News for May 28, 2019

Twin Day in first grade!

It is so hard to believe that summer is right around the corner! Thank you for all that you do to support learning every day. We know that "summer slide" is real and we are committed to partnering with you to avoid some of the loss of the achievement gains that our students worked so hard to make this year. We are excited to announce our Summer Learning Challenge to students at the end of this week. Please see the details below.

This Week at Brown

May 27     Memorial Day - No School Y5/K-12

May 28     Third grade swimming (a.m.)

May 29     Third grade swimming (a.m.)

                 First graders to Sarett @ 12:00 p.m.

                 Fifth grade musical 6pm
                 Last DQ Night of the school year!

May 30     Third grade swimming (a.m.)

May 31     Popcorn Friday!

Our fourth graders had a special experience in Lansing last week - they were announced in front of the House and Senate! 

Coming Up...

June 3      School Picnic Day!

PICNIC SCHEDULE - June 3rd

3rd-5th graders eat at 12:00, Play until 2:30 pm

1st-2nd eat at 12:25 , Play until 2:30 pm

Y5 & K eat at 12:45, Play until 2:30 pm

Staff v. 5th grade kickball game at 1:30 pm

June 4       Third grade swimming (a.m.)

June 5       Third grade swimming (a.m.)

June 6      1/2 Day - dismissal at 12:05pm
                  Fifth grade breakfast 9:00 - 10:15 a.m. (volunteers only, please)

June 7       Last day of school!
                 1/2 Day - dismissal at 12:05pm
                  Awards assembly / Fifth Grade Farewell 10:45 a.m. -12:00 p.m. (all families welcome - 5th graders honored)

June 11th and 12th  Y5/K Screening @ Lincoln School 

Annual School Improvement Survey 

Please assist us in meeting the needs of our students and their families by completing a short school improvement survey. Your feedback is important in the continuous school improvement cycle. Thank you for clicking on the link below and providing your input.

Brown School Family Survey 2018-2019

Summer Learning Challenge! 

We are challenging all of our current Y5 - 4th grade students to "go for gold" this summer! By dedicating a small portion of their free time to fun learning activities, students will work to overcome the dreaded effects of "summer slide". 

Here's how it will work: students will track their progress all summer long on the sheet that will be sent home on May 31st. They will turn it in once we return to school in the fall. Based on the number of activities completed throughout the summer, students will earn a gold, silver, or bronze backpack medal. We will kick off this challenge with an all-school assembly on May 31st. Please look for more specific details and a challenge form to come home that day.

Moving this summer? Please make sure we have your new address on file so you receive your child’s welcome back packet in August.

Summer Building Improvements

There are exciting updates coming to Brown School this summer! When our students return in the fall they will see that all of our bathrooms are renovated, the Garden Lane entrance will be updated and refreshed, and the playground edging will be replaced. 

Please check the Lost and Found on your next visit to school. Anything left at the end of the year will be donated to a local charity.

Kindergarten Screening & Registration
Kindergarten Screening will take place on June 11th and 12th at Lincoln School. If you attended Kindergarten Round-Up in March, your child will be scheduled for an appointment for one of these days. If you have an incoming Kindergarten or Y5 student and you have not given your child's information to Mrs. Codde, please contact the office as soon as possible to ensure your child gets an appointment scheduled.

Enrollment paperwork can be turned into the office as soon as it is completed. It is our goal to have all of the enrollment paperwork collected BEFORE the screening dates in June.

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 May 20, 2019

 

The annual John Hall Track Meet was a huge success! Way to go, Brown School! A special thank you goes out to Mr. Jager for all of his hard work in preparing our students and organizing this event. 

This Week at Brown School

May 20    4th grade HealthWorks 8:45 - 10:30 a.m.

                5th grade HealthWorks 12:45 - 2:45 p.m.                                     Board of Education meeting @ 6pm

May 21    Student Council meeting @ lunch
                Final PTO meeting of the year 7pm in media center

May 22    Late Start Day
                Book Bonanza 4-6pm at SJHS Student Center

May 23    Dress Like a Friend Day!

May 24    Fifth graders to Air Zoo 

                Second graders to SJ Bluff

                Fourth graders to Lansing*

*Bus departing from school @ 6:15 a.m. & returning by 3:30 p.m.  

If the bus is running late, you will be contacted by the school office

                

Coming Up...

May 27     Memorial Day - No School Y5/K-12

May 28     Third grade swimming (a.m.)

May 29     Third grade swimming (a.m.)

                 First graders to Sarett @ 12:00 p.m.

                 Fifth grade musical 6pm
                 Last DQ Night of the school year!

May 30     Third grade swimming (a.m.)

May 31     Popcorn Friday!

June 3      School Picnic Day!
                 Board of Education meeting 6pm @ Central Office

June 4       Third grade swimming (a.m.)

June 5       Third grade swimming (a.m.)

June 6      1/2 Day - dismissal at 12:05pm
                  Fifth grade breakfast

June 7       Last day of school!
                 1/2 Day - dismissal at 12:05pm
                  Awards assembly / Fifth Grade Farewell 10:45 a.m.

June 11th and 12th  Y5/K Screening @ Lincoln School 

Book Bonanza 2019

Please join us in the St. Joseph High School Student Center any time between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22nd for Book Bonanza 2019. Here, all SJPS students (ECDD - 5th grade) will have the opportunity to select six books for summer reading. It is sure to be an amazing event again this year! 

Attention 5th grade parents... If your student no longer wants the foot charms they have earned during the Walkathon and Mileage Club, please consider recycling them back to us. A recycle box for the foot charms will be placed in the office until the end of the year. Please bring in all unwanted charms and we’ll clean them up and use them for future years. Thank you!

Please join us on Tuesday, May 21st at 7 p.m.
in the media center for our final PTO meeting of the year. 

Other PTO News

Hello 5th Grade Parents-Soon to be Middle Schoolers!  

My name is Cindy Igoe and I am the current PTO President at Upton.  This is my last year at Upton for a while but I wanted to share how much I've enjoyed volunteering here.  From coordinating the few committees that we have to selling spirit wear and working with the counselors and teachers, Upton is a great place to dedicate a few hours of time during the school year.  Even though your student is heading on to bigger things in middle school they still need your presence and volunteering is a good way to do that and still give them their space to grow.  

On May 30th 11:30-12:30 we will be having our last UPTO meeting of this school year at Upton in the conference room.  At this time we will be confirming our board members for next year and voting on our budget.  All are welcome to join and see what we're about!  Please email me if you have any questions or are interested in a board position for next year.  cindyigoe@yahoo.com

Current positions:

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

Class Representatives (6th, 7th, 8th)

Congratulations to the 2019 Ren Baldwin Student Technology Festival Grand Prize winners Ryan Lokey and Divyang Verma! What an honor to be awarded this high honor two years in a row! WOW!

Check out all of the amazing projects submitted by our students by clicking here. 

Our third graders enjoyed an exciting day of learning at Charleton Park last week.

Annual School Improvement Survey 

Please assist us in meeting the needs of our students and their families by completing a short school improvement survey. Your feedback is important in the continuous school improvement cycle. Thank you for clicking on the link below and providing your input.

Brown School Family Survey 2018-2019

Mike Wagner Memorial Account @ Sports 44 Any student who needs financial assistance with sporting equipment or clothing, please consider shopping at Sports 44. There is a Mike Wagner Memorial account set up, intended to cover the cost of whatever is needed (Mr. Wagner was a huge sports fan and this would make him happy). Please ask for Chris, the owner, and he will make sure you are taken care of. And special thanks to many people who have donated items to the store in care of the memorial.

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 May 13, 2019

Our Brown School staff would like to wish all of our students' mothers a restful Mother's Day, full of love and celebration for all that you do every day. 

This Week at Brown School

May 14     3rd graders to Charleton Park @ 8:35 a.m. 

                 GOTR Bake Sale 4:00-4:30 p.m. 

                 5th grade orientation meeting at Upton 6:30 p.m.

May 15     Late Start Day

May 17    3rd - 5th grade track meet @ Upton 11:30 - 2:00 

                3rd - 5th grade lunch @ 10:45 a.m.

Coming Up...

May 20    Third grade swimming this week (a.m.)

                4th grade HealthWorks 8:45 - 10:30 a.m.

                5th grade HealthWorks 12:45 - 2:45 p.m.                                Board of Education meeting @ Central Office 6pm

May 21    Student Council meeting @ lunch
                Final PTO meeting of the year 7pm in media center

May 22    Late Start Day
                Book Bonanza 4-6pm at SJHS Student Center

May 23    Dress Like a Friend Day!

May 24    Fifth graders to Air Zoo

                Second graders to SJ Bluff

                Fourth graders to Lansing

Bus departing from school @ 6:15 a.m. & returning by 3:30 p.m.  

If the bus is running late, you will be contacted by the school office

                
May 27     Memorial Day - No School Y5/K-12

May 29     Fifth grade musical 6pm
                 Last DQ Night of the school year!

May 31     Popcorn Friday!

June 3      School Picnic Day!
                 Board of Education meeting 6pm @ Central Office

June 6      1/2 Day - dismissal at 12:05pm
                  Fifth grade breakfast

June 7       Last day of school!
                 1/2 Day - dismissal at 12:05pm
                  Awards assembly / Fifth Grade Farewell

The Girls on the Run team will be having a bake sale on Tuesday, May 14th as part of their Community Impact Project.  It will be held right after school until 4:30 in the cross hall, front entrance and by the 4th/5th grade doors.  All items will be 50 cents and all money raised will be donated to the Humane Society of Southwest Michigan. 

THANK YOU for all of your kindness throughout Teacher Appreciation Week and throughout the year! You all went over and beyond to express your gratitude last week.  Our staff appreciates your support!

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 May 6, 2019

This Week at Brown

May 6-10 Teacher Appreciation Week!

May 6       Board of Education Meeting @ SJHS 5:45 p.m.
                 Mileage Club @ lunch recess

May 7      Final popsicle sale at last recess ($0.50 each)

May 8      Late Start Day

                Mileage Club @ lunch recess

May 10     3rd-5th grade track meet @ Upton 11:00 a.m.
                 Ren Baldwin Technology Festival @ SJHS 6-7:30pm

Sharing our love of reading in the office this week.

Coming Up...

May 13     Board of Education meeting 6pm @ Central Office

May 14     3rd graders to Charleton Park @ 8:35 a.m.

May 15     Late Start Day

      

May 16     Lory's Place lunch group meeting  

May 17     5th grade HealthWorks presentation 1:00-2:30 p.m.

May 20    Third grade swimming this week (a.m.)

                4th grade HealthWorks 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
                Board of Education meeting @ Central Office 6pm

May 21    Student Council meeting @ lunch
                Final PTO meeting of the year 7pm in media center

May 22    Late Start Day
                Book Bonanza 4-6pm at SJHS Student Center

May 24    Fourth graders to Lansing

Bus departing from school @ 6:15 a.m. & returning by 3:30 p.m.  

If the bus is running late, you will be contacted by the school office

                Fifth graders to Air Zoo
                Second graders to SJ Bluff

May 27     Memorial Day - No School Y5/K-12

May 29     Fifth grade musical 6pm
                 Last DQ Night of the school year!

May 31     Popcorn Friday!

June 3      School Picnic Day!
                 Board of Education meeting 6pm @ Central Office

June 6      1/2 Day - dismissal at 12:05pm
                  Fifth grade breakfast

June 7       Last day of school!
                 1/2 Day - dismissal at 12:05pm
                  Awards assembly / Fifth Grade Farewell

 

We are readers! Brown School has a strong reading culture as demonstrated by the many students reading throughout our hallways each and every day. Be sure to ask your child what he or she read today. 

Reading Rockets is a fabulous resource for teachers and parents. Click here to access their free site with a multitude of tips and resources to support your reader at home.

Be sure to frequently visit our Little Library outside of the school entrance. Take a book, leave a book, repeat. 

This is Teacher Appreciation Week! Thank you for showing our staff how much we appreciate all of their hard work by celebrating them every day this week!

Track Meet Help Needed! 
PLEASE CONSIDER SIGNING UP TODAY!
Our annual St. Joseph Elementary Track Meet is coming up Friday, May 10th. This is an exciting day for 3rd-5th grade students to compete against Brown and Lincoln students on the Upton track/field. All three schools are to provide volunteers to pull off this fun day and we are currently short on helpers. If you are able to help out that day, please email Jessa Calderwell at jessamyn.margoni@gmail.com. Volunteers would need to be there from 10am-2pm. Parents of lower elementary students are especially appreciated, freeing up parents of 3rd-5th graders to watch their children. Thank you!

Schools of Choice
St. Joseph Public Schools will participate in the Schools of Choice program for the 2019-2020 school year. Applications for new enrollments will be accepted May 1-22 in the Superintendent's office. Application materials are posted online now and are also available in the Superintendent’s office at 3275 Lincoln Avenue. If you moved outside of the SJPS district boundaries this year or are attending under a Letter of Release from your resident district, please be sure you submit a SOC application. Enrollment is not guaranteed. If more applications are received than we have openings for, a lottery drawing will be held. Please contact our school office with any questions. 

The Ren Baldwin Technology Festival will be held on Friday, May 10th, at the St. Joseph High School. Doors will open at 6:00 P.M.  Come see the many ways our students use technology in the classroom.  

Kindergarten Screening & Registration
Kindergarten Screening will take place on June 11th and 12th at Lincoln School. If you attended Kindergarten Round-Up in March, your child will be scheduled for an appointment for one of these days. If you have an incoming Kindergarten or Y5 student and you have not given your child's information to Mrs. Codde, please contact the office as soon as possible to ensure your child gets an appointment scheduled.

Enrollment paperwork can be turned into the office as soon as it is completed. It is our goal to have all of the enrollment paperwork collected BEFORE the screening dates in June.

Student Placement

We are starting to plan for the 2019-2020 school year. The teachers use their professional judgment to create balanced classes, considering the following factors when making class lists: 

An even distribution of students according to ability; 

A fair balance of boys and girls in a classroom; 

A fair distribution of students who demand more care and attention from teacher; and

the mixture of students’ personalities and best “fit” as a class.

Parents may submit written information for staff to consider for student placement to Mrs. Bawks. Specific requests for teachers are not accepted.

Fifth Grade Fundraising

Popsicle sales will wrap up this Tuesday at last recess. Thank you for supporting our fifth graders! 

Another opportunity to support fifth grade fundraising is to purchase Soft Touch Car Wash vouchers for $10 each. 50% of the proceeds will directly benefit Brown School. The sale will begin on Monday (5/6) and run through the 17th. Vouchers are available for purchase in the office. Please make any checks payable to SJPS.

Summer Swim Lessons

Sign-up:  

Monday, June 10 at the Lincoln Elementary (S.J.P.S.) gymnasium (1102 Orchard Ave., St. Joseph) from 8:00 am to 10:00 am (If you can’t be there, send someone else; No phone reservations, No mail in reservations)

Classes:

One session: June 11 – 21

Fee:  $70 per student (all classes)

Instructor:  Mr. Randy Pfahler

Class Schedule

8:00-9:00am Intermediates (Limit 20 students)

9:00-10:00am Advanced Beginners (Limit 30 students)

10:00-11:00am Beginners (Limit 24 students)

11:00-12:00pm Beginners (Limit 24 students)

12:00-1:00pm Advanced Beginners (Limit 30 students)

Class Entrance Requirements:

Beginners: Students must be 48 inches tall (those that don’t will not be able to stand in the pool)…Don’t ask for exemptions.

Advance Beginners: Must be able to swim one length of the pool.

Intermediates: Must be able to swim 2 lengths of pool (50 yards) with good front crawl form.

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.