West Lane Elementary

February Important Dates -

2/4 - PTO School Store

2/12 - Valentine's Day Parties from 2:00 - 2:45

2/13 - No School - Professional Development Day for Staff

2/16 - No School - President's Day

2/18 - JMS Transition Night for Current 4th Graders - 6:00 pm

2/20 - Dental Varnish; PTO Carnival - 6:00 to 8:00 pm

2/27 - PTO Carnival Makeup if Needed - 6:00 to 8:00 pm

Menu Changes for 2/2 - 2/5 Due to Snow Days

The breakfast menu that was sent home (and shown below) will stay the same.

However, lunch for Monday - Thursday (2/2 - 2/5) have changed and will be what is listed here (Choice 2 will be an Uncrustable and Choice 3 will be Chicken Crunchers) -

Monday, 2/2 - with baked beans and tater tots

Choice 1 - Hot ham and cheese on pretzel bun

Tuesday, 2/3 - with green beans and garlic knot

Choice 1 - Lasagna

Wednesday, 2/4 - with celery and sunbutter

Choice 1 - Soft pretzel with queso

Thursday, 2/5 - with corn

Choice 1 - Homestyle chicken bowl with biscuit

Time with Mrs. Trankler

West Lane families,

Happy February - we are just a few short months away from putting the 25-26 school year to a close - time flies when you are having fun! Mother Nature sure has given us an interesting January - crazy cold temperatures and then days of Spring like weather. I am curious to see what our favorite groundhog predicts on Monday! I wanted to remind families how the district calendar operates this school year - we had 2 snow days built in to the calendar - those were utilized on 1/21 and 1/26. The state of Missouri allows us to use up to 5 AMI (Alternative Methods of Instruction) days. Once those 5 days have been exhausted, we will make up days in the following order - February 16th, March 30th, 31st, April 1st, and April 2nd. As of today, 1/30, we have utilized 3 of our AMI Days.

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, I wanted to share that students can not receive deliveries at school (balloons, glass vases, etc. can not go on the bus). Should a student receive something at school, the item will be kept in the office until a parent can pick it up. Our Valentine's party will be on Thursday, February 12th from 2:00 - 2:45.

PTO and WL faculty & staff are busy planning our annual PTO Carnival and online auction. The festivities will take place on February 20th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The evening is a lot of fun and is family oriented - we hope you can join us! In the event that we are not in school on 2/20, we will move the event to 2/27.

Do you have an incoming kindergartner or know of someone who does? On March 19th, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm, we will also have open enrollment for our incoming kindergarteners! If your student attends Jackson R2 Early Childhood, you will not need to reenroll them. Please see below for additional information regarding kindergarten enrollment.

Samantha Trankler, principal

strankler@jr2mail.org

Words with Ms. Wilson

Dear West Lane Families,

The month of February is upon us which means it is almost time for Parent/Teacher Conferences. Please make it a priority to meet with your child's teacher. They are being held formally on Thursday, March 19 and Tuesday, March 24 from 3:30-7:00 PM. Please be on the lookout for information about this from your child's teacher. If neither of these evenings work for your schedule, please make alternative arrangements with your child's teacher. We look forward to sharing your child's progress and ways you can help your child at home. We want to ensure every child is on the right track for success.

I also want to stress the importance of timeliness and attendance at school. It is very challenging when students miss hands-on activities and differentiation during the school day. Please be aware that we understand illnesses cannot be avoided, but we also want to stress the importance of the learning that takes place in the school day and how it impacts the child's education. We also need to have a phone call from you when your child is absent. Instruction begins promptly at 8:00 AM.

Enjoy your February,

Shanna Wilson, assistant principal

swilson@jr2mail.org

Chat with the Counselor, Mrs. McGarr

Happy February West Lane families! It seems like our school year is flying by!

February 2nd - 6th is National School Counseling Week! We take this week to acknowledge the impact school counselors have on students throughout the country! School counselors fill many different roles: teacher, friend, advocate. Our job is to be a support for your student, however they may need us.

At West Lane, here are a few things I do to support your student:

One-on-one Chats: I am always available to meet with students individually if they need someone to talk to.
Groups: Each quarter, I work with different students to reinforce ideas we are learning in the counseling classroom, based on their needs. These provide great opportunities to meet new friends and share experiences.
Counseling Class: I am fortunate enough to see every student in counseling class! We learn valuable skills such as problem solving, making friends, and expressing feelings.
Quick Response: When things get tough, I am ready to support your student, helping them to feel safe and understood.

My favorite part of the job is getting to know all our students at West Lane.

Just a reminder that I am currently out on leave. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to please reach out to Bobbie Regan at breagan@jackson.k12.mo.us or Samantha Trankler at strankler@jackson.k12.mo.us

Morgan McGarr, counselor

mmcgarr@jr2mail.org

School Counseling Needs Assessment

The 25-26 school year marks a review of our school counseling program. As part of that review, we undergo a program evaluation which encourages feedback from teachers, parents, and students. To help us with this, we are asking you to complete the following form to make us aware of any areas in which we could adjust and improve to make the program better. Please have this completed by February 12.

Notes from Nurse Morgan

Keeping sick children at home is the best way to stop the spread of illness. If they have a fever of 100.1 or higher, vomiting, or diarrhea they must stay home. Your child must be fever free, no vomiting, no diarrhea for at least 24 hours without medication to return. Thanks for helping keep our school the healthiest it can be!!

It is COLD outside and students do go outside for recess! Please send a coat with your child. The students love outside recess even if it is cold outside. Coats, hats, and gloves help make it even more enjoyable. Be sure to put your child’s name in their belongings. If your child is missing coats, hoodies, or other items, check out the lost and found.

February 20th is the 2nd application of dental varnish for students that received the first application in the fall. There will be no screenings done at this time -only varnish. If your student did not sign up for varnish in the fall they will not receive varnish on February 20th.

If you are in need of basic toiletries or household items please click on the link below to fill out the Care Closet Form. Due to many generous donations we have a well stocked closet. Items available: Dental care items, hair care products, body wash/soap, lotion, chapstick, cleaning products, laundry products, toilet paper, and paper towels. You can also contact me at 243-9569 or mloesel@jr2mail.org

Nurse Morgan

Phone: 573-243-9569

Text ONLY: 573-200-6350

Email: mloesel@jr2mail.org

Care Closet Request Form

Lines from the Library, Mrs. Dunham

Book It: January Book Its can be turned in anytime from now through February 12. I'll send new papers home with those who have been participating the first week of February. Extras will be available in the library for anyone to get.

Library News: In grades K-3, we will be finishing up our award nominee books this month, so students can vote for their favorite. 4th grade will be hearing a variety of narrative nonfiction books.

Jenny Dunham, librarian

jdunham@jr2mail.org

Order a Yearbook Here

Moment with Music, Mrs. Ellison

♩♪♬ February Music Note ♩♪♬

This month, all grades are learning new songs, games, dances, and playing instruments! Students are assessed quarterly on these objectives: participation, exploring and using musical concepts, creating or expressing ideas through music, and respecting the music space, materials, and others. Please email me with questions!

♪♩ 3rd and 4th Grades:
Students in 3rd and 4th grade have been each given a recorder to play this year from West Lane Elementary free of charge. These recorders will be staying at school until May of their 4th-grade year. Extra recorders ($3) and recorder straps ($2) are available for purchase, but are not required! Reach out to Mrs. Ellison if interested.

♬ West Lane Singers (3rd and 4th Grades)
New and returning choir members should fill out this form to sign up for the Spring Semester!
~Snack time is included at the beginning of each rehearsal; please send a snack and water.
~The full Spring calendar is on the flyer.

~Upcoming Rehearsal Dates:

Thursday, February 5th- Rehearsal
Thursday, February 12th- No Rehearsal, party day
Thursday, February 19th- Rehearsal *Last day to join!
Thursday, February 26th- Rehearsal
Thursday, March 5th- Rehearsal
Thursday, March 12th- Rehearsal
Thursday, March 19th- Rehearsal; (Parent/Teacher Conference Night)

Lastly, a happy birthday month to these composers: Felix Mendelssohn (1809), George Frideric Handel (1685), and Gioachino Rossini (1792)!

Sing-cerely,
Melody Ellison
mellison@jr2mail.org

Art, Ms. Ervin

Art Class Wants Your Recycled Materials

Art class is collecting clean, safe recycled materials for upcoming projects. If you have any at home, we’d love to use them! Miss Ervin has a table set up outside the art classroom where students can drop off items.

Helpful materials include:
• Cardboard (cereal boxes, shoe boxes)
• Paper towel or toilet paper tubes

• Egg cartons
• Clean food containers
• Scrap paper or magazines

Thank you for supporting our creative projects!

Art Club Reminder: The last day of Art Club will be February 18, 2026.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out to Ms. Ervin at iervin@jr2mail.org

PTO News

Hello families!!! Wow, January went way too fast, but maybe because we were home for most of it!! Unfortunately, due to the weather, our quarterly PTO meeting had to be cancelled. I will be making a video regarding our upcoming WEST LANE CARNIVAL!!!, online auction, and other updates. It will be posted to the West Lane Elementary PTO page, so please check that out once it's posted!!!

Have a safe and warm February!!!

As always, any concerns or questions please email us and we will do our best to respond!

West Lane PTO - westlanepto@gmail.com

25-26 Jackson R2 Calendar

Please click here to view the Jackson R-2 District Calendar.

WL Important Dates for Families

Important Dates for the 2025-2026 School Year can be found here ... this will help you plan for special events throughout the year.

WL Google Calendar

Check out all of the fun events and activities at WL on our school calendar.

Like West Lane Elementary on Facebook

Jackson R2 Breakfast & Lunch Menus

ASKC Information

Full Day Kids’ Club (FDKC):

Jackson R-2 School District offers Full Day Kids’ Club for JR2 students in preschool- 6th grade. The program operates most days when school is NOT in session. FDKC is a safe, fun, and engaging childcare program where students play at stations that build social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills!

The next FDKC program operates at South Elementary,

FDKC - February 13th at South Elementary 7:30 am - 5:45 pm.

Cost: $30 per day for the first child. $25 per day for each additional child.

Dates to Remember:

There will be a Full Day Kids’ Club event on March 13th at South Elementary from 7:30 am - 5:45 pm.
Spring Break - March 30th - April 2nd Full Day Kids’ Club at South Elementary
No School / No Full Day Program on April 3rd in observance of Good Friday.

.After School Kids’ Club (ASKC):

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! Cost: $8 per day for the first child. $7 per day for each additional child.

For more details or to schedule a day, visit:

Kids’ Club Website