#NoPlaceLikeJones
Family Updates for the Week of March 4, 2024
Principal Corner
Ira B. Jones Families:
March has arrived, and soon enough, spring will be here! The weather this past weekend was beautiful! Speaking of spring, spring break is scheduled from April 1 - 5, 2024.
I am excited to share the wonderful news of our recent celebration at school! Last Friday was filled with energy, excitement, and joy as we came together to recognize and celebrate our students' remarkable progress in their reading journey.
On Friday, we had the pleasure of celebrating the outstanding growth that our students have achieved in their reading skills, as evidenced by their mid-year reading assessments. Every one of our students has shown incredible dedication and effort in their reading endeavors, and their hard work has indeed paid off.
It was heartwarming to witness the sense of accomplishment and pride radiating from our students as they received recognition for their achievements. Whether they've made significant strides in fluency, comprehension, or vocabulary, every bit of progress is a cause for celebration.
This celebration highlights our students' academic achievements and is a testament to our supportive community here at Ira B. Jones Elementary. We recognize your integral role as parents/guardians in your child's education, and we are immensely grateful for your continued support and encouragement.
As we continue our journey through the school year, let us carry forward the momentum of this celebration and continue to inspire and empower our students to reach new heights in their reading and beyond. Thank you for entrusting us with the education and growth of your child. Together, we can make a difference in their lives.
Lastly, we had our first-ever schoolwide Paideia Seminar last Thursday, and it was a resounding success! Students engaged in meaningful discussions, critical thinking, and respectful dialogue during this seminar. Our topic was snowflakes. It was inspiring to witness our students' active participation and intellectual curiosity.
The Paideia Seminar fosters academic growth and cultivates essential skills such as communication, collaboration, and empathy, which are invaluable for success inside and outside the classroom. We are excited about the possibilities as we continue integrating Paideia Seminars into our curriculum, providing our students with enriching learning experiences and opportunities for personal growth.
I invite you to visit our school's website and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/irabjones/ and follow us on Twitter @Principal_IBJ and Instagram @IraB.JonesElementary. These will serve as a resource tool for all upcoming events, the student/family handbook, and important reminders, and you can catch up with all the wonderful things our students and teachers are doing. I also send out a weekly family newsletter. Please ensure we have updated contact information so you can stay informed of all our school happenings.
As a school leader and a parent, I understand the necessity of healthy communication between families and the school. I welcome your questions, celebrations, or concerns at any time. You can call the school at 828.350.6700 or email me at ruafika.cobb@acsgmail.net.
In Partnership,
Ruafika Cobb
Principal
Ira B. Jones Elementary School
#noplacelikejones
Read Across America: March 2 - 6 Get Inspired! 👩🏾‍🚀
Ready, Set...Read! đź“–
Although Read Across America is celebrated the week of March 2 - 6, here is why reading is essential for all of our students and reasons to celebrate it:
- Reading is awesome: Reading is an activity that has something for everyone. Whether you're looking for fiction or self-help, knowledge about a particular topic, or just a good time, there is a book for everything. Reading to young children helps develop good habits early.
- Reading is healthy: Among reading's many benefits are its innumerable health benefits, including improving brain activity, aiding sleep readiness, and reducing stress. Reading can lower your blood pressure and heart rate and can even fight symptoms of depression. Reading regularly slows down our cognition from aging.
- Reading makes you smarter: Reading increases vocabulary and comprehension skills. It drastically increases our knowledge of various topics and makes us more intelligent. Reading stimulates the brain, improves memory, and makes us better writers.
Read about women trailblazers! Click👇🏽
Click👇🏽 for info on Dr. Seuss & diversity
Raising Readers: What Parents Can Do
NATIONAL SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK WEEK MARCH 3– 9, 2024
We Celebrate the Impactful Work of Ms. Abby, Our School Social Worker, in the Jones Community
March 3-9, 2024, is National School Social Work Week, an opportunity for schools, communities, and partners to acknowledge and recognize their impactful work to support students, families, and their communities.
Under the leadership of the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA), the only national organization exclusively dedicated to the profession of school social work, this celebration will emphasize School Social Work contributions of focusing on the “whole child,” linking families to community resources, a valuable voice as part of the school’s multi-disciplinary team, and advocating for the profession of School Social Work.
The National School Social Work Week 2024 theme is "Pearl of Wisdom." School social workers are hardworking and humble professionals who spend much of their time advocating for others. They are passionate about their job and strive for excellence because they value the students, families, schools, and communities they serve. School social workers don't work for praise but because of their dedication to helping others.
"In the tapestry of education, school social workers are the threads of compassion, weaving empathy, support, and understanding into the fabric of students' lives. National School Social Work Week is a canvas to celebrate their profound impact, a masterpiece of care, advocacy, and transformative influence, " said Dr. Terriyln Rivers-Cannon, Board President for the School Social Work Association of America.
Ms Abby, We ❤️ and Appreciate You!
Congratulations to Our Teacher & Instructional Assistant of the Year!
Jasperina Whiteside, K Teacher & Rachel Brommer, 2nd Grade IA
We're proud to announce our 2024-2025 Teacher and Instructional Assistant of the Year, kindergarten teacher Jasperina Whiteside and 2nd grade instructional assistant Rachel Brommer! Congratulations to you both!
NOTES FROM THE COUNSELING CORNER WITH MS. COURTNEY, SCHOOL COUNSELOR
Apologizing
Apologizing can be a tricky skill for students to master. Below, you will find some tips to help turn a forced "I'm sorry” into a genuine expression of empathy.
Develop Empathy: Encourage your student to think about the other person's feelings. Accomplish this by asking questions like, “I wonder how you might feel if someone did/said that to you?”
Accept Responsibility: Support your student in understanding that an apology is about purposeful actions and taking responsibility for accidental wrongdoings. It's okay to make mistakes, but it is also essential to acknowledge and apologize for them. Accepting responsibility means saying, “Yes, I did it,” and understanding that all actions have consequences. In addition to taking responsibility, support students in changing their behavior or response.
Discuss Next Steps: By combining what your student has learned about a situation through empathy (I’ve hurt someone) and accepting responsibility for causing those feelings, they are ready to offer an apology that is more than just an “I’m sorry.” Meaningful and successful apologies often include an offer to help fix/repair the situation or inquire about what is needed to feel better.
Identify Situations That Do Not Warrant an Apology: Not every situation necessitates an apology. Help your student differentiate through discussion and role-play. If someone is hurting your student because they were unwilling to do what was requested, that is not grounds for an apology. Additionally, if a peer wants your student to do something unsafe or against the rules and your student refuses, there is no need to apologize.
When Your Student is the Recipient of an Apology: Just as it is essential to know how to engage in an apology, it is also equally crucial for your student to understand how to respond. Students (and adults) will often say, “That’s ok,” when they are on the receiving end. A more effective response to teach is, “Thank you. I accept your apology.”
Upcoming Events
- Tuesday, March 5: Primary Elections Day - Voting in our building
- Friday, March 8: 3rd - 5th graders will attend a SOCON Basketball Game
- Monday, March 11: Required Workday for Staff, No School for Students
- Friday, March 22: IBJ Career Fair
- Friday, March 29: End of Q3
- Friday, March 29: Early Release Day for Students
- Week of April 1 - 5: Spring Break
Email: ruafika.cobb@acsgmail.net
Phone: 828.350.6700