Jaguar Journal

🐾Welcome Mighty Stephenson Families!

💙 Jaguar Journal – Week 8 💙

Dear Stephenson Elementary Families,

Welcome to Week 8 of the 2026–2027 school year! Our Jaguars have settled into their routines, and we are proud to see students continuing to grow academically, socially, and behaviorally.

As we move deeper into the school year, consistency matters. Let’s continue working together to ensure our Jaguars attend school every day, arrive on time, come prepared to learn, and demonstrate Jaguar PRIDE throughout the school day.

🌟 Our Vision

To cultivate a community of learners who embrace a Positive Attitude, demonstrate Respect and Integrity, show Determination in overcoming challenges, and strive for Excellence.

🎯 Our Mission

To provide a nurturing and challenging environment where students develop the skills and character needed to succeed and lead in a diverse and changing world.

🐾 Jaguar PRIDE

Every Jaguar is expected to demonstrate:

💙 P – Positive Attitude
💙 R – Respect
💙 I – Integrity
💙 D – Determination
💙 E – Excellence

Together, we are Rooted in PRIDE, Rising in Excellence!

🌎🎉 Hispanic Heritage Month Spirit Week! 🎉🌎

Stephenson Elementary is proud to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15–October 15!

This week, September 21–25, our Jaguars are invited to participate in Hispanic Heritage Spirit Week as we celebrate the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. ❤️💛💚💙

🇲🇽 Monday – Flag Day: Wear the colors of a Hispanic country’s flag!
🌺 Tuesday – Culture Pride Day: Wear something that represents a Hispanic country or culture!
⚽ Wednesday – Jersey Day: Wear a soccer jersey from a Hispanic country or your favorite team!
💃 Thursday – Dress to Impress Day: Add a touch of Hispanic style or cultural attire!
🐆 Friday – Jaguars Together Day: Wear SES spirit gear or royal blue & black!

Please see the flyer for additional details. We look forward to opportunities to celebrate, learn, respect, and belong together!

🌎 Many Cultures. One Community. One Jaguar Family! 💙🖤

📚💙 Thank You, Jaguar Families!

A special THANK YOU to our families who joined us for the SES Community Library Meet Up at Redan Trotti Public Library on Saturday!

It was wonderful to see our Jaguars and families reading with SES teachers, exploring new books, visiting the library, and building a love of reading together. Experiences like these strengthen the connection between school, home, and community.

Thank you for supporting literacy beyond the school day and helping us grow a strong community of readers! 📖🐾

📢 SES Parent/Teacher Conference Week 🐾💙🖤

Stephenson Elementary School will hold Parent/Teacher Conference Week September 28–October 2, 2026. Our goal is for every student and family to participate in a conference during this week.

Teachers will be reaching out to families to schedule conference times. To make participation convenient for everyone, conferences may be held:

✅ Face-to-Face
✅ Virtually
✅ By Phone

🌟 SES Parent/Teacher Conference Night
📅 Wednesday, September 30, 2026
⏰ 4:00–6:00 PM
📍 Stephenson Elementary School

Why are conferences important?

Conferences are an opportunity for students, families, and teachers to work together to review academic progress and data, celebrate strengths, identify areas for growth, set meaningful goals, and discuss next steps for continued success. We want our Jaguars to understand their progress and take ownership of their learning while knowing that their families and teachers are working together to support them.

Please be on the lookout for communication from your child’s teacher regarding scheduling your conference.

Together, we will continue to support every Jaguar through PRIDE—Positive Attitude, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Excellence!

🕖 Attendance & Punctuality Matter

Every day and every instructional minute matter!

🏫 Arrival: 7:05–7:35 AM
🍎 Breakfast: 7:05–7:35 AM — FREE for all students
📚 Instruction Begins: 7:40 AM
⏰ Students arriving at or after 7:40 AM are tardy

Please help your Jaguar arrive on time, in uniform, prepared, and ready to learn each day. Consistent attendance and punctuality help students stay connected to instruction and build strong academic habits.

👨‍👩‍👧 Parent Walk-In

Parents may walk students to the front entrance/lobby from 7:05–7:35 AM. All visitors must exit by 7:35 AM so instruction can begin promptly at 7:40 AM.

👕 Uniforms — Dressed for Success 🐾

Stephenson Elementary is a uniform school. Students should arrive in the appropriate uniform each day unless otherwise noted.

👕 Shirts: Royal blue, white, gray, or black collared shirts
👖 Bottoms: Khaki, gray, or black

📎 2026–2027 SES Uniform Policy:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OmNs27ZP90AEX6hTpcBtKwqScx9D1oT5/view?usp=sharing

🐾 Jaguar Spirit Fridays

On Fridays, students may wear SES spirit wear or plain school-color shirts with jeans. Jeans must be clean and free of rips or holes.

Thank you for helping our Jaguars remain dressed for success and ready to learn! 💙🖤

📵 Disconnect to Reconnect

Please continue reinforcing our electronic device expectations at home.

📱 Phones, smartwatches, AirPods, headphones, and similar devices must be powered OFF.

🎒 Personal electronic devices must remain inside students’ bookbags throughout the instructional day.

🚫 Devices may not be used during instruction, transitions, restroom breaks, lunch, or anywhere on campus during the school day.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, focused, and distraction-free learning environment.

🎂 Student Birthday Celebrations

Simple. Safe. Consistent.

We love celebrating our Jaguars! Please remember:

🧁 Store-bought cupcakes ONLY
🍽️ Cupcakes may be served during the student’s scheduled lunch period in the cafeteria only
🚫 No drinks, cookies, candy, pizza, additional treats, or homemade food
🎈 No balloons, flowers, stuffed animals, gifts, or other birthday deliveries
📅 If the scheduled lunch period is missed, cupcakes may be served during the following school day’s lunch period

Thank you for helping us keep celebrations simple, safe, consistent, and enjoyable! 🎉🐾

🚌 Stay Connected & Know Our Procedures

Please continue reviewing our arrival, dismissal, attendance, and transportation procedures.

📎 Attendance & Daily Procedures:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-7-bBIjUOMiOBbzvE6kJBxjmj0m44u-w/view?usp=sharing

📎 2026–2027 SES Bus Routes:
https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1764008964/dekalbschoolsgaorg/cgztu0i6gzcyiaau9jlx/stephenson-esformerlypine-ridge.pdf

Please make sure your child’s teacher knows their regular afternoon transportation method, and continue checking ClassDojo and the weekly Jaguar Journal for important updates.

💙 Let’s Keep the Momentum Going!

Seven weeks into the school year, our partnership remains essential. Thank you, Stephenson families, for reinforcing the routines and expectations that help our students succeed.

Let’s have a strong Week 8 by encouraging our Jaguars to show up, be on time, work hard, make positive choices, and demonstrate Jaguar PRIDE everywhere they go.

Together, we will continue creating a school community where every Jaguar can learn, grow, lead, and thrive. 🐾 We Can’t Hide Our Jaguar PRIDE!

🐾 Rooted in PRIDE, Rising in Excellence! 💙

With Jaguar PRIDE,

Dr. Lindsay R. Scott
Principal

SES Hispanic Heritage Month Spirit Week (see flyer below)

📆 September 21-25, 2026

Stephenson Homecoming Parade (more details to come)

📆 September 26, 2026

9AM-12PM

SES Parent/Teacher Conference Week (see flyer below)

📆 September 28, 2026-October 2, 2026

Stephenson Homecoming Week 2026 (more details to come)

📆 September 28, 2026-October 2, 2026

SES All Pro Dad Meeting (see flyer below)

📆 October 4, 2026

Our SES Bus Drivers are recognizing students who demonstrate Positive Attitude, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Excellence while riding the bus.

Let’s represent SES with excellence—greet drivers kindly, follow directions, and ride safely with PRIDE! 💙🐾

Please remember that all electronic devices (cell phones, smartwatches, AirPods, headphones, etc.) must remain off and inside bookbags during the instructional day.

If a device is visible or used, it will be confiscated, secured in the front office, and must be picked up by a parent/guardian.

Thank you for supporting a safe, focused, distraction-free learning environment for all Jaguars.

For the 2026–2027 school year, DeKalb County School District is expanding its Disconnect to Reconnect initiative to all schools.

This program creates phone-free learning environments to help students stay fully engaged in their education.

Key Expectations:

• All phones, smartwatches, AirPods, headphones, and similar devices must be powered off and out of sight from the start of the school day until dismissal. SES students must keep all electronic devices (powered off) in their bookbags (no purses or pockets) during the instructional day.

• Devices cannot be used during class, transitions, restroom breaks, lunch, or any time on campus.

These rules support a safe, focused, and distraction-free environment for all students. If your child is allowed to have a personal eletronic device such as a cell phone, please support us with speaking with your child about our school district's cell phone policy and making sure they understand the expectations.

Are you connected to Class Dojo? This year all parents MUST sign up for Class Dojo.

We will no longer use the Agenda Planners. All information will be uploaded on Class Dojo.

Click the link below for a parent resource that gives an overview of the family experience on

Class Dojo:

Class DOJO FAMILY ACCOUNT OVERVIEW-ENGLISH

CLASS DOJO FAMILY ACCOUNT OVERVIEW-SPANISH

Follow us at @stephensonesjags to stay connected with ourschool community. 💙

On our page, you’ll find:
✨ School highlights & celebrations
✨ Important updates & reminders
✨ Jaguar PRIDE in action
✨ A closer look at our vision, mission, and core values

Let’s show our Jaguar spirit and grow together! 🌟

Rooted in PRIDE, Rising in Excellence!

#StephensonElementary #JaguarPRIDE #StephensonESJags

Stephenson Elementary School Uniform Policy 2026-2027

🐾 Let’s ensure that every Jaguar rises each day dressed for success and ready to lead with PRIDE!

🐾 Please help your child start strong by being on time, in uniform, and ready to learn!

📅 Daily Schedule

🕖 Arrival Time: Doors open at 7:05 AM
🍽️ Breakfast: 7:05 AM – 7:35 AM
📚 Instruction Starts: 7:40 AM (Tardies begin at 7:40 AM)
🏫 Dismissal: 2:20 PM
⏳ Early Checkout Ends: 1:30 PM

👕 Uniform Reminder

We are a uniform school. All students must arrive in uniform daily.
🎨 School Colors: Royal Blue & Black
📌 See ClassDojo and Important Documents for the official uniform policy and supply list.

👨‍👩‍👧 Parent Walk-In

Beginning Monday, August 10, 2026: Parents are welcome to walk their child to the front entrance/lobby between 7:05 AM and 7:35 AM. All visitors must exit the building by 7:35 AM so instruction can begin promptly at 7:40 AM.

📌 Stay Connected

✅ Ensure your child’s teacher has updated contact information
✅ Verify your information is correct in Infinite Campus
✅ Stay connected through ClassDojo

🚍 Transportation Safety

Let your child’s homeroom teacher know how they will get home:

· 🚌 Bus Rider – Include Route Number

· 🚗 Car Rider – Must have Car Rider Number

· 🚶 Walker

· 🏫 Daycare

Last-Minute Transportation Changes:

1. Send a note to your child’s teacher.

2. Teacher will forward changes to the front office via email or ClassDojo.

3. Call the school to confirm we received it.
⚠️ Do NOT email front office staff directly about changes.

📵 District Policy Reminder – Disconnect to Reconnect

For the 2025–2026 school year, DeKalb County School District is expanding its Disconnect to Reconnect initiative to all schools. This program is designed to create phone-free learning environments and help students stay fully engaged in their education.

• All phones, smartwatches, AirPods, headphones, and similar devices must be powered off and out of sight from the start of the school day until dismissal.

• Devices cannot be used during class, class transitions, lunch, or any time on campus.

• These rules support a safe, focused, and distraction-free environment for all students.

The district is working on long-term solutions such as secure storage lockers for student devices in every school. We appreciate your support in reinforcing this policy at home and ensuring your child arrives at school ready to learn, focus, and connect with their peers.

🐾 Attendance Matters!

Parents, please help us by ensuring your scholar is at school every day and on time so they can fully engage in learning.

Research shows that attendance is the single most important factor in school success.

• Being just 10 minutes late every day adds up to 30 hours of lost instruction each year.

• Students with strong attendance perform better on standardized tests and build stronger skills in reading, writing, math, and communication.

While students can make up assignments, they cannot replace the most important parts of learning: teacher explanations, class discussions, and the thinking that brings lessons to life.

If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions for improving attendance, please contact the school—we appreciate your partnership!

🎂 Student Birthday Celebrations

To help us celebrate our Jaguars while protecting instructional time and maintaining consistent expectations for all students, please follow our birthday celebration guidelines:

• 🧁 Store-bought cupcakes ONLY may be brought for student birthdays.
• 🍽️ Cupcakes may be served during the student’s scheduled lunch period in the cafeteria only.
• 🚫 Please do not send drinks, cookies, candy, pizza, or additional treats.
• 🚫 Homemade food may not be brought to school for birthday celebrations.
• 🎈 Balloons, flowers, stuffed animals, gifts, and other birthday deliveries may not be delivered to students at school.
• 📅 If a parent/guardian misses the student’s scheduled lunch period, the cupcakes may be served during lunch on the following school day.

Thank you for helping us keep birthday celebrations simple, safe, consistent, and enjoyable while protecting teaching and learning throughout the school day. 💙🐾

💙🐾 Thank you for helping us keep our Jaguars safe, prepared, and ready to show PRIDE every day!

Stephenson Elementary School

Asst. Principal: Dr. Jill Adams

Location: 750 Pine Ridge Drive Stone Mountain, GA 30087
Phone: (678) 676-3402

Website: https://stephensones.dekalb.k12.ga.us/