
Dust Devil Weekly
Sunday, March 16, 2025
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Happy St. Patrick’s Day (one day early).
Some folks have asked why JMMS has been putting such a focus on the upcoming SBAC assessments. There is a simple reason why–the SBAC matters.
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) is a set of assessments used to measure student achievement in areas such as English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. These assessments are administered to students in grades 6 through 8.
The SBAC scores are reported on a scale from Level 1 (Not Meeting Standards) to Level 4 (Exceeding Standards). Level 3 indicates the student is meeting the grade-level standards.
Parents can use these scores to understand whether their child is meeting, exceeding, or falling below grade-level expectations now, before the intensity ramps up quickly in High School.
Middle School is a time when students are preparing for the rigors they can expect in High School. The SBAC is another important piece of the High School preparation process. Let’s all do our best.
Enjoy this edition of the Dust Devil Weekly.
JMMS ATTENDANCE MATTERS!
Once again this school year we will be focused on improving school wide attendance at JMMS! Each week we will report out our daily attendance rates. Our goal is to be above 96% each day...we can do it!
Monday 3/10: 89.78%
Tuesday 3/11: 89.28%
Wednesday 3/12: 91.52%
Thursday 3/13: 85.54%
Friday 3/14: 87.78%
GRADE LEVEL WINNER: 8TH GRADE
PERFECT ATTENDANCE WINNERS: Mariah Espinoza, Claira Hiebing, Wyatt Hills, Santiago Jimenez, Isabella Sanchez
Did you know that an Excused absence is the same as an Unexcused absence for a student? If your child is going to be out for an extended amount of time, you can request and Independent Study Contract. This contract acts as attendance for the time they are not in school, as well as, allowing students to stay on top of their studies!
Time for 6th Grade Camp!
It is time for 6th Grade Camp! All campers should arrive to JMMS at 8:30 am and head to the gym to get ready to board the bus for Camp Cuyamaca! Remember to bring your bag and sleeping bag/bedroll and that they need to have a tag with your name clearly labeled attached to each. If your child is bringing any approved medication to camp, they should also have that ready to be checked in to our Health Clerk. We are excited to bid farewell to our excited campers. They will return on Friday by 11:30am and will be dismissed from the bus to head home.
Campus Highlights!!
- On Wednesday it was Dress Like a Teacher Day! Students came decked out as their favorite teachers.
- Teachers and staff turned the tables and decided to Dress Like a Student on Wednesday!
- Many classes celebrated Pi Day (3/14)...Ms. Boggs' students studied pi and then ate PIE to end their lesson! How fun!
Around Alpine Union Video....
From furry friends to feathered companions, pets bring so much joy to our lives! In this episode of Around Alpine Union, our students share all about celebrating the special bond we have with our pets.
8th Grade Baby Photos
Apologies for the link not being active last week! Here is an updated version. You can use the QR code or click directly on the ad to take you to the link!
eSports Family Night
We are excited to announce our first eSports Family Night on Wednesday, March 26 from 5:30-7:00pm at JMMS. Students will be able to sign up in teams to compete against one another in Mario Kart. Teams can have a family member if you have a gamer in the family, if not, students must be accompanied by one adult. More info to come!
SORA LIBRARY
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.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: 8TH GRADE PROMOTION DATE
This year we are excited to announce that our 8th Grade Promotion will take place on Wednesday, June 4th at 4 pm. As many families know, we usually have our Promotion on the last day of school early in the morning. However, this year that would fall at the same time as Granite Hills' Graduation ceremony. We know that many of our families will be celebrating their graduating Seniors that morning so we have decided to celebrate our promoting 8th Graders the afternoon before. We are excited to have our ceremony at a special after school event. We look forward to seeing you all there!
TK & Kindergarten Enrollment
It is time for Open Enrollment at Creekside for the Dual Language TK and Kindergarten programs. Space is limited so if you are interested, contact Creekside to sign up now!
HERE'S THE SCOOP...PTA MEMBERSHIP DRIVE CONTINUES!!!
We appreciate your patience as we put all of the pieces in place to get our JOAN MACQUEEN PTA MEMBERSHIP DRIVE underway! And....it is time! Our Membership Drive has begun! You can join online beginning NOW for just $15 a membership. We have set a goal of 200 members and we are well on our way with already 50 members! Please consider joining our newly formed PTA. PTA is a vital part of any school community and JMMS is excited to have a PTA back on campus to support our students, staff and greater school community! We will be hyping up the students by hosting a little membership competition. The grade level with the most memberships will receive a MEGA ICE CREAM SUNDAE SOCIAL! The second place grade level will receive ice cream cone party and the third place will receive a popsicle party. We want to reward all grade levels as this is an exciting time for JMMS and our newly formed PTA! You can join by using the link here:
Chromebook Reminder!
As we begin the year, it is important to remind your student that they need to have their Chromebook each day charged and in their backpack. While we know that we want our middle schoolers to work on becoming more independent, we also know that it takes time. So, as they work to develop these skills, please help them by giving them reminders nightly to charge their Chromebooks and then to put it in their backpack in the morning. Thanks for your continued support!
JMMS Spirit Wear
JMMS is excited to offer Spirit wear for our Dust Devils! You can find offers and options here:
UPCOMING DATES
- March 17 - March 21 : 6th Grade Camp
- March 19 Late Start Morning