School phone number: (540)828-6081
John Wayland Elementary School
It was a great 1st day!
This morning we had over 100 staff and teachers welcome the 522 young people who make up the 2025-2026 student body of John Wayland Elementary School. The day was a great success! Every student came in with some jitters and some smiles, and a whole lot of excitement. It was great to be a part of!
One special thing that happened in each class is that they took some time to share their hopes and dreams for the year with one another. Once they are finished talking about them, each class will make a poster representing their thoughts that will be displayed outside their classroom door. We hope that these posters will serve as a reminder of the exciting journey ahead.
We’re off to a wonderful start, and we’re looking forward to a fantastic school year!
Mr. Granger and Mrs. Secord
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Reminders
When you are dropping off your child in the morning please stay in your vehicle and let one of us come get them out of the car for you. We’re glad to help in this way! Staying in your vehicle and letting us get your child is safer and keeps the line moving.
If your child usually rides the bus home in the afternoon and you decide to pick them up, please call the school and let us know. We’ll have them all ready for you when you get here!
🐾Meet our front office!
Our front office team is always ready to welcome and assist you with a smile! When you call the school, you’ll often be greeted by Ms. Jenny, who is happy to help answer your questions or direct your call. Mrs. Jen handles attendance and transportation to ensure everything is accurate and up to date, while Mrs. Krista, our registrar and assistant to the administrators, makes sure students are enrolled correctly and placed in the right classes. Ms. Ashley, our bookkeeper, keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes. No matter the reason for your call or visit, our office staff is always glad to help and looks forward to supporting you throughout the school year.
A message from our school nurse
Here are a couple of notes from our school nurse, Mrs. Branner.
My hours are from 7:30- 3:30 daily. Feel free to call me here at the school any time about anything you need or any concerns, or I can always be reached by email at rbranner@rockingham.k12.va.us.
We have new medication consent forms this year and are offering more choices. If you would like your student to receive these medications, please reach out to me and I will send home a consent form to be signed with your student. Please be sure to list any allergies to medications that your child has on that form. If your child has their own personal preference, please feel free to bring that medication in and I will have a space just for them.
Any students with food allergies , asthma, or any prescription medication that needs to be here at school, please be sure to bring that medication in and sign proper paperwork as soon as possible.
And just one other quick reminder: Students are not allowed to bring medications to school due to safety concerns, including cough drops .
First day morning announcement
We will begin every day with a few announcements, the pledge of allegiance, and a moment of silence. On occasion we will also have a special announcement to commemorate important events. Today is one of those days! So we wanted to share the announcement with you that was made to the entire school.
Good morning John Wayland Elementary School! This is your principal, Mr. Granger and your assistant principal Mrs. Secord. Welcome to the first day of the 2025–2026 school year!
Today is a special day — not just because it’s the first day of school for all of the 522 students and 101 staff members, but because it’s the 59th first day of school for John Wayland Elementary School. When John Wayland first opened its doors in 1966 Rockingham County had just desegregated their schools and John Wayland was a just for 8th graders. But since then it has become an elementary school and thousands of children have come here to learn, grow, and make lasting friendships. Almost every week I meet someone in our area who came here as a kid or has some great connection with us!
This year we get to carry on this great tradition together. Every single one of you is smart — and each of you is super talented! And we have the greatest teachers in the Shenandoah Valley who are also very smart and talented! We are so fortunate to have such great adults here. So remember, learning is at its best when we all work together — students and teachers — to get the job done.
So as we start our first day of school let’s make a commitment to making John Wayland a place where everyone feels accepted, safe, and cared for. Let’s commit to trying new things, to working hard, being good to one another. Take pride in your learning.
This is going to be an exciting, fun, and challenging year, and we are all excited to see the amazing things you’ll accomplish.
Welcome back, Jaguars — let’s make this the best first day of school yet!
Upcoming events
September 1 Labor Day (no school)
September 3, 6PM PTO Meeting
September 3, 6PM Title 1 Literacy Night
September 26 TA Homecoming Tailgate at John Wayland
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.