Dear parents/guardians,
What an incredible first week back, Patriots! We were so excited to see cadets back in school this week. I hope they are as motivated as we are ready to have them back. We are open for your cadets starting at 0730, and we serve breakfast until 0810. Classes begin at 0820 this week with our morning formation. Tomorrow morning, formation occurs at 0820am on the track if it does not rain. During inclement weather, formation is in the gym. If you are dropping off your cadet, please do so in the loop off Burma Road. Please do not drop your children off on Permento Road by the bus loop. This road is just not safe for our cadets to cross. If you pick your cadet up by car in the afternoon, please do not drive through the loop on Burma Road. That loop is for ESE buses. Park along Burma Road, and your cadet will come to you.
ID Cards – Most of our 6th and 7th graders have ID’s. 8th graders get them starting tomorrow, then we will go back and get the remainder of our 6th and 7th graders who were absent. IDs are important and must be worn during the school day. They are not only used to ID students, but they are also used to quickly move through the lunch line and scan on buses. The first ID is free to you, but any replacements cost $5. IDs are mandatory and part of the school uniform. It costs the school $5 to buy the materials and use the machine to make these, so if your cadet loses their ID, parents and guardians are responsible for replacement costs.
Laptops – We keep laptops in the classrooms at JSMAL. If you want a laptop at home for your cadet, please use this QR code to order one at no cost to you. If you have already received one in the last few years, you will not be able to get another one for free. Open your cell phone camera and hold over the attached QR code and it will take you to the link to order a laptop from DCPS.
Team UP – Free Afterschool enrichment program – Monday, August 18, Team Up begins. If you need any other information, please do not hesitate to contact Assunta Bolden at abolden@cisjax.org. All athletes are required to apply to Team Up. This ensures that your athlete gets a snack, has a safe place to wait after school until they are picked up by their coach, and it is a safe place to stay waiting for you to pick him or her up after practice. If you turned in an application, please plan to attend Team Up tomorrow, even if you have not received a call back confirming. There is a mandatory meeting for all parents tomorrow at 5:30 pm.
STILWELL ORIENTATION FLYER.pdf
SAC and PTSA – We have two especially important organizations that need volunteers. Our school advisory Council, or SAC, meets once a month to discuss the state of the school, and it is a chance for you to tell me about what is going well and what is not going well at JSMAL. I share data about how our cadets are doing, and we work together to make this school the best experience for our cadets. We have a current Chair, but we need a Vice Chair and a Secretary. The other organization currently has no members, our Parent Teacher Student Association or PTSA. PTSA is a volunteer association where parents, educators, students, and other citizens can be active in their schools and communities. Our next SAC meeting will be on September 11, 2025, at 5:50 pm. We are working on a Teams link so you can join us virtually if you cannot make it to our school.
SPORTS INFORMATION
2025 JSMAL FOOTBALL – Message from Head Coach Grant
Football tryouts continue Monday, August 18th, immediately after school. Listen to announcements carefully for detailed instructions. Please come prepared to workout with proper gear. That should include blue athletic shorts, a white T-shirt (# placed on back with permanent marker), cleats and sneakers in case we are indoors. Bring a lock so you can safely store your belongings in the locker room during practice. There are a few mandatory prerequisites that must be completed before a cadet can practice. Parent(s) must create an account and upload the necessary documents for your cadet to the Aktivate system. Only those that are certified through AD Viecelli will be allowed to attend. All others will have to leave campus. Here is the link if you cannot find the document.
Practice will be daily from 3:40 pm to 6:20 pm, Monday through Friday. A Saturday practice may be needed, but you will be notified. When picking up your cadets, please do so at the football field behind the gymnasium. No one will be allowed to wait at the front, inside or the bus loading zone of the school. Please be mindful that we have a limited time to put a competitive product on the field. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!
Coach E. Grant
(904)693-7523
Volleyball information – Volleyball tryouts will begin on Monday, Aug 18 through Wed, Aug 21. after school from 3:45pm – 5:30pm. Pick up is in the back by the gym. While you wait, make sure your cadet has filled out all the paperwork and uploaded it to the link above. All cadets must apply using the same link above for Football and each cadet must have a sports physical. All documents must be loaded in Aktivate before she can try out for any sport. If you have any questions, please contact the head coach, Coach Thompson at thompsonn2@duvalschools.org.
Calendar Events this week:
Monday, Aug 18 – Football tryouts from 3:40 to 6:20pm. Volleyball tryouts 3:45pm – 5:30pm.
Tues, Aug 19 - Football tryouts from 3:40 to 6:20pm. Volleyball tryouts 3:45pm – 5:30pm.
Wed, Aug 20 – Football tryouts from 3:40 to 6:20pm. Volleyball tryouts 3:45pm – 5:30pm.
Coming soon:
Tuesday, Aug 26 – Open House at 5:30pm.
Thursday, Sept 11 – SAC meeting at 5:30pm
Tamara Roper
Proud Principal
JSMAL