The Jim Plain Insider

We aspire to be a safe and loving community that empowers students to be lifelong learners who positively contribute to the world.

We hope you are staying warm in this chilly weather and enjoyed the snow on Tuesday!

We've seen an increase of students with smart watches & cell phones and wanted to remind you all of our cell phone and watch policy. All cell phones must be turned off or silenced when students are in the building. Students are allowed to wear smart watches as long as they are not a distraction to the learning environment. If students begin sending messages or playing games on their watch, teachers will ask for the student to put their watch in their backpack. We know students have phones and watches for various reasons, but they can become a disruption to their learning and the learning of others. Should you need to reach your child during the school day, please contact the front office and we can get a message to them. Thank you for your partnership with this!

Have a great weekend!

💗Mrs. Ulatoski

24-25 Academic Calendar

January is School Board Appreciation Month!

January 27-31: Texas Holocaust Week

January 27

• Plain Pride Day - Wear your JPE gear!

January 28

• PTA Membership Meeting (virtual) @5:00

January 31

• 3rd grade trip to see Ballet Austin performance
• Future Friday - wear your DMS, LMS, GHS, college, or career wear

February 3

• National School Counseling Week begins
• APEX Fundraiser begins!

February 13

• APEX Fun Run during specials - click here to volunteer!

February 17

• Professional Learning Day - No School for Students

February 19

• 4th Grade Black History Performance at 9:30 - 4th grade families who would like to attend can RSVP here.

**Spring picture day has been moved -- more info and a date coming soon!

Our campus fundraiser, APEX, is coming soon! This fundraiser is a two-week interactive leadership program that helps students grow as future leaders and concludes with a fun run. Funds raised from the fundraiser will go towards field trips, enrichment clubs, and class supplies. Please see the Principal Newsletter below with more information. If you'd like to volunteer for the fun run, please sign up here!

As part of our campus improvement plan goal on improving reciprocal communication, our campus Family Engagement committee is asking for your feedback on our campus communications. Please complete this survey so we can use your feedback as we work to improve the communication between school and families.

The JPE Campus Events Committee would like to host an event where members of the Plain Community can come and showcase their cultures through sharing food, music art, traditions and more. Each group would have their own booth to share about their culture. This would take place at the school, in the evening in the month of May. Exact date is TBD. If you are interested in participating, please complete this survey!

Our counselor, Ms. Hodge, provides snacks to students who need them. If you are able to donate snacks, please consider purchasing something from her Snacks for Students Amazon Wishlist.

Please read Nurse Alli's newsletter below!

At JPE, students can earn Pride Paws for showing our campus-wide PAWS expectations, and then they can spend their Pride PAWS at the Pride Paw store. We are asking for donations to refill our store so students can start spending their Pride PAWS. Here's the list for our Amazon Wish List. Thank you in advance!!

Yearbooks are already on sale! Click on the link to order yours now! Yearbooks are $20. Payment plans are available too!

New this year - 5th grade parents can create a student ad to shout out their fifth grader. Click here to create your ad for the yearbook!

We love our JPE PTA! They work together to create incredible experiences for our students, staff, and families. Interested in joining or learning more? Find out more about out JPE PTA here and be on the lookout for the PTA table at school events!

Please consider attending Rally Day at the Capitol on Monday, February 24th, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. Rally Day is a popular advocacy event and thousands of PTA members across the state of Texas will be in attendance. Rally Day is open to all PTA members. (Reach out to our PTA Membership Chair, Erica Smith, or to me for more information about joining the PTA.) This will be an excellent opportunity to participate in a caucus, rally on the steps, enjoy a picnic lunch together, attend legislator meetings, and participate in literature drops. Rally Day is considered an excused absence for your students, but parents must notify us of the reason for the absence.

The primary focus of the Texas PTA is getting public school dollars back into our schools, resolving teacher and staff shortages, transforming school accountability, improving public school funding, and increasing school safety. Learn more by viewing the Rally Day 2025-Legislative Priorities One Page PDF attachment below.

If this sounds like something you are interested in, please fill out this Google form: Rally Day Interest/Attendance Form

Is your child returning to Jim Plain and possesses some of these Common Characteristics of Gifted Children (source: What is Giftedness?):

• Comprehends material above their age peers
• Surprising emotional depth and sensitivity
• Strong curiosity and unique interests
• Quirky sense of humor
• Creative problem solving and imagination
• Quick learning with minimal repetition
• Self-aware, socially aware, and globally aware

These MAY be indicators that the GT/QUEST program could be beneficial to your child. Screening for the GT/QUEST program is based on referral by any adult that knows the student. If you feel your child may have an educational need for gifted services, complete the Referral Forms provided on Emily Riordan’s QUEST Website in order for them to be screened for the GT/QUEST program for the 2025-2026 school year.

*Referrals for the 2025-2026 school year are now open! They will close on March 1, 2025. Parents who referred will be notified by April 1, 2025 if their child moves to testing. Results will be sent home before the last day of school. (The next opportunity to refer a student for the GT/QUEST Program will be next school year for screening and testing in the Spring of 2026 for the 2026-2027 school year.)