Jackson Jottings
February 2024
February at at Glance
2/8 - 4th Grade Field Trip (Hengel & Weber) to Mill City Museum, 11-2:45
2/9 - 4th Grade Field Trip (Schelper, Anglin & VB) to Mill City Museum, 11-2:45
2/12 - PTO Meeting (GRANTS/Board 5:30/Parents 6:30) Gifford Cluster
2/14 - Valentineâs/Friendship Day Party
2/19 - No School Students & Staff/Presidentâs Day
2/20 - Conferences 4-8
2/22 - Conferences 4â7:30pm
2/25 - District Band Festival 4pm - 5pm at SHS (Main Gym) 5th graders report at 3pm
2/26 - Conferences 4-7:30pm
2/27 - Field Trip - All of 3rd Grade to Orchestra Hall, 10:30-1:25
Important Information
Report Cards
Quarter 2 report cards are available for your review through Parent Portal.
You can find information on how to access them HERE.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Conferences are coming February 20, 22 and 26. A link to sign up using Meet the Teacher program will be emailed you to on February 9 at 8am and sign ups close on February 16 at 4pm.
Meet the Teacher Link: https://shakopee.meettheteacher.com/
- Tuesday, February 20 4:00 p.m. â 8:00 p.m.
- Thursday, February 22 4:00 p.m. â 7:30 p.m.
- Monday, February 26 4:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Please contact your student's teacher if you have questions. We will also have our âLost and Foundâ items on tables by the cafeteria during conference times.
Registration for Middle School â Current 5th grade students
- Review the registration guide to learn more about our 6th grade courses. For descriptions of music class options, see page 16. For descriptions of math class options, see page 9. A printed version of the Guide has also been sent home with your child.
- Have a conversation with your child about the music and math classes that they would like to take next year. For music, a student can select Music Production, Band, Choir or Band & Choir. For math, a student can select Math 6, Accelerated Pre-Algebra or Accelerated Algebra 1.
- Once decided, fill out the Music & Math Registration Form due Thursday, February 1st.
Interested in learning more about the transition to 6th Grade in Shakopee? Check out this video from Mr. Ellis and Mrs. Chase!
If you have any questions, please reach out to your studentâs middle school counselor below. If you are not sure which school your child is assigned to, click here and enter your address into the online boundary lookup tool.
East Middle School
Joan Hunstiger (last names A-L)
Megan Morinville (last names M-Z)
mmorinville@shakopee.k12.mn.us
West Middle School
Erin Richter (last names A-L)
Amy Spaeth (last names M-Z)
Snack Donations
The office is looking for snack donations for our students! We give out snacks to students that arrive late and miss breakfast, forget their snack at home, or may not have snacks to bring to school. Us and our students appreciate your donations, it gives them the fuel they need to be good learners!
Nurse Notes
Please remember to notify the health office if your child tests positive for a communicable disease (examples: strep, influenza, Covid, etc.).
General exclusions from school include: Must be fever free (100 degrees or less) for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication and 24 hours after last episode of vomiting or diarrhea.
If your child is out for more than 3 consecutive school days due to illness, please provide the health office with a note from their doctor excusing them from school.
Please reach out to Nichole Fleming, RN, LSN at 952-496-5804 with any questions.
Art Lines from Mr. Olson
ÂÂÂGreetings from the Art Department!
The Kindergarteners and 1st graders have completed their pyramid form and are now working with texture plates. They are learning that texture is the way artwork feels. They are using texture plates to create an artwork.
The 2nd graders and 3rd graders are completing their endangered animals of Africa project. The students were learning about 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional art. They used cardboard to create a relief image of their animal. They then painted the animal using a pointillism technique. Look for them coming home in March as the animals will be hanging in the upper hallway at Jackson until then. We are now working on printmaking techniques using printing ink and jelly plates.
The 4th and 5th graders took home their clay containers. I hope they were able to find a good place to display them at home. They have also completed their radial balance design. Now they are creating books and learning to sew the binding.
Please check if your student has an ART SHIRT at school. This can be any oversized old T shirt that you give them. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Mr. Olson
Jackson Art Specialist
Music Notes from Mrs. Peoples and Mrs. Kim
đŒ WHAT IS OUR LEARNING FOCUS IN MUSIC CLASS LATELY?
- Grade 5 â Analyzing the Elements of Music in Music from African Music.
- Grade 4 â Learning about the possible band instruments I can play in 5th grade.
- Grade 3 â Identifying the Orchestra Instrument I Hear â especially strings and woodwinds.
- Grade 2 â Using la-sol-mi pitches and half-note rhythms in songs and chants.
- Grade 1 â Great job on your concert!!!
- Grade K â Preparing for our March 1st concert.
đ¶đïž MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE MUSIC DATES
- Band Festival (grades 5, 8, & HS), Sun. Feb. 25, 4 pm in the high school gym (rehearse at 3 pm)
- 3rd Grade Orchestra Hall Field Trip, Feb. 27
- Kindergarten Concert, March 1st, 2:30 pm in the Jackson Gym
- 5th grade band, March 1st, Optional short pep band performance at the Shakopee Varsity Basketball Game -- see Sunday emailed newsletter for more details.
- 3rd grade, March 1st, Optional national anthem singing before Varsity Basketball Game at high school --- see the flyer that went home for more details.
- 4th Gr. Concert, Friday, May 3rd, , 2:30pm in the Jackson Gym
- 5th Gr. Band + General Music Concert, May 24th, 2:30pm in the Jackson Gym
Please feel free to email us if you have any questions!
Mrs. Kim, hkim@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Mrs. Peoples, speoples@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Band News
đș WHATâS NEW IN BAND?
Mrs. Peoples emails band parents every Sunday at about 1 pm with a
- Home practice report link for parents to fill out (takes less than a minute to complete).
- Band Newsletter
If you are a band parent and are NOT receiving this important weekly information, please contact Mrs. Peoples at speoples@shakopee.k12.mn.us or call her at school.
Stephanie Peoples, M.M.Ed.
GENERAL MUSIC & BAND SPECIALIST
952.496.5802 ext. 7017 | https://www.shakopee.k12.mn.us/Domain/483
Physical Education with Mr. Casey and Mrs. Burgess
Greetings Jackson Families,
This year is surely flying by. Half of the year is now complete and we are moving into the final two quarters of school. With that being said, your child/ren have been busy in PE. We concluded our basketball unit and have now begun our hockey unit. Within this unit, your child will learn the basics of hockey, including positions, types of shots and most importantly, teamwork and sportsmanship.Whether your child is a seasoned hockey player or a novice, they are sure to have fun and get a lot of exercise! As always, our goal for every unit is for your child to be safe, have fun and participate.
With the conclusion of hockey, we will be starting our dance unit. Your son/daughter will learn independent dances, including the Cha Cha Slide, Macarena, Cupid Shuffle, Electric Slide, Chicken Dance and more. Each grade level will focus on different dances that range from easier to more difficult. We encourage everyone to do their best, participate and have fun!
A couple of reminders:
- We are always accepting lightly worn tennis shoes that are no longer needed, for students who come to gym without the proper footwear. You can send any donations with your child and have them drop them off in the gym or feel free to drop them off yourself, in the office, with a note, stating that they are a gym donation.
- If your child is unable to participate in PE, due to injury or illness, please send them with a note, preferably a doctorâs note, stating the injury/illness and how long they need to sit out.
Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your continued support!
Mr. Jeff Casey (jcasey@shakopee.k12.mn.us)
Mrs. Angie Burgess (aburgress@shakopee.k12.mn.us)
Greetings from the Learning Commons
Maud Hart Lovelace Chapter Books
If a student reads 3/10 Maud Hart Lovelace Chapter books in Grades 3, 4, and 5, he/she will be invited to the MHL Voting Party! March 5 from 2:45 - 3:15 p.m. is the scheduled party for Jackson MHL Readers. Students will vote, receive a certificate of completion and also a prize/goody bag. We look forward to seeing how many students participate! Here is more information about Maud Hart Lovelace. Here are the titles that are this yearâs nominees! These books are available in the Learning Commons.
Email Mrs. Hilgers at ghilgers@shakopee.k12.mn.us if you have any questions.
MHL Voting Party
Has your child read an MHL book and wants to attend the MHL Voting Party?!
Go to this link with your IPad or phone camera, and tell me about the book you read!
Jackson Elementary I Love to Read Month Theme: âCamp Out with a Good Bookâ
Display Our Reading! Students will make a book chain. We will line the hallways with our book links! Each strip of paper, students can write their name and title of each book they read during the month! We will place paper strips in each classroom teacherâs mailbox. Students will also place on the paper strip how many stars they would give the book 1-5! We will place paper strips in teacher mailboxes. Each grade level will have a different color of paper strips. Letâs see how far we get! There will be a box placed in each grade level cluster for students to place their completed book strips. We will post them several times a week.
COMPLETE A READING LOG FOR A SMALL PRIZE!
Reading logs for I Love to Read Month have been distributed to all classrooms. Students can substitute this reading log for what they usually use in their classrooms or add this one in as a bonus. Mrs. Nemo has pulled all different kinds of books that meet the requirements on the reading log. Teachers will let us know how many students complete their logs, and we will deliver the goody bags to classrooms. Students will get a small prize delivered to the classroom by the media staff or PTO Volunteers on Mar 3, 2023 if they have turned in a parent-signed reading log.
I Love To Read - Dress Up Days
2/27 - Tuesday - âWearable Words Dayâ - Wear a favorite shirt with words on it. If students donât have an item of clothing with words, they can pick a favorite word, print or decorate a word with markers, and stick it to their shirt with tape!
2/28 - Wednesday - âIâm Crazy about Readingâ Day - (Crazy socks, crazy hair, crazy dress) Students can wear socks that are âwild or crazyâ with different colors or designs OR they can wear mismatched socks.
2/29 - Thursday - âBooks Brighten our World Day" - Wear a neon or brightly colored shirt/clothing!!
3/1 - Friday - âCamp Out with a Good Bookâ day! - Bring a blanket and comfy clothes/PJâs and read in front of your teacherâs âstreaming Youtube camping fireâ. https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=qsOUv9EzKsg
DONATE AN ITEM TO THE LEARNING COMMONS USING THIS CODE HERE!
PTO NEWS
Happy February, Jackson! And Happy Valentineâs Day a bit early đ
We have had a busy start to the year! In January we had our school dance which seemed a bit crazy, but a lot of fun! Those kids sure know how to dance! Then we had our first Jackson meal night at The Pizza Ranch here in Shakopee which was a huge success! Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped at that event, and thank you to all of our Jackson families for joining us!
Hereâs whatâs coming up next for Jacksonâs PTO, our students, and families:
Monday, February 12th, 6:30 pm: Jackson PTO Meeting â Weâre having an open forum for this meeting with no agenda. If there are questions you have, things youâd like to know or help with, please come! We will not have a speaker, but weâll have our entire PTO there to listen, learn and help with anything we can!
Monday â Wednesday, February 19th â 21st: Jackson Meal Nights at Marcoâs Pizza: â This is a HUGE favorite for the kids! They will each decorate a pizza box the first week in February. Then, if you call and order a pizza during our fundraiser, not only does it count towards their classâ âcreditâ towards winning a pizza party, but it also will arrive at your home in their decorated box!! We need lots of volunteers to help with this, so please sign up! Also, boxes will not be returned to school and you cannot go pick them up after the event. Please support us in this fundraiser as itâs one of our biggest during the year!
Friday, March 8th, 6-8 pm: Jackson Movie Night â Come see the movie âMigrationâ with your family! Itâs a quiet night all snuggled up on the gym floor. The PTO will have popcorn, but no other food will be allowed in the gym, please! Bring your blankets and wear your pajamas!
Your student will come home with a flyer for each of the events above which will have all the details. Also, if you havenât joined our Facebook group, please do â itâs where we post many updates and information on our events. Search âJackson Parentsâ on Facebook to be added as a member as itâs a private group. We hope you join us at all the events because theyâre a LOT of fun!
As always, if you have questions or concerns that you believe we can help with, please donât hesitate to ask! Also, if you want to get involved with the PTO and any of our events, weâd LOVE to have you! Please send a message to us on Facebook or our email at jacksonpto28@gmail.com.
Thank you for supporting us, Jackson! â Crystal Nellermoe, PTO President
HELPFUL LINKS AND INFORMATION
- Elementary School Student Handbook
- 2023/2024 Shakopee Public Schools Calendar
- Volunteer Information
- Daily Announcements
- Winter Weather Guidelines & Information
- Elementary Report Card Rubrics
- How to Access Report Cards
- Attendance Line: Parents/guardians should call the attendance line when a student will be late or absent 952-496-5803.
Visitor Reminders: All visitors are required to check-in at the front office and must be screened through the Raptor system during normal school hours.
Now Hiring Part-Time/Full-Time Paraprofessional Positions, Food Services and More: Training provided, job share responsibilities and weekend/summer/school breaks off. Click here for a list of positions and to apply.
- Communication Reminder: We encourage families to download the Seesaw app on your smartphone or bookmark on a computer to gain access to important school communications and teacher messages.
RECESS WEATHER GUIDE
Attendance
- If possible, please try to submit absences via Infinite Campus or the attendance line before 10 am.
- While you can email the teacher about absences, please also notify the office.
- If it's after 10 am and you will be picking your child up early, please call the main office (952-496-5802) instead of submitting the early pick up time via Infinite Campus.
- If you will be changing how your child is getting home at the end of the day, please call the main office before 2:30 pm.