December 2024

 We are excited to welcome the incoming freshmen to Normal West and Normal Community.  Normal West and Normal Community will both be hosting Freshmen Orientation on Wednesday, December 4th starting at 6:30 pm.  Families may not know which high school boundary they live within, so please click on this link to find which high school your student will attend (based on your address) High School Boundary Map.  

There are a couple additional sessions prior to 6:30 that may be of interest to you.  Please read these carefully:

• If your child wishes to participate in the Computer Science Associate Degree program offered by Heartland Community College and Unit 5, there will be a meeting at NORMAL WEST HIGH SCHOOL at 5:30 pm in the West Auditorium.  This program is offered at West High School only; so if your child plans to participate in this program, they would attend Normal West High School.

• If you are interested in learning more about Honors Classes (Honors Classes: Are they for me?), Normal Community will offer an OPTIONAL session starting at 6:00 pm in the Auditorium.  Both schools offer Honors courses.  

Please click on the links below to read the welcome letter from your student's high school.  

• West Wildcat Welcome Letter- Freshmen Orientation 12/4/24

• NCHS Ironmen Welcome Letter - Freshmen Orientation 12/4/24

• (En Espanol) NCHS Ironmen Welcome Letter - Freshment Orientation 12/4/24

Welcome class of 2029!  We are excited to meet you.

Respectfully,

Dr. Angie Codron                                     Dr. Adam Zbrozek

Normal West High School                       Normal Community High School

Service Project for our Community    

The students on Team 8-1 would like to have a food & supply drive to help support the Neville House. The Neville House is a domestic violence shelter in Bloomington, IL that served over 750 local residents last year. Our goal is to collect as many items as possible between Monday, December 2, 2024, to Tuesday, December 17, 2024. As part of our social responsibility project, we would like to help out the less fortunate in our community. Drop-off locations will be in the KJHS lobby and outside of room 311. 

Here is a list of items Neville House needs: 

• Cleaning Supplies: Lysol spray, Clorox Wipes, garbage bags, dish soap, toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, hand soap (bar & liquid) 

• Toiletries: shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair brushes, combs, lotion, 

• Batteries: (AA, AAA, & 9v)  

• Non-Perishable food items: vegetables, soups, mac n’ cheese, pasta, etc.  

• Clothing: (Men, Women & Children - a variety of sizes) sweatpants, sweatshirts, t-shirts, new packaged socks, underwear, gym shoes 

• Grocery Store Gift Cards to purchase nonperishable items (Walmart, Meijer, Hyvee, Kroger)

Thanks for helping us give back to our community!

Sincerely,

Team 8-1 Students and Teachers

Fannie Mae Fundraiser: Get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping and support the KJHS PTO at the same time by shopping at Fannie Mae from 11 am to 4 pm on Saturday, November 30th. Show them this flyer and 30% of your purchase goes to the KJHS PTO. 

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Are you ready to shop for holiday gifts AND help our Unit 5 Junior Highs fill the library shelves with even more amazing books? Of course, you are! Mark your calendars for our Barnes and Noble Book Fair—it's a win-win situation! Here's how you can join the fun:

 In-Store Shopping: Thursday, December 7th
Online Shopping: Through December 9th (Use code 12821997 at checkout)

Here’s what’s in it for you (besides the warm fuzzies of supporting our school libraries):

• Your purchases = More books for our IMCs. A portion of every sale benefits our junior high libraries!

• Café treats count. Grab a coffee or snack while you’re at it. Guilt-free calories because it’s for the kids, right?

• Personalized book advice. Mrs. Glatt and Mrs. Knowles will be at Barnes and Noble on December 7th, ready to help you pick the perfect books for your student. Think of them as your personal book whisperers!

When shopping in-store, just let the cashier know you're there for the Unit 5 Book Fair, and for online shopping, don’t forget that magic code: 12821997.

So, whether you’re buying the next Percy Jackson novel, a cozy cookbook, or treating yourself to a peppermint mocha (it’s research fuel!), you’re helping our students discover more books to love.

Let’s make this the most wonderful book fair of the year!

Attendance is key to academic success. Students who miss two days a month (that's once every other week) this year will miss...

20 days of school

30 hours of math

60 hours of reading and writing

Over one year of school by graduation

Want some more information or helpful hints in increasing your student's attendance? Start with these helpful strategies. 

Just a couple of updates re KJHS social media...

1. We are now actively posting to our Kingsley Junior High School Facebook page. Thank you for your patience as we worked through some of the changes with Meta taking over Facebook. 

2. Postings on our social media are dependent on coaches and teachers sending information to Ms. Palmer. If you feel an activity is being left out, please reach to the coach or teacher and encourage them to send Ms. Palmer information/updates to post. 

Assistant Principal Dennis Larson (larsond@unit5.org; 557-4858) is the primary administrator for students in 6th and 7th grade while Associate Principal Sylvester Davis (davissy@unit5.org; 557-4962) is the primary administrator for students in 8th grade. If you have a concern about a behavior issue with your student, please contact your student's AP. 

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

  • • • • • • • • 6th & 7th Grade: Mr. Larson (557-4858 or larsond@unit5.org)

                • 8th Grade: Mr. Davis (557 - 4962 or davissy@unit5.org) 

• Student emotional or social issues: Student's Guidance Counselor

  • • • • • • • • Last Name A-K: Mrs. Kimberly Johnson (johnsonk@unit5.org)

                • Last Name L-Z: Mrs. Breanna Schwarz (schwarb@unit5.org)

• Student schedules: KJHS Guidance office (557-4899)

• Student support services: KJHS Guidance office (557-4899)

• Issues with KJHS staff member: Ms Elisa Palmer (palmere@unit5.org; 557-4574)

• Curriculum questions: Ms Elisa Palmer (palmere@unit5.org; 557-4574)

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. 

Unit 5 Junior High Athletics now has its own Instagram account. You can follow all the Unit 5 Junior High Athletics action by following them at u5jhathletics. 

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.