JKES Cardinal Chronicle
Week of October 28, 2024
π Dear Cardinal Families,
What a great week we had welcoming our families into the building for parent conferences. We had the opportunity to sit in conferences across grade levels and it was fantastic to hear the progress our students are making academically, social-emotionally and the work being done by staff to partner with our parents to support our Cardinalβs learning at home. Building a strong community is central to student success and we are always excited to connect with parents to share information and answer questions.
As a reminder, our PTO FUN RUN (see information below) is this coming week on October 31st. The run will be held during the school day when your child has specials. The PTO has set a goal to raise $10,000 this year. This money is vital to much of what we do in the building to support teachers with instructional resources that in turn support student learning. We thank you in advance for giving what you can during this fundraising campaign and please know your support is greatly appreciated.
Lastly, this coming Thursday is Halloween. We have designated the day as Storybook Character Day. We are excited to see how creative our Cardinalβs are with their costumes, but it is important as you help your child plan their costume you are aware they should not portray stereotypes of a culture or a group of people & are not offensive to any racial, ethnic or religious group, anyone with a disability/illness or other group of people. Outfits and costumes should not include weapons or masks. We thank you in advance for helping us make Storybook Character Day a day of fun for everyone!
We hope youβve had a great weekend and we look forward to seeing our Cardinals tomorrow!
Warmly-
Mrs. Pryor and Mrs. Houser
π Important Dates
Thursday October 31:
Fun Run Boosterthon
Storybook Character Day (all grades): costumes should not portray stereotypes of a culture or a group of people & are not offensive to any racial, ethnic or religious group, anyone with a disability/illness or other group of people. Outfits and costumes should not include weapons or masks.
Veteran's Day Celebration
JKES will be celebrating Veterans Day on November 11th and would like to gather pictures of our veterans. If you have any veterans in your family and would like to send in a picture with their name, branch of military they served in, and how they are related to your student, we would love to display these in a slideshow during our celebration. The pictures and information can be emailed to your childβs teacher through Talking Points, please send in the pictures and information no later than November 6th. We look forward to honoring our veterans next month.
Attendance Matters
We want our Cardinals to THRIVE and that starts with their attendance and being in the building every day school is in session! Attendance and engagement are key to success in school and beyond! Chronic absenteeism is a leading indicator that predicts success for both literacy and workforce outcomes of students. It is an early warning sign that students are at risk of not reading proficiently by the end of third grade, struggling academically in middle school and dropping out of high school. Chronic absenteeism promotes missed opportunities for our students to learn, build relationships and develop their mental health and well-being, and access to critical resources available at school. Coming to school regularly allows our Cardinals to SOAR!
π¬ Talking Points
WPS Talking Points accounts are set up automatically based on contact information from PowerSchool. Please note that Talking Points accounts are only available for contacts who have custody of the student.
If you are asked for a Class Code by Talking Points or you are not receiving Talking Points messages, please sign into your PowerSchool Parent Portal to review your contact information and request any updates or changes.
October is Bullying Prevention Month
This year John Kerr will recognize Bullying Prevention Month will students having the opportunity to discuss and learn about the importance of demonstrating kindness, compassion, and acceptance of peers. As a school, we want to diminish the occurrence of bullying and increase the frequency of respect and friendship.
What is Bullying?
"Bullying" means any aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim; involves a real or perceived power imbalance between the aggressor or aggressors and victim; and is repeated over time or causes severe emotional trauma. "Bullying" includes cyber-bullying. "Bullying" does not include ordinary teasing, horseplay, argument or peer conflict. (WPS Parent/Student Handbook)
What if my child is being bullied?
Confirm bullying behavior with your child (occurring multiple times with the intention of being hurtful). Ask if they have told anyone at school or if any adults have witnessed the bullying. Reach out to someone at the school who can help.
Red Ribbon Week ~ October 28th to November 1st
Lost & Found
We still have Lost and Found not claimed during parent conferences on October 23rd and we are sure more will show up between now and Winter Break. On DECEMBER 16, 2024 our Lost and Found will be set up in the foyer for families to stop by between 3-6 PM to see if their child has any items that need to be collected after the first two quarters of the year. Anything remaining after that date will be donated to a local organization for the holidays prior to Winter Break.
π Bus Safety ~ Important Information
Our No Referral Bus Winner for the Week of October 7-11 was Bus 403 and for the week of October 14-18, Bus 416! This week Bus 440 was our big winner! Way to go, Bus 403, Bus 416 and Bus 440 . We are so proud of how you are riding safely to and from school and we will be Trolling for another bus with outstanding behavior again this coming week!
π₯ͺ Bright Future Friday Food Bags
Hello Cardinal families,
This year our Friday Food Bags will begin during the week of September 16th-20th. Food Bag forms were sent home on Tuesday (August 13th). If you are in need of another form, please let your students' classroom teacher know. If you are in need of emergency food assistance, please contact one of our school counselors. Listed below is a link that is available for volunteers to help with Friday Food Bags. This includes coming into JKES on Fridays and delivering Food Bags to classrooms. Dates and times are included in the link below. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Davis, JKES School Counselor.
π Volunteers
John Kerr is always looking for volunteers. There are opportunities throughout the building to include support in lunch, at recess, in the library and other areas of the school. If interested, please reach out to your childβs teacher and they can provide information on next steps.
Donations
Donations continue to be needed for the John Kerr clinic: boys and girls clothes in a variety of sizes and, as we approach cooler weather we are in need of sweaters, long pants, long sleeve shirts, and etc. Please make sure that all donations are clean and in good shape. We appreciate your kindness and generosity.
Jackets and coats can also be donated to our school counseling department. Thank you so much!
Winchester Public Schools Parent Handbook
The Winchester Public Schools 2024-2025 PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK is a valuable resource to know and understand all things Winchester Public Schools, to include K-12 standards and instruction, the yearly calendar, discipline policies and more.
π Annual School Forms
Annual Verification Forms MUST be completed for each WPS student using the PowerSchool Parent Portal prior to the first day of school.
Use this step-by-step guide for completing the online process: https://bit.ly/WPSAnnualFormGuide (English and Spanish)
π Transportation Changes
Any change in a student's regular means of transportation in the afternoon must be by a written note from a parent/guardian or by email to mcnamara@wps.k12.va.us AND armistead@wps.k12.va.us by 1:30 PM Monday through Friday if there is a last minute change. We ask that you call the school to notify the office of your incoming email. Student safety is very important to us!
Between 2:15 PM and 2:40 PM, the office is open only to school personnel and volunteers. Students who are picked up by car will be dismissed to the car pick up line ONLY during dismissal.
Any questions, please call the school office.
π 2024 - 2025 Calendar Snapshot - English
π 2024 - 2025 Calendar Snapshot - Spanish
π Reminders
WinReady On Demand Transportation
No more waiting for a bus, transferring routes, or long walks to bus stops. WinReady is a point-to-point service that will pick you up when you need to be picked up and take you where you need to go within the City of Winchester within 30 minutes. You can request or schedule a ride directly from your phone, and WinReady will get you there. (click the link for additional information)
Opt-In to School Texts
Not receiving school-related text messages? You must OPT-IN to receive messages. Text "Subscribe" to 67587. You should receive confirmation that you are registered. Don't forget to ensure all of your contact information is correct at your student's school, too!