East Elementary Newsletter

I recently came across an Instagram post inspired by child psychologist Amy Morin’s ideas for asking your child about their school day, and I thought it was definitely share-worthy! Instead of the usual, “How was school today?” try asking one of these seven alternative questions to spark deeper conversation and help your child grow in meaningful ways:

1. What was the best part of your day?
   Encourages your child to notice positives, fostering gratitude and optimism.

2. What mistake did you learn from today?
   Normalizes failure and teaches that mistakes can be valuable learning opportunities.

3. Who were you proud of today?
   Helps your child recognize the good in others and develop empathy.

4. What is one thing you could have made better today?
   Gives your child space to problem-solve and reflect on growth.

5. Who did you help today?
   Shifts focus to acts of kindness and reinforces the importance of helping others.

6. What was the most interesting thing you learned today?
   Sparks curiosity and encourages a love of learning.

7. What is something new you want to try?
   Pushes your child toward creativity, bravery, and personal growth.

Using these questions regularly can transform daily conversations into opportunities for reflection, empathy, curiosity, and problem-solving, helping your child grow both academically and emotionally.

Get ready for some holiday fun! Students are invited to participate in our 12 Days of Christmas celebration by dressing up according to each day’s theme. The festivities kick off on Thursday, December 4!

Time to dig through those change jars!!! The 3rd Annual East Elementary Craft fair is coming soon!! Here are the details...

• Sales will run from 7:25-7:45 in the Gym Friday December 5 and 12.
• Students are ONLY allowed to purchase items with quarters (bills of any amount will not be accepted).
• If a student is working a booth as a vendor they will be allowed to shop that day as well (we will watch their booth for them).
• Parents feel free to encourage your kiddos to buy items as gifts for family members - we have some REALLY cute stuff being sold.
• All items purchased will be put in a bag and sent home that day.
• Students who signed up to sell had a sheet sent home with them. If any parent/student didn’t get that sheet but DID sign up they can come see Mrs. Job.
• All questions or concerns can be directed to Mrs. Job ljob@jackson.k12.mo.us.

As a reminder with the holidays coming up Artsonia is a great resource for handmade quality items made by your little artist! Your child's artwork on a tea-towel, coffee mug, set of stationary cards, Christmas ornament, etc. is perfect for anyone on your gift list! Be sure to check it out and remember East Elementary gets 20% of whatever you spend! Happy shopping and as always thank you so much for your support!

We will head outside to recess as much as possible during the winter months. Children tend to warm up fast on the playground and then shed all of their gear. Please label your child's clothing items, like hats, gloves, coats, etc. If you would like to stop by and check out our lost and found, please call to schedule an appointment (573) 243-5271.

Teachers show their students weekly the items collected. Anything we still have at the end of the month will be donated.

As we head into the break, we know that new devices can sometimes lead to extra screen time. We encourage families to help students find a healthy balance between technology and offline fun. Here are a few videos to help! Before clicking the hyperlink below, make sure you are logged into Parent ProTech. Once you are logged in, you will be taken directly to the video.

• Step Away From that Screen!
• Digital Detox Challenge
• Day in the Life Digital Detox

You are invited to join us for our Kindergarten music concert: Pete the Cat Saves Christmas, based off of the children's book by Eric Litwin and James Dean. When Santa gets sick on Christmas Eve, he can't deliver the presents to all of the children, so he calls his good friend Pete the Cat to help save the day! The performance will take place on Thursday, December 11th at 6:00pm and last approximately 30 minutes. Students are invited to dress in nice, Christmas clothes! Please be mindful that the gym can get quite warm with all of the performers & audience in one area, so keep layers light! Please choose shoes that are easy for students to move in on and off the risers since students will be doing lots of dancing and moving off the risers for speaking parts into the microphones. Students are asked to arrive no later than 5:40pm to allow enough time to get in position with their class and check in with their teachers. If you could please have your child visit the restroom before dropping them off, that would be a big help to our teachers! We will meet in the 2nd grade commons. Doors will open for seating at 5:30!

You are invited to join us for our 2nd Grade music concert: Finding Frosty. The children are so excited to build a snowman who comes to life, named Frosty, and even make a new cool snowman: The Rock n Roll Snowman, but Frosty goes missing and they must set off on a journey to find him! This performance will take place on Thursday, December 11th at 7:15pm and last approximately 30 minutes. The 2nd grade concert will follow the Kindergarten music concert, so we will ask families to wait in the cafeteria until the Kindergarten families are out of the gym before going in to take your seats. Students are invited to dress in festive winter or snowman clothing. This could mean wearing white or blue, clothing with snowmen or snowflakes on it, or even dressing like a snowman theirselves! Please be mindful that the gym can get quite warm with all of the performers & audience in one area, so keep layers light! Please choose shoes that are easy for students to move in on and off the risers for speaking parts, singing solos, and lots of dancing! Students are asked to arrive no later than 7:00pm to allow enough time to get in position with their class and check in with their teachers. We will meet in the 2nd grade commons. Doors will open for seating at 6:45pm.

Please see the following information for Spirit Singer events.

This year marks the 5th Annual East North Pole holiday celebration at East Elementary, sponsored by our PTO. Instead of traditional classroom parties, we'll be hosting a schoolwide event on Friday, December 19, where students will enjoy a day of festive fun!

With the help of teachers and parent volunteers, students will rotate through four exciting stations:

• Reindeer games
• Snowman Relays
• Cookies & Pictures with Santa & Mrs. Claus
• Holiday Crafts (each student will make reindeer food and holiday photo ornament)

If you're interested in joining the holiday festivities, please click HERE! Volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in the event and share in the celebration with our students!

Our November Winners for Got Caught Reading are:

K - Rosa Walker

1st - Ava Gohn

2nd - Case Dillingham

3rd - Ely Miller

4th - Jeremy Headrick

East families, if you would like to help our library grow by joining the Birthday Book Club, you can find more information here: bit.ly/eastbbc

November Birthday Book Club

Miles Voshage

Bennett Toal

Silas Schnurbusch

Charlie Brinkman

Lilly Martin

Eli A. Niswonger

Benjamin Le

Connor LaMar

Lincoln Hester

Kate Obergoenner

Colton Francis

Stevie Byrd

December is here! Thank you to all who have kept their children home when they have been sick. That is the best way to prevent the spread of illness and we truly appreciate it!

Items the nurse office could use= sweatpants/leggings for both boys and girls (size 5-12).

Here are some helpful tips to avoid getting sick this winter:

1. Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
2. Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others.
3. Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk.
4. Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
6. Practice other good health habits. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

It's yearbook time, order yours today! There are two ways to order. CLICK HERE to order online or order using the paper order form here. Please print, complete, and return to school along with $16 (cash or check). The deadline to order is January 31.

We are excited to share that the Jackson R-2 School District is now participating in the Blue Envelope Program. This program is designed to help individuals with autism and other developmental differences have safer, more positive interactions with law enforcement and first responders. Families receive a blue envelope that holds important information about the driver or passenger, which can be handed to an officer during a traffic stop or other encounter.

As part of our commitment to supporting our students and community, Jackson R-2 will serve as a distribution hub for the program. Families can pick up blue envelopes and program information at:

Jackson R-2 Support Services Office

1352 Orchard Drive

Jackson, MO 63755

Support Services: 573-243-9531

For more information about the program, please visit: https://nps-aid.org/blue-envelope-program/. We are proud to provide this valuable resource to our families and community.

Full Day Kids’ Club (FDKC):

Jackson R-2 School District offers Full Day Kids’ Club for JR2 students in preschool- 6th grade. The program operates most days when school is NOT in session. FDKC is a safe, fun, and engaging childcare program where students play at stations that build social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills!

The next FDKC program operates at South Elementary, Monday-Wednesday, November 24-26, 2025, 7:30 am - 5:45 pm.

Cost: $30 per day for the first child. $25 per day for each additional child.

Dates to remember:

Christmas Break - FDKC December 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th at South Elementary 7:30 am - 5:45 pm.

FDKC - January 2nd at South Elementary 7:30 am - 5:45 pm.

After School Kids’ Club (ASKC):

Jackson R-2 School District offers After School Kids’ Club for JR2 students in preschool-6th grade. The program operates Monday–Friday after school until 5:45 PM, whenever school is in session. ASKC is a safe, fun, and engaging childcare program where students can work on homework (if needed) and play at stations that build social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills! Cost: $8 per day for the first child. $7 per day for each additional child.

For more details or to schedule a day, visit:

Kids’ Club Website

Our Skating Unit in PE is right around the corner!

Important Information

• Permission Slips: All students must have a signed permission slip in order to participate. Slips will be sent home soon.
  Due Date: Please return by January 3rd.

• Skating Dates: January 20th – February 6th

• This is a self-paced skating program, and we encourage all students to participate.

• Safety: Safety is our top priority. Wrist guards will be provided. All other protective gear—such as helmets, knee pads, or elbow pads—is optional but must come from home.

What We’ll Be Learning

Week 1 – Rock & Roll

We’ll kick off our unit by teaching students the essentials of skate safety, including how to use and care for their equipment, proper skating fundamentals, and how to fall safely while staying confident. Students will build their skills step-by-step—all while rolling to classic throwback rock hits!

Week 2 – Country Week

Saddle up for a fun-filled country week! Students will “boot scoot and boogie” through a variety of skating activities designed to strengthen their fundamentals and introduce new skills. We’ll keep the energy high with engaging country-themed games—and we might even try a little line-dancing on skates!

Week 3 – Glow Skate

To wrap up our unit, we’ll turn the gym into a glowing, neon-filled celebration! Students are encouraged to wear bright or neon clothing as we skate under black lights and party lights. It’s the perfect high-energy finale to celebrate all the skills learned throughout the unit.

Power Packs is a program provided to many families each week. The packs include food items to help give students and their family nutritious, kid-friendly foods to help get them through the weekend. Some food items include cereal, canned soups, oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, and other similar items. By clicking this link, filling out the information requested, and submitting the form, your child can begin receiving these packs each Friday. You can also request one from your child’s teacher. For further questions, contact Morgan Hoffman, school social worker at 573-243-5271.

December 5-19 - 12 Days of Christmas Spirit Wear Flyer above

December 5 - Kids' Craft Fair 7:20-7:50 am

December 7 - Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

December 11 - Kindergarten Music Concert 6:00 pm

December 11 - 2nd Grade Music Concert 7:15 pm

December 12 - Kids' Craft Fair 7:20-7:50 am

December 19 - North Pole Event

December 19 - End of 2nd Quarter

December 22 - January 2 - Winter Break for Students

December 24 - Christmas Eve

December 25 - Christmas

Email: eweadon@jackson.k12.mo.us
Website: www.jacksonr2schools.com/East-Elementary-school/
Location: 455 North Lacey Street, Jackson, MO, USA
Phone: 573-243-5271
Facebook: facebook.com/EastElementaryJR2/