J.B. Watkins Elementary PTA

All Kindergarten Coalminers are in the building today!
It's nice to have the whole family together.

Friends, heed this advice. We post it every year, and there is a reason. After spending the summer in a state of "whatever" and being slammed with structure again this week, their brains are oatmeal, their feelings are a mess, and they can't deal.

If you made exciting "end of the first week" plans, consider changing them. By changing, I mean you should probably cancel... unless your idea of a fun Friday night involves public meltdowns.

Read Jen's post below. Read more at https://jenhatmaker.com/yearly-back-to-school-psa/ . The advice is sage and comes from experience.

Teachers... this goes for you too.

My OG's here already know this, but for any new darlings who've stumbled into my little corner of the internet, here is my yearly PSA about the first week/weekend of school:

Listen up and listen up good. The first week of school is a gauntlet that I wonder how our kids survive every year. Having basically lived in a frat house all summer, they are now expected to sit in chairs all day, pay attention, learn new rules, figure out the social hierarchy, be quiet, and keep their mental foot on the gas for 7-8 hours a day.

They are WASTED. Absolutely cooked. If by some miracle they don't melt down at school, you can bet your bottom dollar they will at home. Prepare to experience armageddon over the after-school snack being cut wrong. They can't deal. It is like their little minds and bodies went to Marine Boot Camp for babies. Remy started her senior year yesterday, came home at 2:00, and slept from 2:06-10:45pm. God help us.

So do NOT, under any circumstances WHATSOEVER, plan anything for the first Friday night/whole weekend of the first week of school. I don't care if Barack and Michelle Obama invite you over for a barbecue. You are staying home. You make exactly zero plans. Zero. Your only job is to keep your wasted children calm enough to fall asleep on the couch by 6:15pm.

"I HATE SCHOOOOOOOL. MY TEACHER IS SO MEEEEEEAN."
"Mmm-hmmm. That sounds hard."
"WHY DIDN'T YOU SEND ME A GOOD LUNCH?????"
"We can work on that."
"YOU DIDN'T GET ME THE RIGHT BACKPAAAAAAACK!!"
"Let's have a snack."

They are wild, crazed animals. Do not take the exhaustion bait. Just nod. They are right. Everything is terrible and you did everything wrong. Let them air all their grievances. They need a banana and some water. Don't ask them a hundred questions about school. Don't ask them four questions about school. It's not the time, moms.

When they come home Friday, have the lights low, their cozy spot on the couch ready, a soft blanket to cover them with, pizza ordered, and a movie on. THAT IS IT. That is the end of your agenda. They will make it through 8 minutes of the show and be in REM sleep.

If in an emergency you can't peel them off the rafters, put them in a Feelings Bath: bubbles, music, a candle, a little snack and drink next to them. This has a 100% success rate. They will NOT WANT A BATH except when you put them in it and they emerge as a calm, regulated child again. Then off to the pizza and movie couch.

Trust me on this one. If I know anything at all, I know that your "fun plans" for the first Friday night of school are doomed to catastrophe. Unless you love throwing sobbing, overstimulated children into your minivan halfway through the thing, just stay home.

Last year, moms posted pics of their kids asleep after school on the first week, and this is the whole reason Al Gore invented the internet. Half off couches, face down on the tile, asleep next to their dinner plate. God bless and keep the babies. Please post below accordingly.

Finally, teachers? Take every word I said above and apply it to yourself. MAKE NO PLANS THIS WEEKEND. The most you are allowed to do is call Domino's.

Remaining Kindergarten students are in the building today... Let's see those first day pics from this group!

You guys shared some amazing first day pics yesterday!! We'd love to have them for the yearbook. Submitting images is super easy... just go to hjeshare.com and enter "watkins" for the code, then follow the prompts!

In case you missed it, here's this week's Miner Message from JB Watkins Elementary - CCPS!

Miner Message Miner Message August 20, 2023

Happy New Year!!!
Let's see some first day pics in the comments. 👇

Thank you, staff, for everything you’ve done to get ready for our children. It’s going to be a great year!

ATTENTION COALMINERS!

We need assistance helping our youngest students to and from the bus during the first couple of weeks. If you can spare some time during a morning or afternoon, it would be so appreciated! You can sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0949a9a722a57-kindergarten #/

So many smiles at open house today!! Post your pics in the comments.

Busy, busy getting packets stuffed and ready for those coalminers!

We have our first Miner Message of the school year from JB Watkins Elementary - CCPS! Check out the link for more.

Miner Message Miner Message August 13, 2023

** IMPORTANT SCHOOL SUPPLY UPDATE **

If you ordered from 1st Day School Supplies and haven't received your box, the company mistakenly sent them to the school to arrive today. We are going to sort through them and have them available for pickup tomorrow at 🚪 DOOR 2, 10:30 am-11:00 am & 5:30 pm-6:00 pm.

We thank the parents that brought this issue to our attention so we could follow up with the company. They have been apologetic and have worked to remedy the situation as best they could. Please be patient with us as we get things sorted.

Snacks await teachers and staff when they return tomorrow. Thank you to Staff Appreciation committee chair Beth Forst for bringing yummy goodies!

FYI!

LET’S SHOW SOME COALMINER LOVE! Putting an Amazon link for the school in the comments.

Tip: If you buy a yearbook, take a screenshot of the receipt/email and save to your phone named "I bought a yearbook".
Trust us.

Glad to have you. Welcome!

.....and our last introduction is Mr. Evangelisto who will be our Itinerant Music Teacher!

Welcome to Watkins, and thanks for sharing your talent with our Coalminers!

Next up is our itinerant Art Teacher - Ms Duarte

🥳️ OK FRIENDS, IT'S TIME!!!! Our new website is launched, including links to teacher wish lists, so head on over and let's help these teachers have an amazing year. While you're there, check out the full calendar, look under "Get Involved" for the link to Join PTA, and more!

Direct link to teacher wish lists: https://jbwpta.com/clearthelist/

Full STEAM ahead to Watkins! Welcome!!

Next up... Mr. Donovan who will be our itinerant STEAM teacher!!!

Glad you’ll be continuing, Mrs Ramos!

While not brand new (she started in April) we would likely to official welcome Mrs. Ramos to our staff as our Clinic Assistant!

📣Our website is getting a new look! As we make the change, our current site will go down in the next couple of days, and you may get an error if you try to access it. NEVER FEAR! We will let you know when the new one is up and running!

We're getting closer to finding out classroom teachers. Remember that EVERY teacher at JBW is a winner!🥇

What a great looking group!

So exciting to see all of our newest Coalminer staff this morning!!! It’s going to be a great year!!!!

Welcome, Mrs. Werner!

We are almost there.... next we are fortunate to have Mrs Werner as our part time ESL teacher! Welcome!

Glad you're a Coalminer, Ms. Mallory!

Today's spotlight new Coalminer is Ms. Mallory joining us this year in 5th grade!

Welcome to Watkins, Ms. Boothe!

Next up is Mrs. Boothe joining our Special Education Team!

Tales of a 4th Grade... Teacher! WELCOME, Mrs. Greenwood!

Next let's welcome Mrs. Greenwood one of our 4th grade teachers!

Welcome (back) to the Coalminer family, Ms. Bullis!!

Happy Monday! Next up is Ms. Bullis another new first grade teacher!

A big Coalminer welcome to Ms. Richmond!!

Please help us welcome Ms. Richmond!

Glad to have you with us, Ms. Jefferson!

Today we will introduce Erin Jefferson, one of our new special education teachers!

Glad to have you as a Coalminer!

We hoPE you love it at JB Watkins, Mr. Resnick! (See what we did there??)

Happy Monday! Next up is our new itinerant PE teacher, Mr. Resnick!

Welcome to Coalminer Country!

Next to join our team is Ms. Tolliver! She will be teaching 5th grade this year!!! Welcome!

Spread the word if you know anyone!

Welcome to the Coalminer Family, Ms. Morgan!

We have many new faces in Coalminer Country! In the next few weeks we will introduce them. First up Ms. Morgan who will be a 1st grade teacher!

Friends, we don't want to mess up your summer vibe, but it's time to think about school supply shopping. We wanted you to have a place you could bookmark so you can access the supply list while out and about shopping for deals. Here's your link: http://jbwpta.com/2023-2024-supply-list/

That wasn't so bad, was it?

MID SUMMER CHECK-IN!
Post a pic of our Coalminers doing something fun this summer. 👇

ATTENTION!
July 1 is the LAST DAY to preorder your school supplies for home delivery. Order link is in the comments.

Way to go, Mrs. Weatherford… we’re proud to call you our head Coalminer!

Congratulations to Ms Weatherford for getting this year’s Superintendent’s Game Changer Award at our Leadership Academy!!!!