Johnson Jaguars

Our first graders hatched baby chicks! There was a total of 11 from both Mrs. Turners class and Mrs. Sweeney's class! Yesterday the NCOF (Natick Community Organic Farm) came to Johnson and brought 3 hens and a rooster with them to show the students. One of the hens laid an egg while they were there lol! NCOF took the Johnson chicks back to the farm with them.

Dear Johnson Families,

Hard to believe we are already one week into the month of April. I want to thank the Johnson PTO and all of our families for your unwavering support for all of our JES dedicated and highly talented faculty and staff. On behalf of all of us, I want to thank you for the delicious pizza, salad, and dessert treats provided for a faculty/staff luncheon this past Tuesday.

We have very exciting news that the chicks have hatched! Last week, the eleven adorable chicks moved from their incubators to “Cluckingham Palace”– their deluxe Johnson School residence constructed by a former Johnson parent. Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Sweeney organized visits to each classroom, so all interested students had an opportunity to hold or touch the chicks (if they want), ask questions and learn more from their first grade teachers!

We are proud of the focused efforts and tenacity of our fourth grade students who completed English Language Arts MCAS Testing this past Monday and Tuesday. Next week, on Tuesday, April 11 and Thursday, April 13 our third graders will have their ELA MCAS Testing.

Thank you to all the members of our Johnson School Community who participated and donated so enthusiastically to the American Heart Association as part of the “Kids Heart Challenge.” Our JES Community raised a grand total amount of $9,534.70! That is AMAZING…Thank you all for your very generous support!

Best regards,

John

All Aboard! Public input requested for accessible cycling.

The Town of Natick is launching a trial program for accessible/adaptive cycling on the Cochituate Rail Trail, and we need your input. Thanks to grant funding from the MetroWest Health Foundation and the MathWorks Community Grant Program, Natick will be acquiring an accessible bicycle and a storage unit, and setting up a program in 2023 to offer rides to people with disabilities. To help us get started, we have launched a survey to ask…

• What style of bicycle would work for you or a family member/friend?
• Are you interested in being a volunteer?
• Do you have any questions or advice?

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey by Friday, April 14. If you are not able to complete the survey, you can contact Melissa Carter, Coordinator of Adaptive Programs for Recreation and Parks at mcarter@natickma.org.

All Aboard is being launched in partnership with the Friends of Natick Trails and the Natick Public Schools.

All Aboard Accessible Cycling Community Input

ELA

Administration Dates

Grade 3 Session 1 - Tuesday, April 11

Grade 3 Session 2 - Thursday, April 13

• Make ups will be scheduled at the building level as needed April 24 - 28

Math

Administration Dates

Grade 4 Session 1 - Tuesday, May 9

Grade 4 Session 2 - Wednesday, May 10

Grade 3 Session 1 - Tuesday, May 16

Grade 3 Session 2 - Thursday, May 18

• Make ups will be scheduled at the building level as needed May 22 - 26

1 - SPRING IS HERE! With fluctuation in temperature, cold mornings and warm afternoons. Students often leave their hoodies and jackets behind. Please remind your student to checkout the Lost and Found for missing items.

2 - SPRING CLEAN UP at JOHNSON. The Johnson Elementary School PTO is organizing a spring clean-up and Gardening Day. at the Johnson School. We will be picking up litter, preparing our raised garden beds and refreshing our planters. Please stop by Sunday 4/30 2-4PM to help beautify the school and get the kids gardening off to a great start!

3 - LABEL, LABEL, LABEL

A lot of our Jaguars leave things behind each day. This is a friendly reminder to label all belongings that you send to school with your students. If items are labeled, we can return them to their rightful owners. Grab a sharpie and write your student's name on items (gloves, hats, coats, boots, water bottles, etc.).

4 - FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

We have a range of financial supports available in the Natick Public Schools. This includes assistance with school fees, such as the bus and picture day, scholarships for programs such as the Book Fair and connections to community resources that may be helpful. If you are interested in these programs, please contact Laura Loftus, our school counselors, to have a private conversation. Her email is lloftus@natickps.org.

Growing Up in Public: Navigating Reputation and Social Media in the Digital Age

Thursday, April 13 at 7pm via Zoom -- For parents, caregivers, educators, and community members of all ages

In this talk, author Devorah Heitner, PhD, will share pragmatic, research-based advice on how we can mentor our kids on cultivating a healthy online presence. She will address why character and learning how to navigate relationships are most important and how parents can stop stressing and focus instead on helping young people become responsible digital citizens. ASL interpretation will be provided at this event Register and learn more about this FREE online program and all our upcoming events at www.SPARKKindness.org

• April 17-21: No School; April vacation
• April 17: Boston Marathon: Go, Ms. Fahey, Go!
• April 27 - Peacemakers Show (7:00 pm)
• April 30 (Sunday): Johnson Earth Day event – save the date! More details to come
• April 30 (Sunday): SPARK KINDNESS Community Clean Up
• MAY 18th (Thursday): String Fling (6:30 pm)
  
• May 31 (Wednesday): Johnson Book Fair
• June 2 (Friday): Johnson Spring picnic – save the date! More details to come
• June 4 (Sunday): Red Sox Game (1:35pm)

It’s time to order your 2022/2023 Johnson Elementary Yearbook! The deadline for ordering the book and placing ads is 4/1/23, and the cost is $18. Ads are $15 for a quarter-page OR $10 for an eighth-page.

To order your yearbook:

1. Go to www.coffeepond.com

2. Click on the Order Yearbooks button.

3. Enter the password: jaguar2023

4. Select online order and continue.

5. Enter the child’s name and grade and the book quantity.

6. Enter your email under contact and select add to cart.

7. If you have another child to order for, please select order for another child. If not, you can finish checking out.

8. If you are able, consider making a contribution to help purchase a yearbook for a Johnson Family in need. This option is found at the bottom of the Billing Information page.

If you'd like to send your child a special message, consider placing an ad this year.

Please use Google Chrome when purchasing and designing your ad.

1. Go to www.ybkpix.com

2. Create your account.

Select “Create an Account” on the upper right hand corner and follow the steps to create an account. Johnson's school ID is 712088.

3. Purchase your ad Login to your account and select “Ads.” On the next page, select “Student Ads” from the dropdown menu and select the size you would like to purchase. Follow the steps and purchase your ad.

4. Design your ad Go to My Account and click My Ad. If necessary, select your school from the dropdown list. Click Design or Edit to access the design space. Submit when complete!

Relatdely, we’re still looking for pictures for the yearbook. Send photos you have from the various Johnson events to Jagyearbook23@gmail.com. In the subject line, please include the name of the event.

Johnson Elementary Parent Teacher Organization
Sign Up for PTO Emails
Mark Your Calendar with Johnson PTO Events!

Thank you to Keri Clark, Memorial School PTO President and the Memorial School PTO for including the Johnson Community with their upcoming events. Please take a look and feel free to attend any of these Memorial PTO sponsored events.

Natick Public Schools does not discriminate in employment nor its educational programs, services, and activities based on race, creed, color, age, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Please be aware all electronic communication to and from Natick Public Schools is public record and subject to public disclosure per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, Section 10.

• Title I: Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990Title II
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990Title VI
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964Title IX
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5