Victor Kaptik is admired for his commitment to doing what is right, even when faced with difficult choices. He consistently demonstrates honesty, fairness, and respect during interactions with others, earning the trust of his peers.
His actions reflect strong moral character and a genuine dedication to upholding values that inspire those around him. Viktor's steady presence reminds others of the importance of accountability and respect towards others, making him a role model in his school community.
Congratulations to Victor Kaptik for being recognized as the September Character Ed Student for Polenta Elementary! Way to go! 👏
#GreatThingsAreHappeningInJCPS
3 months ago, Johnston County Public Schools
JCPS will operate on a two-hour delay on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
All students and staff should report to schools and campuses on a two-hour delay.
We have been advised that the potential of black ice is possible tonight through Tuesday morning, creating hazardous travel conditions. To allow for better road visibility for our bus drivers, students, and staff drivers, we will be on a two-hour delay tomorrow. We encourage all travelers, especially our student drivers, to travel with caution.
School nutrition will serve breakfast upon students’ arrival. Early morning care will open two hours later than the normal start time.
Thank you for your understanding as we work with local safety and emergency officials to ensure that we are all safe during these inclement weather events.
2 days ago, Johnston County Public Schools
Due to the forecast of inclement weather and per the guidance of local emergency and safety officials, Johnston County Public Schools will be closed for all students tomorrow, Monday, December 8, 2025, as well as all extracurricular activities. The district will operate under Condition 3 of the inclement weather plan.
View the inclement weather plan online at www.johnston.k12.nc.us/inclementweather.
Please be safe and have a great evening!
3 days ago, Johnston County Public Schools
Due to inclement weather, JCPS will operate on a two-hour delay on Friday, December 5, 2025. All students and staff are encouraged to drive safely and exercise good judgment while traveling.
6 days ago, Johnston County Public Schools
It was great visiting South Johnston High, Meadow School, Innovation Academy, Selma Elementary, East Clayton Elementary, and West View Elementary today as we recognize them each as a school moving forward!
These schools received this acknowledgment for their outstanding performance in the 2024-2025 school year!
#GreatThingsAreHappeningInJCPS
#JCPSForward
3 months ago, Johnston County Public Schools
JCPS continues to shine! 🌟
We are excited to announce that Johnston County Public Schools has continued its journey to becoming one of the best districts in the state, according to 2024-2025 data recently released by NCDPI.
A few of the district highlights included a significant increase in student proficiency scores and school performance grades, with 93% of our schools having a school letter grade of A, B, or C! 75% of our schools met or exceeded growth, which is well above the state average.
Amazingly, 15 of our schools rank in the top 20% statewide, with seven schools in the top 10% for growth! Graduation rates for JCPS schools continue to rise, with JCPS reaching 92.5%, which is significantly higher than the state average of 87.7%
A huge thank you to our incredible educators, hardworking students, and supportive families for helping drive this success forward! 📈
Find more data and details here: http://bit.ly/3JPzfhi
#GreatThingsAreHappeningInJCPS
#JCPSforward
3 months ago, Johnston County Public Schools
4 months ago, Johnston County Public Schools
4 months ago, Johnston County Public Schools
Johnston County Public Schools is committed to providing quality education to its students and professional learning environments for its staff, free of distractions, and supporting high-quality teaching and learning, enhancing student well-being, and maintaining a safe and focused school environment.
Recent studies indicate that cell phone use, particularly for social media and interaction, can interfere with students' ability to focus on learning and negatively impact students in many ways. Excessive use of cell phones and social media has been linked to lower academic performance, increased behavioral issues, and other conditions that hinder students' ability to excel.
In recent legislation, House Bill 959, Session Law 2025-38, revisions were made addressing clear guidelines for the use of cell phones to include educational purposes. The Johnston County Board of Education has adopted Policy Code: 4318 Use of Wireless Communication Devices.
Families are strongly encouraged to review the policy in its entirety.
Visit the JCPS website for more information and links: HERE.
4 months ago, Johnston County Public Schools
The JCPS 2025 Leadership Conference is in the books! 📚
The final day began with the announcement of our 2025-2026 Principal of the Year Dr. Takicey Dunston of Benson Elementary School, and Assistant Principal of the Year Lauren Strickland of Polenta Elementary.
Attendees then participated in Grade Alike sessions which allowed for synergistic planning and thought sharing.
During his closing remarks, Superintendent Dr. Pearce charged the administrators with sharing and applying what they learned with their teams and carrying the vision forward. ➡️
“When leaders rise, kids win!” -Thomas Murray
#ForwardConference2025
#GreatThingsAreHappeningInJCPS
5 months ago, Johnston County Public Schools
We are ecstatic to announce that Dr. Takicey M. Dunston, Principal of Benson Elementary and Mrs. Lauren Strickland, newly appointed Assistant Principal of Polenta Elementary (formerly Assistant Principal of Pine Level Elementary) have been recognized as the JCPS 2025-2026 Principal and Assistant Principal of the year, respectively. 🎉
JCPS is grateful that you have chosen to bring your passion for education to the students and staff in our school district!
Congratulations to both of these forward-focused leaders on this honorable recognition! 👏
#ForwardConference2025
#GreatThingsAreHappeninginJCPS
5 months ago, Johnston County Public Schools
📢It has been reported that JCPS students have received more than 66.2 million in scholarship offerings for the 2024-2025 school year! This is an amazing 18 million more than scholarship offerings received during the 2023-2024 year!📢
A great deal of the offerings have been accepted and will cover tuition costs as these students continue their educational journeys!
💲JCPS is proud of the efforts that go into securing scholarship funding, and we celebrate the students, staff, and parents who work hard to make it happen! 💲
Great things are truly happening in JCPS!
7 months ago, Johnston County Public Schools
North Carolina is home to a large population of active duty, guard, reserve, and veteran armed services members, and the state’s public schools reflect that.
In 2019, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction launched the Purple Star Award Designation initiative to recognize the state’s strong military presence and support for military families.
The Purple Star designation is awarded to schools that demonstrate military-friendly practices and a commitment to military students and families. JCPS had 17 schools receive the Purple Star Award Designation. They are as follows:
Benson Middle
Clayton High School
Cleveland High School
Corinth-Holders Elementary
Corinth-Holders High
Four Oaks Elementary
Meadow School
McGee's Crossroads Elementary
Polenta Elementary
Princeton Elementary
Princeton Middle/High
Smithfield-Selma High
South Johnston High School
South Smithfield Elementary
Swift Creek Middle School
West Johnston High School
Thanksgiving Elementary
We are proud of these designations and honored to recognize our military families in this way!
7 months ago, Johnston County Public Schools
🎉 Last Day of School! 🎉
To our amazing students and families—what a year it’s been! Today we close the chapter on a school year filled with growth, joy, and unforgettable moments. Whether you're moving up to middle school or returning next year, we are SO proud of each and every one of you. 💙
To our 5th graders—congratulations! You’ve led with heart and shown what it means to be a true Puma. We’ll miss you dearly, but we know you’re ready for this next big step!
And to our families—thank you for your endless support, partnership, and love. We couldn’t do this without you.
Wishing everyone a safe, restful, and fun-filled summer! ☀️📚 Don’t forget to laugh, explore, and always… Be Kind.
💛 With gratitude,
Staff of Polenta Elementary
#LastDayOfSchool #PumaPride #BeKindAlways #ThankYouPumas
7 months ago, Polenta Elementary
It is the last day of school, which means we are just minutes before our students will be enjoying a summer full of fun!
Here's to wishing everyone a safe break!
See you next year!!!
7 months ago, Johnston County Public Schools
We are excited about the end of year and the awards ceremonies that will be taking place the last couple of days. Please note the day and time your child has their award ceremonies. We will begin to check ID's, 45 minutes before the time listed and will start letting parents in 15 minutes before. If you have any questions please reach out to your child's teacher.
Thursday, May 15th (11:15 am) - Kindergarten ( Schenker, Parker, Taggart, Benson)
Thursday, May 15th (1:15 pm) - Kindergarten ( Marsland, Gonzalez, LeBoeuf, Boyd)
Friday, May 16th (10:00 am) - First Grade (S. Adams, Yandun, Bartholow, Sampson)
Friday, May 16th (12:00 pm) - First Grade (Lester, Simon, LIttle, J. Adams)
Monday, May 19th (10:00 am) - 2nd Grade (Sousa, Duran, Lee, Walfall, Arrabaca)
Monday, May 19th (12:30 pm) - 2nd Grade (Vaughn, Vero, Boggs, Glenn)
Tuesday, May 20th (10:00 - 10:30) - 4th Grade Awards
Tuesday, May 20th (1:00 - 1:30) - 3rd Grade Awards
Wednesday, May 21st (10:00 am) - 5th Grade (Brown, Carraway)
Wednesday, May 21st (11:30 am) - 5th Grade (Salemo, Roe)
Wednesday, May 21st (1:00 pm) - 5th Grade (Kapusta/Ferrell/Moreno)
7 months ago, Polenta Elementary School
Miss Parker's EC classroom at Polenta Elementary was filled with love, laughter, and the sweet smell of brunch!💕
The students celebrated Mother’s Day a little early by hosting a heartwarming Mommy & Me Brunch, where they proudly presented handmade gifts created just for their amazing moms. 🥰
It was a moment filled with smiles, hugs, and unforgettable memories. Thank you to all the wonderful mothers and grandmothers of these amazing children. You are truly cherished! 💐💖
Thank you to Ms. Kenyatta Echard and Ms. Erica Manley for the beautiful decorations and delicious food.
7 months ago, Johnston County Public Schools
all testing is finished for today.
7 months ago, Polenta Elementary
On Saturday, May 17th the delicious and generous City Barbeque (110 Cabela Drive) is donating back 20% of Dine-In, Takeout, Delivery, Drive thru & Pick up orders to support a great cause -- Polenta Elementary PTA!
On behalf of Polenta Elementary PTA you’re invited to join us and eat out, not only in support of the organization, but to show one of your Garner restaurants some love too!
We ask that you RSVP here:
https://grouprai.se/e301264 (even if you’re not completely sure) so City Barbeque knows roughly how many orders to expect & so you have access to all the event details.
We hope you can make it, and please feel free to forward this invitation to your friends and family. Thanks in advance for your support!
Kristy
Polenta Elementary PTA
7 months ago, Polenta Elementary
Happy Mother’s Day to all of our Puma Family Moms!
We hope you enjoy a fabulous weekend filled with love, laughter, and special moments with your children and families.
Thank you for all you do—today and every day!
7 months ago, Polenta Elementary
