Henry J. Kaiser Elementary School

Congratulations to Gilmore Elementary School for being selected as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School. Gilmore ES was 1 of 356 schools throughout the United States to be chosen for this prestigious award. As stated on the NBRS website, "this prestigious award serves not only as a symbol of exemplary American schools, but also as an inspiration for schools across the nation. It affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students thrive". Once again, congratulations to the students, faculty, guardians, and community for being selected as a top school in the nation.

Jackson County Schools and Henry J Kaiser Elementary School are committed to the safety and education of all our students. Essential to this commitment is open communication with our families and school community about potential concerns when they arise. For this reason, I wanted to share some information regarding unsubstantiated or rumored threats circulating on a social media messaging platform. Please rest assured that we take all threats seriously. Upon notification of reported threats, we contact law enforcement immediately to investigate any threat and its validity. The reported messages are being investigated and appear to be similar to other threats or messages being spread throughout our region. Jackson County Schools has not been identified in a post to our knowledge, but many schools in our region have been named. We understand that situations like this can be concerning, and we want to assure you that we are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all. Once again, we want to emphasize our unwavering commitment to the safety of our students and staff. We are grateful for the support and collaboration of our school communities and law enforcement agencies. Together, we will continue to work diligently to keep our schools safe and secure. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to get in touch with me directly at (304)273-2692. Thank you for your continued trust and support as we work together to keep our school community safe.

Good evening, Jackson County Families. Our guest speaker, Katie Greer, will be at Ravenswood High School Auditorium tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. She is an acclaimed internet safety expert, who leverages her extensive experience with law enforcement to educate families on safe digital practices. The presentation will last an hour and will include various topics such as digital trends affecting adolescents, social media use, and key strategies to help families use technology more thoughtfully and intentionally. If you have any time in your schedule, this will be a worthwhile event to attend. You must be 18 years old to participate in the event. Childcare will be provided. Thank you and have a wonderful evening.

The Mental Health Series for September!

HJK will be holding our first Local School Improvement Council (LSIC) meeting on Monday, September 9th at 4:30 in the cafeteria. We would like to invite all parents/guardians to attend this meeting! Immediately following the LSIC meeting, we will have our first PTO meeting of the new school year. Hope to see you there!

Good evening, Jackson County Families. Please mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 10, 2024, for our guest speaker Katie Greer. She is an acclaimed internet safety expert, who leverages her extensive experience with law enforcement to educate families on safe digital practices. The presentation will last an hour and will include various topics such as digital trends affecting adolescents, social media use, and key strategies to help families use technology more thoughtfully and intentionally. You must be 18 years old to attend the event. The event will occur in the Ravenswood High School Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Childcare will be provided. Thank you and have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

There will be a Read Aloud training for parents/caregivers on September 3, 6:00 at the Ripley Public Library. Anyone who participates in the county Read Aloud program must have this training.

I am so proud of these ten students! They returned their Summer Reading Workbook!

Good evening. I hope everyone had a great opening day of school. This year, Jackson County Schools has attempted to reduce the amount of required forms sent home for parents to complete on opening day. The digital forms we used last year are no longer available due to the company not meeting our school system’s standards. However, there are 3 forms for elementary students and 4 forms for middle/high school students that must be returned to your child's school as soon as possible. The elementary forms include the Acceptable Use Policy, Emergency Card, and Student Code of Conduct. Middle/High School forms include the 3 previously mentioned forms and the MacBook/iPad agreement. Extra forms and basic information that each family should review are located on the JCBOE website under the tab “start of school info.” If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school. Have a wonderful evening.

Good evening. This is Will Hosaflook, Superintendent of Jackson County Schools. Tomorrow brings much anticipation with the start of a new school year. I am so excited to see our students and employees back in our buildings as we continue to work together to make Jackson County Schools the best school district in our state. Once again, Jackson County Schools continues to move up in the state rankings. According to the website School Digger, which rates WV school districts, Jackson County Schools has moved up and is now ranked third in the school district listing for our state. This would not be possible without the unwavering support of our great families and employees in Jackson County. As we continue to climb in academic rankings, change is not only necessary, it is inevitable. We will continue to make necessary changes, whether it is schedule adjustments, student acceleration, student remediation, or offering unique opportunities for students to grow. Leading the state will not come easy. It will take hard work, determination, and perseverance from our children, as well as for the entire community to demand high expectations and excellence in our schools. I believe in the power of public education as well as our parents, our employees, and especially our communities. Anything is possible; we must be willing to outwork all others to accomplish our goals. As always, I ask for your patience on the first day of school. There are many moving parts that we will continually perfect throughout the year. Once again, thank you for your support and encouragement as we start another exciting school year. Thank you and have a wonderful evening.

Digital Safety for Families - Trends and Strategies - Caregiver Event @ Ravenswood High School Auditorium Tuesday, Sept 10, 2024 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Good evening. This is a reminder that all Jackson County Schools are closed on Monday, May 27, 2024, On Tuesday, May 28th, Jackson County Schools will have a three-hour early dismissal, which is the last day of the school year for all students. If your child rides a bus, the bus will arrive at the drop-off location three hours before the normal drop-off time. As always, you can check the Zonar app to see the exact location of your child’s bus at any given time. Have a safe and wonderful summer!

Good Evening. This is a reminder that our first session with ParentGuidance.org is tomorrow at 6:00 p.m., covering Social Media and How to Protect Your Child. This is the first of four Mental Health Series meetings Jackson County Schools will deliver throughout the summer and early fall. Guardians with students in any grade level are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be presented on a ZOOM platform for parents' convenience and privacy. The meeting will be presented in the Ravenswood High School Auditorium if you cannot access the internet or Teams. Please visit your child's school website or Jackson County School's website to register for the Parent Series or click the following address. https://tinyurl.com/2ax96vkc Thank you and have a wonderful evening.

Good Evening. Jackson County Schools has partnered with ParentGuidance.org, an online service for parents to learn how to support their children and get answers to mental health questions. Jackson County will offer the first of 4 Mental Health Series on Monday the 20th from 6 until 7pm. The topic is Social Media and How to Protect Your Child. The meeting will be presented on a ZOOM Meeting platform for parents' convenience and privacy. If you cannot access the internet or Teams, the meeting will be presented at the Ravenswood High School Auditorium. Please visit your child's school website or Jackson County School's website to register for the Parent Series. You can also register by clicking the following link. https://tinyurl.com/2ax96vkc Thank you and have a great evening.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts have arrived! If you marked the order form that your child is a "walker" or "pick-up", we will deliver your order to your car when you pick your child up. If your child rides a bus, you may begin collecting your orders now.

Struggling to keep up with the ever-changing world of technology and its impact on your kids? You're not alone. Join us for an upcoming session that dives deep into protecting your children in today's digital age.

Good evening. This is a reminder that all Jackson County Schools are closed on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, for Election Day. Have a wonderful evening.

PTO has extra yearbooks for $20.00. They will be available in the front office on a first come first serve basis.

Good evening. This is a reminder that Jackson County Schools is hosting two events tomorrow evening showcasing our students’ talents. The county Art Show will begin right after school at Ravenswood Middle and the Elementary Track Championship meet will begin at 5:00 p.m. at Ripley High School. The cost of admission to the track meet is $1.00. Additional parking is available at Ripley Elementary School. Thank you and have a wonderful evening.

Important PTO reminders: Doughnut orders are due this week! The Book Fair will be open through Thursday! We invite you to our final PTO meeting of the year on Monday, 5/6 at 5:30 pm!