Jones Early Childhood Development Center 01/2026 Newsletter

January 5, 2026

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Ms. Saulsberry's Message : We hope you have had a wonderful and safe break. We are so excited to welcome your students back to school on Tuesday, January 6th. Being out of the routine of school for awhile means that you may have to be more mindful about going back to beginning of the year routines and expectations for your students. We will have cones and lanyards outside at arrival for the first few days back to make sure we get back into the welcome routine as quickly as possible. It is typical to expect to see some tears and very tired students as we come back. You can help us at home by revisiting those goodbye rituals you created at the beginning of the year. Please make sure you are sending your student to school with a coat daily. We will go outside for recess whenever the temperature with wind chill is above 15 degrees. We are halfway through the school year already. We are going to have a great second semester of school!

Important Dates

January 5 - NO SCHOOL
January 6 - Welcome back!
January 16 - PM session ONLY
January 19 - NO SCHOOL
January 22 - David Traylor Zoo visits
January 23 - Emporia Public Library visits
January 30 - EHS Music Tour @ Jones

Ms. Rhonda's Tip

Welcome the new year and new habits!

Throughout the second semester of the academic year, establish healthy habits for your family that will lay the foundation for your child’s learning!

Home Habit #1: Find out what interests your child and check out similar book topics! Go to the Emporia Public Library website to find books of interest, then check the books out in person or put books on reserve with your library card. Have you tried putting books on reserve through the EPL Booklocker? It is located not far from the Jones ECDC. Learn more here: BOOKLOCKER | Emporiapubliclibrary Keep a bag, box, or basket of books handy at home, knowing that reading books of interest is a great way to encourage your child’s learning! Call, text, or email Ms. Rhonda, Mobilizing Literacy Family Liaison, at 620-412-8231 or rhonda.beatty@usd253.net. Happy Reading!

News from the Hive:

Welcome Back! We hope your family enjoyed a restful winter break! As we jump into the new year, we’re excited to continue growing our students’ social–emotional skills. This month, we’re focusing on the Capturing Kids’ Hearts character trait of Respect, which we teach as acting with thoughtfulness.

Building Respect at Home:

For busy families, teaching respect doesn’t have to mean adding more to your plate—it fits naturally into your daily routines. Simple manners are an easy way for young children to practice thoughtfulness.

During mealtimes: Encourage your child to say “please” when asking for something and “thank you” after receiving it.
When sharing space: Use phrases like “excuse me” when passing by others or moving through tight spaces at home.
Sibling moments: If a brother or sister shares a toy or helps out, remind your child to thank them.
Grown-ups model it too: When your child hands you something or helps in any small way, say “thank you” back—they learn the most from what they see.

Thank you for sharing your child with us! Mrs. Bea 🐝

Capturing Kids' Hearts

Thank you to all the families that took time to fill out the Mid Year Survey for us before winter break. Our Capturing Kids' Hearts Process Champions team will be looking over the data once we get back to school and making a plan to share our strengths and areas of focus moving forward. We appreciate all those who took the time to give us feedback on your family's experience at Jones. More details to come!

Inclement Weather Guidelines/Information

As we enter the winter season, we know that Kansas weather can change quickly and
sometimes become unpredictable or dangerous. The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority, and Emporia Public Schools has emergency plans in place to help keep everyone safe during severe weather.
Winter Weather Decisions
A team of district administrators carefully monitors weather forecasts and road conditions when winter weather is expected. Decisions about school cancellations or late starts are always made with the safety of our students and staff in mind. When evaluating conditions, the team considers:
● Current and predicted snowfall or ice accumulation
● Road and street conditions, including the ability for buses to travel safely
● Availability of power and heat in school buildings
● Temperature and wind chill (see the wind chill chart here)
If it becomes unsafe to hold school, every effort will be made to announce a cancellation or late start by 6:00 a.m. In some cases, a decision may be made the evening before. If weather conditions worsen after the school day has started, the district will assess the situation and determine whether after-school and evening activities should be canceled.

How We Communicate Closures or Delays
Weather-related updates will be shared through the following channels:
● ParentSquare: Texts, emails, and phone calls to staff and district families
● District website: www.usd253.org
● District Facebook page: Emporia Public Schools
● Local media: 1400 KVOE AM / 96.9 FM and The Emporia Gazette