| Get Your Scorpion Scoop - Week of 9/7-9/11! |
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Principal’s Message
Hello Scorpion Community,
I hope you've been enjoying the longer weekend. We have a busy (and HOT) week ahead, so thanks for tuning into the important dates below, ideally setting up you and your Scorpion for success. Don't forget to pack a water bottle!
What's been happening across the SJMS campus? We are busy busy with activities for all!
Mrs. Eurgubian's math class spent time sharing their answers as they learned about solving literal equations. White boards are a great way to engage students in the classroom - kids feel safe sharing their answers, and also get immediate feedback during hands-on practice!
Mrs. Fisher's beginning drama students worked on mastering stage directions while guiding their partner through an obstacle course! Learning stage directions gives us a common language to understand movement on stage and how to take blocking notes in our scripts. This was also a great trust building exercise!
On Friday, Ms. Cosentino took her 8th grade science classes out for some fresh air! They looked at San Jose's famous "Bunny Run" and took field notes about the topics of erosion, the difference between native nad invasive plants, identifying sedimentary rocks, and practiced their scientific drawing skills. It was a short but great mini field trip!
Mr. G and Mrs. McEachern were covered in silly string from head to toe last week! Five lucky students from the many whose families donated to our PTA Membership and Family Giving Campaign were selected to have some extra fun at lunch last week...and silly string the administrators! Thank you all for your contributions. We appreciate your support so we can continue to do AMAZING things for our students at San Jose!
Mr. Atkin, our library media specialist, said he is seeing an amazing uptick in San Jose Scorpions reading.
Perhaps this is a combination of a new 6th grade class that loves reading and Chromebooks not going home anymore? Maybe parents/guardians are practicing healthier screen time limits and encouraging reading at home? It could be our school-wide expectation of having a silent reading book at all times. Regardless, we are loving this trend! Mr. Atkin says piles of books are being checked out and read at levels he hasn't seen in his last 5 years at San Jose. Students are also conversing and socializing more before school without Chromebooks in the picture. Now, Mr. Atkin's hardest job is having enough suggestions for all the readers...which is a great challenge!
Ms. Cutting is finding opportunities to get her students using academic language as they provide feedback to one another regarding their math notebooks. As a staff, we strive to support our students with the development of their vocabulary and speaking skills. You may hear your student saying things like, "To build on that idea..." or "In my opinion..." You can support your student at home by expecting that they speak in complete sentences, incorporating academic vocabulary whenever possible!
Below is a note from Mr. Patrick Fahy regarding the non-school sponsored, optional 8th grade trip at the end of the year:
Good Evening 8th Grade SJMS Families. I wanted to send out a reminder about our upcoming 2027 Washington, D.C. and New York City trip! This is going to be an unforgettable, action-packed adventure for our students, filled with historic landmarks, world-class sights, and incredible memories.
I will be holding an informational meeting right after Back-to-School Night in the library to walk you through the itinerary, costs, and safety details.
Mark Your Calendars!
- 📅 Date: Thursday, September 10th
- ⏰ Time: 7:30 PM
- 📍 Location: School Library (Immediately following Back-to-School Night). Should take 20 to 25 minutes.
Exclusive Early Bird Savings
Attend the meeting and register by September 14th to lock in a $75 discount off the trip price! You can also sign up prior to the meeting as the trip is filling up fast with limited availability. I have attached a flyer for the trip as well to the end of this message with information.
Get a Sneak Peek! Want to see what we'll be exploring? Check out our trip page before the meeting to preview the itinerary: 👉 San Jose Middle School's 2027 East Coast Trip Page
If you have any questions before the meeting, feel free to email me or send me a message on parent square.
Sincerely,
Patrick Fahy
8th Grade Social Science/Avid Teacher
Please note: This is a non-school-sponsored activity.
Please be sure to review each section of the newsletter, including the last section titled "Fliers, Opportunities, Announcements, and More!", as it is updated weekly and includes excellent opportunities and information for our families.
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September:
📌 9/7 - Labor Day, No School
📌 9/10 - Back to School Night (Regular Schedule), 5:30 PM Optional Parent/Guardian Meeting in Gym, 6 PM Official Start (in 1st Period Classes)
***Thank you PTA for providing breakfast for staff this day!***
📌 9/11 - Minimum Day, 12:44 PM Dismissal & Pledge Drive Ends
📌 9/15 - PTA Meeting, 6 PM, SJMS Library
📌 9/17 - Kona Ice for 1st Period Classes with Most Pledges (for PTA Pledge Drive)
📌 9/18 - Block Party, 5-7 PM, SJMS Blacktop and Field
📌 9/23 - ELAC Meeting, 5:30 PM, SJMS Library
📌 9/25 - Drama Dance a Thon, 3-8 PM, SJMS Gym
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Woo Hoo!!! We made it over $20,000 for SJMS!
Let's make it to $25,000!! We have 1 week to go!
Remember, we only hold two major fundraisers to make incredible things possible at San Jose Middle School. Family Giving directly funds:
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School beautification projects
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Field trips for all students
- Classroom enrichment materials
- Vital teacher support
Kona Ice competition is getting competitive...with one class already making it to 100% participation! Congratulations to Mr. Hays's class! The top three classes with the HIGHEST PARTICIPATION RATE will win a free Kona Ice! Get those donations in by September 11th!
Every single dollar counts: $5 or $2,000 we want ALL families to play a part!
How to give:
💻 Click the link to donate online. https://paybee.io/@sjscorpions@36
💵 Drop off cash or a check at the front office.
Keep It GOING!
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Happy Three Day Weekend Everyone!
This past week, Principal McEachern and I were able to visit every PE class to give a synopsis of the SJMS Behavior Expectations and Behavior Matrix. While students generally know the expectations - or remember from previous school years - it is important for us to ensure things are understood to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all.
If you haven’t already, please be sure to go over the NUSD Middle School Student Handbook with your student. You and your student should sign the last page and turn it in to the front office. These were passed out when students received their schedules, and there are extra copies in the office.
We welcome September with open arms and with an important reminder about attendance. September is Attendance Awareness Month, and I’d like to emphasize just how important attendance really is.
The most recent federal data shows that in the 2020-21 school year, at least 14.7 million students nationwide were chronically absent. Being chronically absent places a student academically at risk of falling behind their peers. Please help encourage and empower your student to attend and enjoy school as they continue their journey of being lifelong learners.
Yours in Partnership,
Mr. G
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September is National Attendance Awareness Month!
As your middle school counselors, we know that these years bring incredible growth, greater independence, and new challenges for students. One of the most critical factors in academic success is consistent daily attendance. We know that middle school is a foundational time where routines are established, and missing just a couple of days can quickly add up, leaving students feeling behind in their classes and disconnected from their peers. We see attendance as a vital component of your child’s academic success, sense of belonging and overall well-being.
When attendance challenges arise, our role as school counselors is to support, not judge. We work proactively to address the root causes of absences–whether a student is battling morning anxiety, navigating social relationships, struggling with academic pressure, experiencing personal or family challenges, or not getting out the door in time to avoid the traffic! Through individual check-ins, group counseling, and collaborating with teachers and parents to problem solve, we can help students build the routines and feel safe and excited to come to school every day.
Throughout this month, we’ll continue to highlight the importance of consistent attendance. More information about attendance and how students can request meetings with us will be shared with students in the coming days. We also want to encourage you to reach out to us if you have concerns about your child’s attendance or other educational needs. We are here to partner with you to make sure your student can access the education they deserve, on time, every day. Attendance Matters!
SJMS School Counselors,
Wellness Hub:
We are delighted to welcome the return of our Wellness Hub for the third year! The Wellness Hub is closed the first couple of weeks of school and will have more information for you to follow! We aim to keep our Wellness Hub stocked for students to have access to a safe space on campus that is filled with snacks, mindful activities, arts and crafts, board games, etc. We welcome new or gently used donations, and we also update our Wellness Hub Amazon Wishlist regularly as our inventory runs low. If you wish to support wellness initiatives at SJMS, we have linked our wishlist here! Thank you for your consideration and partnership. We look forward to sharing more news and happenings with you soon! SJMS Wellness Hub Wishlist
Thank you!
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We want to extend a HUGE shoutout to Mr. Urmini, Mr. G, and the parents/guardians who are supporting our athletics program currently. We couldn't do this without you!
Practices for our Fall sports will be starting on 9/8/26.
Flag Football will practice on the field from 3:45-5:00
Volleyball will practice from 3:45 - 5:00
Cross Country will practice from 2:45-4:00
Your Coaches will share more info with you at practice on Tuesday about your practice schedules moving forward.
Student Athletes in Flag Football or Volleyball will be expected to either go home after school and return for practice, or to participate in Scorpion Success (after school study hall). Student are not allowed to meander around campus.
We are having some technical difficulties with Arbiter, the waiver and registration form system. If we can't get it working, we will have paper copies to distribute next week. Thank you for your patience with this new process. All students can still participate in practice on Tuesday.
We will check in with families on Tuesday at practices or via email.
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The 2026-2027 NUSD Middle School Handbook was 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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