April 2024
A Note from Ms. Palmer, KJHS Principal
Dear Kingsley families,
This school year is just flying by! At the time of this publication (4/3/24), we have 35 days left in the 23-24 school year. So much learning left to do and so little time to do it in! The fourth quarter is a time of both continuation of learning for this school year and preparing to transition to next school year as we say good bye to the KJHS Class of 24 and welcome the KJHS Class of 27. Our staff theme this year is "Celebrate" (to honor the 20th birthday of KJHS) and, as we look back over the year, we have so many things to celebrate. While some, such as state championships, are obvious, others are more subtle. Every day we see the KJHS students exhibiting growth and we are so proud of the people they are becoming. They have spent the school year sharing their talents and interests with us and it is exciting to see what they have achieved. Thank you for all you do to support them. I know that many of you spend hours shuttling students to and from school activities (including waiting the parking lot for practice to be done), attending school events, and planning your schedule around their actvities. Thank you for investing in them so they can be involved in our Kingsley community. We appreciate your commitment and sacrifice!
Ms. Palmer
KJHS Updates
KJHS PTO Happenings
Upcoming Meeting
The last PTO meeting of the year is Monday, May 13th at 6:30 pm in the KJHS IMC. Please join us in person or virtually.
Leadership Opportunities
The KJHS PTO has some leadership opportunities for the 24-25 school year. Due to student graduations, the positions of president, vice president and secretary are available. If you are interested in serving in one of these positions, please contact PTO president Nikki Maurer at kjhspto@gmail.com.
Dine to Donate
PTO has two Dine to Donate events coming up during the 4th quarter: Chipotle on April 10th and Portillos on May 2nd.
Fundraisers
Below are opportunities to help the KJHS PTO raise money to support the KJHS students and staff by doing things like funding teachers' classroom grant requests to enhance instruction, provide staff with uplifting luncheons and treats, purchase furniture to allow for flexible learning spaces, and much more!
PTO No Hassle Fundraiser: The easiest way to support the important work of the KJHS PTO is to make a donation through our No Hassle Fundraiser.
The PTO is selling Papa Murphy coupon cards for $5. If you are interested in purchasing one, please email the PTO at kjhspto@gmail.com.
The Gobena Coffee Fundraiser is an ongoing one and an excellent opportunity to try some new, local coffee as well as raise money to help the PTO support our KJHS teachers.
Want more information on the KJHS PTO?
Visit the KJHS PTO Web Site
Solar Eclipse Viewing: 4/8/24
Thanks to donations from Rivian and Halo, McLean County Unit 5 has purchased solar eclipse viewing glasses for students and staff. These glasses are both ISO and NASA certified. In order to participate in the viewing, students must have a signed permission form. Students who do not have a signed permission form will participate in other learning activities during that time.
Cubs vs Cardinals Tickets
The district is still looking for staff interested in being part of the SBG task force work and will be extending the application deadline. The following areas are still in need of applicants:
Middle School-Math, Science, Social Studies, Exploratory, Music, PE, ESL, LBSI Resource, Instructional, Specialized Services
Please use this form to apply by 4/23.
MIDDLE SCHOOL Standards-Based Practices, Assessment, & Grading
Wonderful World of Kingsley
The KJHS Drama Club invites you to join us for an evening of musical celebration as they present "The Wonderful World of Kingsley". You will greatly enjoy this showcase of Disney songs performed by our talented Kingsley students! Shows are on 4/19 (6 pm) and 4/20 (2 pm). Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5 for students and $10 for adults. We're looking forward to seeing you there!
8th Grade Activity Night - May 22nd
KJHS will celebrate the Class of 2024 on Wednesday, May 22nd from 6-8 pm with an activity night. Plans tentatively include dancing, games, and refreshments. We're looking forward hosting this celebration of our outgoing 8th graders.
PTO Dine to Donate Events
PTO has two Dine to Donate events coming up during the 4th quarter: Chipotle on April 10th and Portillos on May 2nd.
KJHS is hosting a 6th Grade Welcome Night on Monday, April 29th, from 6-7:30 pm, to welcome our incoming sixth graders, the KJHS Class of 2027.
Tardy Initiative Updates
We are happy to share that tardies for the 23-24 3rd quarter were down 13% in comparison to the 3rd quarter in the 22-23 school year. We continue to see 1st hour as our highest source of tardies with 1st hour tardies accounting for 36.4% of the overall number of tardies.
KJHS PBIS Updates
KJHS PRIDE
This month's KJHS PRIDE focus is D is for "Determination". Students will be discussing what determination looks like when tackling a challenge.
March's KJHS PRIDE focus was I is for "Integrity". Here is the lesson that was shared with students in March.
Behavior Updates
We are continuing to see behaviors improve overall as the school year continues. For the 3rd quarter, here are the top 5 (actually 6 because of a tie for 5th) behavior issues:
Insubordination/noncompliance: 16.4%
Unauthorized Area: 15.1%
Disruptive Behavior: 14.9%
Cell Phone: 6.7%
Disrespect to Peers: 5.8%
Excessive Tardies: 5.8%
K-Cart Wish List
The KJHS K-Cart is an integral part of our PBIS system, providing opportunities on a weekly basis for students to purchase items with the K Cash they earned by showing appropriate school behavior. The K-Cart cost approximately $200/week to operate and we operate it 12 weeks each semester. The KJHS PTO provides a $1000/semester stipend to assist with these costs but that leaves a remaining cost of approximately $1400/semester. BELT students worked concessions throughout the fall semester to help raise funds but they could use some assistance in purchasing K-Cart items for the spring. If you would like to make a donation, please check out the K-Cart Amazon Wish List. Please have any items ordered sent to the address below. In addition, feel free to purchase any of the items locally and drop them off at the KJHS main office. Thanks so much for your support!
Kingsley Junior High School Attn: KCart
303 Kingsley Street
Normal, IL 61761-2941
Continuum of Engagement
Many adult conversations focus on how engaged students are in class. Here at KJHS, we are using the Continuum of Engagement Framework as a way to get students thinking about how engaged they are in their own learning. We encourage you to examine this framework and use this when talking to your student about how engaged they are in their classes when it comes to learning.
IMC Wish List
The KJHS IMC is hoping to "shower" the shelves with some great new titles for your students. Want to help us out? Simply click on our wishlist, purchase any title, and it will automatically be shipped directly to Kingsley Junior High School for the IMC.
KJHS Essentials
Navigating Student Conflicts
Given the fact that we have over 700 students in our KJHS community, conflicts are bound to occur. If your student is experiencing an issue with another student and needs adult assistance to help work things out, please encourage them to complete the "What's Up Kingsley?" form. This will alert the adults in the building to the issue and we will direct the students involved to the KJHS resource best suited to the conflict.
Who Do I Contact at KJHS?
Knowing who to contact at KJHS about certain issues can be challenging. We hope this mini-guide helps as to who to contact first when you are needing assistance.
Absences (partial or full day): KJHS Attendance line (309-557-4456)
Classroom level issues (grades, behavior, etc.): Your student's teacher(s)
General questions about KJHS: KJHS Main Office line (309 - 557-4407)
Student information/registration updates: KJHS Guidance office (557-4899)
Sports related questions: Mrs. Menken (557-4862 or menkenk@unit5.org) or Mr. Davis (557 - 4962 or davissy@unit5.org)
Student behavior issues: Student's AP
Last name A-K: Mr. Larson (557-4858 or larsond@unit5.org)
Last name L-Z: Mr. Davis (557 - 4962 or davissy@unit5.org)
Student schedules: KJHS Guidance office (557-4899)
Student support services: KJHS Guidance office (557-4899)
Monitoring Student Progress
Infinite Campus: Infinite Campus is the main tool that we use to communicate students' progress and attendance with our KJHS families. You can set the Infinite Campus to send you notifications regarding your student's attendance and grades. Don't have the app yet? Visit the Unit 5 link to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and download the app. Here are some helpful hints:
a. When looking up the district, enter "mcl", select "Illinois" and then hit "search". McLean County Unit 5 will pop up.
b. Your username and password are the same ones you use to log into IC on a computer. Don't remember your password? Call the KJHS Guidance Office (309) 557- 4899 and we will reset your password so you can get access to your account. Trying to access after office hours? Drop Ms. Palmer an email (palmere@unit5.org) and she will get you set up as soon as she can.
The online gradebooks in Infinite Campus should reflect your student's current performance in their classes. If you have a question about what is appearing online in the gradebook, please reach out to your student's teachers. Please remember that KJHS uses standards based teaching and learning. Here's a reminder of what those numbers you are seeing represent. Want to learn more? Check out the Unit 5 SBG Guide.
Temporary Changes in Busing
If you are wanting your child to ride a different bus on a certain day (i.e. , they are riding home with a friend), please contact the Transportation Office (309-557- 4287) to make this arrangement as they will need to notify the bus driver. Please do this as early as possible in order to ensure that the message is communicated. KJHS cannot make this arrangement for you.
Outside Food & Drink
Just a reminder that while students are allowed to bring lunch from home, they are not allowed to have food from outside restaurants delivered to KJHS during the school day (by family, delivery service, etc.).
Unit 5 Updates
Unit 5 Podcast
Want to know more about Unit 5? Check out our new podcast, Inside Unit 5!
This monthly podcast is dedicated to highlighting information and news for Unit 5’s parents, students, educators, and community members.
Athletics & Clubs
Stream Team is Bringing KJHS Home Games to Your Home!
Want to enjoy KJHS home games from the comfort of your own home? Check out our Kingsley Activities You Tube page for live streams of all home events and enjoy how our student led Stream Team broadcasts each and every game!
Kingsley Clubs and Activities
Incoming students & families often ask "how can my child get involved & participate in the Kingsley community?" Great question!
Off of the main page of the Kingsley website, there is an "extracurriculars" page with our club and activity information. For students, we post club information in the daily announcements & on "What's Kickin' at Kingsley?" bulletin boards throughout the school. Here is a list of our current clubs:
Black Student Union Flobinet Choir Not In Our School
Board Game Club GSA Percussion Club
Byte by Byte Club Harry Potter Club Pokemon Club
Chess Club Jazz Band Rubix Cube Club
Drama Club Kingsley Bible Club Speech/Debate Team
D&D/MTG Club Kingsley News Spirit Club
FCCLA Kingsley Stream Team Tech Club
Fellowship of Student Athletes (FCA) Kingsley Student Council Yearbook
KJHS Book Club Crochet Club Animal Wellness Club
Dates to Note
April
2-4: 8th Grade ISA Testing
12: Teacher Institute (No School)
29: 6th Grade Welcome Night (6 - 7:30 pm)
May
1: Early Release (11:45 am)
13: PTO Meeting (6:30 pm KJHS IMC)
22: Field Day
22: 8th Grade Activity Night (6-8 pm)
23: Last Day of School (11:45 am release)
Stay Up to Date!
Be sure to mark school holidays, teacher institute days, and early release days on your calendar!
Daily Announcements are shown each lunch period daily & posted on the main page of the KJHS website.
Stay Connected
To stay connected to our Kingsley community, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, &/or Twitter.
You can also visit our school website for additional information. Please be patient as changes are being made to the website to ensure the most updated information is provided.
At any time you can also reach out by email to palmere@unit5.org
#KingsleyCARES
Student Council is putting on a dance from 3:45 - 5:30 in the KJHS cafeteria. The theme is "Winter Glow" and tickets are on sale now. Attendance is limited to 250 students and students with a 2nd quarter ISS or OSS will not be allowed to attend the event.