Dolphin Update

Jones Dolphins Make a SPLASH!

Summer 2023

For Translation...

Click on "Translate Newsletter" and select language of choice to translate letter.

*Arriba de esta pagina haga click "Translate Newsletter" y seleccione el idioma "SPANISH"*

*Nhấp vào "dịch Newsletter " và chọn ngôn ngữ của sự lựa chọn để dịch thư "VIETNAMESE"*

*انقر فوق "ترجمة النشرة الإخبارية" وحدد اللغة التي تختارها لترجمة الرسالة. "ARABIC"*

Our Learning Community...

Welcome to the 2023-2024 School Year! We are SO excited to see you! This Dolphin Update will help you get ready for the start of the new year. Keep reading for more information on...


  • Start Date
  • Daily Schedules: Including Drop Off and Pick Up Times
  • Enrollment information
  • What to Bring to School/Supplies
  • Preparing to Start the School Year
  • First Day of School Procedures
  • Looking Ahead Dates
  • Preschool, UTK, Kindergarten, & New Student Orientation
  • Upcoming Family Park Day
  • Tears & Cheers PTA Coffee at Maggie's
  • Links to Join Our PTA


In addition to all of the information contained in this newsletter, we have attached our Family Handbook which gives you many more details about our school. Your child will come home with a copy of this handbook the first week of school, but it can be helpful to go through ahead of time.


If you have received this email and your family has moved, please call our office (619-605-8800) to initiate a records transfer.

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Summer Preparation...

New Student Enrollment...

Our office is open and we are continuing to enroll students! If you have new neighbors, please spread the word that they can enroll now! The days leading up to the first day of school get busier and busier, so now is the time to get all the enrollment paperwork completed and organized.
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What to Bring to School

  • Backpack: Backpacks help get materials back and forth between school and home safely. Over the course of the school students will bring home school documents to sign and complete, flyers about events, class work, homework, etc. We have some backpacks available if you need one, please call our front office and we can set up a time for you to come pick it up before school starts.


  • Water bottle: We have new water bottle filling stations and water fountains on campus, so a small child size water bottle is all that is needed if you would like your child to have one. Please do not send large, metal water bottles.


  • Snack: All classrooms take a mid-morning Wellness Break, this includes time to eat a snack if you would like to send one. Snacks should be an individual portion as students are not able to share snacks with others.


  • Lunch: A complete lunch from our cafe is free for all students, but you are also welcome to send a lunch with your child. Please send foods that will fuel your child for an afternoon of learning, candy, soda, large bags of chips/cookies are not permitted.

School Supplies

As a public school, we will provide all books and materials needed for daily learning. You will not recieve a required "School Supply List" with numerous items to purchase and bring on the first day.


Over the summer supplies are ordered for each grade level based their specific need and our supply room is restocked for the school year. Crayons, markers, glue sticks, journals, scissors, paper, tissues, etc. are purchased with our site funding and will be provided for all of our students.


You may receive a wishlist of additional items that would support your child's classroom in general or for a special project, these donations are welcome, but never required.


While we do not need the basic supplies brought to school, we would encourage families to have some of these materials at home for children to explore and create with.

Preparing to Start the School Year

  • Sleep: Sleep is an essential component for setting our students up for success. If your child's sleep schedule has changed over the summer, it is time to start preparing for the return to school. Sleep makes a huge difference in concentration, performance, and regulating emotions during the school day.


  • Morning Routine: Morning routines help develop your child's sense of self, responsibility, independence, focus, and helps them feel positive about the day ahead. Routines look different for every family and there are many resources on the internet that can help you create the best plan for your family that you can start practicing now. Students who get to school on time, ready to learn feel a stronger connection to their classroom community and are more prepared to transition through the daily schedule of their class.


  • Lunch Time: Students have 20 minutes to eat lunch, so this may be something your child needs to prepare for as well. If your child will be bringing their lunch to school, you should also have them practice opening and closing any food containers or packages that will be sent in their lunch box.
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First Day of School Procedures

  • The first day/week of school is especially busy at drop off and pick up so please plan accordingly.


  • Arrival gates will open five minutes early at 7:30 a.m. on the first day of school and all students will enter the Gates by the front office or the cafe for breakfast.


  • On the 1st day of school parents/guardians/caregivers are welcome to walk students to their classrooms to meet the teacher and see the classroom for a few minutes (You will have more time at Back-to-School Night). If you plan on walking your child to their classroom on the 1st day, make sure to walk to campus or park on a side street (do NOT park in the Bus Zone or Loading Zone directly in front of the school). This is a special opportunity for the first day of school, starting on day two families will say goodbye their children at the gate.


  • Our Jones PTA will be hosting a gathering at Maggie’s Cafe immediately after morning drop off on the first day of school, we hope you can make it!

Classroom Teachers

  • On Friday, August 18th, in the late afternoon/early evening you will be able to login to Power School Parent Portal to find out your child’s classroom assignment. There will also be class assignments posted in the front office window and will be available over the weekend.


  • On the first day of school we will have additional lists posted in front of the school and staff members there to help you navigate.


  • Please note that classroom placements are subject to change due to sitewide enrollment. Early October schools engage in the reorganization process and at that time we may need to add a classroom or close a classroom based on enrollment.

    • We do not accept requests for teacher placements.There are a number of factors that go into creating balanced classrooms and our team works collaboratively to set all of our students up for success.


  • Visit the SDUSD Parent Portal webpage for more information about setting up your Parent Portal account if you do not already have one.
      • Login to the PowerSchool Parent Portal to access your student’s attendance record, State testing scores, and to view grades at the end of each grading period.

      • NEW FAMILIES - Please reach out to rbustamante@sandi.net for your student’s Access ID, Access Password and any Parent Portal questions.


  • Our youngest learners in Preschool, UTK, and Kindergarten will have the opportunity to receive their classroom assignments during orientation. See the flyer below for more details.

Looking Ahead...

August


18 - Preschool, UTK, Kinder & New Student Orientation - 1:00 pm

18 - Class Rosters Released - Late Afternoon/Evening

19 - Park Day at Murray Ridge Park - 10:00 am


21 - First Day of School!

21 - Tears & Cheers: PTA Coffee and Connection at Maggie's Cafe - 8:00 am

21 - PTA Dine Out - All Day at Maggie's Cafe


September


4 - No School - Labor Day

14 - Back-To-School Night - 5:00 pm

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Looking to support Jones

Join the PTA at the link below...

Jones Elementary

Our mission is to ensure ALL students meet or exceed grade level expectations through rigorous, high-quality, standards based instruction in a safe, nurturing, collaborative learning environment where all students are preparing to be global citizens, college and career ready.


Check out our school website for PeachJar Flyers, Counseling Resources, Family Handbook, Staff Contact Lists, After School Programs, Enrollment Information and so much more!

Jones Elementary PTA

Our Parent Teacher Association works with Jones Elementary to provide programs and support to benefit the students, their families, teachers, school administration and the community. Run entirely by volunteers, the PTA raises money to support enrichment programs, program instructors, educational assemblies and field trips, family events, and special classroom supplies.


As always, we need your membership, support and ability to volunteer. You can become a member using Totem, a respected membership management service. Please contact us with other thoughts on how we are doing, and your ideas on how you can become involved. We look forward to hearing from you.