James
Dear Families,
October is flying by, and we are having a wonderful time here at James Madison School #10! This month has been filled with opportunities to celebrate kindness, promote respect, and continue growing together as a school community. I could not be prouder of our students and the way they continue to shine as James Madison Stars!
On October 22nd, we celebrated Unity Day as part of School Violence Awareness Week. Students and staff wore orange to show their support for kindness, acceptance, and standing together against bullying. Each grade level also signed a poster representing its assigned Pillar of Character Education, reminding us that we all have a role in creating a safe, welcoming, and respectful school community. Our six pillars are Caring, Trustworthiness, Fairness, Citizenship, Respect, and Responsibility. Through these values, we encourage our students to treat others with kindness, make honest choices, be fair, contribute positively to their community, show respect to everyone, and take responsibility for their actions and decisions. We are proud to see our students putting these important character traits into action each day!
During School Violence Awareness Week, we also celebrated by wearing our sweats on Friday to “Sweat Out Violence!” This was a fun way to bring our school community together while reinforcing the important message that we all play a part in creating a peaceful and safe environment for everyone.
We also enjoyed our annual Trunk or Treat, which was a beautiful evening filled with fun, smiles, and wonderful memories for our students, families, and staff! A huge thank you to Ms. Cote and our amazing staff for helping make this special event such a success. We are also incredibly grateful to all the parents who donated their time, supplies, and creativity to decorate trunks and make the evening extra special. Your generosity and support mean so much to our school community, and we appreciate everyone who helped make this a memorable night for our James Madison Stars!
Today, we had our PBSIS Celebration Pep Rally, and it was an exciting way to recognize all the hard work our students and staff have put into reviewing and practicing our S.T.A.R. expectations. We have been working hard to set a positive tone for the school year, focusing on showing kindness, taking responsibility, accepting others, and making positive choices. Our pep rally gave us a wonderful opportunity to come together, celebrate our progress, and have some fun as a school community. Thank you to our amazing staff and PBSIS committee for helping make this celebration so special!
We are looking forward to one more spirit week next week as we celebrate Red Ribbon Week! Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign that encourages students to make healthy and safe choices.
October has truly been a month of unity, respect, and growth. From standing together against bullying to celebrating positive behavior and encouraging healthy choices, our James Madison Stars continue to show us what it means to be part of a caring and supportive school community. I am so proud of our students, our dedicated staff, and all the wonderful things happening at James Madison. Together, we will continue to shine bright, day and night!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Alfonso, Principal
Throughout the rest of October, I continued visiting classrooms to discuss the different types of bullying and ways students can be upstanders. We talked about how being an upstander means taking action when we see someone being treated unkindly. Students learned that they can be upstanders by including others, standing up for someone in a respectful way, offering kind words, inviting someone to play, and reporting bullying to a trusted adult. We discussed how even small acts of kindness can make a big difference in helping everyone feel safe, accepted, and included at school.
To reinforce our lessons, every student created an adorable strawberry craft illustrating one way they can be an upstander at school. These creative projects served as a reminder that we can all help our school community grow by spreading kindness and standing up for others!
During small-group counseling sessions, we also continued our conversations about being upstanders and the important role each of us plays in keeping our school safe. Students explored ways to support their peers, make positive choices, and show respect for others. I am so proud of the thoughtful ideas our students shared and their growing understanding of how they can make James Madison a safe, welcoming, and caring place for everyone!
With Kindness,
Mrs. Faga
School Counselor
James Madison School #10
⭐ We Shine Bright, Day and Night. ⭐
Hello James Madison School #10 Families!
My name is Mrs. Silva, and I am excited to welcome everyone back for another school year as your School Nurse. I look forward to working with our students and families to help keep our school community healthy, safe, and ready to learn!
As we begin the new school year, I would like to remind families of a few important health guidelines:
Please keep sick children home. If your child has a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, please do not send them to school. Children who are sick should remain home until they are well enough to return. Please do not send your child to school sick and ask them to visit the nurse so that you can be called to pick them up. A visit to the nurse due to illness still counts as an absence.
Medication at School
If your child needs medication to be kept or administered at school, it must be brought to the nurse in its original pharmacy-labeled packaging with your child's name clearly indicated.
Please remember:
- I cannot accept or administer any medication without all required documentation from your child's doctor.
- Students may not keep medication, creams, ointments, or other treatments of any kind in their desk, backpack, or on their person.
- All necessary medical paperwork must be completed and submitted before medication can be kept or administered at school.
If your child requires medication at school and you need the appropriate paperwork, please let me know and I will be happy to provide it.
Thank you for helping us maintain a healthy and safe school environment for all of our students. I look forward to a wonderful school year!
Warmly,
Mrs. Silva, RN, BSN
School Nurse
James Madison School #10
