Welcome Back Eagles!!

Good morning and welcome to a brand-new school year at Barbara C. Jordan Elementary! We are so excited to see our students, families, and community members back with us today. The first day of school is always filled with energy, anticipation, and hope - and this year is no different.

To our parents and caregivers, thank you for trusting us with your children and for partnering with us in their growth. To our students, we can’t wait to watch you learn, shine, and achieve amazing things this year. And to our community, your support and involvement are the heartbeat of our school—we are stronger because of you.

Together, we will make this year one of joy, learning, and success for every child. Welcome back to BCJ - let’s make it an amazing year!

BCJ Admin Team,

Dorlita Adams, Principal

Michele Sanders, Assistant Principal

We look forward to welcoming all students each day beginning at 8:30 a.m. Students will be admitted into the building at that time, and teacher supervision begins then as well. For safety reasons, please do not drop students off earlier or leave them unattended.

Every moment of the school day is valuable for learning. We kindly ask families to help maximize instructional time by minimizing late arrivals and early dismissals.

Thank you in advance for your partnership and support!

Breakfast Procedures

• Upon arrival, students who are eating breakfast will go directly to the cafeteria. As they finish eating, they will be sent to class.

• For instructional reasons, no students will enter the cafeteria after 8:45 a.m. since classes begin promptly at that time.

• Students who are not eating breakfast will go directly to their classrooms.

We would love to help you celebrate your child’s milestones and request that you abide by our birthday celebration expectations.

• No food items. We want to ensure no student is excluded from a celebration due to food allergies. This is inclusive of ordering pizza at lunch for a celebration.

• Our entire staff is committed to bringing joy and cheer to your child. We will ensure they are recognized by their peers.

• We welcome goodie bags that do not have candy, chips, and drinks. Balloons will be kept in the office until the end of the day. If you need help with ideas, please contact us.

BCJ students who are eligible to ride the bus are assigned to bus U2, U6, U7or U15. All bus information can be found in Infinite Campus. Families should have received bus information from the following email address: https://ucityschools.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/universitycity.jsp

• Bus students in grades K -1 will be released with older siblings who ride the bus and/or to their caregivers at the bus stop. K-1 students will be returned to BCJ in the event that a caregiver is not at the bus stop.

• Bus students in grades 2 - 5 will be permitted to leave the bus stop even if no escort is present.

• BCJ Bus Route

• Students who miss their bus or are waiting to be picked up by a parent/guardian are to report to the cafeteria when called. Adults must present a photo ID prior to signing a student out of school.

• Parent/guardians are responsible for reviewing the school calendar and to comply with all school dismissal times and procedures.
• Any student leaving before regular dismissal must be met in the main office by a parent/guardian or person authorized to act on his/her behalf as designated on the emergency information. All authorized persons must show a photo ID to office personnel prior to signing a student out of school. Parents are asked to limit these early dismissals for emergencies and appointments only and not on a daily basis.
• Students in grades 2 - 5 who are not eligible for district-provided transportation shall be permitted to leave the building unescorted unless the parent/guardian provides prior written notification to the school of any arrangements for students requiring an escort. Students must be picked up by 3:45 p.m.
• Bus students in grades 2 - 5 will be permitted to leave the bus stop even if no escort is present.
• Students who miss their bus or are waiting to be picked up by a parent/guardian are to report to the cafeteria when called. Adults must present a photo ID prior to signing a student out of school.

For safety, we are unable to receive verbal dismissal changes from students. We also cannot accept students sharing text communication from parents/caregivers about dismissal. Without written communication, the school will follow the child’s normal procedures.

Car Rider: A student whose primary mode of transportation is by car, truck, or van.

• Car riders will be released from the 82nd Street doors under the direction and supervision of staff.
• The parent/guardian will proceed to pick up through the car line and remain in their vehicle.
• A staff member will call students by car order.
• Placard will be sent home with all students by Friday, August 22, 2025. Placards should be placed in your car window.
• Should you get out of your vehicle, you may have a longer wait as we will service all families who are following the expectations first.

• Students will be released to the designated UP staff member and proceed to the instrumental music room.

• Students will be released to UP at 3:40 p.m.

Walker: A student whose parent/guardian meets them in the designated pick-up location on foot. This is inclusive of parents who park and walk to retrieve students.

• Walkers will be released from the cafeteria doors.
• The walker side is not a holding place. Students are expected to leave within 5 minutes of dismissal.

To ensure student safety and consistency across all elementary schools:

• All dismissal changes must be made by 2:00 p.m.

• We cannot accept dismissal instructions verbally from students or through text messages from parents.

• Please provide all dismissal changes in written communication (note, email, or phone call to the office).

• Students will not be dismissed after 3:00 p.m.

Thank you for helping us keep dismissal safe and smooth for every child.

To keep our school community safe, we ask all families to help us protect students and staff with severe food allergies. Our campus is currently nut-free. Please do not pack any nuts, nut products, in lunches or snacks brought from home.

Even small traces of these foods can cause serious allergic reactions. By avoiding these items, we ensure every student can enjoy a safe learning environment.

We also ask that you update your child’s allergy and medical information in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal so our staff can stay fully informed and prepared.

Thank you for your support in keeping our school a safe place for all students.

Parents and caregivers, please continue to check Infinite Campus to ensure that your child’s enrollment has been completed. If you notice that your child is not yet registered, we kindly ask for your patience as we work through the first week of school. Our team is committed to ensuring that every student is properly enrolled, and we appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate this process together.

As we begin a brand-new school year at Barbara C. Jordan Elementary, we want to make sure all of our students are equipped with the tools they need to be successful. Our school supply list outlines the materials that will help students stay organized, prepared, and ready to learn each day.

You can find the complete list at this link: BCJ School Supply List.

We kindly ask families to send supplies as soon as possible so that students can fully participate in classroom activities. If you are unable to purchase all items at once, please send what you can, and know that we will work with you to make sure no child goes without.

We also encourage parents to label personal items with their child’s name to help prevent lost or misplaced supplies.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. With your help, we can ensure every student starts the year with the resources they need for a strong and successful learning experience!

Unleashing Potential will not offer a before-care program for the 2025–26 school year. Our school day begins at 8:30 a.m., and there is no adult supervision before that time. Please plan accordingly if you need morning childcare.

We understand this may be challenging for families. If we learn of any available before-care options in the U-City area, we will share that information with you right away.

Aftercare will still be provided by Unleashing Potential. Please contact them directly for details or to register your student: Unleashing Potential

Breakfast and lunch will be served free of charge. New this year students will be required to learn and enter their pin numbers in the cafeteria. We will send the pin numbers home the first week of school so they can practice. Menus will be available on the district website please click here to access BCJ's menus.

Parents and caregivers must call the school at 314-290-4361 and press 1 to report their child’s absence or tardiness as soon as possible. If the school has not been notified, we will make every effort to contact parents by 10:00 a.m. on the day of the absence.

A medical note is required for absences of three or more consecutive days.

• Aug. 18 - First day of classes
• Aug. 25 - CommUNITY Chat
• Sept. 1 - District Closed, Labor Day
• Sept. 2 - BCJ Fall Picture Day
• Sept. 9 - BCJ Curriculum Night | Open House, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
• Sept. 15 - One UCity Community Connect | Brittany Woods 5:45 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
• Sept. 19 - No School - District PD

First Day of School Visiting Guidelines

• All families will be asked to exit the building by 9:00 a.m. We would love to begin our community building activities by 9 a.m. Thanks for understandings!

• Enjoy a self-guided tour and we ask that you are mindful that others are doing the same thing.

• NO photos in the building due to the privacy of our entire school community.

• Please do not have in depth conversations with teachers as they need to be attentive to all students entering their classrooms.

• Please do not block parking lot entryways and our neighbor's driveways.

• Create a first day memory with the BCJ community!

Dorlita Adams, Principal

Michele Sanders, Assistant Principal