The Weekly Update #4
September 1st, 2026
Is technology a battle at home?
Are you worried that your student is spending too much time on technology? Do conversations about screen time sometimes turn into a battle? Are you unsure if you are making the right choices when it comes to setting limits?
You are not alone! Finding a healthy balance with technology can be challenging for families, especially as children grow and technology becomes a bigger part of their daily lives.
We encourage you to take a look at the link below for helpful tips, resources, and ideas for families on managing technology use and supporting healthy screen-time habits at home.
Click the link below to learn more and find resources to help your family navigate technology together.
I am excited to share that I have had the opportunity to meet individually with all students in Kindergarten through 5th grade during brief 3–5 minute check-in visits. These meetings help me get to know each student and build positive connections throughout our school community. My goal is to meet with every student in the school before the holiday break.
During classroom guidance lessons, Pre-K through 2nd grade students have been learning to identify, understand, and express their emotions, while students in 3rd through 5th grade have been exploring important character traits, including trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Classroom guidance lessons will continue in our upper-grade classrooms throughout this month and next.
Please feel free to contact me at jmowry@jmaisd.org if I can be of assistance to you or your student. I look forward to partnering with families to support the success and well-being of all our students.
Jeanne Mowry, JMA Counselor
Our ESL program supports Emergent Bilingual (EB) students as they develop English skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing while continuing to learn grade-level academic content. An ESL-certified teacher uses strategies to help students successfully participate in school. This QR code also provides information about student identification and placement, LPAC, annual reviews and reclassification, ESL program options, and ways families can support language development at home.
JMA Earns Perfect 100/100 Score and "A-Superior" Rating in State Financial Accountability System
We are proud to announce that JMA earned an A+ Financial Accountability Rating! This achievement reflects our commitment to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and responsible use of public funds.
We believe that every dollar matters. We work diligently to manage our financial resources wisely and efficiently so that funds are directed where they matter most—supporting our students, classrooms, staff, and educational programs.
Thank you to our dedicated staff, Board, and community for helping us continue to put students first!
We Would Love to See You on Campus
JMA is looking for parent volunteers to help make our school days run smoothly and safely for our students!
We are currently seeking volunteers who may be available to assist with:
- 🚗 Morning Drop-Off
- 🍎 Lunch Duty
- 🚸 Afternoon Dismissal
Even a little bit of your time can make a BIG difference! Extra helping hands during these busy times help us provide a safe, organized, and positive experience for our students.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the school office or email schoolinfo@jmaisd.org for more information about how you can get involved.
If you prefer to volunteer in the classroom, please contact your teacher directly.
Together, we can make a difference for our students and school community!
New JMA Community Service Program
This school year, JMA is launching a schoolwide Community Service Program for all K–12 students! Each six weeks, students will have the opportunity to give back to JMA and their community while building responsibility, kindness, and school pride.
Students should complete the following service hours each six weeks:
- K–5: 2 hours
- Grades 6–7: 4 hours
- Grades 8–12: 6 hours
Service can take place at JMA or in the community and does not have to be through a formal organization. Opportunities might include campus clean-up, helping teachers, assisting with school events, volunteering at a food pantry or community organization, neighborhood clean-ups, and other age-appropriate activities.
Students will track their service on the JMA Community Service Log, including the date, hours, location, description, and supervising adult’s signature. To earn recognition/rewards, students must complete their required hours, finish their log, and turn it in to their teacher by the deadline. The first six-week log is due September 24.
We are excited to make service a regular part of our JMA culture and encourage every student to discover how even small acts of service can make a big difference!
Jeanne Mowry is thrilled to be serving the students of JMA as the school counselor. She began her career as a teacher in AISD and MISD before becoming a public school counselor in 2011. She lives with her husband in Arlington and enjoys time with her family; two sons and wives, two grandchildren and twin granddaughters coming in December. Mrs. Mowry enjoys playing piano for her church worship team and teaches piano at home. She has two dachshunds and spends weekends in the pool.
Mrs. Mowry is excited to get to know the students of JMA and support this community. She is on campus Mondays and Wednesdays. You can reach out to her at jmowry@jmaisd.org
Technology Use
Research has shown that screen time impacts children's attention span, sleep, and even their ability to regulate their emotions. Maintaining appropriate boundaries for your children with screen use is an important part of keeping them safe and healthy. Here are some quick tips that apply across all ages:
Keep technology in shared spaces such as a living room or kitchen, rather than allowing them to access technology privately.
Have them play the sound aloud rather than using headphones to monitor content.
Only allow them to talk to, play with, or video chat people they know in person.
Use screens to create, learn, or spend time together as a family.
For more technology-related resources, check out commonsensemedia.com.
Emergent Bilingual Resources
We are excited to begin a new school year with our Emergent Bilingual (EB) students and families!
Our goal is to help every student continue developing English proficiency while succeeding academically and maintaining pride in their home language and culture. Families are an important part of this process, and we look forward to partnering with you throughout the school year.
Know Your Rights & Learn About Our Programs - Parents and guardians of Emergent Bilingual students have the right to receive information about the language programs and services available to their child.
How Can Families Help at Home? - An Emergent Bilingual student is a student who is developing proficiency in English while also using or developing another language. Your child's home language is an asset! Developing strong language skills can support communication, learning, and future opportunities. Families can support language and academic development every day. Continue using your family's home language! Talk with your child about school, read together, tell stories, ask questions about what they are learning, and encourage your child to read and write regularly. You do not have to speak English at home to help your child succeed in school. Building strong communication and literacy skills in the home language is valuable.
What You'll Hear About This Year Throughout the year, we will share information and resources about your child's language development and academic progress. Depending on your child's grade level and program, this may include information about LPAC, TELPAS, language proficiency, ESL/Bilingual services, STAAR, and ways to support learning at home.
Late Pick Up
Thank you for helping us make dismissal run smoothly each day and for making every effort to pick up your students on time. We truly appreciate your partnership!
Our dismissal period is from 3:15–3:45 p.m., and our car line is typically nearly complete by 3:30 p.m. We understand that unexpected circumstances, traffic delays, accidents, and emergencies can occasionally arise.
To ensure that we can continue to provide appropriate supervision for students after the regular school day, please note that students should be picked up as close to the end of dismissal as possible. Because our teachers' contract day ends at 3:45 p.m., beginning at 4:00 p.m., JMA will assess a $1.00 per minute late pickup fee for students who remain on campus awaiting pickup.
Thank you for your understanding, cooperation, and continued support in helping us ensure a safe and smooth dismissal for all students.
Dates to Remember
Thursday, September 24th - Annual Title I Meeting 3:45
Thursday, September 24th - Open House 4:00-5:30
Friday, September 25th - No School, Staff Workday
Wednesday, September 30th - Eagle Family Connections 8:00 am - 9:00 am
September 29th-October 1st - Vision, Hearing and Spinal Screenings
Friday, October 2nd - 6 Week's Awards 7:45 am - 8:15 am
Friday, October 9th - Parent/Teacher Conference, Student Holiday
Monday, October 12th - Student/Staff Holiday