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.


Monday, January 11, 2016

JES:  Preparing Students to Be College and Career Ready

Welcome to 2016! We are excited about the new semester and have planned lots of fun learning opportunities and new projects. On Monday, January 11, JES kicked off our annual Pennies for Patients campaign to benefit childhood cancer research at St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis. We encourage all students to donate any extra change during the month of January. Last year, JES raised over $2,400.00 and plan to raise even more this year. Tuesday, Jan. 12 is the JES Spelling Bee. Friday, January 15 is Awards Day for 1st Semester. We will also recognize the bicycle winners for perfect attendance for the 2nd 9 Weeks grading period.

On Thursday, January 21, we will have our yearly Standards Based Report Card Parent meeting to explain the standards for K-2nd. We will also identify standards all students must meet to move to the next grade level. Meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. in the lunchroom. JES will also begin Jump Rope for Heart to benefit the American Heart Association on Friday, January 22. We are also happy to announce that all 3rd grade students will participate in violin lessons provided by the Huntsville Symphony and Orchestra. This program is provided by a special grant for all Limestone County Schools.

Finally, this week we are beginning preparations for our Spring Science Fair. The fair is optional for K-2nd graders, but all 3rd - 5th graders are required to plan and complete a project involving Space Exploration. Also, all 3rd - 5th graders will be assigned a partner. The two top project teams will receive a full scholarship to Space Camp in Huntsville during the summer of 2016. The Science Fair will be held in mid-April. January is going to be great at JES. Thanks for your support!