Dust Devil Weekly

Soggy winter weather can’t dampen our spirits at Joan MacQueen Middle School. There are so many fabulous things going on around campus that a little rain could never extinguish the passion and pride of the Dust Devil community. Last weekend the JMMS robotics team once again demonstrated their competitive mettle, taking first place in Project Design at the First Lego League Southern California Championship! Inside the classroom our students are hard at work completing their second i-Ready diagnostic. We cannot wait to see their growth in Reading and Mathematics.

As we look ahead to next week, we will be watching the weather closely as our next Lunch on the Lawn, and the first of 2024, is scheduled for Friday afternoon. Stay tuned for updates.

Enjoy this latest edition of the Dust Devil Weekly! See you all tomorrow morning.

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

Monday 1/15: No School

Tuesday 1/16: 91/24%

Wednesday 1/17: 90.32%

Thursday 1/18: 92.38%

Friday 1/19: 97.46%

Did you know that if your student misses one day of school per month, it equates to 10 days a year, which is equivalent to two weeks annually? Over the course of 13 years of schooling, this adds up to missing an entire year of school.

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 $340 payment will be DUE no later than May 1st. 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!

Freshman Showcase - February 7th, 5:00pm to 7:30pm at Granite Hills HS

Freshman showcase is an opportunity for families to come visit our campus and see what our school has to offer. Families will be able to get information on curriculum, athletics, clubs, information about our PTSA and much more. Please refer to the attached flyer for the event.

Register Your Student(s) at Granite Hills

Enrollment to Granite Hills High School is now open. Follow the instructions below to begin that process. (Registration is not required to attend our showcase).

1. Go to bit.ly/GUHSDRegister to begin the registration process through our district. Complete all sections and click the red “Submit” button when finished. District staff will process your registration within 5-10 business days.
2. After your registration is processed, you will receive an email to create an Infinite Campus Parent Portal Account. This account allows you to check your student’s schedule, attendance, grades, etc. throughout the school year.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing many of you here at Granite Hills High School!

We are excited to announce the first-ever Alpine Education Foundation STEAM Fair to be held on March 9 at Joan MacQueen Middle School. The Fair is open to all students, TK-8 grade. Do you have a student interested in showcasing an invention or exploring a scientific topic? Do you have a student who makes art or has an innovative product to sell? The Alpine Education Foundation is seeking students to participate in the Steam Fair. Students can participate by submitting a science fair project to present to a panel of judges or hosting a vendor booth to showcase or sell their creations. The event will also feature games, activities, music, and more! Please visit AEF4kids.org to learn more and sign up. STEAM Fair.

There have always been a variety of roles that students have played in school. When I was a student there were Metal Heads (I was one), Punks, Emos, Jocks, and Theater kids. In the famous coming of age novel, The Outsiders, the two main groups were the greasers and the socs.

There is a lesser known group that we see at schools, and that is the small group of students who I call the “Go Betweens.” Go Betweens are often very social and friendly people who have many different groups of friends. Go Betweens love being messengers for these groups, and, in fact, I call them Go Betweens because they thrive on going back and forth between different groups to relay messages, or inform others of things they may not know.

There can be a problem with Go Betweens, though. Often the messages they are relaying are messages that can cause conflict between groups because the messages are filtered through a secondary source. Messages get misrepresented, or messages are misinterpreted. In extreme examples, the Go Between knows they are stirring up drama between the two groups, and enjoys the excitement, knowing they are not involved directly.

Joan MacQueen is gifted to have so many social and friendly students on campus. It is one of things that makes this school such a special place. Let’s ensure that we remain friendly and remove ourselves from the gossip, and pot-stirring that often results from Go-Betweens doing their thing.

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

Wednesday 1/24 - Spirit Day JMMS DAY

Friday 1/26 - Lunch on the Lawn

Friday 2/2 - ASB sponsored Dance (during school hours)

Wednesday 2/7 - Late Start Morning

Monday 2/12 - No School (Lincoln's Bday Observed)

Friday 2/16 - Coffee with the Principals

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