Here are the Highlights from the Weekly School Messenger Call for the Week of October 8th!
End of the First Quarter – Friday, October 13th
This Friday is the end of Quarter 1 for the school year. Please make sure that you have submitted any work that you are able to. If you are not pleased with the grade you earned this quarter, start working hard so that Quarter 2 is an improvement! Remember, semester grades are included in the GPA and they are made up of the Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 grades combined.
As a reminder, Monday, October 16th is a Teacher Planning Day and no school for students!
Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15th to October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage Month. During RANCH, we will be reviewing the contributions that Hispanic Americans have made to the United States tradition and celebrating how Latinos are driving progress while shaping our nation!
On Friday, October 13th we will be holding our Spanish Heritage Festival during the school day!
National School Lunch Week
Beginning October 9th is National School Lunch Week! During lunches this week there will be promotional giveaways! As a reminder, every student gets free breakfast and lunch!
Congratulations
Congratulations to our Marching Mustangs who were Grand Champions at Wiregrass Music Festival this weekend! They were also Best in Class for Percussion!
Congratulations to our Mustang Boys and Girls Swim and Dive Team who were Runners Up at the SAC Meet!
Congratulations to our Girls Mustang Golf Team who defeated LOLHS this week and are still undefeated!
Congratulations to Mrs. Teo Dobyne, our SRP of the Year, and Mr. Dennis Koslin, our Teacher of the Year! We are so proud of both of you and glad that you are Mustangs!
Best Wishes
Best wishes to our Fall Sports Teams this week! Play with integrity and sportsmanship!
We also want to wish good luck to our Marching Mustangs at their next competition this weekend!
Student Gallup Survey
Students who have permission from parents via the Parent Bills of Rights have the ability to take the Student Gallup Survey this coming week. Math and English teachers will be working with students to take the Gallup. We use this information to develop programs and activities for students, as well as to make the high school experience rewarding and meaningful, inside and outside of the classroom. We ask that students take this seriously and answer each question honestly. Thank you for your participation.
Guidance Meetings
School Counselors and Academic Advisors have been going into English classrooms to discuss requirements and other important information with students. We encourage parents to speak with their children regarding this information. It can also be found on our website (https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/academics-guidance-and-testing/). It is very important that everyone is on the same page regarding this information so that there are not any surprises. We also review this information during the first week of school and during course selection in the winter.
Senior Portraits
Senior Portraits must be taken no later than November 17th. Be sure to make your appointment at giganteproductions.com TODAY. Limited space is available for portrait sessions at school or in their studio. Don’t delay. Make your appointment today!
Save the Date! October 11th – NCR SAT for the Class of 2024
On October 11th, we will be offering the SAT for members of the Class of 2024 who have not met testing requirements for English Language Arts and Algebra 1. This test cannot be used for college applications but is an opportunity to meet graduation requirements for English Language Arts and/or Algebra. This test will last into 7th period and snacks will be provided during the day. Students must sit for all 4 sections of the test. Students will be reminded again of this.
Homecoming 2023
Homecoming Week is October 23rd to October 28th. We have posted all information regarding activities, dress up days, and wristband/ticket purchases, including information regarding the Homecoming Dance and the procedures to complete JWMHS Student Dance Agreements and Non-JWMHS Student Guest Agreements. Please make sure that you visit this website later this week for more information. We showed our annual Homecoming How To video in RANCH on Thursday so that students are prepared for this week of fun and #MustangPRIDE! You can find this information here: https://tinyurl.com/JWMHSHomecoming
We will begin selling All-Activity wristbands on Tuesday, October 10th for $40 each on Rycor. If you need to purchase a wristband in cash, please see Mrs. Van De Boe in the Main Office. Students will not pick up wristbands until the following week on the 18th. When you pick up your wristband you will need to have your JWMHS Behavior Agreement completed as you must submit it.
Dance Numbers
All Dance Numbers that were completed prior to September 18th have been added in myStudent. I am working on numbers for those who completed it after that timeline. You can find your Dance Number in myStudent. It is listed as your ACTIVITY NUMBER. Of course, you must have completed the course in order to have one. If you have not, please complete the course.
Parents, if you have not completed the Required Dance Meeting Online Course, please go to your child’s myLearning account as it is housed there. We have sent invitations and students need to accept the course.
Driving to School & Pick Up and Drop Off – Please Follow the Rules and Be Patient!
As you come to school, please follow the speed limit and the signs in the parking lot as to the direction of the traffic flow and where to drop off and pick up students. As a reminder, all students should be dropped off and picked up in the Red Car Loop. No one should be dropped off or picked up anywhere else on campus. Also, please be ready to drop off your student when you get to the car loop. Please do not have further conversation at the car and please do not dilly dally as you exit and get your items to go to school. It is holding up the car line and we are trying to get people and cars in and out quickly.
Parking on Campus
All parking spots are assigned to staff or students. Please park in your assigned parking spot only. You can apply to park by following the parking procedures listed on our website. Only juniors and seniors are allowed to park on campus. Students that have been approved to park on campus can view their parking spot numbers in My Student. Student Parking passes will be passed out during all lunch periods. All student drivers must pick up their parking pass and display the pass in their vehicle.
Arriving to Campus & Class on Time
Please arrive in your classes on time each day, as being on time is important now and in the future. Security gates will remain open each day until 8:30AM. If a student arrives after 8:30AM, he or she must go to Student Services and check in there as the gates will close and should remain closed for security. Do not prop open gates or put items in gates so that the gates remain open. If you arrive to campus on time, you should not need to worry about having to use these gates. If you arrive late to campus, please do not ask someone to come and open the gate. Please follow our expectations and report to Student Services. Violations of these expectations will result in disciplinary action.
Free Lunch and Breakfast
All students will be receiving free breakfast and lunch this year. You do not need to apply for Free or Reduced Lunch. Breakfast will be served each morning until 8:20AM when the warning bell will sound. If you need to put money on your lunch account, you can do so at this time via www.mySchoolBucks.com or sending cash or a check payable to JWMHS.
Please Keep Campus Clean – Throw Away Your Trash
Any drink containers or food wrappers need to be disposed of in our commons area garbage cans and not classroom garbage cans or recycle bins. Please take pride in your school and keep it clean!
Mustang Athletics
Winter Sports start date is quickly approaching. If you are interested in participating in basketball, soccer, girls weightlifting, or wrestling, please make sure that you contact the head coach to get information on tryouts and start dates. Contact information can be found on the school website under the athletics tab (https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/athletics/) or you can speak with our Athletic Director, Coach Burdick (dburdick@pasco.k12.fl.us). Please remember all student athletes must be fully cleared before participating in any organized sports activity. Clearance is handled through the Athletic Clearance Portal that can also be found on our website (https://athleticclearance.fhsaahome.org/).
Tickets for all games can be purchased on GoFan.co and we encourage you to make sure that you familiarize yourself with that website. (https://gofan.co/app/school/FL5921).
Kindness
I say this every week, but I hope that this week families will talk with each other about being kind and avoiding hate speech and hateful acts. There is no place at JWMHS for words and actions that are hateful and bigoted. Each of us is unique and has something to offer our Mustang community. Hopefully, as we are kind, we can see that our differences bring us together and make us stronger. Again, please be kind to each other.
Around the Ranch Newsletter
Make sure you read the Around the Ranch Newsletter. It has a lot of important information and is something you will want to bookmark! https://tinyurl.com/AroundTheRANCH
Please make sure that you are checking our website for a full transcript of the email that has gone out to Mustang Families are there are many reminders and announcements that do not get repeated every single week.
Let’s make JWMHS the best place to be! We look forward to a great week in #MustangNation!
Have a great evening!
Go Mustangs!
~ Ms. Schultz
Quick Links
Around the Ranch Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/AroundTheRANCH
Highlights from the Weekly School Messenger Call: https://tinyurl.com/JWMHSWeeklyCall
Meet the Faculty and Staff! Watch a video about your teacher and get your class supply lists: https://tinyurl.com/JWMHSOrientation
Login to your Parent Portal and Complete the Forms Required for the New Year: https://pasco.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/index.php?skipSSO
Pay Student Fees or Purchase a Yearbook or Locker: https://www.studentquickpay.com/pasco/
RANCH Round Up from Mrs. Chamberlin: https://www.smore.com/mfg1q
Athletic Information: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/athletics/
Complete Athletic Paperwork: https://athleticclearance.fhsaahome.org/
GoFan Ticket Sales: https://gofan.co/app/school/FL5921
Safety and Security Policies for Athletic Events: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/wp-content/uploads/jwmhs/2019/08/front.USE_.2.pdf
Request a Schedule Change: https://tinyurl.com/JWMHSScheduleChange
Purchase Mustang Gear: https://tinyurl.com/JWMHSSpiritStore
Apply to be a Volunteer: http://pasco.k12.fl.us/comm/page/volunteer
Purchase a Mustang Legacy Brick: https://tinyurl.com/mustanglegacybrick
Reminders and Announcements
Meeting With School Counselors
For those who have requested to see their school counselors, we ask that you are patient as we register new students and systematically review schedule issues and change requests. We anticipate that we will be able to serve everyone faster this way. We thank you for your patience.
Pasco eSchool Placeholders
Of note, if you have an eSchool placeholder, on campus or off campus, please sign up for your classes as soon as possible. Directions can be found on our website.
Parent Bill of Rights Acknowledgements in myStudent
If you have not logged into your Parent Portal of myStudent, we ask that you do so this week. There are consent forms that need to be completed as a result of the Parents Bill of Rights legislation. We would like to partner with you regarding making decisions for your child that are consistent with your wishes as a parent/guardian. Please help us do so by completing this important paperwork. Login here: Login to your Parent Portal and Complete the Forms Required for the New Year: https://pasco.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/index.php?skipSSO
Changes can be made by following the directions that we are providing on our website (https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/how-to-for-parents-and-students/). We would encourage you to review what you have already done if you have said no to anything as there have been changes made to further explain each of the items.
Dress Code Policy for the 2023-2024 School Year
We are very grateful to the students who were able to follow the expectations outlined in the Student Code of Conduct (https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/library/student_services/conduct/csc_eng.pdf) and proud of them for showing their #MustangExcellence! Keep up the great work! You are off to a great start!
I again want to reiterate and emphasize some of our policies and procedures. We ask that you review the Dress Code Policy with your child as we will be enforcing this. We are not kidding. The main changes include that students cannot wear shirts that expose their midriff and stomachs. And, all shirts must have straps. These, however, are not the only changes. Please view this policy here: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/2023-2024-dress-code-policy/
Cell Phone & Earbud Policy for the 2023-2024 School Year
As a reminder, students will not be able to use cell phones and earbuds during class time. Students will be able to use them during passing and lunches. Students will be expected to put their cell phone and earbuds in cell phone storage areas in the classroom. Students will not be able to take phones to the restroom during instructional time. Please make sure that you review this policy with your child so that everyone understands the expectations of students. It can be found here: https://jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/cell-phone-policy-for-2023-2024/
Healthy Student Forms and the Clinic
We sent home the Healthy Student Form. This will allow your child to receive Tylenol or Ibubrofin in the Clinic. Please make sure that you complete this form if you would like for the Clinic, School Nurse, and Clinic Assistant to help in these matters.
Pick Up and Drop Off Continued
As a reminder, all students should be dropped off and picked up in the Red Car Loop. No one should be dropped off or picked up anywhere else on campus. Children should also not be going into the parking lot to cross traffic and enter a car or exit a car. Students should wait on the sidewalk for parents to drive around. We have rules in place to keep children safe and to avoid accidents. Students and parents, please follow and support our rules.
Make a Donation to JWMHS!
You will get free Mustang gear for donating to our Mustang Excellence Fund or to our Staff and Faculty Appreciation Fund. If you have already made this donation, we thank you in advance. These donations will help us throughout this school year as we recognize our Mustangs for their hard work and excellence! There is still time to make these donations and get your free Mustang gear! Here is the link to make a donation: https://www.studentquickpay.com/pasco/
Mustang Spirit
You can purchase a BEAT THE KNIGHTS shirt, Tradition Starts Here Stampede shirt, or Stang Gang shirt online via Rycor! Get them in time for the big game and show your #MustangPRIDE!
Here is the link to our online Mustang Spirit Store to purchase Mustang Gear (BEAT THE KNIGHTS shirt, Tradition Starts Here Stampede shirt, or Stang Gang shirt). You can purchase polos, jackets, hats, and other Mustang Gear! https://tinyurl.com/JWMHSSpiritStore
