Original Works orders due today
Today is the last day to order 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. Completed forms should be turned into your child’s teacher no later than TODAY, Wednesday, April 5. Contact Meredith Swindell at mlswindel@aol.com with questions.
Class and individual pictures tomorrow
Lifetouch will be back tomorrow to take individual spring photos (for those who want them) and class pictures. If you’re feeling adventurous, let your child decide what to wear — at least it will be memorable that way. If you want to pay online, go to www.mylifetouch.com and use the following codes: BW106290Q0 for individual photos and BW036165G0 for class photos. Or just send in a check with the order forms that came home in Wednesday folders.
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
Sign up for text messages from WCPSS
You may have already take care of this, but here’s your reminder just in case. WCPSS is offering text messaging and email for the School Messenger Notification System, including principal messages, school closings, early dismissals, attendance, special activities and school emergencies. To opt-in for text messages, text YES to 67587. If you’d like to customize the type of communications you’d like to receive on your phone or email, visit https://infocenter.schoolmessenger.com/ and create an account. Please note that changes made to the school account will not affect messages you receive from the PTA, the Foundation or the school through MemberHub.
State Board considers new language, math standards
- State Board of Education members will vote this month on revisions to the English Language Arts Standards. The revised standards will govern what students are expected to learn and be able to do in English language arts in each grade, K-12. The latest revisions were made after gathering feedback from local school districts, from the Academic Standards Review Commission and from the public. Revisions include an expanded description of the complete writing process, more focus in some grades on grammar and usage conventions, new handwriting standards in grade 2 to focus on cursive writing, and increased focus on reading persistence and the ability to connect prior knowledge and experiences to informational (non-fiction) text.
- The state has developed a survey to seek public input on the second draft of the state’s revised K-8 Mathematics Standards. The second draft takes into account local school district feedback. You may review the draft standards online prior to completing the survey. The survey deadline is 5 p.m. on April 20.
NC General Assembly considers school-related bills
Reach out to your legislators if you’d like to voice support for or against any of the following bills making their way through the General Assembly. Not sure who to contact? Visit the NCGA website and enter your address.
HB 458 School Annual Report Card:
- On the School Performance Grades law, this bill would change the current 80:20 (achievement:student growth) formula to having two separate grades entirely: one school grade for achievement and another school grade for growth.
- It would also prescribe the State Board of Education’s state accountability plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) by requiring SBE to use:
- the school achievement score and
- specific school performance indicators (e.g., promotion rates from 3rd to 4th grade and from 8th to 9th grade, science test scores, high school graduation rates, and English language proficiency assessments).
- Passed the House on Thursday; goes to the Senate.
School Calendar Flexibility
- HB 389 would set up a 20-school system 3-year pilot program allowing calendar flexibility for opening dates on the Monday closest to August 10 and closing dates on the Friday closest to June 11.
- HB 375 would permit an opening date of August 15 to align the date with the opening date of the community college serving that city or county.
- Read more about flexibility around school calendars from The N&O.
Class Size Allotment Concerns
- HB 13 — which would give districts flexibility in meeting class size requirements so as not to impact music, art, PE and technology teachers — has been sitting in the Senate Rules Committee since February 20.
- Senators appear to be crafting their own Senate solution. Please reach out to them to encourage action on this matter to protect our music, art, PE and technology classes at Joyner — read the full position statement from Wake PTA Council. Find more details in last week’s NewsFlash.
- Read more about the debate around flexibility for reducing class size from The N&O.
- Learn more from last weekend’s Education Matters broadcast about how the state funds public schools.
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.
Quick links
- Joyner PTA website
- Joyner glossary of terms
- J.Y. Joyner Foundation website
- Mrs. Hutchinson’s blog
- WCPSS email alerts and newsletters
- Lunch menus
- My School Bucks (lunch money app)
- WCPSS Online School Payments (for field trips)
- Mr. Fotta’s adoption site
- Triple P (Positive Parenting Program)
Calendar items
- April 6: Spring picture day and class photos
- April 6: Spanish dancing at 5:45 p.m. for participating students
- April 10-14: Spring break — no school
- April 19: Heritage Parade at 8:45 a.m. (contact dorr@wcpss.net to sign up for the parade or to volunteer your time and sewing skills
- April 20: PTA general membership meeting and 2nd grade/3rd grade/choir concert, 6:30 p.m.
- April 22: JYJ Gold Choir at the Carolina Mudcats (ticket forms due to Ms. Moore by April 7)
- April 27: JY Joyner Foundation gala
- May 4: Food Truck Frenzy and Night of Nonsense
- May 10: Kindergarten orientation, 8:35 a.m.