Johnson Jaguars

Dear Johnson Families,

Spring Ahead! Daylight Saving Time begins next Sunday, March 12. Yes, once again this spring it is several weeks earlier than in previous years! Don’t forget to move the clocks ahead one hour.

Since early January, all of our first and second grade teachers and students have been participating in an elementary school pilot of two different mathematics programs. During January and February, they worked hard using materials from the “Illustrative Mathematics” program. During March and early April, they will continue their hard work in using materials from the “enVision Mathematics” program. I want to acknowledge all of the great work devoted to this initiative on the part of Ms. Stillman (Johnson mathematics specialist/coach), Ms. Sweeney and Ms. Turner (first grade teachers), Ms. Blake and Ms. George (second grade teachers), and all of our first and second grade students. It has been inspiring to observe our young mathematicians actively engaged in meaningful discussions of math concepts and problem solving.

Best regards,

John

Screening Notification for Parents

All health screenings conducted in schools are required by Massachusetts Law. Screenings at Johnson will begin on Monday March 6 and will be ongoing throughout the next several weeks. Please be mindful to send your student with their glasses, if applicable, to school everyday.

Vision Screening : Vision screening is conducted for all grades K – 4. The nurse will send a referral to parents if a follow up appointment is needed with their physician.

Hearing Screening: Hearing screening is conducted for all grades K - 3. The nurse will send a referral to parents if a follow up appointment is needed with their physician.

Growth Development Screening: Height and weight screenings are conducted for students in grades 1 and 4.

Parents and legal guardians have the opportunity to request, in writing, that their child not participate in the screenings. The request must be written each year and be specific to which screening you do not wish your child to participate. Please send this letter via email or hard copy to the attention of the Johnson School Nurse (krgilbert@natickps.org)

SPACE STILL OPEN!

Spring 2023 registration ends Friday.

Space is still available in the following classes - register today!

JOHNSON: Cooperative Games, Mondays (Gr 2 - 4), Ms. Monaghan

JOHNSON: Games Galore, Thursdays (Gr 1 - 4), Ms. Riley & Ms. Loftus

Enrollment/waitlist notifications will be emailed on Monday, March 6.

CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Class Descriptions

Descripciones de clase

descrições de classe

Описания классов

班級說明

TO REGISTER

Click here to register

Clique aqui para se cadastrar

Pulse aquí para registrarse

Нажмите здесь, чтобы зарегистрироваться

俄語

DATES TO REMEMBER

2/13: Registration Opens at 6PM

3/3: Registration Closes at 5PM

3/10: Tuition Payment Due ($100/course/student)

3/27: Classes Begin

WHAT IS THE ELEMENTARY ENRICHMENT PROGRAM?

The Elementary Enrichment Program runs for two 8-week sessions per year. This session we have courses offered at Ben-Hem, Brown, Johnson, Lilja and Memorial. Classes are designed and led by NPS staff and focus on hands-on exploration and collaborative fun, and open to students who attend the school at which each course is offered.

DETAILS

Session Dates: 3/27 - 6/2

Tuition: $100/course/student

Course Listings

Classes begin at school dismissal.

Class End Times:

4:15 (Brown, Johnson, Lilja)

Course selections differ by school and may not be offered at every school each session.

REGISTRATION AND OTHER INFORMATION

Registration is online between February 13 at 6PM and March 3 at 5PM. The online form will be active when registration opens.

After registration closes, families will receive an email with their child's enrollment status. Please do not pay tuition unless you receive an enrollment confirmation.

Space is limited. If interest exceeds capacity for any class, we use a lottery. We may cancel a course due to low enrollment.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Children may only attend courses offered at their home school.
• We cannot accommodate change or withdrawal requests after the registration deadline.
• Children should bring a water bottle and a nut-free snack.
• Children enrolled in ASAP on the day of their elementary enrichment course[s] will be escorted back to ASAP at the end of the enrichment class.
• NPS Financial Assistance may be applied to Elementary Enrichment tuition on a space-available basis.
• Please contact Megan Cap-Renzi with any questions.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

The NPS Financial Assistance Application is separate from that for free and reduced meals/bus fees. Even if you qualify for those, you must still submit this application for Elementary Enrichment. Decisions are made by the NPS Business Office.

Applications must be submitted to: Natick Public Schools, Attn: Business Office, 13 East Central Street, Natick, MA 01760. Questions about financial assistance? Contact aassencoa@natickps.org or (508)647-6400 ext. 1397

QUICK LINKS

• Enrichment Web Page
• Pay Online
• Contact Us

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION PROCESS:

Registration Period – February 6, 2023 - March 13, 2023

In order to register for kindergarten, children must be five years old on or before August 31, 2023. Guardians use PowerSchool Enrollment to complete the NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION (2023-2024) form online. All guardians then make an appointment at town hall to review the required documents in person. PLEASE CALL THE REGISTRATION LINE AT 508-647-6492 to schedule this appointment!

NPS Parent Orientation Night - Thursday, March 30, 2023 @ 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Live Stream on YouTube with Elementary School Principals

Parents of incoming Kindergarten students are invited to meet with the Elementary School Principals to learn more about the Kindergarten onboarding process, overall curriculum goals, and how Natick Public Schools works to support its youngest learners. Principals will discuss the orientation process (parent orientation, student assessment, and student orientation) and the modifications in place to support safety at school. Also discussed will be programming and services and the calendar of important events. This evening will help you prepare for your child’s transition into kindergarten. Building-based meetings will be hosted in May to review building-specific procedures. Links will be shared via email closer to these dates.

1 - THE COLD WINTER WEATHER IS HERE! Please make sure your children are dressed appropriately for these cold days. In addition, remind your children to check the lost and found if they have left something behind.

2 - LABEL, LABEL, LABEL

A lot of our Jaguars leave things behind each day. This is a friendly reminder to label all belongings that you send to school with your students. If items are labeled, we can return them to their rightful owners. Grab a sharpie and write your student's name on items (gloves, hats, coats, boots, water bottles, etc.).

3 - FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

We have a range of financial supports available in the Natick Public Schools. This includes assistance with school fees, such as the bus and picture day, scholarships for programs such as the Book Fair and connections to community resources that may be helpful. If you are interested in these programs, please contact Laura Loftus, our school counselors, to have a private conversation. Her email is lloftus@natickps.org.

Social Justice Parenting: Raising Compassionate, Anti-Racist, and Socially Conscious Children

Tuesday, March 7 at 7pm via Zoom -- For parents, caregivers, and community members of all ages

This program will address how to raise children who work to promote justice, compassion, and belonging for themselves and others. Dr. Traci Baxley will discuss the principles of Social Justice Parenting and offer strategies for implementing these values into your daily life. Simultaneous ASL and Portuguese Language Interpretation will be provided at this event. Register and learn more about this FREE online program and all our upcoming events at www.SPARKKindness.org

• March 6 ( Monday): Johnson School Council (4:15-5:15 pm)
• March 15 (Wednesday): Early release (12:15 pm)
• March 15 (Wednesday): Johnson Day @ Baha Restaurant (all day)
• March 25 (Saturday): Johnson Game night (4-6 pm) – save the date! More details to come
  
• March 4, 2023 - Maple Magic Pancake Breakfast, an annual tradition celebrating Maple Sugaring Season. It will be held at Memorial School on , from 8-11 AM.

• April 1 (Saturday): Deadline to order yearbooks
• Thursday, April 27th - Peacemakers Show more details to come!
• May 31 (Wednesday): Book Fair
  
• June 2 (Friday): Johnson Spring picnic – save the date, more details to come
• June 4 (Sunday): Johnson Day @ Red Sox Game (1:35pm) –save the date! More details to come
  

Elementary Enrichment Program!

The Elementary Enrichment Program runs for two 8-week sessions per year. This session we have courses offered at Ben-Hem, Brown, Johnson, Lilja and Memorial. Classes are designed and led by NPS staff and focus on hands-on exploration and collaborative fun, and open to students who attend the school at which each course is offered.

It’s time to order your 2022/2023 Johnson Elementary Yearbook! The deadline for ordering the book and placing ads is 4/1/23, and the cost is $18. Ads are $15 for a quarter-page OR $10 for an eighth-page.

To order your yearbook:

1. Go to www.coffeepond.com

2. Click on the Order Yearbooks button.

3. Enter the password: jaguar2023

4. Select online order and continue.

5. Enter the child’s name and grade and the book quantity.

6. Enter your email under contact and select add to cart.

7. If you have another child to order for, please select order for another child. If not, you can finish checking out.

8. If you are able, consider making a contribution to help purchase a yearbook for a Johnson Family in need. This option is found at the bottom of the Billing Information page.

If you'd like to send your child a special message, consider placing an ad this year.

Please use Google Chrome when purchasing and designing your ad.

1. Go to www.ybkpix.com

2. Create your account.

Select “Create an Account” on the upper right hand corner and follow the steps to create an account. Johnson's school ID is 712088.

3. Purchase your ad Login to your account and select “Ads.” On the next page, select “Student Ads” from the dropdown menu and select the size you would like to purchase. Follow the steps and purchase your ad.

4. Design your ad Go to My Account and click My Ad. If necessary, select your school from the dropdown list. Click Design or Edit to access the design space. Submit when complete!

Relatdely, we’re still looking for pictures for the yearbook. Send photos you have from the various Johnson events to Jagyearbook23@gmail.com. In the subject line, please include the name of the event.

Johnson Elementary Parent Teacher Organization
Sign Up for PTO Emails
Mark Your Calendar with Johnson PTO Events!

Thank you to Keri Clark, Memorial School PTO President and the Memorial School PTO for including the Johnson Community with their upcoming events. Please take a look and feel free to attend any of these Memorial PTO sponsored events.

Natick Public Schools does not discriminate in employment nor its educational programs, services, and activities based on race, creed, color, age, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Please be aware all electronic communication to and from Natick Public Schools is public record and subject to public disclosure per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, Section 10.

• Title I: Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990Title II
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990Title VI
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964Title IX
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5