Back To School 2024-25
https://bit.ly/brownbacktoschool
Quick Links
Principal's Message
Dear Brown School Family,
Welcome to the 2024-25 school year! This is going to be an amazing year.
This year is my 26th year in education and my 17th year as a J. Graham Brown School family member. I truly believe that J. Graham Brown School is the best school in the multiverse - and that has absolutely nothing to do with test scores and rankings. Our Self-Directed Learning Framework and our vision of forging reasoned minds and educated hearts make this a learning environment like no other. Our dedicated faculty and staff go the extra mile to provide a rich, warm, and engaging learning environment based on our four dispositions - Independence, Empathy, Innovation, and Advocacy. Students who graduate from our school are remarkable human beings, ready to face the next challenge that awaits. Spend five minutes talking to our students and you'll see just how amazing they are!
Thank you so much for allowing us to help grow your student! It's an honor to be on this journey with you.
Love,
Dr. Angela
Events
🐻 Incoming Kindergarteners 2024
🐻 Kindergarten Brigance Testing
July 30, 2024
At the J. Graham Brown School, we want your child's first days of kindergarten to be productive and engaging. That's why we have our students complete the state-required Brigance Assessment before the first day of school. Our primary teachers give the assessment one-on-one, lasting approximately 20 minutes per student. In addition, a questionnaire must be completed onsite by one of the parents/ guardians familiar with the child's development.
While your child is testing, you can meet with our records clerk to turn in the required health paperwork. Please make sure you bring the items found at THIS LINK.
Please sign up for only ONE slot on the sign-up. The slot is for the student, and you must indicate how many total people/adults you bring. Thank you!
🐻 Kindergarten Camp
July 31, 2024
Students will participate in three fun activities, meeting some of their teachers and new classmates. They will also become familiar with the area of our school where they will be spending most of their days—Cubs Corner. This will help make the first day of school an easier transition.
Family members will participate in an orientation and hear everything they need to know about our kindergarten and Brown School protocols. We will go over drop-off/pick-up, classroom procedures, what students can wear, what the day will look like for students and lots more. There will be time for Q&A as well.
Our PTSA will be available to get families signed up, and school merchandise will be available for sale.
On the sign-up, only sign up for ONE slot. The slot is for the student and does not indicate how many total people/adults you are bringing. Additionally, only sign up for one session - either morning or afternoon. Thank you!
Orientation Sessions and Meet & Greet
Orientation Sessions
Our orientation sessions will cover topics such as:
Vision & Mission
Self-Directed Learning
School-Wide Expectations
Drop-off/Pick-up Procedures
Parent Involvement
School Fees & Lunch
Field Trips
School Policies
School Communication
How to Find Information
Addressing Concerns
Chromebooks
Q&A Time
PRESENTATION SLIDES FROM ORIENTATION
In-Person Orientation
Thursday, August 1st @ 10:30 AM
Brown School Auditorium
Virtual Orientation*
Thursday, August 1st @ 9:00 AM
*Recording will be posted here afterward.
Meet & Greet
Our Meet & Greet is an opportunity to locate classrooms, join the PTSA, purchase Brown School swag, say "Hi" to teachers, drop off school supplies, put items in lockers/cubbies (if available), drop off paperwork, pick up car rider tags, and get any last minute questions answered.
All first-time students to Brown should definitely attend to familiarize themselves with our facility prior to the first day of school.
Car rider tags will be handed out by the elementary homeroom teachers. Any middle and/or high school parent needing a car rider tag for their student will need to request one in the main office during the meet & greet.
Our Meet & Greet is scheduled for Wednesday, August 7th from 1:30-2:30 PM.
Required Forms and Paperwork
K-12 Enrollment Forms
All required school paperwork will be completed and submitted online. Please use the links below to access JCPS Parent Place and complete the forms online or for more information on using Parent Place.
Parent Place Account Setup and Forms
Online Registration & Form Process
Military Opt-Out Disclosure: Federal law requires schools to release the names, addresses, and numbers of all high school students to military recruiters. If you would like to opt your student out of military recruitment, please go to Parent Place, and complete the military opt-out form in the Optional Forms section. Please see THIS VIDEO for assistance or call the school for help.
Kindergarten Paperwork
All kindergarteners must have the following paperwork on file before the first day of school.
Required kindergarten paperwork
You may submit the paperwork in the following ways.
Scan the documents in PDF format and email them to our records clerk, Rita Myers.
Mail the documents to our school address: 546 S. First St. Louisville, KY 40202
Bring the documents to Kindergarten Camp, Brigance Assessment, or to the Meet & Greet.
6th Grade Paperwork
All 6th graders must have the following paperwork on file before the first day of school.
You may submit the paperwork in the following ways.
Scan the documents in PDF format and email them to our records clerk, Rita Myers.
Mail the documents to our school address: 546 S. First St. Louisville, KY 40202
Bring the documents to the Meet & Greet or to the in-person orientation.
School Fees and School Supplies
School Fees
At Brown School, we collect the Basic Fee (in green) from each student prior to school starting. As soon as your middle or high school schedule is finalized, you may pay the other elective course fees. Those families with an approved fee waiver form on file are not required to pay school fees.
Class/Fee Amount
Elementary Student Basic Fee - $25.00
Middle School Student Basic Fee* - $30.00
High School Student Basic Fee* - $50.00
Class Assessments 9th-12th (Fee Waiver Not Applicable) - $50.00
Advanced PE - $50.00
Band - $50.00
Ceramics/Sculpture - $50.00
Choir - $60.00
Computer Science/Robotics Electives - $50.00
Creative Writing - $30.00
Drama - $45.00
Instrument Rental - $50.00
Science Elective (HS) - $50.00
Suzuki/Orchestra - $40.00
Visual Art Electives - $40.00
*Basic Fee includes a $10 operational fee and the remaining portion is an instructional fee.
My School Bucks
MySchoolBucks (MSB) is used to pay fees and for school meals. Signing up for an account is simple! Go to the MSB website by clicking here, search for the state your school district is in (Kentucky), select the district (Jefferson County Public Schools), fill in your contact information, and add student(s) to your account.
Adding your default payment method also makes check-out quick and easy. Once you’re logged in, go to your profile icon on the upper right side of the screen and click on “My Billing Accounts” to get started. Note that the “AutoPay Settings” are strictly for low balances with meal accounts.
Once you start to receive invoices for your child, a notification will pop up each time you log in, alerting you of outstanding invoices that are linked to your child’s (Infinite Campus) class schedule. Simply add them to your basket and checkout, using the default payment method you set up or a different payment method.
If you have any questions regarding your login information or the site settings, reach out to the MSB support team via online chat on the website or by calling 1-855-832-5226 (M-F, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM).
School Supplies
HERE are the supply lists for K-8. Middle school students taking high school classes will receive supply lists on the syllabus on the first two days of school.
High school students will receive supply lists on the syllabus on the first two days of school.
Save a trip to the store and order your school supplies by July 1st at THIS LINK.
Medical Forms
If your student has a medical condition, we must have documentation on file. This includes if your student is self-carrying an asthma inhaler or an Epi-Pen. Please complete the forms below as soon as possible. New forms must be completed each year. Please visit the JCPS Health Services site to download the appropriate forms.
Important Information
Need to Knows
Before & After School
After-School Care through the YMCA Childcare Enrichment Program (onsite at Brown)
Car Rider Tags will be available for pick up at Orientation and the Meet & Greet.
Student drivers may purchase an 10-month parking pass to the Y Garage during Orientation and the Meet & Greet. The 10-month pass is $75 plus a $10 deposit. This serves as a fundraiser for our school and is a great savings for our students as Y Garage monthly parking costs $90 per month.
Infinite Campus Portal
Communication
The Bear Essentials
The Bear Essentials is our weekly family newsletter. It goes out on Wednesdays at noon, unless there is a shortened week or break from school. All parents who have signed up for School Messenger messages will receive a text and an email with the link unless you have opted out. Reading The Bear Essentials each week will keep you up to date on events, activities, and deadlines happening in our school. You can also find a link to The Bear Essentials on our home page.
School Messenger
School Messenger is the phone, email, and text messaging system used by Brown and JCPS to communicate our weekly newsletter, school cancellations, and safety alerts to you. It replaces our previous system. The following process will show you how to enter your contact information, set your preferences, and “opt-in” to continue receiving these messages from JCPS and/or your child’s school.
If you are a JCPS employee only, please click HERE for opt-in instructions.
If you are a JCPS parent or a JCPS employee AND parent, you may opt-in by texting the letter "Y" to 67587.
If you are a Brown School student, please click HERE to sign up.
If you'd like to customize the type of communications you'd like to receive on your phone or email, visit http://go.schoolmessenger.com and create an account. You can also set up and manage your contact information and preferences by downloading the [Blue] SchoolMessenger app from the Apple App Store or Google Play
If you require further assistance, please call the JCPS Technology Service Desk at (502) 485-3552.
Google Calendar
You can now subscribe to our school's Google calendar, and you can view it using the calendar app on your phone!
To add our school-wide event calendar, using your phone, click THIS LINK
To add our school-wide athletic calendar, using your phone, click THIS LINK
Need New Brown School Swag?
All new merchandise will be fulfilled by our third-party partners and will ship directly to you.
CLICK HERE to shop.
Change in Contact Information
If you are experiencing an address, phone, or email change over the summer, please notify the school secretary, Lisa Stevenson, so that she can make the appropriate updates in Infinite Campus.
The district and the school use the home addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers (text messages if signed up to receive those) to make sure that you receive communications needed throughout the summer and to remind you of important upcoming dates prior to the start of school for the 2023-24 school year.
Visiting Us This Summer
We are open from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM each day over the summer. (We are closed on holidays and close the early the day prior to a holiday.) If you need to visit us, please follow these procedures.
Please call us first to let us know you are coming! 502-485-8216
Ring the buzzer at the main door on S. 1st Street under the blue sign.