Dear JCMES Families,
Welcome back from Spring Break! We hope your students were able to relax last week and enjoy the break from school before our final nine weeks of the year. We will certainly be packing a lot into a short period of time! The month of April is an important month instructionally. We’ll be teaching our final new content of the year in the upper grades and then will move into preparations and review materials for upcoming state Standards of Learning tests. In grades PK-2, new instruction continues a bit longer but then does experience some interruptions in April - May for VALLSS testing (formally called PALS) and various other end of year assessments. While “assessment season” does cause some changes to our daily schedule we don’t view this time as wasted by any means. Instruction and important review continues all the way through the end of the year and we use the information on our spring tests to begin the next school year and also to continually work to improve our practice.
As we’ll be continuing to keep strong academic schedules through the end of the year, please be mindful of attendance. This is a particularly important season for students to be in school daily. If a student needs to attend appointments please consider having them come to school for some portion of the day rather than missing the full day.
Bridge2ResourcesVA - There is an amazing resource for families that may be in need of assistance of all kinds called Bridge2ResourcesVA. Bridge2ResourcesVA, is a state-maintained, searchable database of resources available to families and searchable by topic: food, housing, goods, transit, health, money, care, education, work, and legal. Once you select a topic, personal filters, program filters, and income eligibility can all be added to help return the most relevant results. If your family is in need any of type of resources this may be a great spot to search.
Upcoming Events:
Later this week - Class Placement Input Form - Please watch for a separate email that will be sent to parents regarding input for class lists next year. Parents may not request specific teachers; however this is a good time to begin thinking about how your child learns best and what other information you would like the school to consider in placing your child for the upcoming year.
Friday, April 5 - 7:45-8:15am - Walk to School for April- It may be chilly but the weather looks clear Friday morning and we’ll be outside to welcome our students if your family chooses to walk.
Monday, April 8 - Smile Virginia - Dental clinic forms due - see info below
Tuesday, April 9 - 6:30pm PTO Meeting - The PTO is open to all interested parents, no membership required.
Friday, April 12 - Smile Virginia, a traveling dental clinic, will be coming to JCMES on Friday, April 12 and Monday, May 6. This is an opportunity for any student who currently doesn't have a dental provider that sees them on a regular basis. Some of the services they will be providing include: dental cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatments, sealants, fillings, and extractions. If you are interested in your child receiving dental services, please complete the form and return it to school or register online at https://www.myschooldentist.com/JCRCVA_schsrm. ALL FORMS AND ONLINE REGISTRATIONS ARE DUE ON OR BEFORE MONDAY, APRIL 8.
Tuesday, April 16 - Dominos Pizza Night to benefit the PTO - Be sure to enter DN6 when ordering online or mention JCM for call ahead orders.
Thursday, April 22 - 6:30pm - Fifth Grade Musical
Thursday, April 25 - 6:00-7:30pm - Family Fun: International Night Join us with the whole family to learn more about cultures around the world, participate in games, dance, crafts and more!
Friday, April 26 - No School for Students
Have a great week!
Erin Branner, Principal erbranner@rockingham.k12.va.us
Chelsea Imbrescia, Assistant Principal cimbrescia@rockingham.k12.va.us