School phone number: (540)828-6081

Greetings Families,

This edition of the Jaguar Jiggy Journal is packed with helpful updates and a little fun.  You’ll find information about upcoming benchmark assessments, discover who this year's John Wayland Teacher of the Year nominee will be, learn about a new RCPS partnership with Daybreak Health in our Counselor Corner, and meet a 3rd grade teacher who loves math…and once had a very embarrassing piano recital moment.

We’re also keeping an eye on the weather, so there are a few snowy-day reminders just in case winter decides to show up.

As always, please reach out if there’s anything we can do to make John Wayland an even better place to learn and grow.

Doug

Mr. Douglas Granger
Principal
John Wayland Elementary School

We want to share a brief overview of the benchmark assessments students in Grades 4 and 5 will take during the next few weeks.  Students will complete benchmark assessments in reading, math, science, and social studies.

Benchmark assessments help teachers understand what students already know and where they may need additional support. These assessments are given during the school day and are aligned with the grade-level curriculum students are learning in class.

Benchmark assessments are graded* and results are used to:
Identify strengths and areas where students may need additional support
Monitor progress over time
Guide instructional planning at both the classroom and school levels

Most importantly, benchmark data helps teachers adjust instruction so all students continue learning all required material and receive the support or enrichment they need.

Thank you for partnering with us to support your child’s learning. Please contact your child’s school if you have any questions.

*Benchmark assessments will make up 3% of the third quarter grade for their class.

Congratulations to Jessie Pedersen, John Wayland Elementary School’s nominee for Rockingham County Teacher of the Year!  Jessie serves as our Kindergarten team leader and is truly an exceptional educator.  She has a genuine love for young learners and works tirelessly to create a classroom environment where Kindergartners feel safe, supported, and confident.  By building this strong foundation, Jessie empowers her students to take on new challenges and believe in their ability to learn anything they set their minds to.  Jessie exemplifies the very best of the teaching profession and consistently demonstrates the dedication, compassion, and excellence that make teachers truly exceptional.

We’re excited to announce our district partnership with Daybreak Health to offer confidential, school-connected wellness support for students ages 5–19.

Trusted by 100+ schools nationwide – Daybreak’s licensed clinicians work with students and families to strengthen focus, manage stress, improve communication, and build healthy routines.

More about Daybreak Health:

- Teletherapy services are available virtually during convenient hours (Monday–Saturday, 8 AM–8 PM) from home or from school.

- For younger students, parents join sessions to learn strategies together.  Click here to learn more about elementary family therapy.

- For older students, one-on-one sessions provide personalized support.  Click here to learn more about individual therapy for students’ ages.

All sessions are confidential and available in English and Spanish.  Services are billed through insurance, and in some instances, therapy may be fully covered through school partnerships.

Need help - watch a quick video to learn how to request teletherapy today.

“Daybreak has helped me understand my child - being able to understand each other was crucial to building a healthy relationship.” - Daybreak parent

Interviewee:  Mrs. Kim Mizell     Interviewer: Hagan Elkins

1.What did you want to be as a kid?  My fourth grade teacher made me love learning and wanting to be a teacher!! Since the fourth grade I knew I wanted to be a teacher.

2. What was your favorite subject as a kid and why? I loved writing stories as a kid and reading, so I would say Language Arts as a kid. 

3. What elementary school did you go to?  Linville Edom Elementary

4. What's a funny memory from your childhood?  I took piano lessons growing up. At one of my piano recitals, apparently my brother was so bored that he stuck the top of a pen up his nose. We had to leave the recital early because of it. At the time I didn't think it was funny, and I was mad at my brother for doing that, but looking back on it now it is a story we bring up often in our family and laugh about it often.

5.  Do you have any hobbies?  I don't really have a lot of hobbies. However I love walking and hiking and spending time with my family (and supporting things they like to do). 

6.  What's your favorite field trip you have taken in your class?  Safari Park, hands down, LOVE the Safari Park every year. I hope my past third graders remember that trip too!

7. What's your favorite subject to teach and why?  My favorite subject to teach is math.  I love teaching it, and I love the different strategies for each concept and seeing my kiddos be able to learn and use those strategies to solve problems!

8.  What's the funniest thing a kid has said to you?  I’ve been called grandma before, hahaha, and that’s ok!

9.  What do you like about being a teacher?  I love helping kiddos! I love seeing them learn new things, and kids are just fun to be around and learn from. They always have fun stories to tell, and it is exciting to see them grow as a person throughout the year! 

10. What's the hardest part of being a teacher?  I would say, having to give SOLs. 

With the potential for snow on the horizon, we wanted to share a few reminders with families.  If we receive a significant amount of snow, we may need to close school for safety reasons.  Our division has built extra days into the school calendar to account for weather-related closures, so make-up days are only required if we miss more than 10 school days in a year.  

Here’s what to know:

Timing of Decisions: We aim to notify families about weather-related delays or closings by 6:15 a.m. Sometimes that means making a decision early in the morning based on the latest conditions and forecasts.

How We Decide: A lot goes into these calls. If you're interested in learning more about how weather decisions are made, we invite you to listen to our podcast episode here: Safety First: The RCPS Approach to Weather-Related Decisions 

How You’ll Be Notified: Families will receive alerts by text, phone, and email based on the contact information shared during student registration. Information will also be shared through WHSV, WSVA, RCPS Social Media, and on the "Live Feed" of the JWES website. If your contact information has changed, please reach out to your child’s school to update it. Additional guidance and options for community member sign-ups are available at: https://www.rcps.net/o/rcps/page/notification-sign-up.

As always, our goal is to keep students, staff, and families safe and informed.

Please note that snow days could impact the timing of some school events and benchmark assessments scheduled over the next few weeks.  Teachers will communicate directly with families if any adjustments to benchmark schedules are needed.

 Math: Cook or bake together and have your child help measure ingredients, double a recipe, or calculate cooking times.

Reading: Curl up with a good book, read aloud together, or have your child create a short story inspired by the snowy weather.

Writing: Ask your child to write a snow-day journal entry, letter, or comic strip about their day.

Physical Activity: Bundle up for a walk, build a snowman, or try an indoor movement challenge like yoga, dancing, or an obstacle course.

Music: Have your child create a “Snow Day Soundtrack”...a playlist of songs that match different snow-day moods (calm snowfall, playful sledding, cozy indoors). Make sure to ask them to explain why each song fits.

Art: Have your child design a “Snow Day Poster” that shows their perfect snow day, including images and short captions.  If it’s safe to go outside, collect small items (twigs, leaves, snow prints) and use them to inspire or create artwork to include in the poster.

Thank you for your flexibility and partnership as we navigate winter weather together.  Stay warm, stay safe, and enjoy the snow if it comes!

Breakfast and lunch are available for purchase to every student at John Wayland Elementary School each day.  Daily menus and information about the cost of each meal can be found at: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=1496945305215 

Thursday, January 29: Wayland Singers performance

Monday-Friday, February 2-6: School Counselor Appreciation Week

Wednesday, February 4: PTO Meeting

Monday & Tuesday, February 16 & 17: Teacher Workdays (No School) and Family Conferences

Need a new t-shirt?  Looking for a nice fitting hoodie?  Wondering where all those great looking John Wayland clothes come from?  Look no further.  The University Outpost has created a site you can use to order a number of great items that not only look great, but support the school as well.  The University Outpost will donate 15% of every purchase back to the school.

You can find t-shirts, hoodies, polos and more at this site: https://stores.inksoft.com/john_wayland_elementary_school/shop/products/all?page=1

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.