JCS Community Newsletter (January)

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.

January

• Law Enforcement Appreciation Day - January 9
• The Great Kindness Challenge Week - January 27 - 31
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - Holiday for students and staff (January 20)
  
• School Board Appreciation Month (January 26 - February 1)
• Thank You Month

February

• Groundhog Day - February 2 (falls on a Sunday)
• National School Counseling Week - February 3 - 7
• Valentine's Day - February 14
• Make-Up Snow Day - February 17
  
• National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day - February 15 (falls on a Sunday)
• Black History Month
• Career & Technical Education Month
• National Arts Month
• Dental Health Month

Calendars

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

The colder months are here, but school attendance is still as important as ever! Learning builds day by day, and every day counts. So, bundle up in those cozy coats, hats, and gloves, and make your way to school. Together, we can ensure every student stays on track to succeed.

The next Johnson City Board of Education meeting will be held on Monday, January 6 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.

Each year, one of our students designs the Holiday Card for our school system. This season, the artwork was designed by Chunru Hu, a Fourth Grade student at Towne Acres School. Chunru Hu, will you come to the front to be recognized. Thank you for beautiful artwork.

Towards the end of last semester, schools selected their Teachers of the Year that will represent for 2025-2026. Congratulations to the following winners Sharon Wiggins (Cherokee), Chloe Barnett (Fairmont), Kami Preston (Lake Ridge), Jessica Cicero (Mountain View), Terra Misener (North Side), Justine Wright (South Side), George Hyden (Woodland), Heidi Kane (Indian Trail), Lisa Raper (Indian Trail), Courtney Egbert (Liberty Bell), Helen Martin (Liberty Bell), Kelli Pratt (Liberty Bell), Elizabeth Bennett (Science Hill), Victor Burk (Science Hill), Dr. Brad Gentry (Science Hill), Gant Patteson (Science Hill), and Suzanne Reaves (Science Hill).

Congratulations to our District-Level Teachers of the Year! Ben Davenport (Science Hill), Brandie Sanchez (Indian Trail) and Karen Bunch (Towne Acres).

We have three schools in our system that were awarded a $5,000 TVA STEM Grant: Mountain View, North Side, and South Side

Cherokee was selected as an ESEA Distinguished School for 2024! Congratulations to Cherokee!

Reward Schools are schools that demonstrate high levels of performance or improvement in performance by meeting objectives across performance indicators and student groups. For the 2023-2024 school year, we would like to recognize the schools that earned Reward School status. Those schools are: Lake Ridge Elementary School, North Side Elementary School, South Side Elementary School, Towne Acres Elementary School, and Woodland Elementary School.

We also recognized the five schools in our system that earned the TVAAS Level 5 School Distinction for the 2023-2024 SY. The students at these schools have made great progress in their academics. The schools are Lake Ridge Elementary School, North Side Elementary School, South Side Elementary School, Woodland Elementary School, and Science Hill High School.

Additionally, for the fourth consecutive year, Johnson City Schools earned a Level 5 in TVAAS as well.

Johnson City Schools Superintendent Dr. Steve Barnett was honored by the Johnson City Board of Education during their meeting on Monday, January 6. Dr. Barnett is retiring and his last day is Friday, January 31, 2025.

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. We would love to hear your ideas!

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

Johnson City’s Cherokee Elementary School earned national recognition in 2024, as it was named one of only two National ESEA Distinguished schools in Tennessee. The distinction is awarded to up to two federally funded schools in each state selected by the state’s education agency for exceptional student achievement.

Read more

The Tennessee Department of Education released their second round of letter grades for schools on Thursday. Johnson City School’s had another strong showing with Science Hill High School receiving the highest grade, A, as did South Side Elementary, North Side Elementary, Lake Ridge Elementary and Woodland Elementary. The schools that received B’s include Towne Acres Elementary, Liberty Bell Middle School and Indian Trail Middle School. While Cherokee, Fairmont and Mountain View all received a C.

Read more

A video game arcade might be the last thing students expect to see in an elementary school library, but that’s exactly what Lake Ridge third and fifth graders found among the stacks this week.

To teach his STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) classes about electrical currents and computer circuits, Ryan Glenn used classroom invention kits to help students design video game controllers and then set up an arcade with the student-designed controllers attached to laptops. Students played games like Tetris and Flappy Dragon and competed for gradewide high scores.

Read more

Visit the Johnson City Parks and Recreation website here

Johnson City Parks and Recreation Calendar

Are you a girl in grade 3-6 looking to learn more about coding websites, apps and robotics? Join the club! Meet-ups occur every 3rd Saturday each month. To register, visit clubs-hq.girlswhocode.com and use club code TN59229.

Looking for a place to game, compete, and connect? Join us for Open Esports Lab every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! Whether you're a casual player or an aspiring esports pro, our state-of-the-art Esports Lab has something for everyone. Play your favorite games, try out new titles, or simply hang out with fellow gaming enthusiasts in a fun, welcoming environment.

Join us for a fun-filled workout designed just for kids! Through dynamic, bodyweight exercises and playful activities, we’ll focus on building strength, coordination, and confidence.

Kids will stay active and energized while learning new ways to move—no equipment needed! Suitable for all fitness levels, Kids Power Hour is a great way to keep your kids healthy and active.

Please have your child wear comfortable clothes and athletic shoes for safe movement. Register here: https://loom.ly/Qcqfb4Q

Tickets are on sale now for the 2025 Over the Rainbow Daddy Daughter Dance! We are offering two time options this year: 2-4pm and 6-8pm on Saturday, February 8. To purchase tickets, click the following link to access the calendar of programs/events, and navigate to 2/8 on the calendar. https://loom.ly/lww7RsA

Visit the Johnson City Public Library's website here.

Johnson City Public Library Calendar

We're all mad here—mad about tea parties! Kids of all ages and their families can put on their Wonderland best and fall down the rabbit hole on Sunday, Jan. 19.

Choose your tea time: 1 p.m. or 4 p.m., and enjoy a delightful spread of tea and cookies!

Registration is required. To register, click the link below.

1 pm - Registration

4 pm - Registration