Jerry Ross Elementary

Kinder Kick-Off was a success! Our incoming kindergarteners took part in a bear hunt today. They prepared by listening to a story read by our librarian, Mrs. Pucher, imagining themselves as explorers, and decorating their own binoculars and vests. Along the way, they saw kindergarten classrooms, the library, the art room, the STEM room, and cafeteria. They were successful in finding the bear! Way to go, explorers!!!

Thank you to our student patrollers, PTO, former students, and other various helpers that helped make these two days wonderful!

Our youngest Rockets are ready to launch!!!







Descriptive text: Elementary school children take part in an explorer-themed activity: coloring "draw yourself as an explorer" worksheets, decorating cardboard-tube binoculars and paper vests, eating snacks, listening to a picture book read aloud, walking through school hallways, and posing with an adult in a polar bear costume.

Okay, Rockets! Help us give a wonderful Jerry Ross welcome our new assistant principal, Mr. McBride! Mr. McBride is a former Crown Point teacher who is returning to the district after time as an administrator in Hanover schools. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in connecting with families and supporting students. We are thrilled to bring him back to our CPCSC team and introduce him to our Jerry Ross family. Welcome home, Mr. McBride!







Descriptive text: Family of four standing outdoors on a deck overlooking a lake, with trees, a beach, and American flags visible in the background. A woman and man stand behind two children. The woman wears a pink shirt and sunglasses; the man wears a gray polo, shorts, and sunglasses. The boy wears a red tank top; the girl wears a white graphic shirt.

Mark your calendars on Tuesday, August 11th for our Back to School Open House! Please look at the flyer below for timeframes. All timeframes are in the evening.

Also, please note that Pre-K (AM) means students who will be attending morning Pre-K and the timeframe of their open house is from 5:00PM-5:30PM.

We can't wait to meet you!







Descriptive text: Flyer with a dark chalkboard background bordered by school supplies (colored pencils, paperclips, push pins, rulers, paintbrushes, scissors). White text reads "Back to School Open House! Tuesday August 11th." Colored text lists times: Pre-K AM 5-5:30, Pre-K PM 5:30-6:00, Kindergarten 5:30-6:00, 1st-5th A-L 6:00-6:30, M-Z 6:30-7.

Come join us for our annual Popsicles on the Playground on Sunday, August 9th from 3:00-4:00! This is a chance for students, parents, teachers, and staff to mingle before the school year starts. Popsicles will be provided by Jerry Ross PTO - thank you!!!






Descriptive text: Flyer titled "Popsicles on the Playground!" with two smiling cartoon popsicle characters (blue-yellow-pink) framing the top. Below, an illustrated playground scene with slide, swings, seesaw, and soccer ball on green grass, city skyline in background. Text reads "9 August 2026, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Jerry Ross Elementary Playground."

We can't wait to meet our newest kindergarten Rockets! Come join us for Kinder Kick-Off on Tuesday, August 4th and Wednesday, August 5th!







Descriptive text: Flyer titled "Jerry Ross Kinder Kick-Off" with a cartoon rocket and school supplies. Text lists dates Tuesday Aug. 4 and Wednesday Aug. 5, 9:00–11:00 AM. Tuesday: drop-off via main entrance walk-in, pick-up car rider line. Wednesday: drop-off and pick-up both car rider line. Bottom shows a boy and girl waving beside a globe, apple, and books.

We are ready for a new year! Annual online registration for returning students is now available. Please check ParentSquare or our website for more information. Stuck or having a tech problem? Please call the front office of your school - we are here to help!

--This includes new kindergarten and preschool families who enrolled earlier this spring.
--Student schedules for high school and middle school students will be visible the evening of August 4th. Schedules will not be visible until a parent completes the registration process.
--Elementary teachers will be announced the evening of Friday, August 7th.
--Bus routes will be posted the afternoon of Monday, August 10. You must complete registration or address changes before August 6 to have transportation on the first day of school.
--If you received a notice that you need to provide new/updated proof of residency documents, you will not be able to log in to PowerSchool until those documents have been provided to your child's school.

Crown Point Schools will host open interviews for part-time paraprofessionals and childcare team members on Tuesday, July 21 from 8-11 a.m. and 3-5 p.m. at our Administration Center, 1050 S. Main St., Crown Point. Please bring your resume if you have one - we look forward to meeting you! More information about available positions is available at www.cps.k12.in.us/careers

Our annual registration window opens in two weeks. For families who like to plan ahead and are ready to enter the back-to-school mindset, more information is available on our website and in the We Are CP magazine residents are receiving this week. Not ready to think about this yet? That's okay. We will send email reminders when it's time to register.😉

Did you know Astronaut Col. Jerry Ross will be headlining Crown Point’s 4th of July parade? We hope many current and former Rockets will be able to attend this special occasion!

See Crown Point Cares post below for more information.







Descriptive text for shared post: A person in a white NASA spacesuit sits before a blue backdrop and a U.S. flag. The suit displays multiple mission patches and a U.S. flag patch on the sleeve. A helmet rests on the table in front. Glasses are worn.

Jerry Ross Headlining Crown Point’s Fourth of July Parade;
City Expands Event with More Floats and Fireworks
CROWN POINT — The City of Crown Point is celebrating America 250 with a bigger-and-better
Fourth of July celebration.
The parade will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 4, on Main Street at Crown Point High School and
end at the Tank on Goldsborough Street.
To commemorate the 250th anniversary, there will be 25 floats highlighting America’s story
from the Boston Tea Party to the 1969 Moon Landing and seven floats celebrating Crown
Point’s local history.
NASA astronaut and U.S. Air Force veteran Jerry Ross will lead this year’s parade as the grand
marshal. Honorees also include Indiana Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Slaughter and Crown
Point Philanthropist Don Burrell.
Staging for the parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. Parade participants will stage at Crown Point High
School. Emergency vehicles will line up along South Main Street between Burrell Drive and
Cleveland Street.
This year’s enhanced fireworks show, presented by Mad Bomber Fireworks Productions, will
begin at dusk, approximately 9 p.m., at the Lake County Fairgrounds, 889 S. Court St.
Food vendors will be set up near the Grandstand beginning at 5 p.m.
“This year’s parade will be a fantastic celebration honoring this significant milestone in our
country. The Fourth of July Parade has always been one of my favorite events, and I look
forward to an even bigger celebration this year,” Mayor Pete Land said. “Stay tuned for more
surprises as we honor our past while looking toward the future.”
Parade applications are currently open and close Saturday, June 20, 2026.

To date, sponsors for this year’s celebration include American Structurepoint; Bapple & Bapple;
Butler, Fairman & Seufert Civil Engineers; Carstar Liss Body & Paint; Cory & Lauren Detamore
Family; Commonwealth Engineers, Inc.; Crown Point Clerk-Treasurer Dave Benson and Staff;
Crown Point Community Foundation; Crown Point residents Donald and Alice Burrell, Chuck
and Sherri Smoljan and Jan Smoljan; Culver’s of Crown Point; Diamond Peak Homes; Etzler
Lawhead Legal Group; Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana; Horizon Bank; Jeffrey's Belush
Jewelers; Katiko Creative; McMahon & Associates; Northwestern Indiana Building &
Construction Trades Council; Olthof Homes; Ozinga; PBS; Powering America; Puntillo & Crane
Orthodontics; Surf Internet; Ron Pierce, State Farm Agent; Strack & Van Til; The Chuck and Joy
Kolar Family; The McCord Family; The Nickla Group; Town Planner; and TownePlace Suites
Crown Point & Hampton Inn Crown Point.
Sponsorship applications must be complete by Saturday, June 13. For more information or to
sign up, visit crownpoint.info/july4.
In honor of the milestone, the City is partnering with local businesses for Red, White & Give
fundraisers for the parade. Stop by Chipotle in Crown Point on Broadway from 4-8 p.m. June 7.
A portion of proceeds will be donated to the City for the Fourth of July celebration.
Residents also will have the chance to purchase commemorative America 250 apparel from
Generate by visiting crownpoint.info/250store.
The City also will have commemorative America 250 ornaments for sale beginning in mid-June
on the first floor of City Hall, 101 N. East St.
A special thank you goes to our 2026 Fourth of July Parade Planning Committee led by Chuck
and Sherri Smoljan. The committee began working with the City in summer 2025 to make the
250th Parade bigger and better than ever.
The community is invited to vote for their favorite Fourth of July Parade entry by visiting
www.crownpoint.in.gov. Winners will be announced during the August City Council meeting.
For more information on the parade, or to volunteer, call the PACE Department at
219-661-2271.