J. Graham Brown School

Bear Essentials

March 30, 2022, Issue #31

Principal's Message

Dear Brown School family,

Last week, one of our most loved teachers in our school was honored by WHAS11 and LG&E KU with the ExCEL Award. Dr. Kat joined our Brown School family in the fall of 2009, and has inspired many of our students to pursue STEM careers through her effective teaching practices and nurturing personality. She is also our volleyball coach! We are blessed to have her working with our students and staff.

Happy Assistant Principals' Week (April 4-8) to Mr. Shawn and Dr. Brian! We are so lucky to have them both, and I couldn't do my job without them.

I ordered my tickets for the Brown School PTSA night at the Louisville Bats game! Check out the PTSA section below to order yours.

I also wanted everyone to know that the new School Choice Proposal will have no immediate impact on our school. I am very excited about the proposal and the possibility of our students residing in the west Louisville having two choices for resides schools.

This is a reminder that there is no school this Friday! There will be no Bear Essentials next week. I hope all our students enjoy their spring break!

Love,

Dr. Angela

This Week's Essentials

Important Milestone Dates

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Senior Families

  • Prom - 7:00-11:00 PM on Saturday, May 14th at Art Sanctuary

  • Graduation - 12:00 PM on Friday, May 27th in the J. Graham Brown School Auditorium

Seniors Only

  • Graduation Rehearsals - Monday, May 23rd and Tuesday, May 24th at 8:15 AM in the Auditorium

  • Senior Breakfast - Tuesday, May 24th at 9:30 AM in the Courtyard

  • Senior Walk - Wednesday, May 25th at 8:15 AM in the School Hallways

  • Fireflies/Moonbeams Zoo Trip - Friday, April 29th

Junior Families

  • Prom - 7:00-11:00 PM on Saturday, May 14th at Art Sanctuary

  • Junior Ring and Awards Ceremony - 10:00 AM on Friday, May 20th in the Auditorium

8th Grade Families

  • 8th Grade Dance - 7:30 - 9:30 PM on Friday, May 20th in the Courtyard

  • 8th Grade Family Breakfast – 9:30 AM on Thursday, May 26th in the Courtyard

  • 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony – 11:00 AM on Thursday, May 26th in the Auditorium

5th Grade Families

  • 5th Grade Family Breakfast – 8:00 AM on Thursday, May 26th in the Courtyard

  • 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony – 9:15 AM on Thursday, May 26th in the Auditorium

Kindergarten Families

  • Kindergarten (Carrie's Class) Celebration – 12:00 PM on Wednesday, May 25th in the Auditorium; with popsicles in Peace Park at 12:45 PM

  • Kindergarten (Mayra's Class) Celebration – 1:00 PM on Wednesday, May 25th in the Auditorium; with popsicles in Peace Park at 1:45 PM

  • Fireflies/Moonbeams Zoo Trip - Friday, April 29th


Breakfasts/Popsicles scheduled for the courtyard/Peace Park will be cancelled in the event of inclement weather.

Student Afternoon Pick-up Safety Information

We have been made aware that there are many vehicles that are parking in the alley behind the school prior to 2:00PM and wating to pick up thier student. This practice is impeeding deliveries that are set to come to our school, and to Ahrens. We share a loading dock and deliveries must take precedence. Due to this we must insist that you do not park/wait in the back Alley prior to 2:00PM.

For those parents/guardians that are picking up students in front of our building please DO NOT DOUBLE PARK while you wait for your student. This blocks traffic and creates a dangerous situation for students attempting to access these vehicles. Please only stop in spaces at the curb. Please note that middle and high school families may utilize the length of First Street to pick up students. There are numerous building exits along First Street that will allow students to safety enter vehicles parked along the curb. Also, please do not idle your car while you are waiting for your student.

Lost & Found Items

IF your student has lost a personal electronic device(s) please call the school office to describe 502-485-8216.

  • Please ask your student to check for any lost or missing items at the Lost & Found table in the Lobby.

  • Any/All found electronic devices are turned into the office. If it is a school issued device we will return those to the students as soon as possible.

  • Any/All personal electronic devices are kept in the school's main office for the student to identify and claim.

5th Grade Families!

Backpack Defenses

ONLY 12 more school days left until 5th grade backpack defense presentations and we want everyone to feel confident and ready!

TIPS:

  • Slide #10: Long Range Plan - Help your student think about what plans they have personally, or academically over the next six months to five years. This is a great place to tell us about your goals in baseball or that family trip you have planned.

  • Please ask your student to practice their presentation with you on their Chromebook. Presenting out loud is one of the best ways to prepare. **Even if they don't think they are done.

All Backpack Defense presentations for 5th grade will take place on April 18, 19, and 20. If you have questions please reach out to our 5th grade Backpack Lead, Amy Thornton.

Call, Text, or Email: 502-398-3450

Amy.Thornton@jefferson.kyschools.us.


JCPS ECE Parent Workshop

The ECE Department is partnering with the JCPS Social Emotional Learning Department to offer two parent workshops in April, “Supporting Families with Social Emotional Learning.” Both workshops will be held in person and are limited to 30 registrants.

April 14: https://forms.gle/K9EUyKCEMvzDprkLA

April 22: https://forms.gle/GroF48sKGUPdRo156

Cultural Connections

April Holidays

Walter Zausch, PTSA President president@brownptsa.com

Parent-Teacher Student Association (PTSA)

J. Graham Brown School Spirit Night at Louisville Slugger Field!

Join other Brown School families on Friday, April 22, at Slugger Field and cheer on the Louisville Bats as they face the Iowa Cubs! First pitch is at 7:05 pm.


Ticket are $10 each and a portion of each ticket purchase will benefit the J. Graham Brown School PTSA. Tickets may be purchased at fevo.me/thebrownschool.


March Staff Appreciation

The PTSA appreciates our staff and our staff appreciates coffee so they were treated to a surprise coffee bar Monday. Special thanks to Autumn for organizing!


Happy Assistant Principal Week to Brian and Shawn!

National Assistant Principal Week is April 4-8 but with Spring Break that week, your PTSA decided to celebrate early! Special thanks to the Evans family for supplying their amazing gifts. Please encourage your student to make cards to thank Brian and Shawn for all that they do!

Officers and Committee Chairs Needed

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.


Peace Park Amazon Wish List

Spring is on the way and our students are spending more time outside enjoying the Peace Park. Consider donating items through our Amazon Wish List to make their outdoor time more enjoyable. These items can be shipped directly to school (address to Doug Leonard / Peace Park, J. Graham Brown School, 546 S. 1st St., Louisville, KY 40202). Here's the link to order: http://a.co/7UFnVBj.

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.

Visit Our New Merchandise Site!

All new merchandise will be fulfilled by our third-party partners and will ship directly to you.

CLICK HERE to visit our new site.

PTSA Meetings for 2022, 6:00 PM

Our meetings are held via Zoom:

Support PTSA fundraising efforts, read about members, etc. - CLICK HERE

Christy Teague, Elementary School Counselor / christy.teague@jefferson.kyschools.us
Robin Cash, Middle/High School Counselor / robin.cash@jefferson.kyschools.us

Need Student Support?

To connect with a member of the student support team complete THIS SUPPORT REQUEST FORM and we will assign a student support staff member to meet with the student as soon as possible.

Counselors

STAR STUDENTS for March 11, 2022!!!!

Star Students in grades K-2

Star Students in grades 3-12

Past Star Students

ELEMENTARY (K-5)

Need to talk to the Elementary School Counselor? Click HERE to see how.

MIDDLE/HIGH (6-12)

  • The Scheduling Handbook is now available for students and their supportive adults to view prior to meeting with Robin to schedule courses for the 2022-23 school year.

Repeat info:

  • Robin met with the Class of 2023 on March 15th and will continue meeting with students through mid-April to sign up for classes next year.

  • Robin will be visiting classes into early April to discuss scheduling courses for next year. Many opportunities are available such as new electives, UPS, Dual Credit, Career Pathways, and Work-Based Learning. Start thinking about which classes and/or programs will best enhance your educational experience!

TESTING:

  • Students who are working towards Career Readiness will be testing beginning Monday, March 28th. Information is distributed through Game Design, AP Comp Sci, and Project Based Programming classes.

  • Schedules for Kentucky State Assessments and AP exams will be available after Spring Break. Note that AP US History testing scheduled nationally May 6th will occur locally on the make-up date May 18th due to school not being in session May 6th.



Athletics

Spring Sports

Baseball:

Baseball picked up their first win this season, with a 17-6 victory over Western High School. They will practice several times over the break and will be ready to play St. Francis on Monday 4/11.

Softball:

Softball also got a big win this past week, beating Southern High School 17-12. The Lady Bears are getting better every game and will be back in action on Thursday 4/14 against Moore.

Tennis:

The tennis team picked up a big win over Walden and have had a great season so far. They are off until after spring break, but will return for a multi team match on 4/12 at Stansbury Park.

Middle School Soccer:

Middle school soccer started practice and coach Josh see's a lot of potential in both the boys and girls teams, and can't wait for games to begin after Spring 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.





Track:

Our track team will head to Central this Saturday for the Lenny Lyles meet before enjoying a much deserved rest during spring break. They will be excited to compete on April 20th.


High School Spring Coaches:

Baseball (7th-12th)- Jake Amettis - jacob.amettis@jefferson.kyschools.us

Softball (7th-12th)- Amanda Gravens - amandaggravens@yahoo.com

Track- Jelly Green- william.green@jefferson.kyschools.us

Tennis (7th-12th)- Matt Davis- matthew.davis@jefferson.kyschools.us

Athletic Director- Justin Leonard- Justin.leonard@jefferson.kyschools.us

Middle School Spring Sports:

Boys Soccer- TBA

Girls Soccer- Josh Luttrell- rja172307@gmail.com

Track- Jelly Green- william.green@jefferson.kyschools.us

Athletic Director- Matt Davis- matthew.davis@jefferson.kyschools.us


Family Matters

  • Please consider supporting JCPS students this spring as you search for community projects with the Mayor's Give a Day Celebration of Service. This year Give a Day lasts the entire month of April.

We're looking for individuals, community groups, businesses, and houses of worship to donate NEW pairs of children's pants in sizes 8 through 14. Items can be delivered to CAP during April and May, and all items will go directly to Jefferson County Public Schools students in the coming year. So far the 2021-22 school year has seen the highest level of need in CAP's 51-year history. CAP has already served more than 4,500 students with new and gently used clothing since July and more than 2,600 students with new shoes.

The lack of quality pants for boys and girls in sizes 8 through 14 remains a chronic challenge. Donations this spring will position us to offer quality and quantity items to students that schools are asking us to help.

There are many worthy community partners and projects on the Mayor's Give a Day Celebration of Service website. We hope you browse them all and support several of them. Here is ours: https://volunteer.metrounitedway.org/need/detail/...

  • Attention graduating seniors or Grade 14 students who have an IEP: $2,500 scholarship opportunity for 2 yr or 4 yr college, training program, or other educational opportunity! Two JCPS students will be selected for this award. Nomination deadline is April 11. https://content.govdelivery.com/.../POWERED%20BY...


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.


LG&E Assistance Information


Please contact me with questions or concerns.

Email: Elona.mack@jefferson.kyschools.us

Phone: 502-631-9146