Welcome Back, Blue Jays!
From the MJ PTA and Mrs. Grosch
The First Day of School is TOMORROW - August 19th!
Setting Up for Success
- Power down your screens about an hour before bed tonight.
- Spend the hour before bedtime reading or doing an activity that is relaxing for you.
- Identify a learning area in your home where you will do your school work.
- Place your Chromebook in your learning space and plug it in to charge it.
- Practice logging on with your login and password. If you need help, have your parents email your teacher. You need to log in on your school device, not mom or dad's computer.
- Gather any extra materials you may need - paper and pencil should be good for tomorrow.
- Remove any distractions from your learning area.
- Set an alarm - school starts at 8:35am. You should be ready to learn at that time. You should be dressed, teeth brushed and already have eaten breakfast.
- Bring your smile to school with you!!
First Day Expectations
- ALL students should be up, dressed and ready to learn! Classroom teachers should have identified your log - on time and provided you with information on how to join the class via SeeSaw for our K-2 students, or Google Classroom for our 3-6 learners. PLEASE NOTE, if MJ is your home school but your teacher is teaching from another D15 school, you will follow the teacher's school schedule and your school times may be a bit different.
- Students should plan to be engaged in school activities throughout the day. Some will be live interfacing with teachers, other activities may be self -directed.
- All classes will start with a Morning Meeting for the first 10 days of school. The purpose of the Morning Meetings is to make connections, learn routines, and understand expectations.
- Teachers are partners with students and their families. Please reach out to your teacher if you have any questions or need assistance with anything.
A Message from the MJ PTA
Welcome back to school! Things will be a little different in the Marion Jordan PTA world, but we’re still here ready to engage with you the best way we can and to ensure safety for students and teachers. The PTA is taking a much different approach to this year than in the past. In hopes of maintaining open communication, please read the following to see what these changes entail:
Programming
Having safety in the forefront of our minds, the PTA Board made significant changes to the fall programming. At this moment, we plan to
• Remove all PTA sponsored after school clubs with the exception of a virtual run club
• Remove Kindergarten Social and Back to School Social
• Incorporate a virtual, evening segment for students. The first one will be a night time
story read by Mrs. Grosch. Details to follow in September!
Budget
Because COVID forced us to cancel events in the Spring of 2020, the PTA has leftover funds. Thus, instead of utilizing our No Stress Fundraiser this fall, we are going to use the leftover funds for the upcoming semester. Our hope is to make it through the first semester without running a fundraiser. With around $13,000 in our account, we plan to pay for the following:
• “Stock the Lounge” with snacks for teachers
• Small goodies for students as a back to school welcome
• Student Apps/Tools – Brain Pop, Raz Kids, etc.
• Virtual Run Club
• Halloween Parties, if applicable
• Administrative Fees – including dues, databases, and financial systems
Despite all of these changes, the PTA needs you - Together We Accomplish More!
Although we will withhold from asking you for a financial donation for as long as we can, we ask that you and your spouse, if applicable, sign up to join the PTA. To register, go to https://mjpta.membershiptoolkit.com and click store. Being a PTA Member means you
- get a vote and a voice in the PTA
- become a part of the school directory
- value a strong home / school connection
- (if needed) be a part of the PTA courier service, a quick way to distribute MJ
We look forward to having you join us! Our goal is to have you register before the first PTA meeting on September 23rd.
Our meetings are inclusive and we hope everyone will join us. Our principal, Mrs. Grosch, attends our PTA meetings, so you will have an opportunity to hear first-hand about current happenings within the school and the district, along with informative PTA news.
Should you have any questions, please direct them to Jenny at jenny_bartkus@yahoo.com.
Wishing you and yours a great start to the school year,
The MJ PTA Board
A Message from Mrs. Grosch
Hi Marion Jordan Families,
Welcome to the 2020-21 school year! I recently shared with the staff that this year marks my 30th year in education. Over the years I have served as a teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. I have worked in different schools, and in different grade levels. One thing, however, has remained consistent throughout my career - I LOVE the first day of school! The first day is filled with a range of emotions that covers a lot of ground. Excitement, nervousness, anticipation, hopefulness, and possibility to name a few. While I approach this year with the same feelings, I recognize that it will be a different year for many. The Coronavirus has changed the way we socialize and shop, and the way we attend school. For our teachers, it will also change the way they work.
Changes have been made to create a safe environment for the return of our staff. Many of our teachers have taken advantage of professional development opportunities over the summer to best prepare for the purpose of building their capacity to deliver better virtual instruction. Additionally, staff members participated in sessions during our teacher institute days that focused on delivering quality instruction, both virtually and in person. Each of our staff members is committed to upholding the District 15 motto of providing a quality education for every student, every day. We are as dedicated as ever to ensuring each of our students has a successful year - academically, socially, and emotionally.
Despite the challenges we currently face, we cannot wait to welcome our MJ Blue Jays on August 19th, the first day of school. We look forward with anticipation to the day when students can return to our classrooms.
Fondly,
Jenny Grosch
About us
Email: MJAdmin@ccsd15.net
Website: ccsd15.net/MJ
Location: 100 North Harrison Avenue, Palatine, IL, USA
Phone: 847-963-5500