Project Enlightenment Offers Parent Classes for 2011-2012

Project Enlightenment will offer a new year of parent workshops.  Project Enlightenment is a comprehensive early childhood education and early intervention programs of WCPSS.  They provide parents, teachers and caregivers with the knowledge and skills to help young children (birth through Kindergarten age) be successful in school life.  Many parents are pleased and have found that their parent workshops are both helpful and informative. 

Workshops are offered throughout the year for parents of young children.  Topics include discipline techniques, communications and child development.  Click here to view the brochure of the workshops offered for 2011-2012.  Click here to visit the Project Enlightment webpage.

JYJ student services

Half of our team: Lynn, Andrea & Erin

Our JYJ Student Services department consists of 6 amazing people who work collectively and diligently together as a team for our students. The interesting part is that I'm the only person that's at JYJ full-time, yet we always get the job done. Here's our JYJ student services dept:

-Andrea Burston: School Counselor
-Anna Decker: School Counselor Intern
-Erin Nasto: School Psychologist
-Courtney Apple: School Social Worker
-Linda Reynolds: School Nurse
-Lynn Reynolds: Speech Pathologist

Please feel free to contact us (email addresses are linked).  We're proud to support our JYJ students, families and staff.

Free Online Children's Books

If you didn't already know, I am a huge fan of reading and love the "places" that reading can take you.   The International Children's Digital Library is an online library that hosts many books for children (hence the name, lol). Books are available in 54 different languages from 60 countries.  Digital books can be searched by reading level, age group, genre or even book color!  You don't have to register to view books but if you do register you have access to features such as bookmarking and creating a digital bookshelf.  The ICDL also have apps for both the iphone and ipad so you can read books on the go.  Happy Reading!

Ain't no mountain high enough!

Our JYJ 5th grade students are reading the novel Peak by Roland Smith  (also available at Wake County public library) about a young ambitious boy named Peak who is interested in climbing things and is awarded the opportunity to climb Mt. Everest.  These students were in for a special treat when Chip a friend of Mrs. Millsaps came and spoke to the students about his adventure and travels as he climbed Mt. Everest!  Chip shared both the low and high points of his travels and had lots of pictures to share! 

Read all your blogs in one place

Many of our JYJ staff members utilize blogs to communicate to parents.  I follow over 30 blogs and have a favorite reader app (well if you have an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch or Android device) that makes it easier to navigate and read through blogs.  Pulse is my absolute must have (free) app that very neatly lets you organize your blog feeds.  Here's the link to download pulse to your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch or Android device.  Happy reading!

Attendance

There's no time like the beginning of the school year to  mention the importance of being present and on time for school.  When your child is constantly absent or late from school, they run the risk of missing important lessons, activities and active engaging learning at JYJ!  We understand that illnesses and emergencies to occur but want to remind you that a note must be submitted to the school two days after the absence occurs, otherwise it will be recorded as unexcused.  

Click here to view the full WCPSS board policies on school attendance.  If your child will be out for education reasons, but sure to submit Request for excused absence for educational reasons BEFORE your trip.  Courtney Apple, JYJ's school social worker and myself will be glad to help answer any attendance questions that you may have.

JYJ Staff + iPad2= Even More Amazing School!

If you're wondering why your child has a sudden urge for you to get an iPad it's because all JYJ (certified) staff have iPads!!!  Mr. Knott was so kind to make sure that we all had one to use for student and classroom learning. There are also 2 class sets of iPads that teachers can check out to use in their classes. I've been an iPad user for about a year and will say that using it simplifies my planning, reading and how much I use it as a school counselor!  For parents that have iPads, I want to share a few parent & kid friendly apps that are great!

For Kids:
iPad for Kids- Blog that lists and reviews iPad apps for kids
Fun Educational Apps
Smart Apps for Kids

For Parents:  all the apps listed are free (unless noted)
Parenting School Years Magazine
School A to Z
School Stuff- $2.99
iStudiez Lite

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15-October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month.  These months celebrate the achievements and culture of Latin Countries.  As a Spanish Immersion IB school, our students learn about Spanish culture and language so Hispanic Heritage is celebrated all year long!  Here are a few links that provide more information and family activities for Hispanic Heritage Month.

-Hispanic Heritage Month Book Reading List

-Hispanic Heritage Month Coloring Pages

-Hispanic Heritage Month Events at NC State University (free & open to the public)

-La Fiesta del Pueblo 2011 - Free Sun 09/18 from noon to 8pm

-Smithsonian Education on Hispanic Heritage

Receive JYJ Counselor News via text message

Would you like to receive JYJ Counselor news to your phone?  Twitter has a wonderful feature called fast follow which allows you to receive tweets (messages) directly to your phone.  You DO NOT need to sign up for Twitter to receive the tweets. 

If you are interested in receiving JYJ Counselor Tweets text "follow jyjcounselor" to 40404 (four, zero, four, zero, four) and you will be added.

If you decide after joining that you no longer want to receive JYJ Counselor Tweets text "leave jyjcounselor" to 40404 and you will no longer receive tweets. 

You can "follow" and "leave" at any time.  I usually tweet 2-3 times a week (so your phone will not be flooded with messages from me). 

Summer Reading Celebration

Great job summer readers!

Congrats summer readers!

Congratulations to the 172 JYJ students that kept track of their summer reading!  As I've said many times before, I absolutely love to read and I love that so many students are interested in reading.  It is not uncommon for me to let students choose books off the book bucks cart even if they don't have enough "Book Bucks" to buy a book because I have a hard time denying someone a book that wants to read!  Reading is so empowering and I am so proud of the students that took time during their extended break to keep track of their reading.  So to recognize these students, we did it the JYJ way with a celebration!!!  The students danced to music and were entered into a drawing for gift cards to Barnes & Noble (of course to get more books).  What a wonderful time we had.  If only everyone knew what we know about the wonders and rewards of reading.  Here are  more pictures from the celebration.

Mr. Whitehurst shows off his dance moves!

Congrats 5th grade Summer Readers!

Just dance!

And dance some more!

Reading the numbers for the drawing

Here's a winner!

Here's another winner!

More dancing

and more dancing!

Keeping Children Safe on the Internet

Let's face it, children use the Internet...a lot!  So why not teach them the best ways to keep themselves safe while online.  Here are a few websites that teach kids (& parents) ways to be safe while using the Internet:
-Welcome to the Web
 A series of lessons for teaching young students how to navigate the Internet
-LMK: Life online
 A website created for the purpose of educating girls about online safety. Sponsored by the Girl Scouts and Microsoft.
-Google Family Safety Center
 Introduces parents to and shows them how to use Google's safety tools including safe search, safe search lock, and YouTube's safety mode.
-Your Own Space
 Ebook designed to educate tweens and teens about protecting themselves and their stuff online.
-Internet Safety with Professor Garfield 
 Offers an animated lesson on cyberbullying and an animated lesson about online safety.
-Webonauts Internet Academy
 Website where elementary school students can learn about safe online behaviors.
-A Thin Line
This site is designed to educate teenagers and young adults about the possible repercussions of their digital activities.

Keep the books coming!

Thank you so much for all of the gently used books you have donated to the character education book bucks cart.  Those of you unfamiliar with the program:  Students are given "book bucks" for showing any of the WCPSS character education traits.  These traits are:  responsibility, respect, courage, kindness, self discipline, integrity, perseverance and good judgment.  Each Friday, students are allowed to use in their book bucks to buy a book (or two).  The excitement in the children's faces is amazing!  If you didn't know, I am an avid reader and I love how books can expose you to many things, spark unknown interests and dig deeper into things that you are already aware of.  Thank you!!!  Please feel free to donate any children's books that you are no longer using to the JYJ book bucks cart anytime throughout this year.