We can hardly wait to greet all of our students and their families on Wednesday evening at our annual Back to School Ice Cream Social from 6-7 p.m. on our school playground. Students will have the opportunity to meet their teachers and reconnect with their classmates at this time. Class lists will be posted this evening on the front entrance windows. New and Y5/Kindergarten families may join us inside the building from 5:30-6:00 that evening for a self-guided tour.
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| Carolyn Kodis - Young Fives Teacher |
Welcome New Staff!
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| Faith Balanowski - Special Education aide |
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| Sara Codde - Building Secretary |
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| Brianne Van Hekken - School Social Worker |
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| Mindi Mach - Special Education aide |
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| Alyssa Barkovich - Kindergarten Teacher |
PTO News
Letter from the PTO President:
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| Matthew Soyk, April Soyk, Shannon Larsen, Marylin Bishop, Kate Baum |
My name is Marylin Bishop, PTO President. PTO stands for Parent Teacher Organization, therefore, we are all part of the Brown School PTO. With that, I’d like to welcome you to our PTO team!
We look forward to working with our parents/guardians/grandparents and staff to ensure a productive and fun school year for our students. Volunteers make all of our fun PTO sponsored events possible. We welcome and encourage your participation and appreciate your time so much!For without you, the PTO would not be possible.
Please help support our PTO board and your students with any time you’re able to give. We understand life is busy and the time you give won’t go unnoticed!
Follow us on our Facebook page for opportunities to get involved and last minute updates. Click here to join the Brown Elementary PTO closed FB group.
Sincerely,
President: Marylin Bishop
Vice President: Shannon Larsen
Treasurers: Matthew & April Soyk
Secretary: Kate Baum
Emergency Contact Information
Please update and return your child's brown emergency information form that was sent home in your welcome packet. These forms can be given directly to your child's new teacher.
Please help us know what to expect at dismissal the first week of school by filling out and turning in the half sheet you received in your welcome back mailing!
Attention New Families
All enrollment/registration materials need to be complete before the school year begins. If you still need to bring in your child’s birth certificate, immunization record, physical, hearing/vision tests, or your proof of residency, please do so as soon as possible. You can bring them with you to turn in at Ice Cream Social or drop them off at the office anytime before then.
Building Safety and Secrurity
Your child's safety is our top concern, therefore you will notice a few changes to our school environment in effort to maintain building security. As in years past, there will only be one point of entry for visitors to access our school located at the main office entrance off of Brown School Road. New this year is a buzzer system located outside of the main entrance doors, which allows entry into the vestibule during school hours. In addition, visitors and volunteers will be required to provide identification in order to proceed past the school office. As always, an annual background check will be required for all volunteers who work directly with our students.
Bus Routes
Bus routes and schedules will soon be available on our district website.
You will need to determine the stop closest to your home for pick-up and drop-off for all students in Young 5s through 5th grade. Members of our transportation staff will be at Ice Cream Social to help your with transportation questions. If you are unable to attend or have additional transportation needs, please contact Sandy Kroening, SJPS Transportation Director, at skroening@sjschools.org or 269-926-3900.
Please be patient the first few days of school as our drivers work to welcome new riders, establish routines, and double check student names. Often, routes tend to run a little longer the first few weeks.
Please fill out and return your child's yellow ridership card prior to the start of school! Some of our bus drivers will be onsite at Ice Cream Social - stop by the transportation table to turn in your card and say hello.
Brown School needs lunch monitors and substitute monitors! If you are interested in these employment opportunities, please contact the school office for details.
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
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. Please make checks payable to St. Joseph Public Schools. Any food service debts from last year should be settled as soon as possible. Please visit www.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. Applications for free and reduced price breakfast/lunch were included with your child's welcome back mailing or can be filled out online at www.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.
Late Starts for Professional Development
Late start professional development days are scheduled on Wednesdays throughout the year. On these days, students will enter the building at 9:25 a.m.. Buses will run on a one-hour delay. Students needing supervised care prior to the start of school on late start Wednesdays may be dropped off as early as 7:45 a.m. to participate in supervised activities in the school gym. Please plan to walk and sign-in your child.
Community Corkboard
Looking for fall activities to enroll your child in?
Check out local offerings by visiting our Community Corkboard.
