Dust Devil Weekly

I hope you are all enjoying your Super Bowl Sunday. If you have a rooting interest, I wish your team luck. If you have no interest in the Big Game, I hope this finds you enjoying a fun three day weekend. School will be closed tomorrow in observance of Lincoln’s birthday.

It should be a fun upcoming Valentine’s week at JMMS.

Certainly it should be better than last week simply because the rains have gone. Last week we enjoyed a school dance to close the week, and this week we will close the week with our next Coffee with the Principals.

Enjoy this latest edition of the Dust Devil Weekly! We will see you all on TUESDAY morning!!!

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

Monday 2/5: 93.09%

Tuesday 2/6: 91.94%

Wednesday 2/7: 87.10%

Thursday 2/8: 94.46%

Friday 2/9: 89.54%

Did you know that good attendance builds responsibility? Regular attendance helps children develop important life skills such as responsibility, time management, and discipline, which are essential for future success.

- Marissa Martinez sharing her snack machine invention with Mrs. McIntyre and Mr. Bailey. They even got to try it and buy a cookie! Awesome job, Marissa!

- Even though it wan another rainy day on Friday, the ASB held their NEON DANCE during periods 7 & 8! The students had a blast dancing to the music, eating snacks, playing games and hanging with friends. Thank you to all who helped make the dance a success: our D.J. Mr. Camerino, Mrs. Tompkins, ASB, Mr. Larry, the parent volunteers, the teacher and staff chaperones and the awesome dust devils!!

Unlocking the power of adaptability in the latest episode of 'Around Alpine Union!' Join us as our students share their perspectives on what it truly means to be adaptable and discover how we can seamlessly integrate this valuable skill into our daily lives. Tune in for inspiration and insights! #Adaptability #AlpineUnion #InspireChange

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.

The persistent goal that we all share as school employees and as families, is that all of our children are offered a successful learning environment when they are in school. When students feel disrespected or intimidated their ability to learn is deeply compromised, and their emotional state can be negatively affected in profound ways. Here at Joan MacQueen we are routinely searching for ways to ensure that every child feels safe and respected by EVERYONE while at school. Anytime a child is made to feel unsafe the entire school community is impacted. This is why in the coming weeks we will be kicking off a new campaign designed to lessen harassment and bullying on campus. This initiative will be called “Expect Respect.” This initiative will present and train students and school staff in procedures that have been demonstrated to be practical and effective in countering harassment at school, especially the middle school. Expect Respect fits very nicely into JMMS’ Positive Behavior Support Plan, and will serve to make this plan even more effective. We will begin by implementing some simple procedure for the JMMS staff, before beginning to train out students so that everyone at school will have strategy that stops attending to and acknowledging bullying–bullying is often maintained by attention from the recipients, bystanders, and peers. Expect Respect aims to break this attention, thus lessening the incidences of maltreatment.

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

Friday 2/16 - Coffee with the Principal

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

Wednesday 2/21- Late Start Morning

Friday 2/23 - Lunch on the Lawn