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Principal’s Update - Coffee Topics, Student Expectations, Counselor Survey

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Hello JLS Families, I hope you are looking forward to a cooler - and perhaps a more relaxing - weekend. While this week has been hot and uncomfortable at times, we got through it! Thank you to our PTA leaders (Robyn, Angie, Jen, and many volunteers) who organized three fun Lunch surprises Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to help keep our students refreshed. Today's Noon Angels circulated through our campus misting students with spray bottles to keep everyone cool.

This morning we held our second in-person Principal's Coffee on the Office Patio. Special thanks to Amy Lovic (PTA) for organizing this event! We discussed a broad range of topics.

  • Strategies to survive this week's heat
  • Wednesday's Lockdown Drill
  • Student Expectations for Behavior
  • Student Wellness: R-Lounge & Counselor's Survey
  • JLS Clubs (Lunch Opportunities)
  • Student IDs: Lunch, Library, Tech, etc.
  • Mid-Quarter Progress Reports
  • Service Opportunities

We also heard from Jennifer DiBrienza, PAUSD School Board Member and JLS Liaison, and a few members of our JLS staff. Read below for more information about the topics listed above, and mark your calendars for next week's Community Zoom! (Friday, September 16 at 8:45 AM)

Strategies to Survive the Heat:

Thanks to our amazing PTA, JLS students enjoyed several cooling surprises to beat the heat: popsicles, ice and water, frozen juices and misters. If you are looking to support JLS Lunchtime activities, we love having Noon Angels. Please sign up here!

Wednesday's Lockdown Drill:

As you may recall, Wednesday's PRIME classes participated in our routine Lockdown Drill. Teachers explained the procedures to students, answered questions, and we practiced the drill at 2:00 PM. The drill was completed at 2:11 PM. Teachers then had time to answer students' questions and debrief together.

Expectations for Student Behavior:

Linked here are our school's expectations for Student Behavior. Our guiding principles are simple: We take care of ourselves, we take care of each other, and we take care of this place. Note that smartphones and smartwatches are not allowed to be used during the school day, and backpacks should be stored in lockers (not taken from class to class).

Wellness: R-Lounge & Counselor's Survey:

Our R-Lounge (Room 260) is a calm, quiet place for students to Rest, Relax and Recharge. It is staffed by Whitney Aquino, our Mental Health and Wellness Therapist, who receives students to support their health. Our counselors, SAFE Specialist Christine Castillo, and SEL Teacher Liz Darby also support the space. Connected to this topic is our counselor's new, optional Emotional Concerns Survey for parents/guardians about the health of their child(ren). Please consider filling out this optional survey by Friday, September 16, 2022.

JLS Clubs (Optional Lunch Activities):

Here's the JLS Club schedule for Semester One. If you feel your child could benefit from any of these clubs, we recommend you discuss these choices with your child; ask what they currently do during Lunch times and what activities they may want to participate in. Clubs are designed to help students meet others who share their interests.

Student IDs: Lunch, Library, Tech, etc.

Remind your student to always have their JLS Student ID with them. It is used for Lunch service, Library book check out, Tech support (such as borrowing a loaner device or loaner charger), and playground equipment. If your student needs a replacement ID, please contact Joan Scherer (jscherer@pausd.org) in the JLS Counseling Office.

Mid-Quarter Progress Reports:

It's hard to believe that Friday, September 16 marks the middle of our First Quarter. This date is important to be aware of as students who are currently earning grades of less than "C-" will receive a progress report. These reports will be sent on Friday, September 23. Often, students who receive these warning notices might have missing assignments or missed an assessment (quiz/test). If you haven't already done so, please ask your child if they have any missing assignments in any of their classes. Students and parents can check this via Schoology and are encouraged to reach out to teachers with specific questions.

Service Opportunities:

Consider signing up for YCS's National Day of Service on Saturday September 11, and JLS's afternoon of Service Activities on Thursday, September 15, from 3:30-4:30 PM.

There always seems to be a lot happening within our community. This coming week, we'll have elections for student government, and Friday will host our first international market arranged by our Connections Program. There's always something to look forward to!

Thank you very much for your engaged support of our school community. If you have questions about any of the information above, please reach out to me or any member of the JLS staff, call our office at (650) 856-5188 or visit our school website.

Take care,

Chris Grierson, JLS Principal (cgrierson@pausd.org)

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