Dust Devil Weekly

The cooler weather and the calendar clearly indicate that Autumn has arrived in Alpine. Footballs are being tossed around, and Fall decorations are springing up all around. Last Friday’s Lunch on the Lawn was, as always, a marvelous time. I love seeing families and friends enjoying lunch time with one another here on campus.

We are gearing up for another exciting week at JMMS. This Tuesday afternoon will be the first School Site Council meeting of the year, and this Wednesday we will hold our third Leadership Assembly. I hope you enjoy the cooler weather as much as you will enjoy this edition of the Dust Devil Weekly!

- Mrs. Johnson holding her first JMMS Performing Arts meeting for the Winter Production of

"The North Pole's Got Talent"! Over 50 students showed up to show that they were interested

in being involved in this first production!

- Students in Ms. Zarick's room working on team building and making plant cells from shrinky

dinks! We love to see kids discovering the joy of shrinky dinks!

Our first Lunch on the Lawn of the year was a smashing success! We had over 170 parents and family members join our students at lunch time. Kona Ice was on hand and even though the weather was a tad gray, the students loved buying the yummy treats. We look forward to everyone joining us for the next Lunch on the Lawn event!

This is a friendly reminder to place picture orders by Monday September 25th

Orders received after that date will be assessed a $10 late/shipping fee and will be mailed home. This includes STAFF packages. No exceptions can be made.

Visit www.hagerphotosd.com to place your order!

You can see your student's Progress Report by checking Student Vue and looking at their current grades or Reports. This marks the halfway point for Trimester 1. If you have questions about your child's progress, please reach our to your child's teacher by email. The trimester ends November 3 and grades will be final by that date.

Join the Joan MacQueen Middle School Band!

Returning Students

Practices will be 7 am - 7:45 am Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings in room 306. You did

great work in the band last year and I’m excited to pick up where we left off at the end of the

year! Please come to each class with your instrument in working order, your Standard of

Excellence book, a pencil, and your music folder.

First Year Students

Practices will be 7 am – 7:45 am Monday, and Wednesday mornings in room 306.

Students will need a working instrument two weeks after class starts. We will spend the first

few classes discussing the different instruments so you can choose an instrument that you like.

Attached is a flyer for Alan’s Music Center. It is a great local music store in La Mesa that has

Rent-to-Own programs for acquiring a musical instrument. If using a used instrument, please

make sure that it is in good working order. Alan’s music also provides repair services if needed.

Please ensure your student has all parts needed. For brass instruments this includes a

mouthpiece and valve oil. For reed instruments this includes a mouthpiece, a ligature, cork

grease, and appropriate reeds for the beginning level. Please ensure that you have extra reeds

as they need to be replaced frequently. All instruments also require appropriate maintenance

tools for cleaning.

The book we are using for this class is Standard of Excellence: Comprehensive Band Method by

Bruce Pearson. There is a book for each separate instrument. Please purchase the book for

your instrument (once chosen) from Amazon or a music store.

Please come to the class each practice with your instrument in working order once acquired,

your Standard of Excellence book, a pencil, and your music folder.

Note to Parents about practicing:

Please encourage your students to practice. Even short sessions can be helpful for muscle

memory. They should be working through their Standard of Excellence book, and they can

practice the music they are provided in class. Music lessons are a great way to support their

learning and will help them advance quickly. Appropriate how to videos on the internet can

also be a useful resource.

Communication will happen through Google classroom including updates, schedule changes, and ways to support your band student at home!

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!

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

https://macqueenmiddlespiritwear.com/

Tues 9/26 - School Site Council Meeting 2;30 pm

Weds 10/4 - Late Start Morning 8:30 am

Fri 10/6 - 6th Grade Dance (Periods 7 & 8)