Dear Jefferson County School District 509J Families,
Welcome to this new 2025-26 school year! I am so excited for the new school year that is just a little more than two weeks from today! Our teachers and staff will be returning to schools and classrooms in days ahead as we begin those last preparations for the start of another awesome year. We are eager to support and work with your student(s) in the year ahead.
We are welcoming most of our students on Wednesday, September 3. See below for specific school and grade first day details.
First Days of School
Grades 1-6 and Grade 9: Wednesday, September 3
Grades 1-8 (Warm Springs K8 Academy): Wednesday, September 3
Grades 7-8 & 10-12: Thursday, September 4
We ask our Pre-school and Kindergarten families to check in with your school to find out when your incoming student will start.
In our district, one of our core values is ‘Students Flourish Here.’ We know that our students will do their best work when they can fully focus and connect with their teachers and classmates without distractions from personal electronic devices like cell phones.
At the start of the school year, one change you’ll see is we are expanding our ‘off and away’ expectations from our secondary schools to district-wide. This means all students will be asked to keep phones and other electronic devices turned off and put away from the start to the end of the school day.
To make this work, we will need the support and teamwork from our staff, students, and families. You can learn more about what this looks like in our schools and see some frequently asked questions by visiting our website, here.
Schools are hosting Open House events in the coming weeks. Please check with your school to learn specific details for those events.
| School | Date |
| Buff Elementary | Thursday, August 28, 4-6pm |
| Metolius Elementary | Thursday, August 28, 4-6pm |
| Madras Elementary | Thursday, August 28, 4-6pm |
| WSK8 | Thursday, August 28, 4-6pm |
|
Bridges High (Including ROOTS) |
Thursday, August 28, 4-6pm (Will be at WSK8 Back to School BBQ) |
| JCMS | Wednesday, August 27, 5-6:30pm |
| MHS | Tuesday, September 2, 4:30-6:30pm |
| 509J Online | Tuesday, September 2, 10am-2pm |
| 509J Preschool | Wednesday, August 27, 4-6pm |
As we begin a new school year, please help your student attend school each day. We know that students who attend school regularly are able to access more learning and have much better chances of being able to read, write and succeed in math at their appropriate grade level or beyond. Attending school regularly is the secret to positive social and learning experiences in school.
Thank you for partnering with your child’s school. This 2025-26 school year is going to be a great one!
Serving 509J Schools,
Dr. Jay Mathisen, Superintendent