Sunday, October 13, 2019

News for October 14, 2019


Reading is truly a superpower as it opens the door to many opportunities. We believe in the power of positive modeling all around Brown School. Thank you for supporting the love of literacy at home as our partners! We make a great team for our students! 


This Week at Brown School
10/14  F Day
Walk-A-Thon @ lunch recesses!

 10/15  A Day
PTO Meeting @ 12:00 p.m. in M.C. - please join us!

 Mrs. Hassenger's Class to Calling All Colors (a.m.)

10/16  B Day
Late Start Day
Bus Driver Appreciation Day!
Walk-A-Thon @ lunch recesses!

 10/17  C Day

10/18  D Day
LAST DAY of the 2019 Walk-A-Thon!
Last day for the fall Box Top collection


Coming Up...
10/22  Donuts with my Superhero 7:30 - 8:15 a.m.
10/23  Late Start Day
10/24  Parents As Teachers Playgroup in gym 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Kindergarteners to Dinge's Farm 
10/25  Movie Night 6pm


Walk-A-Thon 2019
Three more days to go!! Please consider sharing the link to online donations with your friends and family. Together, we can meet our goal of 100% participation! 

Brown Elementary Walk-A-Thon Link to Online Donations

A special thank you goes out to all of the families that have supported this year's annual Walk-A-Thon. From punching cards, to helping to string foot charms, to donating to our fundraiser, it wouldn't be possible without all of you!

Donuts With My Superhero
We are consistently striving to be mindful of inclusivity, therefore we decided to change the name our special family breakfast events "Donuts with Dads" and "Muffins with Moms" to "Donuts with My Superhero". 

Students can chose to bring either a mom or a dad, a grandparent, or any other special adult in his/her life. We do ask that students only bring ONE superhero along, but not to worry, we will have 2 events this school year (in the fall and in the spring) as in years past.  
PTO Corner

Thank You!
All of our parents and volunteers are greatly appreciated, without you we could not run all the great events sponsored by the PTO!  This week, we would like to specifically thank:
  • Parents, for turning in your child’s Walk-A-Thon form!
  • All the volunteers who helped make our second week of the Walk-A-Thon a success!
  • The volunteers who made and delivered popcorn for all our students and staff on Popcorn Friday.  This is always a hit with the students! 
  • Media Center volunteers!  We appreciate your time and effort throughout our school year.
  • Staff Luncheon volunteers - thank you for treating our teachers and staff so well.  The first luncheon was very much appreciated!
Announcements
Walk-A-Thon
Our annual Walk-A-Thon Fundraiser had another fun week with amazing weather! We greatly appreciate all the parent volunteers that have come out to help.  As a school we have walked or ran almost 2000 miles!

Next week is our last week and it will be held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:10pm - 1:00pm. We still have a few openings for parent volunteers to help out with this fun event, and younger siblings are welcome! If you are interested please click here to reserve a day.

Thank you to everyone that has returned your blue pledge forms, our goal this year is to have 100% returned. We are currently at 70% so please keep sending them into the office. If you need another copy you can find one here.

Your pledge forms will be returned to you after the Walk-A-Thon is complete and donations will be collected at that time.  If you receive them prior to this you may send them to the office clearly marked with your students name, teacher and ‘Walk-at-thon’ on the envelope. Please visit  http://Bit.ly/WalkathonDonations to donate online. If you wish to sponsor a student you may do this online by using ‘sponsor student’ in the student name section. 

PTO Meeting
Our next PTO meeting is THIS Tuesday, October 15th, at noon in the Media Center.  Please join us if you are available!

Box Tops
Our Box Tops collection began last Monday. We will be collecting until the end of this week - October 18th.  Please help us by:
  • Checking Box Tops for expiration dates
  • Placing all your student’s Box Tops in a ziplock bag to turn in (please do not attach to a sheet of paper)
Students will use Box Tops to vote on the movie shown at Movie Night.  The competition is between “Secret Life of Pets 2” and “Toy Story 4”.

Spelling Bee
I hope your kids are getting excited for this year’s spelling bee! Keep a lookout for more info coming in early November. In the meantime, encourage them with some casual practice by challenging them to spell words during car rides or while making dinner. I am looking forward to a great year!  - Brandi Johnson 

Superhero Staff
Our Superhero Spotlight has 3 new additions (Mr. White, Mrs. Brown, and Miss Grimm): http://bit.ly/SuperheroStaff

Movie Night
Our first movie night this year will be October 25th.  This is a great way for students and families to get together and enjoy a recently released kids movie on the big screen in our gym! This is a free fun event; bring a chair or blanket and your favorite snacks/food! The movie shown will be determined by our Box Tops competition.

Reminders
Please download the Box Tops for Education app by visiting https://www.boxtops4education.com/.  Local stores that have shown up in the submission list include Meijer, Aldi, Martins, and even Costco.
If you will be volunteering in a position that puts you in contact with students, you must fill out a background check form.  Please contact the office if you need a form!
Upcoming Volunteer Needs
Let us know events you are interested in by filling out the form at http://bit.ly/VolunteerAtBrown.  This is not a firm commitment!  You will be contacted by the committee with specific needs at the appropriate time.
  • Donuts With My Superhero: Volunteers are needed for the morning of October 22nd (before school) to serve donuts and drinks to students and their superhero.  The full shift is 7:30-8:30 but we can work with your schedule.
  • Thanksgiving Luncheon: 30-40 volunteers are needed to help with each shift for the Thanksgiving Luncheon on November 12th.  Choose one or two shifts. Kindergartners sing at this luncheon, and the only way to watch your child is by volunteering at this event!
  • Committee Chair Positions:  Do you like to plan and organize?  We are looking for people to chair the Lego Night committee and the Spring Picnic committee.  We have information to get committee chairs started, you won’t be in this alone!  Please let any PTO board member or Kristen Bawks know if you are interested.
  • Movie Night: We offer 2-3 movie nights each school year for students and families. If you are interested in helping set up and/or clean up for these fun events, please let us know!  Our first movie night this year will be October 25th.
  • Media Center:  There are still plenty of dates available to help in the Media Center!  If you are interested in assisting with book returns, check-out, and class activity centers, please fill out a volunteer form and we will contact you.  You choose which shifts (45 minutes per shift) you would like to sign up for - the teachers for each shift are listed so you can coordinate with your student’s time in the Media Center.
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.
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Sunday, October 6, 2019

News for October 7, 2019

This week marks the start of fall parent-teacher conferences. Your child's classroom teacher will be reaching out to you to schedule a time to meet within the next few weeks to discuss your child's progress. We have reserved two half-days for these meetings this month and next month, but we understand that being flexible with dates/times is essential in order to meet the needs of our families, therefore your appointment time may not be on the reserved 1/2 days. 

Thank you for making every effort to attend the conference during your scheduled time. Our partnership is key to your child's academic, social and emotional growth. 



This Week at Brown School

10/7   Box Tops collection begins! 
          Walk-a-Thon @ lunchtime
10/8   Walk-a-Thon @ lunchtime
10/9   Late Start Day
          Walk-a-Thon @ lunchtime
10/10 &10/11 Half - Days dismissal at 12:06 p.m.


Coming Up...
10/15  PTO Meeting @ 12:00 p.m. in M.C.
           Mrs. Hassenger's Class to Calling All Colors (a.m.)
10/16  Bus Driver Appreciation Day!
           Late Start Day
10/18  Last day for Box Top collection
10/22  Donuts with my Superhero
10/23  Late Start Day
10/24  Parents As Teachers Playgroup in gym 9:30-10:30am
           Kindergarteners to Dinge's Farm (a.m.)
10/25  Movie Night 6pm
Enjoying time with friends during last week's Walk-A-Thon kick off! 





Walk-A-Thon Dates

10/7, 10/8, 10/9, 10/14, 10/16, 10/18 



Thank you, families, for sending in your child's blue pledge sheets! It's not too late - please send them this week. We are aiming for 100% return and walking participation. We can do it together! 



Join One World in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at the Lincoln Township Library on Thursday,  Oct 10th from 6:00 to 7:30pm. Children of all ages can join their families in spending time learning about Hispanic personalities who have influenced the world. There will be snacks, crafts, fun experiments, performances and much more! To learn more about One World, please visit: https://oneworldprogram.org/

Brown School is hiring!
We are in search of an adult to supervise students and monitor the drop-off/pick-up area before and after school. We are also hiring lunch room supervisors.  Please contact Kristen Bawks (kbawks@sjschools.org) if interested. 



We are also in need of certified life guards!
The month of May always becomes incredibly busy. With state testing and NWEA testing, spring field trips and class activities, 3rd grade swimming/water safety instruction has become more and more difficult to schedule. For that reason, we have moved the program to October. We are in need of certified life guards to assist during the weeks of October 21st and 28th. SJPS will pay for fingerprinting that is necessary in order to work with students. If you are a certified life guard and could volunteer to help our program, we would greatly appreciate it. If you are interested, please contact Amanda Mortimore via email at amortimore@sjschools.org.

Student Support Groups
Lory’s Place Group is a grief support group that is offered for students have experienced the loss of a significant person or people in their lives. This group is co-facilitated with the school social worker and a staff member from Lory’s Place. The group meets once a month around the lunch hour.  Should you and your child feel that this would be a beneficial support please click on the link and fill out the form: https://forms.gle/BcYLncrRByxX9N7M8 .

Changing Families Group is a support group that is being offered for students who have experienced a change or transition in their family life.  This might include the experience of divorce/separation, change in caregiver(s), or any impactful shift within the family. This group will focus on building coping skills and resiliency as well building a community with peers, which will provide an awareness that your student is not alone or the only student experiencing changes within the family.  Should you and your child feel that this would be a beneficial support please click on the link and fill out the form: https://forms.gle/zQ1E93dg2o548wos9 . 

If you wish to discuss either group further or have questions, please feel free to contact Brianne Van Hekken, School Social Worker, at 269-926-3520 or bvanhekken@sjschools.org.
PTO Corner

Thank You!
  • Thank you for returning your child’s Walk-A-Thon form!
  • Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make our first week of the Walk-A-Thon a success!
  • Thank you to the Staff Appreciation team for cutting out keys and putting together snack bags to celebrate our awesome custodians on Custodian Appreciation Day.  Mr. White and Mr. Rosenthal work hard to keep our school in top shape!
Announcements
Walk-A-Thon
Our annual Walk-A-Thon Fundraiser had an amazing first week! We had great participation from the kids and we appreciate all the parent volunteers that have come out to help! We averaged 370 miles a day which is almost a mile per student! 

Next week it will be held on Mon/Tues/Wed due to the half days on Thursday and Friday. The remaining days are 10/7, 10/8, 10/9, 10/14, 10/16 and 10/18. Parent volunteers are still needed to help out with this fun event, and younger siblings are welcome! If you are interested please click here to reserve a day.

Thank you to everyone that has returned your blue pledge forms, our goal this year is to have 100% returned. We are currently at 68% so please keep sending them into the office. If you need another copy you can find one here.

Your pledge forms will be returned to you after the Walk-A-Thon is complete and donations will be collected at that time.  If you receive them prior to this you may send them to the office clearly marked with your students name, teacher and ‘Walk-at-thon’ on the envelope. Please visit  http://Bit.ly/WalkathonDonations to donate online. If you wish to sponsor a student you may do this online by using ‘sponsor student’ in the student name section. 

Box Tops
Our Box Tops collection begins on Monday. Please help us by:
  • Checking Box Tops for expiration dates
  • Placing all your student’s Box Tops in a ziplock bag to turn in
  • Please do not attach your Box Tops to a sheet of paper. 
Students will use Box Tops to vote on the movie shown at Movie Night.  We are collecting until October 18th, at which point we will announce the winning movie!  The competition is between Secret Life of Pets 2 and Toy Story 4. Thank you for supporting Brown School!

Reminders
  • Please download the Box Tops for Education app by visiting https://www.boxtops4education.com/.  Local stores that have shown up in the submission list include Meijer, Aldi, Martins, and even Costco.
  • If you will be volunteering in a position that puts you in contact with students, you must fill out a background check form.  Please contact the office if you need a form!
Upcoming Volunteer Needs
Let us know events you are interested in by filling out the form at http://bit.ly/VolunteerAtBrown.  This is not a firm commitment!  You will be contacted by the committee with specific needs at the appropriate time.
  • Walk-A-Thon: There are still a few Walk-A-Thon volunteer slots open.  Please let us know if you are interested!
  • Staff Luncheon: If you're interested in lending a hand or finding out more about the newly-named Staff Luncheon Committee (formerly Teacher Appreciation), please fill out the volunteer form and Jen Cincoski-Pace will get in touch with you. This is a wonderful way to show appreciation to our amazing teachers/staff throughout the school year!  Thank you!
  • Donuts With My Superhero: Volunteers are needed for the morning of October 22nd (before school) to serve donuts and drinks to students and their superhero.  The full shift is 7:30-8:30 but we can work with your schedule.
  • Thanksgiving Luncheon: 30-40 volunteers are needed to help with each shift for the Thanksgiving Luncheon on November 12th.  Choose one or two shifts. Kindergartners sing at this luncheon, and the only way to watch your child is by volunteering at this event!
  • Committee Chair Positions:  Do you like to plan and organize?  We are looking for people to chair the Lego Night committee and the Spring Picnic committee.  We have information to get committee chairs started, you won’t be in this alone!  Please let any PTO board member or Kristen Bawks know if you are interested.
  • Movie Night: We offer 2-3 movie nights each school year for students and families.  If you are interested in helping set up and/or clean up for these fun events, please let us know!  Our first movie night this year will be October 25th.
  • Media Center:  There are still plenty of dates available to help in the Media Center!  If you are interested in assisting with book returns, check-out, and class activity centers, please fill out a volunteer form and we will contact you.  You choose which shifts (45 minutes per shift) you would like to sign up for - the teachers for each shift are listed so you can coordinate with your student’s time in the Media Center.

Congratulations to all of our
Summer Learning
Challenge Champions!
Way to go!
Classroom Blogs 
Our teachers are exploring various ways to best communicate the amazing learning that is happening around our school. Below are links to blogs that a few classroom teachers have started. Please note that blogs may not be updated until Monday mornings. 

Mrs. Lokey's Classroom News
Mrs. Hassenger's Classroom News
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.
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