School phone number: (540)828-6081

Happy New Year, John Wayland Families!

We’ve had a wonderful first week back as we begin 2026. It’s clear our students enjoyed their time off, and many are happy to be back at school and back into their routines. Attendance has been fantastic, and the building is once again filled with energy and smiles!

In this edition of the Jaguar Jiggy Journal, you’ll find many helpful and familiar features, including the school menu, our calendar of upcoming events, and information on where to find John Wayland spirit wear.  There is also information about the 5th grade End-of-Year Farewell Ceremony and the process for nominating a teacher to be this year’s Teacher of the Year.  Towards the end you'll find an update on our school’s accreditation status that we wanted to be sure families had a chance to review.  Finally, this month’s Teacher Feature highlights one of our outstanding 4th grade teachers.

We hope the new year is off to a great start for your family at home, just as it is here at school. Thank you for your continued support of John Wayland Elementary!

Warmly,

Doug

Mr. Granger
Principal

5th Grade Families…MARK YOUR CALENDARS!  We will be having our 5th Grade Farewell ceremony on June 2nd at 9:30AM here in the John Wayland Elementary School gym.

We are fortunate to have an incredible team of smart, creative teachers who give their best every day. Our teachers work hard to meet each child where they are, truly get to know their students, and help them discover their own greatness. One hallmark of our school that I have noticed since starting here last July is the way our staff approaches their work with both grit and good humor, even on the toughest days.

I invite families to help us recognize this excellence by recommending a teacher for this year’s Teacher of the Year. While we are blessed with a school full of educators worthy of this honor, we will ultimately select just one to represent John Wayland, which makes your feedback especially meaningful.

If there is a teacher who has made a lasting impact on your child or your family, I would love to hear from you. The preparation guidelines are as follows:

     - 8 ½ x 11 inch paper, typed.  One side only.

     - All pages and letters should be word-processed or typed

     - single-spaced; with a font size no smaller than 10 points.

     - Please do not use abbreviations.

Please email your recommendation directly to me at dgranger@rockingham.k12.va.us or drop them by the school by the end of the day on Wednesday, January 14th.

Thank you for helping us celebrate the educators who make a difference every day.

We’re proud to share that John Wayland Elementary School is fully accredited by the state of Virginia for the current school year. 

Our school earned a score of 84.2 out of 100, based on how well our 3rd–5th grade students performed on the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests in Spring 2025, along with other success indicators. This recognition is a reflection of the hard work of our students, staff, and families—thank you for your continued support!

Here’s how the score is calculated for elementary schools:

Mastery (65%): This includes how well students did in reading, math, and science, and how much progress our English learners are making.

Growth (25%): This looks at how much progress students made toward their individual goals in reading and math.

Readiness (10%): This measures how often students are present at school. In other words, regular attendance matters!

Virginia’s accountability system also tracks how well schools serve all groups of students, including those who are learning English, have disabilities, or come from different racial and economic backgrounds. If any student group falls significantly behind, the school receives additional support under a program called Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI).

At John Wayland, our students did well overall, earning:

     - 89% of possible points in reading

     - 92% of possible points in math

However, one of our student groups did not meet expectations. In that group, we earned:

     - 46% of reading mastery points

     - 56% of math mastery points

Because this is below the state’s benchmark, our school is designated as a TSI school. This means we are still Fully Accredited, but also receive extra support to help us close these learning gaps. In some state reports, we’re labeled “Off Track” because of this designation, even though our overall score falls in the “On Track” range.

We see this as an opportunity. Being identified for support means we will receive targeted resources and strategies to better serve every learner.

To see our full School Summary Report, visit the Virginia Department of Education’s website. 

To learn more about school performance in Rockingham County Public Schools, visit: https://www.rcps.net/page/school-performance

Interviewee:  Mrs. Niki Cacciapaglia     Interviewer:  Kylene Chico

1.What did you want to be as a kid?  When I was really little I wanted to be a vet since I loved animals. In high school I changed my mind to wanting to be an elementary teacher after a mentorship I completed. 

2. What was your favorite subject as a kid and why?  I remember really enjoying reading and science. Math was not my favorite at first! 

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why  Good question! I think it would have to be Italy just because that’s where my husband's family is originally from, and it looks beautiful, plus pizza! 

4. What is the funniest thing a student has ever said to you before?  Uhmmm, there are so many! I think it is different every year depending on the group. Lots of times it is my class poking fun at something I did or said.

5. If you could plan any kind of field trip where would you go?  You know my VA studies loving heart will still say Jamestown, but I think it would be so awesome to go to an aquarium to go with our oceans unit! 

6. What is your favorite book to read with students?  I can’t pick just one! I love to read aloud Wonder, Fuzzy Mud, and Land of Stories each year if possible.

7. What's a fun project you remember doing with a class?  My favorite project to do in 4th grade is definitely the creature feature where they create a brand new creature to live in VA and apply all their ecosystems knowledge to explain how it will survive. 

8. What do you like to do for fun outside of school?  I mean I am chasing my own kids constantly, but I love to spend time with my friends and family, and I love to read. 

9. How would your students describe you in three words?  Energetic, loving, and fun. At least I hope this is how they would describe me!

10. What's the hardest part of being a teacher?  The hardest part is definitely not being able to control things that happen outside of school with my students. I just want to be able to fix all the things, and I can’t always do that. 

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 

Monday, January 19: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (No School)

Tuesday, January 20: Teacher Workday (No School)

Thursday, January 29: Wayland Singers performance

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.