JOHNSON FAMILY NEWSLETTER

Dear Johnson Families,

As I reflect on November, I am thankful for the moments that made me a proud principal. To the parents and guardians who diligently check their child’s homework and are seated beside them as they complete their homework. To the volunteers who give countless hours to make Johnson a better place for students and staff. To our community members who support fund raisers, food boxes and safety presentations. To all the people in our district committed to giving their best to our Rainbow Makers every day, example: custodians, food service, bus drivers, school nurses, teacher assistants, front office, teachers, resource staff, our district leadership and members of our school board.

I would also like to give a special thank you to the parents and guardians who came by on STEAM Night! We had such an excellent night with our teacher tables and activities, as well as our telescope, Bee and community booths. The interaction was fantastic!

As the holiday season approaches, it is exciting to see the joy in the faces of our primary students! We are working hard to show growth in our academics, students are demonstrating how to be safe, respectful and responsible.

At this great time of year, make sure you put and I.O.U for a special event or activity in your child’s stocking. When I ask students about their special experience in their lives, it is not about a gift, it’s about time spent with their families.

Hopefully years from now, during the holiday season, you and your child will remember many wonderful times spent together.

Thank you for doing your best to send your child ready to learn every day!

On behalf of the Johnson Staff, have a joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

Rose Cota

Principal

I am very proud of our students here at Johnson Primary, and I am very proud to be your Counselor! I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the consistent and constant support and collaboration in our school community. I am surrounded by superstars: students, teachers, parents and all those working so diligently to support our incredible children.

I am excited to share the introduction of the Counselor's Corner, a space designed to provide our Johnson Community with valuable resources and guidance and a way to spotlight the great work being done for students in support of their social and emotional growth and well-being. Thank you to Mrs. Cota and Mrs. Madril for allowing me a place to make that happen!

This month (December) we are teaching the concept of EMPATHY. Empathy is all about connecting with others and trying to understand their feelings. Walking in someone else's shoes, looking through the eyes of others, trying to relate to another person's perspective. What a wonderful world this will be when we take the challenge of feeling for others and showing them kindness. It's a lofty goal that starts with each one of us.

Thank you for your commitment to our students, and I look forward to working together to make the Counselor's Corner a success.

Best regards,

Mr. Bateman ( Proud Johnson Counselor)

Students are recognized monthly for their TRIPLE “A”-Great ATTENDANCE, Super ATTITUDE, and Strong ACADEMICS!

Congratulations to the students who had perfect attendance in November! They played a game with the principal, earned a Perfect Attendance pencil or award tag and a Peter Piper personal pan pizza coupon. Hope to see your child at the Perfect Attendance party at the end of the month.

School counselor, Mr. Bateman, awarded Rainbow Makers who modeled Gratitude, the character trait for October. These Rainbow Makers were provided with a "Smicker" from the PTO.

Calling all parents! We invite you to our upcoming Cafecito meeting with Principal Cota on Thursday, December 12 at 9:30 in the parent portable. Join us for the Social Emotional Learning workshop! This is a fantastic opportunity to learn strategies that promote emotional growth in your children. Counselor Bateman will present activities, strategies and practices to help students become aware of their emotions, build relationships and make responsible decisions. Come and enjoy a Cafecito and pastries.

Ms. Sonia, our custodian has worked at Johnson for 28 years. The last couple of years have been the best of her career. At the start of the 23-24 school year, Ms. Sonia was joined by her grandson Jeffrey. Jeffrey loves seeing his grandmother around school and having a part of his home with him, and Ms. Sonia's favorite part is getting to see him growing up and watching him at school.

Student Council - Cards of Gratitude in honor of Veterans Day

Due to the success of Cards of Gratitude for our veterans last year, the student council decided to do it again. Our veterans deserve our gratitude for their willingness to serve our country and help protect our rights and our freedoms. Johnson Primary students showed their thankfulness by having cards available in the foyer for all classes to write a thank you message and draw a positive picture for our wonderful veterans.

Holiday Door Decorating Contest is Coming- Our holiday door decorating contest is a wonderful event in December where our classes show community by decorating their doors. It brings color, joy, and fun to our school. The themes are holiday or winter. The Student Council were in charge of informing their classes in November about the contest being open December 1st. Judging will be done by both junior student council and student council the last week of school. Classes decide their theme and how to contribute to their door decor.

Johnson Rainbow Makers experienced an opera performance, Rusalka: The Littlest Mermaid, a beautiful storyline and colorful production performed by Arizona Opera. Thank you, Mrs. Smith for coordinating this wonderful event.

Rainbow Makers enjoy STEM activities after their lunch break. Students will work on activities twice per month with Ms. Hunter from STEM Learning with Dotty's Place.

Our First Graders participated in the Flags for First Graders Program presented by the 40/8 Voyeur 73, a group affiliated with the American Legion. Students learned about the representation of our American Flag colors: White - Integrity, Red - Courage and Blue - Valor. They learned the 13 stripes represent 13 colonies and 50 stars represent our 50 states with Arizona being the third to the last star. Arizona will be 250 years old in 2026. The students were also gifted a flag.

Our Rainbow Makers wrote Thank You cards to veterans from the American Legion Post 36. The veterans at the post were very grateful for the truly unexpected act and thoughtful words and drawings contained in the cards.

Happy Holidays, Johnson families!

As we close out the year, please take a look around your home for any lost or misplaced library books. We will be collecting all library materials starting December 13th before the long winter break. Students will participate in a craft in the library the last week of school in place of checking out books. If you have any questions on replacing or paying for lost items, please reach out to me via email or by phone on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. Any fines for both computers or books will show up on your student's InTouch account and can be easily paid with a credit card in small increments from there, as well. If you have questions or concerns, you can contact me by email, or call at 520-908-3824.

Happy Reading!

Ms. Smith

Family Liaison – Suzette Madril. Hi everyone! I can be reached at 520-908-3805 or come by the office to see me. As the end of the year approaches, I hope you enjoy the winter break with family and loved ones. I look forward to seeing everyone back in the new year, refreshed and ready to learn!

Uniform Policy: Navy Blue Bottoms with Maroon or White Tops. Please ensure your children come to school dressed according to the uniform policy.

Hours of Operation: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday: 08:00 – 4:00; Wednesday: 9:30 – 6:00; Thursday: 10:30 - 7:00; Closed for lunch daily: 12:30 – 1:00. Phone: 520-908-3980.

Family Resource Center Services are available to TUSD students and their families, free of charge. Please call the center to register for classes. Childcare is available to TUSD students and siblings for most classes. Please inform staff of the need for childcare when you register. Include the number of children, ages and any special needs. Interpreter services are available. Please inform staff of the need for an interpreter when you register. Please register at least two weeks in advance if interpreter services are needed.

Other services include: Open computer lab; Clothing bank; Food pantry; Help with TUSD forms; Information and referrals.

This month’s calendar can be found on the Classes for Family & Community webpage.

Join our Parent Teacher Organization to make a difference in our school community! Together, we can enhance student experiences and foster collaboration. Are you in? Contact PTO sponsor Suzette Madril or any of the PTO officers, President: Darlene Galindo; Vice President: KC Bennett; Treasurer: Danielle Carley; Secretaries: Tannya Ruiz and Elizabeth Cordova.

Johnson PTO made their way around the school from classroom to classroom to spread some joy to our wonderful teachers and staff. Thank you to all the families who support our PTO as they are able to do special things like this because of you!

Kindergarten students learned about fire safety from the Drexel Heights Fire District.

Johnson students and families enjoyed an evening of fun and learning. Our teachers and community partners provided a variety of hands-on activities focusing on science, technology, engineering, art and math. Students and families were able to see the moon and Saturn through telescopes, play challenging games, participate in optic demonstrations, complete art projects, learn about honeybees and view a beehive. The Johnson PTO sponsored gift baskets to include Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, Dave and Busters, Lava Lamp with Bumble Bee and Ocean Animal Play Mat.

Student of the Month Recognition: December 6

Principal Cafecito: December 12

Counselor Character Awards: December 13

School Site Council: December 18

Perfect Attendance Celebration: December 19

Grading Day – No School: December 20

Winter Break: December 23 – January 3

Students Return to School: January 6