JSE Tracks
August 23rd Principal's Newsletter
JSE Monthly Attributes:
Characteristic of a Successful Learner (CSL): Strive for Personal Best
Bucket-Filling Trait: Respect
We LOVE JSE!
Greetings, JSE Families,
We started off the week with an annual Princess Peach Pep Talk on the news! Yes, Peach is at it again, wishing our JSE kids a fantastic year of learning. If you are new to JSE and haven't heard about Peach before, I am sure you have by now:) Also on the news, we have started discussing our JSE Monthly Attributes. This month we Strive for Personal Best and show Respect to each other. Students modeling these attributes will be recognized through out the month.
Other exciting firsts of the school year: Our students were thrilled to visit the JSE media and check-out their first books of the school year. We strive for students to choose high interest, challenging reading material. Mrs. Kegebein, our Media Aide does an excellent job of getting to know student interests and purchasing books accordingly. Please feel free to e-mail her if you are looking for a specific topic or book. Thank you for building reading time into your nightly routine! READ for 20!
This week in Thursday Folders, please view your child's NWEA MAP score report information. This information provides us another view of your child's academic progress as well as provides our teachers information to guide their instruction. Please see the information below for more information on NWEA.
PTO has also added to this week's Thursday Folder, please look for PTO Fundraiser Information, also explained below! Thank you in advance for your support!
Always a great day to be a Lil' Bearcat!
Mrs. Barnes
Principal
NWEA: MAP Growth Assessment Information
Your child(ren) have participated or will soon be participating in our fall benchmark assessments for math and reading skills that we utilize to determine strengths and weaknesses in students’ academic levels. We utilize the assessment tool: NWEA Map Growth, for Reading and Math. NWEA mirrors the assessment platform that a teacher and student experiences during the ILEARN (grades 3-5) testing in the spring. We look forward to reviewing student assessment reports that will assist in developing individual goals for each of our students to perform their very best.
NWEA is given to students as a beginning, middle, and end of the year benchmark assessment. Our first testing window is occurring this week. Exact dates and times will vary depending on your child(ren) specific grade.
You will receive your child's report information in Thursday's Folder. Please review the information and call your child's teacher should you have any questions or concerns.
The following provides a link to parent resources with detailed information about the Map Growth Assessment and will support answering your questions. I encourage you to access this site.
Important Safety Announcement from our Porter County Prosecutor's Office
PTO News
- PTO Events: Stay tuned for more chances to purchase spirit wear!
- Thursday: Coupon Book Fundraiser Begins, see the below FLYER.
- Join our facebook page and let us know if you are interested in joining our meetings and looking for ways to get involved in our school! Please reach out to us through our facebook page or our PTO email.
- PTO Meetings usually occur the first Tuesday of each month at 6PM. Please consider attending the meetings this year, every JSE parent is welcome and encouraged to attend!
Important Dates:
August 27-8 Coupon Book Fundraiser
September 6 Labor Day No-School
September 8 Coupon Book Fundraiser
September 17 Game Truck here for Coupon Book Fundraiser
September 15 Fall Pictures
October 11 Student E-Learning Day and Elementary Parent Teacher Conferences
October 12-22 PTO Candy Wars
October 27 Spooktacular Trick or Treat at JSE PTO Event
October 28-29 Fall Break No School
November 5 No School UTSC Teacher In-Service Day
November 11 Veterans Day
November 24-26 Thanksgiving Break
Harmony Parent Portal LINK: https://sis.union.k12.in.us/familyaccess.nsf/hello.xsp
REPEAT from previous Newsletters:
First Days of School Quick Reminders:
Send a refillable water bottle. Please provide your child with a water bottle. We have installed brand new touchless water bottle refilling stations in place of our drinking fountains.
Classroom Snacks and Birthday Treats: If you choose to send your child with a daily snack as your child's teacher may request, please send it in an individual small sealed ziplock or snack size bag of an item such as pretzels. All birthday treats must be individually pre-packaged from the store and we must have the nutrition label. Examples of acceptable birthday treats are any mini bag or single serving size of a packaged treat. Store bought cupcakes are not acceptable. We must be able to easily pass out an item in a sealed package.
Changes in Transportation: Please send your child with a note if you have any changes to your typical dismissal routine.
Afternoon Car Riders: Please make sure you have your car window sign in the window of your car for dismissal. We will provide you one for the remainder of the year, if you need additional signs please let us know.
Breakfast: We encourage your kids to eat breakfast. It is free this year and often times if they do not finish an item they may take it to their classroom for a snack later.
Arrival and Dismissal: Thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation. With new arrival and dismissal procedures, our schedules will run slower to ensure student and staff safety in developing these routines. Please remember our arrival begins at 8:30AM with the final bell at 8:50AM and our dismissal begins at 3:20PM for car riders and 3:30 with buses.
Daily Schedule returns
8:40AM First Bell
8:50AM Tardy Bell and School Begins
Lunch Schedule below *Lunch is free this year also
3:20 Car Rides and Walkers/Bike Riders *see car rider directions below
3:25 Bus Dismissal
**Masks are optional during the school day and required on the bus.
Our JSE Cafe: UPDATE Breakfast and Lunch Free for ALL again for the 21-22 school year!
Breakfast/Lunch will be FREE again this year through the state. HOWEVER, the Free and Reduced Application will still need to be completed online through your Harmony Family Portal Account or picked up in the office anytime in order to qualify for free or reduced book rental fees. Applications need to be completed each year. Families who applied and qualified last year will need to reapply at the start of school. If you would like us to send a copy home with your child during the first week of school please call the main office.
Mealtime: You may find information at this LINK to create an account or add your child to your mealtime account. You may also always send money in with your child to be added to your child's account. Please make sure the money is in an envelope marked with your child's name and indicate lunch money (this would be for snacks/ice-cream as the lunch is free). Our kitchen manager will get all Kindergarten and new student families their lunch account information the first week of school, should you choose to create a mealtime account, this will be needed information.
Ice Cream and Snacks: These will be available to students starting the week of August 23rd.
Lunch Schedule
11:00 1st Grade Lunch
11:25 Kindergarten Lunch
11:55 3rd Grade Lunch
12:20 2nd Grade Lunch
12:45 4th Grade Lunch
1:10 5th Grade Lunch
Lunch Visitors: To start the school year, we will not be allowing visitors during our lunch periods. Thank you again, for understanding the changes in place to support our safety measures this school year.
YOUTH Basketball League Announcement and Alert
Check out our UTSC Website
Our school's website has registration, daily schedules, lunch information, and other important information for you! Consider adding the UTSC website app to your phone!
Kidstop Program: Before and After-School Care at JSE:
Information will be shared in early August, before school begins.
JOIN our UTSC Team: Employment Opportunities
Want to work at Union Township Schools? If so, please take a look at the below postings or click the UTSC Corporation website HERE:
- Building Aide-Interested applicants should email Leigh Barnes at lbarnes@union.k12.in.us
- Bus Aide/Bus Substitute Driver- Interested applicants should email Superintendent John Hunter at jhunter@union.k12.in.us
- JSE Substitute Custodian/Substitute Kitchen Dishwasher- Interested applicants should email Leigh Barnes at lbarnes@union.k12.in.us
You are always welcome at JSE!
Please let us know how we can strengthen our partnership with you!
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