The Dragon Digest

There is a particular rhythm to May in an elementary school.

The calendar fills quickly with concerts, field trips, celebrations, rehearsals, and end-of-year traditions. One afternoon might hold a kindergarten concert while another includes a fifth grade trip to Hershey Park, preparations for promotion, or plans for the annual fifth grade picnic. In between are spirit days, classroom projects, Spring Festival memories, and all of the small moments that somehow only happen during this final stretch of the school year.

The building feels different in May.

There is excitement in the air, especially for our fifth graders as they begin participating in the culminating events that mark the end of their time as Dragons. At the same time, there is also a very real sense of exhaustion. Students feel it. Staff feel it. Families probably feel it too. Summer is close enough now that we can almost smell it.

And yet, in the middle of all of that energy, the work continues.

Classrooms are still filled with meaningful learning. Teachers are still pushing students academically and encouraging them to finish the year strong. We continue talking with students about kindness, patience, responsibility, and treating one another well — especially during a time of year when emotions and fatigue can sometimes run high.

In many ways, that may be the true shape of May: joyful, busy, loud, memorable, exhausting, exciting, and deeply meaningful all at once.

For schools, May is rarely quiet or orderly. It is a month that stretches in every direction at once, and all of us are stretched right along with it. But when you step back and look at it as a whole, there is something pretty remarkable about seeing an entire school community trying to finish well together.

Proud to be a Dragon,

One of the best parts of an elementary school is watching learning come to life in unexpected ways.

This week, our first grade students had the opportunity to participate in a highly engaging DiscoverEd experience focused on the world of physics and flight. For a little while, classrooms looked and sounded different as students stepped away from their normal routines and into the role of young engineers, designers, and problem-solvers.

Students explored basic concepts connected to motion, force, and aerodynamics before applying what they learned by creating their own tubular hoop flyers. The excitement was immediate. Students tested designs, made adjustments, encouraged one another, and celebrated both successful flights and spectacular crashes along the way.

At one point, the hallways of Jarrettown were filled with laughter, cheering, and something students are not usually encouraged to do in school: throw paper flyers down the hallway as hard as they could.

What made the experience especially meaningful was seeing how naturally curiosity took over. Students were asking questions, experimenting, revising, and learning through trial and error without even realizing how much academic thinking was happening in the process.

Experiences like this remind us that learning does not always look the same. Sometimes it happens quietly with books and pencils. Other times it happens in noisy hallways filled with flying paper creations and excited first graders discovering that science can be both challenging and incredibly fun.

Friday, May 22nd

(Rain Date Thursday, June 4th)

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Field Day is right around the corner! I hope that you are able to join us as a spectator. The festivities will begin at 9:30am for grades K-2 and 1:40pm for grades 3-5. Below you will find a schedule of events and student reminders.

Schedule of Events:

9:20am-10:50am: Grades K-2 (volunteers from 9:10-11:10)

9:20-am-9:30am: Opening Ceremonies

9:30am-10:50am: Field Day Events

10:50am Students will return to class

1:40pm-3:10PM: Grades 3-5 (volunteers from 1:30-3:20)

1:40pm-1:50pm: Opening Ceremonies

1:50pm-3:10pm: Field Day Events

3:10pm Students will return to class

Thank You,

Mrs. Richter

Mrs. Richter

Health and Physical Education Teacher

Jarrettown Elementary School

krichter@udsd.org

At the end of the month, we will host orientations for parents and guardians of incoming kindergarteners for the 2026–2027 school year. These sessions provide a valuable opportunity to meet our team, learn what to expect next year, and have your questions answered. Please note that orientations are open to families of registered students only, so be sure your child is enrolled.

JTES Kindergarten Orientation Date (For Parents Only)

May 27 @ 9:30AM

Enroll Now

Join us at Sandy Run Middle School for the sixth grade production of Annie Jr.! With her trademark optimism, Annie reminds us that “the sun will come out tomorrow." Come support our student performers as they bring this beloved classic to life!

Annie Jr. Tickets