Blog

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Hope everyone is enjoying today’s teacher workday and has a wonderful holiday with plenty to eat the rest of the week. Just a few trending topics for you before we settle into the turkey…

#giveback

If you got a tag from the snowman tree, don’t forget to bring your gifts back to school by Monday, Dec. 7. There are still more than a dozen tags left, so please stop by the office next week to pick one up if you haven’t already. You can also take advantage of those holiday sales to pick up some children’s socks and deodorant to donate at school. Contact Andrea Burston at aburston@wcpss.net with questions.

#booksfordays

Get ready for the annual PTA book fair, Dec. 7-11 — check the PTA calendar for details. Lots of volunteers are needed to help this important event run smoothly. For more information, contact co-chairs Laura Moreschi at lauramoreschi@gmail.com or Catherine Otto at catherineeotto@gmail.com.

#nerdtastic

Hour of Code is coming back to Joyner! Computer Science Week starts Dec. 7, and teachers will be running sessions to help connect kids with coding. To help the sessions run smoothly, we need volunteers to be an extra set of hands and a great resource for students to share ideas — no coding experience needed! The activities and games are developed by code.org to be age appropriate for each grade level. Please consider helping your child’s class, or more than one class session if you have the time. You will be amazed by what the kids are learning and doing during the Hour of Code! Be on the lookout for a signup sheet in MemberHub shortly after Thanksgiving — contact Matt Harrell at matt.harrell@memberhub.com with questions.

Quick links

• Mrs. Hutchinson’s blog: “Reading the books our children read”
• WCPSS email alerts and newsletters
• November lunch menu
• My School Bucks (lunch money app)
• WCPSS Online School Payments (for field trips)

Calendar items

• Dec. 7: Snowman Tree gifts due
• Dec. 7-11: Book Fair
• Dec. 7-11: Hour of Code
• Dec. 10: Holiday concert and PTA general membership meeting
• Dec. 18: Early release and teacher/staff appreciation lunch provided by PTA
• Dec. 21: Teacher workday (and beginning of the winter holiday)

Have an announcement to include in a future edition of the NewsFlash? Submit your article on the PTA website. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @pta_joyner.

Last chance to pre-pay for the Dance-A-Thon

Just a few more days before the The J.Y. Joyner Foundation cranks up the disco balls and the glow sticks! Hope to see you this Friday, Nov. 20, from 5:30-7:30 p.m.for the Dance-A-Thon at the JYJ overhang. Buy your wristband in the front lobby before school through Thursday and add your spare change to the teacher dance jars. Invite your friends and RSVP on the Facebook event by clicking here to let the food trucks know how many people to expect. Tickets will also be available at the event — and every dollar raised for the Foundation makes our Spanish department stronger.

Bring some JYJ cheer

Looking for a way to give back this holiday season? Check out the JYJ snowman tree in the main office (available starting Friday morning) to help out our families in need of assistance during the holidays. We have more families needing assistance this year, so there will be more numbers on the tree. If you would like to help by donating gifts, just take a number off the snowman tree, fill out the bottom portion and return it to our school counselors, Andrea Burston or Jessie Hunt, so they can keep track of returned gifts. Please bring in all wrapped gifts (in a bag please) with the tag number by Monday, Dec. 7.  

We are also collecting new socks to donate to Note in the Pocket, a charity organization that provides clothing to WCPSS children in need, and deodorant (any type for men or women) to donate to the Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network (WIHN). Look for the bins at the front entrance for socks and deodorant donations. Thank you for all of your support! If you have questions, please contact Andrea Burston at aburston@wcpss.net.

Holiday shopping at the JYJ Book Fair

Help the PTA raise money for the JYJ media center and knock out some of your holiday shopping while you’re dropping off your kids at school! Our annual book fair will take place Dec. 7-11 during school hours, opening every day from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Sales end at noon on Dec. 11. Can’t make it during the school day? We’ll have two special extra-hours events:

• On Wednesday, Dec. 9, enjoy early morning shopping starting at 7:30 a.m.
• On Thursday, Dec. 10, hours extend until the beginning of the PTA general membership meeting and our holiday concert at 6 p.m.

New this year is an online book fair! Forward the link to grandparents and other family members to purchase wish list items and pick them up at the book fair: http://bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/joynerelemsch1.

Lots of volunteers are needed to help this important event run smoothly.Please sign up on MemberHub. For more information, contact co-chairs Laura Moreschi at lauramoreschi@gmail.com or Catherine Otto at catherineeotto@gmail.com.

Share after-school, holiday and summer camp ideas

We’ve created three whiteboards in MemberHub to give parents a place to make recommendations and look for suggestions — check the links below to jump to each whiteboard, then click the EDIT button at the top of the page to add your ideas (be sure to SAVE at the bottom of the page when you’re done). If you’ve got other similar topics that you wish had their own whiteboard, let us know by replying to this email with your request.

• After-school programs with transportation
• Teacher workday/school holiday activities
• Summer camp options (yes, we know it’s early, don’t panic!)

Turning markers into fuel

Thanks to all who have brought in your old markers for the Crayola ColorCylce program! After a little over a month, we have collected 170 markers to recycle. Remember you can send in ANY brand of marker and drop them in the colorful collection bins near Ms. Burston’s office and Mr. Fotta’s room — keep bringing them in! Contact Rebecca Blum if you have questions.

Hooray for science!

A quick shout-out to the following companies, organizations and agencies who were represented at last week’s Science-Go-Round:

• NC Museum of Natural Sciences
• Lake Crabtree County Park
• North Carolina State Parks
• National Institute of Environmental Health (JYJ parent)
• We Plant It Forward (JYJ alum parent)
• Harris Lake County Park
• Cary Academy Robotics Team
• Wake County Solid Waste Services
• SAS (JYJ parent)
• North Carolina State Crime Laboratory: Latent Evidence Section
• The Traveling Tortoise
• IBM
• Wake Tech Community College
• Microsoft (JYJ parent)
• NCSU Chemistry Department
• Wild Animal Encounters

Quick links

• Mrs. Hutchinson’s blog: “Building Citizenship”
• WCPSS email alerts and newsletters
• November lunch menu
• My School Bucks (lunch money app)
• WCPSS Online School Payments (for field trips)

Calendar items

• Nov. 20: Nacho bar for teachers/staff provided by PTA
• Nov. 20: JY Joyner Foundation Dance-A-Thon, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Nov. 25: Teacher workday
• Dec. 7-11: Book Fair
• Dec. 10: Holiday concert and PTA general membership meeting
• Dec. 18: Early release and teacher/staff appreciation lunch provided by PTA
• Dec. 21: Teacher workday (and beginning of the winter holiday)

Have an announcement to include in a future edition of the NewsFlash? Submit your article on the PTA website. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @pta_joyner.

Blinding them with science this Friday

The 22nd annual Science Go Round is this Friday, with 19 different presenters sharing hands-on learning with students! We still need volunteers to help make the day go smoothly, especially for the afternoon classroom assistant shift from 11:45 a.m. – 2 p.m. Please follow the links below or just email Hannah and Renay to help out.

• Sign up to help: Shifts run as early as 7:30-8:30 a.m. and as late as 1:45-2:30 p.m. Volunteer positions include helping presenters bring in supplies, serving lunch and assisting in the classroom (no science experience needed!). Contact Hannah Boston at hannahboston@gmail.com with questions.
• Sign up to bring food: We like to say thank you to our school staff, presenters and volunteers by providing breakfast and desserts. Volunteer to bring in a food item and drop it off at the cart inside the front entrance of the building that Friday morning. Contact Renay Jones at renay@mindspring.com with questions.

Raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens?

How do you know what your teachers’ favorite things when you’re buying appreciation and holiday gifts? Check the files section of your classroom hub to download the list specific to your teacher. And don’t forget to check with your room parent about signing up for monthly lunch coverage for your teacher — that’s a great, cost-free way to show them how much we appreciate their hard work!

Special education committee liaison

Did you know the PTA  has a liaison for Wake County’s Special Education Inclusion Committee (SEIC)? Jennifer Grady serves as a link to resources for parents and educators on special education and related community services and assists the PTA by offering ideas for accommodations on PTA programs that facilitate the inclusion of the whole school community. More information on SEIC can be found on their Facebook page and at http://www.wake-SEIC.org. For more resources on Wake County Special Education services, go to http://www.wakeseac.org/ or http://wcpss.net/special-education.

Get your whip/nae nae ready

Grab your dancing shoes and join The J.Y. Joyner Foundation on Friday, Nov. 20, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for its first ever Dance-A-Thon at the JYJ overhang. DJ Joe Bunn will be spinning tunes and Broughton’s Dance Team will show us the latest moves — plus disco balls, glow sticks, food trucks and lots of other fun! And the best news of all? The Dance-A-Thon raises money to hire a new Spanish teacher.

Read more from PTA President Keisha Green about how the J.Y. Joyner Foundation and the Joyner PTA are separate organizations with different missions that both support making Joyner a great place to teach and learn.

Quick links

• Mrs. Hutchinson’s blog: “Numerous to Individual”
• WCPSS email alerts and newsletters
• November lunch menu

Calendar items

• Nov. 9-19: Dance-A-Thon wristbands on sale in the Joyner lobby, coin collection for teacher dance contest
• Nov. 12: Picture make-up day
• Nov. 13: Science-Go-Round
• Nov. 15: Lip sync competition entries due to kparke24@gmail.com
• Nov. 20: JY Joyner Foundation Dance-A-Thon, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Nov. 25: Teacher workday
• Dec. 4-11: Book Fair
• Dec. 10: Holiday concert and PTA general membership meeting
• Dec. 18: Early release and teacher/staff lunch provided by PTA
• Dec. 21: Teacher workday

Have an announcement to include in a future edition of the NewsFlash? Submit your article on the PTA website. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @pta_joyner.

Volunteers make Science-Go-Round happen

Our 22nd annual Science-Go-Round — a day when scientists and parents present hands-on demonstrations that give students the opportunity to see how science is used in the real world — will be held Friday, Nov. 13, from 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to make the day possible, including:

• Assist presenters with parking and unloading/loading their supplies
• Assist presenters in the classroom
• Assist with serving a catered lunch for presenters
• Loan a handcart or dolly for use during unloading/loading

With a variety of shift times and jobs available, volunteers do not need to help out for the entire event. Science-Go-Round has something for everyone and absolutely no science experience is needed. Just click this link to the Google sign up form. If you need more info, contact Hannah Boston at hannahboston@gmail.com.

Looks like Old Navy, but it’s actually JYJ

Lost-and-found items on display in the front lobby of school — please check the racks to see if anything belongs to your family. On Friday, remaining items will be packed up for donation to children in need. If you are able to volunteer to wash remaining items before we donate them, please contact Julie Dalton at julie.e.dalton@gmail.com.

Science Olympiad starts next week

Did you know that last year JYJ sent two teams to compete in NC Science Olympiad for the first time? We won 3rd place all around with many individual medals! This year’s Science Club will begin Monday, Nov. 2, from 3:30-4:30 in the media center. The club is strictly for 3rd – 5th graders who are interested in competing in a spring tournament.

The goal is to expose kids to the science content for each tournament event. All 19 events align with NC Standards. Students can pick up to 3 events to focus on. In December, students will be tested on their knowledge and 36 students will be selected to represent JYJ on either the varsity or junior varsity team. After winter break, only team members will participate in Science Club. We will compete on one of the following dates pending availability when registering the team: 3/19, 4/2, 4/16, or 5/7.

Parent volunteers are essential to the success of this program. Please contact Heather Pelletier (hpelletier@wcpss.net) if you are interested in helping on Mondays from 3:30-4:30 or serving as a mentor/coach for spring competition.

Last chance to enter the yearbook cover and Reflections contests

Don’t forget to turn in your entries for the yearbook cover and the PTA Reflections contests by this Friday!

• Yearbook: Submissions are due to classroom teachers. Be sure you start with an 8.5×11 page in portrait orientation and use markers, crayons or colored pencils for your illustration. Consider using any Joyner-related themes, not just jaguars.
• Reflections: Submissions are due to Mr. Del. Click here for details.

Quick links

• Mrs. Hutchinson’s blog: “Everyday Moments”
• WCPSS email alerts and newsletters
• October lunch menu

Calendar items

• October is Disability History & Awareness Month
• Oct. 29: Tie-dye day for spirit week
• Oct. 30: Halloween day (not costumes) for spirit week
• Oct. 30: First quarter report cards go home
• Oct. 30: Yearbook cover and Reflections entires due
• Nov. 7: WCPSS Magnet Fair
• Nov. 11: Holiday
• Nov. 12: Picture make-up day
• Nov. 13: Science-Go-Round
• Nov. 25: Teacher workday

Have an announcement to include in a future edition of the NewsFlash? Submit your article on the PTA website. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @pta_joyner.

Time to get your crayons and your pencils

Only nine more days to design Joyner’s next yearbook cover. Submissions are due to classroom teachers by Oct. 30. Be sure you start with an 8.5×11 page in portrait orientation — that means the paper is tall, not wide — and use markers, crayons or colored pencils for your illustration. Consider using any Joyner-related themes, not just jaguars.

Need to pay for a field trip?

Use the WCPSS online payment portal for all Joyner field trips and save yourself from forgetting at the last minute. Create an account for your child(ren) and then search the list for your teacher’s name to find all the field trips for the year.

Give us feedback and earn our undying love and admiration

So we can’t give you a tangible prize for filling out our communications survey because it’s anonymous and we don’t actually know who is responding. But we will send you lots of good karma if you’ll take just a few minutes to share your thoughts about PTA communications in our quick survey. We promise it’s painless and we won’t ask for your credit card info at the end. And because we’re feeling generous, we’ll give you an extra few days to fill it out. Here’s the link.

Calling all room parents!

Room parents are asked to attend a training session next Wednesday morning, Oct. 28, from 8:30-9:15 in Ms. Bell’s technology room in the media center. The session will cover how to use MemberHub for announcements, files and signups, as well as tips and expectations to make your room parent job as painless as possible.

You know you want to skate

Now that the spectacular Jamboree is over (thanks to the amazing committee and volunteers!), we know you’re ready for some more JYJ family time. Join with friends and classmates at our spirit night this Thursday, Oct. 22, at United Skates of America (2901 Trawick Road, Raleigh). The entire $3 admission fee (which includes skate rental fees) will be donated back to Joyner.

It’s Box Tops week!

Bring clipped Box Tops for Education to your child’s teacher this week using collection sheets or a sealed ziploc bag. Each Box Top is worth 10 cents to the PTA, so every little bit helps. The class that collects the most will win a pizza party. The class that collects the most will win a pizza party!

Raising awareness about disability 

October is Disability Awareness & History Month in Wake County — all month, the WJYJ news team has been sharing videos and facts related to this focus, as well as features about famous people with disabilities. Did you know Albert Einstein had dyslexia? Would you have guessed that actress Emily Blunt had a stutter? Have you wondered how Evelyn Glennie could be both deaf and a full-time solo professional percussionist? Check out these links, then watch this video where kids explain autism and why it’s okay to be different — could be a great discussion topic with your family at the dinner table tonight.

Missing something?

Be sure to check the lost and found. It’s getting full with coats now that the weather is turning colder again!

Free “Getting Ready for Kindergarten” (GR4K) program

Project Enlightenment is offering a FREE program for children who will be entering kindergarten next fall. This program is open to families who live in Wake County, have limited family income and who have a child who was 4 by August 31, 2015. Follow this link to download the application or call 919-664-7789.

Quick links

• Mrs. Hutchinson’s blog: “And They Do Grow Up”
• WCPSS email alerts and newsletters
• October lunch menu

Calendar items

• Oct. 22: Spirit night at United Skates of America
• Oct. 23: End of 1st quarter
• Oct. 26: Teacher workday
• Oct. 30: Reflections contest entries — using the theme Let Your Imagination Fly! — due to Mr. Del.

Have an announcement to include in a future edition of the NewsFlash? Submit your article on the PTA website. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @pta_joyner.

• Reflections contest entries — using the theme Let Your Imagination Fly! — are due to Mr. Del by Oct. 30.
• Yearbook cover designs — drawn on 8.5 x 11 paper in portrait orientation — should be submitted to classroom teachers by Oct. 30. Winners will be featured on WJYJ.
• Reply to the communications survey to let us know how we’re doing and what we can do to improve.

• Mrs. Hutchinson’s blog: “Look Up!”
• Joyner PTA blog
• WCPSS email alerts and newsletters
• October lunch menu

• Oct. 15: Last day to buy State Fair tickets online with proceeds to Joyner (Use the Joyner code — 456 — in the membership field and click submit on the ticket page. Joyner will receive $2 per adult admission ticket and $1 per child ticket you purchase. )
• Oct. 16: Teacher Appreciation and early release
• Oct. 16: Jamboree
• Oct. 22: Spirit night at United Skates of America
• Oct. 23: End of 1st quarter
• Oct. 26: Teacher workday

Design the JYJ yearbook cover 

All Joyner students are invited to enter the 2015-16 yearbook cover contest! Sumbit your 8 1/2 x 11″ drawing (MUST be in portrait orientation) using markers, crayons or colored pencils and reflecting any Joyner-related theme (think IB and Spanish-language, not just jaguars). Deadline is Oct. 30 (ignore the Sept. 30 deadline on the flyer). Winner and runners-up will be on the news and in the yearbook! (Plus, don’t forget about the Reflections art contest — Let Your Imagination Fly — also due Oct. 30.)

Tell us what you think

The JYJ PTA Communications Committee aims to provide value in communicating school information to you. Please take a moment to complete this brief survey to tell us how we’re doing and what can be improved. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact jennifergrady99@gmail.com. Please respond by Oct. 22. (Here’s the full url in case your browser needs it: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JSB68LP)

Help finish strong with the No-Fuss Fundraiser

Don’t you just love not having to sell coupon books, wrapping paper, cookie dough or cheese and sausage (is that still a thing)? Yeah, we love it, too — and the PTA appreciates ALL your contributions and your membership! You’ve got through Friday to make your donation if you haven’t already done so. Please let us know if your company provides matching gifts.

Volunteers needed for the Jamboree

If you were hoping to volunteer at the Jamboree next Friday, Oct. 16, you’re in luck! Spaces are available in the sign up on MemberHub, including 1-hour shifts at the Haunted Hallway, basketball shootout, volunteer check-in, glow stick sales and clean up. This fun family tradition is only possible because the PTA volunteers make it happen!

Turn markers into fuel

Joyner parent Rebecca Blum has connected us with a great program called Crayola ColorCycle — old markers of any brand (not just Crayola) ready to be discarded can be converted into clean fuel. Find the new drop-off bins in the front lobby and in the downstairs hallway near the art classroom to deposit your markers. This project provides a nice partner to the beautiful plastic cap mural created last year as another way to keep tons of plastic out of landfills each year.

Help teachers and parents stay connected

We still have nine classrooms without a room parent volunteer. Please check the current list in the Files section of MemberHub to see if your child’s class needs support. Recruit a friend or two to join you and share the role — it doesn’t have to be a significant amount of work, but it makes a big difference for our teachers. Details coming next week about organizing coverage for one lunch period each month for each classroom teacher to give them the chance to eat in peace!

Check out the 2016-17 assignment proposal

WCPSS is seeking community input on the proposed student assignment plan for 2016-17. No specific changes have been recommended for current Joyner students, but your address will determine any impacts on your family. Additionally, Wake County school administrators are considering setting aside seats at Brooks, Joyner, Underwood and Wiley elementary schools and Martin Middle School for new magnet-school applicants who don’t come from high-performing areas. The five magnet schools were at or below the county average last year for students receiving federally subsidized lunches. The final draft of the plan will be presented to the school board on Oct. 20. Read more from The N&O.

Safety first (and last)

Please remember to pick up your child before 2:15 if you need to get him/her early from school. Teachers and staff need to keep the lobby area clear at dismissal time so that they can safely manage the flow of students to the bus, carpool and walker areas. Walker students leaving at 2:30 should be picked up at the side of the school, not in the main lobby.

For your blog reader

• Principal Hutchinson’s blog
• Joyner PTA blog
• WCPSS email alerts and newsletters

For your calendar

• Oct. 9: Last day to give to the No-Fuss Fundraiser
• Oct. 15: Last day to buy State Fair tickets online with proceeds to Joyner (Use the Joyner code — 456 — in the membership field and click submit on the ticket page. Joyner will receive $2 per adult admission ticket and $1 per child ticket you purchase. )
• Oct. 16: Teacher Appreciation (theme is “Our teachers are something to write about!”) and early release. Don’t forget your classroom’s designated staff member when helping your child prepare a handwritten note to celebrate teachers and staff! (Here’s the plan for the year, in case you like to think ahead.)
• Oct. 16: Jamboree
• Oct. 23: End of 1st quarter
• Oct. 26: Teacher workday

Have an announcement to include in a future edition of the NewsFlash? Submit your article on the PTA website. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @pta_joyner.