Justiss Newsletter

Please keep all of your contacts updated with the school office. If you move or get a new phone number just call the office and let the staff know so the school can stay updated in case we need to contact you. Thank you for all that you do for your child!

Paris ISD is prepared to keep you informed and safe as winter weather rolls in. Here are highlights from our inclement weather policy:

️*The Paris ISD Superintendent and other Paris ISD Officials carefully monitor weather conditions and consider many factors before adjusting schedules.

*Decisions on delays/cancellations are usually made by 6:00 a.m. Early dismissal decisions are shared as soon as possible.

️*No announcement? School will follow the regular schedule!

Stay in the loop:

-Check and make sure your contact information is correct in Ascender/Parent Portal (specifically your cell phone number and email).

-Tune in to district, campus and local media.

-Visit the Paris ISD website.

-Bundle up and stay warm this week!

For more information about how we make weather-related decisions, visit https://www.parisisd.net/48802_2.

Jan. 6-Students return after Christmas break

Jan. 6-Beginning of 3rd Nine Weeks

Jan. 8-Report Cards posted to Parent Portal

Jan. 9-Science Fair Forms Due

Jan. 14-Parent Cafe 10:30

Jan. 15-8:30 1st Grade Awards & 9:30 2nd Grade Awards

Jan. 16-8:30 3rd Grade Awards & 9:30 4th Grade Awards

Jan. 20-No School-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jan. 21-Science Fair Projects Due

Jan. 24-Students will attend school on this day. (To replace Monday's day off)

Jan. 27-Progress Report posted to Parent Portal

Jan. 30-1st Grade PTO Program

Welcome to 2025!

The start of a new year is the perfect time to set goals—goals that motivate your child to take ownership of their learning.

For elementary-aged children, setting short-term goals and experiencing the excitement of achieving them can help maintain focus and encourage continuous progress. Weekly goal-setting teaches children that planning and problem-solving are essential life skills.

At school, teachers guide students in setting goals, such as improving their performance from one assessment to the next. For example, they might ask, "How much do you want to improve by the next assessment?"

To help your child set meaningful goals at home:

• Start small: At the beginning of the week, ask your child to identify one goal they’d like to accomplish by the end of the week, such as reading a book.

• Make it visible: Have your child write down their goal and place it somewhere they can see regularly.

• Be specific: Discuss the details of the goal, such as, "I will read one chapter a day."

• Check in: Monitor your child’s progress throughout the week. If they’re falling behind, help them create a plan to get back on track.

• Reflect and celebrate: At the end of the week, evaluate the outcome together. Discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what could be done differently next time. Whether or not your child met their goal, celebrate their effort and progress, then set a new goal.

Encourage your child to reflect on how far they’ve come and what steps they still need to take to reach their targets. Regular reflection reinforces the idea that achieving goals is a continuous process, with small successes along the way serving as motivation.

Goal setting is an essential skill for students, helping them develop focus, resilience, and a sense of accomplishment. Let’s work together to build these lifelong habits!

Sincerely,

Mr. Smyers

Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope 2025 is filled with happiness, peace and many wonderful opportunities for our Justiss families. As a new year rolls around, it is a good time to reflect on any negative mindsets or what I call “stinkin’ thinkin”’ we may have experienced in the past... and consider implementing some new and positive mindsets… and put a stop to the “stinkin’ thinkin’”! .

During the month of January, students will be learning about the big idea of “Resilience”. The definition is…Getting back up when something gets you down. Take the opportunity to sit down as a family and focus on how to be more resilient as you head into the new year. Take a look at the following ideas and choose a couple to try! I hope you find that the little things that got you down in 2024, won’t trip you up in 2025! New Year…New Mindset! It’s all about resilience!!! Here are some insights on why building resilience in your child(ren) is so important!

Understanding resilience

To understand how to nurture resilience in children and youth, we need to first understand its link to mental health and mental health promotion. The following are key concepts.

Resilience

Resilience involves being able to recover from difficulties or change—to function as well as before and then move forward. Many refer to this as “bouncing back” from difficulties or challenges.

People who are resilient can effectively cope with, or adapt to, stress and challenging life situations. They learn from the experience of being able to effectively manage in one situation, making them better able to cope with stresses and challenges in future situations. In other words, dealing with challenges can make us grow and can make us stronger. Rather than merely bouncing back, we're better prepared than we were before to face challenges that lie ahead.

Resilient children tend to be empathic; that is, they can understand and sympathize with the feelings of others. They tend to be good communicators who are able to solve problems. They have a strong interest in school, and are dedicated to learning. They're driven to achieve goals. They're involved in meaningful activities. They're hopeful about the future.

Set an example of how you will be “resilient” in the upcoming year, and help your child see the value of getting back up when something knocks you down, and how when things don’t go as you hoped or planned…regroup and give it another shot!

Warmest Wishes for the New Year!

Mrs. Irwin and Ms.Raney

There are lots of exciting things happening with PTO this semester!

Our Big Kahuna Fundraiser will kick off on Tuesday, January 28th! Be on the lookout for more information. We will also have our Valentine Spirit Stamp Sale on Thursday, February 13th and our Field Day concession stand in May.

Keep an eye out for all of these events and please let us know if you would like to volunteer!