JV WASHAM ELEMENTARY

1. JV WASHAM ELEMENTARY DEFINING EXCELLENCE

2. ADMINISTRATION • Principal- Mr. Raymond Giovanelli • Assistant Principal- Mr. Scott Otolski • Secretaries- Helen Allen, Nikki Norris and Terri Reid • Literacy Facilitator- Ms. Erin Lyons

3. School Mission We exist to enrich every student’s individual strengths by providing a challenging and nurturing environment where we instill passion for learning, the freedom to create and discover; along with the skills and emotional character to become: critical thinkers, problem solvers, life-long learners, leaders and contributors to society, caring and compassionate people, advocates for the community and seekers of justice

4. WHAT WILL YOU SEE AT JV WASHAM? • A family environment that is inviting to all • A well rounded academic program emphasizing academics and the arts • Strong emphasis on the core subjects of reading, spelling, writing and math, as well as, differentiated instruction to meet students at various levels • The teaching of self-discipline and strong study habits through Character Education

5. WHAT WILL YOU SEE AT JV WASHAM? • Math- Staff will use the Investigations Series, teacher generated materials, and manipulatives to engage and build concept understanding • Literacy- Staff will use not only the Imagine-It literacy series, but also will use outside literacy materials to enhance and extend connections • Integration of higher-level critical thinking skills starting in early grades (problem solving)

6. What will we learn in kindergarten? Literacy • Print awareness, decoding, word recognition, beginning to read and extension of skills, sequencing, making predictions, making connections, learn about a variety of texts, comprehension, details/setting/characters, writing (legibly) in sequence with complete thoughts and grammar, spelling of sight words,

7. What will we learn in kindergarten? Math • Recognize, write and model numbers to 30, begin to understand measurement, number sense, patterns, graphing, sorting, simple addition and subtraction, shapes/geometry • Students will also be taught about Science and Social Studies during the year.

8. WHAT WILL YOU SEE AT JV WASHAM? • A safe and orderly environment, quality homework and solid preparation for middle school • Full time music, media, physical education, art and technology staff that works with all grade levels • Instruction that helps meet the needs of all students (support and enrichment)

9. WHAT WILL YOU SEE AT JV WASHAM? • Intervention and extension programs through, classroom differentiation (workshop), Accelerated Reader, Talent Development (2nd-5th), tutoring, intensive reading support and various clubs (4th and 5th grade) • Strong parent/school communication through phone calls, notes, email, staff web pages, weekly reports, conferences, newsletters, the Hawkeye, report cards, the school website and now through

10. WHAT WILL YOU SEE AT JV WASHAM? • Emphasis on high expectations for appropriate behavior (schoolwide matrix), student safety, character development, and enforcement of the CMS behavior code • An expectation of parent involvement to support teachers and students on a regular basis- working as a team and not adversaries • Character, Responsibility, Respect, Integrity and Citizenship are modeled and engrained in daily routines and discussions…we teach our students to “fill buckets” 

11. WHAT WILL YOU SEE AT JV WASHAM? • A warm and energy-filled school that is 5 years old- but looks brand new! • A highly qualified and caring staff, with varying years of experience, and a verocity to continue learning as professionals. High expectations for character, social behavior and academics • A use of technology and media to engage students (Smart Boards in over 20 classes) • A school population that will be approximately 1,110 students but made to feel much smaller through communication standards and caring staff members

12. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE PTO? • JV Washam has a strong PTO organization that is dedicated to continued school improvement, a warm and caring family environment, constant support of teachers and students, and creating an inviting organization that embraces diversity in thoughts

13. WILL MY CHILD BE CHALLENGED AND GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED AT JV WASHAM? • The JV Washam staff will work with students through our Talent Development program (2nd-5th grades) , differentiation during class time, individualized help, pull-out support, and parent tutors to not only extend knowledge, but to also help those that may be struggling academically

14. What I can do to help my child’s transition? • Have students prepared to use the bathroom independently- includes fastening their own clothing • Work this summer on having children write their name with only 1 capital letter and the rest lowercase letters • Build their confidence by helping them to feel comfortable in expressing their needs to adults (other than their parents) • Practice cutting and holding scissors correctly (thumbs up) • Build independence (zipping coat, opening food containers or juice boxes, cleaning up after themselves) while at home or in day care this summer. • Make sure that children know how they are to get home each day and please send communication to teachers each time there is a change in transportation (in advance). This is paramount to changes happening and students being safe.

15. OTHER KEY INFO ABOUT JV WASHAM • Our school day goes from 7:45-2:45 • We have approximately 1,110 students • 21% of our staff are Nationally Board Certified teachers, 36% of staff members have advanced degrees and our average teacher experience is 9.7 years. • JV Washam offers an after school program • We are a state of North Carolina School of Distinction with 89% of our students at or above grade level in grades 3-5 and we were a school of High Growth • Join us on to get up to date information throughout the year about what is going on at JV Washam!

16. What if I need to have my stop changed for some reason? • In order to change a bus stop or request a new one, you must go to the CMS website and complete the Alternate Stop, Unsafe Stop, or Change in Request form. These are then submitted electronically. The site is www.cms.k12.nc.us Look for the transportation link at the bottom of the site. Depending on the time of year, this could take several days to two weeks to be approved before they can actually be assigned to the bus and begin riding. Once you have submitted the change of information, please contact the school in about 3 days to verify if it has been approved.

17. What if I need my child to ride to a daycare center that is being served via a CMS bus? • If you have registered your child at a daycare service that CMS provides transportation to, you will need to go online at the CMS website and request that stop in the section titled Alternate Stop. Your child’s daycare service cannot do this for you. This only applies to daycare services that CMS provides bus transportation for, not daycare vans. Failure to request the daycare stop will mandate that the driver take your child to the assigned home stop. The sooner this is completed, the sooner your child will be able to ride the bus to that daycare.

18. How do I register for bus transportation? • Once you register your child at the school for kindergarten, they are automatically loaded into the transportation data base and assigned a stop based on your home address. These stops are consolidated stops and will not be at your home address. The sooner you register your child at the school, the sooner your stop will be assigned. Those who register in August may not receive a stop until a week into school.

19. What if I need to change my transportation for a period of time, such as to a car rider? • A written note must be sent into the child’s teacher explaining the change in transportation. This will be signed off by an administrator. Please try to do this in advance of the day you need to do it.

20. Can my child ride another bus home with a friend? • Based on CMS Transportation, if the child is not officially assigned to the bus, they may not ride home with a friend on another CMS bus. This is due to overcrowding and liability concerns.

21. Can my child be left at the bus stop without an adult present to meet them? • Unless the child is 4 years old and in the pre-k program, they will be dropped off at their assigned stop with or without an adult being present. Please allow 5-10 minutes on each side of the scheduled bus pick up and drop off times, especially at the beginning of the year.

22. How can I be sure that my child will get to their assigned bus in the afternoon? • All buses are assigned a specific slot on the schools bus lot. Each classroom teacher will lead their class out to the lot and drop each child off at their assigned bus to ensure their safety.

23. WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP, YOU CAN SEE THAT JV WASHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS A GREAT PLACE TO START YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU ADDING TO OUR WONDERFUL TRADITION.