The Jaguar Journal
March 2020
James Sales Elementary
Brandy Nelson - Principal
Joy Sims - Assistant Principal
Office Hours - 8:15 to 3:45
253-298-4200 / FAX 253-298-4215
Dates To Remember
March 2-6 - Read Across America Week
March 3 - Class Pictures and Optional Individual Pictures
March 4 - Early Release – 1:55
March 5-23 - Chocolate Fundraiser
March 8 - Daylight Savings Time Begins
March 9 - New Student Enrollment for 20-21 Begins
March 11 - Half Day – 11:55 Dismissal End of 2nd Trimester
March 18 - Full Day of School – No Early Release
March 20 - Report Cards go Home
March 20 - 5th Grade Field Trip
March 25 - Early Release – 1:55
March 27 - Student of the Month Assembly
- 1-3-5 2:00
- K-2-4 2:40
April 2 - Family Night
April 6-10 - Spring Break
A Message From Our Principal
Hello James Sales families,
Happy March! Over the next six weeks students will be working hard in class on reading, math, and science as our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students prepare for the state assessment coming up soon. Thank you for taking time to help your child with homework as this reinforces skills and concepts they are learning in class.
The character traits we focused on as a school in February are listed here so you can review them as a family with your child:
Acceptance – Acceptance means being friendly and welcoming to those who are different from you. It means you are willing to learn about and respect the beliefs or practices of others. When you are accepting, you can get along with many different types of people. Acceptance can lead to strong friendships and cooperation with others.
Curiosity – Curious people want to learn all they can about the world and people around them. They ask questions, explore, and learn new things all the time. If you are curious about someone who is different from you, spend time playing with and learning from
them. Your curiosity will help make new friends and discover new information!
Uniqueness – Being unique means there is no one else like you in the world. People who are unique have their own special way of looking at the world. You are unique when you have confidence in the person you are and the beliefs you hold. Share your uniqueness with others by staying true to yourself.
Honesty – Honesty means telling the truth. Honest people try their hardest to be trustworthy. To be honest means you admit to your mistakes, even if you’ll get in trouble. It also means you don’t say things about people that aren’t true. When you are honest, other people can trust you and that helps build strong relationships
Thank you for all your help, support and collaboration in educating your child. We love working with you!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nelson, Principal
The builders are making great progress!
James Sales Says Good-Bye to Mr. Jackson
Attention 3rd and 4th Grade Parents!
It is time to refer 3rd and 4th grade students for the 2020-21 Highly Capable Student Program.
Do you have a student who:
- Learns easily and quickly?
- Thinks up unusual ways to solve hard problems?
- Has a clever sense of humor?
- Dislikes doing the same thing over and over?
- Thinks logically and wants things to make sense?
- Is open to new ideas?
- Is persistent and wants to keep trying with difficult tasks?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, please refer your student to test for the Highly Capable Student Program. Please complete a Project Excel Program referral packet online (https://bit.ly/2RRmKGb) by 4:00 PM, March 13th.
Testing materials are ordered the next day and late registrations may not be able to be accommodated.
Please be aware that students who live within the district boundaries will receive first consideration. Out-of-district students who attend Franklin Pierce Schools must be granted another year’s release and will be placed in the program after all qualifying in-district students have been served.
Spring Pictures
Class picture day is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3rd. All students will receive a complimentary 6x8 class photo this year! You may purchase optional individual pictures. Only students with picture money will be photographed for individual pictures. Make checks to Quality School Portraits or send the correct amount of cash to school that day in a picture payment envelope, or pay online at www.qualityschoolportraits.com. Remember, neither the office nor the photographer can make change. Payment envelopes came home with your student in February. If you need one, please come to the office.
From the Health Room
CLEAN HANDS MEAN A HEALTHIER YOU!
WHY? Washing your hands helps keep you from getting sick and spreading disease-causing germs such as colds, flu, and other illnesses to friends and family.
WHEN?
· Before eating.
· After using the bathroom.
· After coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
· After playing outside.
· After touching trash.
HOW?
1. Wet your hands first!
2. Soap up!
3. Wash for 20 seconds (sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice). Scrub tops and bottoms of hands and in between fingers.
4. Rinse to wash all those germs down the drain.
5. Dry! Wet hands pick up more germs than dry hands.
6. Turn off the water with a paper towel to avoid picking up more germs.
Please remind your child/children to wash hands regularly every day to stay healthy at home and at school.
Music Notes
The Franklin Pierce Elementary Honor Choir was selected from students throughout the district. James Sales students selected for the Honor Choir are Demarko S., Ariana R., Alexandra A., Lilith C., Lacey G., Jack S., Landon B., and Olivia C. Congratulations to them all! They will perform on March 5 at 7:30 pm at the Trinity Lutheran Church near PLU.
Library Books
The end of the trimester brings new overdue and fines lists. Please look at home for any overdue and lost library books and turn them in. Students who have missing books or fines will not be able to attend upcoming field trips and other special activities.
Yearbooks
Update Records
Have you moved? Do you have a new phone number? We cannot empahsize enough how important it it that we are able to contact you in any type of emergency involving your child. Please call our office at 253-298-4200 or send us a note with your most up-to-date address and phone information.
Students of the Month
February's Students of the Month were honored at an assembly February 28th.
These students were selected by their teachers for showing responsibility, respect, caring, and safe behavior.
Eleanor W., Addie L., Irma S., Syrianna W., Elisaia A., Noah A., Shaniah M., Savannah L., Melody M., Alexxys M., Kailah-Ann K., Bentley P., Allison D., Karlee S., Royce R., Damian L., Tony P., Karlee P., David N., Isaias E., Lance J., Seleen N., Scarlett C., and Alohilani C.
The following students exlemplified the ‘Virtue of the Month – Acceptance
Nahla F., Gage J., Zyon M., Maria W., Ethan G., Ammika T., Caylin S., Dominic A., Eason S., Jadalin M., Vanessa M., Moana T., Leisha M., Riley N., Natalia R., Darious S., Anastazia D., Jordyn V., Sandra M., and Jeff C.
Employee Appreciation Week
Please join us in recognizing our hard-working para-educators during the week of March 9-13. We are grateful for our paras and all the help and support they offer to the students at James Sales Elementary. They are: Ms. Charlie, Tara Dietzen, Beth Gunderson, Christan Hickman, Valerie Hines, Precious Kaikala, Jodi Kreidler, Keighlyn Lindagren, Regina Mims, Dawn Miskar, Bennett Okeze, Nancy Pack, Paula Roybal, Michelle Stocking, Marian Ufland, Samantha Waage, and Ivana Watkins. Please give them a big “Thank You” when you see them during this week!
Breakfast and Lunch Menus
Free Developmental Screening
Children ages 3-5 who reside within the Franklin Pierce School District are eligible for free developmental screening. Hearing, vision, kindergarten readiness, speech and language, motor skills, and behavior are checked. Screenings take place regularly. See their web page here. To schedule an appointment, call the Early Learning Center Child Find hotline at 253-298-4658.
Our Goals for 2019-20
Are your students on target for meeting the attendance and behavior goals at James Sales?
· Attendance – This year’s goal is to have nine or fewer tardies and/or absences. At the end of each trimester, all students who have missed less than nine days or have less than nine tardies, will receive a reward. At the end of the school year, the PTO will sponsor a reward for students who meet the attendance goal for the year.
· Behavior - Students with one or fewer write-ups at the end of each trimester will receive a reward. At the end of the year, students with one or fewer write-ups will go on a PTO sponsored field trip.
Attendance
We hope you will make every effort to encourage consistent and on-time attendance at school. Did you know if your child is tardy or leaves school early, it will show on their attendance record? Please make appointments outside of school hours whenever possible. Make sure you call the school office if your student is absent for any reason. Our attendance desk number is 253-298-4200. You may leave a voice message if you need to call before or after school hours.
Volunteers
If you would like to spend time in your child’s classroom for any reason, attend field trips, or be at field day, you must be cleared as a volunteer. All previously approved volunteer applications expired July 31st and must be renewed before participating in any volunteer capacity at James Sales.
You will find the online application for volunteers on the fpschools.org website. Hover over 'Get Involved' and click on ‘Volunteers’ and follow the directions. You will receive an email when you are cleared. It can take up to two weeks to process the application. Please don’t wait until just before your student has a field trip to submit your application!
It can take up to two weeks to process the application. Please don’t wait until just before your student has a field trip to submit your application! All volunteer clearances will expire July 31, 2020 for the 2019-20 school year.
PTO News
The winner of the K-1-3 Box Tops trophy for February is Mrs. Siebert’s class. They turned in 51 Box Tops! The winner of the 2-4-5 Box Tops trophy is Ms. De La Torre’s class with 83 Box Tops. Keep clipping Box Tops and send them to school!
Our World’s Finest Chocolate Fundraiser will run March 5-23! If you would like to participate, please read the permission slip carefully (sent home in February) and turn it in to teachers. During the Chocolate Fundraiser we will be doing Treat Fridays only, not Popcorn Fridays, due to the amount of volunteer hours involved in running the fundraiser. We look forward to resuming Popcorn Fridays after the fundraiser.
If your student would like to purchase popcorn or a treat on Fridays, please send 50 cents – exact change – to school with your student. Money must be turned into the teacher first thing in the morning for the PTO to fill the classroom orders. This means that students who are tardy will not be able to turn their money in on time and receive their popcorn or treat.
You can contact the PTO board by email – PTOJamesSales@gmail.com or Facebook message. Search @jamessaleselementarypto to follow on Facebook.
Franklin Pierce Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to James Hester, Compliance Coordinator for State and Civil Rights Laws; Wendy Malich, Title IX Officer; or John Sander, 504/ADA Coordinator at 315 129th ST S, Tacoma, WA 98444-5099 or at (253)298-3000.