BCJ SOAR Spotlight

Dear BCJ Parents and Caregivers,

We hope you and your family are well!

✨ Parent-Teacher Conferences
Our Parent-Teacher Conferences were a great success! It was wonderful to see a steady stream of families coming into the building to meet with teachers, celebrate student progress, and strengthen our school-home partnership. Your presence and engagement truly make a difference in your child’s learning journey.

📚 Book Fair Success
A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who visited and supported our Book Fair—it was a tremendous success! Your participation helps nurture a love of reading and provides valuable resources for our classrooms and library.

🌎 National Hispanic Heritage Month
As National Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close this week, we have been excited to have students reading portions of our newsletter in Spanish! Celebrating the richness of Hispanic culture and language helps our students appreciate diversity and fosters a love of language learning.

🌟 Gratitude and Appreciation
October is National Principals Month, and Ms. Sanders and I am deeply humbled by the outpouring of kindness from our BCJ staff and parents. Your thoughtful gestures, words of encouragement, and generous gifts mean so much.

For me, being a principal is rooted in a deep belief that every child deserves opportunities that unlock their full potential. Your partnership and support make it possible for our students to grow with resilience, confidence, and hope for their future. It is truly an honor to serve the incredible students and families of BCJ each day.

With gratitude,
Your BCJ Admin Team

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and our staff is proudly wearing pink on Thursdays to show support and raise awareness. Several students have asked to join in and we think that’s wonderful!

Students are encouraged (but not required!) to wear pink on Thursdays - shirt, socks, hat, or any pink accessory to show solidarity with our staff and the cause. Let’s come together as a BCJ family to honor those affected by breast cancer and show our school spirit!

The remaining Pink Thursdays are: October 16, 23, and 30. Let’s make each one count!

The School District of University City invites families and staff to join us for a community-wide discussion of The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt.

🗓 Monday, October 13
🕠 5:30–7:00 p.m.
📍 University City Public Library, 6701 Delmar Blvd.

This bestselling 2024 book explores how 📱 smartphones, 💻 technology, and 🌐 social media have reshaped childhood and contributed to growing concerns around youth mental health. With new Missouri cell phone policies being implemented through Senate Bill 68, this conversation is more timely than ever.

✨ Don’t miss this chance to come together, share perspectives, and strengthen our support for students’ well-being.

👉🏾 Register today by visiting ucityschools.org/bookstudy or scanning the QR code!🙌🏾

Barbara C. Jordan Elementary is excited to partner with the University City Adult Education & Literacy Program to provide free English classes for parents and caregivers right in our neighborhood!

✨ Improve your English for school, work, and everyday life.
✨ Learn how to better support your child’s education.
✨ Gain confidence in communicating with teachers and staff.

🕓 Classes are scheduled in the evenings to fit your schedule.
📍 Open to all parents and caregivers in our community.

👉🏾Interested? Please complete the quick survey using the QR code below (available in English and Spanish on the flyers).

We look forward to seeing many of our BCJ families take advantage of this wonderful opportunity!

We sincerely thank the University City Fire Department for visiting BCJ last Monday and sharing important fire safety information with our students. During their visit, firefighters discussed what to do in case of a fire, including staying low to avoid smoke, safely exiting the building, calling 911, and never hiding during an emergency. They also talked about the importance of having a family fire escape plan and practicing fire drills at home.

Their engaging presentation reinforced valuable lessons about staying calm, making safe choices, and being preparedduring emergencies. Our students left the visit with a stronger understanding of fire safety and confidence in how to respond if a fire occurs.

We are excited to announce that Red Ribbon Week will be observed at BCJ from Thursday, October 23 through Friday, October 31! This year's theme is “Life is a Puzzle - Solve It Drug Free!” 🧩

Origin of Red Ribbon Week
Red Ribbon Week began in 1985 to honor DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who was tragically killed while investigating drug cartels. His dedication to fighting drugs inspired the creation of this nationwide observance, teaching students, parents, and communities about the importance of living drug-free.

🎉 Spirit Week Schedule (October 27 - 31)

• “Piece Together a Drug-Free Life” - Wear Red Day

• “Fit the Pieces Together: Team Up for a Drug-Free Life” - Sports/Athletic Wear 🏀

• “Put the Pieces Together Your Own Way!” - Wacky Wednesday/Mismatch Day 🤪

• “Dream Big: Drugs Don’t Fit in the Puzzle” - Pajama Day 🛌 (Students and staff may also wear pink for Breast Cancer Awareness!)

• “Top Off a Drug-Free Week!” - Hat Day 🎩

  
  

We encourage all students and staff to participate each day as we come together to promote health, safety, and awareness. Thank you for supporting BCJ in making Red Ribbon Week a meaningful and fun experience for our students!

Here are the key dates to keep in mind for a successful month ahead!

Honoring Andrea Peoples (UCHS Class of 2000 – Dancer & Choreographer)
📅 Tuesday, October 14, 2025
🕖 7:00 p.m.
📍 UCHS Library Media Center (7401 Balson Ave – use Jackson Ave entrance)
✨ Free & Open to the Public!
🔗 Register: ucityschools.org/ra2025

Featuring: Anita Jackson, Brothers Lazaroff, Larry “Fallout” Morris, and more!

🗓️ Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025
📍 COCA – The Berges Theater
🕕 VIP Reception: 6:00 p.m. | 🕖 Concert: 7:00 p.m.

🎟️ Tickets:

• $50 – Concert Only

• $125 – Concert + VIP Reception

🖤💛 Proceeds benefit the University City Education Foundation.

👉 Purchase Tickets Here! 🎟️💳🎉

✨ Bonus: Show your concert ticket at participating UCity restaurants for Savor the Pride exclusive dining offers!

🖤💛 Proceeds benefit the University City Education Foundation

• Tues., Oct. 7 - Parent/Teacher Conference (Elementary) | 4:00-7:30 p.m.
• Thurs., Oct. 9 - Winter Warm - up | 4 - 6 p.m. Jackson Park Elementary
• Thurs., Oct. 9 - Flu Clinic | 3:00 - 6:00 pm (3:00 - 4:00 p.m. STAFF ONLY) Jackson Park Elementary School
• Fri., Oct. 10 - No School for Students
• Fri., Oct. 10 - Parent/Teacher Conference (8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.) [no evening conferences]

• Tues., Oct.14 - Flu Clinic | 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.; McNair Administration Building
• Tues., Oct. 14 - Returning Artist Andrea Peoples, UCHS; 7:00 p.m.
• Thurs., Oct. 16 - Wear Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

• Fri., Oct. 17 - No School - Plan Day/Records Day

• Sat., Oct. 18 - Homecoming Parade(We are looking for volunteers to help with decorating) 8:00 a.m.
  
• Sat., Oct. 18 - Celebrate the Pride: Concert & Community Celebration, 7:00 p.m., COCA
• Thurs., Oct. 23 - Wear Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness
• Thurs., Oct. 30 - Wear Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness