I hope you all had a restful and relaxing summer. I took a little time off this summer to spend with my family and friends. We spent some time camping, being on the coast, and exploring Central Oregon. I love being able to take that time to build core memories with my kids and family.

I am looking forward to this school year with you and your student. I have learned so much over the summer. There are a lot of positives to build on this year and a few things that we can work on to strengthen our school and the daily experience for staff, students, and families.

• Office is now open Monday - Friday from 7AM-3PM
• August 26 (9:00-11:00am) - Community Clean-up Event
• August 28 - Email introduction from classroom teacher
• August 31 (4:30-6:30pm) - Teacher Meet 'n Greet
• September 1 - Family Connection Conferences
• September 4 - No School, Labor Day
• September 5 - First day of school. 1st-6th grades
• September 6 - First day of school, Kindergarten
• September 6 - Early Release @1:50pm

At Jackson Elementary, we have several ways we communicate to families:

• Weekly Jaguar News email (this newsletter) - This will be my main communication tool throughout the school year. Within it, I will provide important dates, links to resources, and photos of our kids and teachers in action. It's essential to keep your email addresses updated in our Synergy system, so you don't miss any important information.
  
• School Website - This will be updated monthly, at a minimum. The school calendar is updated as events are finalized and important links or documents are added to the "quick links" section in the bottom right hand corner.
• Social Media Platforms - I am currently working on setting these up. They will be up and running in the coming weeks.
• Email and Auto-dialers - If there is urgent information, such as a weather delay or safety updates, we will use a direct email and/or auto-dialer to communicate first. Email is also used by staff to share weekly/monthly newsletters that communicate directly with you as families to provide relevant information about your student.
• Remind - In our upcoming Jaguar News, we will be providing information about the Remind platform and app. This platform allows up to send text and email messages to our families quickly.

Emails regarding students' class assignments will be sent by 3:30pm on Monday, 8/28. They will also be posted during the Teacher Meet 'n Greet on Thursday, 8/31.

Classroom Teachers will be emailing you on Monday, 8/28, to schedule a time to talk on Friday, 9/1. This phone conference is a time for you to get to know your student's teacher and a time for the teacher to learn more about you and your student.

School Ends: 2:20pm (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday), 1:50pm (Wednesday)

• Doors open for Breakfast at 7:30am.
• Students who are walking, biking, or being dropped off in a car can arrive after 7:45am, as there is limited supervision before that time, unless they are eating breakfast on-site.
• If your student is unable to get out of the car on their own, like in a booster seat, please park and walk your student to the front of the building.
• At 7:50am, the first bell rings and students will go to class with their teacher.
• At 8:00am, the tardy bell rings and classrooms begin morning meeting.
• If your student arrives after 8:00am, they will need to ring our doorbell at our front doors. Students will check in with the office to get a pass before going to class so we can ensure they are accounted for in attendance.

Jackson's instructional day runs from 8:00am-2:20pm, most days. Every Wednesday, we have an abbreviated day, with student dismissal at 1:50pm, to support staff professional development and team planning. Here are some specifics to know for the upcoming school year.

Arrival

• All students will enter campus through our main entry doors. This is the same as last year. Students may enter our main doors at 7:45am. The only exception is if students are eating breakfast on-site. In this case, students may enter at 7:30am, to allow extra time to eat.
• If you are dropping off your student in the drop off lane, please stay in your car, and and pull all the way forward. It is essential we keep this area flowing quickly to avoid additional backups on Jackson School Road. If you think your child will need additional time to get out of booster seats/car seats or will need help walking into the building, please park and walk your student to the front of the building. Parking may be the most convenient on the street.
• When arriving at school, students will go through the secure doors to the far right of our main doors, and head to one of the two areas:
• Kindergarten through 3rd grade - students will go to our cafeteria, find their grade level sign on the wall, and sit in that area. When the 7:50am bell rings, classroom teachers arrive in the cafeteria to pick up their students.
• 4th through 6th grade - students will walk through the cafeteria head outside under the covered area, until their teachers meet them outside when the 7:50am bell rings.
• After the first day of school, only students are allowed to walk beyond our security doors beyond the foyer, to enter the cafeteria.
• We have multiple staff members supervising in both areas. They will ensure students get to the correct sign/area.
• If your student arrives after 8:00am, they will need to ring our doorbell at our front doors. They will check in with the office to get a pass before going to class so we can ensure they are accounted for in attendance.

Dismissal

• All students will exit their classrooms either through the front main doors, side doors or back doors with their teacher. The will walk with their teacher to the front of the building.
• Students who are being picked up by car, will walk directly to the pick-up car lane, to be assisted by teachers and staff.
• Kindergarten will be exiting our main doors and lining up along the entryway. This is a change from last year.
• Please stay in your car.
• We have staff to walk students across the crosswalk. Staff members will all have walkie talkies to let teachers know you are there to pick them up.
• If you plan to exit your car or walk up to the building to pick up your student, please do not go beyond the security gates.
• As a family, plan a place to meet together after school. Two popular places are by the oak tree and bike racks or in the front of the building by the main entrance.

Road and sidewalk improvements have been made the last few years in the attendance area of Jackson Elementary. The Oregon Department of Education has established transportation guidelines for students at all levels. For students in grades K-6, bus transportation must be made available for all students whose home address is father than one mile away from the school. Home addresses that fall inside of those boundaries are considered to be in the walk zone. Students who live in the walk zone, may not receive transportation unless their route to school would take them through a hazard zone. Due to the recent improvements along Jackson School Road, our school no longer qualifies for this exception. There is no bus transportation for Jackson Elementary, unless you have transportation services on your student's IEP.

I have added a picture of the suggested walking and riding paths to access Jackson Elementary School safely. In addition, there will be crossing guards to ensure the safety of our students during arrival and dismissal.

Thank you for your understanding. If you have questions, please contact the Transportation Department at 503-844-1123.

Email: marshalc@hsd.k12.or.us

Phone: 503-844-1670