| San Jose Scorpion Scoop! Week of 4/12/2026 |
|
|
|
Principal’s Message
Dear Scorpion Families,
I hope this week has brought rest and recuperation to you all. We are in the home stretch of the school year, though the time passes differently for all. I bet most of us can agree that it is hard to believe we are half way through April! Scorpions, let's hit the ground running tomorrow with purpose and determination to end the year strong.
We concluded the week leading into Spring Break with a knock-your-socks-off all-school field trip - and all I can say is just WOW! Here is a wonderful summary of the experience, put together by our powerhouse moms who spearheaded this work:
What an incredible journey we got to go on just before break! It was an unforgettable day for our All-School Field Trip, with 14 buses, 509 students, 34 staff members and 76 chaperones! Thanks to the generosity of School Fuel and PTA, students had the opportunity to explore 12 different locations.
A huge thank you to all the support from Ms. McEachern and Ms. Jones! Thank you to the many wonderful teachers and staff members whose enthusiasm made this experience even more remarkable. We are grateful to all the chaperones who took the day to help out; and a very special shout out to our organizers, Aubin Giampaoli, Megan Honiball and Eva Gaborjak.
Thanks to this day, many of our students got to experience something new for the very first time and that is a memory that they will cherish for a lifetime.
It's critical that some special thank you's are extended. I was blown away week after week, day after day, as I observed parents/guardians and staff members step up to plan this incredible day for our students.
- Thank you to parents Ashley Piper and Monique Christensen for helping organize buses.
- Thanks to parent Elizabeth Greene for helping with field trip permission slips and chaperone verification.
- We have so much gratitude to Ms. Laila, Attendance Tech, for helping with lightning speed attendance and Ms. Regina, Community Liaison, for reaching out to parents/guardians to confirm attendance on the trip.
- Thank you to our dynamic duo in the front office, Mrs. Karen Dugdale and Mrs. Camille Tvedten-Posada for helping with permission slips and everything in between that came up!
- Our FANS staff bagged and boxed over 500 lunches. THANK YOU!
- Per usual, Mrs. Juliette Jones jumped in as a consistent thought partner and supported in every way she could. Thank you, Mrs. Jones!
-
And thanks to our leadership class for making bus signs, teacher signs, and loading the buses with lunches.
Please tune in below for some pictures that were contributed by chaperones and staff members. We will work on compiling a much larger collection of photos from the day and share them soon.
     
San Jose's second annual Wellness Week commences tomorrow! The week is jam-packed with amazing opportunities for students to grow their focus on health and wellness. Please be sure to tune into the PTA section of the newsletter, where information about Wellness Week has been featured for students and parents/guardians to preview for a few weeks now. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our counselors, Ms. K (mkovacevich@nusd.org) or Mr. E (eenglar@nusd.org). They have been working tirelessly alongside Mary LaPlaca to bring this week to fruition. Thank you so much, counselors and Mary!
|
8th grade promotion picture day is coming up! Mark your calendars for this week, Tuesday the 14th. Your student was sent home with order form information several weeks back.
Have you ordered your SJMS yearbook yet? The deadline for online orders is approaching! How to purchase an SJMS yearbook:
Go to YearbookOrderCenter.com. Enter the school code: 6690 Complete your purchase online for $45.
Alternatively, you may pick up an order form at the front office. The deadline for online orders is April 18th! Make sure to reserve your copy!
Join us for our upcoming Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Parent Committee meeting on April 15 at San Jose Middle School in the library. We will offer two meeting times at 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to provide flexibility for families.
During the meeting, we will share updates from our school sites, review key elements of our DLI Program Plan, and provide an overview of how transitions are progressing for the upcoming school year. This is a great opportunity to stay informed, ask questions, and continue strengthening our partnership in support of multilingual learners. We hope to see you there!
|
Don't forget that you may use the link below to sign up your student for Scorpion Success Intervention (SSI), which is held every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday after school. This is an opportunity available to any Scorpion who needs a quiet place to work, catch up on missing assignments, get help from a teacher, study for a test, work on organization, and more! Sign ups are on a first come, first served basis. You will hear from a counselor, teacher, our community liaison, or an administrator that your child is confirmed to attend SSI. Please be sure you have made it clear to your Scorpion that you expect them to attend, and have planned a safe way for them to get home after they attend.
Link to sign up your student:
Sincerely,
Mrs. Whitney McEachern, Principal
|
|
|
April:
📌 4/13-4/17 - Wellness Week
📌 4/14 - 8th Grade Promotion Picture Day
📌 4/14 - PTA Meeting, 6 PM, SJMS Library
📌 4/15 - School Site Council Meeting - RESCHEDULED - Updated date forthcoming
📌 4/15 - Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Parent Committee meeting, 9 AM and 5:30 PM, SJMS Library
📌 4/15 - Wellness Week Parent/Guardian Presentation - Nathan Harmon, 6:30 PM, Novato High (Please see details below in the PTA section of the Scoop.)
📌 4/21 - Multilingual Learner (Dual Language) Parent/Guardian Meeting, 10:45 AM, Location TBD
📌 4/30 - Open House, 6 PM
***All athletic events are noted in the Sports Program section below. Please tune in there for opportunities to spectate and cheer on your fellow Scorpions!***
|
|
|
|
|
The PTA meeting has been moved to Tuesday, 4/14 in the Library at 6 pm. Zoom will be available, and Spanish translation in person.
We are coming back to school this week with wellness week. This is a week of fun, engaging activities for the students to enjoy. We can’t wait to share the wonderful presentation from Nathan Harmon on Wednesday, 6:30pm, April 15 at Novato High. This will be about how parents can help their kids navigate current social pressures.
A 60 minute keynote and 15 min Q&A with parents, and community leaders. Nathan’s keynote addresses how parents can support their kids navigate pressures that previous generations did not experience at the same level. As parents, our instinct is to protect our children from pain and disappointment. Nathan will help parents discover the right balance between support, guidance and knowing when to step back.
We are excited to announce San Jose's Second Annual Wellness Week lineup!
|
| AP's (Assistant Principal's) Corner |
|
April 12:
Greetings SJMS community!
It is hard to believe we are heading into the final 9 weeks of the school year! I hope that all students and families had time to enjoy some rest, relaxation, and fun together and are ready for the last few weeks of the semester. I would like to send out a big thanks to the parents and staff who made the All School Fieldtrip possible the week before break. What an amazing day that took so much effort from so many people! I greatly enjoyed being able to spend time with students on a college campus and have great conversations about their dreams and potential pathways to attaining their goals. The day was truly a gift.
As we return to campus this week we would like to remind students and families of the school routines and expectations which we have in place in order to maintain the safe, inclusive, and respectful environment necessary for positive academic and social growth. The SJMS community expectations around phone and personal electronic devices, dress code, hate speech, gum, attendance, and disruptive behavior can be found in our handbook which was sent home to all families at the beginning of the school year. Please let us know if you need another copy. Also, our behavior matrix which includes additional expectations for behavior on campus is in the weekly newsletter each week. This is a great time for families to review goals and expectations with their students to set them up for a successful end to the school year.
When students hear the same message from all the adults in their life, the words become more powerful. Please feel free to contact me at jjones@nusd.org with any questions.
Let’s work together to have a strong finish to the school year!
All the best,
Juliette Jones
Assistant Principal
San Jose Middle School
1000 Sunset Parkway
Novato, CA 94949
|
San Jose Middle School Athletics – Home of the Scorpions
🗓 2025–2026 Sports Program
|
Weekly Update: Athletics News
Track and Field
Our track and field season officially opens this Friday with our annual Novato area meet. The event will be held on April 17th at Novato High School and is scheduled to run from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Volleyball
Our volleyball season enters its second week of play on Monday, April 13th. Both of our matches for the day will be played away at Sinaloa Middle School.
The schedule for Monday is as follows:
6th Grade: San Jose at Sinaloa, 3:30 p.m.7/8 Blue Team: San Jose at Sinaloa, 4:30 p.m. (immediately following the 6th grade game)
Soccer
Our soccer teams also begin their second week of competition with several home and away matchups.
The schedule for this week is as follows:
Tuesday, April 14th: Girls vs. Venetia Valley at San Jose, 4:30 p.m.Thursday, April 16th: Boys Soccer vs. Marin Christian Academy at San Jose, 4:00 p.m.Thursday, April 16th: Girls Soccer at Sinaloa, 4:00 p.m.
Thank you to all the parents and students for your continued support of our athletic programs. Let's have a great week of competition. Go Scorpions!
  
|
|
Dear Students and Families,
Spring is near and we’re already planning for next school year!
Counselors visited 6th and 7th grader English classrooms this week to help students select their elective course choices for next school year using a Google form. Students learned about each elective course, the benefits in taking a 0-period or 7th period course, and answered questions about their interests to help us better support them. We encouraged students to review their choices with you by showing you their emailed results.
Friendly reminder to 8th grade students and parents to check for any emails from programs and NHS and SMHS regarding admission status, course selection, or transfer information.
Take care,
-SJMS School Counselor, Ms. K & Mr. E
Megan Kovacevich for 6th graders, 8th graders with last names A-J:
mkovacevich@nusd.org/ 415-798-5276
Evan Englar for 7th graders, 8th graders with last names K-Z:
eenglar@nusds.org/ 415-798-5284
Wellness Hub Wishlist:
We want to extend a huge thank you to every family that purchased or donated items from our Wellness Hub Wishlist! Your contributions directly ensure that we can provide students with essential resources like healthy snacks and vital coping tools. This support helps us keep the Wellness Hub a functional space for self-regulation. Thank you for investing in the well-being of our SJMS students.
Wellness Hub Wishlist
Below you will find an excellent resource to support your student in their education. We have designed a checklist that you can use throughout the year as you navigate topics like academic planning, time management, sleep and wellness, screen time, and more! Feel free to stop by the front office where you can pick up a hard copy.Parent Checklists for Success:
Parent Checklist for Scorpion Success.docx
Spanish Checklist for Scorpion Success.docx
|
|
|
|
Below you'll find the 8th grade expectation letter that went home with every single 8th grade Scorpion on Friday, 1/23. Please be sure you have reviewed the letter with your Scorpion, and filled out and returned the bottom portion. We appreciate collaborating with you in support of your student!
Please consistently review the Middle School Handbook, 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:
 
|
|
|
Joint message from the City of Novato, Novato Police Department and Novato Fire District