Last night, we had an amazing evening of the arts, a display of our children's many talents, an exercise of what our school is capable of. This was the first time in JF Elementary history that children were to perform a dance for their winter performance.

In years past, it had been tradition for students to sing songs of the season. However, the arrangement had practical disadvantages due to the lack of space in our multipurpose room for the community to attend. We would alternate from year to year with K-3rd and 4th-6th performing in this season. Though the music was beautifully enjoyable, not everyone was able to participate and exercise their talents.

With this in mind, we did what we always encourage our students to due: Think outside of the box! We invited Vic and his dance crew to lead in choreographing an area of the arts that is not too commonly taught in South Monterey County: Dance. It was "out of the box" indeed; many students were hesitant. They were not used to hearing or moving to music as an expression of art, especially that of a variety of genres. Anxiety prodded at many of our students at the thought of dancing with a partner. Yes, even we teachers became worried at seeing their initial dismay.

Yet, we thought of what we had always taught our students. We had always set high standards and goals for them, not to be discouraged, but because we knew they had the capability of attaining them! Why would participating and demonstrating their learning in this essential human expression be any different? We chose to persist in this new endeavor for our children; we knew they would overcome their own fears and feel the exhilaration of doing what was at once thought impossible.

Through the use of those dances, our students exercised a skill in the arts that is a whole-body learning experience. Not only was spacial awareness developed, an essential skill for mathematical visualization, but social interaction, physical education, organization and planning, social-emotional awareness, persistence in overcoming fears, and many other essential life skills were taught.

We do realize that there were some aspects of the performance that could have been made better in retrospect. The crowds of community members could have been regulated. Teachers could have been more visible. A more efficient system of locating students after their performances could have been established. Perhaps we could have foreseen the power outage! We have taken note of these, and rest assured that we are as motivated to make next time a smoother experience for everyone! We thank the community for understanding that with any worthwhile endeavor there are "hiccups" along the way. The road to mastery in any educational experience is cramped and bumpy. But how worth it it was to see our children have so many memories made in spite of those challenges!

We would like to thank everyone for their participation and understanding. And thank you students for making our year end something to dance about! 😉🕺💃

What a great experience our sixth graders had to learn from nature herself at Rancho El Chorro science camp! Students had the memorable opportunity to engage with activities and bond with friends, demonstrating and exercising good citizenship throughout. There were so many exploratory activities that we are going to let the pictures speak for themselves.

In addition to academic reinforcement, our young children matured into young adults by learning how to collaborate with others that they did not know well, establish cleaning routines, practice healthy eating and hygiene,  and problem solve when there is no specific direction on an issue.

We'd like to extend our gratitude to our chaperones, who had the brunt of the responsibility on leading our cabin groups and ensuring their safety. Moreover, the Rancho El Chorro staff, JF office staff, accompanying teachers, and transportation departments have our heartfelt appreciation for the work and flexibility they exemplified.

Lastly, thank all of you that participated in fundraisers and donated to the event to make it all possible!

Tonight our students shown more brightly than the stars as stars of their own at the Jack's Got Talent third annual talent show. We are proud of our students who put in the hours of rehearsal and overcame the stage fright that inhibits many adults. The energy in the room was felt, and parents and caregivers were able to witness memories that will last a lifetime! Thank you for making this evening a riveting success!

On Wednesday, students from kindergarten through third grade performed songs of joy very appropriate for the new season. Students did a fantastic job as always. This is also the first time kindergarten joined the other grades in performing at a school-wide event. The stage was packed, and the house was even more so, but that's due to the love and support of the parents and community. Thank you for making the evening successful!

Our Winter Program celebrated with musical tones the enthusiasm students have had this half-year of learning. The house was packed as you, students' loved ones, filled the space as students filled the air with song. Thank you for your support, and have a refreshing winter vacation!

​Twice a school year, students, parents, and teachers meet together in conference week to get updated on learning progress. Students and community members look forward to this week for those reasons but also look forward to the book fair that goes on. Students especially become enthused with reading and picking a book with which to do so.

We had a stupendous turnout for our reading night and art fair, demonstrating parent commitment to children's learning. Parents and caregivers were able to converse with teachers, witness their children learning, and pick up on strategies that can be used at home to increase literacy and create a love for reading. Additionally, a beautiful gallery of our student art was showcased to the attendees, for free! The event certainly merited an entrance fee, but for our community, students certainly exerted themselves to create impressive exhibits out of the goodness of their hearts. Thank you to all who made this event successful!

Last Wednesday, JFE had its annual carnival bringing the community together for fun and food! Students got to play games with their teachers and show their parents around the school! Check out these pictures from the event.

Back to School Night 2018 was a roaring success thanks to our Lions and their families. Thank you to all who helped make it such. Enjoy some pictures of the evening.

Students over the course of a few weeks witnessed the growth of a caterpillar to a butterfly and wrote their final papers about them.  Here, students released the full grown butterflies.