NewsFlash | Original Works, school garden, 5K t-shirts, plus useful policy information

Posted on by Cyndi O'Neil

Study Buddies are awesome

PTA volunteer Kate Parke revived the JYJ Study Buddies program this year to rave reviews! Teachers report that students in the program eagerly anticipate their study buddy visits, are more enthusiastic about school work, and are thriving with the one-on-one time. One volunteer expected her students wouldn’t benefit too much from such a short time span, but has found that students are prepared and can’t wait to show her their progress each week — and she feels a positive connection with the students, making it a win on both sides.

It’s not too late to help out — we still have more than 20 spots to fill and we’re already planning great things for next school year. Contact Kate at kparke24@gmail.com for more information.

 

Create a family heirloom (or just make your kid happy)

Choose personalized gifts with your child’s artwork! Check your child’s backpack or Wednesday folder for artwork and ordering instructions for this year’s Original Works school fundraiser. Choose among lots of great products featuring your child’s very own artwork. Completed forms should be turned into your child’s teacher no later than Wednesday, April 5. Contact Meredith Swindell at mlswindel@aol.com with questions.

 

Oh, say can you see JYJ sing for the Mudcats?

The JYJ Gold Choir will sing the National Anthem at the Carolina Mudcats baseball game on Saturday, April 22, at 5 p.m. To purchase discounted tickets to the game, fill out this form (saved in the JYJ hub files) and give it to Ms. Moore by April 7. Make checks payable to Carolina Mudcats for $7 per ticket (regular price is $10) — no cash accepted.

 

Upgrades coming to JYJ garden

A few fantastic Joyner parents have been working hard to get the old garden (outside the main office beside the gym) into shape. We hope you’ll take a look and see how it has changed so far — or just ask your kids! If you’re interested in volunteering, help is always welcome — contact Julie Dalton (Julie.e.dalton@gmail.com) or Elizabeth Harris (lizaharris21@gmail.com). Even if you don’t have a green thumb, we’d love your help with watering

They are in need of a few things that can be dropped off at the garden area:

  • Plant food
  • Bird bath
  • Bags of soil
  • If you have any native plants in need of dividing or that you want to get rid of, contact Elizabeth at lizaharris21@gmail.com

 

Keep up with student progress

As parents, we play a large part in our children’s education — but with our busy schedules, it can be easy to lose track of what’s happening in the classroom. Our Joyner teachers do a top-notch job keeping our kids inspired to learn and meeting important goals and objectives. On top of it, they keep us informed as parents, too! For those who want to know even more as we head into 4th quarter, there’s a lot of information to be found on the Joyner, WCPSS and PTA websites. Specific resources include:

  • Wake County Public School System provides an overview of the goals/objectives your teachers will be covering on a quarterly basis by subject for each grade level.
  • The National PTA website offers lots of resources to help parents understand and set expectations for academic standards, including a Parents’ Guide to Student Success to provide clear, consistent expectations for what students should be learning at each grade in order to be prepared for college and career.

 

Advocacy: Protecting schools from teacher cuts

Due to state-mandated reduction in class sizes for next school year, the current state budget may cause elementary schools to cut teaching positions for specials, including art, PE, music and technology. While lowering class size is a worthy goal, schools will be forced to reallocate funds currently used to pay for specials to cover the hiring of additional classroom teacher positions. To allow districts flexibility with class sizes, the House unanimously passed HB 13. However the bill has languished in the Senate Rules Committee. (Read more here from The N&O.)

Wake County PTA Council supports the passage of HB13, which would adjust language in the North Carolina budget, giving school districts the ability to exceed class size limits by six students per class in K- 3. The passage of HB13 would allow for the retention of arts, music and other cultural arts programming, as well the retention of qualified educators to teach these classes. Read the full statement from Wake PTA.

Parents interested in advocating for this bill — or a similar fix to this challenge — can contact your NC Senator to request action on HB 13 as soon as possible so that schools can make appropriate plans for the coming school year:

You can also share your concerns with members of the Senate Education Committee by email, phone calls and in-person meetings.

 

Limited 5K t-shirts still available

For only $5, you can look like you ran the Joyner 5K without having to do the work. To purchase a shirt(s), please send a check (payable to JY Joyner PTA) or cash to your child’s teacher in an envelope marked “JYJ 5K t-shirts.” Include a note with the number of shirts and sizes (youth small through adult XXL) you want, your child’s name, teacher’s name and your email address. Once your payment is received, we will deliver the shirts to your child’s classroom.

One thought on “NewsFlash | Original Works, school garden, 5K t-shirts, plus useful policy information”

  1. Pingback: NewsFlash | Artwork orders today, class pictures tomorrow + state-level education news | JY Joyner PTA

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