Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Welcome Back: Ready, Set. Let's Grow!!

JES Family and Friends,

August is just around the corner and the JES Team is preparing for a new, exciting year. This year's theme is Ready, Set, Let's Grow. Thanks to Lowes of Athens, we recently renovated the courtyard and constructed six raised flower beds that students will use for STEM projects this fall. We also have plans for a sensory garden for our special needs students. In June, Limestone County District Attorney, Brian C.T. Jones, scheduled community service workers to paint the main hallway and gym lobby. This is the third summer that the District Attorney's office has assisted with projects at JES. We appreciate Mr. Jones and his staff for their ongoing support for JES students and staff. Please review the information below for important dates and new changes at JES.

Changes for the 2017 - 2018 School Year:

1. Class Lists will not be posted on the windows this year. Teachers will send out postcards July
19.  Only 1st - 5th will receive postcards. Kindergarten class lists will be announced July 27.

2. We have several new teachers and staff at JES. More details next week.

3. OSR PreK Drop-off and Pick-up will be at the gym lobby entrance. Drop off time is 7:15 - 7:30 am. Pick up time is 2:00 pm at gym lobby entrance.

4. Inclusive PreK Drop-off and Pick-up will be at the counselor's lobby entrance. This year, typical   students need to be dropped off from 7:45 - 8:00 am. Special needs student drop off will be from  8:00 - 815 am. Pick-up for all students will be at 2:00 pm at the counselor's office lobby.
Inclusive PreK students will no longer be dismissed/picked up through the front office.

5. To improve parent communications, JES has scheduled two orientation times for 1st - 5th grade students and parents. The first general meeting will take place on Monday, August 7.
This meeting will address general topics including PTO and Booster Club activities, bus routes, attendance, car line, and introduction of new staff. The second set of meetings are grade specific and held in student homeroom classrooms during the second week of school. Check dates below for specific dates and times.

To kick off the new school year, the JES Team has several information meetings planned for parents. Please review the list below for dates and times:

*Kindergarten Parent Orientation:  Thursday, July 27 @ 6:30 pm in the lunchroom.
 (Students will receive homeroom assignments during the meeting)

*OSR PreK Parent Orientation (Ms. Stephanie Davis):  Tuesday, August 1 @ 6:30 pm in library.

*Inclusive PreK Orientation:  Thursday, August 3 @ 6:30 pm in the lunchroom.

*PTO Opening Meeting & 1st - 5th Grade Orientation:  Monday, August 7 @ 6:30 pm in the gym.

*First Day of School:  Tuesday, August 8 @ 7:35 am.


Specific Grade Level Parent Orientation Meetings (2nd Week of School)

*1st and 5th Grade Parent Orientation:  Monday, August 14 @ 6:30 pm.

*2nd and 4th Grade Parent Orientation:  Tuesday, August 15 @ 6:30 pm.

*3rd Grade Parent Orientation:  Thursday, August 17 @ 6:30 pm.


Additional Announcements

1. Supply Fee is $40.00. Parents can pay during orientation times or during the 1st week of school.
2. Follow us on Facebook:  Johnson Elementary School (Athens, AL)
3. Follow us on Twitter:  @JES_PREK_5
4. Sign up for JES Group Texting via Remind. Text @rebels251 to 56)867-4487.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We look forward to working with your children and to help them grow this school year. Let's continue to make good things happen at JES and Ready, Set, Let's Grow!



Tuesday, November 22, 2016

November 21, 2016

November is one of my favorite months. With a warmer than usual fall, we are finally seeing the leaves change and the beautiful transformation to winter. November is also a busy time with election day, Veteran's Day, and Thanksgiving. On November 10, JES conducted it's annual Veteran's Day program. Mrs. Jennifer Howard did a great job organizing the event. Eighteen veterans were recognized for their service and leadership. The Johnson community is fortunate to have so many brave soldiers who are true examples of courage and honor.

November is also a time for family. Over 258 family and friends signed in to eat Thanksgiving lunch on Friday, Nov. 18. Mrs. Pam Gates and her CNP crew did an awesome job. The food was great and so was the atmosphere. It was wonderful seeing students enjoying time with their families.

At JES, family is important. We know that family has to work and stick together. We encourage our students to work hard, show kindness to others, and respect our community and nation. We are blessed to have wonderful children and families at our school. We appreciate your support and encouragement at home. By working together, we can help our children receive a quality education and become better people. Character development is the true aim of education.

As we begin the Thanksgiving holiday, please remember to count your blessing and remember all the folks who have helped us along the way. I am very blessed to work at a great school in a great community. I am thankful for the teachers, staff, students, and parents at Johnson Elementary. We have a special school because special people work and live in this community. From the JES family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving and may God bless us with a safe and prosperous holiday season.

Make It Happen!
Brad Lewis

Sunday, August 21, 2016

August 21, 2016


JES Family and Friends:

Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year. The past few weeks have been super busy as we've enrolled new students, welcomed new teachers and staff, and revised schedules for new and exciting programs. This year, students will enjoy more hands on learning with AMSTI math and science. We're also revamping the AR (Accelerated Reading) program to provide more student recognition. AR will be led by our new media specialist, Kristen Green. We are also glad to welcome our new art teacher, Ms. Tara Dempsey. Mrs. Dempsey has already introduced several new projects to students. JES is also proud to welcome the gifted education program to our campus. Mrs. Carla Franklin will provide gifted ed. instruction each Friday starting August 26.

On August 29, we begin our Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions for students struggling in reading. Sandra Simmons and Nita Stephens are back as part-time Title 1 teachers. We are also proud to add Amy Goff as an additional reading teacher. Mrs. Goff will also provide multi-sensory interventions for several students. Other upcoming events include:  PTO Candy Bar sales begin Tuesday, August 23, Playing for Preemies pep rally Friday, August 26 @ Ardmore, No school on Labor Day, Sept. 5, and the first 1/2 day is Wednesday, September 7.

August is always a fun time for our students, but recently the JES family experienced two tragedies involving former students. On August 1, 5th grader Zach Watkins lost his mom in a horrific accident less than a mile from campus. The wreck also injured his brother and Ardmore student, Xavier Watkins. Fortunately, Xavier has quickly recovered and is back at school. Last week, we also lost former student Kaley Greer in a truck accident. Kaley was a junior at Ardmore High School, was a member of the Lady Tigers volleyball and basketball teams, and an active member of the Sardis Springs Baptist Church. Kaley and her family are well known and respected in the Johnson community. She was an amazing young lady who will be greatly missed. Please remember these families in your prayers and continue to pray for the safety of our children and school. At JES, we are committed to making 2016-2017 the best year ever. Thank you for helping us "make it happen!"

Sincerely,
Brad Lewis, Principal

Sunday, April 24, 2016

The Final Countdown

Spring time is here and everyone is super busy. It has been a great year, but students and staff are ready for summer. The next few weeks will be fun and exciting with field trips, Camp McDowell, Field Day, Awards Day, and graduation. To help parents and grandparents keep up with all the activities, we have listed upcoming events.

This Wednesday, April 27 is a 1/2 day for students. After an early lunch, students will dismiss at 11:10 a.m. Friday, April 29 is a weather makeup day that we never used, so no school this Friday. Enjoy a long weekend! May 2 - 6 is Teacher Appreciation Week. The JES PTO has several activities planned to say "thanks" to our teachers. On May 2, 2nd Grade will go on a Field Trip to Ivy Green, home of Helen Keller. Mother's Day Cakes will be ready for pickup on Friday, May 6.

May 9 - 11 is our annual 5th grade trip to Camp McDowell. 5th grade will continue their busy week with a tour of the Ardmore campus Thursday, May 12 and a Parent Orientation Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. Field Day is Friday, May 13. We will wrap up the year with Kindergarten Graduation and Awards Day on Tuesday, May 24 and 5th Grade graduation on Wednesday, May 25. Our final day is a 1/2 day on Thursday, May 26. Student will dismiss at 11:10 a.m. Be sure to follow additional blog posts this summer of the latest news.

Thanks for your continued support. Go Rebels!!

Saturday, March 5, 2016

March Madness

With more sunshine and rising temps, we are reminded that spring is on it's way. Spring time means baseball, softball, spring planting, and Spring Break. At JES, we are excited about our Spring Calendar. Last week, we celebrated Read Across America Week with numerous Skype sessions with guest readers from the United Kingdom, Canada, and Washington State. On Tuesday, March 8, join us for our monthly PTO Meeting with a special performance from our 3rd Grade Violin performers. State Board of Education member Mary Scott Hunter will visit JES on March 9. Each year, students have an opportunity to purchase Mother's Day's cakes from Publix. Cost is $8.00 and the deadline to order is March 17.

Science fair projects are due Friday, March 18. We will store the projects until they will be displayed in the gym on March 29 - April 1. On April 1, parents can view the projects from 8:00 - 9:00 with the awards presentation at 9:00 a.m.  The two top teams will receive a Space Camp Scholarship. A special thanks to Representative Phil Williams for securing the scholarships.

Spring break is March 21 - 25 and the Spring Book Fair begins Friday, April 1 - April 8. Our annual Autism Awareness Luncheon is also Friday, April 1. Please mark your calendars for Donuts for Dads on Friday, April 8. Other upcoming events include Kindergarten Pre-Registration on Monday, April 18 and ACT Aspire Testing beginning April 20. As you can see, we have a busy spring schedule at JES. Please add these events to your calendar and get involved. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you soon. Thanks and Go Rebels!!

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Read Across America Week:  Feb. 29 - March 4, 2016

Monday - Mustache Monday - The Lorax- Wear a mustache and/or dress like the Lorax (or a truffula tree, or other character?)

Tuesday - Sock Hop - Fox in Socks; The Foot Book - Wear crazy socks; Have Sock Hop at PE?

Wednesday - Wacky Wednesday/STEM Day - Wacky Wednesday, Mismatched, inside-out, crazy hair, etc.

Thursday - Character Day (or Hat or Twin Day) - The Cat in the Hat - Dress as a favorite Seuss character or "twin it" with someone else.

Friday - PJ Day/Happy Birthday - I am Not Going to Get Up Today; The Sleep Book - Wear Pajamas, celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday with cupcakes? Or if pajamas are not your thing use the book You're Only Old Once and dress like an old person and celebrate with cake or cupcakes.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Ready for a Fabulous February

We just finished up a great January with Pennies for Patients. JES students collected $1,643.54  to help fight childhood cancer for St. Jude Children's Hospital. Tuesday, we began our Cookie Dough Sale. Please check with any JES student to order Otis Spunkmeyer cookie dough. The sale ends Tuesday, February 16.

On Thursday morning, February 4, JES will celebrate the Walk of Champions Parade. Over 110 students achieved significant gains with Winter Performance Series Testing. Seventy-one students increased scores by 200 points, 21 students saw a 300 point jump, 14 students are in the 400 point club, and two students increased their overall score by 500 points. Congratulations to these students and special thanks to Instructional Coach, Kandye Jones for organizing this effort.

Also on Thursday, February 4, we will conduct a Standards Based Report Card Parent Meeting starting at 6:00 p.m. in the lunchroom. We will have a brief discussion about the standards and retention. Parents will then visit grade level classrooms to learn more about specific standards.

On February 9, 5th grade students will participate in a TVA Water Study. This STEM project focuses on monitoring water quality. On Thursday, Feb. 11, the PTO will conduct our annual Literacy/Math Night. We will have special activities in the gym, lunchroom, and library. The fun begins at 6:00 p.m.
The 3rd 9 Weeks Progress Reports go home Friday, February 12.  School will be closed Monday, February 15 for President's Day. Limestone County Schools will also have a 1/2 Day for students on Wednesday, February 24.

February will be another exciting month. To stay up-to-date with the latest news, follow us on Twitter and Face Book. Thanks again for your support.  Have a great February.