West Elementary
Dear West Elementary Families,
It is hard to believe that fall has arrived! Students and staff are having a wonderful first nine weeks. We appreciate your support and partnership as this year is off to a great start. Read below about all of the amazing things happening at JWE this month!
Upcoming Events:
September 27- District Collaboration/Distance Learning Day
September 30 - October 8- Book Fair
September 30 & October 8- Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 8- PTAG Meeting at 8:30 am in Bldg A Commons
October 16- End of First Nine Weeks
October 16-18- Fall Break
October 29-30- Jog-A-Thon
October 31- Book Character Dress Up Day
November 1- District Collaboration/Distance Learning Day
PASS Survey- Now that we have been in school for over a month, we continue our commitment to addressing barriers to learning. Second-fourth grade students will be participating in the Pupil Attitudes to Self and School (PASS/Renaissance Fundamentals) survey. This survey will help your child’s teacher better understand how students perceive their learning environment and their ability to do well in school. If you would like to opt your child out of this survey, please click the link provided. https://jenksps.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4MJWJWu4mZlMNwO
Jog A Thon- This year our Jog-A-Thon will be over two days, October 29-30. Classroom teachers will be sharing out your child’s schedule for jogging and details in the month of October. You are welcome to attend/volunteer. We encourage parents to come out and cheer on their child’s class. If you plan to volunteer please check in at the front office of your child’s building and remember to complete the Volunteer Confidentiality Training Link before arriving.
Book Character Dress Up Day- On Tuesday, October 31, students may choose a favorite Book Character and dress up as that character on this day. Students will bring the book that matches their character also. Please make sure to follow school dress code policy, have regular shoes for outdoors, and we are asking for no scary characters.
Who We Are- As a vibrant and dedicated learning community, we are committed to nurturing the growth and development of each child at our school. Our students are currently exploring the unit of study titled "Who We Are," in the classrooms and we would like to take this opportunity to share a little about who we are at West Elementary.
Though we are a large school, we are committed to fostering a sense of community within each of our buildings. Three years ago, we initiated a collaborative effort among our teams to design a structure that supports our students' progression through their educational journey.
Our school begins with our youngest learners in Pre-K, located in Building B. This facility was specifically designed to cater to the needs of early learners, featuring amenities such as bathrooms in every classroom and a smaller playground tailored to their developmental requirements.
Following Pre-K, students transition to either Building A or D for Kindergarten. Some families have asked why students do not proceed directly to Building F in Kindergarten. This is an excellent question. Building F, which was designed over 12 years ago, was originally built for older students, specifically those in first through fourth grades. Consequently, after Kindergarten, first graders will either move to Building F or remain in A or D.
Our goal is to ensure that students remain in the same building from first through fourth grade. We also strive to keep siblings together within the same building during these years. Since the implementation of this reconfiguration three years ago, we have observed numerous positive outcomes. Families are able to cultivate strong relationships with staff and other families, while students and staff develop meaningful connections over their four years within the same building. This configuration fosters a genuine sense of community throughout our school.
We are exciting about partnering with our families and look forward to many years working together.
PTAG News-
Jog-A-Thon Event Sponsors- We are still looking for event sponsors for our annual Jog-A-Thon. If you or if you know of someone or a business that would like to be a sponsor for the event please contact, Aileen McPherson via email at jwejogathon@gmail.com
Book Fair Volunteers- Book Fair begins next week! Each building is still in need of volunteers. Check out our Jenks West Elementary Facebook page for links to sign up.
Box Tops for Education- For over 25 years, Box Tops for Education has given families an easy way to earn money for our schools. Now with the Box Top App you just simply scan your receipt and the money is sent to our school to support both our students and teachers for a variety of activities. If you are interested please click on this link for more information about how to get started. https://www.boxtops4education.com/s/
Learner Profile Attribute of the Month: Thinker
This month, encourage your children to be problem seekers AND problem solvers. Have a conversation about being aware of issues around them and then ways they can take responsible action.
Thinkers at Home
How can parents help develop thinking learners at home?
Encourage your child to think of a solution to a problem independently
Involve your child in real-world problems and finding solutions
“How can we arrange the books so they all fit on the shelf?”
“We need enough cupcakes for everyone in your class. I wonder how many boxes of cupcakes we will need.”
“I wonder how we could use less…. (water, electricity, plastic, etc.).”
Encourage your child to explain their thinking by saying things like:
“Tell me more about that.”
“Why do you think that?”
“How could we do this differently?”
“How did you figure that out?”
We hope you have a wonderful week!
Amanda Moore, Site Principal
(918) 299-4415 ext. 5601
Ashley Rubey, Building D Principal (Kindergarten-Fourth Grades)
Building D - (918) 299-4415 ext. 5621
Tiffany McAdams, Building F Principal (First-Fourth Grades)
Building F - (918) 299-4415 ext. 6101
Carla Pugh, Building A Principal (Kindergarten-Fourth Grades)
Building A - (918) 299-4415 ext. 5652
Courtney Pruner, Building B Principal (Pre-Kindergarten)
Building B - (918) 299-4415 ext. 5650