Brown School News for January 29, 2018

 We continue to celebrate our focus on literacy throughout the day, in every classroom throughout the school. Our staff and students have recently been introduced to an amazing program, Lexia Reading Core5, which promises to be a robust solution for focused independent practice. We look forward to bringing you more information about its features and uses as we learn more about it. Click here to see some of its capabilities. 

This Week at Brown School

NWEA testing continues throughout the week

1/29 Variety Show participation forms due today! 

PTO meeting 7-8 p.m. in the Media Center- please join us!

1/30 5th graders to travel to SJHS for performing arts concert 12:45-2:15

1/31  Not a late start day!
Instrument Petting Zoo for 5th graders in Media Center 1:30-3:00

2/1  Mrs. McCool's class to Upton's planetarium (p.m.) 
     
2/2   Maker Day @ Brown 



Coming Up

2/5   Pennies for Patients drive begins 

2/7   Late start day
        Count day

2/9   Fourth graders to Lansing 
        Hearing and Vision re-screening
        Popcorn day!

2/13   Skate Night 6-8 @ Lakeshore Roller World

2/14   Late start day
          Valentine's Day parties 2:15-3:30

2/15   First grade musical @ 6:00 p.m.





Maker Day at Brown School
We are excited to partner with Berrien RESA's Technology Integration Consultants to offer a day packed full of interactive sessions that will provide opportunities for our students to have hands-on S.T.E.M. (Science Technology Engineering Math) experiences. From stop motion animation to coding a MicroBit, it is sure to be an extraordinary day of learning at our school!


FIRST LEGO League Registration
Fourth and fifth graders are encouraged to get involved in our Brown School Robotics Team through the FIRST LEGO League.  This amazing club experience meets in the media center on Wednesdays from 3:50-5:30 beginning on February 7th.  Registration forms were sent home Friday and are due by February 1st. Please contact Denise Clark at deniseclark12@yahoo.com, or by phone at (269) 262-6141, with any questions. 

Media Center News
Please click here to see all of the exciting happenings in our elementary media centers!

Michigan's Adventure Family Trip 2018

Mark your calendars to join other Brown School families on June 11th from 10-5 at Michigan's Adventure for a day of family fun!  The cost is $25 per person and includes a lunch of hotdog, chips, cookie and drink (parking and locker fees are an additional cost). Please note that parents are responsible to transport their children and must stay with them.  More details will come soon! 


Community Corkboard

Looking for after school activities for your child?  
Our Community Corkboard is your source for information about
all kinds of happenings around town.   Take me to the
Community Corkboard now.  

It is the policy of the St. Joseph Public School District that no person shall, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, disability, height, weight, or marital status be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to, discrimination during any program, activity, service or in employment.

Brown School News for January 22, 2018

Brown School is proud to partner with other
St. Joseph Public Schools in participating in this week’s
Great Kindness Challenge - an international event focusing
on the power of kindness.  

Join in the fun by doing the GKC Home Edition.

Kindness Week Activities

Monday:  "Burst of Kindness" celebration- notecards distributed to all students to leave behind after performing an act of kindness. 

Monday & Tuesday: "Good luck" notes created in the Media Center during recess for middle and high school students taking finals

Wednesday: "Burst of Kindness" reminders with special treat in cross halls

Thursday: Students will write a kind card for a Caretel residents

Friday: Dream of Kindness- pajama day!


*Students will bring home Kindness checklists on Monday. Complete as many challenges as you can this week and
bring back the checklist on Monday, January 29th, to be entered for a
chance to win an invitation to Mrs. Bawks's Celebrate Kindness luncheon.


This Week at Brown School

1/22 Great Kindness Challenge begins today!
          Midyear NWEA begins for all K-5 students
          Mrs. Lear's class to Calling All Colors 9:00-11:15 a.m.
          Board of Ed meeting 6 p.m. @ Central

1/23  Lockdown Drill 10 a.m.

1/25  Parents as Teachers playgroup in gym 9:30-10:30 a.m.               Learn more about the playgroup here.
          3rd grade to Sarett (a.m.)      
       
1/26   School spirit orders due today!
           Pajama day- Dream of Kindness Day
           Y5/K-5 half-day- dismisal at 12:05 p.m.


Coming Up...

1/29  PTO meeting 7-8 p.m. Media Center- please join us!

2/1    Mrs. McCool's class to Upton's planetarium      

2/2   Maker Day @ Brown 

2/5   Pennies for Patients drive begins 

2/7   Late start day
          Count day

2/9  Fourth graders to Lansing 
         Hearing and Vision re-screening
         Popcorn day!


2/13  Skate Night 6-8 @ Lakeshore Roller World

2/14  Late start day
          Valentine's Day parties 2:15-3:30

2/15  First grade musical- 6:00 p.m.

Lexia Core 5 Comes to Brown School!

We are excited to announce that Lexia Core 5 is being implemented

at our school.  This program offers a comprehensive platform

for practicing key reading skills in a self-leveling and engaging way

for students.   Lexia promises to be a key component of our ongoing

focus on reading - especially helping our students grow individually

toward their goals.  A few students got to try it out last week at our

school and they report really liking it.  Teachers will start their training

this week and it will be in every classroom before long.  
We can’t wait to get started!

Field Trip Funds

The costs of field trips at our school are covered through
donations from the SJPS Foundation, PTO, and our families.
If you haven't contributed yet this school year, it's not too late!
Please send in $5/student or $10/family as cash or check
(payable to SJPS). Thank you for your help!

Registration deadline extended!   Please be sure to enroll your daughter before 1/29/18. Register NOW

Food Service Part-Time Positions Available

3 Hour Permanent Position at the High School

On Call sub position for all buildings

If interested please contact Demrhy Youngquist at 269-926-3127 or dyoungquist@sjschools.org

The Brown School Spirit Sale is going on now! Orders are due by January 26th.  

Community Corkboard

Looking for after school activities for your child?  
Our Community Corkboard is your source for information about
all kinds of happenings around town.   Take me to the
Community Corkboard now.  

It is the policy of the St. Joseph Public School District that no person shall, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, disability, height, weight, or marital status be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to, discrimination during any program, activity, service or in employment.

Brown School News for January 15, 2018

Thank you for partnering with us to support and enrich the lives of your children. We are so fortunate to work alongside you!

Monday 1/15 No School- in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tuesday 1/16 E Day

Wednesday 1/17 F Day
Late start day

Hearing/Vision screening begins

Thursday 1/18 A Day

Friday 1/19 B day
Mrs. Nowicki's class to Calling All Colors 9:00-11:15 a.m.

Elementary Swim and Gym @ SJHS 6-8 p.m.- please join us for an evening of fun!


Coming Up...

1/22 Kindness week begins (see details below)
          Midyear NWEA begins (see details below)
          Mrs. Lear's class to Calling All Colors 9:00-11:15 a.m.
          Board of Ed meeting 6 p.m. @ Central

1/25 Parents as Teachers playgroup in gym 9:30-10:30 a.m.- learn more here
         3rd grade to Sarett (a.m.)      
       
1/26  School spirit order due today!
           Pajama day- Dream of Kindness Day
           Y5/K-5 half-day- dismisal at 12:05 p.m.

1/29  PTO meeting 7-8 p.m. Media Center- please join us!

2/1    Mrs. McCool's class to Upton's planetarium      

2/2   Maker Day @ Brown- more details to come!

2/5   Pennies for Patients drive begins

2/7   Late start day

2/9  Fourth graders to Lansing 
         Hearing and Vision re-screening
         Popcorn day!

2/13 Skate Night 6-8 @ Lakeshore Roller World

2/14   Late start day
           Valentine's Day parties 2:15-3:30

2/15  First grade musical- 6:00 p.m.

Miss Brooklynn McLaughlin is working with Ms. Barron this semester as she completes her student teaching through Western Michigan University. Welcome to Brown School, Miss McLaughlin! 

Principal's Breakfast

Throughout the school year, all Brown School students will have the opportunity to join Mrs. Bawks in the Media Center for a light snack and conversation.  This is a great opportunity for us to connect and get to know each other even better. Every week a different student is selected from each classroom. Look for your child's invitation to come home sometime this school year.  

If you are interested in volunteering an hour or so per week to assist with copying/material prep for our amazing teachers, please let Mrs. Bawks or Mrs. Martin know. We would love to have your help! 

Substitute Lunch Monitors Needed

We are looking for people to sub in the lunchroom and/or at lunch recess (from 11:30-12:45) in the event that our regularly scheduled staff is not able to be with us.  If you are interested, please let Mrs. Martin know and she will get you more details.

Winter Weather & Outdoor Play

Whenever possible we're outside for recess. Please be sure your child is prepared to make the most of playtime with friends by sending snow pants, boots, hats, and gloves/mittens to school each day.

Weather Delays & Cancellations

In the event of inclement weather, notifications about school closures or delays will be sent via School Messenger and will be posted with local media outlets. Please be sure we have your most current contact information on file in the school office. All evening events are canceled if school is closed for the day.

Two hour delays are similar to late start days, except everything runs two hours late and there are no supervised activities for students before school.

Lunch Slips

Mrs. Punches issued lunch slips to students on Friday, January 12th, that need a boost in their lunch funds. Please click here to add money electronically or feel free to send a check or cash to school with your child(ren) in an envelope marked with his/her first and last name. Thank you!

Midyear NWEA Testing

In effort to monitor student growth and progress, all K-5 students will take the midyear NWEA reading and math tests soon. Our testing window will be from January 22nd-February 1st. Teachers will use the data to design small group enrichment and intervention lessons for their students. 

Kindness Week

The Great Kindness Challenge, celebrated January 22nd- 26th, provides us the opportunity to focus on spreading kindness to those around us.  We are looking forward to a week "bursting with kindness".  Please note that all of the activities below are optional, students are not required to participate. 





Monday: Every student will get a "Burst of Kindness" notecard to leave behind after performing an act of kindness.

Kindness checklists will be distributed to students and can be completed both at school and at home.

Monday/Tuesday: Students can elect to go to the Media Center at recess and make "good luck" notes for middle and high school students who are taking finals.

Wednesday: Tech team and student council reps will give out Starbursts in the cross-hall to students as a reminder to share a "burst of kindness".

Thursday: Students can chose to write a card for Caretel residents during recess in the Media Center.

Friday: Dream of Kindness- pajama day at Brown School!

Extended Learning Opportunities

Extended learning opportunities are planned throughout the day to support students’ academic, social and emotional growth. These experiences are offered to students based on teacher recommendation and may be facilitated by other teachers, our intervention team members or our school social worker, Mrs. Colette Jasiak.  If you would prefer that your child not participate in these types of experiences, please contact Mrs. Bawks at 926-3500.

MAKER DAY 2018

Plans are underway for Brown School's Maker Day to be held on February 2nd during the school day.  There will be a variety of S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) options available for classes to enjoy.  It is sure to be a fun and educational event!

Girls on the Run Registration ends Jan 17th

Register now so your daughter is able to participate in the Girls on the Run program this year! The program for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade girls starts in February. Information about this amazing program is available online. We are in need of additional coaches. If you are interested, please contact our site coordinator, Kristi Gousetis at kgousetis@sbcglobal.net.

It is the policy of the St. Joseph Public School District that no person shall, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, disability, height, weight, or marital status be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to, discrimination during any program, activity, service or in employment.