Jamaica Crocs Newsletter
April 2024
Words from Principal Black
Dear Jamaica Families, I want to wish everyone a great month of April, filled with kindness and helping others, as we approach the finish line. Thanks for all you do for our children!
Ms. Black
Principal
Jamaica Elementary School
PTSO Calendar of Events
Dates To Remember:
4/1- 4/5- Spring Book Fair
4/2- Autism Awareness Spirit Day (Wear Blue)
4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25- Croc Treats
4/22- Earth Day Spirit Day (Wear Tie Dye)
4/26- No School
Follow our PTSO social media pages for important updates! Facebook is "Jamaica Elementary PTSO" and Instagram is "jamaicacrocsptso".
Registration Is Open For Kindergarten 24/25
Visit www.jamaica.lhusd.org/ and click on the registration tab. Please call the front office with any questions (928) 854-7280.
Positive Behavioral Interventions
Jamaica Elementary School is a PBIS school. Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is a schoolwide systems approach aimed at establishing positive student culture and individualized behavior supports necessary to create a safe and effective learning environment for all students.
PBIS is what we use to help students understand the rules, expectations, and consequences. We focus on positive behaviors and “catching” students doing the right thing. Some of the ways we recognize students include: Positive Principal Praise referrals, class compliment points, and quarterly PBIS Croc assemblies.
When students make a poor choice, they are provided warnings, redirections, opportunities to reflect on the behavior, and a chance to fix it before going to the next step. If a student is unable to correct the behavior after all these interventions, they could earn a referral.
At the end of each quarter, we celebrate all the positive behaviors with our Croc assembly for any student who has not earned a referral for that quarter. Students who earned a referral will not be eligible to attend the assembly and will be in an alternate location.
Thank you for partnering with us to help your child succeed an all areas.
Crocstar Staff Of The Month
Congratulations Mr. White on being Jamaica’s March staff of the month.
Mr. White goes above and beyond to help Jamaica in a variety of ways. He covers duties, helps students outside of school hours, and helps his fellow staff members. He does so in a quiet and subtle way, never looking for recognition. Thank you for being a team player and being the silent hero who always cares about the students.
Physical Education News and Updates
Thank you to all the students for all their hard work throughout the year. I am very proud of them and appreciate the effort they give every time they are in my classroom. Thank you to the parents and families also for ensuring that the students have the proper attire and shoes to maximize their potential in physical education! I hope that everyone had a very enjoyable and relaxing Spring Break and remember to stay hydrated as the weather starts to heat up. As the end of the year approaches, we will have our soccer and baseball/softball units for the students to enjoy. For baseball/softball, the students can bring in their own gloves if they want, but Mr. Branchik cannot be responsible for them. I do have an entire classroom set of gloves (right and left-handed) for the younger and older students to use FYI. Again, thank you for all your hard work in helping your son or daughter be successful in class. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
Andrew Branchik
(928) 854-7280 X3926
Dress Code
As the weather is ever changing, please be sure to follow the district dress code policy which can be found on page 11 of the student handbook.
https://content.myconnectsuite.com/api/documents/3f76cd2637e04576be4c008dc9c40556
Breakfast Reminder
Breakfast starts at 7:30 am, and students need to be finished eating by 7:55 am. Please remind your child that if they are having breakfast at school, they need to be coming in as soon as they arrive. Students who get to the office at 7:50 am with plans to have breakfast will not have enough time to eat.
Student Tardiness and Pick Up Times
If your student is tardy, an adult MUST come in and sign them in.
Please do not drop them off and have them come in alone.
Reminder that the first bell is at 7:55 A.M. daily and students must be in class by 8:00A.M to not be considered tardy. Safety is our top priority.
Please ensure your students are promptly picked up at the release of school.
If you are running late, please contact the front office immediately.
Each Monday we will randomly pick 2 lucky winners of an In-N-Out gift card based on perfect attendance from the week before. Will it be you?
Breakfast & Lunch Prices
This year, there has been an increase in meal prices due to USDA regulations.
Breakfast is now $1.60 at all LHUSD schools. Lunch is $2.85 at all elementary schools.
Households will need to re-apply for this school year, as a new application is needed each year. To apply for free or reduced-price meals please visit the new website LinqConnect.com.
A household can submit an application at any time of the year, if there is a reduction in household income.
School Shirts
Stop by the front office to get your school shirts. Please bring cash or credit card for payment. Don’t forget there is a Web Store found at: https://az-lakehavasu.intouchreceipting.com/
Short Sleeve Youth Shirts are $6.50
Long Sleeve Youth Shirts are $8.00
Lunch With Students
We welcome you to come to have lunch with your student. We even have a special table just for you to eat with them. Per district policy, you may only bring food for your student.
School Visitors
All visitors during school hours must sign in at the front office and also be issued a visitors pass. Please ensure that you sign out upon your departure.
Birthday Marque Message
PTSO is still offering the Birthday Marquee Fundraiser. $10 will get your child’s name on the marquee for their birthday week. We can also do ½ birthdays as well! Forms are in the office.
Safety and Security
At Jamaica, we take the safety of our students, staff, and guests seriously; therefore we are a closed campus.
It is critical for safety that all guests, including parents and guardians, check in at the front office and sign in for a visitor’s badge. We ask that you do not go into the classrooms without an appointment.
The gates are staying locked in the mornings until 7:45 am. This is for the safety and security of our students in the mornings. Students should wait near the building and away from the drive-through lane. Parents, please drop off and pick up outside the gates.
In the parking lot, please use the crosswalk and do not walk in front of traffic. Thank you to our many parents who follow this rule to help model for our students. (This includes Jamaica Blvd. Please do not cross where there is no crosswalk)