Jefferson Elementary Center

***Storm Delays*** Good morning! This is Christie Willis, Superintendent of Wood County Schools. Buses are running their routes this morning. However, due to storms there are several buses delayed or unable to cross low lying creek areas. The following buses will be delayed: 49, 149, 154, 157, 162, 163, 172, 173, 175, 192, 199, 205, 210, 214, 216, and 236. No tardies will be issued today due to weather. Please be cautious on the roads and be safe!

Great job on opening day! As a reminder, please check out the WCS page or Jefferson Elementary fb page for arrival and dismissal info. It is NOT the same as last year. We have a staggered dismissal to allow students to be picked up at different entrances (to avoid unattended students in primary hallway). Please make sure your student / school knows how your child is getting home. Thank you!

Students return to school tomorrow! Safety will be top of mind. What can you do as a member of the community to ensure that our students arrive safely to school? Listen to our newest WCS Voices podcast episode featuring WCS Director of Transportation, Chad Bloss, and our Coordinator of Safety & Security, Don Brown, as we discuss simple strategies for making sure our students arrive safely at school. https://woodcountyschoolswv.com/wcsvoices

Arrival dates/ times/ location for opening days of school. Prek’s start date is Aug. 28/29 (students last name A-M on 8/28; last name N-Z on 8/29; all Prek attend on 8/30). Prek is M-Th ( no Fridays). Arrival at Door 3 (Jag doors located on Plum Street - Jaguar printed on front sidewalk- NOT main horseshoe). Doors open at 7:45 am and a staff member will escort child to their arrival location. Class begins at 8 am. Kindergarten has staggered opening days. You will receive a notification in the mail with info about your child’s opening days. If you are unsure, please call the school. Arrival and dismissal at Door 3 (Jaguar on sidewalk on Plum Street). Doors open at 7:30 am with classes beginning at 8 am. Dismissal at 2:50. Grade 1 begins Aug. 23 for all students. Please enter Door 3 (Jag doors- located on Plum Street- jaguar printed on sidewalk). Doors open at 7:30 am and classes begin at 8 am. Dismissal at 2:50 at Door 3 (same as arrival). Prek- grade 1 will have access to part of the bus lane for drop off in addition to the parking area across from Jaguar door- door 3. *Thank you, Wharton’s for use of this lot.* Staff available to assist with unloading / crosswalk. Please do not park in Wharton employee spots on Oakhurst Street or in the no parking zone on Plum Street (by Easy Rider). Grades 2-5 begin Aug. 23. Students enter main doors/ Door 1 located in horseshoe at front of building. Student drop-off may begin at 7:30 am and classes begin at 8 am. Please say goodbye as you enter horseshoe drop off lane. Multiple cars will be unloading simultaneously. We will not be unloading single cars at entrance doors due to the volume of traffic we will be moving. It is important to keep traffic flowing on Plum Street. Please have your child ready to exit the vehicle as staff signal for them to unload. We will be unloading multiple cars at once. Dismissal for grades 2-3 at door 33 (center of horseshoe). Grades 4-5 will be released at Door 30 (side of building shared with BOE offices). Dismissal time is 2:55. *please note, K-1 dismiss five minutes earlier. Breakfast will be provided for free to all students. Additional reminder: Photo ID necessary to enter building in exchange for visitor pass. Safety is a top priority. Our clerk will be happy to assist with questions or paperwork. Families will not be permitted to escort students into the building. Staff will be available to escort students to their arrival locations. Welcome back! Wishing you an amazing school year!

THANK YOU Toyota and your Kids In Need Foundation for donating 550 backpacks of school supplies to our PreK-grade 5 students. Wow! Families can obtain a free backpack of supplies for your child at Open House on Monday, Aug. 21 from 4-6 pm in the cafeteria. 🥰

Attention parents: Please complete the online Authorized User agreement that permits students to use the iPads/ internet in the classroom. *Jefferson Elementary will not be sending devices home (some exceptions may apply). https://forms.office.com/r/yiuMCt50Fw

Open House for Prek-5 will be held Aug. 21 from 4-6pm. We hope to see you there! First day of school is Aug. 23 (see exceptions for Prek/K below). Classes begin at 8 am. Arrival dates/ times/ location for opening days of school at Jefferson Elementary: Prek’s start date is Aug. 28/29 (students last name A-M on 8/28; last name N-Z on 8/29; all Prek attend on 8/30). Prek is M-Th ( no Fridays). Arrival at Door 3 (Jag doors located on Plum Street - Jaguar printed on front sidewalk- NOT main horseshoe). Doors open at 7:45 and a staff member will escort child to their arrival location. Class begins at 8 am. Dismissal for half-day program at 11am/ full day program at 2 pm. Kindergarten has staggered opening days. You will receive a notification in the mail with info about your child’s opening days. If you are unsure, please call the school. Arrival at Door 3 located on Plum Street- Jaguar printed on sidewalk- NOT main horseshoe. Doors open at 7:30 with classes beginning at 8 am. Dismissal at 2:50 pm. Grade 1 begins Aug. 23 for all students. Please enter Door 3 (Jag doors- located on Plum Street- jaguar printed on sidewalk- NOT main horseshoe). Doors open at 7:30 and classes begin at 8 am. Dismissal at 2:50 pm. Grades 2-5 begin Aug. 23. Students enter main doors/ Door 1 located in main horseshoe at front of building. Student drop-off may begin at 7:30 am and classes begin at 8 am. Dismissal at 2:55pm. Breakfast will be provided for free to all students.

SCREENING FOR CHILDREN ENTERING SCHOOL - Screening will be conducted by school nurses and other professionals during regular school hours in Wood County Schools for students entering school for the first time. In addition, students entering parochial or other non-public schools will be screened. Screening will be done to identify problems in the following areas: language, speech, hearing, and vision. Parents of public school students who do not wish to have their child participate in this screening should inform the principal of the school attended by the child. For more information, contact Wood County Schools Special Education Office at (304) 420-9655.

Attention Kindergarten Families: Open House Aug. 21 from 4-6 PM. Kindergarten students will receive a letter in the mail indicating their first day as they practice a staggered entry. Half the students will attend Aug. 23 and the other half on Aug. 24. All Kindergarten students will attend on Aug. 25. Homeroom assignments will be made & posted on Aug. 28. Students will enter Door 3 where the Jaguar is printed on the sidewalk (NOT the main horseshoe). Doors open at 7:30 AM for K-5 students. Grades 1-12 begin on Aug.23.

Open House Aug. 21 from 4-6 pm. Prek has a later start date than K-12 students as well as a staggered entry. Students with last name A-M attend on Aug. 28. Students with last name N-Z attend Aug. 29. All PreK students attend Aug. 30. Drop off at 7:45 am at door 3 (Jaguar on sidewalk of entrance - NOT main horseshoe).

Now Available: Explore the rich history of Wood County Schools through New Era School: A dialogue with Esther Carroll A one-room school building located on the Mineral Wells Elementary School campus serves as a connection to our past. This building, known as New Era school, has been transformed into a museum that showcases the educational community of the nineteenth century. Within the museum, there is an extensive collection of carefully selected materials that chronicle the history of schools in Wood County. The museum is accessible to the general public, offering both individual and group tours, including school trips. In the latest episode of the WCS Voices Podcast, Esther Carroll, a retired library media specialist from Wood County Schools, shares her insights. Ms. Carroll oversees the museum's operations and is responsible for curating historical primary sources and various media. Accompanying the podcast is the melodious mountain dulcimer music performed by Jerry Rockwell. https://www.woodcountyschoolswv.com/wcsvoices

Yearbooks are in! For the parents/guardians that ordered a yearbook: PreK will be sent home this week,5/17. K-5 will be sent home next week,5/22.

Have you signed up for this summer’s Teaching & Learning Academy? Sessions are filling up quickly. Join guests Jessica Linville, Lisa Buckley, Jessica Espinosa, Jody Carder-Hamilton and Kezia Parsons as they discuss their upcoming sessions in episode 5 of the WCS Voices podcast. Listen now 🎧 Have you signed up for this summer’s Teaching & Learning Academy? Sessions are filling up quickly. Join guests Jessica Linville, Lisa Buckley, Jessica Espinosa, Jody Carder-Hamilton and Kezia Parsons as they discuss their upcoming sessions in episode 5 of the WCS Voices podcast. Listen now 🎧 https://woodcountyschoolswv.com/wcsvoices

WCS Teaching & Learning Academy - Summer 2023 - Learn about all the amazing sessions and keynotes this summer! The Teaching and Learning Academy by Wood County Schools is all set to commence this July, offering a remarkable week of professional development and featuring noteworthy keynote speakers. In this first part of a two-part series, educators from Wood County Schools provide insights into the upcoming academy, outlining the highlights of their sessions and giving a sneak peek into what to anticipate this summer. The academy is scheduled to take place from July 17th to the 21st at Williamstown Middle High School. https://woodcountyschoolswv.com/wcsvoices

Administrators at Jefferson Elementary Center this morning were made aware of a student who had a small knife in a backpack at school. Administrators immediately spoke to the student, confiscated the backpack and located the knife. The student at no point showed the knife or made any threats, and administrators believe there was no intention of using the item as a weapon. Parents, please use this as an opportunity to talk to your children about responsible behaviors and the dangers of bringing any sort item to school which could be used as or considered to be a weapon. Wood County Schools is dedicated to the safety and health of our students and staff, and all reports are taken seriously and immediately investigated.

WCS Voices - Episode 3: Christie Willis and Michael Erb join the podcast to talk about first jobs, growing pains, memories from childhood, and to speak about the importance of public education teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. https://woodcountyschoolswv.com/wcs-voices

This evening on a bus taking students home from Jefferson Elementary Center, a student said they had a gun and brought out a squirt gun. At no time was there any danger to students, and the bus driver spoke to both the child and a parent about the seriousness of the situation. This is a good opportunity for parents to remind their children it is never appropriate for a student to joke about having a weapon and even carrying a toy weapon can cause panic and potentially lead to serious consequences. We remain dedicated to the safety of all of our students and staff and we ask parents to help us in teaching children about responsible behaviors.

Parents & Caregivers: Considering signing your child up for our summer learning? Listen to our WCS Voices podcast to learn more about all the exciting opportunities available this summer. Also, learn how to register. Listen now... https://woodcountyschoolswv.com/wcs-voices

Introducing: "WCS Voices: Conversations on Education & Community" Podcast. Live now. First up: Summer Learning Opportunities -- A Conversation with Ashlee Beatty, Joanna Mulligan & Candace Lewis. Listen now... https://www.woodcountyschoolswv.com/o/wcs/article/1077662

Summer Learning Opportunities registration is now open! Follow this link to get started. https://woodcountyschoolswv.com/summer2023