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JLS Back To School Information – Read by August 13, 2024

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Dear JLS Families,

Welcome to the 2024-25 academic school year!  The staff and I are proud of our school, our exemplary programs, and the learning experiences we create for students.  At JLS we share high expectations for ourselves as well as for your children – our students.  Our mission is to educate and nurture all students in ways that will assist them to discover their potential as young adults.  We value and appreciate partnering with you to make 2024-25 a fabulous year!!

 

Our Administrators and our Counselors look forward to working with you:

 

FORM TO COMPLETE (ASAP), PURCHASES AND DONATIONS FOR 2024-25

  1. Complete the Annual Data Update* (ADU) in Infinite Campus. Having your family’s current contact information is critical to accurate and timely communication.

    • Log in to id.pausd.org

    • Launch Infinite Campus

    • On the left side menu in Infinite Campus, click "More"

    • Click "Online Registration"

    • Click "Start" next to 24-25 Annual Data Update

    • *ADU must be complete for students to start school, in accordance with district policy.

  2. PTA Back to School Forms will be sent to families soon.  Please look for a message early next week. 

    • Join our PTA and fund our JLS programs

    • Learn about fun events this year, middle school sports, and ways to get involved

  •  Make school purchases  - specifically, PE uniform purchases (7th/8th only), yearbooks, club/activities donations, 6th grade panther camp/curriculum donations, and/or library and music donations. The form is at the bottom of this message. 

  • Donate to Partners in Education (PiE). PiE funds important electives, music programs, counselors and classroom support. Learn more on PiE’s website. Donate here: https://papie.org/donate/

 

ALL INCOMING STUDENTS

  • Read the list of recommended school supplies.  Individual teachers or teams may have additional requests during the first week of school.

  • Discuss digital citizenship with your child. Students will demonstrate they can make good choices by earning their Digital Driver’s License.  After students have passed their quiz and earned a badge, they will be entered into a raffle to earn prizes.  

  • Check out the FAQ for more questions and answers.

 

6TH GRADE INFORMATION ONLY

7TH GRADE INFORMATION ONLY

*Tdap vaccination must be verified in order for students to start school, in accordance with district policy.

 

JLS COMMUNICATION

In addition to email, phone calls, or in-person meetings with JLS staff, other channels of communication that help families stay informed and engaged are: 

  • ParentSquare messages (all JLS staff/admin and PTA messages will come from ParentSquare)

    • All parents who are registered with PAUSD are automatically enrolled in ParentSquare

    • On the app or website, it’s a good idea to check your email preferences. Messages can be delivered instantaneously, or batched to the end of the day. Parents can change their preferences to make sure they are receiving messages at their preferred pace.

  • Principal-Parent Conversations via Zoom, called “JLS Community Chats” (Here's a collection from 2023-24.)

  • Principal Coffees (Monthly, in-person gatherings at JLS, sponsored by the PTA)

  • JLS Weekly eNews - Sign Up here! 

  • WhatsApp groups (not moderated by JLS)

  • JLS Social Media: 

KEY DATES

  • August 5, Monday – JLS Office opens. Regular Hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday-Friday. 

  • August 12, Monday – STUDENT SCHEDULES available at 12:00 PM (Noon).  To view your student’s schedule, log in to Infinite Campus.  If you have questions, contact your child’s counselor. 

  • August 14, Wednesday – First Day of School - School starts at 8:30 AM and ends at 2:30 PM. The bell schedule for our first week can be found here. 

  • August 15 & 16, Thursday and Friday – Panther Camp (orientation program) for 6th graders -  On these two days, the 6th graders will not be in traditional classes. 

  • August 16, Friday – The first PTA-sponsored Principal Coffee will be held at 8:45 AM on the brick patio outside the JLS front office.

  • August 18, Sunday – Middle School Athletics registration deadline for fall sports. The City of Palo Alto runs the after school sports programs at all three Palo Alto middle schools.  For registration, parents need to create an "Enjoy!" account here. Please note that for 2024-25, the process has changed.  The City of Palo Alto is using a lottery system for registration.  The deadline for entering the lottery to participate in Fall sports is open now through August 18, 2024 at 11:59 PM. For further information about the Middle School Athletic program, please see this link. 

  • August 21, Wednesday – Welcome Back Pizza Night at 5:30 PM

  • August 21, Wednesday and August 22, Thursday – School picture days! More information will come through ParentSquare.

  • August 23, Friday – Principal’s Community Zoom starts at 8:45 AM.

  • August 28, Wednesday – JLS Back-to School Night – Mark your calendars. More information will come through ParentSquare.

  • August 31, Friday - Districtwide Minimum day, 12:40 PM dismissal.

 

Thank you very much for supporting our school community.  We – the JLS staff team – look forward to a positive and productive year, and we hope your family is too!  For questions, visit the JLS website or contact us at (650) 856-5188.

 

See you soon,

 

Chris Grierson

JLS Principal

cgrierson@pausd.org

 

 JLS Purchases and Donations for 2024-25  

PURCHASES

  • PE Uniform – A JLS logo uniform is not mandatory, but clothes worn in PE classes must be navy blue shorts & a short sleeved navy blue shirt.  6th grade students do not wear PE Uniforms.

    • PE Uniform Shirt $15

    • PE Uniform Shorts $15

  • Yearbook - You may purchase a yearbook for your student(s) below.  Purchasing a yearbook is optional.  This is your primary opportunity to buy a yearbook.  We cannot guarantee that copies of the yearbook will still be available for purchase after November 15.

    • Yearbook - $45 (until November 15) and then increase to $55 

DONATIONS

  • Associated Student Body – This important $75 donation helps pay for student activities such as clubs, spirit weeks, and lunch time activities.  No other fundraising effort supports these valuable student activities. 

  • Library Donation – $10 donation goes to expanding our library collection.

  • Musical Instrument Donation – $100 donation helps maintain instruments used by our students.

  • 6th Grade Donation – $135 donation helps enrich the 6th grade program:

    • Panther Camp - an orientation program for 6th graders.

    • Exploratory Wheel - contributes to the supplies used by the Wheel classes.

    • Curriculum - helps pay for school supplies, Scholastic magazines, classroom materials.

HOW TO PAY

  • You can pay using a credit card by filling out the form on ParentSquare.

  • To pay by cash or check, please go to the JLS main office and request a purchase form.

 

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