| Get Your Scorpion Scoop - Week of 10/12-10/16! |
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Principal’s Message
Good afternoon Scorpion Community,
I wanted to begin this week's Scoop with an important update. As many of you may know, the NUSD School Board voted unanimously to move forward with transitioning Hamilton’s 6th–8th grade program to our San Jose campus beginning in the 2027–2028 school year.
Changes like this naturally bring a mix of emotions for everyone involved. I hold immense respect for Hamilton Principal Bryan Clement, the Hamilton staff, and their families as they navigate this transition. Hamilton is an incredibly special school community, and we honor the dedication and grace they have shown throughout this process. I understand it has not been easy.
At the same time, this decision gives us a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate what makes San Jose so extraordinary—our warmth, collaborative energy, and unwavering commitment to every student who walks through our doors. Our priority is to ensure a seamless, thoughtful, and welcoming transition. We are already partnering closely with Hamilton leadership and key community partners—including RISE Scholars Inc.—to ensure that every incoming student and family feels seen, heard, and ready to thrive as part of our Scorpion Family.
One of the reasons I take tremendous pride in being your principal is because I am proud to lead a community that is largely defined by how generously we support one another, and I have no doubt that working together, we will make this transition a success for all of our middle schoolers. We will keep you updated in the months ahead as joint planning begins. Thank you for your open arms, your partnership, and your dedication to making San Jose a place where every student belongs.
Lunch on the Lawn was amazing! Thank you to all who joined us. We wish every parent/guardian was able to be in attendance, but recognize that it can be challenging to take time during the day to come to campus. Please tune into our Important Dates document that was sent home at the start of the year so you can note the remaining Lunches on the Lawn with the hopes of joining us in the future!
A special shoutout goes to Ms. Zavala and Mrs. Galdamez, who worked collaboratively with students in Spanish language arts to lead activities in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Thank you to leadership for set up and break down - you created a lovely, hospitable environment!
It's not too late to get involved in San Jose's Dia De Los Muertos festivities. Ms. Leiva and Ms. Regina would love more support from parents/guardians and students as they build a Katrina Doll and create areas on campus to honor our loved ones and celebrate our diverse cultures. Please reach out to Ms. Regina, our community liaison, to extend your help!
We loved seeing so many Scorpions cruise onto campus safely and responsibly on International Walk and Roll to School day this past Wednesday! Thank you to Safe Routes to School and SJMS leadership for being so welcoming as students arrived at San Jose.
Now, we need our community to do their part. Please be sure you are following all the rules of the road when driving, biking, walking, etc. We need to model safe behavior for our students. Specifically, you should never drive in the bike line or complete a U-turn on Sunset Parkway. This is wildly unsafe for our students...oh, and illegal. Thanks for looking out for our young people!
Walk and Roll and Lunch on the Lawn are just a couple of the engaging activities we had on campus last week! In other news...
- Students in Mrs. Eurgubian's math class tackled a Building Thinking Math Classrooms task, where they went shopping! Figuratively, of course. Students practiced skills around calculating sales tax, discounts on items, and other real-world application opportunities.
- In drama, preparing for the production of The Outsiders is not all about memorizing lines. It is also about building relationships! Scene partners spent class managing a lacrosse ball and a list of tasks to complete. They had to work as a team to keep the ball from falling while jumping, walking down the ramp, and doing the cha cha slide!
- Mr. E (one of our fabulous school counselors) often joins our Scorpions in the upper campus area at lunch. There's no better way to build connections with students than seeing them doing an activity they enjoy! Mr. E played a game of hoops with some 8th graders and gave them a run for their money!
- The SJMS choir students performed in a concert on Friday with students in MSA. They sounded absolutely fantastic. Thank you Ms. Starr, as well as Novato High for hosting SJMS Scorpions and their families!
- Mrs. Fried's students got busy building ziggurats as they study Ancient Mesopotamia in history. Students learned that these massive pyramid-like structures were built out of mud bricks and mean to honor or worship the gods.
- SJMS 8th graders had a visit from the MSA Creative Writing department, which is the first of many introductions to all that MSA (Marin School of the Arts) at Novato High has to offer. Thank you Mariah Fisher for helping to coordinate, as well as Mr. Norwood and Mr. Schultz for accommodating classroom presentations!
- The SJMS ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee) visited the district office and shared a delicious spread of food with district staff members. We are so grateful to our ELAC for their generosity and volunteerism!
San Jose's drama department is working tirelessly to bring to you their fall production. Tune in below for information about how to get your tickets! You will not want to miss this show!
TICKETS HERE: The Outsiders Tickets
We missed seeing students today, but our staff was hard at work growing as educators and collaborating on best practices to support our learners. Students are back tomorrow for more engagement and fun!
Let's make it a great week,
Whitney McEachern, Principal
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October:
📌 10/15 - Make Up Picture Day
📌 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
📌 10/30 - On-Campus Halloween Festivities (More info from leadership coming soon.)
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Wow we had an amazing turn out for Lunch on the Lawn. It is wonderful to get families on campus and share time with your students. We have these scheduled almost once a month for the school year.
We have Dine & Donates coming up in October and November. Chipotle is October 27 and Finnegan’s is November 17 more information to follow.
The PTA association meetings have been moved to the third Monday of the month moving forward, instead of the third Tuesday.
This change was made to help provide families with more opportunities to participate in our school community. PTA meetings previously fell on the same day and time as District Board meetings, and we wanted families who are interested in attending those meetings to have the opportunity to do so. We also selected the third Monday so that information and ideas discussed at PTA meetings can be shared and reviewed with staff during the staff meeting that takes place on Wednesday.
Please follow us on Instagram as well for updates @sjms_pta Instagram .
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Hi Scorpion Families!
This past Friday was my very first Lunch on the Lawn, and it was amazing! I was so happy to see so many parents and families come out to enjoy lunch with your students. It was so kind of you to bring extra food to share with other students. The kids had a phenomenal time and I think we are all looking forward to the next Lunch on the Lawn.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. At SJMS and NUSD we have a commitment to a safe, welcoming, and inclusive school culture. While we work towards this through restorative practices, community building activities, and a wide range of student supports, we still need your help at home. Reminding students to treat one another the way you want to be treated, how to access supports like Counselors, and when to tell an adult are all ways you can help at home. Having open and honest communication with your students will also lead to better relationships at home, and will give you an opportunity to support your child.
Please also remember, not all teasing or name calling falls into the category of “bullying”. While we do need incidents to be reported to follow up and support at the school site, we ask that you remember there are often at least two sides to every story.
Thanks to all for everything you do to support having a great school environment.
Sincerely,
Mr.G
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Routines and Dreams!
Happy Fall, parents and guardians! As our school year picks up momentum, establishing strong daily routines is the single best way to set your student up for success. From consistent sleep schedules to designated homework zones, predictable habits give middle school brains the anchor they need to thrive.
Speaking of predicting the future: did you ever guess you’d be in your current career when you were your child’s age? Did you take an interest assessment back in the day that pointed you toward becoming a chef, only to end up as an architect?
While daily routines anchor our students in the present, career awareness helps them look ahead and connect today’s habits to tomorrow’s dreams. This past week, our 8th graders took another exciting step toward their futures with Mr. E, completing a Career Interest Profiler on CaliforniaColleges.edu. Students identified potential career paths matching their personal strengths, explored two additional career guidance sites, and were encouraged to interview you, their teachers, and other trusted adults about their professional journeys. 8th graders will also participate in the Empower Tomorrow Field Trip at College of Marin’s Indian Valley Campus next Friday where they’ll meet adults from their various careers and have an opportunity to ask questions and see their tools for their respective careers.
We encourage you to check in with your 8th grader about their Career Interest Profiler results and view the presentation slides. Ask them what surprised them about their top career matches! You can also create a parent account to review your student's career assessments, track their college planning progress, and eventually use the platform to guide them through high school course planning, college applications, and financial aid options (like FAFSA/CADAA).
Recently, we visited all 6th-grade English classes to deliver an Introduction to Counseling & Wellness at SJMS. Students learned how to self-refer for a 1-on-1 meeting with a counselor, how to utilize the Wellness Hub, and how to request a wellness break during the school day. We also explored the many scenarios and challenges counselors can help students navigate. Shout-out to our 6th-grade class—we were so impressed by their active participation and thoughtful questions!
This past week, our 7th and 8th graders covered this same material during Science classes through a custom video presentation that we created. In addition to reviewing counseling services, self-referrals, and wellness support, we partnered with students from leadership to share an important message for Suicide Prevention Month. Student leaders highlighted key warning signs to watch for, emphasized the importance of speaking up when a peer is struggling, and shared local and national crisis resources like the 988 Lifeline. You can watch the full video with your student here: Introduction to Counseling & Wellness 7th/8th 26-27
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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The competitions are heating up and all of our athletic teams continue to improve, play hard, and have fun! It’s been great to see the students in action.
Upcoming games/competitions
10/13: 6th Volleyball @Del Mar vs. Del Mar @4:00 10/15: 6th Volleyball @SJMS vs. Mark Day @4:00 10/15: Flag Football @SJMS vs. Mark Day @4:00 10/15: Cross Country Red Rock Run (Please see letter below.) 10/16: 7th/8th Volleyball @White Hill vs. White Hill @5:00
Red Rock Run Letter - Google Docs.pdf
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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