🐻 August 26, 2026 | Issue 4 🐻
Embedded Files
Principal's Message
Principal's Message
Dear Brown School Family,
As we work through our assessment period, we want to share some helpful context regarding the i-Ready Diagnostic test your students in grades K-8 are taking in reading and math.
Why Some Students Are Testing Longer
If you notice that your child is taking longer to finish their assessment, please don't be concerned. i-Ready is an adaptive test. When a student answers questions correctly, the software continuously adjusts to present more challenging material.
For students performing above grade level, the system will keep adapting upward to explore how far their knowledge extends. The software is fully aligned to grade-level standards and designed to pinpoint a student's exact learning frontier. It continues this process until the student reaches a point where they miss roughly 50% of the questions. Because higher-level problems require more time, critical thinking, and problem-solving, students testing above grade level naturally spend more time completing the assessment.
What the i-Ready Data Gives Us
Getting questions wrong is a normal part of the process. It will help us find each student's "just right" learning zone. Once the diagnostic is complete, i-Ready provides us with valuable information:
Detailed Skill Breakdown: Reports show specific strengths and growth areas across key sub-domains (such as phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, algebra, or geometry).
Placement Levels: It measures where students are performing relative to their current grade-level standards.
Personalized Learning Paths: The software automatically generates individualized online lessons tailored to each student's needs, helping advanced learners stretch further and offering support where gaps exist.
Targeted Classroom Instruction: Teachers use this data to tailor small-group instruction, assign targeted activities, and track growth over time.
Our goal is not to give students a grade, but to better understand how to support, challenge, and encourage them throughout the school year.
Thank you for your continued partnership in your child's education!
Love,
Dr. Angela
Quick Links
Quick Links
Dates to Remember
Dates to Remember
September 1 - CERT Testing for High School
September 2 - 🩸 Red Cross Blood Drive; Cub Scout Interest Meeting
September 4 - World Fest Field Trip 🌏
September 7 - No School (Labor Day)
September 9 - 📸 School Portrait Day; PBIS Store, PTSA Board Meeting
September 10 - Give for Good; Girl Scout Bridging Ceremony
September 11 - Trivia Night; Operations Committee Meeting
September 14 - SBDM Council Meeting
September 16 - 🧯 Metro Fire Department Visit (K-3)
September 17 - 📜 Constitution Day; Journalism Field Trip
September 18 - 6th Grade Field Trip to Actor's Theater 🎭
September 21 - 12th Grade Field Trip to County Clerk's Office ☑️
September 22 - Field Day 🎾 🥍 🏅 🤾
September 23 - Student-Led Conference Day
September 24 - HS Theater Class to Actor's Theater 🎭; Theater Production Auditions
September 28 - October 2 - No School (Fall Break)
Weekly Essentials
Weekly Essentials
🎖️ Brown Ranked #2 in State and #176 in Nation
🎖️ Brown Ranked #2 in State and #176 in Nation
U.S. News & World Report just named J. Graham Brown School the #2 high school in Kentucky and the #176 high school in the U.S. Congratulations to our staff and students!
🏆 Baird Excellence Awards Announced
🏆 Baird Excellence Awards Announced
Congratulations to Norah Wakefield and Dr. Angela Parsons for finding out today that they are 2026 Baird Excellence Award recipients! Norah will receive the Outstanding High School Teacher Award and Dr. Angela will receive the Outstanding Elementary School Principal Award. They will be recognized at an awards ceremony at The Olmsted in early October. Each will receive $1000 to spend on professional learning, or students/staff.
🚨High School AP Testing Information
🚨High School AP Testing Information
Families: the KY legislature has cut the state subsidy for AP tests effective this school year. (Please see below.)
Students without federal Title 1 fee waiver (aka Free and Reduced Lunch) and ALL students taking AP CSP & AP CSA will continue to pay $0 per AP fee for ordering the initial test. For students not on fee waiver, the CollegeBoard will charge students $99 per test and ALL students (regardless of fee waiver status) will still have to pay $40 for a missed exam. Please reach out to Sarah with questions. sarah.yost@jefferson.kyschools.us
The deadline to decide which AP tests your child will take is the end of September. Blue papers will be coming home in the next week or so for you to sign and your child to sign regarding which AP test(s) they will take.
💻 Brown School Device Agreement
💻 Brown School Device Agreement
Families,
Please read and complete the JCPS/Brown School Device Usage Agreement Form for each child you have who attends the Brown School (if you haven't already).
Please remind your child to bring their Chromebook and charger to school every day. If there is ever an issue or damage to their Chromebook, they need to take it to Drew or Anitra in the Ursa Lab in room 220.
We did not receive all of our chargers back last school year when students turned in their Chromebooks for the Summer. If your student has lost or broken their charger cord, a replacement can be purchased in the Ursa Lab. Used Chargers are $10, and brand new ones are $25 cash or check made out to the Brown School.
If you have any questions regarding technology at Brown, please email Drew. (andrew.paige@jefferson.kyschools.us).
⚠️ Parking Reminder
⚠️ Parking Reminder
Please do not park in or drive through the private business lots (Forefront Dermatology, Murphy & Associates) behind our school. These lots are for the use of their employees and customers only. Follow one of these Drop-Off Options or Pick-Up Options.
📜 School-wide Constitution Day Poster Contest
📜 School-wide Constitution Day Poster Contest
Have your student enter our OPTIONAL Constitution Day Poster Contest! Posters can me made on the student's Canva account or on a poster board. Prizes will be awarded to winners K-12 for most creative, most informational, etc. Their posters are due on September 15th. Email Drew Paige (andrew.paige@jefferson.kyschools.us) for any questions!
🩸 BLOOD DRIVE
🩸 BLOOD DRIVE
Did you know that there is a special Hello Kitty incentive to give blood during our J. Graham Brown Blood Drive on Sept. 2nd? Sign up at THIS LINK. We have a goal of 35 units. Help us reach that goal.
📲 Please Share Your Information With Your Class / Room Parents!
📲 Please Share Your Information With Your Class / Room Parents!
Please complete THIS FORM to share your contact information with our Room / Class Parent Volunteers. Please submit a separate form for each student. This information will be shared with the Room / Class Parents so that they can keep you up-to-date on special classroom and grade-level events, as well as school functions.
🏗️ Annual Asbestos Notification
🏗️ Annual Asbestos Notification
CLICK HERE to read the annual asbestos notification.
Meet our New Staff!
Meet our New Staff!
Jackie Barbour,
Lunchroom Office Assistant
Jackie Barbour,
Lunchroom Office Assistant
I am so excited to be here at Brown! I have spent many years working with children in a variety of settings, from Sunday School to Maryhurst, supporting girls ages 12–18 who have experienced significant trauma.
As a woman who has experienced many chapters of life, including being a breast cancer survivor, I’ve learned to live fully, appreciate every day, and never take anything for granted. I’m also an avid cat lover and proud owner of Jesse! And if it’s pink, I probably love it!
I always start my day with coffee, so if I haven’t had mine yet…look out! I also work part-time as an event planner, which means I love creating, decorating, and bringing events to life.
I’m excited to be part of the Brown community, and I’m looking forward to meeting each of you and sharing my experiences. I hope I can be an asset to the team!
Weekly Features
Weekly Features
Athletics
Athletics
Middle and High School Athletics
Middle and High School Athletics
Registration for Winter Sports Now Open- To register for Winter Sports (MS/HS Swim, MS/HS Basketball, MS/HS Archery, HS (7th-12th) Bowling, MS/HS eSports, go to Final Forms (located at www.brownbearsathletics.com) and add the sport for your athlete. To practice, workout, etc. you must have an active physical on file. Also, please make sure all Final Form documents are completed. We will send out information to students who have signed up for their sport on Final Forms.
Final Forms- If you or your student receives an email from Final Forms saying to complete forms, do not disregard it. Please login and check what forms are unsigned.
Fall Sports Bonfire- The 4th Annual Brown Fall Sports Bon Fire will be on Saturday, Saturday September 26th from 5:30-10:00pm. The 4th Annual Brown Fall Sports Bon Fire
Fees for Fall Sports- If you have a student playing a fall sport at Brown please pay you fees as soon as possible. Fees go toward transportation, uniforms, equipment, field maintenance, awards, balls, etc. If you would like to pay by check, send it to the Welcome Center at Brown and write the sport and level (MS/HS) in the memo. Fall 2026 Athletic Fees
Advertise With Brown- Advertise at Brown with a banner for the gym, jumbotron, or outdoors at 1st St/Peace Park. The digital banner could just be words of encouragement (Go Bears Volleyball!, Have a Great Senior Year Billy, etc.) and will be displayed at all home games played in the gym. Advertise With Brown
Boys Middle School Basketball Interest Meeting- There will be a boys middle school basketball interest meeting Tuesday, September 1st in Heather's Room
Having Trouble Finding Game Schedules?- Click the link below and find the team you are searching for in the dropdown list. From there you can print a schedule of everything scheduled so far. Game and Practice Schedules
Elementary Athletics
Elementary Athletics
Cross-Country had a great meet Saturday. The 4th/5th grade boys and 2nd/3rd boys placed 3rd overall out of 13 teams, and 4/5th grade girls placed 6th. Here are the results: https://milesplit.live/meets/768294/schedule. The next race is Thursday 8/27 at George Rogers Clark Park.
Musical Notations
Musical Notations
Here are the remaining slots for Fall Enrichments!
Help with one of our largest goals for the year: to build our parent volunteer base. We have options ranging from small to large time commitments, and if you have a desire to help... we'll find a place for you! Each function is described briefly, and you are more than welcome to select as many as you'd have time for! We'll reach out via email to all who are interested.
For questions please contact jgrahambrownptsa@gmail.com
Family Resource/Youth Services Center Coordinator
Family Resource/Youth Services Center Coordinator
The Salvation Army will begin taking applications for their Angel Tree program on September 8. Click here to register.
Have you completed your family's Education Benefits Form (EBF Form)? This is a mandatory form for all families. By completing this form, your family may qualify for waived or reduced fees for school fees/fieldtrips, ACT/AP testing, scholarships, etc. Get a jump start on your back-to-school paperwork and apply for the benefits today. Click here to apply.
Mental Health Practitioner
Mental Health Practitioner
If you would like for me to work with your student please feel free to reach out to me or fill out the student support form. Like in previous years the quiet space in the Pedway office is available to all students per request to their teachers! If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to reach out.
Elementary Counselor
Elementary Counselor
Welcome to the 2026-27 school year at the J. Graham Brown School! I am your Elementary School Counselor, Miss Christy. Check out our Student Support Team's Website - ELEMENTARY section - for stay in the "know" about all things elementary. Click this link for a list of Elementary Current Events.
If you need to contact Miss Christy, please email at christy.teague@jefferson.kyschools.us or complete the Student Support Request Form.
Middle School Counselor
Middle School Counselor
Schedules are set! We are rolling in the middle school and learning how to be independent with all the things.
Please remember to use the Student Support Request Form to reach out about any concerns for your student.
Remember, September 8th all middle school students will participate in the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Lesson. If you have any concerns feel free to reach out to myself or anyone in the Student Support Team.
Check out my slide below for more info on what is happening in the Middle School. This was shared with your students.
High School Counselor
High School Counselor
Schedules are set! If you (or your student) had a schedule change, double check on those first few days of class and make sure you don't have any outstanding assignments that need to be shifted from another section or made-up to keep on track!
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PSAT Sign-ups-ALL juniors are automatically enrolled for free for the PSAT/NMSQT.
Sophomores can opt-in by completing THIS FORM. We anticipate the test will cost about $25 and is not eligible for Free/Reduced Lunch as it is optional and for practice only. The date will be mid-October and has not yet been finalized. The link to pay will be emailed to the parents in October.
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World Fest is 9/4 and no more permission slips are being accepted. There will be a plan for those attending and a plan for those staying at school.
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Central High School has invited our Juniors and Seniors to attend their school day college fair on 10/15. More info will be distributed mid-September via Robin and Norah.
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JA Inspire to Hire is 10/29. All high school students are invited to attend. Permission slips with more info will be delivered before fall break via Robin, Norah, and Dr. Mary.
Connections
Connections
SBDM Update
SBDM Update
Here's what happened at Monday's SBDM Council meeting:
Dr. Angela shared a Good News Report
Dr. Angela welcomed our newly elected Student SBDM Reps - Jude Trover and Hirsch Vagish.
The council reviewed the Committee Signups.
The council reviewed our Student Demographic Trend.
The council reviewed these student achievement results:
i-Ready Math Fall 2026 (In Progress)
i-Ready Reading Fall 2026 (In Progress)
The council reviewed these budget reports:
Site-Based Budget Summary;
Activity Accounts: District-Based; School-Based
Carryover Report
10th Day Adjustment
The council took action on these policies:
Approved changes to the Bylaws
Approved changes to the Student Dress policy.
Conducted a first reading of the Anti-Bullying policy.
The council approved a Site-Based Change Form.
🌏 Learn Another Language for Free!
🌏 Learn Another Language for Free!
Bellarmine University will be hosting Free Language Cafes from September through November through a partnership with the Office for Immigrant Affairs. Click this link or scan the QR Code in the image below to sign-up!
🧑🎨 Art Contest
🧑🎨 Art Contest
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