The Jayhawk Journal

This week was off to a great start, as we finally had the chance to get outside with outdoor recess after many weeks of the cold! Did you know that we have sleds that students can use? If your student loves playing in the snow, please make sure that they are dressed to do so. Boots are required to go on the grass during snowy days, but students with shoes will still go outside and play on the blacktop.

With Valentine's Day around the corner, please look out for communications from your teachers. They will guide you on any activities that they may be participating in during the week. Students may dress up in pink and red on Friday the 13th to feel festive.

We want to thank our students who have volunteered to bring in inspirational quotes for Black History Month. Students are able to turn in a quote to the front office, and we will approve them to come on the announcements. This way we start off every morning with an important quote for Black History Month that is student led on the announcements.

Our COGAT Test wrapped up this week, and we want to thank our 6th grade teachers and students for putting in such a great effort to make this happen!

Let's keep pushing through this cold weather!

- 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.

This week we focused on using electronics and social media. We are very fortunate with all of the technology that we have available here for our students, but this comes with great responsibility from our students, as well. We are always having conversations in the classroom and at assemblies to go over expectations to keep students on track with electronics. Parents, this is also a team effort at home. Always take the time to check their phones and devices to see what students are up to. Have regular conversations about internet safety and how to be responsible. Those conversations will go a long way! We are looking forward to the next time we do clubs on Friday, February 27th.

We would like to congratulate Mrs. Harvey for being voted this award by her colleagues this week! Mrs. Harvey is an instructional coach for math here at Johnson. She does a lot of work behind the scenes with our teachers when it comes to planning and carrying out math instruction. She is focused on bringing in resources to help all of our teachers and students. In addition to planning behind the scenes, she can be seen in the classrooms working on projects and lessons that keep students engaged. She brings so much to our building, and we are lucky to have her!

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

The staff!

Some Of My Favorite Things

Place To Travel: Disney

Foods: Mexican

Color: Pink

College: Detroit Mercy

TV Show: Severance

Sports Team: Detroit Red Wings

School Subject: Math

My Hobbies....

Reading, baking, and running.

We look forward to seeing you at our PTA Meeting on February 10th! 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 February 9th:

Choice 1 - Chicken salad, naan bread, aloha pears, veggies

Choice 2 - Munchable

Tuesday February 10th:

Choice 1 - Turkey ham and cheese croissants, fruit, veggies

Choice 2 - Munchable

Monday 2/9

Tuesday 2/10 PTA Meeting @ Johnson 6 p.m.

Wednesday 2/11

Thursday 2/12

Friday 2/13 Bagel Day

2/10 PTA Meeting at Johnson

2/13 Bagel Day

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

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.

"Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations." - Mae Jemison