In this episode, we hear from Mr. Dan Woleslagle, the instructional technology coach for Williamsport Area School District. Pre-COVID, teachers are tasked with moving forward with technology in the classroom in meaningful ways. Additionally, families find themselves drenched in technology on a daily basis. Dan tells us about his work coaching teachers and gives some practical advice on how to balance our lives in this brave new world we find ourselves in!

Music Credit: Ikson

In this episode, we hear from 3rd grade teacher Ms. Tanya Brown about the Jackson Community & Culture Club, a student leadership group at Jackson Primary School. We learn how the group started & about how it operates. We believe that empowering student leaders is a crucial part of building positive culture in the primary school.

Music Credit: Ikson

On the show today, we welcome Ms. Marcey Nolan, the school counselor at Jackson Primary. Ms. Nolan explains her role as that of a teacher of emotions, of feelings, of how the brain works. Other teachers may teach us language arts, math, music, art, and so on. School counselors help children understand why they feel the way they feel & why they act the way they act. And, as Ms. Nolan shares, this work extends beyond our students – she often helps parents and teachers understand why the children they love act the way they do.

Music Credit: Ikson

On today's show, Mr. Fetterman & Dr. Clark talk with two very important contributors to the positive culture at Jackson Primary -- our school secretaries, Mrs. Teri Snook & Mrs. Sara Terrano. So often, these women are the first faces & first voices our students & families encounter, and because of their commitment to creating a positive environment, they make a difference one smile at a time.

Music Credit: Ikson

Williamsport Area School District is committed to growing strong readers, and each primary school has a literacy coach to support that growth. On today's episode, we hear from Jackson Primary literacy coach Mrs. Stacey Robinson about how children learn to read, how they are guided as readers through our curriculum, and how families can support their children as they learn to read. Ever the educator, Mrs. Robinson created an acronym, RAFTS, for us all to remember how we can support the young people in our lives as they develop their reading skills.

Episode Correction Note: Mrs. Robinson frequently uses a professional development video featuring Dr. Anita Archer as she incorporates vocabulary routines and building background knowledge while utilizing McGraw Hill resources. After the recording, Mrs. Robinson realized she misspoke and gave Dr. Archer credit for being a coauthor of the Wonders McGraw Hill series.

Music Credit: Ikson

Like many schools across the country, Jackson Primary uses a school-wide positive behavior intervention system (SWPBIS) to proactively and positively reinforce student behavior. At Jackson, we follow the 4B's -- Be Present; Be Safe; Be Responsible; Be Respectful; and we add that the bottom line is BE KIND. In this episode, co-coordinators Mrs. Lynne Piotrowski & Mrs. Sue Johnson share about the history of PBIS at Jackson, and they tells us about the latest initiative, the B the Change Cafe!

Music Credit: Ikson

In this first episode of Jackson Jams, we meet the principal team of Jackson Primary School. Head Principal Mr. John Fetterman & Assistant Principal Dr. Denise Clark team up to share a little bit about themselves and their path to leadership. They explain how a visit from Mr. Michael Bonner in the fall of 2023 inspired a simple daily practice now affectionately called "Jackson Jams," and they talk about their hopes for finishing the school year strong.

Music Credit: Ikson