Jackson School

Children dance to the music of the Hill Brothers during annual Family Reading Night at Jackson School in Batavia.

The entertainment followed sessions of various people from the community reading to the children in their classrooms at the school.

Last week on Memorial Day when she marched in her first parade with a boy lead troop, little did Emma McJury know she would get noticed and that the attention would have an impact on her new cub pack.

The 8-year-old (pictured above) is the first girl to register and join Cub Pack 6069 of Jackson School in Batavia. 

Emma was motivated by her sibling to come to meetings and learn more about Cub Scouts. She saw her brother participated in a meeting learning about police safety, building a pine wood derby car, overnight camping trips and will be attending summer resident camp in a couple months.

She’s really excited to do day camp and resident camp and being able to officially participate in activities, said her mom Justine McJury.

Her favorite activity is camping and outdoor-related activities such as hiking, fishing and nature observation.

Her goals are to introduce more girls to the program so they can enjoy scouts and all the great activities that are offered as much as she does. Since she found out that girls could join scouts, she has been asking her friends if they want to join with her and has been encouraging them to do so.

The pack meets on Mondays from 6:30-7:30 p.m., meetings run from September through May at Jackson School.

The pack is having a meet-and-greet activity, putt putt / ice cream social on Saturday June 16^th at noon at Terry Hills Golf Course, located at 5122 Clinton Street Road, Batavia.

Costs are minimal to attend. If interested in coming to the activity or to join the pack contact, Anthony Merica, cubmaster, at 813-7485.

Jackson Primary School held their annual spring student art show on Tuesday night.

This Tuesday, May 15th, is Fine Arts Night at Jackson Primary from 5 to 7 p.m. for Jackson Primary families as well as the community! Come see the childrens' artwork, listen to some singing, and enjoy refreshments.

Don't feel like cooking? Local food trucks, including Center Street Smokehouse, The Red Osier Landmark Restaurant, Stafford and Froyo that will be parked behind Jackson Primary from 4-8 p.m. Jackson Primary will receive a portion of all purchases. It is sure to be a fun night!

The school is located at 411 S. Jackson St. in the City of Batavia.

While you are out and about, don't forget to vote for the 2018-2019 BCSD Budget and also for three Board of Education positions.

Voting will take place on Tuesday, May 15, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Batavia High School, 260 State St., for residents living south of Route 5 (aka Main Street); and at the Robert Morris building, 80 Union St., for residents living north of Route 5.

Batavia City Schools Superintendent Chris Dailey reads to students at Jackson Primary School on Thursday night during the school's reading night, part of its annual Parents as Reading Partners Program.

This year's theme is "Wild About Reading at the Jackson Primary Zoo."

Molly Corey reading.

Linda Conway reading.

Students and parents playing Zoo Bingo.

Press release:

Jackson Primary’s Parents As Reading Partners (PARP) program was introduced with the traditional and always-entertaining play by staff for the students. This year’s theme is Wild About Reading and, in the opening performance, the students were confronted with a lot of confused behavior among the residents of Jackson Zoo.

With monkeys eating potato chips, giraffes roaring about their prowess at protecting the zoo while lions are playfully dancing nearby, and polar bears mistakenly caught in a warm exhibit area while elephants are freezing in theirs – there is a lot of craziness at the Zoo.

But there is hope! Between now and March 29, Jackson students can read with a partner at home for 15 minutes or more each day, and that will bring some facts – and order – back to the Zoo, helping the animals return to their proper foods, activities and habitats.

While this year’s goal is to restore order to the Zoo, the goal every year is to build excitement for and a love of reading that not only contributes to academic success but also enriches students’ (and their reading partners') lives immeasurably.

It's the first day of a new school year and the first day for Kia Evans as principal of Jackson School in Batavia.

Evans greeted students this morning with hugs and high fives. 

"I'm excited," Evans said. "This is what we do so I'm excited and I'm excited for the kids."

Evans grew up in Buffalo and started her career teaching in Buffalo. She taught for 10 years in Buffalo and Amherst and then became an assistant principal, working the past five years as an assistant principal in Williamsville.

Think back to when you were in grade school. Would you have missed your principal if she retired? Would the thought of her leaving bring you to tears? Oh no, not to me. I would not have missed her at all.  But maybe that is because Diane Bonarigo was not my principal.

Some of the children of Jackson Primary did cry as they said goodbye to the only principal they have known. Principal Bonarigo is retiring after being a principal for 12 years.

The Children of Jackson primary chanted Principal Bonarigo’s name and sang a song in her honor at their last “Family” meeting of the year. The school staff also thanked Mrs Bonarigo in making Jackson Primary a special place and a family.

Judging by the reaction of the children she will surely be missed by those lucky enough to have been at her school.

Top photo, Officer Peter Flanigan, Batavia PD, reads to students at Jackson School during the school's annual parents' night reading program last night, this year dubbed "Camp Read-A-Lot." The evening featured community members reading to students, games, activities and a campout with camp music in the school's gymnasium.

Press release:

On behalf of the Jackson Primary School staff and students,  we would like to extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude to Father David Glassmire and Ascension Parish.

On Wednesday, March 8th, the school needed to evacuate all students quickly due to a serious house fire, across the street from the school. It was a very cold and windy morning as 350 primary students walked to the Ascension Parish parking lot in evacuation protocol.

Within minutes, students were able to enter the Sacred Heart reception hall and knew they were safe and warm. Father David welcomed us immediately and quickly supported our needs in order for the school to operate an efficient evacuation dismissal plan.   

Additionally, we would like to thank Sherry Otto who saw us coming and quickly communicated this to Father Glassmire, Dave Fasano, and the City Police Department for assisting us that morning.

The overall support from Ascension Parish is a true reflection of the wonderful and compassionate people that make up  Batavia’s community.

Diane Bonarigo/Principal

Jackson School kicked off its winter reading program today; this year it's called "Camp Read-A-Lot." 

The program is intended to encourage students to read at least 15 minutes per day.

Today, faculty and staff performed a play for the students called Camp Read-A-Lot, which tells the story of the campers who will get lost if the students don't read every day.

Thursday is family reading night at the school. There is a book fair from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. and 7:15 to 7:30 p.m. Reading rotations, which includes community guest readers, begins at 5:30 p.m. The Hill Brothers perform a reading-themed concert in the gym at 6:30 p.m.

During Tuesday's City Schools board meeting, held at Jackson School, students and their teachers did a show-and-tell on some of the skills they've been learning through innovative classroom activities.

Above, kindergarteners count in increments of two to start a demonstration that included jumping in increments of two on a floor map, and then on a second trip through the map, picking up building blocks, which provides a lesson in groups and multiplication. Their teacher is Melissa Mattice.

Bottom photos, teacher Jessica Torrey works with her students in first grade on a demonstration of their writing and storytelling abilities.

During her presentation about progress at the school, Principal Diane Bonarigo said teachers and staff are very aware that the study skills and attitudes toward learning developed in kindergarten and first grade will have a big impact on a student's ability to eventually graduate from high school. 

Saturday morning Jackson Primary School hosted a Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Breakfast was bagels and donuts. The children attending had the opportunity to play games and build some art and crafts. There was a basket raffle for the adults and kids. There was a book giveaway, too. Of curse any child who wanted was able to meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus and get their picture taken with them. (Follow this link to see all of the pictures.) After visiting with Santa, every child was given a toy donated by Dollar General of Batavia. 

Photos provided by www.jimburns.org

Twenty Native American schoolchildren were at Jackson School this morning to share about their culture through dance and a presentation by an adult leader.

Turning math into playtime was the theme of Family Fun Night at Jackson School last night. 

The elementary schoolchildren and their parents were given a booklet with math problems to solve, and then they went through various game boards to help them solve those problems.

Prizes were award to students who successfully filled in their booklet with the correct answers.

It was Family Reading Night at Jackson School on Thursday night, with parents joining their children for events at the school, including community volunteers reading to students.

Above, City Schools Superintendent Chris Dailey reading to a class.

Barbara Holder, who retired many years ago from teaching, but still regularly volunteers at Jackson School, was the reader in another classroom.

Batavia Police Officer Pete Flanagan.

Shaley Johnson plays a puzzle game with Jesse Higgins.

Jackson School continued a 25-year tradition this morning with its annual Breakfast with Santa.

It's a chance for the children to come with the school on a morning that is all about fun and family, said Principal Diane Bonarigo. 

The event includes gifts, games, crafts, chance auctions, breakfast and, of course, a few minutes on Santa's lap and a whisper in his ear of what toys under the tree would most delight the children come Christmas morning.

Bonarigo said Michelle Miller, president of the parent-teachers group, deserves a great deal of credit for putting together this year's event.

More than 800 students and adults were expected to attend this year.

City of Batavia firefighters, members of IAFF Local 896, made their annual trip to Jackson School this afternoon to hand out winter coats to students who needed them.

The children received brand new, 100-percent American-made winter coats. The donations are part of a national effort sponsored by the not-for-profit Operation Warm.

Photo by Nicole Tamfer; info submitted by Diane Bonarigo.

Jackson Primary School students and staff decorate Jackson's Community Caring Tree for The Wonderland of Trees at HLOM. Jackson students created ornaments in Art class of many different people and organizations that help the school each year. Some of the ornaments included, firemen, police officers, volunteer readers, military personnel, bus drivers, dentists, Cornell Cooperative Extension reps,  and JAHA.

The students were reminded through this project how much the Batavia Community cares about the children. (First picture) Brock Bigsby, Nolan Wright, Connor Malone Wesley Fisher, Carleigh Miller, Ryan Bigsby, Lauren Nelson,  and Reese Koukides, Mrs. Bonarigo, Mr. Sloan, Mr. Calandra, Mrs. Mundell, Mrs. Koukides, Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Tamfer, Mrs. Bigsby, Mrs. Torrey.

The Wonderland of Trees opens tonight with a gala starting at 7 o'clock.

The first day of school, and the first day of a new drop-off and pick-up configuration at Jackson School, and parents so far are taking a wait and see attitude about the change.

Of the parents we talked to, everybody seems to think the new system will work, but nobody was giving it two thumbs up just yet.

It's only the first day of school, they said.

"This is going to change," said Joe Heath after dropping off his first-grader with his wife, Lisa. "Everybody walking their kids in after parking. It's not drop your kids off and go, right now. It's going to be a little different probably, within this next week."

As an observation: Today wasn't nearly the hectic, frenetic, crowded mess school drop-off seemed to be on a typical day last year.

The goal of the change is first and foremost safety, said Principal Diane Bonarigo.

Jackson School is decades old and built at a time when it was intended to serve just the immediate neighborhood and almost all children walked to school. Now, it serves the whole city, many children are bussed, some are driven by parents and only a few walk. That's created a lot more traffic around the school on streets, and the parking was not initially designed to handle that flow.

The new configuration includes a new driving lane/bus drop-off in front of the school on South Jackson Avenue, instead of behind the school. That parking lot area is now intended for parents to use for drop off and pick up, or children should be taken to the entrance at the corner of the building opposite Max Pies. It's also possible, after the buses are done, for parents to pull into the driveway and drop off kids at the main entrance.

"It is a new system, so it will take us a couple of days to get it running smooth," Bonarigo said.

Rich Schauf, Batavia PD, working at the school this morning, said he thinks the change was a good idea.

"It was a safety issue where people are exiting cars with a lot of traffic, doors are opening, cars are trying to get around, little children are exiting out of vehicles, crossing the street. Now this can all take place, the entering and exiting of cars can all take place in parking lots, which is a lot safer," Schauf said.

The parents we spoke too generally still seemed unsure of where to go or what to do, which door or parking lot or lane way to use, and felt other parents were unsure as well, but also said they believe the confusion will work itself out and everything will settle into a reliable, predictable pattern.

"Yeah, it's safer, probably, but I feel it's going to take quite awhile to get all the kinks worked out," Doug Fisher said. "It's been my experience whenever they hurry up and change something without the proper notification it seems like it takes half of the school year to get all the kinks fixed, but then it runs smoothly."