Principal's Note

Dear NJES Families,

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a joyful and relaxing winter break, which lasted a bit longer than we expected.

Moving into the new year, we are going to hit the ground running with AimsWeb winter benchmark assessments, new afterschool clubs, and continued celebration of our students, staff, and community.

With that in mind, I want to give a shout out to two wonderful staff members who will be recognized at the January 27th JCS Board of Education Meeting. Cafeteria manager Lynn Brown and 4th grade teacher Lisa Long are being recognized as Jefferson County “All Stars” for going above and beyond in their respective roles.

In her role as cafeteria manager, Ms. Brown watches over the children and the staff of North Jefferson Elementary, ensuring they are cared for in both body and mind. Ms. Brown uses her lunch line to develop special relationships with students, and she supports numerous after-school events. Not only does Ms. Brown open her kitchen and cook for the community, but she personally hands out candy at each Trunk or Treat. This fall, Ms. Brown went above and beyond, giving hours of her free time to support the school. We want to thank Ms. Brown for dedication to North Jefferson; we are a richer community because of her.

In her role as an educator at North Jefferson Elementary, Ms. Long has provided an excellent education for generations of local families. Ms. Long is an innovative teacher who pushes her students to engage in critical, creative thinking. Her students are challenged and delighted by projects like “engineering arcade games,” which are then incorporated into a community outreach night. Also, Ms. Long mentors other teachers, supports substitutes in the building, and works after school to provide academic support to North Jefferson students. We want to say thank you to Ms. Long for the wisdom and leadership that she provides to our community.

North Jefferson is blessed with so many wonderful professionals, and we are happy to have the opportunity to recognize two of these amazing individuals. Go North Jefferson!

As always, I hope this finds you well, and thank you for entrusting us with your children.

Sincerely,

Interim Head Principal Priscilla Rodd

NJES Writing Club Starting on January 22

We are dedicated to the academic success of every child at North Jefferson Elementary. To that end, we are starting after-school academic clubs that will provide focused support and instruction to select students. Grade level teachers and administrators looked at testing data and classroom performance and drew up a list of students in grades 3, 4, and 5 that we believe would significantly benefit from intensive writing instruction - beginning on January 22nd. Third grade students will meet after school on Mondays (3:45-5:00 PM), and fourth and fifth graders will meet on Wednesdays (3:45-5:00 PM). Additional math clubs will be starting up in February. Ms. Long will be leading these clubs and will be the contact person for any questions: lrlong@k12.wv.us

A list of dates and permissions slips will be sent home to guardians for their student's participation.

Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Starts Afterschool Programs at NJES!

North Jefferson Elementary has partnered with Jefferson County Parks and Recreation to begin afterschool activities. The programs will start directly afterschool beginning at 3:45pm. The programs are open to students ages 5 to 11. Parents should sign up their children directly at the Parks and Recreation Website or by calling 304-728-3207. The activities start at $40.00, but scholarships are available through the rec center.

Holiday Math Night

Tuesday December 17th, 2024 NJES was happy to welcome students and families for our annual Holiday Math Night. Students listened to a story, created math based holiday crafts, played games created by the Math Field Day Club, and have their photos taken with Santa Clause. Thank you to all the NJES staff for organizing and volunteering for this event.

The Friday before winter break, the two students pictured here had their names drawn from a lottery be the North Jefferson mascots, and they handed out candy to the ALL STAR STAFF at NJES.

To encourage positive behavior, students exhibiting excellent behavior throughout the day can receive "Caught Being a STAR" slips, which are read during the morning announcements. Also, each class also has a Star Student of the Month. If your child comes home with any STAR certificate, be sure to ask about their star behavior.

In addition, students receive monthly awards for perfect attendance, as well as awards each semester - and each class with perfect attendance is recognized every day!

Up Coming Dates

January 14th - Math Field Day Club from 3:45 - 5:00pm

January 14th - PTO Meeting at 6:00PM in the NJES cafeteria, please note ALL NJES FAMILIES are welcome to attend.

January 16th- Math Field Day Club 3:45 - 5:00PM

January 17th - Picture Retake Day 9:00am - 11:00am

January 20th - Martin Luther King Day - NO SCHOOL

January 21st - Math Field Day Club 3:45 - 5:00PM

January 22nd - K- Kids Club 3:45pm - 4:30 pm

January 22nd - NJES Writing Club Grades 4/5 3:45- 5:00pm

January 23rd - Math Field Day Club 3:45-5:00pm

January 27th - Books, Bikes, and Basketball Club 3:45-5:00pm

January 29th - NJES 3rd Grade writing Club 3:45 -5:00pm

January 30th - MATH FIELD DAY COMPETITION this event will take place at Driswood Elementary. Transportation from NJES will be provided.

NJES Lunch Policy

· Guardians can eat school lunch with their children every day of the week except on days with an early release or 2-hour delay.

· Guardians must bring an ID with them to school to be run through raptor.

· If guardians want to eat school lunch, they need to call and alert the school before 10:00AM in the morning.

· Guardians are encouraged to eat the lunch, rather than bring in outside food so that we limit distraction and feelings of jealousy.

· Because of limited space at our student tables, guardians and students will be asked to eat at a table near the back of the cafeteria.

· Guardians need to be careful and not photograph any other students, beyond their own children, when they are in school.

· If more than six guardians are signed up to eat lunch with their children, other guardians will be asked to come another day.

Help Us With Dismissal

REMINDER: We are reaching out to ask you to please help us with our end-of-school dismissal and transportation procedures, starting on January 13th, 2025, after winter break.

Firstly, we are asking that all transportation changes be communicated to the office before 2:50 PM. Last-minute changes can lead to confusion that can stress and endanger students, and having extra time to communicate plans ensures that dismissal is more orderly and safer.

Secondly, as much as possible, we’re asking families who need to pick up students early do so by 2:50 PM. This earlier pick up time is also meant to minimize chaos at the end of the day so that students can be dismissed in the safest possible manner.

These changes are not meant to inconvenience anyone, but to ensure an orderly end to our school day. We also understand that issues come up, and you may not be able to meet these timelines, but we truly appreciate any adjustments you can make in this regard.

Please feel free to call the school with any questions. As always, thank you for your support and entrusting us with your children.

Star News