News for April 19, 2021

How does your passion shine? Through smiles and high fives? Through collaboration with your colleagues and our families? Through talking with students about their interests, their lives, and their hopes? If you work at Brown School, you could likely select "All of the Above"!

This Week at Brown School

5th grade M-STEP testing begins this week!

See the Brown School Google Calendar for session times/dates. PLEASE limit interruptions, hallway noise & unnecessary traffic at those times specifically.

4/19 5th grade coin war begins - runs through the week!

P2 Character Strength: Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence

Wear your P2 shirt!

4/20 School Improvement/Staff Meeting 4pm - 5pm (via Meet - click here)

Virtual PTO Meeting @ 7pm (Barkovich & Hooker)

4/21 Administrative Professionals Day!

Guiding Coalition Meeting 8 - 8:45 a.m. in Media Center

Late Start Day - regular PLC team time

Fire Drill @ 3:20 p.m.

4/23 5th Grade Can/Bottle Drive today @ drop off & pick-up

Coming Up...

4/26 NWEA Window Opens (4/26 - 5/14)

3rd & 4th Grade M-STEP Window Opens (4/26 - 6/4)

Board of Education Meeting @ 6pm

4/27 Fire Drill @ 9am

4/28 Late Start Day - regular PLC time

4/30 5th Grade Can/Bottle Drive today @ drop off & pick-up

5/3 No School for Students - Curriculum Release Day

Staff Appreciation Week!

5/4 Teacher Appreciation Day!

5/7 Popcorn Friday!

Popcorn Update

Now that the weather is improving let's plan to have students enjoy their popcorn outdoors at recess for the rest of the school year. This will cut down on cleaning time and potential pest infestation. Thank you!

Welcome to SJPS, Jenny Fee!

We are delighted to welcome our new Superintendent of Schools, Mrs. Jenny Fee. At a special meeting on Tuesday evening, our Board of Education approved her contract and whole-heartedly welcomed her to our school community.

Jenny joins us from East Grand Rapids Public Schools where she currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Instruction. She has also served as a high school principal, assistant principal, teacher and coach. Kelly will continue as our interim Superintendent until Jenny begins on July 1st.

News from MDE

Social and emotional learning (SEL) was important pre-pandemic and even more visible, relevant, and critical during the pandemic. SEL is the bridge upon which all learning occurs. Reading social cues, identifying feelings, and working with intense emotions are essential skills children need to navigate during the pandemic and the disruption of online and face-to-face learning. The skills of self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness enhance decision-making and teach a child how to connect with and befriend others. To that end, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is launching an outreach plan – Children matter. You matter. Learn SEL! – to bring SEL professional learning to schools across the state."

MDE is asking educators to complete an ‘Introduction to SEL’ online module hosted through Michigan Virtual. The hope is that as many educators as possible (a minimum of one school leader and two to four teachers per building across the state) will complete the module before Labor Day.

The SEL leadership team wanted to ensure that MDE staff knew about the outreach effort. Please familiarize yourself with the updated SEL website. If you have any work or resources you believe should be linked from the SEL website, let me know; we would love to highlight MDE’s cross-office collaboration.

The course is free, offers 6 SCECHs, and takes about two hours to complete. This program is open to all districts. Please share this opportunity with your partners in the field. This course is recommended for early childhood, high school, lower elementary, middle school, and upper elementary students.

**Please note that this is completely voluntary and SCECHs will be available.

Revised Testing Window

Grade 5 - April 12 through May 21

Grades 3 and 4 - April 26 - June 4

Here we go! Fifth graders will begin M-STEP testing this week. Thank you for encouraging our most veteran students and working with your class to ensure our hallways are respectfully silent.

3rd - 5th Grade Teachers and other proctors: To access information about this year's testing requirements, please click here.

Please email, text, stop by, or call me to share your small wins - personally or professionally. I would also LOVE to hear you share a colleague's small wins with me. BE READY TO SHARE A SMALL WIN ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON AT OUR SI MEETING!

Let's celebrate our MANY wins together!