Jamaica Elementary Newsletter
April 2025
PTSO Important Dates
Follow our PTSO social media pages for important updates! Facebook is "Jamaica Elementary "PTSO" and Instagram is "jamaicacrocsptso".
April Events:
March 30- April 3rd- Autism Awareness Bands sold by NEHS
April 2- Autism Awareness Spirit Day: Wear BLUE
April 22- Earth Day Spirit Day Wear: Tie Dye
April 23- After Testing Dance 6 pm-8 pm 3rd-6th Grade
April 24- No School
April 29- 4th QTR PTSO Meeting
Upcoming Events:
May 4th-8th- Teacher Appreciation Week
May 14- Last Day for Croc Treats
May 15- 6th-grade Breakfast (Parents welcome) & Evening Event
May 20- Movie/Water Day
May 21- Awards & Last day of school- Dismissal 11 am No lunch
Physical Education news and updates!
Thank you to all the students for all their hard work during the Third Quarter. I am very proud of them and appreciate the effort they give every time they are in my classroom. Thank you to the parents and families also for ensuring that the students have the proper attire and shoes to maximize their potential in physical education. Please remember that I have adjusted my grading scale. The first non-dress will be scored as a 5/10 (50%), the second non-dress will be scored as a 2.5/10 (25%), and the third and after will be scored as a 0/10 (0%). Please no Crocs, sandals, boots, slippers, or flip-flops (the expectation is closed-toed sneakers). Please keep in mind that physical education class is a participation-based grade.
The last two units that we will be covering this year are pickleball and baseball/softball. I have brand new pickleball paddles for the kids to use and I will also provide gloves for the students too. Again, thank you for all your hard work in helping your son or daughter be successful in class. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
Parking Lot
To ensure a successful and safe start to the new school year, we would like to share some rules for the Parking lot. Please look these over and follow the procedures that we have put in place to keep ALL students safe. We are all in this together.
Parking Lot General Rules
1. SAFETY is our #1 Priority.
2. The inside lane is the circling lane, no pickup. You must park.
3. Outside lane along the sidewalk, may not park. This is the pickup lane. No stopping along the sidewalk until you have pulled all the way up by the playground to the end of the sidewalk.
4. DO NOT ask your child to cross in front of traffic. You may see your child, others may not.
5. Right Turns ONLY out of the parking lot.
6. Please refrain from parking in the handicapped parking spaces unless you have the proper permit. We do have families that need to use these spaces.
Before School Options
1. Park in a lined space and walk your child on the sidewalk using the crosswalk.
2. Drive up and around the outside lane to the sidewalk in front of the playground. Drop off as far up as you can to avoid backing up traffic. Your child can safely walk on the sidewalk up to the school. Do NOT park in this lane. Please only stop briefly for drop-off/pickup if you see your child in view.
For special needs (SDC) Families ONLY
1. Pull up to the Kinder gate. DO NOT go past the crosswalk into the striped area. (Buses will be pulling up there to drop off students)
2. Parents may stay in their cars. We will have staff to assist your child in getting to class.
3. Reminder: this is for SDC families only.
After School Options
1. Park in a lined space and meet your child on the sidewalk using the crosswalk. Return to your parked car using the crosswalk.
2. Park in a lined space, and your child can use the crosswalk to walk to your parked car.
3. Drive up and around the outside lane along the sidewalk in front of the playground. Pull up as far as you can in the pickup line in a safe manner. Do NOT park in this lane! Please only stop briefly for drop-off/pickup if you see your child in view. Otherwise, please circle around. Stay in this lane to exit the parking lot. Please do not try to move around cars to get out sooner.
School Visitors
Lunch Accounts
Meal accounts can be set up online at linqconnect.com.
You can log in online or download the app to your phone. Meal accounts can be funded, and you can check balances and also set up to receive low balance alerts for your student. There is a $2.60 service fee per transaction.
· Food Service will also accept personal checks made out to LHUSD and cash.
· LHUSD has a “NO CHANGE” policy for meals. Any money given to a cashier for any purchase that has change coming will be put on the student’s account. No change will be given back.
· Any meal that a student picks up will be considered “charged” to the meal account. It is then the parent’s responsibility to pay the meal debt. If you do not want your student to participate, you must inform your student to not go through the meal service lines.
Lunch With Students
We welcome you to come to have lunch with your student. We even have a special table just for you to eat with them.
Per district policy, you may only bring food for your student. Please remember that only your child is permitted to join you at the parent table. All other students must sit with their class.
Student Tardiness and Pick Up Times
Please ensure your students are promptly picked up at the school's release.
If you are running late, please contact the front office immediately.
Safety and Security
At Jamaica, we take the safety of our students, staff, and guests seriously; therefore, we are a closed campus.
It is critical for safety that all guests, including parents and guardians, check in at the front office and sign in for a visitor’s badge. We ask that you do not go into the classrooms without an appointment.
The gates are staying locked in the mornings until 7:45 am. This is for the safety and security of our students in the mornings. Students should wait near the building and away from the drive-through lane. Parents, please drop off and pick up outside the gates.
In the parking lot, please use the crosswalk and do not walk in front of traffic. Thank you to our many parents who follow this rule to help model for our students. (This includes Jamaica Blvd. Please do not cross where there is no crosswalk.)