October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a time to highlight the importance of safeguarding online activity from harmful cyber attacks. Each Friday this month, we'll share tips to help our students, staff, and families secure their sensitive data and stay safe online. Tip #1: Protect your passwords! Be sure to secure passwords for your accounts and NEVER share them with others. Many platforms now allow you to enable two-factor authentication for added security to keep unauthorized users from accessing an account. Enable this security feature whenever possible. Visit www.cisa.gov/cybersecurity-awareness-month to learn more about Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
A reminder that there will be a two-hour early dismissal on for all Jefferson County School students on Friday, October 7. This change in schedule will accommodate an expansion of elementary school ELA and math programs. Thank you for your understanding as we work to support student success. For more information, please visit www.jcswv.org/expansion.
An ambulance responded to North Jefferson Elementary School Wednesday, Oct. 5, for a staff member. Students were not in any danger, and no students were involved. We recognize that an ambulance arriving at our school could be a cause for concern, and wanted to share what information we could without violating anyone's privacy. We appreciate your understanding as we continue to support our staff and students.
This is a reminder that next Friday, October 7, there will be a two-hour early dismissal for all Jefferson County Schools students. This change in schedule will accommodate an expansion of elementary school ELA and math programs. Thank you for your understanding as we work to support student success. For more information, please visit www.jcswv.org/expansion
#TGIF! Students at North Jefferson Elementary have enjoyed all kinds of learning fun this week! Fourth-graders experimented with heat energy by testing different materials to discover which would melt ice most quickly when combined with the sun. They also put their knowledge of fractions to the test by making homemade applesauce. Meanwhile, Ms. Carr's kindergarten class continued learning about the five senses in their second knowledge domain in CKLA. This week, they focused on their sense of taste by coloring and labeling a diagram of the tongue. Then they tasted foods that activated the sweet, salty, sour, and bitter areas of their taste buds. Sounds like a pretty delicious way to learn!
After many years of rising scores on the WVGSA test, JCS saw a steep decline during the pandemic, from which we have not recovered. The latest scores show staggering deficits in ELA and math that keep hundreds of children below the mark for proficiency. To ensure that our students are ready for academics and life beyond the classroom, we are adjusting our elementary education program for 3-5 grade students. Please visit www.jcswv.org/expansion to learn more. There will be a district-wide TWO-HOUR EARLY DISMISSAL for all students on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, to support teachers as they prepare to make these adjustments. Thank you for your trust and support.
JCS is still hiring substitute teachers to fill short and long-term positions for this school year! Interested in substituting for JCS? Here's everything you need to know about the required training offered through our partnership with the Eastern Panhandle Instructional Cooperative (EPIC). EPIC offers the training you need to be eligible to apply for open positions. Visit www.epicresa8.org/subteachertraining to learn more, and follow our JCS Careers Facebook page at www.facebook.com/JoinJCS to learn about new positions as they become available!
First-graders at North Jefferson Elementary recently wrapped up their first CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) unit on Fables and Fairy Tales with some creative hands-on learning. Students enjoyed designing spill-proof milk pails, creating sheep puppets with special armor (to protect against the wolf, of course), and building nests for the Golden Goose to lay her eggs. Sounds like Aesop and the Brothers Grimm could learn a thing or two from these guys and gals!
#TGIF! Some 5th graders at North Jefferson Elementary are enjoying a little extra end-of-the-week fun this year with "STEAM Fridays." Check out their latest experiment involving the effects of 2D and 3D polygonal vertices on bubble formation 👉 https://bit.ly/3Bj4pHh. 🤯 As if Fridays couldn't get any better!
La Asociación Hispano/Latina del Condado de Jefferson le invita a conocer información importante relacionada el nuevo año escolar a conocer a nuevos contactos y amigos y a comer algo rico. Las primeras 25 familias recibirán una mochila con útiles escolares. El flyer tiene más información! The Hispanic/Latino Association of Jefferson County Schools invites you to learn important information regarding the new school year. Meet new contacts and friends and eat good food! The first 25 families will receive a bookbag filled with school supplies. See flyer for additional information!
It is so exciting to have students back in our schools! Thank you for all you are doing to ensure a smooth start to the school year. Please remember that all JCS schools and offices will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2022, in observance of Labor Day. We look forward to welcoming students and staff back on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Have a great weekend.
Hello JCS Families,
We had a wonderful first week of school welcoming children back into the classroom. We are happy to share an update on WVEIS 2.0, the WVDE’s upgraded information system that impacts our communications and academic tools. Much progress has been made, and as of Sept. 6, we will have full use of our Canvas Platform. For more information about the update, please visit www.jcswv.org/canvas
✨ We're so excited to open our doors for the start of another school year! A big shoutout to our teachers and staff for working hard to prepare for a great year. Be sure to check out all the fun first-day photos from throughout the district in our "Back to School: 2022-2023" photo album on the JCS Facebook page. Welcome back, JCS! 🎉
Welcome back! We are so excited to start the new school year with you.
North Jefferson Elementary School hours for the 2022-2023 school year are as follows: 8:30-8:45 a.m arrival and 3:25-3:40 dismissal. Please do not arrive early for car rider or walker drop off or pick up, this creates an unsafe back log of traffic into the main road. Once the last spot is filled in the car loop, please park in Row 2 or Row 3. Staff will direct you into the car loop in the order you arrived. If you arrive to the car loop and there are cars parked in rows two or three already, please park in the next available spot in row 2 or 3, as these cars are in line for their turn in the loop. Thank you for working with us to ensure our students’ safety.
The start of a new school year means sharing the road. Please keep the following safety tips in mind when buses start rolling on Monday:
⚠️ Be alert and watch for children, especially near schools, bus stops, school buses, and school parking lots.
⚠️ Motorists are required to stop when approaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing and STOP arms extended. NEVER pass a bus from behind when it is stopped to board or offload children.
⚠️ Be especially careful when children are present in school zones and residential areas.
⚠️ Pay extra attention to lower speed limits in school zones.
⚠️ Watch for and obey signals from school crossing guards.
⚠️Only drive or park in authorized areas to drop off or pick up children at school.
We can't wait to see you on Monday!
Hello JCS Families,
Our staff have been working all summer to prepare our schools to welcome students next week. As always, there are unexpected problems that arise. An updated version of the West Virginia Department of Education's information system (WVEIS) that all school systems are required to use for everything from class lists to schedules is being upgraded. Some of the systems we worked hard to put in place over the summer are not usable right now because that system is not functioning correctly. We have created a web page about possible changes during the transition. We have taken steps to minimize the disruption for you and for students while the WVDE completes this work. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we begin a new year together! https://www.jcswv.org/wveis
As you wrap up your back-to-school shopping this weekend, consider including a few items for the JCS Stuff-a-Bus school supply drive! Join us August 21-27 at the Jefferson County Fair, where we'll be stuffing a bus with donations of backpacks, crayons, pens and pencils, lunch boxes, notebooks, and other necessary school supplies. Volunteers from the JCS Transportation Department will be on hand to collect donations all day Sunday, August 21, and every evening from 5-8 p.m. And while you're there, learn more about how you can become a bus operator for Jefferson County Schools. It's a great way to make your mark in our caring community of educators!
Hello NJES Families! Welcome back to the 22-23 school year! We are so blessed to be welcoming you back! Here is some important back-to-school information and dates.
Thursday, August 18th:
Back-to-School Night 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Grades K-5 *Classroom teacher information, school supplies and information given to all. Building tours for new families.
Friday, August 19th:
Youth Block Party 6p.m. - 10 p.m. @218 Lawrence Street, Charles Town (by Wright Denny Elementary School
Monday, August 22nd: 1st Day of School for Grades 1st - 5th
Monday, August 22nd:
Kindergarten Orientation @10:00 a.m.
Tuesday, August 23rd: 8:30 1st Day for Kindergarten
TBA: Pre-K Orientation and Start Dates
Students are back on August 22! We want to make sure everyone has what they need to start the year off right, starting with the trip to school. Visit our website at www.jcswv.org/myschoolbus to get information about your student's bus this year. Everyone at Jefferson County Schools is excited to start the year with you!
