Principal's Weekly Update

News and events from Aptos Junior High - Week of Jan 30

News and announcements!


Hello Sea Dragon families! Hope you've had a great weekend!


  • We were SO PROUD of our awesome Drama students, who staged productions of Macbeth and The Tempest this past weekend! Thank you to all the supporters who helped with costumes, and bringing concessions - we made $298 in donations and will be using the proceeds to purchase three backstage head-sets for our stage manager/production crew to communicate during shows! We'll also be able to purchase replacement cables/adaptors to ensure that our professional stage lights are working for our next production. Next show is SHREK JR., The Musical! Save the date of May 5 and 6!


  • Do we have a tax accountant among our parent community? Willing to connect with our awesome Home & School Club treasurer (who has all the accounts up to date, no papework to track down) to consider preparing our tax return, preferably pro bono but we can talk! Mary Beth Ficklin would love to hear from you! mbficklin@gmail.com


  • Our Q2 Honor Roll assembly is coming up where we'll recognize our students who ended Quarter 2 with a 3.5 or above GPA! Please mark your calendars for Thursday, Feb 9:

- 9:35 - 10:16am - 7th grade assembly - List of award winners

- 10:34 - 11:15 - 8th grade assembly - List of award winners

.

  • Please watch out soon for a link to the parent portion of the CA Healthy Kids Survey. Our 7th graders will take the survey this year, but ALL our parents are asked to take the parent survey.


The survey includes questions about alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues, as well as questions about school safety and the learning environment. Student participation is voluntary and anonymous. We hope that you will encourage your child to participate so that their opinion and knowledge can be used to improve their school. You can click here to opt your student out of taking the survey. (Spanish/ English) (These links will also allow

you to view samples of survey questions.)


  • Just a reminder to let our attendance office or health care assistant know if your child has COVID. And don't send your child to school with COVID symptoms. Keep them home until their symptoms resolve AND they test negative. Quarantining at home when they're sick is the only way to avoid infecting others - we appreciate all the families who support this protocol.
What's happening this week?

What's happening this week?

Mon, 1/30


  • Lunch time intramurals - students let Mr. Morgan know if room 5 if they want to field a flag football team!
  • After School Math Support class meets in Room 30 at 3:30
  • If you're the parent of a 7th grade student interested in the East Coast trip during Spring Break of 2024, please meet in room 29 at 6pm with Trip Leader Ms Morse. She will have a Google Meet open too, in case you can't make it - and students can also get info from her directly. (Link: https://meet.google.com/yqa-emoq-fao?hs=122&authuser=0)


Tues, 1/31


  • Dance Team meets 7:15am
  • After School Drama is on break for this week, but remember, SHREK JR., The Musical, auditions are next week Tuesday, 2/7 after school!


Wed, 2/1

  • Start of African American History month
  • 5-Star Wheel Spin after school for 15 mins - your child can trade in 5-star points earned for positive behavior for tangible prizes!
  • Aptos High School Mariner Expo for incoming families - 5:30pm in the theater
  • ELAC meeting - 6pm in room 10 at Aptos Junior


Thurs, 2/2


  • Dance Team meets 7:15am


Fri, 2/3


  • Principal's Coffee gathering in room 19 at 9am - everyone welcome! Topic: How to improve the Home/School connection. Ms. Camacho will interpret for us.
  • No Tardy Party for January - students get a 15 min longer break and a sweet reward.
  • Lunch time intramurals - students let Mr. Morgan know if room 5 if they want to field a flag football team!
  • No After School Drama today - practices start up again next week.
What's happening this week?

Principal's Coffee - Room 19

Friday, Feb. 3rd, 9am

1001 Huntington Drive

Aptos, CA

Don't forget! Please join me for the inaugural Principal's Coffee on February 3 at 9am in room 19. I'll be hosting very First Friday, alternating each month at 9am and 3:30 pm. I hope parents will feel free to join and bring any questions/ concerns/input you may have about our school. I look forward to seeing you there!


Theme for our first get-together: Home/School Connection - how are we doing; how can we improve?
Get Directions

RSVPs are enabled for this event.

Ongoing information from previous updates

Parent Volunteers - your help is needed!

Parent Volunteers - your help is needed!

We are still on the lookout for a volunteer - or volunteers - to support at lunch from 12:45-1:25pm on Mondays and Fridays. If you can help, please connect with Kerry and we’ll get you set up with volunteer paperwork.


We could also use extra support before school if you're available at drop-off time (between 8 and 8:45am). Thank you for considering! Email kerry_leroux@pvusd.net if you are interested!

Parent Volunteers - your help is needed!
Short Term Independent Studies

Short Term Independent Studies

If you plan to have your student miss school for between 4 and 15 days due to an unavoidable situation, for example, out of state travel for family emergency, please consider requesting a Short Term Independent Study contract. To implement one of these contracts, you are required to meet with teachers at least 1 week ahead of the planned absence, and once the contract is signed, your student will be responsible for the work listed on the assignment sheet. This affords students the opportunity to keep up with any misses school work, and the school is able to recoup ADA funds in this way, which we are unable to do for unexcused absences.
Short Term Independent Studies
Intra-District Transfer info - deadline is Tuesday!

Intra-District Transfer info - deadline is Tuesday!

  • Intra-district transfer questions? Please see this letter from Student Services, and note that January 31 is the deadline!

Intra-District Transfer info - deadline is Tuesday!
Math Enrichment opportunity!

Math Enrichment opportunity!

Does your student love math? Then the Santa Cruz Math Circle is a great opportunity to explore challenging and fun mathematics with kids from across the county. The Santa Cruz Math Circle is for students in grades 5 through 8 to meet weekly with math professors and math professionals on Saturdays, 10:00-12:00 at Cabrillo College Building 300 starting February 11 through March 25th. Register at www.XAcademy.org, a parent-led nonprofit organization offering STEM enrichment for students in Santa Cruz County. Scholarships are available!
Math Enrichment opportunity!
Athletics information

Athletics information

Is your student participating in extra curricular athletics?
You can find detailed after school Athletics info on our website by clicking here!
Athletics information
Parent Involvement/Education Opportunities

Parent Involvement/Education Opportunities

Mini Monday Parent Nights - 6:30pm Zoom meeting

February 27, March 27, April 24, May 22

Recorded for Youtube to watch later: tinyurl.com/YTParent


Family Engagement Parent Conference - details TBA

2/23/23 at EA Hall Middle School


Positive Parenting classes:

February 1: Managing Stress

February 15: Routines and Feelings

Click here to register for these classes


Parent Engagement Newsletter -

To subscribe via text

○ Send a text message to 81010

○ Type in the class code @fnbf


Family Engagement and Wellness Center

Parent Involvement/Education Opportunities
Aptos Junior High School

Aptos Junior High School

Aptos Junior High School
For more information about our wonderful school, please see the latest School Accountability Report Card (SARC) 2022!
1001 Huntington Drive, Aptos, CA, USA kerry_leroux@pvusd.net (831)728-7834 ajhs-pajaro-ca.schoolloop.com

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