Jerger Elementary hosts open house cookout

Jill Holloway, Thomasville Times-Enterprise, Ga.
·2 min read

Aug. 4—THOMASVILLE- Jerger Elementary School kicked off the new school year with an open house for Pre-k and Kindergarten on Thursday afternoon, featuring Kona Ice and Dog World for kids and parents to enjoy.

Principal Emily Newman explained the tradition behind this unique open house is to create a more welcoming atmosphere for kids who may be unsure about school.

"We like to invite our Pre-K and Kindergarten families on campus when the crowds are a little lighter, just so they can experience the building without being so overwhelmed," she said. "The idea behind the cookout and having Kona Ice was a way to hopefully inspire them and create some energy."

Newman went on to say that at Jerger everyone is treated like family, and while families place a strong emphasis on academics, there are other things they do and enjoy together.

"Obviously, academics are a priority for us, but most importantly we want the kids to feel welcomed and truly a part of this school family, and I think the cookout and Kona Ice bring that energy to them," she said.

Welcoming in her new family this year, Newman is excited to share the 2023-2024 theme for Jerger, which is "imagine."

"I think this theme has opened up a lot of doors for all the teachers," she said. "A lot of the classrooms have adopted the idea of imagine where reading can take you."

Each grade level will focus on a book or series where imagination is a key theme.

"They'll see where the characters go in their journeys and how that mimics where we go," she said.

Pre-K's imaginative book character is Pete the Cat, while Kindergarten will focus on stories written by Eric Carle such as, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Newman said while the kids will focus on these books, the fun part about the theme of imagination is that the teachers can use the media center's books to thread into the lesson plans throughout the year.

"We are just really excited to see where this theme takes us," she concluded.

Jerger, along with all other Thomasville City Schools, will open their doors for the 2023-24 school year on Monday morning.