The Jayhawk Journal

First and foremost, I want to say thank you for the strong attendance and warm atmosphere that was created by our community this week for Open House. Our teachers worked hard, our parents came in with gratitude, and it was the perfect night to share our commitment to one another. I am telling you that there is magic in the air this year, I cannot wait to build on it and continue to create something special here!

One thing we take great pride in here at Johnson is how we choose inclusion for all of our students. We have our MARP and ASD Programs here and we have a student focus on what this means for our community. Each classroom went through an assembly this week where we discussed the great opportunities we have to include our students. This year we will focus on Peer Connections and our Unified Basketball Program to get students involved with one another.

Our Color Run Fundraiser is up and running and we are off to a great start. Please continue to share as your students can earn prizes for both themselves and their classmates. We look forward to the run on October 23rd. In addition, just a reminder that we will have a "Dine To Donate" night at Toarmina's Pizza on Tuesday this week. We appreciate all of your support.

Update on the Johnson Tailgate Party at Churchill before an upcoming football game. We have selected Friday, October 9th for the game. We will put out a flyer next week. Families will respond with how many family members will attend, so we can plan ahead. In addition, we are asking families to bring a snack item to share with the group (chips, cookies, drinks, etc.) so we can have some snacks before the game. Johnson will be providing pizza for those who attend.

I look forward to seeing what this school year will bring!

- 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.

We have already raised over $6,700 this week, and we are 33% towards our goal, way to go Jayhawks! Our goal is to get to $20,000 by October 23rd. Your students will be able to earn prizes both individually and as a class as they continue to raise money. If we hit our goal of $20,000, then Mr. Traub and Mr. Bublitz will participate in a school assembly where pies will be thrown at them! Let's do this Johnson Community!

Last spring, Michigan students in grades 3–8 and 11 completed the state-required assessments: the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) and the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). These assessments evaluate critical thinking, problem-solving, and subject-area knowledge aligned with state standards. Many sections require students to write out responses and demonstrate their reasoning, rather than simply selecting multiple-choice answers.

Letters were sent home with students on Monday, September 14th. This was the official Parent Report from the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). This report provides valuable insight into their performance from last spring. Please keep in mind that these results represent just one snapshot of your child's learning journey. Our staff is fully prepared to build on their strengths this school year while providing targeted support whenever extra help is needed.

Additional information about M-STEP and test results can be found on the Michigan Department of Education’s website at www.michigan.gov/mstep.

For the first month of school, we will continue to have a heavy focus on all routines and procedures in the classroom. We want to set students up for success and we want all students to understand the expectations of the building. This week we focused on bathroom expectations. It is important to keep our bathrooms clean for other students to use. Please see the attached matrix to go over SOARing expectations for all aspects of the building. We look forward to rewarding positive behavior with our first round of SOAR Clubs on Friday, October 2nd.

We would like to congratulate Mrs. Dimmer for being voted this award by her colleagues this week! Mrs. Dimmer is one of our ESAPs (Elementary Student Assistance Provider) here at Johnson. She always leads with a smile and her kind soul. She is committed to meeting the needs of our students and will do anything to make sure that they can succeed. She is a tremendous colleague and can always find the positive in anything. We are so lucky to have her leading our team in The Nest!

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

All the wonderful people (staff and students) that I get to work with and learn from.

Some Of My Favorite Things

Place To Travel: The U.P.

Foods: Guacamole, Dips, and Chips

Color: Turquoise

College: Michigan State

TV Show: Adventure Time

Sports Team: Detroit Tigers

School Subject: Art

My Hobbies....

Bowling, Yoga, listening to music, collecting rocks and gems.

For the month of September, all LPS schools will focus on using a Growth Mindset. Take the time to talk with your student about what that means to them and your family.

Our Snack Bar opened up on Tuesday, September 8th. Please know that these are additional snacks that are found outside of the school meal that is provided. School lunch is free, but snacks at the snack bar are additional and cost money. You can either add money to your account online, or a student may bring in cash. No change will be provided, whatever cash is brought in will just be added to your student's account.

Monday 9/21

Tuesday 9/22 - Dine To Donate at Toarmina's Pizza

Wednesday 9/23

Thursday 9/24 - Bagel Day

Friday 9/25

9/22 - Dine To Donate at Toarmina's Pizza

9/24 - Bagel Day

9/28 - No School - Professional Development Day for Staff

10/7 - Parent Teacher Conference (Evening Only)

10/8 - Parent Teacher Conferences All Day (No School)

10/9 - Johnson Tailgate at CHS Football Game

10/13 - PTA Meeting 6 p.m.

10/22 - Picture Day Make-Up

10/23 - Color Run

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.

It is required that each family review the emergency contact information that is on file at Johnson. You can view this information in parent connect. Why? in the event of an emergency, sick child, severe weather, we may need to reach you. The process to verify your emergency contact information is correct is simple. Simply log into Parent Connect and follow the prompts.

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.

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 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 can if you think you can.” - George Reeves