Good Afternoon, Warriors!

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful weekend!

This past week, we began our NWEA Growth Testing in both ELA and Math. These assessments are an important tool for students and teachers to measure the progress made so far this year. We’ve been working hard, and this mid-year check-in provides valuable data to guide instruction. When your child shares their experience at home, please celebrate their effort—they’ve worked hard!

Official reports will be sent home on Friday, January 30th. Please review them and reach out if you have any questions.

We also kicked off our Major Saver fundraiser campaign, which supports both the Blue Springs Education Foundation and James Walker Elementary. Check out the attached flyer for details on how you can help support our school and district.

Finally, we’re excited to announce that a new sound system is being installed in the gym this week! Our old system had stopped working, but thanks to your support during past walkathons and plate auctions, we were able to save for this much-needed upgrade. This will make a big difference for performances and events! While installation is underway, PE classes will temporarily be held in the cafeteria. Thank you for your understanding—and for making this possible!

Below are this week’s updates. Please let me know if you have any questions or need anything. Have a fantastic week!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Casey Brownsberger, Principal

Children today face many pressures—academic expectations, social challenges, and even digital stress. These factors can lead to anxiety, stress, and sadness, which often show up at home and can impact school attendance. When students miss school, they miss opportunities to learn and connect, which can make these feelings even stronger. The good news: parents and schools can work together to help children thrive.

I.                 Signs Parents Might Notice at Home

II.              What to Do Next

III.            Why School Matters

School is one of the best places for children to receive support. Teachers, counselors, and staff can help your child feel safe and connected. Missing school often makes anxiety worse because children fall behind academically and socially. Sending your child to school is a key step toward helping them feel better.

IV.            Partner with the School

Remember: You are not alone. Our school community is here to support your child’s well-being and success. If you have concerns, please reach out—we’re ready to help.

·       BSSD’s 2026-2027 Kindergarten Screening and Enrollment Information… Do you have a child who will be 5 years of age before August 1st, 2026? If so they are eligible for kindergarten enrollment! Call the office at 816-874-3660 to schedule an appointments for anytime on Monday, March 9th noon-7pm or Tuesday, March 10th from 9am-3pm.

·       JWE Yearbooks are now on sale!...visit ybpay.com to order your yearbook today. Use yearbook ID Code: 14150226. Order deadline is March 14, 2026.

·        JWE’s Mavericks Night… JWE will be hosting a Maverick’s Night at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence on Wednesday, March 4th. Our very own JWE’s Honors Choir will be performing the National Anthem. Tickets will be on sale shortly! Be sure to save the date and look for more information to come.

·       Spring Chess Club Opportunity… Good morning chess club parents! If your child is interested in attending chess club at their school for SPRING SEMESTER, now is the time to put their name on the waiting list. Those students that are currently attending chess club will be rolled over to the spring list. As spots open up over the holidays and into January, we will fill from the waitlist in the order of registration.  Many fall clubs are at capacity so if your child is no longer interested in participating, please let me know so we can invite another student to chess club. Spring programs start the last week of January and run into April. Weekly schedule for spring semester attached. Registration link: https://www.reg4chess.com/register.asp?tid=8784

·       Family Resource Assistance…Looking for additional support with school supplies, clothing, counseling, or community resources? We can help! Fill out this link and we will be reaching out soon. Fall 25-26 Resources for JWE Families – Fill out form

·       Difference Makers-Difference Makers is a Blue Springs School District mentoring initiative that connects K-5 students with caring adult volunteers. Difference Makers mentors are positive role models who give their time, energy, and talent to build positive relationships with students and to promote student literacy. If you are interested in being a Difference Maker at James Walker Elementary, please contact Lyda McMurray at lmcmurray@bssd.net or 816-874-3660.

·       Colder Weather…It is getting cold out! Please make sure you are sending your kiddos dressed for the weather (i.e. coats, hats, gloves, etc.). Please label your child’s items that way we can find their rightful owner. If the temperature feels warmer than 20 degrees and it is not precipitating, we are going out. Thanks for your help with this!

·       Lunch Accounts/Free and Reduced Lunch Applications- It is not too late! You an apply for this at any time. To enroll, you login to school café, click here https://www.schoolcafe.com/.

Be sure you talk with your child before they go to school if they need to eat breakfast at school or not. 

To put money on your child's lunch account please visit: www.schoolcafe.com.

To apply for free or reduced meals, please complete the appropriate forms ASAP on www.schoolcafe.com. You can apply for this at any time.

The following link is a tutorial of how to enroll: https://vimeo.com/280726060/a627865334. Please remember to include everyone in your household, even if they are not students as this can impact the application being accepted. 

Elementary Breakfast        $1.85

Elementary Lunch             $2.95

Milk Price                           $0.70

*Reduced Breakfast           $0.00 (must qualify)

*Reduced Lunch                $0.40 (must qualify)

·      School hours are 9:15am - 4:05pm. Doors open at 9am. Please do not send/drop off your student any sooner since we do not have supervision outside until then. The earliest that you can drop off your student(s) is 9:00am. 

·      Attendance- Please make sure your child is on time to school each day. Attendance matters and is important! Check out this attached article on attendance and how you can help improve this.

·      Parent Pick Up and Drop Off-If you are a car rider, please make sure you are going through the car rider line. Student may not be dropped off on Sunnyside School Road. Lastly, please remember that we need you to mindful of our neighbors and please do not block their driveways. Thank you very much for your help with these.

·      Dismissal-If your plans change on your pick up procedures, please notify your child's teacher and the office prior to 3:30pm.

·       Water Bottles…Just a friendly reminder that if you are sending your student to school with a water bottle, it needs to be filled with water only. Please do not send water bottles with juice, tea, soda, kool-aid, etc. Thank you for your help with this!

·      Walking to School…Love the wonderful weather outside and seeing so many families walking to school. Just a reminder that pets are not allowed on school grounds. We appreciate your help with this.

·      Parent Square… Be sure to download this app. It is the best way to receive communication from your child’s teacher and our school.

·      PTA…Be sure to join PTA! The PTA consists of parents and teachers working together to support and best serve all students, the needs of James Walker Elementary and our community. PTA is a team effort and we would love to have your involvement anytime! We also have business memberships available as well. To sign up, click on this link https://linktr.ee/jameswalkerpta

·        Water bottles: We highly encourage you to send your child with a water bottle filled with WATER only, every day. We have water filling stations to refill their water bottles as needed. 

·        Food Delivery: We cannot deliver food orders sent to students at our school (ex. Door Dash, Grub Hub, etc). So please do not order them and send them to school unless they are addressed to Mrs. Brownsberger.

·        Birthday Treats: If you would like to provide treats for your child’s birthday, this must be pre-arranged with your child’s teacher at least 24 hours in advance. Also, all treats must be store-bought, individual (not whole cakes), and packaged.

·        Volunteer/Background Check Information:  Each year we need an updated background check if you plan on volunteering up at school. The Blue Springs School District uses DataSource to enhance and strengthen our current background screening process for Volunteer Guests. It is FREE, SECURE, and SIMPLE to register. Please visit: https://bssd.quickapp.pro to fill out an application. Once there you will see all Blue Springs School District schools will be listed. Click on the building in which you are planning to volunteer. (If you have students attending multiple buildings, you will only need to complete one application. After completing the application, please contact the Building School Resource Officer for the school you applied at and let them know you have students at additional locations). Volunteer applications MUST be submitted at least five (5) days before the event for which you are volunteering. After submission, please wait for an email from DataSource. The email will let you know whether you have been approved or denied.

·       Lunch Visitors… To eat lunch with your child, you will need to complete a background check prior to coming. To complete a free background check click here: https://bssd.quickapp.pro. Then you will need to sign up for a day to be a lunch guest https://jwelunchvisitors.youcanbook.me/. We need at least 24 hours notice when signing up. That means you cannot sign up on the same day you want to eat lunch. We appreciate your help and planning with this.

·       Ronald McDonald House…Student Council is asking for your help! As part of a service project to help the families who belong to the Ronald McDonald House of Kansas City we are collecting pop tabs. These pop tabs support families with children in the hospital that stay at RMHC-KC or visit the Family Room. Advantage Metals, a local Kansas City recycler, buys the tabs at market rate and makes an additional charitable contribution to the Ronald McDonald House. They generously donate their pick-up and handling services, so the income from pop tabs is pure profit. Last year, this program brought in $20,000. We want to help them raise even more this year! WHAT CAN YOU DO? Collect pop tabs in zip-lock bags, cardboard boxes, coffee cans or plastic trash bags. Student Council will have a container set up in the office to collect the tabs. Your teacher will also have a collection “house” to keep the tabs collected. If you have a workplace that would be interested in collecting pop tabs for JWE’s Student Council please email Mrs. Hartstack at khartstack@bssd.net or Mrs. Horton ahorton@bssd.net and they will send some cardboard houses home with your child. Please do not use plastic soda bottles or milk jugs because they’re hard to empty! Thank you! 

Click on the link below to learn more about our school, available resources, and grade-level information. Inside, you'll find curriculum details that outline what your child will be learning this year, along with insights into their classroom experience. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher or contact our office at 816-874-3660. We’re here to support you and your child every step of the way!