Johnson Jungle
Art, Guidance, Library, Music, P.E., & Spanish

Welcome to Johnson's newsletter for specialty courses and programs!
Jennifer Flynn (Visual Art), Whitney McKay (Guidance Counseling), Marie Zimmerman (Library), Alyssa Vanderpool (Music), Nick Behymer (Physical Education), Julie Dashley (Spanish)
This newsletter is grouped first by grade level,
and then you will find school-wide information listed at the end. Enjoy!
Kindergarten

What's your name?
Hola! En kindergarten practicamos decir "Hola, me llamo ___" y "Me gusta__." Por ejemplo, Me llamo Señora Dashley y me gusta español . Vamos a empezar con sentimientos y también números para contar nuestros puntos en la clase.
Hi! In kindergarten, we are learning how to say "Hi, my name is __" and "I like __." For example, My name is Mrs. Dashley and I like Spanish. We will begin learning feeling words and also numbers so that we can count our class points.
Julie Dashley
K-5 Spanish Educator
First Music Word: Dynamics
Kindergarteners are having a blast learning how to keep the beat while learning their colors and the days of the week. This past week we have started learn our first music word, dynamics, which is the how loud and soft can be. We practiced this skill with a song titled Grizzly Bear. We also learned our 4 voices – Whisper, Talk, Sing and Shout.
Alyssa Vanderpool
K-5 Music Educator

Make a mark-- See where it takes you!
Jennifer Flynn
K-5 Visual Art Educator
1st Grade

Author Study
1st grade has been doing a mini author study on Mo Willems! We read That is Not a Good Idea! and used PebbleGo to learn more about the author. Students are preparing for their Then and Now research project.
Marie Zimmerman
Library Media Specialist
What's the tempo?
First Grade has been studying the music element tempo. We learned a song called Engine Engine and became trains that move at different speeds. We also played a game called Statues where the students have to move to the beat of the drum. This week we started creating our tempo brochures to demonstrate our understanding of the different speeds. In the next couple weeks we will have our first listening assessment.
Alyssa Vanderpool
K-5 Music Educator
2nd Grade

Doodle Dance!
These students will all be learning the DOODLE DANCE next week in guidance with Mrs. McKay! In guidance this month we are focusing on SKILLS for LEARNING. In 2nd grade, students will learn to listen more carefully, focus their attention and manage their energy so they can be master learners!! They will also learn the “doodle dance,” so they can control their wiggles.
Whitney McKay
Guidance Counselor

Hay orugas y mariposa monarcas en el jardín de JES
There are caterpillars and monarch butterflies in our school garden!
Since monarchs migrate to Mexico in the winter, our second graders participate in a symbolic migration where we send paper butterflies to the schools surrounding the Mexican Monarch sanctuaries. In May we receive butterflies back along with letters from the students that kept our butterflies "safe and warm during the long norther winter" (Journey North). Since participating in the project, we have wanted to create a butterfly garden. Two years ago, fourth graders built raised beds for gardens. Last year, fourth graders built the fence around the garden and we planted milkweed and other butterfly plants and now we have monarch caterpillars and butterflies that will fly to Mexico when it starts getting cold!
Julie Dashley
K-5 Spanish Educator

Music Literacy
Second Grade completed our first song analysis to Get Me To The Beat. This is where we study the form and symbols of a song to work on our music literacy skills. In addition, we learned the choreography to our song. The video has been posted to their Schoology account so they can show you at home anytime. We have been working at getting everyone logged in to their schoology accounts. Please contact me if you are having any issues logging on- I'm happy to help.
Alyssa Vanderpool
K-5 Music Educator
3rd Grade

4th Grade

Gesture Drawings
Jennifer Flynn
Visual Art Educator

5th Grade

Cooperation
So far this school year 5th grade has been participating in cooperative games and activities. Cooperative activities are an integral component of quality physical education. Physical education is a unique discipline. Unlike other classes, the students are expected to move rigorously, work often in pairs and groups, and improve their physical skills and fitness levels. To accomplish these goals, students must learn to trust one another, communicate effectively, develop positive relationships, and work together to solve problems and achieve common goals.
Nick Behymer
Physical Education

Veterans Day
Fifth grade just finished presenting their introduction speeches. We are now brainstorming and working on designing and implementing the Veterans Day Assembly on November 11, 2017. This is a new music PBL for this year. I am excited to see what the students create to honor and share the stories of our Veterans!
Alyssa Vanderpool
K-5 Music Educator
School-Wide Information

Don't forget about High-Five Fridays!


Johnson is Caring
Whitney McKay
Guidance Counselor
W.A.T.C.H. Dogs
Our Watch DOGS Pizza Night will be held on Thursday September 14, 2017 in the Johnson cafeteria!! All fathers and father figures are welcome to come, eat pizza with their special Johnson students and hear about how they can volunteer to help this year at Johnson!!!
WATCH D.O.G.S.® is an innovative program being used by schools across America to help students thrive and grow. Watch D.O.G.S. asks fathers and father figures to take off one day of work a year in order to make a difference in the lives of children. Research shows that a male presence in schools reduces bullying and improves academic outcomes for students. Our volunteers participate in classroom activities, ensure safety on Johnson's campus, participate in recess and lunch monitoring, and maintain a strong, positive presence for students. This is an active, successful program at Johnson, and we appreciate your support!
"She Became"

"She Became"
Coming to Johnson in September is a new after school club JUST FOR GIRLS!
Is your girl a natural leader? Does she want to run the world one day? Well come meet up with other girls just like her! She Became is a district-wide club for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade girls that works on developing leadership skills by exposing girls to AMAZING, powerful female leaders in a variety of fields. Meeting twice a month over the course of the school year, girls in this club will meet with authors, government leaders, CEOs, business owners, radio personalities and more and learn just what it takes to make their dreams come true. Please contact Whitney McKay at whitney.mckay@fortthomas.kyschools.us if you want more information about this program!
Big Buddies

What have we been learning about in Library?
K- Students in Kindergarten have been learning how to stay safe online. They created videos about how to stay safe online using the Chatterpix app.
1- 1st grade has been doing a mini author study on Mo Willems! We read That is Not a Good Idea! and used PebbleGo to learn more about the author. Students are preparing for their Then and Now research project.
2- 2nd grade has been learning about online safety. They learned what a digital footprint is and what information is safe to share online. Now students are setting up their email account and learning how to send respectful messages through email and Schoology.
3- 3rd grade students are learning about text features to help them research using print and online sources. We have also learned how to use KYVL.
4- 4th grade students have been learning how to cite their print and online sources.
5- 5th grade students are re-designing the old technology lab to be an Innovation Lab where students can collaborate and create. They’ll be creating a pitch to submit to our PTO!
Library Reminders
Students in Kindergarten-2nd grade are allowed to check out one book at a time.
Students 3rd-5th grade are allowed to check out two books at a time. Students may checkout books during their library class or outside of class with their teacher’s permission.
I will send out monthly emails from Destiny (our Library Management System) regarding overdue books. It would be a great idea to keep library books in a specific spot each night with your child’s iPad.
If you would like to see if a book has an Accelerated Reader test you can go to: http://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx

Library events!
Mark your calendars for some exciting events!
· Katherine Rundell will be visiting the 5th grade on September 27th at 9:00 A.M.! I have read her latest book, The Explorer, and it is a page turner!
Katherine Rundell is the author of Rooftoppers, Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms, and The Wolf Wilder. She grew up in Zimbabwe, Brussels, and London, and is currently a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. She begins each day with a cartwheel and believes that reading is almost exactly the same as cartwheeling: it turns the world upside down and leaves you breathless. In her spare time, she enjoys walking on tightropes and trespassing on the rooftops of Oxford colleges.
She is touring for her new book, The Explorer, which is the story of Fred, Con, Lila, and Max. On their way back to England from Manaus, their plane crashes and the pilot dies upon landing. For days they survive alone, until Fred finds a map that leads them to a ruined city, and to a secret.
Digital Citizenship
Marie Zimmerman
K-5 Library Media Specialist


Online Art Exhibits
Students will be adding to their digital portfolios on Artsonia. Parents - you can easily add relatives' email addresses into your child's account, and then they will be notified when new artwork is posted for viewing. It's a great way to share students' creativity with family members that live far away! (Their account keeps artwork from year to year, allowing you to see their visual art skills develop over time.) Visit Johnson's Gallery to see all of our amazing artworks.
Community Connections

Check out all the cool events going on at the Campbell County Public Library
Learn MORE up-to-date, information about all of our programs on our new website. Read blog posts, see pictures, and view resource information for every grade!