Dust Devil Weekly

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 2/3: 88.94%

Tuesday 2/4: 91.21%

Wednesday 2/5: 93.97%

Thursday 2/6: 91.46%

Friday 2/7: 88.66%

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!

- On Friday ASB hosted another awesome dance for our student body...the Winter Wonderland Dance! Students had fun dancing, visiting with friends, playing games and eating some yummy snacks! Thank you to Mrs. Tompkins, the ASB and to all of the amazing parent volunteers who came to help out!

-Valentine Grams will be on sale for $3. They will include a carnation, a bracelet and a ring pop!

Next week ASB will host another Spirit Week where each day students can either dress up or bring something to celebrate and participate. Let's show off our Dust Devil Pride by having the most participation ever! #dustdevilpride

We are thrilled to announce the JMMS Teacher of the Year is Sean Walker. Mr. Walker teaches 7th grade Math and Science. He is also teaching a brand new elective this year, Career Pathways. Mr. Walker is liked by students and staff for his engaging lessons and his support of all students. He is a tremendous asset to JMMS and we are proud to call him our Teacher of the Year! Congratulations, Mr. Walker!

We are also proud to announce that Laura Garbani has been named the Classified Employee of the Year. Mrs. Garbani is the glue that hold JMMS together! She is welcoming to all that come to our campus and truly has an answer to every question in the office. She is always ready with a smile and a helping hand. She is a gift to JMMS and we know how lucky we are to have her! Congratulations, Mrs. Garbani!

As we plan for the 2025-26 school year, we invite you to take a few minutes to complete the LCAP (Local Control and Accountability Plan) survey for Alpine Union School District.

Your feedback helps shape important decisions about academic programs, student support services, school climate, and more. This is a valuable opportunity to share your thoughts on how we can continue improving our schools and ensuring success for all students.

Please take a moment to complete the survey here: 2025 LCAP Family Survey

The survey will be open until Friday, February 21st, and we truly appreciate your time and input. Thank you for being an essential part of our school community!

Mientras planificamos para el año escolar 2025-26, los invitamos a tomarse unos minutos para completar la encuesta LCAP (Plan de Control Local y Rendición de Cuentas) del Distrito Escolar Alpine Union.

Sus comentarios ayudan a dar forma a decisiones importantes sobre programas académicos, servicios de apoyo para los estudiantes, el clima escolar y más. Esta es una valiosa oportunidad para compartir sus ideas sobre cómo podemos seguir mejorando nuestras escuelas y garantizar el éxito de todos los estudiantes.

Por favor, tómese un momento para completar la encuesta aquí: Encuesta Familiar LCAP 2025

La encuesta estará abierta hasta el viernes 21 de febrero, y realmente apreciamos su tiempo y opinión. ¡Gracias por ser una parte esencial de nuestra comunidad escolar!

Historian Carter G. Woodson launched Black History Week in 1926 to recognize the significant contributions of African Americans during the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and abolitionist/writer Frederick Douglass (February 14). Congress expanded it to National Black History Month 50 years later during the nation’s bicentennial celebration at which time then-President Gerald Ford urged the country to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2025/black-history-month.html

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:

https://jointotem.com/ca/alpine/joan-macqueen-pta/join

We are excited to announce that our 6th grade class will be attending Camp Cuyamaca from March 17-21, 2025! We know that is months away; however, because the week has a cost of $350 we like to give our families the time to start making payments asap. If you would like to start making payments or pay for camp in full, you can pay cash or make a check payable to Joan MacQueen Middle School beginning now. You can bring the cash or check to the JMMS office. Time to start getting excited for camp!

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

https://macqueenmiddlespiritwear.com/

Mon 2/10 - No School

Fri 2/14 - Lunch on the Lawn

Mon 2/17 - No School

Weds 2/19 - Late Start