Social Services
The School District of Jennings offers a number of social services programs. Among them are:
Safe & Drug-Free Schools and Communities - Prevents the use of tobacco, alcohol & other drugs through education, alternative recreational activities, counseling and anger management.
Medicaid - Medicaid administrative case management links children with preventative health resources.
Homeless Students - Facilitates enrollment and assures students who are temporarily without residence access to all school services.
Liaison to Special School District - Provides for screening and placement of Jennings students experiencing difficulty in the regular educational program.
School-Based Health Services - Provides health rooms in each school for on-going and emergency services for all students and provides health education for students and staff.
Caring Communities - Forms partnerships that provide "wrap-around" services for Jennings students and families according to their needs, such as employment, education, medical, etc.
Parent Education - Provides workshops, speakers and consultation to parents.
School Age Child Care (SACC)
The School Age Child Care Program offers child care for students enrolled in the School District of Jennings. The program offers services from 6:00 am until school starts and from the last bell to 6:00 pm. Because state law mandates that such child care programs be self-supporting, the program does have a cost to parents.
Professional Development
Research has shown that to improve student performance, the best purchase per school dollar is spent on professional development. So, here's what we're spending our dollars on...
For teacher development, we have two strong components; technology and literacy. We have full-time staff in both areas devoted to continual professional development and providing resources for our teachers. These efforts began at the elementary level and are now expanding into the secondary schools.
Much of the professional development for our administrators takes place during the Annual Administrator Retreat. New school legislation and current issues are discussed and traditional ways of thinking are challenged as goals are set for the following year.
We also offer professional development for our custodial and support staff. Our staff members continuously attend seminars, conventions and demonstrations in an effort to find methods to help make their work more efficient and of a higher quality.
Missouri School Improvement Program - - Accreditation
Under the Missouri School Improvment Program, the Jennings School District is Fully Accredited.
Literacy
In Jennings, literacy has moved beyond just reading and writing. Our schools are producing literate citizens in every subject area. Students are able to read about something, write about it and explain it. What's our approach? School-wide plans.
School Wide Plans - We don't pull kids out of class to get reading help. As part of our school-wide plan literacy specialists come to the students, visiting each class. We make sure that every student has exposure to guided reading and reading/writing workshops.
Full Time Reading Staff Developer - We have also employed a full time reading staff developer. Currently, Kristen Painter spends 1 week at every school on a rotation basis. She provides ongoing staff development and study groups for literacy teachers.
Instructional Specialists
They're our main line of improving the instructional ability of our teachers. Instructional specialists are in the classroom each and every day, actively coaching teachers in a team effort to Move student performance. They also provide teachers with a wealth of resources and lessons.
Grants
Programs and grants offerd by the School District of Jennings include:
Character Plus
Character Plus is a student recognition program aimed at infusing students with good character qualities and rewarding those who demonstrate them. The qualities highlighted are: accountability, caring, citizenship, commitment, compassion, cooperation, courage, discipline, equality, fairness, flexibility, honesty, initiative, integrity, justice, kindness, patience, perseverance, reliability, respect, responsibility, self-confidence, service, tolerance and virtue.
Attendance Specialists
Before we can Move students to higher levels of performance, we have to make sure they're moving...to school. That's the job of our attendance specialists. The program, which incorporates a Jennings Police officer liaison, includes home visits to discuss the importance of attendance with parents or guardians. After an inexcusable number of absences, students are required to stay after hours to make up lost time. If absences continue, however, the home is reported to the Division of Family Services on the grounds of educational neglect.
Alternative Classrooms
Alternative classes are held in Fairview Elementary for chronically disruptive elementary students. Students spend as much time in these environments as they require before the specialist feels the student is ready to rejoin a regular classroom.
The School District of Jennings offers a number of social services programs. Among them are:
Safe & Drug-Free Schools and Communities - Prevents the use of tobacco, alcohol & other drugs through education, alternative recreational activities, counseling and anger management.
Medicaid - Medicaid administrative case management links children with preventative health resources.
Homeless Students - Facilitates enrollment and assures students who are temporarily without residence access to all school services.
Liaison to Special School District - Provides for screening and placement of Jennings students experiencing difficulty in the regular educational program.
School-Based Health Services - Provides health rooms in each school for on-going and emergency services for all students and provides health education for students and staff.
Caring Communities - Forms partnerships that provide "wrap-around" services for Jennings students and families according to their needs, such as employment, education, medical, etc.
Parent Education - Provides workshops, speakers and consultation to parents.