JSE Tracks
Principal's Weekly News, September 21, 2020
JSE Monthly Attributes:
Characteristic of a Successful Learner (CSL): Strive for Personal Best
Bucket-Filling Trait: Respect
We made The Times! Thank you Captain Joe, JSE Staff, and PTO for our annual Fun, Learning Memory!
It's a Marvelous Monday at JSE!
Greetings, JSE Families,
Last week was a great week of learning for our kids and we will make this week one as well! In addition to our laser-like focus on academic growth, we are all about building a growth mindset and character at JSE. On our morning news and in the classrooms, we encourage the growth mindset presented below!
This week 4th and 5th will test NWEA and next week K-3 will test. It is important for our kids to know this is only a benchmark assessment to "check what they know" and that there will be problems they do not know and this assessment will not affect their grades. With this being our first experience utilizing NWEA, we know their will be a learning curve for our teachers, students, and parents of remote learners. Thank you in advance for your patience!
Our JSE LIbrary is in full-swing, if you would like to know what books we have available for check-out, please click the link button below.
Looking forward to picture day smiles!
Thank you for your partnership, we appreciate you!
Mrs. Barnes
It's Fall Ya'all, another season to show our teachers and staff we appreciate them with a shiny, red apple!
Attention Families of Virtual Students:
EXPECTATIONS: Please see the graphic below, thank you for supporting your child in following these guidelines.
NWEA remotely from home: Grades 4-5 will take NWEA this week with their class and Grades K-3 will take NWEA next week with their class. Teacher will communicate more information and directions for virtual learners.
PICTURES: Bring your child into school between 8-9:30am for pictures on Thursday.
LIBRARY: Virtual students can check out books from our library too! Check out what books we have,at this LINK and then let Mrs. Morton, lmorton@union.k12.in.us, know of the book you would like to check-out and we will put the book in your teacher's pick-up bin at our main entrance.
ATTENDANCE: What should I do if my child can not attend virtual school due to an illness, doctor appointment, or other absence?
The same hand-book guidelines for students learning virtually apply. Parents should call the school and report their child's absence for the day and the reason for the absence. The office will inform your child's classroom teacher. We appreciate the consistency for all student absences as this communication will support teachers in preparing for both in-person and virtual instruction.
As a reminder, the vestibule is open from 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. Parents, your child's teacher will communicate how they will use their pick-up bin and when you will need to come to school.
We have had several families change to in-person learning, if you choose to make this change or have any questions regarding this, please email Mrs. Barnes at lbarnes@union.k12.in.us
Attention Kindergarten and 1st Grade Parents: Enroll your child today!
EDUCATIONAL SAVINGS
From the website: "A student with dedicated funds for education knows his or her future is bright and people are saving for it! Promise helps families open the account and provides an initial $25 deposit!"
UTSC NWEA Parent Information Letter
In the next two weeks,, our students will be taking their NWEA assessments for Math and Reading, which is the assessment tool that is replacing both STAR and AR throughout our district.
For more information on NWEA and why the decision to change was made, please click HERE.
Additional letter for all learners, pertaining to virtual testing, please click HERE
Parent Teacher Conferences: Monday, October 12th eLearning Day for students
This year's Parent Teacher Conferences will follow the same format as last year, with the one change being that all our conferences will be virtual through google meet or by phone.
October 12th will be an eLearning day for ALL students (both in-person and virtual) that begins at 9:00 AM.
Conferences will begin at 12:00 PM and last until 7:30 PM: Information will be sent out in an upcoming Thursday Folder with sign-up information. In addition, please stay tuned to your emails for more information from your child's teacher.
Picture Day Information
Picture day is on September 24th at JSE! Please place your orders online this year! With the effort to go paperless by the photography company, we were only provided very few paper order forms.
Below is the online ordering information and the link is
inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/51202GF
Virtual Students - Picture Day Information: If your child is a virtual learner, please bring them to the school between 8-9:30am on the 24th. If you can not make it to school on the 24th at that time, we will have another day and time for virtual students on our to be scheduled retake day.
Love and Logic Parenting Classes:
Love and Logic classes that are put on by Our Greater Good. Classes will be held virtually this year. If you register, please let our main office or Mrs. Barnes know and we will pick up the information and materials for you and send them home with your child!
Important Dates:
September
Apples for Teachers!
24 Fall Pictures
October
9 End of First Grading Period
12 Elementary Parent Teacher Conferences, e-Learning Day for students
15 Report Card Available in Harmony
29,30 Fall Break No School
Harmony Parent Portal LINK: https://sis.union.k12.in.us/familyaccess.nsf/hello.xsp
With our current situation, please be reminded all dates, events, and information is subject to change. We appreciate you working together with us by checking your email regularly and reaching out to us with questions and concerns. Our partnership will remain strong for our children and community!
UTSC Job Opportunities:
- Substitute Teacher-Application on our district website. High School diploma required.
- Bus Aide- Interested applicants should email Superintendent John Hunter at jhunter@union.k12.in.us
- UTSC Groundskeeper- Interested applicants should email Superintendent John Hunter at jhunter@union.k12.in.us
- UTSC Kitchen- Interested applicants should email Superintendent John Hunter at jhunter@union.k12.in.us
- UTSC Technology- Interested applicants should email Superintendent John Hunter at jhunter@union.k12.in.us
- Special Education Classroom Aide at UCE (9:00-3:30)- Interested applicants should email Chrissy Giraud at cgiraud@pces.k12.in.us
You are always welcome at JSE!
Please let us know how we can strengthen our partnership with you!
Feel free to contact me anytime! Very Sincerely, Mrs. Barnes
Leigh Barnes, Principal ext 3001
Barb Rittel, Secretary ext 3000
Lisa Morton, Home School Advisor ext 3003
Kathy Maniszko, School Nurse ext 3002
Email: lbarnes@union.k12.in.us
Website: http://jsimatovich.union.k12.in.us/
Location: 424 West 500 North, Valparaiso, IN, United States
Phone: (219)759-2508
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/JSEPTO/
Twitter: @JSimatovichElem
Archived:
Cafeteria Updates:
Cafeteria Extras, Snacks, and Ice-Cream: Below is information from the cafeteria. We will begin serving extras, snacks, and ice-cream as a choice for students on Monday, 9/14. Students may send in money at anytime to the cafeteria to be added to their account. If you do not want your child to purchase anything extra including snacks and ice-cream, please let our cafeteria manager, Sandra Denison know at sdenison@union.k12.in.us.
Breakfast: Just a reminder, we serve breakfast every morning from 8:30-8:50AM. If your family qualified for free and reduced lunch, the same guidelines apply for our breakfast, and your child can get a free or reduced breakfast each day. We also allow students to take whatever dry breakfast item they don't finish to their classrooms in a ziplock bag for a snack. The Free and Reduced Lunch/Breakfast application can be found on our website.
Library and Specials Update:
Library and Specials Update: As planned in our re-entry plan, our students have mastered our new procedures and guidelines in the classrooms and hallways and are now ready to go to specials class and as well as library. Students will have the same seating charts as their classrooms in specials class/library and the same guidelines will be in place for masks and social distancing. In specials class, students will have their own individual supplies and will not share. Students will visit the library weekly to check-out and return finished books. We will follow the Porter County Library's procedure to ensure books are safe to return to the shelves for check-out. We are excited for these opportunities for our kids, and appreciate your understanding and patience as we cautiously put additional routines in place.