Dolphin Update
Jones Dolphins Make a SPLASH!
Our Learning Community...
This week, our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will be participating in state testing. We are sending our Dolphin Updates a little earlier than usual because we want to give our upper grade families time over the weekend to help students prepare and begin the week feeling confident and ready.
This week's literacy and math assessments are an important opportunity for students to show what they know and demonstrate the growth they have made throughout the year. We encourage all students to take the assessments seriously and do their very best. At the same time, it is important to keep these tests in perspective, they are only one measure of student learning. While the results provide valuable information, they do not define a child’s abilities, potential, or worth. Throughout their educational journey, students will experience many assessments and our goal is to help them develop a healthy, confident attitude toward test taking.
We want students to understand that assessments are simply an opportunity to show what they have learned, not something to fear. By fostering a calm and supportive mindset, we can help students build confidence and resilience that will benefit them far beyond this week’s testing.
Here are some ways families can support students:
This Weekend: Prepare for Success
- Help your child maintain a regular bedtime so they are well rested for the week ahead.
- Encourage healthy meals and plenty of water to help their bodies and brains feel ready.
- Talk positively about the assessments, remind them that the goal is simply to take their time, try their best and show what they know.
- Plan a calm weekend routine so your child begins the week feeling prepared and relaxed.
During the Week: Build Confidence
- Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep each evening.
- Provide a healthy breakfast each morning or get them to school early enought to have breakfast at Jones.
- Arrive at school on time so your child can begin the day calmly.
- Offer words of encouragement such as, “Do your best,” “Take your time,” and “I believe in you.”
- Avoid putting extra pressure on scores; instead, celebrate effort and perseverance.
After Testing: Celebrate the Effort
- Ask your child how they felt about the test rather than focusing only on performance.
- Praise their hard work, focus, and determination.
- Encourage them to relax and recharge after each day of testing.
- Remind them that no matter the outcome, what matters most is that they tried their best.
Thank you for partnering with us to create a supportive and positive testing experience for our students. With encouragement from both home and school, our students can approach these assessments with confidence and a healthy mindset.
Physical Education games don’t just help kids learn how to move their bodies — they also teach them how to work with others, make good choices, and show respect. When these lessons are part of PE class, students can enjoy friendly competitions, and I can use the games to help every student grow as a person. As we finish up the school year, our Jones students look forward to the annual kickball game where they can show off their skills.
We are also reviewing our IMPACT dances during the month of May. If you feel like dancing this summer, ask your child to show you one of the many dances they have learned. These dances include the Chicken Dance, Cha Cha Slide, Macarena, YMCA, Achy Breaky Heart, and Peanut Butter Jelly Time.
Stay active – Coach Jensen
Field Trip fun! Recently many of our classrooms visited the Birch Aquarium.
From tide pools to sharks, our students explored marine life up close and deepened their curiosity about our oceans.
Students learned about different body shapes of sea animals, their teeth, and coloration. It was so much fun!
Through music and movement, our preschoolers are building a strong foundation in number sense by counting, singing, and smiling all the way to 20!
2nd graders are working through a multi-step word problem including money. Within measurement and data, students learn to recognize and use coins and dollar bills, count combinations of money, solve real-world word problems involving money, and add and subtract money in simple situations.
1st graders are exploring three dimensional figures. Their geometry focus helps them recognize and name shapes, both 2D and 3D, describe attributes (faces, edges, vertices), and compare and sort shapes.
Building precision and number sense one mark at a time, our 3rd graders are deepening their understanding of fractions by labeling and measuring with rulers in math
Thinking, sharing, and explaining their math thinking, our kindergarteners are learning that there are many ways to solve a problem and that their strategies matter!
5th graders starting their math with fluency practice focused on lines of symmetry which builds visual reasoning. In Grade 5, students are expected to classify and analyze shapes. Recognizing lines of symmetry helps them see structure in polygons and understand how shapes are composed and related, key ideas in geometry.
May
4 - 8 - Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week
4 - 4th/5th Grade Spring Music Concert (See flyer below)
4 - 8 - 3rd-5th Grade State Testing
8 - PTA Skate Night @SkateWorld
11 - 15 - Scholastic Book Fair
15 - Achievement Awards
18 - SGT/SSC
21 - Bike Anywhere Day - SANDAG pit stop
21 - TK Promotion - 1:15 pm @K1
22 - Jones Jamboree
25 - No School: Memorial Day
26 - Kindergarten Promotion - 1:00 pm @Auditorium
27 - 5th Grade Promotion - 8:00 am @Auditorium
28 - Last Day of School - Minimum Day (TK-5th Dismissal @ 11:40/11:50 am)
We love celebrating our neighborhood schools and staying connected to the exciting things happening just down the road. Click the link below to see what has been going on at Taft Middle School. It’s a great way to learn about their events, programs, and all the opportunities our students will enjoy when they move on to middle school!
Here is a link to the San Diego Unified Food Services Website where you can find allergy and nutritional information on foods served at schools. Foods not found on our regular school site menu will be listed individually under the "Alternate Menu Items" section.
If you ever have general questions about the food services at school sites you can reach out to foodandnutritionservices@sandi.net. To connect directly with the Jones Cafe Manager you can email Elena Nieto at enieto@sandi.net.
Click on the clink below to find the most current breakfast and lunch menus...
Jones Elementary
Check out our school website for PeachJar Flyers, Counseling Resources, Family Handbook, Staff Contact Lists, After School Programs, Enrollment Information and so much more!
Email: contact@sandi.net
Website: https://jones.sandiegounified.org/
Location: 2751 Greyling Drive, San Diego, CA, USA
Phone: (619) 605-8800
Facebook: facebook.com/JonesElementary
Instagram: @jonesdolphins
Jones Elementary PTA
Our Parent Teacher Association works with Jones Elementary to provide programs and support to benefit the students, their families, teachers, school administration and the community. Run entirely by volunteers, the PTA raises money to support enrichment programs, program instructors, educational assemblies and field trips, family events, and special classroom supplies.
As always, we need your membership, support and ability to volunteer. You can become a member using Totem, a respected membership management service. Please contact us with other thoughts on how we are doing, and your ideas on how you can become involved. We look forward to hearing from you.
Email: jonesdolphinspta@gmail.com
Website: https://jpjonespta.org/
Location: 2751 Greyling Drive, San Diego, CA, USA
Phone: (619)605-8800
