Good evening Warrior families!

It’s hard to believe we’re already in the second week of March—time is flying by!

A shout out to all our volunteers last week in our Book Fair! We could not have done this event without your help. Thank you so much for giving of your time. It was so sweet and awesome!

Another huge shoutout to Mrs. McMurray for putting on another incredible Literacy Night. The mystery genre was a huge success! Thanks to all of our families for coming out and participating. This was the first time ever that we ran out of pizza. Shows how well attended this event was.

We also wanted to take the time to congratulate our 2026-2027 JWE Teacher of the year, Mrs. Janet Brown, who has been honored this past week! Being nominated and named by your colleagues as a distinguished teacher among the best of the best is a significant honor. Congratulations, Mrs. Brown, on this well-deserved recognition!

This week, we have kindergarten screening and enrollment at JWE on Monday and Tuesday. If you have a child or know someone with a child who is 5 or will be turning 5 years old on or before July 31st this year, they can register for kindergarten. Please call the office at 816-874-3660 to schedule an appointment for the 2026-2027 school year.

At the end of this week, we have our Spring Glow Party on Friday. If you’re interested in volunteering, please use this link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090449ADAE2EA4FF2-62666528-james. Don’t forget, if you haven’t filled out a background check for this year, you will need to do so. BSSD Background Check

This is the last week for Yearbook Orders and PTA’s spring fundraiser, Butter Braids! Please support the PTA and order some delicious braids. To order your yearbook . go to www.ybpay.com and use ID code: 14150226. Thank you for all your support!

Next week is Spring Break (March 16th-20th)! There will be no school during this time.

Below are the updates for the week. As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Casey Brownsberger

Spring break is here! And while kids are ready to burst out the school doors in a flurry of excitement, parents may be wondering: How do we keep them active, entertained, and off screens for at least part of the week?

Good news—spring break doesn’t need to be an expensive vacation or a meticulously planned extravaganza. With a little creativity and a sprinkle of curiosity, you can turn an ordinary week at home into a mini adventure filled with movement, laughter, and hands-on fun.

Here are some thoughtful (and parent-approved!) ways to keep kids active and engaged all week long.

1. Nature Quest Week: Explore, Discover, Move:

Nothing inspires curiosity like the outdoors—and spring is the perfect time to get outside.

2. DIY Backyard Olympics

You don’t need a stadium—just enthusiasm and maybe a few cones or chalk lines.

Create stations for events like:

Let kids earn homemade medals or stickers.

Bonus: Kids can help design the events—half the fun is inventing the games!

3. Make-It Monday, Build-It Tuesday, Craft-It-Anytime

Hands-on projects are amazing for concentration and imagination—and they pair wonderfully with physical activity when you add movement breaks.

After every 20 minutes of crafting, set a “Move and Groove” timer—jumping jacks, dance breaks, or “run a lap around the house.” It keeps energy high and silliness flowing.

4. Cook, Bake, and Taste-Test Together

Kitchen projects get kids measuring, mixing, and moving—and trying new things.

Cooking is secretly educational…but we’ll let the kids believe it’s just delicious.

5. Screen-Free Adventure Bingo

Create a Spring Break Adventure Bingo sheet with activities like:

Kids can try to get one line—or challenge themselves to fill the whole board by week’s end!

6. Themed Days Make the Week Feel Like a Festival

Kids love themes—they turn the ordinary into something special.

Try a few fun ones:

Themes give the week structure without making parents feel like event planners.

7. Quiet Adventures for Winding Down

Kids need movement—but they also need moments to recharge.

Try adding peaceful activities like:

Balance is the secret ingredient to a great spring break.

However you choose to spend the week, remember: spring break isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection—eye contact, shared giggles, small adventures, and memories that last long after the backpacks are filled again.

Whether you're exploring the backyard, crafting up a storm, or building forts in the living room, the magic comes from doing it together.

·       Summer School Enrollment… it is live! Log into PowerSchool and go to the enrollment bar on the left to find the forms tab. Enroll your child in the Blue Springs School District (BSSD) Summer School Program June 1st – June 25th. Parents of children that are incoming kindergarteners through 5th grade should enroll their child through the Parent Portal (under Forms, Summer School 2026). Be sure to sign up by April 24th to reserve your spot! 

·       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.

·       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

·       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/. 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. 

·       Want to opt in on School Text Messages…If you opted out of text communication and want to opt back in, text "START" to 66458.

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!

·      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!