School phone number: (540)828-6081
John Wayland Elementary School
Principal Message
Fall is here, and we are in for a full month at John Wayland Elementary School. In this edition of the Jaguar Jiggy Journal you will find information about ordering school pictures and getting individual retakes for the pictures that didn’t turn out the way you would have liked. There’s also a reminder about our monthly Domino’s Fundraiser, Family PE Week, and John Wayland’s annual Fun Run. Next, our literacy team has important information in our Book Nook about our NFL (Night of Family Learning) on October 23. This month is Virginia’s Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month, so included in this issue is a little information families will find helpful in our efforts to Stomp Out Bullying. We have a few teacher workdays coming up, so we are sharing information about what teachers do on workdays and why they are very important to making our school as great as it is. In this month’s Specials Special Tara Counts, our Challenge teacher, shares some good ideas of how to make the most of the days off from school. And finally, there’s some information at the end about October 31st and how John Wayland handles costumes in school.
As always, at the very bottom of the Jaguar Jiggy Journal you can find October’s breakfast and lunch menu, important dates for your calendar, and information about how to stay informed about all that is going on in the Rockingham County Public Schools.
Doug Granger, Principal
Picture Orders, Retakes & Class Pictures
School pictures are ready and can be ordered right away. We will have retakes for individual students on Tuesday, October 7. We’ll also be taking class pictures the same day.
Dominos and Chick-fil-A Fundraisers
Our second JWES Domino's “Spirit Night” of the 2025/2026 school year is Monday, October 6th. Please use Coupon Code DN6 when ordering online, or mention John Wayland if ordering in person/over the phone. Enjoy a night off from cooking while also supporting John Wayland!
Also, please join us for Chick-fil-A Night on Wednesday, October 15, from 4:45–7:00 PM at Chick-fil-A! A portion of the evening’s sales will support our school—come enjoy dinner and help us raise funds together.
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 who can attend. Please get in touch if you have any questions.
Mrs. Sanders and Mr. Eby
The Book Nook
Once each semester, the JWES Reading team plans a fun night to celebrate learning with our community. We really hope you and your family will join us for a Night of Family Learning (NFL) on Thursday, October 23, 2025, from 5:30-7:00. Wear your favorite football jersey, team colors, or cheer outfit, and bring the whole family! (Don’t forget to celebrate with some ice cream at Smiley’s afterward to support our PTO!)
You and your family can look forward to:
Pizza
TA Marching Band music
Spelling with the TA cheerleaders
Reading books with Bridgewater College football players
Visit with our local public librarian
Foam finger reading fluency
Football Toss math
Photo Booth fun
Book Raffle prizes
And more!
Watch out this week for our NFL flyer to come home in backpacks, and return your RSVP to school as soon as possible so we know how much food to purchase. We are excited to see you on Thursday, October 23, at 5:30!
Bully Prevention Month: Stomp Out Bullying
As we enter October, we want to recognize Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month and reaffirm our shared commitment to creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive school for every child.
We all have a role to play in prevention—both youth and adults—by doing what it takes to make John Wayland Elementary School a safe community where young people can thrive. One of the most powerful ways to make a difference is by being an upstander (rather than just a bystander). An upstander is someone who speaks up, intervenes, or interrupts bullying when they see it. Together, we can ensure our school remains a place where every student feels valued, respected, and supported.
What is Bullying? Bullying is unwanted, repeated, and aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance and can cause physical, emotional, social, or educational harm. It can take many forms, including physical actions like hitting or tripping, verbal insults such as name-calling or teasing, relational aggression like spreading rumors or excluding others, and even damaging property. Bullying can also occur online through electronics or cyberbullying.
It’s important to know that bullying is different from things like teasing, arguments, or everyday conflicts between kids. While we don’t encourage those behaviors either, they aren’t considered bullying.
Teacher Workdays 10/13, 10/24, 11/3, and 11/4
What do teachers do on a workday?
You’ll notice on the calendar that students have a few days off between now and the end of the first week of November. We know this can be tricky for families, but we want you to know why these days are important. On teacher workdays, our teachers are planning lessons, checking on student progress, updating grades, and working together to make sure our classrooms are the best they can be. They also spend time learning and growing as professionals. Some of this time will be spent with families having conferences about their children’s learning progress. These days give teachers the chance to prepare and recharge so they can give your children their very best each and every day. Without these workdays, it would be impossible for John Wayland to be the terrific school that it is.
Specials Special
At home STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
Looking for some fun challenges to do on the teacher workdays that will also help your student learn? Tara Counts, John Wayland’s Challenge teacher, has shared 5 fun ideas that all of our students would love to do. It starts by creating a “maker” space* somewhere in your house to store materials you can use to create, make, and engineer with. Then start filling it up with materials so you have them ready for these great STEM challenges. Family participation encouraged!
Hint: Some of these activities would work well on a snow day as well!
Challenge #1: Name Tag Holder
Materials: Anything around your house! These could include paper, tape, index cards, crayons, cardboard, coffee filter, string, gloss, rulers, stickers, pencils, and more!
Criteria:
Your name tag holder must hold a pencil.
Your name tag holder must be at least 6 inches long.
Your name tag holder must stand up on its own.
Your name tag holder must clearly show 2 things about yourself (think favorites).
Challenge #2: It’s apple picking season!
Let’s celebrate by using our engineering skills to build the tallest tower possible that can hold an apple on the top! Think about the characteristics that make a strong, sturdy tower. Use your knowledge to help you plan your design for an awesome apple tower!
Materials: TP rolls and tape OR building blocks
Challenge #3: Create your own back scratcher!
Create a back scratcher from materials you put into your at-home makerspace. This challenge pushes you to use creativity and everyday materials to build something useful. Hint: If you get stuck, try using designs and sketches before creating your back scratcher.
Materials: Anything around your house! These could include paper, tape, sticks, straws, pencils, and more!
Challenge #4: Parachute Physics!
Create a parachute that will allow the object to fall the slowest.
Materials: Parachutes are made of a light, strong fabric. Think about using cloth, paper, a plastic bag, string, a small object, or some other lightweight material. Experiment with different ways of attaching the parachute to the object, and try different shapes/designs.
*A “Maker”space is the space you use to store your materials: a bin or box in your garage, shelves in a closet, extra trash can...get creative. Fill this space with anything around your house! A Maker Space can include paper, tape, index cards, crayons, cardboard, coffee filters, string, gloss, rulers, stickers, pencils, and more!
Costumes on October 31st
While we don’t celebrate Halloween as a school, we do know that students enjoy dressing up and adding a little fun to their learning. In certain grade levels, teachers may choose to give students the option of dressing up on October 31. If your child participates, please remember that costumes should not be scary, include masks, or take up a lot of space. They should also be comfortable enough to wear all day and allow students to participate fully in every learning activity. And no matter what project or activity a teacher might be doing that day, students will never be graded on their costume.
School Menu
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
Upcoming events
Tuesday-Thursday, October 7-9: Family Physical Education Week
Tuesday, October 7: Picture retakes for individual students and class pictures
Friday, October 10:
John Wayland Fun Run during the school day
5th graders sing the National Anthem at the Turner Ashby Football Game
Monday, October 13: No School - Teacher Inservice Day
Wednesday, October 15: Chick-fil-A Night, 4:45-7pm
Wednesday, October 22: Unity Day (wear orange)
Thursday, October 23:
Title 1 “NFL” Night & Book Fair Opening, 5:30-7:00
Smiley’s Fundraiser, 5:00-9:00
Friday, October 24: No School - Teacher Workday
Monday-Friday, October 27-31: Book Fair
Monday-Tuesday, November 3-4: No School
Monday - Family Conferences (Book Fair Open)
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.