We will distribute this newsletter on the Wednesday following the monthly Board of Education meeting. This newsletter will have information from District Departments and other helpful tips. If you have suggestions for content in this newsletter, please send them to Collin Brooks at BrooksB@jcschools.org.

Drawing by Liberty Bell 8th-grade student Caroline Ning.

With the holiday season upon us, I wanted to take a moment to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each member of our incredible faculty and staff. Your dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment to our students are the foundation of our school community. Despite the various situations we all face each year, you continue to keep what is best for all students as our top priority. I hope this holiday season brings you moments of joy, relaxation, and connection with loved ones.

As we recharge for the coming spring semester, let’s appreciate these moments and return with renewed vigor to continue shaping bright futures for our students. Thank you for your tireless efforts and warmest wishes for a restful holiday season!

Yours Truly,

Steve Barnett, Ed. D.

December 2023

• Learn a Foreign Language Month
• Special Education Day - December 2
• International Day of People with Disabilities - December 3
• Computer Science Education Week - December 4
• International Volunteer Day - December 5

January 2024

• School Board Appreciation Month
• Law Enforcement Appreciation Day - January 9
• National Popcorn Day - January 19
• Great Kindness Week - January 22 - 26

Fine Arts Calendar

BAND:

December 14 – Liberty Bell Band Winter Concert 7 pm

December 15 - SH Band Winter Concert 7 pm

CHOIR:

December 8 - Liberty Bell Chorus concert at Science Hill 7 pm

Calendars

• Click here to view Printable Calendars 2023-2024 & 2024-2025
• Click here to view the Staff Holiday Schedule for the 2023-2024 School Year.
  

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to you as a member of the Science Hill Softball Booster Club Board with an exciting opportunity for your faculty and staff.

We are thrilled to announce our upcoming event, the Science Hill Softball Booster Club's December Parents Night Out Fundraiser! It's an evening designed to provide parents with a well-deserved break while supporting our softball program. We are offering the event to JC staff only to include their children or grandchildren. Here is a google link so that staff members can register each child/grandchild they plan to bring. Space is limited, so please lease register your student by December 13.

This event promises a fun-filled night for parents/grandparents, offering an opportunity for them to relax while contributing to our fundraising initiatives in fostering our athletes' growth and development.

Thank you very much for considering this request. Should you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Warm regards,

Heather B. Conner

connerh@jcschools.org

Science Hill Softball Booster Club Board Member

Johnson City Schools is hiring Educare assistants, custodians, and instructional assistants. Current job postings can be viewed at www.jcschools.org/jobs.

Johnson City Transit is in need of bus drivers. Please visit this page for more information about open Bus Driver positions.

As we mentioned in our October newsletter, Johnson City Schools is working with Centegix to install and implement the CrisisAlert buttons for all staff members in all of our schools. We are currently holding weekly meetings with the company and we are hopeful to have this online by spring break. As we develop our plan for these badges, we will notify staff and provide the proper training. Each staff member will get a badge that will help pinpoint their location while on school grounds through geolocation when the button is activated.

More information about the vendor and the CrisisAlert Badges can be found here - https://www.centegix.com/crisisalert/.

JC Schools provides for full-time employees life insurance equal to the employee’s annual salary or double the employee’s annual salary after 2 years. The IRS requires that the portion of life insurance above $50,000 be treated as a taxable benefit to the employee. This was done for 2023 on the 12/5/23 paycheck. Many of you may have noticed your net pay was less than normal as a result. You can find more information on how this is calculated by reviewing the IRS’s Publication 15-B, Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits.

The end of the year is right around the corner. Please make sure if you have had an address change in the past year that you have submitted your new address to the Finance Department.

The next time you log into Skyward, you should see the option to receive a printed or electronic copy of your W-2 once it is ready in January. If you do not select a choice, the system will default to your selection from previous years. W-2s will be available by January 31, 2024.

Due to the upcoming Winter Break, the second regular paycheck for December will be paid early on December 18th. Any supplemental pays will be paid on December 19th.

2024 Medial Insurance Rate changes will take place on the 1/5/24 paycheck. 2024 Rates can be found at jcschools.org/departments/finance/insurance.

Mark III Voluntary Benefits rates stayed the same for 2024. However, all will be spread out of 24 paychecks (20 paychecks for Food Service) rather than being taken out on the first paycheck of the month for the months of September through June as they have traditionally been. For example, currently the premium for Superior Vision Employee Only Exam & Material Plan is $9.45, deducted 10 times a year. Starting in January, the deduction will change to $3.94, deducted each regular paycheck, 24 times a year. Rates can be found in the 2024 Mark III Employee Benefits Guide at jcschools.org/departments/finance/insurance.

We are currently accepting your winter professional learning sessions for registration in the Learning Stream. Complete the JCS New Training Request Form on our web page to submit details about your session. Advertising well in advance will allow more participants to attend your training. Contact me with any questions about Learning Stream or your instructor account access and tools. TLC will compensate you for district-wide sessions at the rate of $20 per training hour.

Place your die-cut orders now to receive them in a timely manner for your holiday bulletin boards. Email ordering instructions are located on our web page.

All classroom resources checked out in the first semester should be returned to TLC by December 15th. Please be sure all items are counted prior to mailing back to us.

Congratulations to the following Johnson City Schools Teachers and Administrators who recently earned tenure. These professionals have made significant, positive impacts on the students of Johnson City Schools and have contributed greatly to their success, so we want to thank them and recognize them for their commitment.

Dr. Allecia Frizzell - Central Office

Gabriel Bilicki-Roy - Cherokee
Richard Hutson - Cherokee
Matthew Brickey - Lake Ridge
Ann Ferenbach - Lake Ridge
Kathy Baker - Mountain View
Rachel Miller - Mountain View
LaDawn Hudgins - North Side
Heather Miller - North Side
Erika Patterson - North Side
Hannah Wilson - South Side
Hannah Barnett - Woodland
Dr. Kristi Presley - Woodland
Glenna Russell - Woodland
Jordan Collins - Indian Trail
Robert Grunder - Indian Trail
Stephanie Elliott - Liberty Bell
Jennifer Galloway - Liberty Bell
Elvin Iglesias - Liberty Bell
Kurt Dauksch - Science Hill
Elizabeth Davenport - Science Hill
Dr. Holly English - Science Hill
Hunter Graybeal - Science Hill
Mark Pickering - Science Hill
Amy Rigsby - Science Hill
Elizabeth Still - Science Hill
Anne Timbs - Science Hill

We recognized Towne Acres kindergarten student Alice Keaton for her outstanding performance at the September Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education STEM Competition.

We want to recognize Caroline Ning, 8th grade student from Liberty Bell Middle School for submitting the winning design for the Johnson City Schools Holiday card.The picture featured on the front of the card is above.

The next Johnson City Board of Education meeting will be held on Monday, January 8 starting at 6 p.m. inside the Board Room at Central Office (100 E. Maple Street). Board meetings can be viewed on the Johnson City Schools' YouTube channel.

The Science Hill Marching Band enjoyed a historic season as they finished with an undefeated record, winning Grand Champion at all three regional contests they entered. The band competed in the Music in The Castle Band Festival in Bristol, the Freedom High School Marching Competition in Morganton, NC and the Alcoa Marching Competition, winning multiple caption awards in music, visual, general effect, percussion, color guard and drum major.

Read more - https://www.jcschools.org/view-all-news/district-default-post-page/~board/johnson-city-schools-news/post/science-hill-marching-band-members-fondly-recall-historic-season

Johnson City Schools loves celebrating the accomplishments of our students, staff, and community. If you know of any events, awards, programs, or other compelling stories involving the Johnson City Schools' community, please fill out this form or reach out to Collin Brooks at BrooksB@jcschools.org