OCTOBER Testing and RED RIBBON WEEK!

Dear JES family and friends,
As we begin the second six weeks, October, as always, is a month jam packed with activity! Our character value for this month is HONOR defined as letting someone know you see how valuable they really are.  I hope you continue to use the Core Essentials character trait  to spark discussions that lead to reinforcing what the teachers are sharing about HONOR.

 CogAT and ITBS Testing

On the 8^th, 9th, and 10^th of this month our second and fourth graders will be administered the CogAT. The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) measures students’ learned reasoning abilities in the three areas most linked to academic success in school: Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal. On October 22nd-24^th both second and fourth grades will be taking the Iowa Test of Basic Skills or ITBS. Although the primary goal of the CogAT is to assess students’ reasoning abilities, it can also provide predicted achievement scores when administered with the ITBS.
There is no special preparation you need to do at home for these tests. What you can do to help your student is make sure they are rested and present at school on time each testing days. Check your calendar and make sure that you have not scheduled doctor appointments during the testing time for these days. Testing will take place during the morning when the students are at their best. Although make up testing will be available, students do best in their own classroom with their teacher.

RED RIBBON WEEK will be celebrated October 28^th-November 1st. This is a district wide drug awareness celebration. At Johnson our theme will be “Planting a Promise”. Each day of the week, we will have a special message about making good choices.  Please take advantage of this opportunity to talk with your children about the dangers of drug abuse. Our emphasis at school will be about making good decisions. It’s never too late or too soon to share this important message.

 If I can assist you in any way, please contact me at Elizabeth.Johnston@southlakecarroll.edu.

 

Kindest regards,

Ziba Johnston

JES Counselor

WELCOME BACK JEDI DRAGONS!

Dear JES families and friends,

Welcome back to a new school year! There are many exciting plans in the works for our students this year. I hope that you have had a wonderful summer! We are back in full swing here at Johnson!

 NEWCOMERS Are INVITED!

 On Tuesday, September 3rd , there will be a reception for the newest parent members to the Johnson family. All parents new to the CISD and all kindergarten parents are invited for conversation and a light breakfast. This will be an informal opportunity to ask questions and also to meet our PTO leaders. We want to welcome you personally.  If you are new to the Johnson Elementary School family,  then drop by the JES cafeteria on Tuesday from 8:15 to 9:15. I hope to see you then.

  Our character trait for September is COURAGE defined as being brave enough to do what you should do even when you’re afraid.  Our generous JES PTO is sponsoring our Core Essentials program this year. If you are interested in more information about our character education program go to www.coreessentials.org   I hope that you will take time to discuss these critical life values at home which reinforce their importance. Invite your child to share what they have learned about the character trait each month. When we work together at school and at home, great things are possible.

 You can expect for students to be tired and “out of sorts” the first few weeks of school. The change in their sleep and meal routines alone may cause some stress and then when you add on the expectations of school - it is understandable that most children will react. If problems persist or symptoms are more extreme than you feel is typical for your child, talk with your child’s teacher and contact me. If I can do anything to help you or your student, please let me know. You can email me at elizabeth.johnston@southlakecarroll.edu   or call 817 949 4500 to schedule an appointment.

 Kindest  regards,

 Ziba Johnston

Counselor

HAPPY SUMMER!

Dear JES family and friends,

Summer has arrived and we all welcome the break in the school routine. It is important to take time to focus on something different - including a little rest and a lot of fun! Hopefully, the summertime activities include reading with your children and structuring time for your child to read alone. The city library is brimming with great materials, if you get restless!

Transitioning to summer break can be a challenge. The lack of structure and routine can cause grumpiness. Even old Texas dog looks at me wondering if today is his school day. Moodiness is normal and usually eases up as the summer takes on its own routine as long as the time isn’t filled with “screen time”. The Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting combined screen time to no more than two hours per day for school aged children. Although some screen time can be educational, it is easy to go overboard. There is an informative article from the Mayo Clinic about the effects at www.mayoclinic.com/health/children-and-tv/MY00522.

I will be back on campus after August 12th. If you have a question or need before then, I can be reached through email at Elizabeth.Johnston@southlakecarroll.edu. 

Have a restful summer!

Kindest regards,

 Ziba Johnston

MAY - Used School Supply Outreach Opportunity

Dear JES family and friends,
USED SCHOOL SUPPLY COLLECTION - On May 30, 31^st and June 3rd your student will have an opportunity to help other school children half way around the world! It doesn’t take much time and you don’t have to buy anything! In fact, it may help you! Donate your left over school supplies to the Munhu, Inc. organization.

The primary goal at Munhu is providing educational opportunities to children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in Zimbabwe. A good education is the foundation for a bright future for these children. Munhu pays school fees, and buys school uniforms and supplies to enable the children to attend school. They also support the families of these children. For more information visit the website at http://www.munhu.org/ . This non-profit organization was started by Sipho Gumbo, a Johnson Elementary family member, and the supplies are shipped by the organization. Talk with your child about what items your family might be willing to donate to this worthwhile outreach project. Of course, if you reuse the supplies for next year, please keep those items. However, if you prefer to donate them, Munhu can put them to good use!

ONE DAY WITHOUT SHOES - Update
The nearly 359 pairs of shoes collected during our shoe drive at JES have been delivered to the distribution center of the Buckner Foundation. We have been informed that they are expected to be delivered to children in Mexico and Ethiopia. Thank you to all who contributed to the success of our ONE Day Without Shoes. This is a fun and meaningful day of thought for our children about those children in other cultures.

Thank you to the Rachel’s Challenge advisory team for their planning and guidance. Thank you to the Ambassadors of Kindness who got out the word about the shoe drive to the other students. They also helped count and pack the shoes for delivery. A big thanks goes to parents Tracy Lentz and Za Flores for their assistance in the hallway. For your great enthusiasm and behind the scene support, thank you to the best staff in the world! It would not have been successful without each of you doing your part.

Our POP TOP COLLECTION to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House is ongoing! Keep those pop top pull tabs coming! If you have been saving them along the way… now is the time to bring them in. We will be emptying our tubs at the end of school. So send in what you have collected. The money raised goes toward Ronald McDonald House in honor one of our own students who is under medical care. Thanks to all those who have contributed.

Our character trait for May is PATIENCE. The definition is waiting until later for what you want right now. Learning to wait can teach goal setting and encourage hard work. Catch your child being patient and acknowledge him or her for the virtue that it is.

As always, if I can assist you in any way, please email me or call.

Kindest regards,

Ziba Johnston

Counselor
When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind. 
~ Dr.Wayne Dyer

ONE DAY WITHOUT SHOES ~ APRIL 11th

Dear JES family and friends,

 On April 11^th, we will be going shoeless at Johnson to bring attention to the needs of children around the world who miss opportunities in life because they do not have shoes. Did you know that one pair of shoes for a child can gain them entry to school, keep them healthy, protect them from injury and most of all give them the hope that someone cares about them?  We will also be collecting pairs of new shoes to donate to Shoes for Orphan Souls. For more information visit the Shoes for Orphan Souls website at:

            www.shoesfororphansouls.org

Fourth Grade Orientation for Intermediate School

Orientation for our fourth graders going to Durham Intermediate next fall is the morning of May 7th. All fourth graders will travel to DIS by bus for an informational talk by the DIS administrators and a tour of the campus. We will leave JES at 8:30 and return around 10AM. A Parent Orientation is being offered at 6PM in the Durham Intermediate Cafeteria. There is an informal coffee for parents at 9AM on May 8^th at DIS.  Transition to fifth grade can be a challenge. Attending the orientation meetings can ease some of the anxiety by answering many of your questions about procedures, the schedules and the “always challenging” lockers!

Our character trait for April is FRIENDSHIP – spending time with someone you trust and enjoy!  

Rachel’s Rally and Relay for Life are coming up on May 3rd and 4th at Carroll High School. This is a community wide celebration of kindness and compassion followed by a service opportunity to walk to raise awareness for the ongoing battle against cancer. To get more information or sign up for a relay team go to: http://www.relayforlife.org/southlaketx .

STARR testing takes place this month. Fourth grade will be taking the Writing assessment this week on April 2^nd and 3^rd. Third and fourth grades will be testing on April 23^rd and 24^th.  Our students are well prepared. The most important thing that parents can do to help is make sure your child is rested, well fed, and in attendance on time for testing days. Thank you for your help.

As always, if I can assist you in any way, please contact me.

Kindest regards,

Ziba Johnston - Mrs. J

Elizabeth.Johnston@southlakecarroll.edu

Counselor

March's Character Value - HONESTY

Dear JES family and friends,

Many thanks to our PTO for “cooking up” a special week of recognition for us last week! We truly feel appreciated! The sweet notes, tasty treats, cookbooks with delicious family recipes, the Friday luncheon and the apron…WOW you out did yourselves! Thank you to all of our parents for your continued support throughout the year.

The “Drive for a SMILE” toothbrush drive was a success! We exceeded our goal of collecting 600 toothbrushes! Thank you to everyone who contributed whether it was by donating a toothbrush or counting them at the end – together we make a difference especially for those children who will receive a toothbrush to promote dental health through Cook Childrens’ Hospital. A special thanks to our nurse Susan Bonczyk for arranging to get the toothbrushes delivered to the hospital. For meeting our goal, the students and staff were rewarded with sugarless bubblegum (or an alternative) and permission to chew it during school!

HONESTY is the character value for the month of March. The definition is choosing to be truthful in whatever you say or do. Watch out George Washington and Abe Lincoln! After this month, our school will be filled with children who will go down in history for their inability to tell a lie, because we are dedicating the whole month of March to the value of HONESTY.

Kindergarten Preview at JES - April the 18^th from 5-6:15. This is an opportunity for prospective kindergartners to visit the Johnson campus. If you have a child who will be five years old by September 1^st, 2013, plan on visiting this fun event. Be sure and tell your neighbors and friends about our Preview, too!

As always, if I can assist you in any way, please contact me.

Kindest regards,

Ziba Johnston-Mrs. J

Counselor 

elizabeth.johnston@southlakecarroll.edu

 

SOUPER BOWL of CARING

Dear JES family and friends,

February is a month dedicated to some pretty incredible people who were brave enough to make a difference in a peaceful way - Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Presidents both past and present. So it’s the perfect time to introduce the value of Peace—proving you care more about each other than winning an argument. Promoting peace through kindness is the basis of what we have implemented over the last few years with our Rachel’s Challenge initiative. Our students continue to promote peace by the practice of school wide acts of kindness. Those little acts of kindness – a smile, a thank you, a helping hand, an invitation to sit by me or come play with us – make a big difference.

What is the challenge? Rachel Scott was a student who showed compassion to everyone especially new students, students with differences, and alienated students. She once wrote that she believed that one’s kindness could start a chain reaction that would lead to more of the same and that it would have no end. Rachel’s challenge is to start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion. Students have the power to make permanent, positive, cultural change in their schools and communities by accepting this simple challenge. For more information for new parents or a refresher for all, you can visit the Rachel’s Challenge website http://www.rachelschallenge.org/.

Thank you to all who sent in snowflakes for the children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Snowflakes from JES were sent to help decorate their new school building in a beautiful, peaceful blanket of kind wishes.

This week at JES, Tuesday, January 29^th – Friday, February 1^st, we will be participating in the Souper Bowl of Caring by collecting currently needed items for the food pantry at GRACE (Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange). They have requested sugar and flour in #4 bags, salt and pepper, oatmeal, cooking oil, mayonnaise and ketchup, Ramen noodles, kids cereal, canned meat, tomato sauce and paste, shampoo and conditioner and toothpaste. No glass containers, please. Send the donated item to school with your child. There will be collection boxes at front entrances. For the complete wish list visit their website at: http://www.gracegrapevine.org/documents/PantryNeedsList-1-13.pdf 

As always, if I can assist you in any way, please email or call.

Kindest  regards,

Ziba Johnston

Counselor
817 949 4500

Elizabeth.Johnston@southlakecarroll.edu