East Elementary
December 2023
Winter Weather and Recess
East Elementary Craft Fair
Time to dig through those change jars!!! The 2nd Annual East Elementary Craft fair is coming soon!! Here are the details...
- Sales will run from 7:25-7:45 in the Gym Friday December 8 and 15.
- Students are ONLY allowed to purchase items with quarters (bills of any amount will not be accepted).
- If a student is working a booth as a vendor they will be allowed to shop that day as well (we will watch their booth for them).
- Parents feel free to encourage your kiddos to buy items as gifts for family members - we have some REALLY cute stuff being sold.
- All items purchased will be put in a bag and sent home that day.
- Students who signed up to sell had a sheet sent home with them. If any parent/student didn’t get that sheet but DID sign up they can come see Mrs. Job.
- All questions or concerns can be directed to Mrs. Job ljob@jackson.k12.mo.us.
1st and 2nd Grade Christmas Concerts
The 1st Grade and 2nd Grade Christmas Concerts will be on Tuesday, December 19 at East Elementary. Here are the details:
1st Grade: The Snow Show
Doors for the 1st grade concert open at 5:30, and the concert begins at 6:00 pm. Please have your child report to the 2nd grade commons no later than 5:45 pm. The concert will last approximately 30 minutes. The theme is "The Snow Show", and students are invited to dress in nice clothing! They may wear red and green, silver and gold, or any special attire. Children who have specific speaking parts are invited to wear clothing that represents their part if they choose.
2nd Grade: A Christmas Carol
Gym doors for the 2nd grade concert will open once all families from the 1st grade concert exit. The concert begins at 7:00 pm. Please have your child report to the 2nd grade commons no later than 6:45 pm. The concert will last approximately 30 minutes. Students are invited to dress in nice clothing! They may wear red and green, silver and gold, or any special attire. Children who have specific speaking parts, such as Christmas Past, Present, Future, Scrooge, etc. are invited to wear clothing that represents that character if they choose.
Other important points:
- Please help your child practice their part to where they have it memorized. We want them to feel comfortable saying it slowly and clearly into the microphone.
- If your child is practicing at home, be sure to fill out the Christmas Concert Practice log for each day (not each song) your child practices, and they can get spirit tickets for working hard on their performance outside of school time.
- All practice songs can be found in your child's Seesaw journal. You'll click on the link to open the google slides with the songs.
- Please remember it gets warm in the gym for concerts, so keep layers of clothing light so your child does not get overheated. Shoes should be comfortable and easy to move in.
- 2nd grade families and guests, please wait patiently in the foyer and allow all first grade families to exit before entering the gym.
- If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Sides at rsides@jr2mail.org.
East's North Pole Holiday Party
Instead of the traditional classroom Christmas parties, we have one big event sponsored by our East Elementary PTO. Our East North Pole schoolwide holiday event will be on Wednesday, December 20. Teachers and parent volunteers will help students rotate through the following four stations: Reindeer Games, Snowman Relays, Cookies & Pictures with Santa & Mrs. Claus, and Crafts (each student makes reindeer food and a holiday photo ornament). PTO provides the carnival games, sugar cookies for Cookies with Santa, the ziplock bags and toppers for the reindeer food, the ornament supplies, and brown paper bags for each student's treat bag.
If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please click here: https://forms.gle/Cz6TngKx4gwWQ1DB7. Those who volunteer will participate in the party. Also, be on the lookout for an email from your homeroom parent for a signup link to donate items.
Need a Gift? Check out Artsonia!
As the holiday season is approaching, please consider ordering a gift (or two!!) from Artsonia. Our school gets 20% of what you spend which comes back to use in our art room. The website has greeting cards, mugs, jewelry, sketchbooks, ornaments, and much more! All items can be customized with your child's artwork making it the perfect gift for any family member, or yourself! Thank you for your support of this program and have a happy and safe Holiday Season!
- Mrs. Lacey Job, Art Teacher
East Elementary PTO
21 more days until Christmas Break!!!
- A YoYo.
- A Nintendo Switch
- Barbies
- An end to ALL the Viruses
- New Shoes
- Legos
- World Peace
- An official Red Ryder BB gun
While Christmas is ultimately about so much more — penning “Wish List” is definitely a big part of the season. Some gift-givers like to browse Amazon or local stores for the perfect present. Others prefer specific instructions or, literally, a direct link to their loved one’s big requests. Either way, the best gifts are delivered by listening to what someone wants, asks for, or simply needs.
DID YOU KNOW… At every PTO meeting administrators, officers, teachers, and parents ask and answer questions like “Is there anything else you need?” “Can you think of an alternative that might work better?” “What can we do to help?” “How do you think that event went?”
Asking these kinds of questions, voicing what is needed, and sharing what we wish for is a crucial part of PTO meetings and activities. We can’t grant every dream or resolve every grievance, but a key goal is to try. Here are just a few recent results:
- The new SUNSHADE freshly installed on the playground
- Teacher presentations and Reading and Math
- Spreading field trips, lunch bunch, etc. across the calendar
- Only TWO fundraisers a year
And sometimes the real gift is simply being a part of something. After our last meeting, one mom said “Wow, after meetings like this I realize just how much I like being a part of PTO. I really like being on the front lines of making our school better.” Our next PTO meeting will be on Tuesday, February 13th at 5:30pm in the library. Having lots of parents and teachers there is at the very top of OUR Wish List!
For more information about getting involved with the PTO, email us at east.pto.info@gmail.com.
This year, as a part of East's 12 Days of Christmas staff event, PTO is providing a "Country Fried Christmas" with fried chicken, green beans, loaded potato casserole, salad, rolls and dessert. If you are able to help with drinks, a dessert, plates, etc. please click here: https://signup.com/go/gerYtkG.
Our PTO purchased these shades for our upper level playground! Thank you PTO!
Mrs. Moyers’ Message
The holiday season provides a great opportunity to reinforce the meaning of respect, belonging, and empathy with our students through learning about different holidays that are celebrated for various reasons during the month of December. While we may have heard of Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kawanzaa, when we take the time to learn about them, it allows for more feelings of respect, belonging, and empathy for everyone! As I tell the students often, it is important to understand how people around us are both similar to and different from us. When we take the time to learn how others are different, we may just find that we learn things that can help us in our own lives or reinforce our own belief system. Also, it can be helpful to explain to your student that just because you learn about something different doesn’t mean you have to like it or agree with it. However, it is important to learn how to respect those differences in others. Learning leads to knowledge, knowledge leads to understanding, and understanding leads to respect, belonging, and empathy.
Below is a link to a website that you could look at with your student to learn about different holidays that are celebrated in December in the United States.
News from the Nurse
December is here! Thank you to all who have kept their children home when they have been sick. That is the best way to prevent the spread of illness and we truly appreciate it! FYI- the Stomach bug has made its appearance at East, so please continue to monitor your child for sickness!
Here are some helpful tips to avoid getting sick this winter:
- Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
- Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others.
- Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk.
- Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Practice other good health habits. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
Full Day Kids Club
Our Full Day Kids’ Club Program will be offering childcare for ALL preschool-6th grade students on certain days that the district is off of school. Our Winter Break Full Day Kids’ Club is hosted at WEST LANE ELEMENTARY 7:30 a.m.-5:45 p.m. All students must bring a sack lunch and a water bottle. We provide an afternoon and morning snack. No walk-ins allowed. (We are NOT hosting Full Day at South Elementary over winter break. Full Day will be held at WEST LANE ELEMENTARY)
You must enroll and pay for your child to attend Full Day Kids’ Club by the deadlines set for each date. The cost is $30 per day, (any additional children are $25 each). ALL enrollment and payments are due before 4:30 p.m. on the designated due date listed below.
To enroll, please click (or paste in your browser) the link https://sites.google.com/jacksonindians.us/kidsclub/full-day-kids-club
The upcoming Full Day Kids’ Club date offered:
- December 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, & January 2: DEADLINE TO ENROLL AND PAY for ALL of the full days during winter break is December 8, 2023. If you cancel your enrollment after December 8, no refund will be available. Enrollments or payments received after December 8, will result in a $20 late fee per student.
FUTURE FULL DAY KIDS’ CLUB DATES AND DEADLINES:
- December 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, & January 2: DEADLINE TO ENROLL AND PAY for ALL of the full days during winter break is December 8
- February 16: DEADLINE TO ENROLL AND PAY for this date is February 2, 2024
- March 15: DEADLINE TO ENROLL AND PAY for this date is March 1, 2024
- April 1-5, 2024: DEADLINE TO ENROLL AND PAY for ALL of the full days during spring break is March 22, 2024
- April 26 : DEADLINE TO ENROLL AND PAY for this date is April 12, 2024
For any questions, please email the Kids’ Club Assistant Elizabeth Greenlee at egreenlee@jr2mail.org or call the Kids Club Office 573-243-9576
Thank you for trusting us with our children! Mandee
Birthday Book Club
East families, if you would like to help our library grow by joining the Birthday Book Club, you can find more information here: bit.ly/eastbbc
November Birthday Book Club Members
Sophie Martin
Austin Dowdy
Wyatt Wade
Julian Martinez
Gatlin Benthal
Zeke Busch
Kate Obergoenner
Lincoln Hester
Colton Francis
Connor LaMar
Benjamin Le
Stevie Byrd
Chloe Shumock
Brielle Ulen
December Events
December 1: Last day for Stocking Stuffer drop off
December 4-8: Canned Food Drive - Elks of Jackson
December 8: Kids' Craft Fair 7:25-7:45 am
December 11: Spirit Week - Long Winter's Nap - PJ Day
December 12: Spirit Week - Tree Topper Tuesday - Hat Day
December 13: Spirit Week - A Country Christmas - Wear your flannel
December 14: Spirit Week - Deck the Halls - Wear your Red and Green
December 15: Spirit Week - A Festive Feud - Santa vs. The Grinch
December 15: Kids' Craft Fair 7:25-7:45 am
December 19: 1st Grade Music Concert at 6:00 pm
December 19: 2nd Grade Music Concert at 7:00 pm
December 20: North Pole Event
December 21: 1/2 Day of School (Early release at 12:00 pm)
December 21: End of 2nd Quarter
December 22-January 2: Winter Break
January 3: Students return
EAST ELEMENTARY
Email: eweadon@jackson.k12.mo.us
Website: www.jacksonr2schools.com/East-Elementary-school/
Location: 455 North Lacey Street, Jackson, MO, USA
Phone: 573-243-5271
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EastElementaryJR2/
Principal, East Elementary Jackson R-2 School District