West Lane Elementary

• 9/1 - Fall Picture Day
• 9/1 - PTO Meeting at 4:00 in the WL Library
• 9/2 - PTO School Store 7:30 - 10:00 am
• 9/4 - Repeat of Monday's Specials
• 9/7 - No School - Labor Day
• 9/9 - PTO Fundraiser Kick Off - Otis Spunkmeyer
• 9/11 - Repeat of Wednesday's Specials
• 9/11 - Class Shirt Orders Due (See Below)
• 9/14 to 9/16 - Scooter's Community Giveback Evenings - 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
• 9/17 - WL Singers Begins Today (3:30 to 5:00)
• 9/18 - Repeat of Thursday's Specials
• 9/21 to 9/25 - Lunch Bunches (Schedule is Below) & Scholastic Book Fair
• 9/25 - Choice Day Begins
• 9/25 - Student Flu Shot Clinic (PM) - Students Must be Signed Up Prior to 9/25

We have made it through the first two weeks of school WL families! I wanted to start out by introducing myself - my name is Samantha Trankler and I am the principal at West Lane Elementary. I am a graduate of Jackson High School as well as Southeast Missouri State University where I obtained my bachelor's, master's, and specialist’s degrees. I have been a part of the West Lane family since 2006 - first as a third grade teacher, then an assistant principal, and finally the principal since 2014. My husband Lance and I have two children - Delaynie (a senior at JHS) and Landon (an 8th grader at JJHS). In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, camping, crafting, reading, putting together puzzles, and taking long naps.

As you can see above, we have a lot of things taking place throughout September. I wanted to draw your attention to a few important things -

• Our fall pictures will be Tuesday, September 1st. You will NOT pre-order your pictures. You will actually receive an email from Cheekwood after pictures where you can view the picture, look at the custom background options, and order at your leisure.
• Students have been completing their fall benchmark assessments using our iReady screeners. Information about how your child performed on this ELA and Math assessment will be discussed at parent teacher conferences.
• Speaking of conferences, teachers will be in contact with you soon to schedule our first Parent/Teacher Conference for the year.

Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns that you or your family may have. I look forward to working alongside you this school year!

Samantha Trankler, Principal

strankler@jr2mail.org

Dear West Lane Families,

Happy September! It is with great enthusiasm that I extend a warm welcome to all our new and returning families at West Lane Elementary. The start of the school year has been exceptionally smooth, and we are grateful for your partnership in making this a successful transition for our students.

I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Shanna Wilson, and I have the privilege of serving as your assistant principal. I attended Southeast Missouri State University for my bachelor's degree and for my specialist degree. I have also attended William Woods University in Fulton, MO for my master's degree as well as all classes towards my doctoral degree. My journey in education began in 2003, and I have been a proud member of the Jackson R2 School District since 2006. Over the years, I've had the pleasure of teaching grades 5, 6, and 7, and I have been in an administrative role since 2012. This year marks my 24th year in education, and it is a true joy to be a part of this community.

Outside of school, my world revolves around my family. I have a son, Lance, who is a sophmore in college playing baseball at Missouri Valley University - Go Vikings!, and a daughter, Eva, who is a senior at Jackson High School. I love spending my free time watching my son play baseball, my daughter swim, fishing, and relaxing by the pool. Our family also includes two Goldendoodles, Auggie and Elsa, and we just added a German Shorthaired Pointer named Remi who bring endless joy and energy to our home.

As we move through the beginning of the school year, we will be conducting a series of important emergency drills, including fire, tornado, earthquake, and intruder drills. Please be assured that these drills are designed to prepare our students for various situations in a calm and reassuring manner, rather than to cause alarm. Our goal is to ensure that every student knows the proper procedures to follow in the event of an emergency.

We look forward to a fantastic year ahead and are so glad you are a part of the West Lane community. In closing - Do It for the Indians!

Shanna Wilson, assistant principal

swilson@jr2mail.org

Book It:

The Pizza Hut Book It Program begins in October. Last year, Jackson Pizza Hut closed, but there is a Pizza Hut in Cape and Scott City where you can do Carry Out. I signed up for our school to participate again this year, however, instead of sending home a form with every child, any family interested, I'd like for you to send me an email or message me on Seesaw by the end of September, and I'll send home forms with those students. My email is jdunham@jr2mail.org.

For those not familiar, the Book It Program helps to promote reading. I'll send home a tracking sheet for your child to read 200 minutes during the month. Each increment of 10 minutes they read, they color in a star on the tracking sheet. You can choose for your child to read 10 minutes for 20 days or they could sit down and read 30 minutes and color in 3 stars. Once you've colored in the 20 stars, sign it, and have your child bring me the sheet. Once the month is over, I'll print off certificates. The certificate can then be redeemed at a Pizza Hut for a free personal pan one topping pizza.

Yearbook:

West Lane yearbooks are on sale now for $14. Order yours now by visiting www.balfour.com/student-info?smi=41576 or scan the QR code below. Price will increase to $19 on Nov. 1.

Veterans Day Display:

Each year we put up a Veterans Day Display in honor and memory of our Veterans. If you have any family members you'd like to be included on our wall, please send me a pic of them. If you have one of them in their uniform, it's preferred, but any picture will work. Please share their first and last name, rank, and branch of the military. You can email me pics or send them to me through Seesaw. My email is jdunham@jr2mail.org.

If you sent me a picture in previous years, you do not need to resend it. Any pictures already sent in will be included. The display will be put up for the month of November.

Library News:

Welcome to a new year in the library! Each visit, our students dive into a story, work on an activity, and explore the shelves for books to take home. I’m passionate about helping every student discover the joy of reading, and as I learn more about what your child loves, I’ll be suggesting tailored book recommendations just for them.

To keep our library running smoothly, here are a few quick reminders:

• Grades K–1 can borrow 1 book per visit.

• Grades 2–4 can borrow 2 books per visit.

• Please remember to return current books before checking out new ones!

If a book stays out a bit too long, I’ll reach out with a quick message on Seesaw. I can't wait to guide your child on their reading journey!

Mrs. Jenny Dunham, librarian

jdunham@jr2mail.org

Join our art class on Artsonia!

Artsonia is a digital portfolio that is great for storing artwork that you can look at anytime. There is also a feature to purchase items with your child's artwork on it. A portion of every purchase goes directly back to the art room! Families are welcome to go see past artwork on www.artsonia.com and search “West Lane Elementary” in the search bar.

Students, along with Ms. Ervin, will take photos of artwork at school but families can also take photos at home with the Artsonia app or website.

Email invites were sent August 20th so check your emails! If you have any questions email your child's art teacher Miss Ervin.

Miss Ervin: iervin@jr2mail.com

You can also download the School Cafe app on your smart device.

The enrollment takes less than 5 minutes and it is a tremendous help to our district.

Jackson R-2 School District offers After School Kids’ Club for JR2 students in preschool-6th grade. The program operates Monday–Friday after school until 5:45 PM, whenever school is in session. ASKC is a safe, fun, and engaging childcare program where students can work on homework (if needed) and play at stations that build social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills! Sibling Discount: September-May tuition for the first child is $170.00. Additional children pay $153.00

For more information visit: Kids’ Club Website

Full Day Kids’ Club (FDKC) dates and information to be released soon!

First FDKC: October 5, 2026

We are so excited to start the new school year! Your West Lane PTO board, for the 2026-2027 school year, is as follows:

Treasurer: Caitlin Mennerich

We are EXCITED for all of the fun activities that are scheduled throughout the year!! There will also be a Save the Date flyer sent home with your student that will list all of our meeting and event dates so you can mark your calendars. We will continue again this year to have drawings for those in attendance at the meetings.

If you have any questions, comments, ideas, concerns, etc. please feel free to email us at westlanepto@gmail.com

We are excited for a new school year—and we hope you and your student are too!!! See you soon!!!

Email: strankler@jr2mail.org
Website: https://wes.jacksonr2schools.com/
Location: 338 North West Lane, Jackson, MO, USA
Phone: 573-243-9565
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestLaneElementaryJR2