Mrs. Heinz's 4th Grade Donates Items for Pets

I am very proud of Mrs. Heinz and her 4th grade homeroom. This year, students brought in a variety items from toys to food to treats for pets. Her class brought in 50 items to donate to Save-A-Pet. Mrs. Heinz received the following message from Heather Friedrich, a staff member at Save-A-Pet Adoptions.

We at Save-A-Pet appreciate all the donations you and your students have given to us for the dogs and cats.  We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

JCB Participates in Hour of Code

The Hour of Code is a national program that anyone can participate in. It is a one-hour introduction to computer science and is designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics. Schools can host it at any time; however, the campaign is specifically designed for this week--the week of December 7-13 as part of the celebration of Computer Science Education Week. Computer Science education is important because it helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic, and creativity. It also helps develop a foundation for success in any career path that requires 21st-century skills.

The Hour of Code is organized by code.org, a public 501c3 non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Many partners have dedicated support to code.org--including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the College Board.

James C. Bush Elementary School participates each year in the Hour of Code. Each grade level does something different with their students.

Third Grade--The students in third grade used the coding activities at code.org.

Fourth Grade--The 4th Grade Team has the Hour of Code website linked to the 4th Grade Virtual Website. During our Chromebook time, classes viewed an introduction to coding and were directed to the Hour of Code website. From there, they were able to write basic codes for popular game like Minecraft, Star Wars, Frozen, and Flappy Bird. If you are interested, the Hour of Code website will be linked to the Virtual Classroom all year. The students login with the J-ID as both the username and password with a few exceptions. Enjoy!

Fifth Grade--The students in 5th grade participated in a variety of activities regarding coding. Talk to your students about those activities. A big thank you to Mr. O'Donnell who came to talk to students in Mrs. Reith's class about more advanced coding concepts.

Spirit Wear

We have a few pieces of JCB Spirit Wear from our fall sale left! If you are interested in any of the items below, please email the principal, Dr. Belcastro, at bbelcastro@johnsburg12.org. All items have been discounted for quick sale! The items will be sold by the time stamp on the email. Once they are gone, they are gone!

JCB Loud and Proud Blue Hoodie--2 left. Youth Small and Youth Medium. Originally $19. On Sale for $15.

Pink Short Sleeve Bush Elementary Camo T-shirts--4-Youth Large Left. Originally $6. On Sale for $5.

Blue Long Sleeve JCB Loud and Proud T-shirt--1-XL left. Originally $9. On Sale for $7.

Red JCB Short Sleeve T-shirt. 3 Left. 1-Youth Large and 2-XLs. Originally $6. On Sale for $5.

Blue Short Sleeve Bush Elementary Camo T-shirts--3 Left. 2-Youth Large. 1-Youth XL. Originally $6. On Sale for $5.

These could make great Christmas gifts!

Shadow Shop

One of the fun things we have going on in our Learning Center this year is the Shadow Shop--the JCB School Store. Run by Mrs. Thompson and Mr. HarriSon, the Shadow Shop sells small items like pens, pencils, erasers, and pencil sharpeners to students. The items are all reasonably priced. Nothing is more than $2.00 and most items are less than $1.00. The store is open before and after school. Students are also allowed to visit the store after lunch on their way out to recess. Students are not able to purchase during their library time nor during other academic classes so as to not detract or distract students from their learning. The funds raised through the Shadow Shop all go to support fun things that we cannot budget for in our library. One thing we have already purchased is an account to glogster. This account is used in the LC to allow students to create interactive posters online. Mrs. Thompson also uses Glogster to present lessons to students using videos, pictures and other links in a highly interactive format.

The Shadow Shop has been very successful this year. We do encourage parents to talk to your students about making purchases in the school store. It is a parent's discretion whether or not your child should be bringing money for the school store and how much money is okay to bring. Many parents use Shadow Shop as an incentive for reaching goals set both at home and at school. For some families, this may be an opportunity to help students demonstrate responsibility with money and a level of independence and decision making abilities. 

If you have any questions regarding the Shadow Shop, please contact Mrs. Thompson in the Learning Center or myself, Dr. Belcastro. 

Look What Happens with a Little Snow!

Just last week kids were enjoying recess in sweatshirts--a few kids wearing hats.

                   

After our record breaking first snow of the season, our students have pulled out all their snow gear and are already building a village of snow people!

• I want to take this opportunity to remind families about our rules for recess in the winter season. Students should come to school wearing pants and snow gear so that at morning recess they are appropriately covered before they come into the building at 8:30 am. 
• Students must bring their snow gear to lunch in order to go outside for recess. 
• In order to play in the snow or on the playground, students must be wearing snow boots and snow pants. Students without them must stay on the blacktop during recess.
• Students may not throw snow on school grounds.
• As with all recess times, no horseplay.
• Students may not destroy the snow creations of other students.

Monday, November 23 was our first day of a snow covered recess! And it was, for the most part, a huge success. Students were reminded of the rules immediately before lunch and recess, and the students had quite a bit of fun. Don't forget that students should also have a pair of regular shoes here at school so they do not wear their snow boots all day. Their feet get very hot and sweaty, and they still need gym shoes for PE.

If you or someone you know is having a hard time providing your children with appropriate snow gear, please contact Dr. Belcastro or Miss Vent. We will assist you in getting what they need to enjoy the winter season and stay safe and warm. 815-385-3731. bbelcastro@johnsburg12.org or dvent@johnsburg12.org

We Need Milk Jugs!

Mrs. Mrazek, our 3-5 Music/Art Teacher, is collecting empty CLEAN milk jugs to create an igloo for our fifth grade concert coming up on December 9. We are hoping to have between 150-200 milk jugs brought in to the school by Wednesday, December 2. Please help us reach our goal so that we can have another great prop for the show.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Mrazek at 815-385-3731 or lmrazek@johnsburg12.org.

5th Grade Book Club

Two months ago, 5th grade teachers were asked to identify two strong readers who also demonstrate a love for reading to participate in a book club hosted by the Principal. For the past 5 weeks, the students have been reading on their own time and coming once a week during recess to discuss the book. The book chosen was Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin. This book is a high level high interest text for adolescent readers and is the recipient of the Schneider Family Book Award.

The book is about an autistic young man, close to their age, who struggles to fit in to a neurotypical world. The main character finds peace in his writing, and through his writing, he learns to accept himself for who he is.

The students really enjoyed their experience which ended in a celebratory pizza party. Students signed one another's books at the end of the final meeting as a way to remember the group.