J. Graham Brown School
Bear Essentials
November 3, 2021, Issue #13
Embedded Files
Principal's Message
Principal's Message
Dear Brown School family,
We always have a fun time at Brown celebrating spirit and dress up days. Last Friday was no exception. There were so many fun costumes throughout the building. Additionally, our seniors were treated to a surprise pumpkin carving session! All the while, our sophomores, who didn't have a freshman orientation/retreat their 9th-grade year due to COVID, were given a super special day. It was one of those days that really made you feel wonderful, because there were so many smiling faces and laughs. I personally felt blessed.
The application window is now open for students to apply to their schools of choice. Our current 5th and 8th graders do not need to apply to Brown in order to stay here for middle or high school; current students automatically move on to the next grade level. If you have any questions about admissions for your other family members or friends, please check out our admissions page.
Love,
Dr. Angela
Quick Links
Quick Links
This Week's Essentials
This Week's Essentials
"Peace Park After Dark" High School Social/Dance
"Peace Park After Dark" High School Social/Dance
We are so excited to announce that we will be having an OUTDOOR Social / Dance for our High School Students on Saturday, November 13th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. This dance will be held in Peace Park ( AND IT’S FREE! ) We will have a DJ, light refreshments, a hot chocolate bar, and a photo-op prop area. To attend you must have proof/record of a negative covid result from that week. We will have security present as well.
Attendees must sign up in advance and receive a ticket, but there is NO COST. You may also receive a ticket in advance for a guest/date. If you COVID test at school on Thursday, we will have a record of a negative test result and you will be admitted to the social / dance. If you do not test at school, we must have a copy of your negative COVID test result by 12:00 pm on Friday 11/12. If you are bringing a guest/date and they must also have proof of a negative COVID screening test dated from Nov. 8- Nov. 12 to be admitted.
The tickets will be available starting Monday, Nov. 8th at the attendance desk in the lobby.
*** Words of wisdom to our high schoolers who plan to attend: dress in layers as it will be chilly. Also, we ask that students not wear heels because the ground will be muddy, and we don’t want anyone twisting an ankle. Please bring a face-covering/mask in case you need to enter the building for the restroom.
Required COVID Testing
Required COVID Testing
The district's "Test to Play" program launches this Monday, November 1. The initiative requires ANY JCPS student – in elementary, middle or high school – who participates in any regular extracurricular activity or sport to take a free weekly COVID-19 test, regardless of vaccination status. This includes ALL clubs, academic competitions, sports, practices, that meet weekly.
REQUIRED FORM | Students must have a consent form on file to get tested at school or at one of the after-school drive-thru sites. If families have already filled out a consent form for weekly testing in school, they do not need to complete another form. Parents and guardians can find the consent form under the list of the required forms in Parent Place.
Click HERE to complete a student consent form.
Device Damage
Device Damage
We have had several students reporting damage to their school Chromebook. Damage from water because of open water bottles in backpacks. Once a device has water damage then it is labeled Condemned – Physical and/or liquid damage - Out of Warranty. This is a big loss to our school's tech inventory.
While we understand accidents happen like broken screens and even a family pet chewing a cord, please try to protect your device. You may even want to look into placing the device inside a laptop sleeve to add a layer of protection while traveling with it. Here are some examples from Target and Walmart.
Remember:
Never eat or drink around the device
Don't carry the device by the screen
Don't place the device on the ground
When walking close the lid and carry it will both hands
Don't set it on the edge of the table or desk
From Walmart -$10.40 Waterproof Thickest Soft Sleeve Bag Case Protective Slim Laptop Case (Click Here)
Walter Zausch, PTSA President brownptsa.president@gmail.com
Parent-Teacher Student Association (PTSA)
Parent-Teacher Student Association (PTSA)
JOIN THE 2021-2022 PTSA!
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 October will be entered for a drawing of a gift bag of Brown School merchandise, clothing, and other goodies.
Membership Drive: SWAG BAG Drawing
Membership Drive: SWAG BAG Drawing
CONGRATS TO BRAD NUSS for being our September Winner for the Swag Bag Drawing.
Join the PTSA and earn a chance to win a J. Graham Brown School Swag Bag!
PTSA Meetings for 2021-2022, 6:00 PM
PTSA Meetings for 2021-2022, 6:00 PM
Our meetings are in person at the school, or via Zoom, CLICK HERE
November 16, 2021
December 14, 2021
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
Announcing our new Merchandise Site!
Announcing 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
Christy Teague, Elementary School Counselor / christy.teague@jefferson.kyschools.us
Robin Cash, Middle/High School Counselor / robin.cash@jefferson.kyschools.us
Robin Cash, Middle/High School Counselor / robin.cash@jefferson.kyschools.us
Counselors
Counselors
Tip of the week: Students in grades 6-12 with IDs have many resources at their fingertips. On the back of the ID is the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233, National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673, National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255, Ky Health and Human Services General Info: 1-800-372-2973, and Child/Adult Abuse-KYSAFE-1-877597-2331. Please take a minute to point this out to your student, it might help them or a friend in the future!
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.
We Will, We Will HELP YOU - a song to remind students/parents that we are here to help!
ELEMENTARY (K-5)
ELEMENTARY (K-5)
Counseling Lessons
Counseling Lessons
Click HERE to view Miss Christy's Core Counseling Curriculum (CCC) Lesson schedule and lessons. Also, check out 21-22 Elementary World for more resources.
MIDDLE/HIGH (6-12)
MIDDLE/HIGH (6-12)
AP Test ordering is upon us. KDE just announced on Monday 10/18 a cost reduction for exams. Students will bring home a paper for a parent to sign agreeing to the tests ordered or confirming the student is not testing. The new exam price will be shared soon, but the papers coming home might still have the old price of $95 on them. We anticipate the new price to be much lower. As always, students approved for Free/Reduced Lunch do not pay for exams. If you think your family may be eligible, please complete the Application for Free/Reduced Lunch.
Junior Seminar Teacher, Norah.Wakefield@jefferson.kyschools.us
College Connection
College Connection
In an effort to streamline information and keep it separate from other senior announcements we have created a new google classroom dedicated to JUST SCHOLARSHIPS. JOIN HERE
We have lots of College Reps visiting our seniors in seminar class. Ask your senior Wahts
Amanda Klakamp, Librarian
Book Fair
Book Fair
Mark your calendars for November 29th to December 8th because the Book Fair is returning!
To keep crowds to a minimum, we will run the BOOK FAIR a little differently but will give everyone plenty of chances to come up and see us. We are asking for LOTS of parent volunteers (From setup to run it during the day, to tearing it down).
For additional information or to inquire about assisting us with our Brown School Book Fair, please contact amanda.klakamp@jefferson.kyschools.us
Athletics
Athletics
High School Cross Country:
High School Cross Country:
Our cross country team had a great State meet this past Saturday. Our girls team finished 8th in the State with 1 senior leader and the rest 7th and 8th graders. Taylor Morris finished 11th (and medaled), Annie Gilbert 22nd, Lucie O'Brien 65th, Trista Morris 78th, Liltoyria Bohler 88th, Erin Rogers 120th and Maisie Smith 141st. Our boys also did a great job, with Duffy Oakley finishing 160th and Oliver Zausch with 182nd.
Winter Sports:
Winter Sports:
Swim Team
Swim Team
The Brown School swim team will be hosting a series of stroke clinics at Central High School this fall. The clinics will address the finer topics and techniques of competitive swimming. Click the link to learn more. LINK
Middle school swimming has their first meet this Friday 11/5/21 at Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center. Lets Go Swimming Bears!!
Bowling Team
Bowling Team
Bowling had their first match last week, against St. X. They had a great showing in a very tough match. We are looking forward to seeing this team grow, in hopes of another State tournament run.
Archery
If any student in grades 9-12 is interested in archery, please reach out to coach Jennifer to receive information about the season.
Middle School Cheer
Middle School cheer has begun practice, but if anyone else in grades 6th-8th that is interested, should reach out to Ally as soon as possible.
Elementary Basketball/Cheer
Elementary basketball for grades 3rd-5th will begin at a later date this year. We are looking at the season to start in January, with practices beginning in December. We will get the information out soon with the details.
Winter sports have begun. Please reach out to the coaches listed below, in order to get more information. All student-athletes must 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.
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:
Boys Basketball- Jermill Bibb- jbibb20@gmail.com
Girls Basketball- Josh Luttrell- rja172307@gmail.com
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
Family Matters
Listen to NCFL president, Dr. Felicia Cumings Smith, on the "Be The Leader You Deserve" podcast as she discusses sustainability for #FamilyEngagement with Jill Handley and Lara Donnelly from Jefferson County Public Schools Kenwood Elementary.
Family Resource Youth Service Center
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
Cultural Connections
We wanted to give a shout out to Gregory Grazette! Greg is a National Board Certified Teacher in our school who emigrated from Barbados. He will be leading a district-wide training on empowering learners to engage with the greater community with empathy and curiosity, from the perspective of an immigrant. We are so proud of his work, and look forward to implementing this training into our practices at Brown.
Community
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
COVID Testing
Drive-Thru Testing Option
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
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.
Purchase Baby Ads and a Yearbook!
Purchase Baby Ads and a Yearbook!
Yearbook Baby Ads are a great way for parents, families, and friends to commemorate student achievement and important milestones. To purchase your Ad(s) online hit Baby Ads!
Since copies are limited, we ask that you please order your yearbook online as soon as possible. Jostens offers a payment plan at checkout for your purchase if you would like to use that option. If you would like to purchase a yearbook, click on the link below.
Brown Bears Swimming Clinics
Brown Bears Swimming Clinics
The Brown School swim team will be hosting a series of stroke clinics at Central High School this fall. The clinics will address the finer topics and techniques of competitive swimming. Click the link to learn more. LINK
Lost and Found
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
CLEP TESTING PROGRAM
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
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