Dear Parents and Guardians,

On behalf of our faculty and staff, we would like to welcome you to an exciting year of fun and learning at West Jackson Elementary School. We have an amazing community and school family that makes WJES the very best place to be!

Our school has embraced STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) as a way to provide rich, integrated learning experiences and build positive relationships with our students and their families. We are committed to providing ALL of our students with quality academic experiences, personalized learning experiences, and opportunities that prepare our students for the future, while helping them connect their learning to the world beyond our school walls.

We look forward to a positive and productive year as we work together to support student success for every student at WJES! We invite you to partner with us in every way possible to keep our students safe, happy, and learning! We want, need, and value your involvement, input, and support in your child’s education!

Please know that we highly value ongoing communication between home and school. It is vital and plays an integral role in each student’s success. Please do not hesitate to contact us if and when the need may arise. We want and encourage our parents to stay updated regarding their child’s learning, assignments, assessments, and school activities.

Again, we welcome you to West Jackson Elementary, and we look forward to getting to know you and your child as we partner together for an awesome year of fun and learning. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us here at the school (706) 654 – 2044.

We look forward to working with your family to ensure that both you and your child have a remarkable experience here at WJES!

Become involved, pursue excellence, and have a great year!

Sincerely,

Dr. Amity Hardegree, Mr. John Canupp, Mrs. Lori King, and Dr. Karen Rodenroth

Vision-

West Jackson Elementary School seeks to inspire and empower all students to engage and excel in the opportunities of a global society.

Mission-

WJES students can ask questions, think critically and creatively, and work with others to solve problems in their lives, in our community, and in the world.

Guiding Principles-

• Students’ learning needs are the focus of all decision making to support academics and the whole child.

• WJES provides a highly effective, committed staff and the resources for all students to achieve excellence and reach their full potential.

• Through Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), we ensure and celebrate a nurturing, student centered, and respectful environment for learning, where every student is valued and known.

• WJES offers a rigorous, authentic, standards-based curriculum, guided by data and research-based, best instructional practices through STEAM based learning experiences.

• WJES is a community school, where all stakeholders work collaboratively to support one another to inspire and engage students in connected learning.

• At WJES, we embrace a growth mindset and encourage one another to reach challenging goals, while having fun on the journey!

Click here for our district's Return to School Plan, and click here for the WJES Return to School Plan.

For the safety of our students, faculty and staff, we are not allowing visitors in the school building at this time.

Please do not send medication with your child on the first day of school. Our school Clinic Aid, Christina Kremer, will set up individual appointments for families to fill out paperwork and to drop off medication.

Open House this year will be conducted virtually on August 10th. We will have two sessions available for families to meet their child's teacher. If these times do not work, feel free to reach out to your child's teacher for another time that works for you. Your child's teacher will be reaching out with a google meet link. We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Open House times for google meets with families:

1st Grade 8:00 - 8:30

2nd Grade 8:30 - 9:00

3rd Grade 9:00 - 9:30

4th Grade 9:30 - 10:00

5th Grade 10:00 - 10:30

1st Grade - 2:00 - 2:30

2nd Grade - 2:30 - 3:00

3rd Grade - 3:00 - 3:30

4th Grade - 3:30 - 4:00

5th Grade - 4:00 - 4:30

Virtual Open House - feel free to navigate our Open House Launch Pad for faculty and staff introduction videos and information about cafeteria, After School Program, transportation, clubs, PTO, and a virtual tour of the school

Click here to access the breakfast and lunch menus for August.

Click here to view the supply lists for next year.

Click here to view the 2020 - 2021 school calendar.

Pik My Kid app information coming soon....

This year at WJES, we are very excited to continue with the 7 Mindsets curriculum. 7 Mindsets is a social and emotional learning curriculum that focuses on helping our students reach their full potential through engaging lessons that allow them to uncover and develop their passions and dreams. The 7 Mindsets program was developed by answering the question: What do the world’s happiest and most successful people have in common? The 7 Mindsets focus on these seven common beliefs: Everything is Possible, Passion First, We are Connected, Attitude of Gratitude, 100% Accountable, Live to Give, and The Time is Now. We are excited to dream big, work hard, and be kind through the 7 Mindsets this year! If you have any questions about the 7 Mindset curriculum, please reach out to Ms. Brooks or Ms. Isa, our WJES school counselors!

PBIS Rewards Parent App

West Jackson Elementary School is utilizing the PBIS Rewards online platform for the 2019-20 school year. Please watch the video below to learn more about the PBIS Rewards system and how parents can connect and monitor their student's progress. If you have any questions regarding PBIS Rewards, please contact WJES Counselors Isa Martinez @imartinez@jcss.us or Mary Kayla Brooks at mbrooks@jcss.us. Our students are excited about earning Panther Points to spend on the PBIS cart or to attend quarterly reward experiences. Thank you for partnering with us to support our kids!

PBIS App Parent Video

Download Parent App for iOS

Download Parent App for Android

School hours are 7:40 AM - 2:25 PM. The school doors open at 7:15 AM each day. Students will go straight to their homerooms in the mornings. Breakfast will be served from the classroom. Any student arriving after 7:40 AM is tardy and will need to report to the office accompanied by a parent/guardian to sign in and get a tardy permit before going to class. Regular and punctual attendance is essential if students are to receive the maximum benefits from the instructional program.