Brown School News!

Sunday, January 17, 2021

News for January 18, 2021

This Week at Brown School

1/18 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

No School for students ECDD-12th grade

1/19 P2 Character Strength: Perseverance

Wear your P2 shirt today!

PTO Meeting via Google Meet @ 12pm

Meet link: meet.google.com/rfn-poek-mkh

1/20 Late Start Day - arrival at 9:45 a.m.

Coming Up...

1/27 NOT a late start day - full day for elementary students
1/28 & 1/29 Half-days of school - P/T conferences

Our third graders have committed to "recognizing the good" in others and within themselves throughout 2021.

PTO Corner

Announcements

Save the date! Our next PTO meeting will be Tuesday, January 19 at 12pm. Please join us via Google Meet (meet.google.com/rfn-poek-mkh).
We are in need of a chairperson to organize and faciliate the creation of a virtual Brown School Variety Show this spring. If you are interested and/or want to learn more about this opportunity, please contact Sheri Baker (sheribk@gmail.com) or Kristen Bawks (kbawks@sjschools.org).

Changes to the PTO Bylaws have been proposed and posted for review.  Please contact any PTO Board Member or Kristen Bawks if you have any comments. Proposed changes address the following:

Allow virtual meetings in any circumstance.
Update list of committees.
Require proposed bylaw changes to be publicly posted for review at least 2 weeks prior to a vote.

Attention all virtual students!! We would love to see 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. 

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

Save the date for these upcoming virtual PTO meetings:

January 19 @12pm

February 16 @7pm

March 16 @12pm

April 20 @7pm

May 18 @12pm

Tech Bytes

The 2021 Ren Baldwin Student Technology Festival logo contest is underway! Please see the details below. Submissions are due Friday, January 29th and can be turned in at the Media Center or by emailing techfest@stjoebears.com. We look forward to seeing the students' creativity this year!

2021 Ren Baldwin Student Technology Festival Logo Contest

Mrs. Brown's class celebrated their excellent choices with a pajama day this week. Way to go, First Graders!

Classroom Blogs

Our Brown School classroom teachers have important information to share with families. Please click on your child's class below to view weekly updates.

ECDD

Mrs. Rank and Mrs. LeClear's Class

Young Fives

Mrs. Schueneman's Class

Kindergarten

Mrs. Hooker's Class

Miss Barkovich's Class

First Grade

Ms. Harmening's Class

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Mrs. Hassenger's Class

Mr. Hernandez's Class

Fifth Grade

Mr. Lignell's Class

Mrs. Lokey's Class


SJVS BLOG LINK Click HERE	DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY WEBSITE Click HERE to access our fantastic resource site put together FOR YOU to help navigate district technology! Having trouble with your district device, email - support@sjschools.org	MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES Click HERE to access a wealth of resources put together by our SJ counselors and social workers!

Check out the positive messages and celebration of our community on the St. Joseph Public Schools Foundation blog.

Click here to enjoy!

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.

Sunday, January 10, 2021

News for January 11, 2021

We had a wonderful time celebrating the New Year together. Throughout the day on Friday, students of all ages set goals and played games with their classmates. Thank you, families, for sending in supplies and treats. We couldn't have done it without your support!

#BetterTogether

This Week at Brown School

1/11 NWEA midyear assessments begin!

P2 Character Strength: Prudence

Lunch menu change: hamburger and french fries

Board of Education Meeting @ 6pm

1/13 Late Start Day - arrival at 9:45 a.m.

Coming Up...

1/18 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

No School for students ECDD-12th grade

1/19 PTO Meeting via Google Meet @ 12pm

1/20 Late Start Day - arrival at 9:45 a.m.

1/28 & 1/29 Half-days of school - P/T conferences

FREE MEALS for all students

during the 20/21 school year!

Breakfast and lunch will be FREE for the entire school year, thanks to the extension of the Summer Feeding Program offered by the USDA. Please remember to login into your www.sendmoneytoschool.com account to order up to a week's worth of student lunches.

We are still asking families to still apply for Free/Reduced meals through www.lunchapp.com. Other programs also use this for free or reduced fees, but we need to have an application on file for your student to qualify. If you have any questions please email Demrhy Younquist at dyoungquist@sjschools.org.

Thank you for your continued adherence to our daily screening guide posted on our district's website before sending your child to school. It is imperative that we work together to safe safe so that we can stay together.

PTO Corner

Announcements

Save the date! Our next PTO meeting will be Tuesday, January 19 at 12pm. Please join us via Google Meet. Link will be posted soon!
Changes to the PTO Bylaws have been proposed and posted for review. Please contact any PTO Board Member or Kristen Bawks if you have any comments. Proposed changes address the following:

Allow virtual meetings in any circumstance.
Update list of committees.
Require proposed bylaw changes to be publicly posted for review at least 2 weeks prior to a vote.

Attention all virtual students!! We would love to see 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.

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

Tech Bytes

The transition back to school with devices has been a smooth one; thank you for your partnership and support! The students are doing a fantastic job taking care of the devices. The routines for taking devices to and from school that families and teachers have put into place are working. That said, we also know accidents can happen. As a reminder, families have the option to purchase damage insurance for the devices should something happen and the device require repair. Please visit this link to learn more and make your decision. If this is the first time you have visited the district’s online payment portal, you will need to create an account by clicking the LOGIN button at the top and then “Create New Account”. From there, please choose your child’s school from the SHOP menu at the top, click on TECHNOLOGY and then 1:1 Computing Damage & Replacement.

What should I do if my child’s device is damaged or not working properly?

Families and students should notify the school right away if a device isn’t working properly or has become damaged. Please contact your child’s teacher who will work with the school media center staff to issue a loaner device until repairs are complete. You may also bring the device to the school office, and the building secretary will coordinate with the media center staff to get a loaner device and a repair request submitted. Thank you!

Our students love to play in the snow during recess. We head outside two times every day, as long as the wind chill is 10 degrees or above. Thank you for sending winter gear to school daily. Please be sure all items are labeled to prevent loss.

Classroom Blogs

Our Brown School classroom teachers have important information to share with families. Please click on your child's class below to view weekly updates.

ECDD

Mrs. Rank and Mrs. LeClear's Class

Young Fives

Mrs. Schueneman's Class

Kindergarten

Mrs. Hooker's Class

Miss Barkovich's Class

First Grade

Ms. Harmening's Class

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Mrs. Hassenger's Class

Mr. Hernandez's Class

Fifth Grade

Mr. Lignell's Class

Mrs. Lokey's Class

St. Joseph Virtual School 's blog is available!

SJVS Families, click here to access content from Mr. Pratley. Be sure to bookmark the link: https://stjoevirtualschool.blogspot.com/

These are just a couple of authentic examples of our P2 character strengths in action all throughout the school.

Check out the positive messages and celebration of our community on the St. Joseph Public Schools Foundation blog.

Click here to enjoy!

Check out local offerings by visiting our

Community Corkboard.

Sunday, January 3, 2021

News for January 4, 2021

We are looking forward to the excitement the fresh, new year brings and can hardly wait to welcome our learners back into the classroom!

Thank you for your dedication to our partnership while students learned remotely. We are so thankful for all of you!

We would also like to send a HUGE shout-out to our teaching staff. These amazingly committed professionals demonstrated yet again that we will do whatever it takes to ensure learning continues, no matter the adversity we face.

💙💛We are Brown School.💛💙

This Week at Brown School

1/4 Welcome Back! Face-to-Face School Resumes!

P2 T-Shirt Day

P2 Character Strength: Optimism (click here for more details)

1/6 Late Start Day - arrival at 9:45 a.m.

1/8 Popcorn Friday!

New Year, New You Celebrations!

Coming Up...

1/11 NWEA midyear assessments begin!

Board of Education Meeting @ 6pm

1/13 Late Start Day - arrival at 9:45 a.m.

1/18 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

No School ECDD-12th grade

1/19 PTO Meeting via Google Meet @ 12pm

1/20 Late Start Day - arrival at 9:45 a.m.

1/28 & 1/29 Half-days of school - P/T conferences

New Year, New You Celebrations

We are planning to celebrate the power of a growth mindset and the importance goal setting with New Year, New You Celebrations on Friday, January 8, 2021. We can hardly wait to share our experiences via the Brown PTO Facebook page. Not yet a member? Please request access today!

Positivity Project

As a reminder, Mondays are P2 t-shirt days! Please plan to have your child join our staff in wearing his/her t-shirt each and every Monday as we kick off a new character strength.

This week's Y5-5th grade lessons are focused on the character strength optimism - a perfect focus as we look toward a new year of new experiences!

We encourage your family to participate in using this shared language at home for maximum impact. Please access the P2 family site by clicking here to gain more information. The password is "P2".

Congratulations to Ms. Barron!

We are delighted to share that Ms. Barron became Mrs. Dilley over the winter break! Congratulations to the newlyweds! Please join our Brown School family in wishing them a lifetime of happiness as husband and wife.

PTO Corner

Announcements

Attention all virtual students! We would love to see 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.

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

Congratulations to Miss Puckett!

During our phase of remote teaching and learning, Miss Joa Puckett completed her student teaching experience with Mrs. Nowicki and earned her degree in education! We are so delighted to welcome another teacher to this incredibly important profession.

Welcome Mr. Burton!

Our Brown School family would like to welcome Mr. Cornell Burton, student teacher with Mrs. Hassenger, to our learning community.

Mr. Burton is a lifelong resident of Berrien County. He is a husband, father, pastor, and a talented singer & songwriter. Making a difference through educating our young learners has been a lifelong dream that he’s looking forward to fulfilling. He will begin his internship this week. Welcome to Brown School!

Classroom Blogs

Our Brown School classroom teachers have important information to share with families. Please click on your child's class below to view weekly updates.

ECDD

Mrs. Rank and Mrs. LeClear's Class

Young Fives

Mrs. Schueneman's Class

Kindergarten

Mrs. Hooker's Class

Miss Barkovich's Class

First Grade

Ms. Harmening's Class

Mrs. Brown's Class

Ms. Barron's Class

Second Grade