News for the Week of May 16, 2022

 

What an exciting day at the annual John Hall Elementary Track Meet! Thank you for your enthusiasm and support! 

This Week at Brown School

5/16     Maize and Blue Monday 

            3rd grade TRAILS @ lunch

            GOTR Group 1 meets in the gym after school

5/17    Morning with my Main Character Donut Event on the playground from 7:45 - 8:30 a.m. - please join us!

           PTO Meeting @ 12:15 p.m. in MC - Grimm & Mathey

          GOTR Group 2 meets in the gym after school

5/18   Late Start Day (Team Time)

          4th grade book club meets @ lunch 

          4th & 5th grade TRAILS @ lunch

          3rd grade swimming (p.m.)

          GOTR Group 1 meets in the gym after school

          After school art class meets

5/19    4th grade to Lansing today!

           3rd grade swimming (p.m.)

           GOTR Group 2 meets in the gym after school

           Staff/SI meeting 4-5 p.m. in MC

5/20    Brown Bear Credit Union 8:20 - 8:45 a.m.

           Kindness Club meets @ lunch recess

           3rd grade swimming (p.m.)

Coming Up... 

5/23   GOTR Group 1 meets in the gym after school

5/24    Student placement meetings during common planning time 

          Student Council meeting @ lunch

           Girls on the Run 5K Celebration!

5/25    Late Start Day (Team Time)

           First Grade to Sarett (p.m.)

           Lory's Place group meets (a.m.)

           5th grade musical performance for school (a.m.)

5/26    Tech Team field trip to Fab Lab @ LMC

5/27    Brown Bear Credit Union 8:20 - 8:45 a.m. 

           2nd grade field trip downtown SJ

           3rd grade field trip to Potawatomi Zoo  

           5th grade TRAILS meets @ lunch

5/30   No School ECDD - 12th grade: Memorial Day

5/31  Vision & Hearing Screening for current Y5/ECDD students

          Health lessons - 4th grade a.m. & 5th grade p.m.

6/1    Late Start Day (team time)

         Lory's Place group meets @ 9:30

         5th grade performance @ SJHS - 7p.m. (students arrive at 6:45)

6/3     Popcorn Friday!

         SJHS Graduate Clap-Out @ 10:30 a.m.

         Kindness Club @ lunch recess

6/6    Maize & Blue Monday!

6/7    4th graders to Kalamazoo Valley Museum (a.m.)

6/8    School Picnic Day! - schedule to be shared soon

6/9     1/2 day of school - dismissal @ 12:09 p.m.

           5th grade breakfast - more details to come 

6/10    1/2 day of school - dismissal @ 12:09 p.m.

            LAST DAY OF 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR!

            5th grade farewell celebration - more details to come

Staffing Updates

We are happy to share the following staffing updates for the fall. 

Evan Wilson will join Ashley Pagel in elementary P.E. Evan is a SJPS graduate and is looking forward to returning "home" to impact lives the way his teachers impacted his.

Cody Saroni will join Kent in 5th grade. Cody is a former SW Michigan resident who has been teaching fifth grade in Colorado for several years. He is eager to join this dynamic SJPS staff.

Payton Hoffman will also join Kent in fifth grade at Brown. She is currently teaching fifth grade in Saugatuck and as a Bridgman resident and graduate is overjoyed to return to this area to join our collaborative staff.  

Sarah Angeles will join Kristi and Stephanie in third grade at Brown. Sarah currently teaches fourth grade in Ohio and is excited to move to our area with her family. Her husband is active duty in the Coast Guard and her little one will join SJPS as a Kindergartner in the fall.

Thank you for joining me in welcoming our new staff to Brown School!

Let's Get a Jump Start on Summer Break!

As in past years, we will "chunk up" EOY tasks so that June doesn't feel quite so overwhelming. Here are our first "to dos". 

Due to the office by May 20th:

• Please cast your vote for three candidates for the Brown Principal's Award 2022
• 22-23 Grade Level Placement Sheet (by 5/23 if great) - they were shared with you via Google 
• Here is the EOY check out sheet - no need to worry about tackling the tasks now - just gives you a "heads up" of what is to come. 

Don't forget to work on these items so that June doesn't feel so hectic:

• Fall 2022 Welcome Letters  
• Grade Level School Supply List Edits

Why Teachers Matter An important part of teaching students who struggle is helping them learn to believe in themselves. Without this sense of efficacy, they are unlikely to persist.

Reason #91: Teachers help us understand that even smart people can struggle.

James remembers Mr. King:   "I had a difficult time learning to read, and I had fallen far behind my peers by the time I reached fifth grade. Instead of staying with the rest of my class during reading, I began going to another room to work with Mrs. King. I was embarrassed and felt like there must be something wrong with me. I decided I just wasn’t as smart as the other kids. I remember walking into Mrs. King’s room on that first day. The walls of her small room were covered with pictures of famous people. There was Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, John Lennon, and Steven Spielberg. She told me that all of them had something called Dyslexia, and they had all struggled with reading when they were young. I couldn’t believe these super smart people had the same challenge as me.  With a great deal of patience and skill, Mrs. King helped me become a reader. The most important thing she did was help me believe in myself. She taught me that smart people can still struggle with reading. She showed me how to leverage my other strengths and persist. I am forever grateful to Mrs. King for giving me a strong foundation in reading and in life." Keep going. You may not be able to see the impact you have, but for one student, it might just last a lifetime. For even more inspiration, check out Safe, Seen, and Stretched in the Classroom, available now.