What an amazing day at Brown School! Thanks to all of you we reached our fundraising goal of $20,000! We celebrated our collective commitment with our Bucks for Brown Fun Run on Friday afternoon.
A HUGE thank you goes out to our committee members: Sheri Baker, Robin Lawrence, Maria Velazquez-Torres, and Brandi Johnson for their dedication and hours of work to make this event possible for our students. We would also like to thank all of our staff members, volunteers, and families who encouraged students along the way. This memorable day wouldn't have been possible without all of you. Thank you!
Please see the link in the PTO Corner below for many other photos captured throughout the afternoon.
This Week at Brown School
10/11 Maize & Blue Monday!
P2 Character Strength: Integrity
10/12 Kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch (a.m.)
10/13 Late Start Day (arrival at 9:20 a.m.)
10/14 1/2 Day - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Dismissal @ 12:09 p.m.
Food Truck Lunch "Grab-n-Go" or Picnic Style - see details below
10/15 1/2 Day - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Dismissal @ 12:09 p.m.
Coming Up...
School Bus Driver Week!
10/18 No School ECDD-12th grade (Professional Development Day)
10/19 "Donuts with My Main Character" on the playground 7:45 a.m - 8:20 a.m. - see details in PTO Corner below
PTO Meeting @ 12:15 p.m. in the Media Center - we'd love to see you! If you are unable to attend in person, you can connect via Google Meet by clicking here
10/20 Late Start Day (arrival at 9:20 a.m.)
10/20-10/22 Hearing/Vision Screening (K, 1st, 3rd, 5th grades)
10/22 Kindness Club meets at lunchtime
10/29 Classroom Fall Harvest Costume Parties (p.m.)
Costumes can be worn all day (no gore or weapons). We ask that anything that may be distracting to the school environment be saved for home celebrations.
Students must wear masks along with their costume (not costume masks alone).
All party volunteers MUST have current background check on file - please be sure you have completed the paperwork found here.
We will have a costume parade around track outside @ 3:15 p.m. (all families are welcome to come & take pictures - no background check needed for parade session only).
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PTO Corner
Find out more about the PTO, including a list of planned events for this school year and how to volunteer, on our PTO Site.
Thanks
Thank you to all who volunteered at our first Bucks for Brown event. The weather held out for us and the students all had a great time!
Announcements
Check out our Bucks for Brown recap here!
Our Brown School families and community sponsors are amazing! We are happy to announce that we reached our goal and will continue to be able to provide so many amazing opportunities for our students and staff. We can’t thank everyone enough for all of their support. 🐻💙🐻💛🐻
Upcoming Events
Morning With My Main Character
Join us on the playground on October 19th from 7:45-8:15am for Morning With My Main Character. Students may bring ONE adult “Main Character” to join them for donuts and muffins. We will be on the school playground this year. Please bring your own coffee!
If the weather does not cooperate, we will need to cancel this event. If this were to happen you will receive a SchoolMessenger text prior to 7:30 that morning.
Other Events
Most of our PTO events for the school year are already scheduled and can be viewed here. If you would like to help with any of these events, you can indicate interest through our form here.
Event Coordinators and Other Volunteers
We are looking for coordinators for a few of our PTO events. If you are interested in any of the positions below, please fill out a volunteer form! The PTO board will provide you with information to get started coordinating these events.
Variety Show Co-Chair - coordinate try-outs, rehearsals, and two performances. This would be best with co-coordinators. We have information and contacts from previous years to get a new coordinator started.
Reminders
Attention all virtual students!! We love seeing what you have been learning in your virtual classrooms!
Please continue to share your pictures with us on our Facebook page in the Brown Bears Virtual Learning album.
Please download the Box Tops for Education app by visiting https://www.boxtops4education.com/.
Save the date for these upcoming hybrid PTO meetings. We will meet in the media center as well as offer a virtual connection option:
October 19 at 12:15pm
November 16 at 7pm
January 18 at 12:15pm
February 15 at 7pm
March 15 at 12:15
April 19 at 7pm
May 17 at 12:15pm
News From the Lunchroom
We would like to remind everyone that breakfast and lunch are FREE again this year to every St Joseph Public School student. Please try to remember to pre-order your student’s lunches when they are going to participate in lunch. This helps speed up the morning lunch count process. You will be allowed to order the Friday before the next week using www.sendmoneytoschool.com.
Due to the supply chain issues we are having with our vendors and food outages we will be providing a one week menu on our website and Principal blogs. Here is this week's lunch menu:
10/11/21 – Mini corn dogs, muffin, green beans, fruit selection and milk
10/12/21 – Hamburger, smile potatoes, fruit selection and milk
10/13/21 – Macaroni & cheese, broccoli, bread stick, fruit selection and milk
10/14/21 – ½ Day Packed Lunch – soybutter and jelly, carrot sticks, apple slices, snack crackers
10/15/21 – ½ Day Packed Lunch – soybutter and jelly, carrot sticks, apple slices, snack crackers
Food Truck Fall Celebration Lunch
We will welcome Sammy Arepas food truck on our school playground for lunch on Thursday afternoon immediately following dismissal (12:09 p.m.). Families are welcome to buy lunch "to go" or enjoy a picnic on the playground. Check out their delicious menu below.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Our fall Parent - Teacher conferences have been scheduled for next week and will continue through mid-November. Your time may or may not be scheduled on one of the 1/2 days. We schedule appointments flexibly to honor our family's work & personal commitments.
Changing Families Group
Changing Families Group is a peer support group for students who have experienced a change or transition within their family. This could include experiencing divorce/separation, change in caregiver(s), a move or relocation, the absence of a parent, or any impactful shift within the family unit. Changing Families Group will provide a community of peers and an awareness that your student(s) is not alone, as many students have experienced and are experiencing changes within the family unit. Please talk with your student(s) about this opportunity. Should you and your child(ren) feel that this would be a beneficial support during the school day, please complete the following form: Changing Families Group Form. If you wish to discuss this further or have questions, please feel free to contact Bri Van Hekken (269-926-3520 or bvanhekken@sjschools.org).
Lory’s Place Peer Grief Support Group
We are so fortunate to have a resource like Lory’s Place here in our community! Our Brown School community is fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with Lory’s Place in order to provide a peer grief support group within the school setting.
Lory’s Place Group is a peer grief support group that is offered to our Brown School students who have experienced the loss of a significant person or people in their lives. This group is co-facilitated by Mrs. Van Hekken, our school social worker, and a staff member from Lory’s Place. This group will meet once per month beginning in October and through the month of May for not any longer than one hour on Wednesdays. Should you and your child feel that this would be beneficial, please fill out this form in order to provide your permission and further information needed. Please read this letter should you like a little more information. If you have any questions or wish to discuss this further, please feel free to reach out to Bri Van Hekken: (269-926-3520) or bvanhekken@sjschools.org.
Our Brown School classroom teachers have important information to share with our families. Please click on your child's class below to view weekly updates.
Mrs. Rank and Mrs. LeClear's Class
Young Fives
First Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Community Author Visit
Michigan author, Kelly J. Baptist, will be visiting the Legacy Group of Benton Harbor on October 18th. Please see the information below about this exciting opportunity for our learners!
