Ira B. Jones Families:

We have 24 days of school left!

Next week, we will joyfully celebrate and sincerely appreciate our teachers and staff for their invaluable contributions during Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week. I am genuinely grateful for their unwavering dedication to ensuring our students learn and grow academically and socially and helping them become lifelong learners.

I want to formally and publically recognize each of the teachers/educators that I work with for changing the lives of children daily: Susannah Anderson, Molly Bivins, Courtney Booth, Rachel Brommer, Devin Browning, Lisa Bruggeman, Bess Bryan, Erica Bunce, Leigh Ann Carracio, Alison Chilcott, Abby Colvais, Makenna Delk, Gabriela Dominguez-Aragonez, Tess Englebach, LaPorshia Finley, Kelly Garland, Shannon Glendenning, Gina Groomes, Daymon Hinkleman, Jennifer Holder, Susan Huber, Amber Hyland, Maggie Imhoff, Nick Jones, Miriam Keeter, Kelly Kenney, Courtney Lally, Katie Leppard, Suan Lifchez, Kasiya Little, Suzanne Logan, Melana Lombardo, Rivers Marchesoni, Paula Martinez, Shenekia McDaniels, Kristin Morgan, Kathleen Moore, Cara Natkin, Abigail Owolabi, Leo Ott, Eva Page, Jenni Park, Lauren Parker, Hannah Peerless, John Pruett, Jenny Rice, Nadeen Rolfe, Waverly Rudicil, Robin Russell, Vicki Schenter, Ronnie Shoe, McKenna Snyder, Cathy Sorensen, Kristin Suarez, Angela Talford, Angie Tesauro, Kelley Warner, Nicole White, Jasperina Whiteside, and Dina Wilson. Each of you is a creative, incredible educator, hardworking, and a bright light in this world. Keep on shining. The world needs more lights to lead our children to successful, confident, and productive futures. And, thank you to the rest of our staff for supporting our school community - Carl Brown, Dawn Debow, Karin Doss, Shelley Hawkins, Kally Drennan, Gerald Falls, Travis Holt, Patricia Irby, Sue Rice, and Craig Shimer.

I Salute YOU!

Hello Jones families!

Our school is collecting shoes to donate to EcoSneakers and Soles4Souls. Our goal is to collect 600 pairs of shoes. If you can donate shoes, know they can be worn down to any extent and can be any size! Please also ask friends and family to donate used shoes to help us reach our school goal.

We deeply appreciate your consideration and potential contribution to this cause. Your generosity will not only help us reach our school goal but also make a positive impact on the lives of those in need. Thank you for your time and support.

-3rd and 5th grade Global Scholars Students

#noplacelikejones

Special Olympics aims to offer continuous sports training and athletics competitions in various Olympics-style events for individuals of all ages with intellectual disabilities. This allows them to develop physical fitness, demonstrate bravery, experience happiness, and share their talents, abilities, and companionship with other Special Olympics athletes, their families, and the community.

We are incredibly proud of our students who participated in this year's Special Olympics. They represented themselves, their families, and our school with great distinction.

Save the date! The Spring Concert for first and second grade will be May 15. Students need to arrive by 6:15 for the 6:30 performance. Students need to wear cool, comfortable clothing... no special attire required. "Looking nice" always a plus if possible! The concert will last about 30 minutes. Hope to see you there!

• April 22 – May 17, 2024: K-5 USNS Testing Window
• April 29 – May 17, 2024: K-5 End of Year mClass WIndow
• May 1 – 31, 2024: K-2 Math Summative Window
• May 1 – 21, 2024: End of Year Panorama Survey
  
• Friday, May 10: Spring Fling
• Wednesday, May 15: Spring Concert for 1st and 2nd grades
  
• Wednesday, May 22: Kindergarten Registration
  
• Friday, May 24: Science EOG (5th grade only)/Early Release Day
  
• Monday, May 27: Memorial Day (Holiday) No School
  
• Wednesday, May 29: Reading EOG (3rd - 5th grades)
  
• Thursday, May 30: Math EOG (3rd - 5th grades)
  
• Friday, June 7: Last Day of School/Early Release Day
  

Would you like to know who the heroes behind the tasty food at Ira B. Jones Elementary School are? These amazing people prepare delicious meals daily with music, a smile, and sometimes a hug! Last Friday, we celebrated School Lunch Hero Day to appreciate the hard work of the cafeteria staff. We thank Mr. Travis, Mr. Carl, Ms. Pat, and Ms. Dawn for keeping our students and staff well-fed.

It's crucial to understand that no amount of stress relief activities can compensate for neglecting your own well-being. Prioritizing our basic needs is the key to making stress relief activities truly effective.

What is Self-Care? Self-care is a conscious act promoting physical, mental, and emotional health. Unfortunately, many people view self-care as a luxury rather than a priority. Consequently, they feel overwhelmed, tired, and ill-equipped to handle life's inevitable challenges. It's essential to assess how you care for yourself in several domains to ensure you care for your mind and body.

Physical Self-Care: This encompasses how we nourish our bodies, the quality of our sleep, the level of physical activity we engage in, and how we attend to our physical needs.

Social Self-Care: Close connections are essential to your well-being. The best way to cultivate and maintain close relationships is to put time and energy into building supportive relationships with others.

Mental Self-Care: This includes doing things that keep your mind sharp and help you stay mentally healthy.

Emotional Self-Care: This may include activities that help you acknowledge and express your feelings.