Good evening Warrior families!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful and relaxing Spring Break! The weather was wild from snow and ice to shorts and tank tops. What a week.

Before we left for break we had our spring Glow Party! Thank you PTA and all the volunteers on such an amazing day! It was so much fun! Several kids shared that “It was the best day ever!” They were right, it truly was an epic day. Thank you so much for your time, effort and creativity! We appreciate you.

Our Yearbook Orders have been extended for a few more days! Remember, you must buy them ahead of time. To order your yearbook . go to www.ybpay.com and use ID code: 14150226. Thank you for all your support!

Below are the updates for the week. Thanks, Warriors, for your continued support, and as always, if you need anything, please let me know. Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your evening!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Casey Brownsberger

Every parent hopes their child will grow into someone who is honest, kind, and thoughtful of others. These qualities don’t develop overnight—and they aren’t taught through lectures alone. Research in developmental psychology consistently shows that honesty and caring grow through relationships, modeling, and repeated everyday experiences at home and at school.

The good news? Small, intentional parenting choices can make a big difference.

Children are not born with a fixed moral compass. Instead, research suggests that moral development unfolds gradually, shaped by how children are treated, what they observe, and how adults respond to mistakes.

Classic studies by psychologists Hartshorne and May found that honesty is highly situation‑based in children—meaning kids are still learning how and when to act truthfully, especially when emotions or peer pressure are involved. This tells us something important: mistakes are part of learning, not a sign of failed parenting.

Likewise, research by Nancy Eisenberg and others shows that empathy and caring behaviors develop when children have frequent opportunities to understand others’ feelings and see compassion in action.

One of the strongest findings in child‑development research is the power of modeling. According to psychologist Albert Bandura’s social learning theory, children learn more from what adults do than what they say.

What this looks like in daily life:

When children regularly observe honesty and respect, they internalize these behaviors as “how people like us act.”

Children are more likely to tell the truth when they feel emotionally safe. Research on moral development shows that harsh punishment for lying can actually increase dishonesty by teaching children to hide mistakes rather than repair them.

Support honesty by:

For example:

“I’m really glad you told me what happened. Let’s talk about how to fix it.”

This approach helps children connect honesty with trust—not fear.

Caring children are made through thousands of small moments. Research shows that perspective‑taking—helping children think about how others feel—is key to developing empathy.

Try:

Studies show that children whose parents regularly discuss emotions and moral choices are more likely to show concern for others and act kindly over time.

How we praise matters. Research by Carol Dweck suggests that focusing on character and effort (rather than labels like “You’re so smart”) supports healthy motivation and ethical behavior.

Helpful praise sounds like:

This reinforces the idea that being honest and caring is something children choose and practice, not something they either “are” or aren’t.

No child is honest and kind all the time—and that’s developmentally normal. Research shows that learning to repair mistakes is just as important as avoiding them.

When children hurt others or make poor choices:

This builds accountability and compassion—not shame.

Schools play an important role in moral development, but values stick best when home and school work together. When children receive consistent messages about kindness, respect, and honesty across settings, research shows they are more likely to internalize those values.

Simple ways families can partner with schools:

Raising honest and caring children is not about getting everything right—it’s about showing up consistently with warmth, curiosity, and clear expectations. Research is clear: children thrive morally when they feel connected, respected, and guided rather than controlled.

By modeling integrity, creating safe spaces for truth, and nurturing empathy in everyday moments, families help children grow not just into good students—but into good people.

·       JWE Yearbooks are now on sale!...visit ybpay.com to order your yearbook today. Use yearbook ID Code: 14150226. Don’t miss out! You have to pre order them.

·       MAP Testing…Our testing window for grades 3rd-5th is April 14th-May 1st. This is an important time for our students and need your help during this window to have our students here at school on time. Please try avoiding scheduling doctor’s appointments and trips during this time. We need students at school!! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our office at 816-874-3660. THANK YOU for your help with this.

·       Summer School Enrollment…Summer School Enrollment is open. 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). Blue Springs School District - Summer School Be sure to sign up by April 24th to reserve your spot

·       Blue Springs Chess Challenge…on Saturday, April 11th. Check out the attached flyer.

·       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!