News for January 28, 2019

Our partnership is key! Thank you for allowing us to team up with you in the greatest job of all - enriching the lives of children.

This Week at Brown School

Jan 28    
Kindness Week begins! 
Group yearbook pictures - Robotics teams and Tech Team to wear team shirts              
Jan 29    
Third graders to Sarett 9-11:30am
Fifth grade classes to SJHS from 12:45-2:15 for music recruitment concert
Lory's Place group - 11:45am
Release Time Bible Class 2:20-3:35pm

Jan 31     
Vocal / Instrumental Music Petting Zoo for 5th graders

Feb 1     
IEP Day
Popcorn Friday 

Coming Up...

Feb 4      WIDA Testing begins
               Hearing/Vision re-screening

Feb 6     Late start day
              First grade musical @ 6pm
              DQ Night!

Feb 8     Family Movie Night 6pm in the Brown School gym

Feb 11   Screenagers Event at SJHS 6:30pm

Feb 13   Student Count Day

Feb 14    Valentine's Day parties (p.m.)

Inclement Weather & School Cancellation Announcements  

We are anticipating some extremely cold days in the week ahead. Please remember that announcements regarding school closures and delays will be made via School Messenger and posted with local news outlets. Be sure we have your most up-to-date phone numbers and email addresses on file in the school office. Two hour delays work very similarly to our late start days, just one hour later. School would begin at 10:25 a.m. - buses would run two hours later than normal. 

Pennies for Patients

Beginning tomorrow and running through February 8th, Brown School is participating in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Pennies for Patients program; a service-learning program that gives students the unique experience of working together to help raise awareness and funds in honor of thousands of children and adults fighting against blood cancers! Click here to see the story of Sam, a hero battling blood cancer.

We are asking that everyone (students, faculty, parents, alumni, etc.) at Brown School join in this effort of raising awareness and collecting funds to benefit the mission of LLS: to find cures for blood cancers and to improve the quality of life for patient and their families. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Click this link for online donations. You will need to create account (if you select “log in with Google” it is pretty simple and straightforward). Then you can share the link with family and friends near and far, so they can donate too. You can also contribute by filling the collection box coins/dollars at home. Please send in collection boxes to school either when they are full or at the end of the campaign on Friday 2/8. Your child's classroom teacher will add your donation to the class collection box. There are even some fun incentives!

Thank you so much for supporting LLS and ’s participation in the Pennies program! Click here for more information on Pennies for Patients or other LLS Student Series Programs.

The snowball Box Top competition is on! Please send in your unexpired Box Tops in bags of 20 or taped/glued on sheets. Thank you for your support!

PlayIt Safe! Classroom Presentations
Saint Joseph Public Schools is proud to join other school districts across Berrien County in partnering with the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) of Southwest Michigan to bring the nationally recognized PlayIt Safe! Program to our schools. Presentations at Brown begin the first week in February.

Play it Safe!® is a child abuse awareness and prevention program that incorporates age-appropriate scripts and movies to teach children how to reduce their risk of sexual and physical abuse, and sexual assault. It teaches them to recognize potentially abusive behavior, provides the tools to respond to threatening situations, and encourages them to report abuse to a trusted adult.

All students in Kindergarten - 5th grade will participate in a lesson designed with content specific to the grade level. Trained professionals from the center will lead the learning to help students in recognizing three kinds of touch how to respond using a 3-part safety rule if they are ever in an uncomfortable situation. This safety rule can be applied to many situations that students may encounter on a daily basis, such as bullying and online situations, peer pressure, or exploitation by friends/family. The safety rule encourages assertive responses, whether it is used with strangers or someone the child knows and loves.

For more information about the program, including previews of the materials, visit the PlayItSafe.org website. If you prefer your child does not participate, please email Mrs. Bawks at kbawks@sjschools.org.

Our teachers spend last Friday afternoon
learning and growing together.
We have such committed staff members -
dedicated to enriching the lives of our students.
What an amazing team!

Ice Skating with Buddies 
Thanks to the generous support of our PTO, we are able to provide an enrichment opportunity to all of our Y5 - 5th grade students. Students will join their buddy classes at Howard Ice Arena to ice skate together on Friday, February 8th. We are looking for parent volunteers to meet classes at the ice area to assist with lacing up and skating safely. The schedule for the day is being developed and will be shared soon. If you are able to help, please contact your child's teacher and or Sara Codde at scodde@sjschools.org. You will need to have had completed the volunteer consent form prior to assisting students. It is sure to be a great day full of memory-making moments for our students!

Volunteering Reminder
We love to welcome volunteers to Brown School! Please note, that if you are planning to volunteer in your child’s classroom at any time during the rest of this school year, and have not filled out a Volunteer Consent Form yet, you must have one on file before you are able to volunteer. Forms are available in the office. Thank you for your cooperation!

Outdoor Gear Students love enjoying the wintery playground! When the "real feel" temperature is at least ten degrees, we will enjoy the great outdoors for recess. Please help your child enjoy 

every minute of it by making sure to send boots, hat/ear muffs, gloves/mittens and snow pants to school every day.

Please be sure to label items with your child's name and encourage him/her to search the lost and found for any missing gear - the collection is growing. 

St. Joseph Public Schools Foundation 

2019-20 Photo Contest

Submit your entry today!

Skate Nights have been cancelled for this winter/spring. We are looking forward to offering other family fun events - stay tuned!

Community Corkboard

Looking for fall activities to enroll your child in?
Check out local offerings by visiting our Community Corkboard.

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.

News for January 21, 2019

This Week at Brown School

Jan 21    No School - MLK Day

Jan 22    NWEA continues this week

Jan 23    No late start today! 

Jan 24    Parents as Teachers playgroup in gym (9-10 a.m.)
               
Jan 25     1/2 day for students-dismissal @ 12:05 p.m.

Coming Up...

Jan 28    Kindness Week begins!
              
Jan 29    Third graders to Sarett 9-11:30am
               Lory's Place group - 11:45am
               Release Time Bible Class 2:20-3:35pm

Feb 1       IEP Day
                Popcorn Friday 

Feb 4      WIDA Testing begins
               Hearing/Vision re-screening

Feb  5    Skate Night @ Lakeshore Roller World 6-8pm
Feb 6     Late start day
              First grade musical @ 6pm
              DQ Night

Feb 8     Family Movie Night 6pm in the Brown School gym

Feb 11   Screenagers Event at SJHS 6:30pm

Feb 13   Student Count Day

Feb 14    Valentine's Day parties (p.m.)

Mark your calendars! The Brown School Variety show will be held at SJHS on March 4th at 6pm. Please submit your child's permission slip to participate soon!

Congratulations to all of our top ten spellers who recently competed to participate in the upcoming Cloverleaf Spelling Bee at Lake Michigan College. We are proud of you all!
Good luck to Kailyn, Pihu, Ella and Ezra who will represent Brown School at the Cloverleaf.

Start the New Year with a Plan for Screen Time

By Joe Rommel, Berrien RESA

Few word combinations provide a sinking feeling for parents quite so quickly as ‘screen time’. Maybe
college tuition, but if your house is anything like mine, screen time is the more pressing issue. With two
elementary and two middle school children, along with my own technology habits, dealing with screen
time can seem overwhelming. Here’s a few strategies to make 2019 the year YOU control the screen!

In May 2018 the American Academy of Pediatrics provided ‘Children and Media Tips.’ There are several practical reminders such as establishing limits, being a positive example and establishing tech-free zones in the house. The point that really resonated with me was to not use the technology as an emotional pacifier; that tech time should not equal alone time. Young children learn and develop
through social interactions and play. Play is much more complex than just a swipe and a tap!

In an updated position statement the National Association for the Education of Young People acknowledges there are meaningful uses of technology for even infants and toddlers. The statement focuses on co-viewing and using devices to strengthen relationships. A good example of this is sharing
pictures of family members on your phone with your child.

The National Education Technology Plan provides guidelines as well. One of their recommendations for birth to three year olds is to help these young learner transfer and connect their experiences from a two dimensional screen to three dimensions. For example use an app to play with blocks virtually and then later play with blocks in real life. Another pointed reminder is to make learning with technology a
language rich experience - talk to the kids, have them explain what they are doing, make connections.

As a parent I have to remind myself that not all screen time is created equal. There is a big difference between being actively engaged and creating with technology versus consuming three seasons of a show on Netflix! Asking yourself whether it is sedentary and whether it is solitary are two good questions to start with when identifying screen time.

A meaningful activity to clarify the using of technology for your family, including the parents, is to develop a family media plan. The website HealthyChildren.org from the American Academy of Pediatrics has developed a step by step process to help with creating just such a plan. Include others work through the steps together at HealthyChildren.org/MediaUsePlan to set clear boundaries and expectations for your household. Meeting together to discuss how the plan is working is another way to have meaningful conversations around the topic.

You may consider using one of the many screen time monitoring apps that are available for all types of
devices. Gathering the data and understanding how much screen time is happening is often a good place to start the conversation. The folks from Screenagers, a 2016 documentary dedicated to this subject, put together a comprehensive list that provides several places to start. Find the list at screenagersmovie.com under the resources tab.

The New Year is a perfect time to revisit or begin a consistent plan and put you back in charge of the media use in your house (or classroom).

Screenagers Event 

Parents and students K-12, please join us Feb 11th from 6:30 pm-8:30 pm in the St Joseph High School’s John and Dede Howard auditorium for a viewing of Screenagers. Screenagers is an award-winning film that depicts the challenging struggles that families have over social media, video games and academics. The film offers solutions on how we can help our kids navigate the digital world. After viewing the film, we have a county expert, Joe Rommel, who will give additional updates on current social media trends and suggestions for parents on setting boundaries with their students’ social media use.

Refreshments will be available, along with free childcare offered by SJHS National Honor Society student group. Childcare is available for toddler through elementary school age children.

Cold and Flu Season Reminders
Please be sure your child is fever free and vomit free for 24 hours, without medication, before returning to school. At school, we’re taking extra measures to clean and sanitize common surfaces (door knobs, drinking fountains, etc.) and reviewing hand washing expectations and sneeze/cough procedures. You can help at home by reminding your child to wash his/her hands often and to never share food or beverages with others.

Thank you for reporting your child's absence to our school office by calling (269) 926-3500. You are able to leave a recording 24/7. Please be sure to include the reason for his/her absence as we include this information in our report to the health department. 

Consumers Energy Powers TheEcoDryer® School Project to Help West Michigan Students Stay Warm and Dry This Winter

TheEcoDryer® by TheGreenGloveDryer® School Project is a statewide initiative to solve the wet glove and mitten problem in K-5 classrooms by providing an energy-free, antimicrobial drying solution for kids, teachers and schools throughout Michigan. Public, private and charter schools across 29 counties in West Michigan will begin receiving school packs of EcoDryers - that’s 900 schools, including ours!

The dryers use our existing heating vents to help gloves and mittens dry in an eco-friendly and antimicrobial way. “Consumers Energy is committed to the success of schools and the communities we serve,” Lauren Youngdahl Snyder, Consumers Energy’s Vice President of Customer Experience. “Green Glove Dryers have helped children stay warm and dry without wasting energy, and we are excited to see the difference they can make for tens of thousands children in these schools.” For more information about the history of TheEcoDryer or to order one for home, please see their website: thegreenglovedryer.com.

Fluffy Friday with Flashlights was a very fun day for our students. 
Thank you for planning this experience, Student Council!

Inclement Weather & School Cancellation Announcements 

In the event of inclement weather, announcements regarding school closures and delays will be made via School Messenger and posted with local news outlets. Please be sure we have your most up-to-date phone numbers and email addresses on file in the school office. Two hour delays work very similarly to our late start days, just one hour later. School would begin at 10:25 a.m. - buses would run two hours later than normal. 

4th and 5th Graders ski FREE this Season!

For more information go to goskimichigan.org to register your 4th or 5th grader.

https://www.goskimichigan.com/cold-is-cool/

Community Corkboard

Looking for fall activities to enroll your child in?
Check out local offerings by visiting our Community Corkboard.

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.

News for January 14, 2019

Welcome back and Happy New Year! We had a terrific first week back, reconnecting and learning together. This is such a special time of year for learning at all levels - where the most growth typically occurs for our students. Thank you for your continued commitment to the power of our home-school partnership.

This Week at Brown School

Jan 14 Midyear NWEA testing begins for K-5th grades

Board of Education meeting 6pm @ Central Office

Jan 15 Hearing/Vision Screening (K, 1, 3, 5)

Student Council @ lunch

PTO Meeting 7pm in the media center

Jan 16 Hearing/Vision Screening cont.

Late Start

School Store @ first recess - $2 limit per child

Jan 17 Hearing/Vision Screening cont.
Spelling Bee in gym @ 4pm - please join us!

Jan 18 Student Council Fun Friday: Fluffy Friday with Flashlights!

Lory's Place lunch group

Coming Up...

Jan 21    No School - MLK Day

Jan 22    NWEA continues this week

Jan 23    No late start today! 

Jan 24    Parents as Teachers playgroup in gym (9-10 a.m.)
               
Jan 25     1/2 day for students-dismissal @ 12:05 p.m.


We will celebrate Kindness Week January 28th - February 1st. Events this week will highlight the importance of small acts of kindness that make a huge difference to others. Details are being developed and will be coming soon. 


2019 Brown School Spelling Bee

Congratulations to the following ten spellers who will be competing in our Brown School Spelling Bee!  

Pihu Sahai

Albert Pham

Ezra Spira

Evan Lokey

Hadley Freer

Gavin Zelenock-Grove

Ella Pawielski

Ne'Ariee Leigh

Kailyn Hafley

Daniyah Watson

The Spelling Bee will take place after school in the gym, on Thursday, January 17th at 4:00 p.m.. The top three spellers will go on to compete in the Cloverleaf Spelling Bee on February 21st at the Mendel Main Stage at Lake Michigan College. 

Congratulations and good luck, students! The parents of the top 10 students are encouraged to attend the school spelling bee; we really hope to see you there!

Girls on the Run - Register Today!

Girls on the Run registration is now open and is available through January 17, 2019! This amazing program is open to girls in 3rd through 5th grades. At Girls on the Run, girls are empowered to recognize their inner strength and develop a strong sense of self. 

For further information and to register your daughter today, go to https://www.gotrswmi.org/our-programs.

FIRST LEGO League Spring Robotics session is now open for registration for any 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade Brown School student interested in participating. To learn more about FIRST robotics click here. 

Please click on the link below to register your son and/or daughter.  

FIRST LEGO League SPRING Robotics @ Brown

Student Council is holding our first school store event of the year this coming Wednesday, January 16th . Students are invited to bring money to shop for pencils, erasers, and other fun school supplies. Students can shop from 10:15-10:45. Please do not send in any more that $2 per child.

Winter Weather

Ready or not, it looks like winter weather has arrived which means our lost and found is already growing. Please be sure your child's snow gear is clearly labeled with his/her name. 

Students need to be dressed for the elements as they participate in three outdoor recesses per day as long as the "real feel" temperature is above 10 degrees. They also need to be warm as they wait before and after school. 

Common Sense Media is the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. They empower parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives.
The article below from the site highlights important information for parents about Fortnite - a wildly popular game that our students frequently play outside of school. 

In addition, there is an abundance of other interesting and important information found on their site commonsensemedia.org.

Fortnite Secrets Kids Know But You Don't

Impress your kids (and learn to spot red flags) with our exclusive guide to Fortnite's secret underworld. By Frannie Ucciferri 12/12/2018

Topics: Gaming, Healthy Media Habits, News and Media Literacy, Privacy and Internet Safety, Screen Time

Any parent with a Fortnite fiend in their house knows the struggle: How do I keep up with the game's everchanging features, customs, and lingo? And -- even more importantly -- how do I keep kids safe when scammers and bad actors sneak into the game? If you're one of the many parents who's never played Fortnite (or just one of the ones who doesn't get the hype), you might be missing out on some of the "secrets" that only hard-core fans of the game know.

Want more tips on how to handle the Fortnite frenzy?
Get the email series

Most of these secrets are totally harmless and simply help make the game more fun and competitive. But some of the other activities that are part of Fortnite culture can lead kids down a dark rabbit hole -- and could get them kicked out of the game. The good news is that just being in the know can help you bond with your kids and guide them toward safe and smart gaming. Here are the secrets your kids aren't telling you.

They might be playing with their favorite celebs.

The Fortnite phenomenon was jump-started when rapper Drake played with Twitch streamer Ninja, but he's not the only celebrity who's obsessed with the game. Musicians and actors like Chance the Rapper, Finn Wolfhard, and Joe Jonas are also active players (Jonas even tweeted his handle so he could play with fans).

What's the big deal? While it's a major selling point for a lot of kids, the chances of your kid actually playing with a celebrity are probably slim. However, seeing their favorite celebs play Fortnite at all hours of the day and night could make it harder for them to manage their screen time. It's also a reminder that there are millions of people playing Fortnite -- and most of them are strangers.

What to say: Ask your kid if they know any famous people playing Fortnite. Discuss how celebs balance the game with their creative or athletic pursuits. Depending on your kid's age, help them set up privacy settings and parental controls.

Kids will do almost anything for exclusive items.

Many costumes and characters (known as "skins"), as well as other items, are only available in the game for a limited time. For example, the Skull Trooper and Bunny Brawler skins are special 2018 holiday offerings. Others, like the Black Knight skin and the Reaper (aka John Wick), are only available when players reach a certain tier level on a specific season's Battle Pass (a time-bound subscription that offers players additional challenges and rewards). Players with these exclusive, rare items from earlier seasons are often idolized for being early adopters of the game.

What's the big deal? Most items don't really affect the outcomes of the games. A memorable skin is mainly a way to set yourself apart. However, these items cost real money (by way of Fortnite's in-game currency, V-Bucks), and you might not realize that your kid is racking up a serious credit card charge to attain the latest and greatest characters.

What to say: Ask which skins your kid prefers to play with and the rarest one they've seen. Discuss why people have high opinions of those who've played the game since the beginning. Is there any benefit to having played that long? Does being the first make you the best?

Those popular dances are based on real people.

If you leave a kid standing long enough, they'll start doing the floss, but that's not the only dance craze that makes an appearance in Fortnite. Players can unlock or buy hundreds of different dances (called "emotes"). And many of these signature moves have origins in popular movies, TV shows, and viral videos. Kids might recognize the Ride the Pony emote from the song "Gangnam Style," but parents might recognize Jubilation from Seinfeld or the Original Dance from Scrubs.

What's the big deal? Emotes are one of the most appealing features of Fortnite and for the most part pretty harmless. But they could introduce kids to media that might not be appropriate for them yet.

What to say: Ask which dances they recognize and where they originated. And if you're really brave, ask them to teach you to floss.

Kids are training with Fortnite coaches.

Though the premise of Fortnite is simple (be the last one standing), the controls can be challenging. And the game has gotten so big that kids' Fortnite abilities could affect their social status with peers -- or even the potential to go pro. Some parents shell out real cash for their kids to learn from an expert. Gamers are offering coaching services online and on social media sites. And it's not just kids who are getting schooled. Some parents even hire coaches for themselves to help them play alongside their kids.

What's the big deal? It may be hard to believe that kids are training to become better video gamers instead of, say, signing up for piano lessons or soccer clinics. Advanced players can make a few extra bucks by sharing their skills, especially since esports is hitting the mainstream and gaming programs are becoming more popular at high schools and colleges.

What to say: Discuss whether video games are comparable to sports like soccer or basketball or to skilled pursuits like playing a musical instrument. What is the benefit of having a coach or tutor? Ask if your kid has ever helped a friend become better at the game or benefited from the help of someone else.

You can pay someone to win games for you.

Battle Royale is a winner-takes-all game, so it's no surprise that the main bragging right in Fortnite is how many wins you have. An advanced player might get several a day. Your kid may have only a few, even after weeks of play. To boost this number, some players are turning to gaming forums, as well as sites like Ebay and Craigslist, to pay people to win for them.

What's the big deal? Not only is this cheating, but it also opens up kids to scams and privacy breaches. The only way for someone else to play for you is for them to log in with your username and password, which leaves you at risk of identity theft. And then there's no way to guarantee that the person with your information will actually win a match.

What to say: Discuss the importance of protecting your personal data and passwords. Talk about cheating and sporting conduct. Ask your kid if they think buying wins is worth it.

People are buying and selling their accounts.

The underground Fortnite economy isn't limited to buying wins or hiring coaches. Some players are even selling their entire accounts. Because Epic Games doesn't allow the trading of skins or items in the game, if you miss out on something rare, there's a chance you'll never get the opportunity again. Some gamers are capitalizing on the high demand for these items by listing their accounts on Ebay, Craigslist, and other online marketplaces. And depending on how advanced the player and how rare the items, people are spending hundreds and thousands of dollars.

What's the big deal? Buying and selling accounts goes against Epic Games' terms of service, which means you can be blocked from the game if you're caught. If that doesn't deter kids, buying accounts is also a major way to get scammed. There's no guarantee that sellers are telling the truth about the items or that they even own the account themselves. Some scammers are selling hacked or stolen accounts from other players -- who are usually quick to take them back.

But kids aren't just the buyers on these marketplaces; they're also the sellers. Depending on their time spent and skill level, kids are discovering that their accounts have real value. And some parents might have a problem if the money they've allowed their kids to spend on V-Bucks is being turned into cash from random folks online.

What to say: Ask if your kid has considered buying or selling accounts. Discuss the dangers and benefits of online marketplaces, as well as safety rules for interacting online. Talk about the importance of honoring terms of service (and ask how often they agree to them without reading them).

Community Corkboard

Looking for fall activities to enroll your child in?
Check out local offerings by visiting our Community Corkboard.

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.