Dust Devil Weekly

It was a beautiful week at Joan MacQueen! It was a week for teacher collaborations, and furious preparation for the SBAC assessment coming up in two short weeks!

The JMMS tutoring pilot is going strong, and we are excited to be able to provide this opportunity to our students and hope to continue the program into next year. Speaking of next year, planning is already underway for another successful year next year. But as I always say, this year is not done. There is much left to do and celebrate for this school year.

As always, please enjoy this 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 4/29: 89.29%

Tuesday 4/30: 92.62%

Wednesday 5/1: 94.05%

Thursday 5/2: 93.33%

Friday 5/3:

As we approach CAASPP testing, every day at school counts!! Please prioritize attendance and remember when your child misses a day of school they are missing valuable instruction and learning!

- Ms. Zarick's math students solving a WHODUNIT mystery using mean, median and mode!! What a bunch of super sleuths!

- Ms. Zarick's science students creating plant reproduction and growth projects. Amazing work!

- Shout out to Troy and Reagan! They came in before school to set up the chicken coop and clean up in Ms. Zarick's room! #dustdevilpride

- Mrs McIntyre and some of Mr. Walker's Science students turning liquid colors using carbon dioxide when blowing bubbles!

This week we celebrate the amazing staff of JMMS with Staff Appreciation Week! Each day we will treat them to something special in honor of the hard work and dedication that they bring to our school each and every day! Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week is May 6-10 so if you have a moment maybe send a note or email to someone at JMMS that you want to give a shout out to and tell them just how much you appreciate them and all that they do for your student! Thank you JMMS teachers and staff!

Celebrating Our School Heroes Today, we shine a spotlight on the incredible individuals who make our schools thrive! From the caring bus drivers to the inspiring teachers, dedicated counselors, and everyone in between, THANK YOU for your unwavering dedication and positive impact on our lives. You are the heart of our school community! #AlpineUnion #InspiringChange

ASB is sponsoring a fun-filled Spirit Week this coming week, May 6-10. Each day is a different theme and we hope all of our Dust Devils will participate and join in the fun! Each day's theme is highlighted below!

Please see the Packing List below if your child is planning on attending 6th grade Camp from May 20-24. This list is meant to help guide you as you pack and prep for the exciting week of Camp!!

We are excited to announce a new opportunity for our students! Over the next 5 weeks we will be launching a pilot of the JMMS AM/PM Tutoring Program. Tutoring will take place during the weeks of April 22, April 29, May 6, May 20 (7th and 8th only) and May 27. While we know that this is short notice for the kick off, we also know that once this program is up and running it will be a huge benefit to our students. To begin our program, some students have been invited to come to tutoring with our JMMS teachers. However, we are hoping to have some additional spots available for students to attend, Currently we have tutors working the following times:

Monday-Friday from 7-8am

Monday-Friday from 2:30-3:30pm

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30-4:30pm

We will obviously not have the same availability at every session. If you are interested in having your student attend a tutoring session, please send a request to mmcintyre@alpineschools.net. Please include the following information in your email:

Student name and grade

Days and times your child would be available for tutoring (please include more than one choice so that we can place accordingly)

As spaces become available, you will be notified. Please be aware that you will ONLY be notified once an opening is available. We hope that we will have spots for as many kids as possible but we won't know until we get the program underway. We are excited to explore this new program at JMMS!

As we have entered the month of May we can expect the weather to begin getting warmer very quickly. We would like to remind students and families about proper dress for school as the temperatures rise:

“SCHOOL IS AN IMPORTANT PLACE WHERE IMPORTANT WORK IS DONE”

• No sunglasses in class

• Earbuds, earphones, headphones are to be removed and turned off while on campus, unless being used for a teacher approved activity.

• No body paint or face paint

• No strapless tops

• No undergarments showing top or bottom (boys or girls)

• Bottoms need to be worn at their proper length (ie, not rolled up at the waist) and they must provide for proper coverage.

• All bottoms must have “Full Back Coverage.” Bottoms must cover up to mid-thigh. Sagging pants or rips/tears/slits in pants that reveal undergarments or skin above mid-thigh are prohibited.

• If a teacher says no hats, then no hats are to be worn in that classroom.

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 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 5/6-Friday 5/10 - Staff Appreciation Week

Monday 5/6-Friday 5/10 - SPIRIT WEEK

• Monday: Green Spirit Day
• Tuesday: Sports Day
• Wednesday: Stuffed Animal Day
• Thursday: Crazy Socks Day
• Friday: Sunglasses Day

Tuesday 5/7 - "Concert on the Green"

Tuesday 5/7-Thursday 5/9 - 8th Grade CAST (State Science Testing)

Monday 5/13 - Friday 5/17 - State Testing Week

Wednesday 5/15 - Late Start Morning

Monday 5/20-Friday 5/24- 6th Grade Camp