No Place Like Jones
Family Updates for the Week of April 17, 2023
April is National Poetry Month ✍🏽 Got Poetry? ✍🏽
Principal Corner
Ira B. Jones Families:
We are in the last nine weeks of this school year. I hope everyone enjoyed time with their students before the homestretch of the school year; it's quickly approaching!
A few reminders:
- The last quarter of the school year tends to be busy and requires our students to be even more engaged, attentive, and present.
- The last quarter of the school year will include several assessments our students must take, including End of Grade Testing (EOGs) for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders.
- Report cards will go home on Monday, April 17.
- Please continue to review school behavior expectations with your students. I appreciate your support in this area.
On Thursday, April 20, we are hosting a schoolwide family event, Step Up Night! We hope you will join us for an evening to learn about academic expectations for the 2023-2024 school year, about community resources and activities for your child, and have an opportunity to connect with other Jones families. We will serve a grab & go dinner from 5:15 - 6:00 pm. Please see below for more details. We hope to see you there!
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.
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 A. Cobb
Principal
Ira B. Jones Elementary School
#noplacelikejones
Asheville City Schools Moves Communications to ParentSquare to Better Connect with Parents and Families
Our district is excited to share that ParentSquare will be our official communication tool, and we will fully implement ParentSquare this summer as our primary communication platform. Our school has been asked to try it out early!
Why ParentSquare?
ParentSquare is a comprehensive communication platform designed for schools that offers a variety of benefits for both parents and educators. Some of the benefits of using ParentSquare include:
Improved communication: ParentSquare allows educators and parents to communicate more effectively through real-time messaging, email, and social media integration.
Increased parental involvement: By keeping parents informed about their child's academic progress and school activities, ParentSquare helps parents become more involved in their child's education.
Streamlined school-to-home communication: ParentSquare allows schools to send messages and updates to parents in a timely and efficient manner, reducing the need for paper flyers and other traditional forms of communication.
Enhanced safety and security: ParentSquare offers a variety of safety features, including emergency alerts and two-way communication between parents and school officials.
Access to valuable resources: ParentSquare provides parents with access to important resources and information, such as school calendars, homework assignments, and volunteer opportunities.
Overall, ParentSquare can help schools build stronger relationships with parents and improve student outcomes by creating a more informed, engaged, and connected community.
Watch for an email or text invitation to join ParentSquare, and click the link to activate your account. Click below on the video for a quick overview and "Frequently Asked Parent Questions" and details on signing up!
Attention 2nd Grade Families!
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
Dear IBJ 2nd Grade Families:
Asheville City Schools universally screens all students with the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). This assessment appraises the cognitive development of students. The test measures students’ learned reasoning abilities. The questions on the CogAT require students to demonstrate their reasoning abilities in each of the following areas:
Verbal: assesses a student’s abilities to use search, retrieval, and comparison processes.
Quantitative: assesses a student’s abilities to reason about patterns and relations using concepts that are essential in quantitative thinking.
Nonverbal: assesses a student’s abilities to reason with somewhat more novel questions that use spatial and figural content.
Traditionally this test has been given at the beginning of third grade. We are excited to share with you that the test moved to the end of second grade for several reasons: First, the second-grade CogAT administration is an untimed test. The third-grade version of the test is timed, which can prevent students from completing all test items. Additionally, the second-grade version of the CogAT is a completely nonverbal test, which, in a research study, qualified English language learners at the same rate as non-English language learners. Finally, moving the test to the end of second grade provides an opportunity for teachers to have access to this new piece of data at an earlier date which will be helpful in informing instruction for third grade.
The testing window for the Cognitive Abilities Test is April 24th-May 10th, 2023. Ira B. Jones test dates are April 25, 26, and 27th. Students at each elementary school will have exposure to the types of items they will encounter on this assessment before the testing window opens.
If you have questions regarding this test, please contact Mr. John Pruett, IBJ AIG Specialist, at john.pruett@acsgmail.net
5th Grade Families, We Hope You Can Attend!
Upcoming Events
April 2023: National Poetry Month
Monday, April 17: ACS Board Meeting (5:00 pm)
Wednesday, April 19: Late Start Day
Thursday, April 20: IBJ Step Up Night!
April 25, 26, & 27: 2nd Graders take the CogAT Assessment
Thursday, April 27: Spring Musical for 1st & 2nd Graders
Friday, April 28: Battle of the Books Event
Friday, April 28: FTO Dance-a-thon Final Dance Event
Wednesday, May 3: Late Start Day
Friday, May 12: Spring Fling!
We Need Your Help!
Candance Pickens Memorial Park
IBJ Families & Community Partners:
We're looking for volunteers to help rebuild this playground (formerly known as the Jones Park) as was done back in 1999. The build dates scheduled are October 4 - 8. Here is a link to our website with information on how to sign up: https://www.rebuildjonespark.org/
Email: ruafika.cobb@acsgmail.net
Phone: 828.350.6700