Principal Weekly Update to Families

Brief Message From the Principal

Dear Jayhawk Elementary Families,

Understanding Title I at Jayhawk Elementary

Title I is a federal funding program that gives our school extra resources — reading and math support, additional staff, classroom materials, and family engagement activities — to help every student succeed, regardless of background. Because we receive this funding, the Kansas State Department of Education requires us to keep families informed: you have the right to know your child's teacher qualifications, their academic progress on state assessments, and how to access our school's report card, and we're required to notify you promptly if your child is taught for four or more weeks by a teacher not certified in that subject or grade.

As part of these requirements, we ask every Title I family to complete a short survey covering your understanding of the program, whether it's helped your child academically, how welcome and involved you feel at school, how well we communicate with you, and any barriers to participating in school events. Your honest feedback directly shapes how we run the program and communicate with families going forward — it only takes about 5 minutes, and one response per family is plenty. Complete the survey here.

🎉 ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE STAFF, WE VALUE YOUR PARTNERSHIP! 🏆

- Mr. Hermreck

Continued Information - JES Attendance

As we continue introducing our updated attendance procedures, we want to keep the information simple, clear, and easy to understand. These are the three most important points for you to remember:

1. Every Day Counts.
Regular school attendance gives students more opportunities to learn, grow, and be successful. Missing approximately 17 days during a school year is considered chronic absenteeism. Both excused and unexcused absences contribute toward this measure.

2. Families Have 5 Parent-Excused Absences Each Semester.
Families may call the school to excuse up to 5 absences per semester without providing a note. This provides you flexibility when circumstances arise that do not require additional documentation.

3. Documented or Verified Absences Are Different.
Absences supported by a doctor or dentist note, professional documentation, school nurse verification, or principal approval do not count against the 5 parent-excused absences. If your child will be absent, please contact the JES front office at 913-795-2519 as soon as possible.

Our goal is not simply to count absences—it is to partner with families and help every student have as much opportunity as possible to be present, learning, and growing at school.