WELCOME BACK!

Dear JES families and friends,

Welcome back! There is a flurry of activity at school preparing for the children to arrive. Teachers are putting the finishing touches on the classrooms.  I hope that you have had a pleasant summer. We are back in full swing here at Johnson!

 Newcomer's Coffee - On Tuesday, August 30, there will be a Coffee for new parent members to the Johnson family – new families to the CISD and kindergarten parents. This will be an informal opportunity to ask questions and allow us to welcome you personally. Our PTO will be on hand to host and make you feel at home. If you are new to Johnson, drop by the newly renovated JES library from 8:30 to 9:30. Of course, if you are not new and would like to attend you are welcomed to come greet our newest parents.

Our Rachel’s Challenge initiative to promote kindness and compassion will continue to be a major focus on our campus and throughout our community. Our kickoff will be on September 13 with a special assembly for JES students and faculty. You can find more information about this district wide program at www.rachelschallenge.com .

  

Our character trait for September is KNOWLEDGE defined as discovering something new so you can be better at whatever you do. The three "big ideas" that our character program promotes are (1)treat others right, (2)make smart decisions, and (3)maximize your potential.  Chik fil A is sponsoring our Core Essentials program again this year. If you are interested in more information about our character education program go to http://www.coreessentials.org/ .   Discussing these important values at home reinforces their importance. Invite your child to share what they have learned about knowledge. When we work together at school and at home great things are possible.

It is not unusual 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 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.

Sincerely,

Ziba Johnston

Counselor

On Summer Break

Dear JES family and friends,

Summer has arrived and Texas and I are off for a summer holiday. Texas is spending a lot of time in the pool and under the tree trying to keep cool.  I am following his lead.

Summer is a great time for children to read simply for pleasure. Newly emerging readers tend to regress in the summer so keep up the reading activities. Also, I want to share a website:  http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/   that has some interesting thoughts on encouraging happiness and wellness in children. I have mentioned it before. There are informative podcasts and articles on current research. An article that is especially timely addresses ways to reduce stress in children. The author writes about appropriate praise as mentioned in the recent documentary Race to Nowhere. You will find it at the following link:

http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/raising_happiness/post/helping_kids_deal_with_stress/

Although, I will be off for summer break until August 8^th, I will be checking email regularly, if you have a concern don’t hesitate to write.

Enjoy the break and Tex and I will see you in August!

Ziba Johnston - Mrs. J

Elizabeth.Johnston@southlakecarroll.edu

Welcome!

Welcome to the JES Counselor's Blog. I look forward to having more frequent communications throughout the school year. I am new to blogging so it will be an opportunity for all to practice patience.