership Assembly... CONGRATULATIONS TO MRS. FOURMAN!! Mrs. Fourman teaches 7th grade ELA and is loved by students and staff alike! She is an excellent choice to represent JMMS as our Teacher of the Year!

- A baby chick has arrived a little early in room 403! Ms. Zarick was surprised to see one of their eggs hatched early this morning! How exciting!

-Special Day Class students at JMMS are embarking on an exciting journey as they start cultivating their classroom tower garden. The first step involves planting seeds in rockwool, a sustainable, soil-less medium perfect for this type of vertical gardening.

-Expect Respect being rolled out to students at our Leadership Assembly!

-The 7th grade class hanging out for their Attendance Reward and playing football with Mr. Walker and Mr. WInters!

-Students from Maestra Rincon's classes showing off their amazing volcano projects!

Check out this video about what it is like to be a middle schooler here at JMMS from some of our students current and past. As we look towards welcoming our incoming 5th graders it is a great reminder of how awesome middle school can be!!

It is that time of year when we get ready to welcome our incoming 6th graders for the coming school year! On Thursday, March 7 we will hold a short Parent Orientation Night in the JMMS Gym at 6pm. We will discuss some of the exciting programs offered at JMMS and cover what a day at JMMS looks like for a 6th grader! Students are welcome to attend as well. All 5th graders will also be visiting JMMS on a field trip later in March.

Attention all 6th Grade Families!! We are excited to announce that it is time to get ready for 6th Grade Camp 2024! The paperwork for camp will be coming home with your child soon. The required paperwork will be DUE no later than Monday, March 18th. The payment of $#40 will be DUE no later than May 1.This year 6th Grade Camp will be the week of May 20 through May 24. It is an amazing time that our 6th graders look forward to every year! So, keep an eye out for the "pink" packet that will be coming home in the next couple of weeks!

The Alpine Education Foundation FREE STEAM Fair will be open to the public March 9th from 10am-1pm. Come check out the science experiments on display, vendor booths, silent auction items, food, games and more! Interested participants can still register to participate in the event at AEF4KIDS.ORG

It is that time of year again when we start to plan for the next school year. It is very important that the school district has accurate numbers of how many of our current students will be returning to JMMS next year. Please fill out the Google Form linked below for EACH of your current JMMS 6th and 7th graders with your plans for next year. We thank you in advance!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf282L8BWxu5BFUd-6E-LnqWw6geu8e6oNe4NRI6lhJIWtxfg/viewform?usp=sf_link

We are asking that all AUSD families fill out this short Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) survey by March 1, 2024. This survey is a tool used by AUSD to gather feedback from parents about their perceptions of our schools’ climate, safety, and effectiveness of behavior management strategies. Filling out the PBIS survey is crucial for our schools as it provides valuable feedback that can help identify areas of improvement to create a positive and inclusive learning environment for all students.

Last week in this space we introduced a new school culture initiative called EXPECT RESPECT. The purpose of this roll out is to steer the ship of school culture so that all students and adults are taught specific strategies to lessen the incidences of disrespect and harassment on campus. This past Wednesday, at our school wide Leadership Assembly, EXPECT RESPECT was introduced to students.

EXPECT RESPECT is built on a foundation of two very simple principles. The first principle states that if someone is feeling disrespected, they have the right to ask the person to stop what they are doing. The second principle states that if someone is asked to stop, they must stop what they were doing, even if they do not think what they were doing is wrong. These are the principles that were introduced to the students this past Wednesday.

In coming weeks and months we will be provided the students and staff with explicit training in specific strategies that people can use when they feel that they or someone close by is being disrespected. We look forward to working with JMMS families as EXPECT RESPECT becomes the new way of ensuring all students have a safe and comfortable school experience, and are ready to learn!

Did you know that Alpine Union School District has a valuable online resource available to all students — the Sora digital library? Sora provides access to a diverse collection of books, including audiobooks, and can be accessed at any time. Here's how your child can make the most of this resource:

1. Accessing Sora:

• Log into their Google account

• Navigate to Clever (lower left side of Chromebook)

• Click on the Sora app

• Once in Sora, log in using your Google credentials. This is a one-time requirement, and subsequent logins will be automatic.

Note: If you're unsure about your student’s Google login information, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

2. Exploring the San Diego County Public Library:

In addition to our library, students can also access books from the San Diego County Public Library through Sora:

• After logging into Sora, click on the down arrow next to Alpine Union School District (under EXPLORE) on the top left-hand side

• Search for San Diego County Library and click on San Diego County Library Digital Media

• Choose your desired book

• Click "borrow"

• Select Alpine Union School District

• Click on the blue bar

• Click on your student's email address again

• Click on borrow again

• Access the book by clicking on “shelf” at the bottom of the screen

We highly encourage students to make the most of this resource.

JMMS is excited to offer Spirit wear for our Dust Devils! You can find offers and options here:

https://macqueenmiddlespiritwear.com/

If you want to wish your Dust Devil a Happy Birthday either on the marquee or in our morning announcements (or both!) you can fill out this form and turn it in to Miss Lindsay in the front office. Please give us 48 hours notice before the day you would like the message to appear. You can get the form from the front office as well, or print one out from this newsletter.

The JMMS Yearbook is available for purchase online for a pre-order price online. Soft cover books will be $35 and hard cover books will be $45. You can purchase books online at http://www.yearbookordercenter.com. You will use the code 8280 to access the JMMS page to place your order. This price is only good while yearbooks are sold online so be sure to order to guarantee that your child has a yearbook in June!

The Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) is a vital educational tool designed to engage parents and guardians in shaping the priorities, goals, and resource allocation within Alpine Union School District. Developed annually, the LCAP reflects the District's commitment to student success and equity. By fostering collaboration between educators, administrators, and families, the LCAP aims to enhance educational outcomes, promote transparency, and ensure that all students have access to a high-quality education that prepares them for future success. AUSD has developed three LCAP goals as described below:

Goal #1: Effective Instruction and Curriculum - Provide equitable access to high-quality classroom curriculum and instruction in an inclusive environment that promotes student success.

Goal #2: Safe and Respectful Environments - Ensure all school sites are safe and have healthy and welcoming climates for staff, students, and their families so that all students feel connected and are motivated to attend and ready to learn.

Goal #3: Equitable and Culturally Responsible Systems - Ensure systems and processes eliminate barriers to student success and are equitable and culturally responsive to the needs of our students and their families

Monday 2/19 - No School (Presidents' Day Observed)

Wednesday 2/21- Late Start Morning

Friday 2/23 - Lunch on the Lawn