The Johnson Voice

Dear Lyman T. Johnson Traditional Middle School Families,

Welcome back! As we embark on a new school year, I am filled with excitement and optimism. We have successfully adjusted to the new normal of no district-provided transportation, and I am hopeful that we will see its return soon.

I am thrilled to share that the renovations on the south side of our building are complete, including our beautiful new auditorium and media center. Along with these aesthetic improvements, we have made several operational changes to enhance our school environment. All students and staff are now familiar with our ROAR expectations in every area of the school. Wearing our ROAR badges around our necks has become an integral part of our dress code and safety plan. Additionally, our ROAR schoolwide incentive program allows students to earn ROAR points, which can be redeemed for preferred items or activities.

Academically, we are on an upward climb in ELA and Math. We are committed to continuing this progress by setting high expectations in the classroom and supporting these goals with weekly ROAR Time interventions. Our EXPLORE program is also expanding rapidly. We are excited to add a new pathway focused on agriculture to our existing Business Communications and Design/Modeling pathways.

One of the most exciting developments this year is the addition of new staff members, particularly those dedicated to improving the sense of belonging for our Multi-language learners. Recognizing and meeting the needs of our diverse student body is crucial, and we are committed to ensuring every student feels valued and supported.

I look forward to partnering with every family this year to support our young Jags in all areas: academic, social, and emotional. I hope you enjoyed the Fall Break and look forward to seeing you soon.

Warm regards,

Dr. Branch

Principal, Lyman T. Johnson Traditional Middle School

I am excited to introduce and support our new Expeditionary Learning (EL) and Illustrative Math (IM) curriculum.

Click this link for more information

Journey to Success is a developmental framework that defines Jefferson County Public Schools’ (JCPS) shift to transformational, student-driven learning. Created to empower students to explore their interests, showcase their learning, and develop the skills they need to thrive, Journey to Success builds upon the JCPS Backpack of Success Skills, which launched in 2018.

Click for more information.

This is the first year of implementation of EXPLORE at LJTMS. The EXPLORE model provides a clear focus for learning and engagement as well as short- and long-term goals to build confidence. Currently, we are providing courses in Engineering/Design and Business/Communications.

Explore is continuing to roll out and giving our Johnson Jaguars new opportunities to grow in leadership, character, and knowledge. In September, our EXPLORE Ambassadors attended a leadership conference where they rotated through different sessions to enhance their leadership skills.

Kentel Binford, lead Ambassador auditioned and was chosen to be part of the Kentucky All-state choir. What an honor! We are cheering him on as he represents LJTMS. ROARJagsROAR!

We are proud of our young Jags for follwoing our schoolwide expectations while we uphold the tenets of the traditional program: Character, Integrity, Dignity, and High Achievement. To that end, we want to ensure that families and the community know our that our students are Respectful, Orangized, Accountable, Resilient. These are our ROAR expectations that we follow in all areas of the school building. Connected below are several policies that support our tenets and positively impact our students.

A school wide incentive program that allows students to earn points that they can redeem for perferred items or activities. Our first school wide incentive day will be on October 25th. We appreciate parents reminding their student that their ROAR badge is part of our school dress code and must be worn daily to enhance our safety efforts.

This is a reminder that the grading period ends on Wednesday, October 16th. Please remind and encourage your student to gather any late, missing, and/or make up assignments and turn them in ASAP.

• Unity Day (October 18) - students may show unity by wearing an orange shirt and uniform pants to support the anti-bullying campaign created by the Indiana Pacers basketball team.
• Spirit Week [Red Ribbon Week] ( October 28 - November 1) - students will participate in spirit week activities as follows:
• October 28 - My Future is Bright Day- wear favorite sunglasses (with uniform)
• October 29 - We are on the best Team against Drugs Day - wear favorit sports team shirt (with uniform pants)
• October 30 - Sock it to Drugs Day - wear crazy socks - IT'S PICTURE DAY!
• October 31 - Book Character Day - dress like your favorite book or movie character ($5) (otherwise wear uniform)
• November 1 - Hats off to being Drug Free Day - wear your favorite hat (with uniform) - It's Picture Day!
• Door Decorating Contest - Say No To Drugs (during Roar Time beginning October 28). Judging on November 1; Pizza Party for winners (One per grade level)

Congratulations to our volleyball team for a great season. Although we didn't make it as far in the post season as we would have liked, we showed great progress. Good luck to our 8th graders as they continue on in high school.

Varsity Football iVarsity football will finish up the regular season this Wednesday against the Barrett Hilltoppers. The team is sitting at the top of the city right now undefeated and only giving up 6 total points this season. Coach Southers and his Jaguars are looking forward to making a long run in the post season and finish on top.. Come out and support because these student-athletes are a joy to watch!

JV Football is following in the footsteps of their varsity brothers. They are full of energy on and off the field and deserve the same support. Playoffs are coming. Click HERE to see their bracket.

LJTMS Athletics and Activities is excited to announce Archery as a sport for the 24-25 school year! Archery is a huge sport among kids of all ages, offers a variety of potential college scholarship opportunity and is gaining huge popularity overall. Don't forget to support them this winter.

LJTMS is gearing up and we are excited about our upcoming basketball season. We have a brand new coaching staff and are excited about what is on the horizon for our fighting Jaguars. Please come out and support your young Jags this Winter!

We are excited to share that the first phase of our much needed $25 million facelift (renovation project) is completed. The south side of our builiding received new lighting and HVAC. Also, we have upgraded our auditorium with new seats, a fresh coat of paint and the curtains are on the way. Some classrooms have received new storage, flooring, and paint while others have received items like white and bulletin boards. Our new media center (library) also received all new flooring and shelving along with some new books and furniture. The front entrance is more secure for students and staff and the front office has been totally remodeled. Thankfully everyone has been flexible as we worked through this phase of improvements to our physical space and building culture. Please continue to afford us a little more grace when you visit, particularly on the north side of the building and let us know if you see something that is out of place. The expected completion date is Fall 2025.

The LJTMS Scholastic Book Fair is in our Library Media Center for two weeks. Students can stop by for more information and to buy books Oct 14 - Oct 25.

Band, Orchestra and Choir will have their concerts this week.

Students will participate in spirit week activities as listed in the counseling corner section.

Picture Day is coming to LJTMS! Lifetouch School Photography, known for capturing school pictures from K-12 nationwide, will take our school photos again this year. Log in to mylifetouch.com and use your Picture day ID: EVT6NHPWK. Order before 4 PM EST on Picture Day to get FREE shipping. Your child can also bring their completed flyer with cash or check on Picture Day. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to have your photo taken for the yearbook and to share with family and friends. We look forward to seeing all your bright smiles!