The Eagle Express
News & Updates from
South Jackson Elementary School
Embedded Files
Upcoming Events:
October 27th-31st-Red Ribbon Week
October 27th-Fifth Grade Family Event, Classrooms at 8:00 AM and Fifth Grade CHAMPS Graduation, Gym at 8:30 AM
October 29th-Third Grade Family Event, Classrooms at 8:30 AM
October 29th-First Grade Family Event, Classrooms at 12:00 PM
October 30th-All Pro Dads, 7:00 AM Gym
Welcome back, Eagles! We hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful and relaxing Fall Break. It’s been great to see so many smiles and positive energy filling our halls again for this short week of learning during the beautiful fall season.
October marks the quarter point of our school year, which means it’s time for report cards and the start of parent-teacher conferences. Be on the lookout next week—on or around October 23—for your child’s report card or a call from their teacher to schedule a conference. Conferences will be scheduled throughout the fall and winter and provide a valuable opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher about their progress and pathway to success.
Families of students in third through fifth grade will notice an important change this quarter — a shift to numerical grades on report cards. This update is designed to provide clearer, more consistent feedback on student performance. You can view the slide deck below for more information about how grades will now be reported.
We encourage you to take time to talk with your child about their progress and reach out to their teacher with any questions. Together, we can continue to help every Eagle SOAR!
Don’t miss our next All Pro Dad meeting on October 30th at 7:00 AM in the gym! One morning a month, dads and their kids spend quality time together before school, making lasting memories.
We invite all veterans and their families to join us for our special Veterans Day program on November 11, 2025, at 8:30 AM in the South Jackson Elementary Gym. This event honors the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country. Please RSVP HERE.
As part of our celebration, we’re creating a slideshow featuring veterans connected to our SJ community. If you would like to honor your veteran in the slideshow, please submit a photo and all information requested on the form below by November 7th to angie.embry@jcss.us or send them to the school. If you’ve submitted photos in previous years, there’s no need to resend; our slideshow continues to grow each year!
Let’s come together to honor our heroes and show our gratitude for their service.
We are thrilled to announce all JCSS schools are adopting the Raptor Safe mobile application as part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing school safety, while streamlining visitor management check-in at our schools. The Raptor Safe app builds upon existing visitor procedures, offering a more convenient and secure check-in process for visitors.
What is the Raptor Safe App?
The Raptor Safe app offers a convenient and secure way for visitors to manage and verify their identity before arriving at a school. With the Raptor Passport feature, visitors can pre-verify their identity, allowing for a seamless sign-in process when they arrive on campus.
How Does It Work?
When visiting a school, visitors can use their secure QR code generated by the app to expedite the check-in process. QR codes automatically regenerate every 5 minutes to ensure security and prevent misuse.
Getting Started
Click Here to access the Raptor Safe Set Up Guide
Mark your calendars! The Athens Rock Lobsters are hosting FOUR JCSS Foundation nights! A portion of every ticket sold will be donated back to the Foundation to support staff grants and student scholarships! Tickets are on sale now! Visit www.jcssfoundation.org/upcomingevents.
The SJ Reading Challenge is officially underway! Our Eagles are teaming up with the Athens Rock Lobsters in the Rocking & Reading Program to log 1,000 minutes of reading by December 17th. Students who reach their goal will earn a FREE Rock Lobsters game ticket!
Claws Up, and let’s get reading, Eagles!
The JCSS Foundation has partnered with the Atlanta Falcons for a fundraiser on Sunday, Nov. 16, against the Carolina Panthers. You can purchase tickets by clicking here.
Show your Eagle pride with SJES Spirit Wear! From comfy sweatshirts and sweatpants to tees and shorts, we’ve got the perfect gear for every Eagle. Let’s fill the halls with Eagle spirit! #greatdayatsj https://jacksoncountyga.schoolwindow.com/estore/sjes.html
South Jackson Elementary is seeking Partners in Education for 2025–2026!
Do you know, visit, or own a business that wants to make a difference in our school community? We’d love for that business to join us as a Partner in Education!
Partnership packages include recognition opportunities such as:
✔️ Logo on our LED road sign
✔️ Logo in the yearbook
✔️ Logo in the Eagle Express parent newsletter
✔️ Table at Open House
Check out the flyer for details about available partnership packages. If you’re interested, please reach out. We’d love to connect!
SJ’s Mindset Heroes for Passion First remind us what it means to follow your strengths, pursue your interests, and live with authenticity. Thank you for inspiring our Eagle community to put passion first!
Just a friendly reminder for our Eagle families—there’s no need to line up early for car rider pickup. Our line moves quickly and efficiently, taking only about 20 minutes from start to finish. Car rider dismissal begins at 2:40 and ends at 2:55. Arriving too early can block the school entrance, so we appreciate your help in keeping the process safe and smooth for all.
Safety is our top priority during arrival and dismissal. Help everyone stay on time and out of harm's way by following our trusty eagle timeline and car rider protocols. Staff will be on hand at the front of the school every day from 7:00-7:35 and 2:35-2:55 to ensure student safety.
Calling All SJ Innovators!
Bring your ideas to life; the JCSS Student Technology Competition is coming! Show off your skills in animation, game design, robotics, graphic design, multimedia, and MORE. Winners from our school will advance to the district level.
Open to all students in third through fifth grades, and projects are due by November 3rd.
Learn more and see all the categories HERE.
South Jackson Elementary Named Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School
South Jackson Elementary School has been named a Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Lighthouse School, the highest honor bestowed upon the organization.
South Jackson Elementary School met the required criteria in nine performance areas of high performing schools required for the prestigious recognition. SJES was recognized for its student focus and support; school organization and culture; challenging standard and curriculum; active teaching and learning; technology and integration; professional community; leadership and education vitality; school, family and community partnerships; and indicators of success.
South Jackson Elementary School is the fifth school within the Jackson County School System to earn the prestigious honor, joining East Jackson Elementary School, Maysville Elementary School, East Jackson High School and West Jackson Middle School.
The Blue Ribbon Lighthouse certification lasts for five years for South Jackson Elementary School, during which time it will have the opportunity to collaborate on exemplary practices with other schools on a local, regional and national level, as well as providing mentoring and networking to schools actively seeking guidance and assistance on improvement initiatives.
Did you know we have our own Little Free Library? Located in the back parking lot near the trail entrance, this tiny library is filled with books waiting to be discovered. Feel free to stop by to take a book or leave a children's book for others to borrow; let's keep SJ Eagles reading!
The Nicholson Public Library has something for everyone! Check out the October events, and remember, students may use their JCSS lunch number to check out books!
JCSSCanvasParentLogin.pdf
Here Comes The Bus for the Jackson County School System is now live! Here Comes The Bus allows for families and students to track the location of their school bus. The app will notify families of morning and afternoon arrival, and is a great transportation enhancement. Please note the app may take 24-48 hours to update. If after a problem with the application arises following the update window, please contact the JCSS Transportation Department via email at transportation@jcss.us. #SuccessatJCSS #AllAroundExcellence
Scan the QR code below for the SJ Road List.
Infinite Campus
All families should set up an Infinite Campus Parent Portal Account. Click HERE to set up your child's account. This account allows you to receive important school messages through the Parent Square app. If you have trouble with this process, email Mrs. Embry at angie.embry@jcss.us After a parent portal account has been activated, please allow 24 hours for the information to sync with the Parent Square app to be able to message teachers. If you are unable to use Parent Square at any time, please send your child's teacher an email.
Thank you to our Partners in Education! Your support means so much to our school community.
Every day is a great day at SJ!
Every day is a great day at SJ!
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