| San Jose Scorpion Scoop: Welcome Back to School Edition! |
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Principal’s Message
Happy Sunday to you all, Scorpion Community.
I hope your last weekend of summer is wrapping up with excitement for the first day of school...this Thursday! I am filled with anticipation as we prepare to welcome you all back for the 2026-2027 school year. While many of us have been on campus throughout the past few weeks getting ready, all of our teachers will be back tomorrow, with a full day of staff development and community building. It will be amazing to have the band back together, with some new faces!
Please join me in welcoming our new staff for this upcoming school year. We're so thrilled they have joined our Scorpion Community:
Aaron Gildergorin - Assistant Principal Jessica Rhodes - MCOE SDC Teacher Jessica Hamilton - Math Teacher Roxana Leiva - Art Teacher Evelyn Zavala - English and Spanish Language Arts Teacher Kimm Hodges - PE Teacher
You'll have the opportunity to get to know our new and returning staff members at Back to School Night, which is one of many important dates coming up. In every edition of the Scorpion Scoop, there will be a list of important dates for you to note. Still to be determined are School Site Council, ELAC, and SJMS-specific Dual Language/Multilingual Learner Meetings. Once all staff are back and settled on campus, dates will be determined and released. Some of the most important upcoming dates are WEB Day, schedule pick up, and the first day of school! There are two critical tasks that families are required to complete prior to their child either picking up their schedule, or attending school. Every single household must complete Aeries data confirmation. If your child arrives to campus to retrieve their schedule and we find that data verification isn't complete and confirmed in Aeries, we expect parents/guardians to complete data verification prior to the schedule being shared with the student. Thank you so much for your cooperation. Without updated information/data in Aeries, we cannot partner effectively in supporting your child (especially in contacting you!).
In addition to Aeries data verification, all 7th graders must show proof of the Tdap booster before starting school. By law, we are not permitted to allow any student without their booster to attend school. As of Friday, we had over 50 families without their booster verification turned in. Thanks for starting the 26-27 school year with success and submitting your Tdap proof ASAP! See below for documentation you may use. See below for documentation you may use.
TDAP LETTER FOR PARENTS.docx.pdf
On Wednesday at WEB Day and schedule pickup, or on the first day of school, every single Scorpion will receive a copy of the NUSD Middle School Handbook, as well as the SJMS Behavior Expectation Matrix. Please review these documents with your student, as we will be holding them to site and district expectations daily and appreciate your support and follow through at home. The last page of the handbook needs to be signed and returned by Friday, August 28th. You can find an electronic version toward the middle of the Scoop.
With specific regards to the personal device policy, please work with your student, should you provide them with a personal device, to create a plan for them to arrive prepared at school with their devices powered off and put away. You can find specific language around the policy in the handbook, but ultimately, we do not want to hear or see your student's device from the very moment they arrive at San Jose's campus. Thanks for helping us maintain a respectful, inclusive, and focused learning environment.
Do you have a student who will be utilizing public transportation? Please review the information below, as Marin Transit Youth Pass is not moving to Clipper. Parents can use the QR code pictured on the flier below to register their child for a Clipper Card. Students will no longer receive a sticker on their student ID.
There will be much more to come in terms of communication and important information as the year launches. I know it can feel overwhelming at times, especially if you have multiple children, and at different school sites! I am right there with you as a parent. We are so grateful that you take the time to review communication from school. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions you have. We're happy to offer clarification! See you soon, Scorpions.
In partnership,
Mrs. Whitney McEachern, Principal
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August:
📌 8/19 - WEB Day & Schedule Distribution (see flyers below), 10 AM - 12 PM (new Scorpions), 2 - 4 PM (returning Scorpions)
📌 8/20 - First Day of School (1st period begins promptly at 8:20 AM - arrive EARLY!)
📌 8/25 - Picture Day
📌 9/7 - Labor Day, No School
📌 9/10 - Back to School Night (Regular Schedule)
📌 9/11 - Minimum Day, 12:44 PM Dismissal
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Joining the SJMS PTA is a great way to get involved in your middle schooler's education! There are so many opportunities to support the school, including the PTA Membership Drive and Family Giving Campaign. Please look closely at your welcome back packet for more information regarding how you can get involved and support!
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Hi Scorpion Families!
I could not be more excited to be joining the San Jose Middle School team as your new Assistant Principal for the 2026-27 school year!
I am a lifelong educator with 12 years of site and district level administrative experience. My teaching career began in 2007 as the Social Studies teacher at Marin Oaks High School.
I am a Novato resident and proud father of two future Scorpions who will be attending Lynwood Elementary this upcoming school year.
I look forward to meeting all of our students and helping to continue the amazing community building here at SJMS.
Thank you in advance for helping make this a great school year,
Mr. Aaron Gildengorin
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Welcome back, Scorpions! We are so excited to kick off another incredible school year with you. The counseling team is currently working hard behind the scenes to finalize student schedules and make sure everyone is right where they need to be. Hang tight as we get everything sorted—there is plenty more information to come soon. We hope your summer has included plenty of rest, hydration, and self-care. Enjoy these last few days, and we’ll see you all very soon!
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Middle School Sports Information |
Marin County has officially established middle school sports as an after-school sports league, creating a more organized and consistent structure for middle school athletics across the county. As the MMAL gets underway, the league will continue developing and implementing official policies, procedures, and rules of play for participating schools and student-athletes. We are excited about the opportunities this will provide for our students and look forward to being part of this new chapter for middle school athletics in Marin County.
The MMAL will offer a variety of sports across three seasons:
Fall Season – August through October
- Girls Volleyball
- Flag Football
- Cross Country
Winter Season – November through February
Spring Season – March through May
- Track and Field
- Girls Flag Football
- Boys Volleyball
- Boys Soccer
- Girls Soccer
Fall Girls Volleyball & Flag Football
For the upcoming Fall season, Girls Volleyball will include three teams:
- 6th Grade
- 7th Grade
- 8th Grade
Flag Football will include one 6th–8th grade team that will compete in the MMAL.
Both Girls Volleyball and Flag Football will hold tryouts and begin practices during the first week of September. Our target date for the start of Fall competition is the week of September 14th.
Scheduled games for both Girls Volleyball and Flag Football will take place mid-week, with no games scheduled on Fridays or weekends. More information regarding tryouts and specific practice days and times will be shared as we get closer to the start of the season.
Fall Sports Student Interest Form
The MMAL is asking schools to provide student interest numbers for the Fall sports. We have created a Fall Athletics Student Interest Form for San Jose students who are interested in participating in Girls Volleyball and/or Flag Football.
Please complete the form if they are interested in participating:
Please note that completing the interest form does not guarantee a spot on a team. Girls Volleyball and Flag Football will both hold tryouts, and additional information regarding tryout dates, practice schedules, and team formation will be shared as we get closer to September.
WE NEED COACHES!
If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information about the coaching opportunity, please contact Aaron Gildengorin and Whitney McEachern:
agildengorin@nusd.org and wmceachern@nusd.org.
We can't wait for a great year ahead with our Scorpion Athletes!
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The 2026-2027 NUSD Middle School Handbook will be sent home with your Scorpion at either schedule pick up or the first day of school. The final page needs to be signed and return to SJMS by Friday, 8/28. Please keep the handbook in a safe place at home, and consistently review it, as well is the SJMS Behavior Matrix. Both consist of expectations that are reviewed regularly at school. We highly encourage you to discuss high expectations at home with your Scorpion. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure your student knows how to be #ScorpionStrong!
Middle School Handbook PDF:
SJMS Behavior Matrix:
 
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