Welcome Back to School! September 1, 2017

Thank you for all that you've done at home to prepare for the first day of the 2017-18 school year. We value your partnership and are looking forward to developing strong relationships with you and your children. The staff and I are incredibly eager to greet all of the many smiling faces on Tuesday morning.  Below you will find a schedule for our school day.  Classroom teachers will share more specific schedules related to Art, P.E., Music, and Media Center times with you at Back to School Night on September 12th. 

8:23 Line up bell rings

All Y5-3rd grade students should line up with their class according to the signs on the playground or on the north side of the building (4th, 5th grades only).

8:25 School begins! 

Teachers will greet students on the playground (Y5-3rd grade) or at the north end of the building (4th and 5th grades) and escort them in to begin the new year!

10:15 Recess (Y5-2nd grades)

10:30 Recess (3rd-5th grades)

11:45-12:35 Lunch/Recess

We will only have two lunches this school year- Y5-2nd grade will eat from 11:45-12:10, then will head to recess from 12:10-12:35; 3rd-5th grade will enjoy recess from 11:45-12:10, then will come inside to eat from 12:10-12:35.

2:15 Recess (Y5-2nd grades)

2:30 Recess (3rd-5th grades)

3:48 Dismissal

Thank you for taking a moment to watch the quick video found here to ensure you are aware of the drop off/pick-up procedures for our school prior to the first day. 

Back to School Safety

Sheriff Bailey urges Safety when heading Back to School…

Whether they’re ready or not, Berrien County students are headed back to school!

Of the 301 school-age children killed from 2006 to 2015 in school-transportation-related crashes in the U.S., 102 were pedestrians and eight were cyclists, according to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

With more than 16 public school districts in the county, drivers and pedestrian’s need to put their phones away and pay attention to their surroundings, Sheriff Bailey said.

Deputies will be monitoring school zones, but here are some additional tips from the Sheriff’s Office for a safe trip back to school.

If you drive your children to school:

• Know your districts instructions and follow the rules to make Drop-Off and Pick-Up smooth & stress free.   
• Be Alert and Drive Defensively - Always anticipate the possibility of a child darting out in front of you.
• Slow down and pay attention especially in school zones. Watch out for children walking, biking and waiting at bus stops.
• Remember buses make frequent stops. It’s against the law to pass a school bus while it’s stopped on the roadway picking up or dropping off students.
• When turning at an intersection, be sure to yield to pedestrians and cyclists.

If you’re a student riding the bus:

• Stay out of the street while waiting for the bus and allow the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching the bus from the curb.
• Make sure you remain in clear view of the bus driver. Never walk behind the bus.
• Look both ways before getting on and off the bus. When you get off the bus, look both ways and move immediately onto the sidewalk and out of traffic.

If you’re a student walking or biking to school:

• Make sure to have some type of reflective equipment/material on your bike, backpack or clothing. Be Seen – Be Safe!
• Walk on sidewalks where available and always cross at intersections.
• Bike riders should ride on the right, in the same direction as traffic, and use appropriate hand signals. Bicyclists should also respect traffic lights and stop signs.

Please be sure your child know how he/she is getting home from school the first week of school. Bus Routes can be found here and on the SJPS website. Please note that buses typically run a bit behind the first few days of school as routes are being established. 

Easing Student Stress 

How is your child feeling about the start of the school year? Click here to read an article offering suggestions to set your child up for school success on day one. 

Sept. 12th: Packets sent home at Back to School Night

Oct. 2nd: Walk-A-Thon officially begins!

Students will walk at lunch recess on October 2nd,4th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 16th, 18th, 20th (weather permitting)

Oct. 20th: Final day to walk

                 Fun Charm Day!  

Food Service Program

National School Breakfast Program

Breakfast will be offered daily from 8:00-8:25 a.m. in the cafeteria. Meal prices are $1.75 for elementary students and $2.50 for adults. Menus are available online.

National School Lunch Program

Student lunches are $2.45 for elementary and $3.85 for adults per day. This includes the entrée (or alternate choice), vegetable, fruit, bread, and milk. Additional milk may be purchased for 60 cents. Students need to bring lunch money with them on the first day of

 school unless they have funds left from last year. Any food service debts from last year should be settled as soon as possible. Please visitwww.sendmoneytoschool.com to pay or sign up just to look at your student’s balance.  You may pay online with a credit/debit card, there is a $1.75 processing fee to pay online.  Menus are available online.

Free & Reduced Meals

Applications for free and reduced price breakfast/lunch are included with this mailing or can be filled out online atwww.lunchapp.com (one application per household). Breakfast/Lunch must be purchased until these applications have been received and qualification has been determined.  Parents/Guardians will be notified through mail/email when their application has been processed.  If there are any questions regarding your application or if assistance is needed filling out the form, please call Demrhy Youngquist at 926-3127.

To see the menus for the first week of school, go tohttp://sjschools.org

 and find “Food Service” under the “Our District” tab. Please be sure all cash/checks are in an envelope and labeled with your child's first and last name.

PTO News

We are excited to offer more options for meeting times this school year in hopes that families will be able to make a choice that suits their lives.  In addition to our evening meetings, we would like to also offer afternoon meetings with a light lunch for everyone who is able to attend. All meetings will be held in the Brown School Media Center. Please see the dates and times below.

Sept. 18th- 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Please visit this link to view!

Oct. 23rd- 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Nov. 20th- 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Jan. 29th- 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Feb. 19th 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Mar. 19th- 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Apr. 23rd- 12:00-1:00 p.m.

May 21st- 7:00-8:00 p.m.

We would love to have you join us!

PTO Board:
Marylin Bishop- President
Shannon Larsen- Vice President
Interim Treasurer- Becky Lokey
Secretaries- Matthew and April Soyk