Principal Message - August 25th

Greetings Husky Families
 
The 2024-25 school year is here and we are excited to welcome our students back to Jahn School of Fine Arts.  It has been wonderful having staff back in the building this past week learning and preparing for the arrival of our students.  School starts promptly on Monday, August 26th at 8 am.  
 
Our goal at Jahn is to continuously provide an environment where the whole child can flourish.  This, of course, comes with engaging instruction that is coupled with the integration of fine arts.  Stay tuned for a year filled with learning and plenty of excitement.  

I am honored and extremely excited to enter my 3rd year as the instructional leader of this great place of learning.  After two years of leading Jahn alone, I am glad to be joined by my co-leader, Dr. Manuel Ferreras.  If you have not had a chance to meet Dr. Ferreras, you’re in for a treat.  He brings the same energy for learning, students and staff as you have seen in me.   
 
For our returning families, I would like to say “Welcome Back!”  To those who are new to the Husky family, I want to thank you for choosing Jahn as the place for your child’s education.  Jahn will provide your child with a great educational experience where we cater to the whole child.  
 
Although this message is long, it contains important information for the beginning of the school year.  To assist you in making this year great, I would like to share with you some logistics for our opening day and a “sneak peek” of upcoming events.  
 
Arrival and dismissal procedures:  School hours are from 8 am to 3 pm.  Please assist us in making both arrival and dismissal safe and smooth.  During the mornings, weather permitting, we will meet your children in the playground area (Grades K-8).   As before, we will have staff members available along Wolcott (heading north) for our Kiss N’ Go.  For the safety of our students, it is important that you follow the traffic patterns during pick up and drop off.  We ask that you support our staff and truly assist us with the flow of traffic by quickly transitioning your child from the car.  Due to the small size of Wolcott and Fletcher streets, traffic flow will be one way during arrival and dismissal (Wolcott traffic will flow north and Fletcher traffic will flow west).  Streets will be blocked for this one way traffic flow as early as 7:45 am until 8:05 am and again at 2:45 pm until around 3:05 pm for dismissal.  
 
For the safety of all, please do not drop students off in the crosswalk.  We have a number of curbside areas where students can be dropped off.  There will also be a number of staff members on the Jahn campus every morning and afternoon to support your child’s smooth transition.  
 
Below is specific information about where students should line up: (staff members will be on the playground to support your child’s arrival and teachers will have signage displaying their name and room number).  
 
Pre-K:  Students will say goodbye outside and enter the doors on Fletcher Street with their teacher.  Most, if not all, of our Pre-K families have had the opportunity to meet our Pre-K teachers:  Ms. Shannon, Ms. Jackie, and Ms. Nancy (room 001); Ms. Mary and Ms. Jazmin (room 002); Dr. Coleman, Ms. Abby, and Ms. Kimyatta (room 101); Mr. Fredy (room 102) and Ms. Sarah and Ms. Cindy (room 103).  They will also dismiss from these doors.  Stay tuned for personnel additions to our Pre-K team.  
 
Grades K-2:  Students will line up on the basketball court.   Our K-2 team includes the following:  Kindergarten:  Ms. Cruz (room 108) and Ms. Maddy (room 109); First grade:  Ms. Salgado (room 207) and Mrs. Slechta (room 209); Second grade:  Ms. Stamos (room 208).  Students will be dismissed from the Belmont Street doors.  Kindergarten will start their dismissal at 2:50, followed by 1st grade at 2:55, and 2nd grade right at 3:00 pm.  
 
Grades 3rd-8th:  Students will enter the building through our main entrance.  Teachers are as follows:  3rd grade:  Ms. Mavros (room 204); 4th grade: Mrs. Harris (room 203); 5th grade: Mrs. Chen (room 202); 6th grade: Mrs. Buhler (room 305); 7th grade: Mrs. Walsh (room 301) and 8th grade: Mrs. Rodkey (room 302).  Students will be dismissed from the main entrance doors.
 
Arrival in inclement weather: On very cold or rainy days, drop-off begins at 7:45 am.  PK-4th grade students will wait in the lower portion of the auditorium and 5th-8th graders will wait in the balcony area.  We will have a number of staff supervising students in both locations until teachers pick them up at 8 am.  Both areas will be full, so parents please drop your children off and depart.
 
Early dismissal:  If you are picking up your child early, please come to the main office and we will call them down.  Please understand that we can not promise an early dismissal in the last 20 minutes of the day due to office traffic and classes being dismissed.  
 
After-School Programming:  After school programming is offered through the YMCA.  Programming is from 3 to 6 pm.  Students in our primary grades (Pre-K through 2nd) are transitioned to the YMCA staff by their classroom teacher.  Parents can pick up students from a member of that staff from our main entrance.  Signage will be posted to assist you with picking up your child.  
 
Please do not leave students unsupervised before 7:45 am or after 3:30 pm.  
 
Security and visitor management:  All parents/guardians and visitors coming into the building must enter through the main entrance, and check in at the security desk.  We understand that some parents will walk with preschoolers, and kindergarteners in the first few days to ease separation anxiety.  For other grades, after the first week, please do not walk with your children to class.  
 
CPS Calendar:  This link provides you with the 2024-25 CPS Calendar.  It includes days off and vacations.  Please work to schedule trips or appointments during times students are not in school.  Our school day starts promptly at 8 am.  A detailed calendar that includes specific dates for Jahn events is forthcoming.  
 
Meal Menus:  All students, except half day Pre-K,  receive free breakfast and lunch regardless of income.  Students can also bring their own nut-free lunch.  CPS meal menus are here: CPS Meal viewer - Jahn
 
Beyond that, I, or any member of the Jahn family are here to support your child each and  every day.  Additional information will come your way throughout this week and you will receive a weekly update every Monday.  I am looking forward to an amazing school year.  Go Huskies!!!!!
 
Warmest Regards
 
Dr. Kimbrough and Dr. Ferreras

Upcoming Events/Dates:  

Diverse Learners Council (DLC) meeting: Thursday, August 29th - 9:15 am.   Are you interested in joining our community of parents of students with disabilities?  Our DLC will host their first meeting of the year on Thursday, August 29th at 9:15 am in our parent room.  Come Join us!  
 
Faces of Jahn:  Friday, August 30th - 8:30 am.  Please join us as we close out our first week of school with our annual pep rally on the playlot.  This event is our first of many school-wide community building events during this school year.  As you drop off your child, stick around for coffee provided by Friends of Jahn (8:00 to 8:30 am) before the event kicks off, good music, good fun, and a chance to meet every member of the Jahn school family.  
 
Popsicles on the Playground:  Friday, August 30th - 3 pm.  Let's keep the first week celebrations going with Popsicles on the Playground after school.  Join Friends of Jahn from 3-4pm on the playlot for a free treat and mix and mingle with other Jahn families. 
 
Labor Day:  Monday, September 2nd.  School will be closed in observance of the contributions of American workers. 
 
For Further Assistance:  
 
Enrollment, Parent Portal, Student Fees, Transportation, Volunteering, and Ventra Cards: Contact: Margo Innocente [email protected]
 
After School Programming: [email protected]  
 
504/IEP Questions: Jackie Defina [email protected]