If your child is absent please send in a note upon their return to school for the absence to be considered excused. You may also email our attendance email at jjisattendance@colchesterct.org

After nine absences (excused or un-excused) a doctors note is required for the absence to be considered excused.

Thanks you for your continued support.

We celebrated World Read Aloud Day this past Wednesday at JJIS! Students across all 3 grade levels got to hear stories read aloud from a variety of mystery readers, including our Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, our principals, and many more!

Today, Friday, February 6th, we celebrated the 100th day of school. Students and teachers alike had the opportunity to dress up as if they were a hundred years old, filling the hallways with gray hair, canes, glasses, and plenty of laughter. Classrooms marked the occasion with fun, creative activities centered around the number 100, highlighting how much our students have learned and grown since the first day of school. It was a joyful day of learning, imagination, and school spirit.

Grade 3 is wrapping up their mixed media winter landscapes. First they drew a landscape, then mixed and painted some tints and shades and now they're working on their cut out patterned trees. The last day of this project they will be adding little details like the moon, stars and snow on the trees. 

Grade 4 is halfway through their human figure unit. They spent the first few weeks learning how to sketch the basic human figure. Artists used the "Alex" dolls and then their classmates as live models. They just started the second part of the unit which is a wire sculpture of their favorite human figure pose. Artists will choose a color scheme and color their chosen base for the sculpture. 

Grade 5 is just finishing their radial name art. This project takes a name and turns it into abstract art by radiating it around the center of the paper. Students chose a color scheme and then their coloring materials. Artists have been working really hard to make their art unique. See if you can spot the hidden name in the artwork when it comes home in the spring. 

Third graders have been busy in music class! We’ve just begun learning the recorder, and students have successfully played their very first note while practicing proper breathing and gentle air—don’t worry, they won’t be sent home until they are officially squeak-free. Students are also learning how to read music on the staff, practicing the lines and spaces and matching them to their letter names. Ask your child to perform the Staff Rap at home and see if they can Prompt them with the big question “How many lines does the staff have?”

Fourth graders have been diving into music through stories and listening! Students read Caps for Sale and brought the story to life using both pitched and unpitched percussion instruments while singing and participating in interactive storytelling. They are also beginning a listening unit on The Carnival of the Animals, where students listen carefully and use their musical knowledge—such as dynamics, pitch, and tempo—to figure out which animal the music is describing. It’s been a fun way for students to think like musical detectives while sharpening their listening skills!

Fifth graders have been strengthening their music-reading skills by practicing rhythms and reading notes on the staff, then applying those skills while playing a variety of pitched percussion instruments. Students are also listening to different styles of music and using musical vocabulary to explain why they like or don’t like a piece, supporting their opinions with musical words and ideas. In addition, students have been participating in passing games that help build a strong sense of beat while encouraging teamwork, cooperation, and a sense of community in the music room.

The Jackter Student Senators recently held a food drive to support the Colchester Food Bank, combining school spirit with community service. Students who brought in non-perishable food items were invited to place their donations in either the Patriots or the Seahawks box to show which team they predicted would win the Super Bowl this weekend. Thanks to the generosity of our students and families, Jackter collected over 150 food items to be donated to the food bank. Based on the results of the food drive, Jackter’s official prediction is that the New England Patriots will win the Super Bowl!