Walkerton Elementary School!
Principal Fuller's Updates!
August 13th, 2021
Good afternoon, WES Families!
Our first two days of the 2021-2022 School Year are officially complete!
It was an extremely fun week started with our Back to School Night on Monday and ended with an unexpected day off yesterday!
Back to School Night Success!
We had 75% of our students meet their teacher and drop off supplies before the first day of school!
It was a huge success. and we appreciate everyone's support!
(Frequently Asked Questions) How Are We Handling Birthday Treats or Snacks in the Classroom?
For snacks, parents should reach out to their child's teacher to determine their policy with snacks in the classroom.
For birthday snacks, it is recommended (but not mandatory) that you send in treats that are factory prepackaged in order to maintain a sanitary level for the distribution of snacks. Some of the following items are acceptable: Pre-wrapped cookies, cakes, packaged M&M’s, packaged candy bars, granola bars, fruit. Non-food items such as pencils, erasers, bookmarks, trinkets, small notebooks, etc., are a great alternative.
Invitations to private parties that are held away from school cannot be distributed on school property.
(Frequently Asked Questions) Can I have Lunch with my child?
At this time, no visitors will be permitted to enter Walkerton Elementary, which includes parents having lunch with their child(ren).
Students are spaced throughout the cafeteria, and we are doing everything we can to minimize contact tracing in the event a student or staff needs to be quarantined.
WES Future Engineers (3rd Grade- Mrs. Crone)
STEAM Activities!
STEAM Activities!
STEAM Activities!
Arrival and Dismissal at Walkerton Elementary (Recurring)
- Bus Riders: Students riding the bus will now enter at Door #6 at 7:45 AM.
- Car Riders: Students who are car riders will now enter at Door #1 at 7:45 AM.
- Click HERE for the map of the new car rider procedures.
- Parents, a few reminder about car riders:
- Please form a DOUBLE LINE (BLACK LINE) as you enter at the far end of the parking lot: This process will be very similar to the double line at the McDonald's Drive Thru!
- The Double Line will end and merge into a single line (BLUE) all the way to the front of the building at Door #1.
- Please do not let your child(ren) exit your vehicle any sooner than the sidewalk (Green Arrow).
- Walkers: There will be a crossing guard to stop traffic so that our students may cross the street safely. Please talk with your child(ren) about the importance of listening to the crossing guard, as she is there to keep them safe.
Dismissal
- Bus Riders: Buses will be dismissed two at a time starting at 2:35 PM from Door #6.
- Car Riders: Car riders will begin exiting the building at 2:35 PM from Door #1.
- Walkers: Please see the above information for Arrival.
Covid Updates and Procedures (Recurring)
While we anticipate inching back to normal, there will be certain COVID procedures still in place to start the year that were approved at the most recent School Board Meeting:
- As of today, masks will be optional for both staff and students. The only exception being that students MUST still wear a mask on the school bus.
- There will still be seating charts in all areas within the building, specifically the lunchroom and classroom.
- Students will still be required to space out as much as possible in the lunchroom and classroom.
- Contact tracing will still occur throughout JGSC.
- Students will be allowed to physically rotate classes for those grade levels that choose to rotate subjects.
- Small group instruction will happen in small settings, while social distancing.
As we transition into this school year, both WES and NLES will not be allowing parents or visitors into the building during school hours. It is the hope of both elementary schools and JGSC that this is not policy for the entire year.
As a general rule of thumb, our WES Staff will continue to encourage students to use hand sanitizer whenever appropriate, remind students to wash their hands regularly, wiping down and materials if shared by multiple students.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Principal Fuller at 574-586-3186.
Before and After School Program Transitioning to Boys and Girls Club (Recurring)
Starting this school year, the JG Before and After School Program is transitioning into the Boys and Girls Club to provide before and after school care for our elementary students.
You should have received an email from Mr. Davis earlier this week, but if not, please click HERE for more information on the program.
With any new program, there will be some bumps along the way, but here are TWO UPDATES that will hopefully alleviate any stress:
- The wonderful individuals you have gotten to know with John Glenn B/A Care will be back as part of the Boys and Girls Club Program!
- The service will start our first day of school, Wednesday, August 11th
Please register for care as normal. If you have any questions about the program, please contact Mr. Davis at tdavis@jgsc.k12.in.us
New Teachers at Walkerton Elementary (Mrs. Horner)
I graduated from this fantastic school system in 1999! Previously, I was a Title One and 4th grade teacher at Plymouth Community Schools. I have 3 children: Carson (11th grade), Sydney (8th grade), and Colton (5th grade). I have been married to my husband Erik for 19 years.
A fun fact about me, this is my second career. After taking a break from nursing, I started to substitute teach at my childrenś school. From that experience I found my calling~teaching! I look forward to meeting everyone!
New Teachers at Walkerton Elementary (Mrs. Lamont)
Hi! My name is Autumn Lamont and I am one of the new first grade teachers!
This is my fourth year teaching. I grew up in South Bend and graduated from Bethel College. I am married and my husband, and I have 3 dogs that we love very much! When I am not teaching, I enjoy wake surfing, reading, working out and spending time on the beach!
I am so happy to be apart of the Walkerton family and look forward to this school year!
New Teachers at Walkerton Elementary (Mr. Walter)
My name is Brendan Walter and I’ll be the new art teacher at Walkerton Elementary!
I’m a WES alumn and John Glenn graduate myself, and I graduated from Ball State university with a degree in visual arts education in the spring of 2021. In my spare time I enjoy traveling the country to draw different landscapes, working on various art projects, and helping with the John Glenn high school theatre department.
This is my first teaching job, and I’m excited to get started and meet all your students. If you have any questions for me never hesitate to reach out!
New Teachers at Walkerton Elementary (Mrs. Hostetler)
Mrs. Jill Hostetler (Mrs. Ho) is our new WES music teacher!
Mrs. Ho is trained as a choral conductor, vocalist, pianist, and music educator. She taught in the music and theatre departments at Bethel University and most recently has been the director of choral programs for Urey Middle School and John Glenn High School. Mrs. Ho is married to your favorite gym teacher Mr. Ho! Together they have 2 daughters, 4 grandchildren, and 3 furry grand babies. They live here in Walkerton with the world’s best dog, Murphy.
Favorite activities are sailing, kayaking, bicycling, reading, playing piano, seeing Broadway musicals, visiting museums, and baking cookies for the family! She is usually the last to leave any event because she talks too much. Mr. Ho calls it her “Goodbye Tour”!
New Teachers at Walkerton Elementary (Mr. Jackson)
Damen Jackson is our JGSC High Ability teacher. We are pleased to welcome back a remarkable JGHS alum. While at John Glenn, Damen was a star in the classroom and in athletics. He was a three sport athlete (football, wrestling, and baseball), and he especially enjoyed World History and Physics. He graduated with a GPA of 4.1 and earned a place on the Academic Wall of Fame.
The science interest sparked at John Glenn became his career path. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics Education from WGU in 2019. He comes to us with two years experience from Warren Central.
Damen is married to Stevie (another JG grad), and is a busy dad with two children and another one on the way. He is already re-engaged in the John Glenn school community with coaching positions in football and wrestling.
Mr. Jackson is enthusiastic about his new role and is anxious to work with elementary students. He looks forward to expanding their knowledge and broadening their interests with exciting STEM experiences.
Job Openings at John Glenn School Corporation
JESSE Pre-School Begins!
JESSE Pre-School Begins!
Monday, Aug 16, 2021, 08:30 AM
John Glenn School Corporation, IN, USA
School Board Meeting!
School Board Meeting at the Admin Office!
Tuesday, Aug 17, 2021, 07:00 PM
John Glenn School Corporation, IN, USA
Principal Fuller's Thoughts
We did it WES! We successfully completed the first week of school!
As we continue to embark on this journey together throughout the year, I can't help but feel my heart swell with pride. Throughout the past two days, but really the entire summer, the entire WES Staff has been working to gear up for this past week. Teachers, Office Staff, Custodial, Kitchen Staff, Technology, Aides...EVERYONE has been preparing Walkerton Elementary for the safe return of our students.
More than ever, we must work together for the betterment of our children. Our teachers and staff have been working tirelessly to prepare for the school year, and we know that parents have been going through the same struggles the past 18 months, with many of the same questions.
While we can't promise that everything will be perfect, we can promise that each day we will do everything possible to keep our children safe: That is a guarantee!
I am truly excited to take this journey with our students, parents, teachers, and staff. If we stick together and focus on what is most important, our children, we will have an amazing school year!
The first two days were a resounding success, proven by the hundreds of smiling, laughing students we had throughout Walkerton Elementary!
Enjoy the weekend, and we will see everyone Monday morning!