Jamestown Elementary School PTA

THANK YOU

Thank you to our generous Jamestown families who contributed to the Holiday Gift Drive for Randolph Elementary families and the food drive for Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). An extra big thank you to Ingrid Gust, PTA Community Service/Outreach coordinator, for organizing our Holiday Gift Drives. We also appreciate the office staff assisting with collecting, storing, and loading donations!

HOLIDAY GIFT DRIVE
Randolph’s Principal, Mr. Ramirez, expressed their gratitude:

On behalf of Randolph Elementary and the families we serve, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for your generous donations for our gift drive. Your kindness has brought joy, hope, and smiles to children who might otherwise have gone without. Because of your support, many families got to experience the magic of the holidays and felt the warmth of a caring community. Your generosity reminds us that together, we can make a real difference. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a wonderful new year!

AFAC FOOD DRIVE
Jamestown donated 325 lbs of food to AFAC!

We have the most generous school community, and we are truly grateful for all we do to support others in need. Thank you!

WINTER CONCERT

Congratulations to all the students who performed in the Winter Concert on December 18th. They worked hard to prepare for the event, and we absolutely loved watching them perform.

5TH GRADE CLASS GIFT
Thank you to everyone who purchased raffle tickets for front row seats, roses, and/or water for the concert. The fifth graders raised $760 towards their class gift!

Thank you to Mr. Faison, Ms. Ruggerio, and Ms. Rowland for instilling a love of music in our children and helping them prepare for this fabulous event. We are already looking forward to the spring performance!

View more photos of the performance taken by David Giambarresi here:
https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/e174543c48e34330be3ddbdaa8919a74

SCREEN TIME EVENT FOR PARENTS

Webinar for Parents: Recently, APS Superintendent, Dr. Duran, had the opportunity to participate in a SmartSocial national webinar, focused on helping parents build healthier digital habits, navigate parental controls, set boundaries, and stay connected as a family. You can view the webinar along with additional resources online:
https://www.smartsocial.com/post/optimize-parental-controls?org=arlingtonps

WINTER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM –
REGISTRATION OPENS THURS, JAN 8

Little Scholars will be offering 8-week after school enrichment classes for the winter session. Classes are 4-5 PM once a week on Mondays thru Wednesdays beginning January 26. Offerings include:
- Artist Studio (K-2nd)
- Chess (K-5th)
- Comic Creations (3rd-5th)
- Culture Exchange Club (3rd-5th)
- Field Day Every Day (K-5th)
- Galactic Adventures (K-2nd)
- Math Fact Masters (K-2nd, 3rd-5th)
- Miniature Makers Workshop (3rd-5th)
- Yogis (K-2nd)

REGISTER:
Registration will open Thursday, January 8. View the Winter schedule and register here:
https://www.littlescholarsllc.com/at/JES/

QUESTIONS:
Contact Kristin Broitman at [email protected].

WINTER GALA + AUCTION - SITE IS NOW LIVE

Please join us for the 2026 Jamestown Winter Auction & Gala, a spectacular evening of enchantment and generosity!

The site is NOW LIVE! Visit today to:
🎟️ Purchase tickets
🌟 Become a Patron
🎁 Donate an item for the silent auction
📊Become a Sponsor

Under the theme "Majestic Masquerade: Mardi Gras Magic," attendees will don their most dazzling masks and immerse themselves in a night filled with vibrant colors, lively entertainment, and a sense of community spirit.

The evening will feature: a second line, a silent auction brimming with unique treasures including parent parties and teacher adventures, and a thrilling live auction! All aimed at raising essential funds to support the students and programs at Jamestown Elementary.

Prepare to indulge in delectable cuisine, dance the night away, and make a lasting impact, all while celebrating our amazing community and school! Your generosity directly funds teacher enrichment, technology upgrades, and library materials for our students. We can’t wait to see you Feb 21, 2026 at Washington Golf & Country Club! 🥂

👇 Purchase Early Bird tickets at the below link, prices go up January 6!
https://my.onecause.com/event/organizations/094c6dcd-b61e-4a73-b6c4-a1fe2261f598/events/vevt:1d493f00-484e-43ae-9953-6d134cee8895/home/story

THANK YOU

Thank you to all the room parents for collecting and delivering gifts to the classroom teachers. Also, thank you parents for all the contributions to the staff gifts. Generous gift cards personalized based on preferences will be delivered today to the school principals, front office staff, all specials' teachers, counselors, therapists, lunchroom and custodial staff, the school crossing guard, and various other assistants throughout the school who support multiple classes.

A huge thank you to Room Parent Coordinator, Jessica Leichtenberg, for orchestrating this big and important task!

JAMESTOWN PTA FAMILY SCIENCE NIGHT

We are excited to offer a new Jamestown PTA event this year - Family Science Night!
https://www.childsci.org/plan-your-visit/educators/family-science-night

The Children’s Science Center Lab's Family Science Night Program will be at Jamestown on Tuesday, January 6th in the Jamestown gym. Family Science Night offers a variety of engaging, hands-on science activities such as:
- Stacking Currency: Building Financial Literacy
- Monster Math: Creating with Probability
- Forensic Fun: Mystery Solved

In addition, Jamestown's Science Specialist teacher, Ms. Sharwarko, has tentatively confirmed the Arlington Outdoor Lab, EcoAction Arlington, and the Gulf Branch Nature Center to be part of Science Night! They will be bringing animals for student interaction as well as other informative information and will be set up in Jamestown's multi-purpose room running simultaneously with the program in the gym.

Young children are natural scientists, rationally making observations, testing hypotheses, analyzing data and reaching conclusions. This exciting educational event is on Tuesday, January 6 in the Jamestown gym and MPR with entrance to the event at staggered arrival times of 6:00 PM, 6:15 PM, 6:30 PM, and 6:45 PM and the event ends at 7:30 PM. Cost to attend is $5 per attendee.

This event is for paid PTA members who should have received the email to sign-up this morning. If you did not receive you can join the PTA here (open in Edge, not Chrome):
https://jamestown-pta.square.site/

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Volunteers are needed for a single 2.5 hour shift, from 5:15 PM– 7:45 PM, to set up, assist students with activities, and clean up. Volunteers receive one automatic student sign-up for volunteering (and a second adult if the student is third grade or younger), plus pizza dinner.

QUESTIONS
Please contact Liz Milans at [email protected].

What is the Children’s Science Center Lab?
The Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates the Children's Science Center Lab at Fair Oaks Mall and STEM programs traveling to schools and other community venues across the region, including Family Science Night.

The Children’s Science Center Lab is Northern Virginia’s first interactive museum where children, families and school groups can explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts through fun, engaging hands-on exhibits, activities, and programs. Our mission is to inspire a love of learning STEM by providing unique opportunities to explore and create. The Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

The Foundation is also helping develop the Northern Virginia Science Center in partnership with the Science Museum of Virginia through a public private partnership that also includes Loudoun County and support from the private sector. The Science Center will be located in Dulles, VA and will be a world-class, interactive museum for families, students, and learners of all ages that will spark and sustain the natural curiosity in all of us. Learn more at novasci.org.

Children's Science Center

ADVANCED ACADEMICS PARENT EXPERIENCE - ELA FOCUS

A huge thank you to all our amazing parents in grades 3–5 for such a wonderful turnout at the second Advanced Academics Parent Experience: ELA Focus even on December 4th! It was incredible to see so many families engaging in hands-on reading and writing exploration and learning together.

We also want to give a special shout-out to our Advanced Academics Coach, Joanne Price, our Reading Teacher, Amy Richards who guided activities and shared their literacy expertise with enthusiasm. Your support and participation make events like this so meaningful. Thank you for joining us!

JAMESTOWN ELEMENTARY WINTER CONCERT – TONIGHT

The Jamestown Elementary Winter Concert for 4th and 5th grade chorus, band, and orchestra students will be TONIGHT, Thursday, December 18th, at 6:30 pm in the Jamestown Multi-Purpose Room. All Jamestown families are invited to attend.

ROSES AND WATERS
The 5th Graders will be selling flowers before the concert to raise funds for their Class Gift. 6 roses for $10 (cash and Venmo accepted). Bottled waters will also be available for $1.

QUESTIONS
Contact Mrs. Ruggerio (Chorus) at [email protected], Mr. Faison (Chorus) at [email protected], or Ms. Rowland (Band/Orchestra) at [email protected].

RECESS REMINDER

As outside temperatures get colder, please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for outdoor recess! A coat to keep the upper body warm is a must. We use this chart to determine when it is safe to go outside.
https://www.c-uphd.org/documents/wellness/weatherwatch.pdf

LAST DAY FOR EXTENDED DAY FAMILIES - STAFF GIFTS

The holidays are an excellent time to say THANK YOU to our Jamestown Extended Day Staff! In addition to senior staffer Amesha, there are up to 9 staff members who keep our kids safe and active each day:
Kindergarten - Ms. Jennifer and Ms. Nadia
1st Grade - Ms. Hannah
2nd Grade - Ms. Shannon and Ms. Ingrid
3rd Grade - Ms. Donna and Ms. Emily
4th & 5th Grade - Mr. Mauro and Mr. Carter

The Extended Day Liaison, Kristen Wilson, is collecting contributions for holiday appreciation gifts for each member of the staff. Please consider contributing by no later than TODAY, Wednesday, December 17 in one of the following ways:

VENMO

https://venmo.com/u/Kristenhwilson1010

CHECK OR CASH
E-mail Kristen Wilson to make arrangements.

QUESTIONS
Contact Kristen at [email protected].

NEW PLAYGROUNDS ARE OPEN

The new playgrounds are open and they are beautiful! Students have loved playing, climbing, swinging, spinning, and exploring their new bright, fun-filled spaces.

PLAYGROUND REMINDERS
The playground is open for use after school until 4:10 PM. At that time, it is reserved for Extended Day until 6:00 PM.

Children must be supervised by an adult, present with them at the playground.

Enjoy!