Jeremiah Gray Kindergarten Academy
Home of the Little Giants - September 7, 2018
Principal's Message
Greetings from the Principal's Office
Greetings from JGKA!
As we wrap up another week, I continue to be impressed by the hard work of our students. They are learning and growing so much.
As partners in your child's education, I want to continue to ask for your help in reaching our goals we've set for our students. As I've mentioned, we want our kids to have the early literacy skills necessary to be able to read successfully. You can help by spending a little time each day working on reading skills with your child.
First, make time to share a story with your son or daughter. As you read, stop and ask your child questions, such as: Who is this story about? What is happening? What do you think will happen next?
Second, practice sight words. At this point in the year, your child should start to recognize:
and, are, for, he, in, is, it, of, on, the, to, that, was, you
A great way to practice is to make flashcards, or look for them in books you read.
Thirdly, ask your child to tell you sounds they hear at the beginning and end of words. You can say, "What sound does 'dog' begin with?," or "What is the last sound in 'cat'?"
I am also attaching a list of Reading Tips from Reading Rocket.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful!
Love,
Mrs. Hansell
Congratulations to our Little Giants of the Week!
Teacher Spotlight
Name: Taylor Day
Number of years: In Kindergarten- 2. In total- 3.
Family Info: My 6 year old son, Ben, and J.P.
Favorite Hobbies: I enjoy traveling, being outside, and spending time with my family
Interesting fact: I coach 8th grade cheerleading at Perry Meridian Middle School.
Staff Spotlight
Name: Yaritsa Perez
Number of years in the profession: 2
Family Info: My parents, my little sister, my little brother, and my older brother.
Favorite hobbies: I enjoy reading, writing, and drinking tea.
Interesting fact: I have three dogs: Ariel, Draco, and Napoleon.
Important Things to Know About the School Bus
Here are a few things that might help make the commute to and from school more understandable:
*Kindergartners will only be let off of the bus and released to a parent or designee. Drivers will NOT release your child without an adult present.
*Parents need to be out at the stop, visible to the driver.
*If you are not at the stop when the bus arrives in the afternoon, your child will be brought back to school and you will have to pick them up as soon as possible.
*Kindergartners work hard all day, and often can fall asleep on the bus. If the student is sleeping, they may not hear the driver call their name to get off at that stop. Our drivers are instructed to walk the bus at the end of their route. If a sleeping child is still on the bus, they will be returned to school and we will call you immediately.
*If you are concerned that your child might have missed their stop, you can call the transportation department at (317) 789-6221, or you may call the main office at school (317) 782-2240.
The main thing we want you to know is that we are not going to leave school until all children are safely home. So, if by chance your child misses the stop for any reason, please know we will be here to receive them and keep them safe until you can come get them. We LOVE our Little Giants, and keeping them safe is our number one priority!
Bus Information
A parent or guardian MUST be home to receive children in grades K-2 from the school bus at the end of the school day.
If no one is home upon the young student’s arrival, the child will be returned to the school where the parent will be required to pick up the student. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Also, please remember that Wednesdays are an early release day. Please be at the bus stop 30 minutes earlier on those days.
Attendance & Timeliness
Car Rider Pick Up
We have a concern in the afternoon, and we need your help with it to keep our dismissal safe and efficient.
We have had a number of parents lining up early in front of our building. We prefer that we leave the drive open for parents that HAVE to come up and sign into the building. After 2:20 each day, we need to ask that ALL cars pull into the campus car line. We KNOW waiting is hard, but it really is in the best interest of all students on the Jeremiah Gray campus.
Our site has a preschool, Kindergarten Academy, and Elementary School. We need to have the car line procedures in place so we can swiftly move all three programs.
Thanks in advance for your assistance with this!
Important Dates
- Wednesday, September 12th - Early Release
- Wednesday, September 19th - Early Release
- Wednesday, September 26th - Early Release
Breakfast & Lunch Menu
Visitor Policy
Volunteer Policy
The new background check is only $5 and can be completed online. The link for the background check is included below. Please do this soon as it can take several days to process a background check! This background check will be good for the 2018-2019 school year. A new background check will need to be completed each school year.
Background Checks are Needed for:
- Volunteering in school and classroom
- Attending field trips
- Helping at class parties
- Working with other students
- Other times as deemed appropriate by school administration
http://www.perryschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/VOLUNTEER-POLICY-2018.pdf
A Message from Our Nurse
English Learners are ROCKING it!
Coach Hathaway's Running South 2018
Coach Hathaway's Running South is on Saturday, September 22nd at Southport High School. You must register by Wednesday, September 12th, if you want to guarantee a shirt with your preferred style and size. Shirts are optional for $15 and must be picked up on race day. Online registration closes Thursday, September 20th at 11:59 pm. All paper registration forms must be received by PTEF before Thursday, September 20th. This year we have English, Chin, and Spanish registration forms. Participants may register the morning of the event for an additional $5. If shirts are remaining they'll be sold on race day after the 1-Mile.
LEARN, GROW, AND THRIVE WITH THE YMCA
Summer may be over, but we’re ready to continue the fun this school year! The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis is proud to be the before and after school provider in Perry Township. We provide enrichment programming for children in an environment where they can learn, grow, and thrive in a safe environment! For more information, or to register for the YMCA Before and After School Program, please visit us at www.indymca.org/youthdevelopment.
What's going on around the community?
Southside Indy Aquatics
Competitive Swimming- SIA offers year-round swimming for children of all ages that focuses on stroke technique, competitive swimming and having fun! If your child is thinking about swimming in middle school or high school this year, sign them up to swim this Fall to get an edge on the competition!
Evaluations and registration for competitive swimming will be on Monday, August 20th at Southport High School from 6:00-7:30 pm. Enter door 8. Please email Stacy Reinke for more information at sreinke@southsideindyaquatics.com
Southport Youth Boys Basketball
Southport boys basketball program will once again be offering travel teams for grades 3rd-6th. Tryout information is below:
When: Sunday, September 9th
Where: Southport High School
Times: 3rd/4th: 9:00am - 10:30am | 5th/6th: 10:30am - 12:00pm
Questions? Email southportyouthbasketball@gmail.com
Jeremiah Gray Kindergarten Academy
Website: http://www.perryschools.org/jk/
Location: 5225 Gray Road, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Phone: (317) 782-2240
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JGKALittleGiants/
Twitter: @JGKAPrincipal