Potter Jr. High Newsletter

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Dear Potter Families,

First of all, I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who attended this year's Back-to-School Night! The success of our school and our students depends not only on the quality of instruction they receive but also on the support they receive at home. It was truly inspiring to see such a strong turnout from our community! If you missed the presentation, you can access the slide deck here: BTSN 2024-2025 Presentation.

Over the past three weeks, we have been working diligently to help our Braves transition into the new school year. We recognize that junior high can present challenges for some students, but with the dedication of our amazing counselors and teachers, we have been able to leverage our Leadership class to provide students with the support they need to thrive. Please continue to encourage your student to do their best every day—we’re all in this together!

We have an exciting month ahead of us, filled with opportunities for parent involvement. We warmly welcome your participation and hope you can attend some of our upcoming events, including Coffee with the Principal, Watch DOGS night, What I Wish My Parents Knew, and many other parent engagement opportunities. Your presence makes a difference, and we hope to see you there!

Finally, please know that we are truly delighted to have your children at Potter Jr. High. We will continue to work hard and diligently to support all students. If you have any questions or concerns, we strongly encourage you to participate in our parent events, or feel free to call or email us directly. We are here to support one another, and your input is always valued!

• Labor Day - Monday, September 2nd~ No School

• Coffee with the Principal- Friday, September 6th @ 8:45 AM

• Watch D.O.G.S. Pizza Night, September 17th @ 6PM

• Progress Reports Sent Home - September 20th

• What I Wish My Parents Knew, September 26th @ 6PM

• Make-Up Picture Day, Monday, September 30th

• Student-Led Conferences - October 15th - 18th (12:15pm release Tues, Thur, Fri; 2:15 release Wed.)

As we enter the month of September, we are excited to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th to October 15th. This is a special time for us to honor and recognize the rich cultural contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities to our nation’s history, culture, and achievements.

At Potter Jr. High, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where every student feels valued and respected. Throughout this month, our students will have the opportunity to engage in various activities and lessons that highlight the diverse traditions, history, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino cultures. These experiences are designed not only to educate but also to celebrate the vibrant cultural diversity that makes our school community so unique.

We encourage you to take part in this celebration with your students at home. Discuss with them what they are learning, share stories from your own family heritage, or explore new aspects of Hispanic and Latino cultures together. Your involvement at home reinforces the importance of understanding and appreciating different cultures, which is a crucial part of their development during these formative years.

We are proud to embrace this month of celebration and learning, and we look forward to the positive impact it will have on our school community.

Thank you for your continued support and for being an integral part of the Potter Jr. High family!

We understand that drop off and pick up can be challenging for many. There is only one way in and one way out to our school. Because of this challenge, we ask parents to comply with our traffic rules as listed below:

1. Enter school with caution;
2. Please do NOT speed;
3. Only drop off on the yellow curb after completing the driveway loop;
4. Please do not double-park;
5. Only make right turns exiting the school to help speed traffic at peak times;
6. Only park if you have an appointment with your child's teacher or if you have business in the office;
7. Do not enter the staff parking lot;
8. Yield to school buses;
9. Follow staff's traffic commands; and
10. Students who cross Reche Road should always use the crosswalk. A cross guard will help cross students.

Please help us keep our Braves safe.

Attendance is one of the most powerful predictors of academic achievement. Having your student in their seat, ready to learn for the entire school day will benefit them, their classmates, and our whole school community. Let’s work together to make sure your child has great attendance and can get the most out of their learning opportunities this school year.

We know that there are a wide variety of reasons that students are absent from school, from health concerns to transportation challenges. There are many people in our school prepared to help you if you or your student face challenges in getting to school regularly and on time. We promise to track daily attendance, to notice when your student is missing from class, communicate with you to understand why they were absent, and to identify barriers and supports available to overcome challenges you may face in helping your student attend school.

To report an absence, you can use this electronic form found below or by calling

(760) 731-4150, press 1. You may also clear an absence online by following the link below:

https://pjh.fuesd.org/absence/

For more information on when students should stay home, please click on the picture below.

Being on time to every class is critical. At Potter, we maximize on instructional minutes and not being present for 5 minutes can drastically impact student achievement and student engagement. We will monitor tardies and communicate with parents if the situation requires it.

We have a total of 7 student restrooms available to students. Here is who and when the restrooms can be used:

• When in class, students have access to the (nearest) of the 4 open restrooms.
• Students must request to use the restroom using our SmartPass;
• Students in P.E. have access to the field restrooms and the restrooms in the locker room;
• Students on break/lunch have access to the restrooms by Bowers (quad area);
• Students using the field during lunch will have access to the field restrooms;

• The gym restrooms are only available when the gym is being used:
• Restrooms will be closed 5 minutes prior to dismissal. Anyone needing to use the restroom after school, will be directed to use the gym restroom.

Following these rules will help us monitor restrooms and keep students safe. We appreciate your support!

In order to maximize instructional minutes and to avoid after school traffic congestion, please note that students will NOT be called out during the last 25 minutes of the school day. If you need to sign your student out early, please do so by 2:45 pm (1:45 on Wednesdays). It is often difficult to get a hold of teachers as they are wrapping up the end of the school day. This will also help reduce classroom disruptions. We appreciate your support!

Hot weather is predicted in the coming weeks!

Please ensure your child:

• Brings a water bottle to school
• Wears light clothing
• Wears sunscreen
• Wears a hat outdoors

While some students wear sweaters to school in the morning, please talk to your child about not wearing the sweater outside when it's hot.

District Guidelines:

Level 1 (90º to 95º): Reduce activity for all students

Level 2 ((96º to 100º): Limited activity for all students

Level 3 (100º or higher): All students stay indoors or under shade structure with limited activities

We have an amazing school PTA that works hard to support the needs of our students. Your PTA membership provides our school PTA with the opportunity to fund classrooms with supplies, support school clubs, and help organize field trips. If you have not joined, we encouraged you to join and help us reach our goal of 300 memberships. We are currently at 175 memberships. Join here: https://jointotem.com/ca/fallbrook/potter-jr-high-pta

Are you a Brave Mama or a Brave Papa? Please join the fun and support our Spirit Wear fundraiser! Visit the website and place your order here: https://sewnicecustoms.com/pages/potter-jr-high-fundraiser

Dr. Alex Gonzalez, Principal

Mrs. Maggie Taylor, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Jessica Ramirez, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Nancy Sanchez- 7 Grade Counselor

Mr. Gustavo Ramos- 8th Grade Counselor

Mrs. Sally Gonzalez- Bilingual School Social Worker

Mrs. Naomi Delgado, School Secretary

Mrs. Rosio Fuentes, Attendance Clerk

Mrs. Alejandra Gomez, Parent and Community Liaison

Email: potter@fuesd.org
Website: https://pjh.fuesd.org/
Location: 1743 Reche Road, Fallbrook, CA, USA
Phone: 760-731-4150
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PotterJHS

Twitter: @PotterJHS