| Get Your Scorpion Scoop - Week of 9/21-9/25! |
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Principal’s Message
Hello Scorpions,
This past week was SO fun and engaging at San Jose! Essential standards are being reviewed and assessed on campus. Students are taking district benchmark assessments. We had our first PTA meeting of the year, followed by the first Dual Language Committee meeting of 26-27. Drama rehearsals started and band boosters met. And to top it all off, we had a fantastic spirit week and block party! Things are cookin' at San Jose!
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With all of that good, I do need to let you know about a serious issue at school: GUM. Scorpions, it is out of control. I have now stepped in gum twice while walking through campus. Staff and students are reporting that gum is on railings, underneath furniture, on the track and field, basically everywhere. Every single student is abundantly aware of our expectation of no gum - there have been announcements throughout the school day, talks in classrooms, presentations in every PE class, and it's included very clearly in both the behavior matrix and handbook...which are in every edition of the Scorpion Scoop. There is no gum permitted on campus. Period.Â
Gum is a problem. At this point, any student who has gum at school is intentionally defying and disrespecting adult direction and district expectations. Please be sure to have a conversation with your student about this (again, as this is included in our handbook and all families were expected to read and sign the handbook). It is helpful to check your student's backpack and confirm they are not bringing gum to school. Students will face immediate campus beautification tasks if they are found with gum. Thank you for partnering with us to keep our campus clean. (Pictures below so you can see the impact of gum on our campus.)
Does your Scorpion have a birthday coming up? Reach out to Mrs. Karen Dugdale, Office Manger, to be sure we are celebrating your student in style! You can find our birthday program offerings below. Call or swing by the front office to learn more or place your order!
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.
In collaboration,
Whitney McEachern, Principal
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September:
đź“Ś 9/23 - ELAC Meeting, 5:30 PM, SJMS Libraryđź“ŚÂ 9/25 Â - Â Drama Dance a Thon, 3-8 PM, SJMS Gym
​📌 9/25 - End of Progress Report Period #1
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October:
đź“Ś 10/3 - Reflections Entries Due
​📌 10/5-6, 10/12-13, 10/16 - School Fuel Softball Tournament
​📌 10/9 - Lunch on the Lawn
​📌 10/9 - Choir Concert
​📌 10/12 - Staff Development Day, NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
​📌 10/20 - PTA Meeting, 6 PM, SJMS Library
​📌 10/21 - Outsiders Production for Students, 2 PM, Black Box Theater
​📌 10/23-26 - Outsiders Drama Production
​📌 10/29 - Minimum Day, 12:44 PM Dismissal
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It was so great to see so many families out at the Welcome Back Block Party. Thank you to all who helped set up and clean up.
If your student wants to participate in the reflections art project for school fuel it's due next week. You can find more information below:
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🎨Attention Creative Scorpions🌍
The Reflections Art Competition is coming up. Â This year's theme is What My Culture Means to Me.Â
Choose your favorite way to create: Painting • Drawing • Stories/Poetry • Dance • Music • Photography
How will you share your reflection in this creative celebration of who we are?
Student entry forms are in the Main Office. All entries and filled out forms need to be submitted by October 3.
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Hello Scorpions!
Thank you for a great turnout at Friday evening's Block Party! It was my first SJMS Block Party, and I had a wonderful time. It was so fun to see families on campus playing games and enjoying delicious food.
As we continue our focus on Attendance Awareness Month, we will be rewarding 30 students this Monday. We currently have about 340 students with perfect attendance! We will select 10 students from each grade level to receive their choice of a preferred reward: a front-of-the-lunchline pass, a front-of-the-blacktop line pass, or leaving for lunch five minutes early.
If your student hasn't had perfect attendance so far, don’t fret! Research shows that when students improve their attendance, they also boost their academic success and chances of high school graduation. We will be recognizing and rewarding students who show attendance improvement later this month as well.
Thanks,
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.Â
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!Â
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 WishlistÂ
Thank you!
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The first week of games is already here! Please find the schedule below:
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Flag Football plays @ Hall MS on 9/21 @ 4:00
6th Grade Volleyball plays @ Davidson MS on 9/25 @ 4:00
7th/8th grade Volleyball plays @ Del Mar MS on 9/25 @ 4:00pm
GO SCORPIONS!
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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 should have been signed and returned 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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