J. Graham Brown School
Bear Essentials
December 15, 2021, Issue #18
Principal's Message
Dear Brown School family,
New white oak acoustical panels are currently being installed in our auditorium. I think they are gorgeous! They are reminiscent of the previous panels that were removed, but they are absolutely lovely and they coordinate well with the color of our auditorium stage. The new seating should be installed in January! The house lights and stage lights are currently being switched to LEDs as well. We hope to have our auditorium back at the beginning of February 2022.
During winter break, the ceilings in the main office are being removed. This means that if you come to the school and ring the bell at the front door, we won't be able to hear it! So, if you plan on visiting us over winter break, we are going to be working out of the offices close to the Ahrens entrance. You will need to come to the center Ahrens door, and then please call us on your cell phone at 502-485-8216 and let us know that you are at the door. We will come and open it. Lisa Stevenson and I will be working on a limited basis over the break. Our hours will be from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM on 12/20, 12/21, 12/22, 12/27, 12/28, and 12/29. We will close at noon on 12/23 and on 12/30. The office will be closed on 12/24 and 12/31.
Don't forget that our first day of school after winter break is Tuesday, January 4th! There will not be a Bear Essentials for the next two weeks. Happy New Year!
Love,
Dr. Angela
Quick Links
This Week's Essentials
January 4 Town Hall Meeting
Do you have questions about the possible schedule changes next year? Mark your calendars NOW for a town-hall-style virtual meeting regarding upcoming scheduling changes at the Brown School, because stakeholder input is vital!
We want to ensure all participants better understand the options before re-taking the survey.
Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at 5:00 PM
Zoom Town Hall Online Meeting - CLICK HERE FOR ZOOM LINK
Hosted by Dr. Kathleen Mattingly and Heather Anderson to answer questions about:
If you have questions, please reach out to both:
Student Newspaper!
Please read the Bear Necessities, a student publication that gives students the opportunities to share their voices on current events.
SBDM Update
Here's what happened at last night's SBDM Council meeting!
Dr. Angela shared a Good News Report.
Lila Cundiff spoke during Public Comment (non-agenda items) on behalf of the middle school students, requesting that they be allowed to take part in holiday celebrations in the classroom.
Dr. Kat shared a 5 Goals Task Force Report (12/2)
The council reviewed the following data/analysis.
ES Vital Signs and Analysis Protocol
MS Vital Signs and Analysis Protocol
HS Vital Signs and Analysis Protocol
Amy shared a Budget Committee Report (12/13)
Dr. Angela shared a Curriculum & Instruction Committee Report (12/2)
Shawn shared a Racial Equity Committee Report (12/6)
Shawn shared a Safety & School Climate Committee Report (12/1)
The council reviewed these financial reports.
Flexible Budget Summary
Activity Accounts: District-Based; School-Based
The council approved the School Space Policy and REAP
The council sent the Wellness Policy to the Safety and School Climate Committee for possible revisions.
The council sent the Travel Policy to the Curriculum and Instruction Committee for possible revisions.
The council reviewed the Visitation During School Day Policy.
The council sent the Writing Policy to the Curriculum and Instruction Committee for possible revisions.
The council approved the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan
The council approved a request from Dr. Angela to add Non-Voting Student Member(s) to SBDM Council. It was determined that students would elect one middle school student and one high school student to serve. A by-laws revision will be looked at for the January 2022 meeting.
The council tabled the approval request for the Bell Schedule for the 2022-23 School Year until a special-called meeting to be held on January 11, 2022, at 4:00 PM. Autumn Neagle and Nicholas Neagle shared concerns regarding the short time frame that parent and student role groups were given to give feedback. The council requested that surveys be sent out again and new videos developed that break down the options more clearly.
The council approved a request for a Disabilities Advocacy Club. Lila Coburn spoke on behalf of the proposal.
Calling All Parents of 5th, 8th and 12th grades
Yearbook Baby Ads are a great way for parents, families and friends to commemorate student achievement and important milestones. To purchase your 5th, 8th and 12th grade baby Ad(s) online hit Baby Ads Create your recognition ad for your "baby" today.
COVID Vaccination Record
We can now enter your student's COVID 19 Vaccinations into Infinite Campus - Health - Immunizations. If you would like a record of your student's COVID Vaccinations to be kept by the school along with their regular mandatory vaccination records, please send a copy of the card to the Records Clerk HERE. We must be able to see the student's name and the dates of both vaccinations. You can scan the card or take a photo of the card and email it to the Records Clerk, she will input the information promptly and place a hard copy into the student's permanent file, along with the other required health documents. (This is an optional feature and not mandatory at this time.)
Parent-Teacher Student Association (PTSA)
WE NEED OFFICERS & COMMITTEE CHAIRS!
We have the following openings for Officers and Committee Chairs for the PTSA.
Vice President, Ways and Means (1) - Fundraising
Vice President, Ways and Means (2) - Fundraising
Secretary
Merchandise Chair
Concessions Chair
Enrichments Chair, Spring 2022
If interested, please email Shawna Stenton or Membership VP here. New Officers and Committee Chairs will be either be appointed or elected in a special election.
JOIN THE 2021-2022 PTSA!
Parents/Guardians, Staff, middle/high school students, and even grandparents are eligible to join the PTSA and enter the drawing. Membership is only $5.00 and benefits our school in so many ways.
Click here to join.
All new memberships through the end of November will be entered for a drawing of a gift bag of Brown School merchandise, clothing, and other goodies.
Visit our new Merchandise Site!
All new merchandise will be fulfilled by our third-party partners and will ship directly to you.
To visit our new site... click here
PTSA Meetings for 2021-2022, 6:00 PM
Our meetings are in person at the school, or via Zoom, CLICK HERE
January 18, 2022
February 15, 2022
March 15, 2022
April 19, 2022
May 10, 2022
Support PTSA fundraising efforts, Read about Members, etc. - CLICK HERE
Robin Cash, Middle/High School Counselor / robin.cash@jefferson.kyschools.us
Counselors
Tip of the week: We are approaching break and encourage everyone to rest and rejuvenate over the next few weeks. We can't wait to see everyone ready to go on January 4th!
Connect with us: To connect with a member of the student support team complete THIS FORM and we will assign a student support staff member to meet with the student as soon as possible based on the student's needs and our availability.
STAR STUDENTS grades 3-12
STAR STUDENTS grades K-2
ELEMENTARY (K-5)
Word of the Month: KINDNESS
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Scores posted now in Parent Portal
Gifted/Talented Progress Reports available on Parent Portal on Jan 10
Winter Break: Dec 20-Jan 3
Need to talk to the Elementary School Counselor? Click HERE to see how.
MIDDLE/HIGH (6-12)
Students only have 3 weeks left in the semester. Be extra kind to your student as they work to submit all work and prepare for exams before winter break. Teacher grades will be submitted in early January then posted to transcripts. Seniors can request their mid-year transcripts be sent via parchment.com. Make sure you click "hold for grades" and your transcripts will be sent mid-January.
Athletics
Winter Sports:
Swim/Dive Team
High School swimming will have a few weeks off before hosting the last Brown Bear Sprint meet on 1/8 at UL. Go Bears!!
Our Dive Team was in action last Saturday, 12/4, in the Eastern Holiday Caravan Meet at the UofL Natatorium. Daphne Powell finished in 4th and Maisie Smith in 8th, as two of the youngest divers in the meet.
Middle School swimming finished their season this past Friday night in the JCPS Championships at UL. They have had a great season, with all swimmers showing great improvement.
Bowling Team
Our bowling team continues to improve, while taking on a very tough schedule. They will be practicing hard until their next match in the new year.
Archery
Archery will keep working hard in practice (especially at 15 meters) for the next shoot in January.
Basketball
Middle school basketball is headed to Kammerer on Thursday 12/16. The teams have been working hard and we are proud of their efforts.
High School basketball has been going strong and the coaches are happy with the teams efforts and growth. The boys picked up a big 64-31 win over Walden on Monday night, while the girls lost a very close game to Valley. Both teams will be in action Thursday night against Whitefield (free hot dog and drink night for students). The boys will participate in the Portland Christian Holiday Tournament and the girls will be in the Western High School Holiday Tournament over the break.
All student-athletes must complete weekly Covid testing and have all eligibility paperwork turned in before they can participate. Those forms can be found on the athletic page of mybrownschool.org, under eligibility documents, or in our main office.
Elementary Basketball/Cheer
The elementary basketball team has started practice and are looking forward to playing games beginning mid-January.
Any student in grades 4 and 5 interested in cheer, should send Justin an email. We will need a parent volunteer to help coach, so please also reach out to Justin if you are interested in helping.
High School Winter Coaches:
Boys Basketball- Jermill Bibb - jbibb20@gmail.com
Girls Basketball- Josh Luttrell - rja172307@gmail.com
Bowling- Justin Young - justin.young2@jefferson.kyschools.us
Cheer- Aruna Keswani - aruna.keswani@jefferson.kyschools.us
Swimming/Diving- William Kolb- wmkolb@gmail.com
Archery- Jennifer Pasewalk - jennbeanfest@aol.com
ESports- Andrew Boling - andrew.boling@jefferson.kyschools.us
Athletic Director- Justin Leonard- Justin.leonard@jefferson.kyschools.us
Elementary & Middle School Winter Sports:
MS Boys Basketball- Jermill Bibb- jbibb20@gmail.com
Girls Basketball- Josh Luttrell- rja172307@gmail.com
Elementary Basketball- Shawn Wilson
shawn.wilson@jefferson.kyschools.us
Swimming (grades 6 & up) William Kolb- wmkolb@gmail.com
Cheer- Ally Cunningham- alexandria.cunninham@jefferson.kyschools.us
Alexandria.cunningham@jefferson.kyschools.us
Athletic Director- Matt Davis- matthew.davis@jefferson.kyschools.us
Family Matters
Reminder: Applications are still being accepted for the JCPS Winter Break Literacy & Coding program starting on 12.20.21. This program is designed for @jcpsky students in grades 3-5!
Students can register to receive videos up until 12/17/21 at 3pm
Register at: https://bit.ly/3dH9Rak
Family Resource Youth Service Center
Hello! I am Elona Mack, and I am Brown/Central FRYSC Coordinator. Need help? Your FRYSC is here to provide assistance. Click HERE for community resources.
Please contact me with questions or concerns.
Email: Elona.mack@jefferson.kyschools.us
Phone: 502-631-9146
Cultural Connections
EmbraceRace is a site created by a multiracial couple who wanted to do a better job of educating their children about race. The site offers resources, discussion spaces, webinars, and networks to meet the challenges of raising children in “a world where race matters.” It emphasizes conversation and goes deep. It’s tempting at times to look for fast fixes to race-related problems, and really, there’s no such thing. Long-term change requires sustained thought, honest talk, and reflection, and the work they’re doing at EmbraceRace embodies all of these.
Community
CONTACT TRACING | Families will be notified if their student is a close contact with a COVID-19 case through text messages and email. If you are not already receiving JCPS text messages and emails, please text the letter "Y" to 67587. If you have any further questions, please reach out to your school directly to update your contact information, including your cell phone number and email address.
Click here or above to learn more about this new notification process.
COVID Testing
Drive-Thru Testing Option
Our 22 drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites for JCPS staff, students, and families are open from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m Monday-Friday every week. Doss High School, Highland Middle School, Meyzeek Middle School, and Newcomer Academy are NEW sites starting this week. SphereDX, the testing company, highly recommends pre-registering to ensure you will be tested. Click here to register. Please be sure you enter the correct information like name and birthdate, or your test results won't be available.
Weekly Testing at Brown
Families, please make sure to complete all of your required forms in Parent Place. That includes the weekly voluntary COVID-19 diagnostic screening testing form. More than 10,190 students are now signed up for this opportunity!
Please make sure to complete the form to indicate whether you would like your child to participate in the voluntary COVID-19 testing at Brown if you haven't already.
Click here to complete a student consent form.
CLEP TESTING PROGRAM
CLEP (College Level Examination Program) Now Available to All Brown Students
Click the link to learn about the CLEP testing lab located at Brown. This is an opportunity for our students to earn college credits for what they already know. CLICK HERE
Lost and Found
Here is a slideshow of items currently in the Lost and Found located in the lobby. Please look through it if your student has any missing items. LINK