The Wildcat

• Fine Arts and Gym
• Reminder of Arrival and Dismissal
• Highland Education Foundation Fundraisers
• Girls on the Run
  
• Honor Parkway Tree Fundraiser
• Lunch Information
• Mindfulness
• Camp Invention

EVERY WEDNESDAY IS EARLY RELEASE @ 1:55 (Mrs. Torres's Class @ 1:20)

Monday, April 5-NO SCHOOL

April 19 ILEARN testing begins

Just a reminder that School Town of Highland is still enforcing masks to be worn in school and ON SCHOOL PROPERTY for students and adults. Thank you so much for your diligence in this. We have been doing an incredible job helping to keep our students, staff, and community safe and healthy. Keep up the great work!

Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders will soon be taking ILEARN (I​ndiana Learning Evaluation Readiness Network). The ILEARN testing window begins April 19th and spans through mid-May.

Johnston’s testing schedule has been designed to spread out the several testing sessions each grade must complete to try to limit the daily testing load of our students and preserve as much instructional time as possible.

Online learners will come into the building and test alongside in-person learners inside their teacher’s classroom. Each classroom will have as much space as possible between students for testing.

Please make every effort to schedule any pre-planned absences (e.g. doctor appointments) around these assessments. Your child's teacher should be reaching out to let you know when your child will be testing during that window. Please feel free to reach out to our staff if you have any questions.

• Masks must be worn at all time

• If students arrive before the bell, they should be standing on one of our Wildcat Paw Prints.

• Parents cannot come into the building

• Doors open for students at 7:55 a.m. daily. Students who eat breakfast at school will be allowed entry beginning at 7:30 a.m. Anyone arriving after 8:10 a.m., will need to buzz and come into the main office to sign in.

• Cars will enter the parking lot off Duluth Street (right turn only) and follow the curve to drop off students. Please pull up as far as you can and drop all your students off at one time. Have your children ready with their backpacks, lunch money, hugs and kisses, so that when you stop they may exit the car quickly, and we can keep the drop off line moving. The line can become backed up onto Duluth Street very quickly which causes safety issues for our parents, as well as other drivers.

• Please drop off curbside only. Avoid dropping children off where they have to cross the street, this is extremely dangerous. It will be your responsibility to cross them if you choose to do this.

• Please be mindful of other drivers and walkers. We know many of you have to get to work, and we want all children to be able to enter the building safely and on time.

• Doors C and B will be utilized for entrance as usual.

• 5th graders will use Door G

PLEASE REMIND STUDENTS THAT THEY NEED TO BE CROSSING AT THE CORNER!

We will be spreading out dismissal in efforts to minimize congregating. At the end of the school day, the following doors will be used for dismissal:

• Grade K will exit through door J (FIVE minutes before the rest of the grade levels)

• Grade 1 will exit through door C (main doors)

• Grade 2 will exit through door B

• Grade 3 will exit through door J

• Grade 4 will exit through door I (*updated)

• Grade 5 will exit through door G

• Bus riders will exit through door J (a few minutes prior to the remainder of the school being dismissed where the buses will be waiting).

Cars may enter the parking lot off Duluth Street and follow the curve to pick up or park in the parking lot to walk up to get students.

PLEASE DO NOT PARK ON THE YELLOW LINE ON GRAND. BUSES NEED TO PULL IN THERE.

This coming week is Week B. We have rotating "Specials" times. Please check your classroom teacher's agenda each day to see what additional class you need to attend.

Below is a link with a calendar that lists the rotations.

All students will receive breakfast and lunch at no cost for curbside pick-up meals!

Thanks to USDA funding, these meals will be available the rest of the school year. Each student can receive one free breakfast and one free lunch daily. This applies to qualified meals (breakfast and lunch), not snacks and beverages.

Important: You MUST still complete a free and reduced meal application to qualify for the program for the remainder of the school year (to receive free or reduced meals AFTER 12/18/2020) AND to qualify for textbook assistance for this school year!

All virtual students will be able to pick up a weeks worth of free breakfasts and lunches Monday between the hours of 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the following location:

Johnston Elementary School, 8220 5th Street, (Door D, off of 5th Street), Highland, IN

Go here for more details:

http://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=2809100435083594

Hello Johnston Families,

In an effort to help kids (and parents) lower their stress levels, frustrations and anger, I will be including mindfulness activities in the newsletter for the remainder of the school year. I will also be practicing 1-2 strategies with each class as a part of their weekly guidance lessons. These will be simple, easy to use strategies that I encourage you to practice at home. We are hoping to help students increase empathy for others and build skills to manage everyday emotions.

Thank You! Mrs. Jennings

Join Us for the Best Summer Ever!

Camp Invention® is back with an all-new program: Recharge

! Featuring take-apart microphones, robotic crickets, duck-launching devices and morphing vehicles, this summer is packed full of super fun, confidence-boosting STEM activities!

What could be better? This year, with our Peace of Mind Promise, your local camp is being offered in person and at home so your child can experience the fun of Camp Invention no matter where they are!

Johnston Elementary School
6/7/2021 - 6/11/2021 from 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Biggest discount ever! Secure your spot today using ALUMNI40 to SAVE $40.

Go here to sign-up: https://invent-web.ungerboeck.com/programsearch/moreinfo.aspx?event=32031

Kindergarten registration is just around the corner. Having accurate and timely numbers allows STOH to ensure we have proper staffing and materials in place to start the 2021-2022 school year smoothly for the class of 2034!

Kindergarten Round-Up will be done in two phases. Beginning on March 1 at 8:00AM, parents will be able to register online, and then provide documentation later. Here is a brief description of each phase:

Phase 1: A link will be activated at 8:00AM, March 1 on the RDS parent access page (https://rdsappserv.highland.k12.in.us/rdsparentaccess/) to enroll new students. It will allow parents to register their incoming kindergarten students. This link will not require a parent code to access the program. Once clicked, parents enter all the necessary information just like they would at an in-person registration. Most importantly, completing this step reserves your child’s place in line with regard to our transfer process. The earlier Phase 1 is completed, the more likely your child is able to attend his/her neighborhood school.

Phase 2: Each building will hold its registration from 2:30-6:00PM on the following Wednesdays:

Johnston - March 10

Merkley - March 17

Southridge - March 31

Warren - April 7

Parents need to complete the registration process on the date listed during the open window of time. Completion includes visiting your neighborhood elementary school with your child and the proof of residency requirements and other documentation outlined on the following sites: https://www.highland.k12.in.us/o/STH/page/kindergarten-registration--94

During Phase 2, your child will be given a short (approx 10 minute) Kindergarten Readiness Test by one of our STOH counselors. This data is used to help determine the appropriate classroom placement for your child.

Once BOTH of these phases are complete, your child’s place is secured in an STOH kindergarten classroom. Final classroom/building placements are made during the first week of August.

We look forward to meeting our newest STOH students. If you have any questions, please contact your neighborhood elementary principal or secretary. We also ask that you please share this information with any STOH resident that might have an incoming kindergarten student.

In an effort to minimize people coming in and out of the building, we ask that non-essential school items not be dropped off during the day. We are working hard to keep everyone safe (students, staff, parents, etc.). Please be mindful of this when your child forgets something. Can they make it through the day without this item? Thanks for your help in trying to keep everyone safe.

As we work to improve the Johnston playground and greenspace, we are excited to involve you in an exciting fundraising opportunity.

Our Johnston outdoor space is used by so many members of our community. Beyond being used as a recess and gym space by the school, the space is used by local residents for exercise, youth sports teams as a practice space, and as by local families for after school fun. Johnston school is embedded in the lives of current residents as well as the memories of former residents.

It is in this spirit that we are creating the Johnston Honor Parkway. Along this parkway, trees have been planted and are maintained by our Johnston students. We envision this parkway being a place where current students can honor and remember members of our community who have made it a wonderful place to live, work, and play.

Each tree on the parkway will be dedicated in honor or memory of a community member or organization. We ask that you consider taking the time to sponsor a tree in honor or memory of someone you love who has made a difference in the community. Your donation will not only support improvements being made to the playground and greenspace, but also purchase a commemorative plaque to honor the recipient. There will also be a celebration in the spring to unveil the new signs and parkway.

See the attached for more information on how to be apart of it!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hCA7wW9EHcAEGCaxGBL7o0tzVhEgctAc/view?usp=sharing

Here are some things that you need to know about your iPad. If you have any iPad questions, please contact Mrs. Gomez through email: egomez@highland.k12.in.us

• Do NOT sign in to an Apple ID

• Your email address for all Google logins is your first initial, last name, student ID. Student ID can be found on RDS!

• Example:jsmith1234567@stohk12.org

• Your password is your birth date, 2 digit month, 2 digit day, 4 digit year

• Example: 01262008 (January 26, 2008)

• Sign in to your email. Do this by:

• Go to Settings

• Passwords and account

• Add Account

• Google

Please take care of your iPad. Avoid drinking or eating around them. Don’t place them under or in between heavy items. Keep them charged! DO NOT take them out of the cases and don’t decorate the cases, even with stickers!!!

Families can get guidance on how to cope with the coronavirus pandemic through a new partnership between Franciscan Health and Purdue University.

The Community Health Improvement team at Franciscan Health, which has hospitals in Crown Point, Dyer, Hammond, Michigan City and Munster, teamed up with Purdue’s College of Health and Human Sciences and other community partners to create "Families Tackling Tough Times Together," a pop-up program that aims to strengthen families' resilience.

“It’s impressive to see the efforts that Franciscan is making to not only treat patients but also to support family strengths and resilience during the pandemic,” said Dr. Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, a Purdue professor working to build the initiative.

"Families Tackling Tough Times Together" will offer free, science-based tools and activities every week on how to handle the pandemic.

The nine-week program this fall seeks to help families of all types with tailored recommendations for children, adults, and young adults. They will get messages of support and encouragement and the opportunity to ask experts questions.

https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/families-together/

• For E-Learning questions and other tech related questions
• Follow the link below to sign up to the Remind Class entitled "Tech Resources" https://www.remind.com/join/jntra
• Inquiries will be answered in as timely a manner as possible

Please don't hesitate to contact us in the office for any ideas, thoughts, concerns, or words of encouragement! We are all part of this large extended mix of wonderful people we affectionately refer to as our Johnston Family.

Email: aharring@highland.k12.in.us
Website: https://www.highland.k12.in.us/o/jes
Location: 8220 5th Street, Highland, IN, United States
Phone: 219.923.2428
Facebook: facebook.com/johnstonpto
Twitter: @harrington_jn