JCS Community Newsletter (October)

This newsletter will be distributed on the Friday following the monthly Board of Education meeting. If you have suggestions for content in this newsletter, please send them to Collin Brooks at BrooksB@jcschools.org.

As we continue to navigate these challenging times, I am constantly reminded of the strength, resilience, and compassion that define our Northeast Tennessee community. We have been in contact with all of the First Region school districts on an ongoing basis since last Friday. We are actively working with them to help meet their needs. As additional needs arise, we will share them with our community to ensure that support continues as long as needed. Thank you for your unwavering dedication and for always being there for one another. If there is anything we can do to support you, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Below you will find a memo that shares needs and donation/distribution sites for our neighboring school districts.

As we continue the ongoing recovery efforts from the devastating storms and flooding we want to make sure that we are meeting the needs of any family who might need assistance. Please fill out the JCS Family Needs Survey and someone will be in contact.

October Celebration Days 2024

• School Custodian Appreciation Day - October 2
• National Taco Day - October 4
• Manufacturing Day - October 4
• National Coaches Appreciation Day (Also Instructional Coaches) - October 6
• Fire Prevention Week - October 6 -12
• Columbus Day - October 14
• National Boss' Day - October 16
• Digital Citizenship Week - October 14 - 18
• National School Bus Safety Week - October 21 - 25
• National Red Ribbon Week - October 23 - 31
• National First Responders Day - October 28
• National Principal Month
• National Book Month
• Down Syndrome Awareness Month

Upcoming Performance Dates & other events

October 17 – Orchestra Halloween Concert at 7 PM

October 18 – Drama Improv in Studio 535 at 7 PM

October 26 - Science Hill Trick or Treat

October 28 - Nov. 1 - Attendance Matters Spirit Week

Calendars

• Printable Calendars for 2024-2025
• Staff Holiday Schedule for 2024-2025
  

The school with the highest attendance average for the week of October 28th will win THE CUP! The winning school will be announced on November 4, 2024. Last year, Towne Acres took home first place. Will they win again!? We will see. We look forward to this week of fun! Download the flyer below.

Due to the ongoing relief efforts, the Washington County Health Department has postponed the influenza vaccines. As soon as we know the new dates, we will share them with our staff and families.

Wild to Mild Information Sheet from Health Department

Consent Form

All ParentSquare questions should go to Collin Brooks at BrooksB@jcschools.org.

Parents can change their notification settings and preferred language. Parents can select to receive instant notifications or select to receive a digest, which is a single email for the day around 6 pm each night.

Each district's TISA accountability report is required to be presented to the public for review and comment before the report is submitted to the department. The report must be submitted annually to the department by November 1st.

Submit feedback on our TISA Feedback for Johnson City Schools form, or visit our TISA Accountability web page at your convenience.

The next Johnson City Board of Education meeting will be held on Monday, November 4 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.

Congratulations to the following students who were named National Merit Semifinalist. They include

• Shreeyan Papireddy
• Caleb Spurling
• Samantha Wilder
• Ryan Zheng

Congratulations to the following students for having Academic Honors by the College Board National Recognition Program. The students include

• Joshua Aninyei, National African American Recognition Program
• Gianna Becerra, National First-Generation Recognition Program
• Christian Lehman, National Hispanic Recognition Program
• Christian Zarate, National First-Generation Recognition and National Hispanic Recognition programs

Visit the Johnson City Parks and Recreation website here

Johnson City Parks and Recreation Calendar

Youth Basketball League

Girls and Boys ages 3-16 | Registration ends October 18 (late fee added after this date)

$35/city resident

Pokemon Go Community Day

Saturday, October 5 from 2-5pm | Free

Willow Springs Park, 1201 Huffine Road

Participants can compete in a costume contest for a chance to win a Pokémon Elite Trainer Box, join gym battles to earn badges, and get rewards!

Super Spooky Saturday

Saturday, October 26 from 4-7pm | Free (Haunted Hallways - $2/person)

Freedom Hall, 1320 Pactolas Road (Parking in Lot A and B)

Join us for the annual Super Spooky Saturday! The event this year will include a Treat Trail, Creepy Carnival Games, Haunted Hallways presented by Johnson City Community Theater, face painting, pumpkin patch, costume contest presented by ETSU-Con, Appalachian Knockerball and more!

Carver Annual Halloween Festival

Thursday, October 31 from 6-8pm | Free for kids in costume or $1 without costume

Carver Recreation Center, 322 W. Watauga Avenue

Costume contest, Adult Bingo, Games, Basketball Hot Shot, Football Toss, Cake Walk and more!

Visit the Johnson City Public Library's website here.

Johnson City Public Library Calendar

Do you have an aspiring artist in your family? In Art Explorers, our new monthly program for ages 8-12, kids get to explore art history through hands-on creative projects.

In each session, kids learn about a different famous artist from history. They discover the most important and fun facts about the artist and the iconic style they used. Then kids get to try out the featured artistic style for themselves.

In September, we learned about the French impressionist painter Claude Monet and created our very own watercolor lily pads.

Art Explorers meets next on Friday, Oct. 11 at 4 p.m. in the Library’s Jones Meeting Center. We’ll learn about Frida Kahlo, the Mexican painter known for her folk art and magical realist self portraits. To get a sense of her style, kiddos will make sugar skull designs on pictures of their own faces. Registration is required; click here to sign up.

On Friday, Nov. 15 at 4 p.m., kids will discover the Italian artist Michelangelo and his breathtaking paintings in the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo is famous in part for his ability to paint over his head while laying down, so we’ll lay under tables to paint our masterpieces.

Library Assistant Mirissa Walters leads the program. She says, “My hope is that in creating something they can take with them, kids will retain and appreciate what they’ve learned about the artists and their works.”

Registration is required for Art Explorers. You can sign up here for Friday, Oct. 11. Registration for the session on Friday, Nov. 15 opens on October 11.

The Johnson City Schools' Communication Department is looking for suggestions for features stories to share with our community. This could be anything you think parents, students or the public want or need to know about can be good features. We're talking student achievements, teachers doing cool things in their classrooms, school programs or offerings that could benefit from a little awareness, clubs... Anything. If there's a visual component – something or someone I could photograph to go along with it – it will be even more engaging. I'd love to hear your ideas!

Please reach out to Nathan Baker or Collin Brooks with your suggestions.