School phone number: (540)828-6081
John Wayland Elementary School
Principal Message
It’s been a full few weeks here at school, and there’s more to come! In just the first month of school we have enjoyed color week with the kindergarteners, remembered 9-11, celebrated the creation of the National Anthem, and conducted various safety drills. I hope that this edition of the Jaguar Jiggy Journal will be helpful for you and your family in keeping abreast of all that is going on at school.
In this edition there is information about how to order prints of school pictures and reminders to help keep morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal running smoothly. There is also a note about when to keep your child home from school if they are sick. We’re including information in this edition on the important emergency drills we practice at school as well. We’re also excited to share details about our upcoming tailgate before the Turner Ashby Homecoming game on September 26, and we hope many of you will join us for this fun community event. You’ll also see information about our virtual PTO meeting on October 1, news about Family Physical Education Week and Fun Run coming up in October, and this month’s Counselor Corner. We’re especially excited to introduce a new feature called The Book Nook, created by our literacy team to support reading and learning at home. And you’ll find the school meal menu to help with planning at home.
We’re all looking forward to a great couple of weeks ahead at John Wayland Elementary School!
Mr. Granger
Picture orders
Each student who had their picture taken today will come home with a form with information about how to order prints. Be on the lookout and let us know if the form did not come home! Each of these forms is unique for each student. If you have specific questions about ordering contact Queen City Photography directly at staffeqcpva.com.
Notes about Drop-Off and Dismissal
Cell Phones: For everyone’s safety, we kindly remind families not to use cell phones while driving, especially in our school parking lot. Your full attention helps keep all of our children safe during arrival and dismissal.
Morning Drop-Off Line: We wanted to let families know that the first three or four cars in the line during our morning drop-off routine can unload at the same time. There is no need to wait to be at the very front. And remember, there’s never a need to rush. We would rather have families take their time to be safe than rush and put any of the little ones at risk.
Being On Time: Please have your child here by 8:15am. Our day begins at 8:20am and any child not inside at that time will need to be checked in through our office by an adult.
Keeping your child home from school when sick
With the cold and flu season approaching, it's a good time to remind families about the 24 hour fever rule. If your child has a fever (100-degrees or higher), they need to stay home until they have been fever-free without vomiting for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine. This helps keep everyone at school healthier and prevents the spread of illness. Thank you for helping us take care of our Jaguar community!
Emergency Drills
As you know, we’ve already completed two of the four required lockdown drills for the year along with two fire drills. The children have done an excellent job during each of these practices—you could hear a pin drop with how quiet and focused they were!
These first drills are just the beginning. Throughout the year, John Wayland students will also practice bus evacuation, tornado, and earthquake drills. To help families stay informed, we’ve created a John Wayland Emergency Drills sheet with a list of all the drills and how often they take place.
John Wayland Tailgate!
Bring your family for our first JWES TA Homecoming Tailgate! The event will take place at JWES in the field next to the upper parking lot. Light refreshments will be provided along with lawn games, family activities and giveaways! Those interested in attending the TA football game after the tailgate can purchase tickets at Turner Ashby. Kickoff is at 7pm. Go Knights!
PTO Updates
Our next PTO meeting will be on Wednesday, October 1 from 6-7pm. This meeting will be held via Zoom (link below). During this meeting we will continue to collaborate on our upcoming Fall activities and fundraisers including our annual Fun Run. We hope you can join us! If you have any questions, please email jwesptova@gmail.com.
(Please don’t share this link outside of the JWES community)
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/95687667061?pwd=PGKn1Fa1gDqfNGlUbDkW5BaLfdPBDY.1
Meeting ID: 956 8766 7061
Passcode: 596440
Our Annual JWES Fun Run is coming up on October 10th! More details to follow.
Family PE Week!
We are once again hosting Family PE Week! Adult family members are invited to attend PE classes with their student(s) on October 7-9th. Please click the link below to read more about it and sign up if you're able. We're looking forward to seeing anyone that can attend. Please get in touch if you have any questions.
-Mrs. Sanders and Mr. Eby
The Counselor Corner
Want to know more about the school counselor’s role? School counselors support ALL students through classroom guidance lessons. This year counselors will be providing 30 minute lessons every other week with each grade level. From there, we move to providing small groups of support that focus on prevention and skill building. We also support students through individual, short-term check-ins, as well as partner with our community to provide food resources and other basic needs! The final level of support we provide includes:
Student specific meetings
Working with our Behavioral Specialist Assistants (BSAs) and Behavior Specialist to address and manage behaviors
Crisis Management
Student specific meetings are private and confidential meetings that allow for collaboration with parents and other school team members. Often, during these meetings, team members focus on providing support and strategies to meet the unique needs of each student.
JWES have BSAs and a Behavior Specialist (shared among 4 elementary schools) who are experts in helping students develop positive behaviors and manage challenging ones. School counselors and BSAs work closely with one another to help create a well-rounded support system that addresses both the emotional and behavioral needs of the student. We are so thankful for the BSAs in our building - Laurie Silva and Keri Jones! Kristen Souva serves JWES as our Behavior Specialist and provides leadership for our behavior team and plans.
When needed, school counselors also provide crisis management to provide immediate support and help during difficult or emergency situations while in school. Mrs. Strite and Mrs. Long work closely with school staff, parents, and outside resources if necessary, to provide assistance to help students navigate through challenging times.
The Book Nook
We’re excited to introduce a new monthly feature in the Jaguar Jiggy Journal called The Book Nook! Each month, our literacy team will share tips and ideas to help families make the most of reading together at home. Look for simple, fun ways to build a love of reading and strengthen literacy in every issue.
Writing in the Kitchen
• Make a grocery list. Plan meals together for the next week and write down what you will need from the grocery store to make them.
• Make to-do lists for errands you need to run or chores to do around the house.
• Make labels for food containers.
• Create a list of important phone numbers and put them on the refrigerator.
• Draw and write birthday cards, invitations, thank you notes, and “just because” notes to neighbors, friends, and loved ones.
• Write your own recipes!
Cooking Conversations
• Show your child the recipe and explain that the ingredients are always listed first. What you do with the ingredients is described in the order in which you need to do them.
• Talk about what you are making using cooking terms (for example, one-half cup, two teaspoons) and explain what you are doing while you do it.
• Describe how you measure ingredients using measuring cups and spoons.
• Your child will have many questions. Answer them in complete sentences and provide details.
Upcoming events
Friday, September 26, 5:30-6:30: Tailgate at John Wayland before the Turner Ashby High School Homecoming Football Game
Wednesday, October 3, 6:00-7:00: Virtual PTO Meeting
Tuesday-Thursday, October 7-9: Family Physical Education Week
Friday, October 10: John Wayland Fun Run & the 5th graders sing at the Turner Ashby Football Game
Monday, October 13: No School - Teacher Inservice Day
Thursday, October 23: Title 1 “NFL” Night & Book Fair Opening
Friday, October 24: No School - Teacher Workday
Monday-Friday, October 27-31: Book Fair
Monday-Tuesday, November 3-4: No School. Monday- Family Conference (Book Fair Open) and Tuesday-Teacher Workday
Stay Connected
We are working hard to make sure this year is a great one for your child. I’m energized by the opportunity to partner with you to support your child’s growth—academically, socially, and emotionally.
For updates, reminders, and celebrations throughout the year, be sure to follow John Wayland Elementary School on Facebook. Also, Rockingham County Public Schools has an incredible new app called the RCPSApp that allows you to stay connected to the latest news and information about our school and the division.