The Jayhawk Journal

I have said it before, and I will say it again.... here at Johnson, we work hard, in order to play hard. This week was full of some fun Valentine's events that hopefully gave your students some great memories that will be kept with their time here at Johnson. A special thank you to all of our parents who took the time to volunteer and chaperone our 5th Grade Field Trip to Riverside on Friday!

At Johnson, we truly embrace our diversity and have worked hard for our students to be inclusive in all that we do. Our MARP and ASD classrooms are an important piece of that puzzle. This week, our students who have signed up to be Peer Connectors (pictured above) took the time to celebrate with Valentine's with Buddies. It was a great event to see!

Please see the section below about ordering a t-shirt for March Is Reading Month. Can't believe it is almost here, but we are ready to enjoy our "Take Me Out To The Ballgame!" Theme with our students this year. More details will soon follow in the near future for students and families. Just make sure that shirts are ordered by Tuesday, February 17th.

I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend break!

- Mr. Traub

Johnson Upper Elementary School is committed to providing a safe, respectful environment that supports the academic and socio-emotional needs of every student as they develop the necessary skills to become capable, confident, life-long learners.

March is Reading Month, and it’s right around the corner! This year’s theme is “Take Me Out to the Ballgame!”

We’re excited to be selling our Reading All-Stars shirts—perfect to wear during Reading Month and long after. Be sure to grab yours using the link below!

Store Link: https://johnsonreading2026.itemorder.com

Store will be open until Tuesday February 17th.

This week we focused on expectations in the cafeteria. Our cafeteria is used as a hub for many events throughout the day. In addition to lunch, we serve breakfast, hold assemblies, activities, and use it for bus dismissal at the end of the day. Our expectations in here both start and end the day on a good note. We are looking forward to the next time we do clubs on Friday, February 27th.

We would like to congratulate Mrs. St. Aubin for being voted this award by her colleagues this week! Mrs. St, Aubin is a 5th Grade Teacher here at Johnson. She is involved in so many committees, teams and extra duties outside of the classroom. From running our School Improvement Plan, to helping out with instruction, or helping our students stay safe in the parking lot, there is so much that she does. In the classroom, she is committed to doing what is best for all of her students. She continues to work hard and give so much, we are lucky to have her!

My Favorite Part of Being A Jayhawk Is....

The kids and my coworkers. Smiling faces every day!

Some Of My Favorite Things

Place To Travel: Nashville

Foods: Ribs

Color: Maize and Blue

College: Michigan

TV Show: Harry Potter Movies

Sports Team: Any Michigan Sports Team

School Subject: Math

My Hobbies....

Playing with the grandkids, watching sports, and hanging out with family.

We look forward to seeing you at our PTA Meeting on March 11th! Please see our flyer for joining the PTA. We are extending this PTA Membership Drive through February.

For the month of February, all LPS schools will focus on building confidence. Take the time to talk with your student about what that means to them and your family.

Monday 2/16 No School Mid-Winter Break

Tuesday 2/17 No School Mid-Winter Break

Wednesday 2/18

Thursday 2/19

Friday 2/20

2/16 No School Mid-Winter Break

2/17 No School Mid-Winter Break

2/23 6th Grade Day of Music

2/27 SOAR Clubs

3/10 SOAR Celebration

3/11 PTA Meeting 6 p.m.

3/12 Bagel Money Due

3/17 Bagel Day

3/19 Frost Preview Night for Incoming 7th Graders

3/30 - 4/3 Spring Break

We currently have an overflowing Lost and Found cart. Coats, water bottles, lunch boxes, gloves, boots and so very much more. It would be very helpful if items you send to school with your student are labeled in some way with your student's name so we can try to reunite them with their belongings. Please remind your student to take a moment to look through the lost and found and collect their items. We are running out of space on our rack for items! Thank you for your help.

Just a reminder for the upcoming weather that is expected. Please drive with extra caution in the parking lot as snow begins to fall. Practice patience and understanding as our staff works to keep all students and parents safe in the parking lot. We appreciate your ongoing partnership in these areas!

We will be going outside for recess as much as we can! We will only stay inside if the windchill is below 15 degrees Fahrenheit. This will be determined by using the Real Feel on Accuweather.com. Students are encouraged to bring boots and change in their lockers. If snow is on the ground, students can go anywhere if they have boots on. If students are in shoes, they will stay on the blacktop to play during that time.

Planning to volunteer this year? Fill out the iChat form now and you'll be all set for the year! Just enter today's date (or a day next week) for when you plan to begin volunteering. Then, you'll be all set when it comes time to help with Holiday Shop, Field Day, and other events.

We ask all parents/guardians to complete the welcome back checklist on parent connect. Why? This information is who we will contact in the event of an emergency. Year after year contacts will follow a student's file if they go unchecked. Please make sure all the contacts are current.

A nutritious lunch and breakfast is available for free each day at Johnson and at all Livonia Public Schools. If you forget to pack a lunch or just run out of time, we understand. Please know we will provide your student one of our lunch options always, no matter what. We hope this option will save you a trip up to the school. We also would like to remind parents that for safety reasons, we do not allow Door Dash orders for students. Thank you for understanding.

Students cannot be dropped off for school in the morning prior to 8:15am. This is when the doors open for breakfast and when staff is available to supervise students. Prior to this time, all school doors are locked. Students are not to be left unattended, arrangements must be made. Also, dismissal is at 3:30pm daily and at 11:45am on half days. It is required that all students who are picked up in the car loop be picked up no later than 3:45pm. Staff is not available to supervise students beyond that time. The district offers a SACC program for those students that cannot be picked up by 3:45pm. Please contact SACC at (734)744-2966 to make arrangements.

If your student is arriving after the last tardy bell, please note they need to check in at the office. They should enter the building through door number one (with the arch) and check in on the chromebook in the office. Parents do NOT need to come in to drop off students only to pick up.

If you need to pick up your student prior to the end of the school day, please know you will need to come into the office to sign them out and be verified by the office staff. Whomever is picking up a student early, must be listed on the Emergency Card.

Oftentimes a student will come to the office with a medical need. The office staff is able to dispense medication as needed as long as the medication is: 1) Delivered to school by a parent in the original unopened package or prescription container, {NO MEDICATION can be brought to school by students} 2) As long as there is an individual, signed medical authorization on file for each medication {form available in the office and online} Medication includes but is not limited to cough drops, aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, prescription drugs, creams, lotions, vitamins, inhalers, EpiPens, etc.… We cannot administer any medication that is not listed on file in the office. Please reach out to Jill Jablonski or Amy Dimmer in the office to set up a time to bring in medications and to review your student’s medical needs when they are in the building.

"You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right." - Rosa Parks