J.R. Ingram Parent News

We’re excited to share that our monthly school newsletter is back! Each issue is packed with helpful information, important updates, and timely reminders to keep you connected and informed throughout the school year. From event highlights and new programs to resources that support your child’s success, there’s something for every family to explore.

We encourage you to scroll through the entire newsletter so you don’t miss anything—from announcements and school news to helpful links and special highlights. If you’d like a printed copy, stop by our front office anytime.

We’d also love your input! If there’s something you’d like to see featured in future newsletters, let us know. Your ideas help us make this newsletter an even more valuable resource for our school community.

Thank you for staying engaged and supporting your child’s journey at JR Ingram—together, we make a difference!

We’ve already completed the first three days of the 2025–2026 school year, and the energy here at JR Ingram is amazing! Students are settling in quickly, showing focus and enthusiasm for learning, and our staff is excited to guide them on another great year of growth and discovery.

We look forward to partnering with our parents and families to make this the best year yet. Together, we can support our students’ success, celebrate their achievements, and create a school year full of learning, fun, and unforgettable moments.

Thank you for being part of our JR Ingram family—we’re thrilled to have you with us on this journey!

Aug 18~Kinder Open House 4:30-6 pm

Aug 19~Kindergarten first day of school

Aug 20-Sept 11~Dibels Window open

Aug 26~BOG test, 3rd grade

Sept 1~No School-Holiday

Sept 2~SIT Meeting

Sept 9~No School for students-Optional Teacher workday

Sept 9~LCS Board of Education Meeting

Sept 15-Oct 15~Hispanic Heritage Month

Oct 2~National Custodian Day

Oct 6~SIT meeting

Oct 7~Health-a-Rama, K and 3rd only

Oct 9~Cultural Night

Oct 13~ NCCI Science (Earth) 5th grade

Oct 14~NCCI Math Grades 3-5

Oct 15~NCCI Reading Grades 3-5

Oct 15~Last Day of 1st Quarter

Oct 16~Required Teacher Workday~No School for Students

Oct 17~Optional Teacher workday~No School for Students

Oct 22~Report Card Day

Oct 23-Oct 31~Red Ribbon Week

Oct 27-Nov 25~Classroom Spelling Bees Held

Oct 28~RTA Test -4th Graders

Free Meals for Students

We want to remind families that all students at JR Ingram are eligible for free breakfast and lunch this school year! This means your child can enjoy nutritious meals at school every day at no cost to you.

Breakfast: Served daily from 7:30–7:55 a.m.
Lunch: Served during scheduled lunch periods for each grade level.

Lunches

10:30-11:00 K

11:00-11:30 5th

11:35-12:05 1st 11:30-12:00 3rd

12:00-12:30 2nd

12:30-1:00 4th

We encourage all students to take advantage of this program to start their day fueled and ready to learn. For any questions about meals or special dietary needs, please contact our school cafeteria staff.

mCLASS is a one-on-one reading assessment that helps teachers understand what your child already knows and where they may need extra support. It also provides targeted activities to help your child grow as a reader.

All Kindergarten through 5th grade students are assessed three times a year—beginning, middle, and end of the year—and teachers continue to monitor progress throughout the year. Once testing is complete, we will share your child’s results so you can see their growth and areas for support.

Our testing begins August 20th.

To learn more about mCLASS, visit this site.

Parents play a key role in their child’s academic success. Research shows that when parents are involved in their children’s education, students experience higher grades, test scores, attendance, graduation rates, and motivation.

To support families in this important role, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) provides a variety of resources for parents. These resources are designed to educate, inform, and empower families to strengthen their involvement in their child’s learning.

We encourage you to explore the resources available for each academic area to learn more about what your child is learning and how you can support their growth at home.

Visit this site to view parent information and resources by subject area or also knows as Standard Course of Study.

Literacy at Home
Looking for simple ways to support your child’s reading? This digital resource offers fun, grade-level activities (Pre-K–5) to build vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and more. A quick and easy way to help your child grow as a reader!

At JR Ingram, we are fortunate to have a strong Literacy Team dedicated to helping students become confident, successful readers. This team includes Mrs. De-El Caines, Mrs. Keister, and Ms. Judy Spivey, who work with students across all grade levels in classrooms and small groups. Together, they provide targeted support, collaborate with teachers, and help ensure every child is building the skills they need to grow in reading.

As part of this work, you’ll also see monthly literacy tips in our newsletter to help families support reading at home. Be sure to check out this month’s article below from Mrs. Keister!

📚 Helping Your Child Become a Better Reader at Home

Reading at home is one of the most powerful ways to help your child succeed in school. As we start a new school year I want to share some simple, fun ways to support reading every day!

❤️ General Tips for All Grades

• Read every day – Even 15–20 minutes makes a big difference!
• Talk about books – Ask questions like: "What happened first? What do you think will happen next?"

• Make it fun – Use silly voices, act out parts of the story, or let your child pick the book.
  

• Be a reading role model – Let your child see you reading newspapers, recipes, or books.
  

• Visit the library – Help them explore different topics and find books they love.
  

• Listen to audiobooks – Great for car rides or quiet time.

🐣 Kindergarten – 1st Grade

• Practice letter sounds – Use flashcards or sing the alphabet song.
  

• Play rhyming games – “What rhymes with hat?”
  

• Point to words as you read – This helps children connect spoken and written language.
  

• Re-read favorite books – This builds confidence and helps with word recognition.

📘 2nd – 3rd Grade

• Ask questions before, during, and after reading – “What do you think this book is about?” “Why did the character do that?”
  

• Encourage reading out loud – It helps with fluency and confidence.
  

• Talk about new words – Pause and explain tricky words or look them up together.
  

• Keep a reading log – Help your child track what they read and celebrate milestones.
  

📖 4th – 5th Grade

• Discuss deeper ideas – Talk about themes, character motivations, and main ideas.
  

• Encourage different genres – Try nonfiction, graphic novels, mysteries, or biographies.
  

• Build vocabulary – Play word games like Scrabble or Boggle; talk about interesting words from books or daily life.
  

• Make connections – Ask your child how the book relates to their own life or other stories they've read.
  

🎯 Bonus Tips

• Set a regular reading time – Like before bed or after dinner.
  

• Create a reading-friendly space – A comfy spot with good lighting and a variety of books.
  

• Celebrate reading – Praise your child’s effort, visit book fairs, or start a mini book club at home.
  

📬 Questions? Reach out to your child’s teacher for book recommendations or strategies tailored to your child's reading level. I am also available to offer support for you and your child. Feel free to reach out to me at amykeister@lee.k12.nc.us for more information.

This year, we are excited to share that J.R. Ingram will be moving from Thrillshare back to ClassDojo as our main communication platform. ClassDojo will allow you to stay connected with your child’s classroom and receive important updates directly from the school.

Through ClassDojo, you’ll be able to:

• Receive reminders and announcements from your child’s teacher

• Get school-wide updates quickly and easily

• Stay connected in real time with what’s happening at Ingram

We encourage all families to make sure they are connected on ClassDojo so you don’t miss important information.

👉 Don’t forget to also follow our J.R. Ingram Facebook page for celebrations, photos, and highlights from across our school!

Together, we’ll make sure you’re always in the know and connected to the wonderful things happening at J.R. Ingram.

✨ How to Join ClassDojo

Step 1: Download the free ClassDojo app on your phone or tablet.

• Available in the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or Google Play (Android).

Step 2: Create a free parent account.

• Use your email or phone number to sign up.

Step 3: Connect to your child’s class.

• Look for an invitation from your child’s teacher with a code or link.

• Enter the code to link your account to your child.

Step 4: Stay connected!

• Receive updates from your child’s teacher and the school.

• Check reminders, announcements, and celebrations right from the app.

📢 Volunteer at the PTO Thrift Shop & Help J.R. Ingram! 🏫💙

We need your help to earn funds for our school! We must reach at least 150 hours to qualify for a share of the profits—funds that can go toward school improvements like our new playground! That's only 15 hours a month!! Get your friends, family, church family, neighbors, anyone can volunteer for our school!

📍 Location: 303 S Steele St, Sanford, NC 27330
📞 Phone: (919) 776-4142
🕘 Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 9 AM – 4 PM

✨ Who Can Volunteer?
✅ Parents, staff, family members, and friends – you can work in a student’s name!
✅ Students (ages 12-18) – must be accompanied by a parent (1 student per adult).
🚫 No students under 12 years old can volunteer.

💡 Volunteers may be asked to sweep, hang clothes, straighten racks, and more. Every task helps profits go back to Lee County Schools!

📅 Sign up today! Let’s work together to support our students and reach our goal. Contact the school or PTO for more details.

We’re thrilled to announce that our swings are fully installed and ready for the 25-26 school year!

Thank you all again for your amazing PTO Fundraiser support that made this happen.

What do you want to see next?

We gave the Family Quick Guide out at Open House. Keep this in a handy place like your refrigerator for a quick reference. If you need another copy they are available in our front office or linked below.

Lee County High School is proud to announce the following great opportunities for the fall.

Alice In Wonderland Jr

AUDITIONS

We will be using students in grades 2-8 in addition to High School. Students from any Lee County public school can audition.

They will need to prepare a short acapella song (30-60 seconds) and will read a bit from the script at the audition.

September 2-3 - students come one day or the other to the Lee County High School auditorium at 3:30. We hope to be finished by 5:30 but it depends on how many show up.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

AUDITIONS

We will also be using a smaller number of students in grades 2-8 for this show. Students from any Lee County public school can audition.

This is not a musical so if students wish ONLY to audition for LWW, they do not have to sing. They will simply read from the script. However, the audition for this and Alice will be combined so the best practice is to audition for both shows. They will be able to state a preference if they have one. It will be a little longer before students are told if they are chosen for LWW because high school auditions will be held at a later date.

September 2-3 - students come one day or the other to the Lee County High School auditorium at 3:30. We hope to be finished by 5:30 but it depends on how many show up.

Parent Handbook

Lee County Schools Parent Hub