September 2026 Newsletter

Welcome Back, Jackson Community!

What an exciting start to the school year! After years of planning, construction, anticipation, and watching our new school take shape, we have finally opened the doors to the new Jackson Elementary. Our theme this year is “A New Chapter,” and it feels especially fitting. While we are incredibly proud of Jackson’s long history and the community that has made our school special for generations, this beautiful new building gives us an opportunity to begin a new chapter together—to create new traditions, make new memories, and imagine all that is possible for our students. We are excited to write the next part of Jackson’s story with all of you!

One of the best parts of opening our new building has been seeing the energy and enthusiasm our staff has brought into it. Our teachers and staff worked incredibly hard to prepare their new spaces, learn new routines, and—most importantly—get ready for another great year of teaching and learning. There is a wonderful sense of possibility throughout the building, and our staff is excited to help every Jackson student learn, grow, and thrive this year. We are also fortunate to welcome several new members to the Jackson team this year, and I’m excited to introduce them to you below!

• Mandy Trimble - General Office Secretary and Attendance
• Andrew Olson - teaching fourth grade
• Ashley Jacobsen - teaching first grade
• Developmental Preschool program - Debbie Halliday, teacher and Michelle Lopez, Gloria Garcia program paraeducators
• Sarah Grove, lead instructor, and Sandy Leerhoff, paraeducator, are a new second classroom of ECEAP preschool
• Kirstie Dowry - teaching in Resource Room
• Jen Byrne - Elementary Counselor
• Jane Hankins - Speech & Language Pathologist
• Dani Carpenter, Svitlana Nemchynova, Cassie Duran, Tori Harris, Santhoshi Guduru, Maia Graves - all new paraeducators in programs and building support

As we begin this new chapter, one of the most important ways families can support student success is also one of the simplest: getting students to school every day and on time. Every school day matters, and consistent attendance helps students stay connected to their learning, their teachers, and their classmates. Soon, you will receive a letter from our Jackson Attendance Team with important information about attendance, our procedures, and how we can work together to support students. Please take a few minutes to carefully read and review it.

I greatly appreciate all your flexibility and responsiveness in adjusting our morning arrival and afternoon dismissal routines. As a reminder, maps and directions will continue to be available on our school website. Thank you for following requested routes in morning and afternoon to reduce traffic congestion.

Thank you for your partnership, your patience during this exciting transition, and for being part of the Jackson community. We are looking forward to a fantastic year together!

Darren Larama
Principal, Jackson Elementary

Changing a student's way home for the day?

Call at least 30 minutes before the end of the school day. We send notes to the classroom and need time to deliver them. The end of the day is too hectic to ensure messages are recieved and understood before the final bell rings each day.

DO NOT leave a voicemail message for a student that needs same day information. Our voicemail prompts are being adjusted to reflect this specific need. Again, please DO NOT leave a message if a student needs same day information.

Click the button below to access the district student calendar.

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be part of the Jackson Elementary community and looking forward to a fantastic school year! When I’m not cheering on my two boys at Everett High School, you can usually find me running, playing pickleball, getting lost in a good book, or hanging out with my family. I’m looking forward to meeting new people, making great memories, and enjoying all that this school year has to offer.

Here’s to a fun, successful, and memorable year ahead! ~ Ms. Mandy

Miss Kim and Nurse Audra wanted to remind all the parents and students about items NOT to be brought to school. Please do not send students with any Over the Counter medications (OTC). This includes pain relievers, cold medicines and even simple things like cough drops or Mentholatum creams.

Also, if you are bringing treats to school for special events, please only bring store bought treats that have ingredients listed on them. NO Home Baked goods please! We need to check ingredients to help avoid any food allergy issues.

If you have any questions about these requests, please feel free to contact Kim Greenawalt in the health room at (425) 385-5606.

Is your family in need of food or clothing? Jackson Elementary counselors support two programs that can provide assistance to families who would appreciate these services.

The Snack Pack program provides a bag of non-perishable food items to students every Friday to take home for the weekend. If you are interested in your student receiving a snack pack, please contact your school counselors, Terry Coleman (425) 385-5610 tcoleman@everettsd.org or Jen Byrne (425) 385-5609 jbyrne@everettsd.org.

Bright Start—formerly Operation School Bell is a clothing program sponsored by the Assistance League of Everett and has been serving Jackson Elementary and Snohomish County families since 1965. If your family is interested in receiving clothing assistance, please contact your school counselors, Terry, and Jenn. Upon request, order forms will be sent home to your student(s), filled out and sent back to your child’s teacher.

Report Absence via ParentVUE

1. On your Home dashboard, click on “Report Absence”.

1. A new window will pop-up. Enter the following information as applicable.

Start Date - Select the Start date of absence. Can only enter 15 days in advance.

End Date - Select the End date of absence if more than one day.

Select A Reason – Choose the applicable reason code from the list.

Note – Add any pertinent comment regarding the absence.

1. Click on Save to keep your changes.
2. School Attendance staff will review the absence notice(s) and will follow up with families as needed.

What is Title I and why is it important? What supports do student have at Jackson? Other questions for the Principal? Join us to learn more about our school.

Jackson Elementary participates in the Title I Program. Title I, Part A is part of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Its goal is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic standards.

As a Title I school, we qualify for federal grant money which we use for additional staffing, parent involvement, staff development, and extended school day opportunities to help us meet that goal. This update is intended to provide you with important information about this law.

You have the right to request regular information or meetings about Title I at Jackson Elementary School. Please contact me if you would like more information.

Darren Larama

dlarama@everettsd.org

(425) 385-5600

Sept 10: PTA Meeting, Library at 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Sept 11: LIF Release (2:15 p.m.)

Sept 18: LIF Release (2:15 p.m.)

Sept 22: School Board Meeting, CRC at 4:30 p.m.

Sept 25: LIF Release (2:15 p.m.)

Sept 25: PTA Spirit Day: Pajama Day

Sept 25: PTA BBQ at Forest Park, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Oct 2: LIF Release (2:15 p.m.)

First PTA Meeting is tonight starting at 5:30 pm

Spirit Day: Pajama Day - Sept 25

Back to School BBQ - Sept 25 5:30 pm

Everett Public Schools does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, homelessness, immigration or citizenship status, disability, neurodivergence, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:

Title IX/Civil Rights Compliance Officer and ADA Coordinator, Shawn Bryant, 425-385-4117, SBryant@everettsd.org; Section 504 Coordinator, Dave Peters, 425-385-4063, DPeters@everettsd.org; Gender-Inclusive Coordinator, Joi Odom Grant, 425-385-4137, JGrant@everettsd.org.