John Adams Middle School

Did you know that every public school student in Minnesota is part of a trust fund? Minnesota owns state public lands that generate revenue from timber, mining, and land leases. That money is placed into a protected investment trust dedicated strictly to supporting public school districts across the state. Due to investment growth, the fund has expanded from $675 million in 2010 to more than $2.3 billion today, but distributions have not kept pace because of outdated constitutional restrictions. This November, Minnesota voters can vote to increase the fund.

What does this ballot question change?

• Sends more money to classrooms: Current constitutional rules limit payouts primarily to interest and dividends, restricting how much money reaches schools. The amendment modernizes the formula to increase the annual distribution from 2-2.5% to 4.5% of the fund's total value, significantly increasing payments to all Minnesota public schools.

• Zero tax increase: It does not raise property, income, or sales taxes. It uses money already sitting in an existing investment fund.

• Bipartisan agreement: The update was unanimously recommended by a nonpartisan task force and received strong bipartisan support in both the Minnesota House and Senate.

Under Minnesota law, a constitutional amendment must receive approval from a majority of all voters. Skipping the question has the exact same mathematical impact as actively voting against it. To support the amendment, you must vote "YES." Leaving the question blank counts as a "NO" vote. You can learn more about this at www.mnpsfamendment.org.

Reminder: there is no school on Wednesday, September 23. RPS staff will participate in a Curriculum and Development (CAD) Day to plan instruction and engage in professional development. We will see students back in school on Thursday, September 24.

The school year is in full swing, and so is your chance to grab some RPS gear! Our Apparel Shop is open through Friday, September 18, 2026, and items will be available for pick up at your school at the end of October. Shop here: https://rps26johnadams.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Reminder: there is no school on Friday, September 4, for all schools except Longfellow Elementary, which will have a regular school day. Additionally, there will be no school, and RPS offices and buildings will be closed on Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day.

It's been a very busy couple of weeks at JA. The 8th graders created a menu of at least 8 items that they described using figurative language. Then, they were given then chance to “sample” from each other’s menus and had to fill their plates with figurative language. At the end, they filled out Google reviews about their favorite restaurants as well. They had so much fun!

Our students showed off all their amazing science projects, art pieces and music skills during our Family Engagement Showcase Event on April 16th. Food trucks parked out in the back lot, Poppa J's kettle corner was provided, and many other creative projects were shared with all those who visited.

Mrs. Priebe and her 6th graders were surrogate parents for a group of chicken eggs that hatched and then delighted the whole building.

Congratulations to JA Band Members Natalie Fisk and Andrew Young who represented John Adams this past weekend at the Minnesota Band Directors Association 6-8 Sate Honor Band! 

Natalie and Andrew submitted audition recordings in December and were selected among a competitive pool of musicians from across the state of Minnesota! They made music with other driven musicians from our state, as well as learn and perform with composer and professor Quincy Hilliard from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. 

We are so proud of you!

Rochester Public Schools is the heart of a community focused on lifelong learning. Whether you are three years old or eighty-three, we believe in investing in our community's future by providing exceptional opportunities for everyone to grow.

➡️ We help our youngest learners flourish through 177 Preschool Enrichment classes, 105 Early Childhood Family Education classes, and 26 RPS Preschool classrooms.

➡️ Our youth students stay engaged and inspired through 767 Youth Enrichment and 21st Century programs designed to help them find their spark.

➡️ Learning doesn't stop at graduation. We host 655 Adult Enrichment classes, 241 Adults With Exceptional Abilities classes, and 116 unique offerings at Hawthorne Education.

Learn more about our Community Education program at https://www.rochesterce.org.

Join us for this exciting as JA students showcase their work!

Our Math Counts Team competed today with great results. Our JA team took 3rd place today! Jayden W. won the Countdown Round, which is a head-to-head competition where they get 45 seconds to get the correct answer before the other person! Jayden also scored 4th overall as an individual, which means he can go to the State Competition next month to compete again!  The team is coached by JA teacher Nicole Pittenger. We are very proud of our 9 kids who participated today!