A Special Thanks!

May 2012

Dear JES family and friends,

The nearly 400 pairs of shoes collected during our shoes drive at JES have been received at the distribution center for Shoes for Orphan Souls. We have been informed that they are expected to be delivered to children in Ethiopia, Dominican Republic and Honduras as well as some here locally. Thank you to all who contributed to the success of our ONE Day Without Shoes. 

Thank you to the Rachel’s Challenge advisory teams for their planning and guidance. To the KC Kids Advisory group who helped count and pack the shoes for shipping. Thank you to Mrs. Musgrave and her fourth grade class who cut off tags, bound shoes together, and assisted in the hallway. A big thanks goes to parents Tracy Lentz and Ashley Stern 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.

Special appreciation goes to Ashley and Scott Nguyen, Cassie’s parents, for taking on the task of delivering all of the shoes to the distribution center in Mesquite. We appreciate your willingness to go out of your way to do this kindness. Mr. Nguyen works in the Mesquite area and took time in his busy morning to drop off the shoes at the distribution center. Thank you!

ORIENTATION for our fourth graders going to Durham Intermediate next fall is on May 8th. All fourth graders will travel to DIS by bus for a presentation and a tour of the building. We will leave around 8:30AM. All fourth grade parents are invited to a Parent’s Meeting at DIS on Monday, May 7th at 5:30PM for an overview of the transition to intermediate school. This will be an informative meeting and attendance is highly recommended.

Rachel’s Rally and Relay for Life are coming up on May 11^th and 12th^th 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. There will be fun booths and activities for the children.  The celebration will begin at 6 and goes all night. To get more information or sign up for a relay team go to:  http://www.relayforlife.org/southlaketx  It is not too late! Contact me if you would like to join one of our JES teams.

Our POP TOP COLLECTION to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House is ongoing! Keep those pop top pull tabs coming! We will be emptying our tubs at the end of school. So send in what you have collected. The money raised goes to Ronald McDonald House. Thanks to all those who have contributed.

Our character trait for May is RESPONSIBILITY. The definition – proving you can be trusted with what is expected of you. Bus stops, carpools, packed lunches, signed papers – as a parent we expect a lot from you! But, what is expected of your child? Let’s turn it around this month and talk about the virtue of responsibility. 

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

Sincerely,

Ziba Johnston 

Counselor

ONE Day Without Shoes - APRIL 5th

Dear JES family and friends,

How appropriate that our character trait for April is HOPE! With ONE Day Without Shoes, we are giving children HOPE that they might have a future. 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.

On April 5^th, we will be going shoeless at school to bring attention to the needs of children around the world who miss opportunities in life because they do not have shoes. Send in a new pair of shoes to donate to Shoes for Orphan Souls on April 5th. For more information visit the Shoes for Orphan Souls website at

      http://www.shoesfororphansouls.org/aboutus.shtml

How can something as delicious as lemonade come from something as sour as a lemon? Well, this month, we are going to teach your child exactly what to do when life hands you lemons by introducing the virtue of Hope – believing something good can come out of something bad. I hope you will take time to talk with your child about your own experiences when HOPE was important to you.

If you haven’t heard…Rachel’s Rally and Relay for Life are coming up on May 11^th and 12th 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 .

There are also additional opportunities for the younger students to become involved with Relay for Life. More information will be coming about the many ways our students can participate.

Orientation for our fourth graders going to Durham Intermediate next fall is on May 8th. All fourth graders will travel to DIS by bus for an informational talk by the DIS administrators and a tour of the campus. A Parent Orientation is at 5:30 in the Durham Intermediate Cafeteria. 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!

STARR testing continues this month. Third and fourth grades will be testing on April 24^th and 25^th.  Our students are well prepared. The most important thing that parents can do 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 call.

Sincerely,

Ziba Johnston

Counselor