Good Afternoon, Warriors!
I hope you’re all enjoying a wonderful three‑day weekend!
A quick reminder that our Major Saver fundraiser is still going strong—we’ve had an amazing start, and we have just ONE week left to reach our goal! Every card sold and every donation directly supports our school, and we’re so grateful for your continued enthusiasm and teamwork.
The fundraiser closes Friday, January 23rd at 11:59 PM. To purchase a $20 digital Major Saver card, simply click the link below. Friends and family outside the area can also participate by making monetary donations—and all purchases and donations count toward student prizes, including the fan‑favorite Limo Ride Pizza Party!
Thank you for your participation and generosity. Let’s finish strong and raise critical funds for BSEF and our school!
If you haven’t joined in yet, there’s still plenty of time—you can start in just minutes using the link below: https://msvr.co/JWE26
This month, JWE’s Student Council is also collecting new mittens or gloves, hats, and scarves to support members of our community in need. If you’d like to donate, please send items with your child—they can drop them off at the office. Thank you for helping us grow our Mitten Tree Project!
Thank you, Warriors, for your ongoing support and partnership! Below are this week’s updates. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need anything.
Have a fantastic week!
Warmly,
Mrs. Casey Brownsberger, Principal
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Monday, January 19th:
- NO SCHOOL-In Observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
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PRIME TIME IS CLOSED for observance of Martin Luther King Day!
- Major Saver Card Sales
Tuesday, January 20th:
Wednesday, January 21st:
- Major Saver Card Sales
- PTA’s Papa Johns Night-Support JWE's PTA by ordering pizza tonight from Papa Johns. Use code: KSJ002 when ordering.
Thursday, January 22nd:
Friday, January 23rd:
- Last Day for the Major Saver Card Sales
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· January 26th—PTA’s Skate Night at Rink Ratz from 6-8pm
· January 27th—Land of Smiles Assembly
· January 29th-Kindergarten Arts Partners Field Trip to see Mr. Stinky Feet
· February 2nd—Counselor Appreciation Day
· February 5th—January Attendance Awards
· February 6th—Spring Picture Day
· February 6th—Mid Term
· February 12th—Title I Planning Meeting at 5:40pm, PTA Meeting at 6pm, and 3rd grade performance at 7pm-Doors open at 6:45pm.
· February 16th—No School-President’s Day
· February 17th-20th—Kindness Spirit Week
· February 18th—3rd Grade Field Trip
· February 19th—PTA’s Skate Night at Rink Ratz from 6-8pm
· February 23rd—JWE’s Bus Driver Appreciation Day
· February 27th—Book Fair Set Up at 4pm
· March 2nd-6th—Literacy Spirit Week and JWE’s Book Fair
· March 3rd—4th Grade to Jeff City Field Trip
· March 4th—JWE’s Maverick’s Night
· March 5th—Literacy Night at 5:30pm
· March 9th—Kindergarten Enrollment and Screening noon-7pm
· March 10th—Kindergarten Enrollment 9am-3pm
· March 14th—Deadline for JWE Yearbook Orders
· March 16th-20th—No School-Spring Break
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As parents, one of our primary goals is to raise children who are responsible, independent, and capable of making good decisions. One effective way to achieve this is by establishing routines that encourage responsibility. Here’s why creating such routines is crucial and how you can implement them in your daily life.
Why Routines Matter
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Structure and Predictability: Routines provide a sense of structure and predictability, which is essential for children. Knowing what to expect helps them feel secure and reduces anxiety. This stability is the foundation upon which they can build responsible behaviors.
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Development of Good Habits: Consistent routines help children develop good habits. When tasks like brushing teeth, doing homework, or tidying up are part of a daily routine, they become second nature. Over time, these habits contribute to a child’s sense of responsibility.
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Time Management Skills: Routines teach children how to manage their time effectively. By having a set schedule, they learn to allocate time for various activities, which is a critical skill for responsible adulthood.
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Accountability: When children have specific responsibilities within a routine, they learn accountability. Completing tasks like setting the table, feeding pets, or organizing their school bag teaches them that their actions have consequences and that they play a vital role in the family.
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Independence and Confidence: As children successfully follow routines and complete tasks, they gain a sense of independence and confidence. This self-assurance is crucial for taking on more significant responsibilities as they grow.
How to Create Effective Routines
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Start Small: Begin with simple routines that are easy to follow. Gradually introduce more tasks as your child becomes comfortable with the existing ones.
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Be Consistent: Consistency is key. Stick to the routines as much as possible, even on weekends or holidays. This helps reinforce the habits you’re trying to build.
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Involve Your Child: Involve your child in creating the routines. When they have a say in the process, they are more likely to take ownership and follow through.
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Use Visual Aids: For younger children, visual aids like charts or checklists can be very helpful. They can see what tasks need to be done and take pride in checking them off.
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Positive Reinforcement: Praise and reward your child for sticking to the routine and completing their tasks. Positive reinforcement encourages them to continue being responsible.
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Be Patient and Flexible: Understand that it takes time for routines to become habits. Be patient and flexible, adjusting the routines as needed to fit your child’s development and changing needs.
Conclusion
Creating routines that include responsibilities is a powerful way to help your child develop into a responsible and independent individual. By providing structure, teaching good habits, and fostering accountability, you are setting the stage for their success in all areas of life.
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· 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. To purchase tickets, use this link: https://www.gofevo.com/event/2526james2. This event is open to all of our JWE families. We hope to see you there. · JWE’s Mitten Tree….Our James Walker Student Council is excited to let you know about our “Mitten Tree Project.” This past week your child had a Student Council member come to their classroom and read them the story, The Mitten Tree. Be sure to ask your child what the book was about! From now until January 30th Student Council will be collecting sets of new mittens or gloves, hats, and scarves to give to those in need during the winter season. It is our hope that we can collect hundreds of mittens and other items to share with others. We would appreciate your help in making this project a success! Please have your child bring a pair of NEW mittens or gloves and/or a hat to school to add to our collection. We will be hanging the items on the tree in the front hallway of JWE. Thank you so much for your help! Sincerely, JWE’s Student Council
· 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 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)
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· 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!
· 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
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· 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!
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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!
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Please take time to read the BSSD Elementary Student-Parent Handbook. We have also attached our PTA School Events Calendar.
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