As September comes to a close and October arrives, we're excited to share a quick look at what’s ahead for the Jakes!
RESCHEDULED: Fall Family Picnics are This Week!
We have two more days of family picnics this week. Bring your lunch and eat outside with your child on their class's picnic day this week. You can sit at a picnic table or bring a blanket for the grass in front of the school. Your child's teacher will let you know which day your class is eating outside.
After lunch, students will go back inside to keep learning, so please remind your child ahead of time that you'll be saying goodbye when lunch ends. We hope to see you there!
Big News–One Book, One School is Coming Back!
Get ready for an exciting reading adventure as our entire school community comes together for our One Book, One School initiative this October! Every classroom will receive a copy of our book to read along with us, complete with daily morning trivia, fun prizes, and special activities all month long. We’re grateful to the Holly Hatcher Education Foundation for their support of reading in our school and looking forward to revealing our sweet book selection on October 5th!
The Jakes’ Store Is Here!
The Jake Store is open! Here is the Jake Store link for you to browse and place your orders. Ordering will be open through October 4th!
Support the School Fundraiser!
Great news! Donations count toward some fun rewards for the Fundraiser.
For every $40 in donations collected, which is equivalent to selling 3 items, you will receive:
1 Panda Critter & lanyard & your name goes into the drawing for the Panda’s
Reading Connection Night–October 8
Join us on October 8 from 6-7:30pm here at JCMES for Reading Connection Night. Put together by teachers and reading specialists, the evening is designed to support literacy in K-3 and is built around quick, 15-minute stations so you get practical information without a long lecture! You’ll explore:
VLA, VALLSS & Early Literacy: Understanding test scores, state reading standards, and the importance of early literacy.
School Interventions: A look at how reading specialists help students at school.
Home Strategies: Simple 5-minute daily reading games you can play anywhere and other ways to support reading at home.
Grade-Level Standards: Examples of what grade-level reading looks like in grades K-3.
We’re planning a night of learning, books, and fabulous prizes and will have child care available for students and siblings. Hope to see all the Jakes there!
Restroom Reminders
Our students are still adjusting to school routines and expectations, and we need your help addressing some unexpected bathroom behavior. Our restrooms have recently seen messy situations like soap being used to fingerpaint on mirrors, large amounts of water splashed on the floors, and a noticeable lack of aim around the toilets in both restrooms. Please take a moment this week to remind your child how to use soap responsibly and help keep our facilities clean and respectful for everyone.
Specials Grading Series: Physical Education
RCPS updated its grading policy over the summer. Here at JCMES we’re working hard to help students and parents understand the changes and expectations for each grade level and specials class. To try and help with that, we’re going to be sharing information each week for the next few weeks about grading in Specials–music, PE, and art.
Last week we featured music. This week, Mrs. Byler and Mr. Alger share some information about grading in PE.
Attributes of a Healthy and Active Learner in PE
How our students learn and grow throughout the year
Actively engages in physical activity
Comes prepared for class in appropriate clothing/footwear as required.
Participates safely and appropriately in class activities.
Demonstrates technical and tactical skills through activity
Participates in skill-based activities.
Demonstrates tactical understanding, including strategies and offensive/defensive principles.
Demonstrates effective communication skills
Uses appropriate tone and language with others.
Demonstrates conflict-resolution skills.
Demonstrates cooperation to complete individual and group tasks
Works effectively with others.
Contributes toward a shared goal.
Uses effective problem-solving skills.
Demonstrates integrity and rules/etiquette for activities
Acts safely, responsibly, and respectfully and follows activity-specific rules and etiquette.
PE Rubric
To guide grading
EE - Exceeds Expectations - Consistently demonstrates all the attributes independently without any reminding or redirection.
ME - Meets Expectations - Consistently demonstrates most of the attributes independently with little reminding or redirection.
DE - Developing Expectations - Inconsistently engages with the attributes or needs significant reminding or redirection.
BE - Below Expectations - Consistently unengaged with the attributes even with reminding and redirection.
Grading Info from RCPS: How is a grade assigned?
Not every assignment affects a grade the same way. In grades K–5, assignments are grouped into three categories:
20% PRACTICE. Practice helps your child learn.
30% PROGRESS. Progress shows growth along the way.
50% PERFORMANCE & PRODUCT. Performance and Product show what your child can do independently.
This week: Review your child's assignments and note the different categories.
In the latest episode of the RCPS Community Partner Café, RCPS parent Charlie Parrish sits down with Mountain View Elementary instructional coach Michele Hillbert and principal Drew Miller to talk about what grading looks like in elementary school and what families can expect.
They discuss:
• How different types of assignments contribute to a student’s grade
• What families should look for in PowerSchool
• What the new grading language in kindergarten through second grade means
• When a grade may signal that it’s time to check in with your child’s teacher
• Why a single grade doesn’t always tell the whole story of a student’s learning
We encourage families to listen to the conversation, explore the resources available from RCPS, and, most importantly, reach out to your child’s teacher or school with questions about your student’s progress. https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-44fgm-1b67f2e