Jamaica Elementary Newsletter
May 2025
PTSO Important Dates
Follow our PTSO social media pages for important updates! Facebook is "Jamaica Elementary "PTSO" and Instagram is "jamaicacrocsptso".
May Events:
May 4th-8th- Teacher Appreciation Week
May 14- Last Day for Croc Treats
May 15- 6th-grade Breakfast (Parents welcome) & Evening Event
May 20- Movie/Water Day
May 21- Awards Assembly
5th & 6th-8:15 am
3rd & 4th- 9:15am
2nd- 10:15 am
May 21- Last day of school- Dismissal 11 am No lunch
Upcoming Events:
July 28- Parent Orientation Night ( No Students)
July 29- Meet Teacher/Supply Drop Off 7:30 am-9:00 am
July 30- 1st Day of School- Early Release 1:00
July 31- Early Release 1:00
Physical Education News and Updates!
Thank you to all the students for all their hard work during the Fourth Quarter. I am very proud of them and appreciate the effort they give every time they are in my classroom.
Thank you to the parents and families also for ensuring that the students have the proper attire and shoes to maximize their potential in physical education. Please remember that I have adjusted my grading scale. The first non-dress will be scored as a 5/10 (50%), the second non-dress will be scored as a 2.5/10 (25%), and the third and after will be scored as a 0/10 (0%). Please no Crocs, sandals, boots, slippers, or flip-flops (the expectation is closed-toed sneakers). Please keep in mind that physical education class is a participation-based grade.
The last unit that we will be covering this year is pickleball. I have brand new pickleball paddles for the kids to use!
Again, thank you for all your hard work in helping your son or daughter be successful in class. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. I will see you next year and have a wonderful Summer Break!!
Andrew Branchik
abranchik@lhusd.org
News from the Nurse
As we are approaching the end of the school year, I have some important information.
End-of-year medication pick up
If your student has any medication in the health office, it must be picked up and signed for by the last day of school. Medications not picked up will be disposed of. If you need to make another arrangement to pick up medication, please call or email to discuss.
Immunizations
Once your child turns 11, they must receive their meningococcal and TDAP immunizations BEFORE their 12th birthday to remain enrolled in school. Please send me a copy of the immunization record or let me know of the appointment date ASAP to avoid any delay in starting the new school year.
Medical Diagnosis
If your child has a medical diagnosis, please get a copy of the diagnosis paperwork for me to keep in their file.
Action Plans
If your child has diabetes, seizures, asthma, or allergies, please make sure you get an updated action plan from the doctor for me to have on file.
Food Allergies
If your child has food allergies, please have your doctor fill out the paperwork for a special diet from the school website for TAHER so they can accommodate their lunch tray.
Records or appointment dates can be emailed to kweber@lhusd.org
I appreciate everyone and cannot wait to see our students in the fall!
Kaitlyn Weber, BSN, RN
School Nurse
Mrs. K's Counseling Corner
Please click on the link https://app.smore.com/n/328uf4
Parking Lot
To ensure a successful and safe start to the new school year, we would like to share some rules for the Parking lot. Please look these over and follow the procedures that we have put in place to keep ALL students safe. We are all in this together.
Parking Lot General Rules
1. SAFETY is our #1 Priority.
2. The inside lane is the circling lane, no pickup. You must park.
3. Outside lane along the sidewalk, may not park. This is the pickup lane. No stopping along the sidewalk until you have pulled all the way up by the playground to the end of the sidewalk.
4. DO NOT ask your child to cross in front of traffic. You may see your child, others may not.
5. Right Turns ONLY out of the parking lot.
6. Please refrain from parking in the handicapped parking spaces unless you have the proper permit. We do have families that need to use these spaces.
Before School Options
1. Park in a lined space and walk your child on the sidewalk using the crosswalk.
2. Drive up and around the outside lane to the sidewalk in front of the playground. Drop off as far up as you can to avoid backing up traffic. Your child can safely walk on the sidewalk up to the school. Do NOT park in this lane. Please only stop briefly for drop-off/pickup if you see your child in view.
For special needs (SDC) Families ONLY
1. Pull up to the Kinder gate. DO NOT go past the crosswalk into the striped area. (Buses will be pulling up there to drop off students)
2. Parents may stay in their cars. We will have staff to assist your child in getting to class.
3. Reminder: this is for SDC families only.
After School Options
1. Park in a lined space and meet your child on the sidewalk using the crosswalk. Return to your parked car using the crosswalk.
2. Park in a lined space, and your child can use the crosswalk to walk to your parked car.
3. Drive up and around the outside lane along the sidewalk in front of the playground. Pull up as far as you can in the pickup line in a safe manner. Do NOT park in this lane! Please only stop briefly for drop-off/pickup if you see your child in view. Otherwise, please circle around. Stay in this lane to exit the parking lot. Please do not try to move around cars to get out sooner.
School Visitors
Lunch Accounts
Meal accounts can be set up online at linqconnect.com.
You can log in online or download the app to your phone. Meal accounts can be funded, and you can check balances and also set up to receive low balance alerts for your student. There is a $2.60 service fee per transaction.
· Food Service will also accept personal checks made out to LHUSD and cash.
· LHUSD has a “NO CHANGE” policy for meals. Any money given to a cashier for any purchase that has change coming will be put on the student’s account. No change will be given back.
· Any meal that a student picks up will be considered “charged” to the meal account. It is then the parent’s responsibility to pay the meal debt. If you do not want your student to participate, you must inform your student to not go through the meal service lines.
Lunch With Students
We welcome you to come to have lunch with your student. We even have a special table just for you to eat with them.
Per district policy, you may only bring food for your student. Please remember that only your child is permitted to join you at the parent table. All other students must sit with their class.
Student Tardiness and Pick Up Times
Please ensure your students are promptly picked up at the school's release.
If you are running late, please contact the front office immediately.
Safety and Security
At Jamaica, we take the safety of our students, staff, and guests seriously; therefore, we are a closed campus.
It is critical for safety that all guests, including parents and guardians, check in at the front office and sign in for a visitor’s badge. We ask that you do not go into the classrooms without an appointment.
The gates are staying locked in the mornings until 7:45 am. This is for the safety and security of our students in the mornings. Students should wait near the building and away from the drive-through lane. Parents, please drop off and pick up outside the gates.
In the parking lot, please use the crosswalk and do not walk in front of traffic. Thank you to our many parents who follow this rule to help model for our students. (This includes Jamaica Blvd. Please do not cross where there is no crosswalk.)