Zukeran Tribune Parent Newsletter
Zukeran Tribune Parent Newsletter
Dear Families,
We’re excited to celebrate Winter Spirit Week at Zukeran Elementary! From Monday, December 15 through Friday, December 19, each day will feature a fun theme to spread cheer and bring our school community together. Here’s what’s coming up:
- Merry Monday – Wear your favorite holiday-themed sweater or tee!
- Toasty Tuesday – Show off your coziest socks!
- Wintry Wednesday – Top it off with holiday hats or headbands!
- Twirly Thursday – Celebrate Candy Cane Day by wearing stripes!
- Festive Friday – Join the Pajama Party!
Questions about last week’s winter performance
If you have any questions about the winter performance last week or how students were selected, please contact Saunders, Jessie L. Ms. CIV OSD/DoDEA-Pacific at jessie.saunders@dodea.edu. In the future, we will ensure that performance announcements include more detailed information and clearly specify which students are scheduled to perform.
As we approach the final week of school before winter break, we remain committed to providing high-quality instruction through December 19th. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our students.
Our school-wide academic goal focuses on fractions, and we are using the Concrete–Representational–Abstract (CRA) model to increase rigor across all subject areas. This approach helps students build deep understanding by moving from hands-on experiences to visual representations and finally to abstract reasoning.
We appreciate your support and look forward to a strong, joyful finish to the semester!
Warm regards,
Elise Rosch and Kerwin Jones
Zukeran's Instructional Leaders
School Coffee and Connect with the Principals
Every Wednesday from 9:00 to 10:00 at Zukeran Elementary School
Zukeran's Principal's Coffee and Connect is a weekly open forum with our school Principal where various topics are introduced, ideas are shared, and questions are answered. These informative meetings take place inside the school, face-to-face, and parents may join virtually as well via the meeting link.
Free and Reduced Meals
DoDEA families can apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits during the government shutdown.
The assistance is intended for the duration of the shutdown. Per USDA requirements, free or reduced-price meal eligibility is based on income and family size.
Parents can visit the linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/newsubmit and search for “AAFES DoDEA” to submit an application online.
MCCS Arts and Crafts is offering a Clay Shisa Making Class!
For schedule and pricing, please visit www.okinawa.usmc-mccs.org/artsandcrafts or call 645-3674.
Are you a professional serving in a STEM career field? We need you! Please reach out to Jessie Saunders and join us for the first planning meeting on December 1, 2025 in the Zukeran Commons at 0740.
Dear Zukeran Staff and Families,
We are excited to launch our 2nd Annual Zukeran Holiday Food Drive, proudly sponsored by our Student Leadership Team. Last year, our school gathered together to support our local military-connected community, and we are thrilled to continue this tradition of giving.
Our schoolwide goal is to collect 500 food items. This year, we are honored to partner with Help Oki, an organization that supports families and individuals across Okinawa. All food donations collected will be delivered directly to Help Oki to benefit our broader island community.
Accepted Donation Items
● Canned goods: soups, vegetables, fruit, beans, sauces, tuna, chicken, etc.
● Boxed pasta
● Boxed rice
Students may drop off items in clearly labeled grade-level collection boxes and bags throughout the school. We encourage classrooms to promote teamwork and kindness as students take part in this service project.
Thank you for helping our students learn the power of generosity, community, and leadership. Your support makes a meaningful difference to families across Okinawa.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Delaney.
Warmly, Zukeran Student Leadership Team
All after-school clubs have begun meeting. Year-long clubs will run until the week of May 22nd, 2026. Multi-session clubs will run with start and end dates indicated on our School Activities page. More details, including club sponsor contact info, can be found there as well. If you're new to Zukeran and interested in signing your child up, please reach out to the club sponsor listed or Mr. Kerwin Jones.
Is your child having a rough go of it at school? Is something getting in the way of their academic success? We want to help!
Counselors
Diane.Jackson@dodea.edu (Grades 3-5)
Justin.Armstrong@dodea.edu (Grades Pre-K-2)
Kenneth.Gamon@dodea.edu (School Psychologist)
MFLCs (Military Family Life Counselors)
- Ms. Cordia Smith - 080-6485-7715 or 571-621-3594 (Lower Grades)
- Ms. Tiffanee Gale - 080-6485-7776 or 571-621-4418 (Upper Grades)
📰 More News from 3–5 Counseling
This school year is off to a strong start with exciting initiatives and student engagement!
🐣 Newcomers’ Groups & Toucan Trailblazers
We welcomed new students through our Newcomers’ Groups and introduced the Toucan Trailblazers—our student ambassadors from grades K–3. These Trailblazers help new students feel at home by:
• Sitting with them at lunch
• Playing together at recess
• Showing them around the studio and neighborhood routines
• Helping them make new friends
🌏 Life on Okinawa & Friendship Building
Students in grades 1–5 met with the Military Family Life Counselor and School Counselors to learn about:
• Life on Okinawa
• Zukeran Elementary routines.
• Strategies for making and maintaining friendships
- 🎤 Meeter-Greeters & Morning Broadcasts
Our 4th and 5th grade Meeter-Greeters continue to welcome new students by escorting them to class and introducing them to peers. They also lead our daily morning broadcast, which covers:
• Zones of Regulation
• Problem-solving strategies
• Coping techniques for everyday challenges
🚫 Bullying Prevention Lessons
We’ve launched our bullying prevention curriculum for October and November. Students are doing an excellent job learning:
• What bullying is—and isn’t
• How to respond and refuse bullying confidently
💌 Friendship Groups
We’ve received an overwhelming number of permission slips for our upcoming Friendship Groups, and we’re thrilled to begin working with students soon! These groups focus on:
• Building positive peer relationships
• Conflict resolution and communication skills
Our SY 25-26 SAC elections have concluded. Positions filled are:
1) SAC Chairperson: Morgan Bates
2) SAC Vice Chairperson: William Rallya
3) SAC Secretary: Mykiah Willis
4) Teacher Member: Carina Castro
5) Teacher Member: Jessie Saunders
6) Teacher Member: Natalie Miles
School Advisory Committee meeting minutes may be found on our Get Involved / Partnership page. Keep an eye on our social media pages for scheduled meetings and minutes postings.
THIS IS A NON-FEDERAL ENTITY. IT IS NOT A PART OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OR ANY OF ITS COMPONENTS AND IT HAS NO GOVERNMENTAL STATUS. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) or the U.S. Department of Defense of the linked websites, or the information, products, or services contained therein. DoDEA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. All links are provided consistent with the mission of DoDEA.
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Contacts
| Name | Position Details | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Kerwin Jones | Transportation | 098-970-1042/1019 |
