A huge congratulations goes out to Rachelle Schuster, our middle school reading interventionist, and Raven Spivey, our junior high reading teacher, who both recently finished their master's degrees. Balancing work, family, and life with getting a master's degree is no small feat. We are very proud of them!!
We are excited to announce that Marc Bunker will be the new principal for St. Johns Middle School, starting on July 1, 2025. Marc received his Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education from BYU-Idaho and his Master’s of Education in Education Administration from Grand Canyon University. He and his family have family members that live in this area. Marc comes to the district with 18 years of experience as an educator, with 9 of those as a school principal. Those who have worked with Marc speak flowingly about Marc’s ability to build relationships, share leadership, and collaborate with staff and people in ways that improve the lives of young people. His kind, warm nature has endeared him to those he has led and served. We are thrilled to have he and his family join us in St. Johns.
We are so fortunate to have the principals that we do. They put in countless hours loving students and striving to make our schools better. Thank you!
Just a reminder that Arizona State Testing is coming up in just over a week. Attached is a link to the schedule of testing days. Here are some tips parents can use to help their students prepare for testing:
• Make sure your child gets a good night's rest
• Provide a good breakfast
• Encourage your child to do their best
• Get your child to school on time and help them have a smooth morning.
We appreciate all of your support as we enter this testing time of year!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16uyX5Jd_g1cMNW0Ie0s47cE1lVvcl8clypcK1rei4QU/edit?usp=sharing
Track season starts on Monday, March 3rd! Any interested 6th, 7th, or 8th graders must have a current physical and athletic packet completed in the office before participation. A one-time $20 sports fee applies for any who have not already paid for a previous sport. More detailed info about the season will come soon!
As school districts around the state continue to deal with high chronic absenteeism among their students as reported on wmicentral today, we feel fortunate to be one of the few where chronic absenteeism levels for 2024 were at pre-pandemic levels and far below state average. SJUSD had the best rates anywhere in the region! This is a huge compliment to our parents and students who continue to make being in class a priority. Thank you!
https://www.wmicentral.com/community_beat/chronic-absences-in-white-mountains-schools-remain-high/article_8b1e376e-196e-5414-b74d-0728fd09f4ac.html
A huge shoutout to Ms. Cluff, Mr. Lambson, Mrs. Price, and everyone else who helped with the band and orchestra concerts the last two nights. It has been so fun to watch our students perform!
Looking for something to do this Friday night? Come out and support our SJMS Student Council and enjoy a movie with your family.
The SJMS and SJHS Choir Concert last night was fantastic! The last music number, "Light a Candle," was beautiful. We are very grateful for Mrs. Flake, Mrs. Flygare, Mrs. King, and everyone else who made this production possible.
VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS: Come cheer on our 8th grade girls volleyball team in their first round playoff game vs. Winslow on Tuesday, 12/10, at 4:30pm at the middle school. Good luck girls!!
This is just a reminder that a rep from ASU will be here tonight to share about ASU Sync. ASU Sync provides people in St. Johns an opportunity to pursue a teaching degree 100% online at low/no cost. Please share with anyone you know who might be interested.
SJUSD was just identified in this national publication as an "exceptional district" for the work we do to help students become proficient in math by 8th grade. The study focused on school districts around the country that are helping students in math above what would be expected given the economic circumstances in their respective regions. As you can see from the graph, SJUSD was one of only 10 Arizona districts that received this distinction. We are so proud of our students and staff!
Check out the full article below.
https://www.the74million.org/article/which-school-districts-do-the-best-job-of-teaching-math/?utm_source=The+74+Million+Newsletter&utm_campaign=847ecb6681-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_07_08_05_36_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-a2f2baef9c-176260813
If you missed last night's middle school orchestra concert, you missed out! Mrs. Price does an amazing job with our middle schoolers, and they sounded great! What you don't see is all the behind-the-scene things Ruthie does for her students. There were many obstacles leading up to the concert, including Ruthie voluntarily traveling out of town just hours before the concert to have an instrument fixed for a student so the student could still play last night. We love Mrs. Price!
Athletics UPDATE: Due to an unforeseen conflict for Show Low, tomorrow's volleyball and wrestling in Show Low have both been rescheduled to Thursday 12/5 in Show Low. Wrestling will start at 4 pm at Show Low Junior High, and volleyball games will be at 4 pm (7th) and 5 pm (8th) at Homestead Elementary.
If you have ever considered becoming a teacher, this informational meeting is for you!
Come cheer on our #2-seed 8th grade softball girls as they host Snowflake in the second round of the playoffs today at 4pm. If they win they will play in the final four on Saturday in Show Low.
Start preparing now, SPIRIT WEEK is coming up quickly!!
Check out Mary Jo explaining the Maintenance and Operation Budget Override Continuation vote for this November.
https://youtu.be/jdenNhu4v3s
Vea a Mary Jo explicando la votación de continuación de la anulación del presupuesto de mantenimiento y operación para este noviembre.
https://youtu.be/jdenNhu4v3s
Wrestling and volleyball both start Monday, 10/7! Physicals and sports packets must be turned in by then in order to participate. Volleyball will have an open gym starting Monday, 9/30 from 3:30-5:00pm for anyone who wants to practice on their own. Please contact the office with any questions.