As an elementary team, our collective focus for week two and three of our shutdown is Family Time! We hope that you and your family are enjoying this “found time” together as much as possible. We understand that there are many strains for all of us in finding a balanced approach to work, learning, and playing during this time in our country’s history. We appreciate all you are doing as a family to stay connected to one another, to our school family, and to learning in general.
Staying Strong & Healthy in Uncertain Times
Staying positive and upbeat in times of uncertainty can be a challenge. We know how hard you are working to stay calm in face of worry and to be present with your children in face of competing demands on your time. Thank you for ALL you are doing! There’s no recipe book or “one size fits all” solution that we can offer. However, please know that we are here as a school community to help in any way that we can. Our elementary school Social Workers are busy working with the rest of the SJPS Guidance department to provide social and emotional learning (SEL) resources and supports for families, including weekly SEL lessons linked by the classroom teachers and a comprehensive list of mental health resources posted on our district website www.sjschools.org.
Your children will be taking direction from you during these challenging times. Please consider minimizing conversations about your stress and worry while little ears are present. In addition, please try to limit access to news coverage for your child and do what you can to answer any questions your child may have with information from reputable sources.
Staying positive and upbeat in times of uncertainty can be a challenge. We know how hard you are working to stay calm in face of worry and to be present with your children in face of competing demands on your time. Thank you for ALL you are doing! There’s no recipe book or “one size fits all” solution that we can offer. However, please know that we are here as a school community to help in any way that we can. Our elementary school Social Workers are busy working with the rest of the SJPS Guidance department to provide social and emotional learning (SEL) resources and supports for families, including weekly SEL lessons linked by the classroom teachers and a comprehensive list of mental health resources posted on our district website www.sjschools.org.
Your children will be taking direction from you during these challenging times. Please consider minimizing conversations about your stress and worry while little ears are present. In addition, please try to limit access to news coverage for your child and do what you can to answer any questions your child may have with information from reputable sources.
Helping Young Kids Through Coronavirus Infographic provides some additional guidance for families.
How Much is Enough?
Our teachers are working to provide options for you and your family to keep learning alive during this time away. The goal is enrichment and practice so that your child stays strong academically and has a routine. Please know that it is not the expectation that you do school all day, every day or that you complete every assignment that is offered. We are simply asking you to stay connected with us as a school family and are focused on doing something that inspires your child’s math and literacy development each school day.
Remember that if you’re baking or cooking together, getting out to explore nature, making a project, or doing anything else that requires thinking, planning, and discovery, it counts as learning! Getting outside together is not only a great way to learn, it is good for our mental health too! Just remember to keep your physical distance from those who you see that don’t live with you and to wash your hands coming back inside.
An important message we share with all families:
Feeding Our Bears Continues
We will continue to offer ‘grab and go’ meals on Mondays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Lincoln School (1102 Orchard Avenue in St. Joseph). Families will have the opportunity to pick up several free student meals to last them throughout the week. Please note that meals will not be available during spring break week (April 6-10).
Please click here for other lunch programs available throughout the county.
Please click here for other lunch programs available throughout the county.
For additional updates related to our district’s response to COVID-19, please be sure to check our district’s website, sjschools.org.
Kindergarten Registration
You can access all of the necessary Young Fives & Kindergarten enrollment information on our district’s website or by clicking here. These fillable forms can be downloaded and emailed directly to jtrumbley@sjschools.org or can be printed and handed in to Sue Patzer in our central office once it is reopened to the public.
Brown School Staff Members Love To Read!
Our Brown School Staff have been busy reading, recording, and sharing videos with our students on our Facebook page. Please click here to access many different stories and messages from some of your children's favorite educators.
It is still Reading Month! Please consider taking part in our Fun Friday Dress-Up Days by posting a picture of your child to our PTO's closed Facebook page and encourage your child to keep working on his/her reading month goals.
Not yet a member of our closed Facebook group? Now is the PERFECT time to become a member. Our school staff and families are posting inspirational messages, pictures, and videos in an effort to stay connected to each other. Please search Brown Elementary PTO and send us request to join. Don't forget to answer the questions when prompted, this is for our children's safety. Thank you!
The Michigan School Grades System was started in 2018. Schools receive up to five letter grades and three ranking labels based on various school performance components, but no overall letter grade. The 2018-19 reports became publicly available (www.mischooldata.org) beginning Monday, March 23rd. We have so much to celebrate as a school family!
Fifth grade farewell planning is underway. Chelsey Fonua is putting together slideshow for the 5th grade breakfast and in order to gather photos from every family, she has created a Cluster group. Please add your photos to the link below, fifth grade families.
PTO Corner
Thank You
Thank you to our families for all of your support with enriching our young learners from home. Your posts on the closed Facebook group are inspiring and your partnership is so appreciated!
Announcements
Mileage Club
We are looking for 1-2 volunteers to lead our Mileage Club for the next school year. This will be separate from the Walkathon fundraiser and will be a two week event in both the fall and spring. Anyone interested will have the opportunity to shadow the committee this spring to understand what it all entails. Please contact Robin Lawrence at rel3414@gmail.com of you are interested and would like to learn more.
Reminders
Please download the Box Tops for Education app by visiting https://www.boxtops4education.com/.
Box Tops receipts for delivery services, such as Shipt, now work with the digital Box Top collection. For more information, visit https://boxtopsforeducation.knowledgeowl.com/help/electronic-receipts
Upcoming Volunteer Needs
Let us know events you are interested in by filling out the form at http://bit.ly/VolunteerAtBrown. You will be contacted by the committee with specific needs at the appropriate time.
Please note that this spring's Science Night has been cancelled for this year due to concerns related to the spread of COVID-19. If your child already created a project, please plan to send it in to school upon our return so that he/she can share it with his/her classmates. Thank you!
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| A special thank you to our daily news anchors, Alex and Jacob, who publish a special edition of Brown School News every morning on our PTO's Facebook page. Such a perfect way to start our day! |
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.
