355 18th Street SE • Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403 • (319) 558-2174

Winter 2019

SCHOOL HOURSThe school day for students is Monday

- Thursday 8:50 a.m. - 3:50 p.m., Fridays 8:50 a.m. - 2:20 p.m. If your child arrives after 8:55 a.m., they will be counted tardy.

JSA begins supervising students at 8:10 a.m., with breakfast served from 8:15 to 8:40 a.m. Students who miss breakfast will be offered another option that can be eaten in the classroom with a minimum of mess.For the safety of our JSA students:

• Students may not enter the building each morning until 8:10, as there is no adult supervision available until that time.

• Students in Jane Boyd Achievement Academy or morning enrichments may enter earlier according to the plan their adult supervisor shares with them.

• Students who arrive late or leave early will need to sign in/out in the Main Office.

• All visitors/volunteers need to stop in the Main Office to sign in and grab a b a d g e before en-tering any classroom.

JANUARY ENRICHMENT WORKSHOPS

During January third through fifth grade JSA stu-dents had the opportunity to participate in several special after school winter enrichment workshops as part of our JSA STEAM Enrichment program.

Puppet Story Telling! Guest artist, Kathi Pudzuve-lis, helped budding drama students discover the art of telling a story as they acted it out on the stage with various puppets of all sizes, types and shapes, then performed their original student-created show for students in the Jane Boyd program.

Ready, Set, Direct! Students in this class, spon-sored by the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy, teamed up in small groups to create mini silent movies. They began by designing a storyboard, building a miniature set with characters, shooting the movie using stop motion techniques, then sharing their project at a final screening on February 19! A special JSA welcome back to their class instruc-tor, guest artist Lauren Manninen, a former JSA student who is now a local professional artist and art teacher!

The Pokémon Club workshop was a hit as these students got to stay warm inside honing their math and thinking skill strategies while having fun with friends sharing their love & knowledge of the Pokémon cards & game thanks to mentor, Mr. Liam Reynolds!

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

At this time of year, most people spend time reflecting on the year that just ended and consider-ing goals, hopes, and dreams for the new year ahead. At JSA, our staff is no different as we reflect on our vision and mission: The Johnson STEAM Academy community guides all learners to discover their passions through innovative learning experiences. Our tagline that goes along with the mission is pretty simple but packs a lot of power in a very few words: Igniting Passion. Cultivating Character. Achieving Dreams.

Wow, we are really making this happen as a Johnson STEAM Academy learning community! It takes all of us to support the work of a school: a committed and dedicated staff, families who have a strong desire to support their children and see them be successful at school, and students who are eager to learn, create, explore, and be the best young people they can be. We have all of this and more at Johnson STEAM Academy.

Igniting Passion: You can see evidence of this throughout the school day and beyond at JSA. Watching our students share their excitement about new learning, being highly engaged in making decisions about their learning needs and goals, and showing perseverance as they problem solve, try again and work through the Design Process. Discovery Days, hands-on learning opportunities, student voice and choice, before and after school STEAM enrichments, and posting their best work to SeeSaw are a few examples of ways we support our children in becoming passionate about learning.

Cultivating Character: Our staff, students, and families are committed to supporting students as they learn to become responsible citizens. While children don’t always make the choices that we want them to, we work together as staff and families by holding high expectations and supporting our students in learning positive ways to handle issues. Because of this commitment to our students, we see evidence every day that together we are cultivating the character of our students. At JSA, students learn social skills through direct instruction in all classrooms, being held accountable to The JSA Way (I am a listener, I am kind, I am calm, I believe I can!). I see evidence every day of our learning community members living, learning, and collaborating in The JSA Way through learning to manage emotions, take ownership of decisions, and sharing opinions.

Achieving Dreams: One of my favorite things about being an educator is watching students learn and grow. Seeing the excitement from staff as students master something new, families beaming in pride about the growth their children are showing, and students experiencing the positive feelings that go along with a job well done is amazing. It is not uncommon to hear our children talk about their goals and the steps they plan to take to get there. Our staff was thrilled to recently receive word that we have achieved one of our dreams by being na-tionally recognized by the Magnet Schools of America (MSA) as a 2019 recipient of a National Magnet School of Distinction award. This recognition is something we should all feel good about as we have worked hard together to build a school that we can be proud of.

Thanks to each of you, JSA is an exciting place to be where learning comes to life for our children.

Candace Lynch, Principal

Follow the District on , @crschools, and

SPRING

PICTURE

DAYThursday,

March 28

JSA MUSIC STUDIO UPDATERhythm of the Season

We’ve really been warming it up in the JSA music studio this winter. The students have been movin’ and grovin’ to the music non-stop! The 5th grade students really stepped it up with their November learning celebration as they showcased their awesome creativity, instrument, dancing and singing skills, in addition to their integrated science and social studies learning. The JSA Orff Percussion Ensemble wowed everyone with their performance at the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy Arts Alive Showcase in November too.

In December 2nd grade students shared their music and life science knowledge on stage and in their classrooms, with their “Rhythm of the Season” celebration about life cycles and winter hiberna-tion & migration. Also, in December select 4th & 5th grade students performed at Washington High School for the annual Cocoa & Carols concert and the Barnes & Noble Bookfair fundraiser. Thanks to all the families and friends that attended our annual JSA Holiday Sing Along December 20. We had fun singing with all of you and hope you enjoyed the special appearance by the ST Math mascot, JiJi!

With the January weather causing cabin fever, Kindergarten, first and second grade students danced around the world with folk songs and dances from different continents in music class throughout the month to burn off some of their energy! Third and fourth grade students integrated their social studies knowledge about Iowa and the United States as they rehearsed for their upcoming learning celebrations. Fifth grade students stayed busy as they worked hard on their project to compose their own original C-major melody for the keyboard. Congratulations also to Ms. Cox and the JSA Gospel Choir for their performances throughout the community in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Stay tuned for more music fun this spring!

JSA Cocoa & Carols students perform the Ugly Sweater holiday song!

2nd grade students perform the Butterfly Life Cycle song (with a caterpillar)!

Practicing our dance moves in 1st grade!

KINDERGARTENCan you believe it we have completed 1/2 of our school year! The kindergartners have gone

from focusing on all the social rules of school to really focusing on academic skill building! We have been having so much fun getting to see all the personalities of your kiddos and the learning so many things. Students have had many and varied experiences to build a good foundation for the rest of their school career. We have been having a STEAMy good time!

ScienceIn Science we have focused on the life cycle. We have learned about the

life cycle of plants and insects and how humans need both plants and insects to survive. We have started on our dinosaur unit where we will learn their life cycles and some fun facts. You may have even seen a dinosaur come to your house when we “hatched” some eggs. Next, we will be focusing on Force and Motion (this unit is new to us teachers too, but we are very excited to explore). We will also be hatching chicks in the spring!

TechnologyWe have been enjoying an increase in the number of days we get to go to the library and have

our Technology lessons this year. In the past we have always had library/tech once per week, but this year we have been going every three days! This has allowed us to have more time to work on our coding skills, take virtual tours, and expose your student to more apps. This is building and expanding their 21st century skills!

EngineeringOur kindergartners have had extra brain time with all the indoor recess time to explore their En-

gineering skills. We hope you have taken the opportunity to sign up for Seesaw where we are able to share and post pictures of the amazing skills the students have been developing. If you have not signed up, it is super easy. Download the free Family Seesaw app in your app store. Once you open the app it will ask you to join with email or QR code, select QR code and then simply scan the code you have from your student’s teacher. If you need help, please let us know. We have had 3 discov-ery days, where students were able to work on different STEAM skills they selected. We will have one more Discovery Day before Spring break and the STEAM Expo! We are really looking forward to allowing the students to share part of their learning.

ArtsThe students love using their Art skills in many ways and in all sub-

jects. They have been learning about play based art, music, painting, and creative thinking in all areas of their learning! We are so proud of them and how much they have learned! We are truly looking forward to what they will teach us in the next 1/2 of the year. In the Spring we will have our learning celebration. Please watch for more information.

MathematicsIn math we are learning in leaps and bounds. We devoted much

of our learning to the count sequence and writing numbers. For the remainder of the year we will learn about our teen numbers, different ways to make 5, shapes, prepositional words and continue to hone our counting skills. Encourage your child to show their learning by asking them to count or ask them other simple math questions.

Your students have also been making amazing gains in reading! Don’t be surprised if they start to read to you. We have been learning all the letter sounds and for the remainder of the year we will learn how to blend those sounds together into words. We will also be using these skills to start to write words.

FIRST GRADE IS FANTASTIC!There are so many exciting things happening in First Grade! The students are growing so quickly

in many ways. Need to know how to solve a problem? No fear, first graders are here! We have been talking and practicing how to let others know how we feel and what we wish they would do instead. First graders know this as a bug and wish. We have also been working on what to do when we feel angry. It is amazing to watch them use these skills in order to create a calm environment for all.

One of the best things about first grade is how much they grow in reading. Our most recent pho-nics skill we have been working on is…SUPER E! The e is so amazing that it jumps over a consonant and makes the vowel say its name. It truly is super, and we are applying this skill to our reading and word work.

Since the beginning of the year, we have been working on addition and subtraction. As the stu-dents are getting stronger, we have started manipulating the equal sign and are learning how to balance equations. It is really helpful that the first graders have an understanding of part, part, whole in order to solve these tricky equations!

Recently the first graders received a letter from a camping store and were asked to design and create a tool that uses sound and light to communicate with others. One of the first investigations we performed was, “What causes sound?”. The students were given a cup, rubber band, and craft stick to make sound of their own and observe why it happened. They were quick to find that VIBRATION is the key! Once they knew what caused sound, next, it was time to see what sounds were easy to hear and which were hard to hear. To get this done they used a sound chamber and had to listen to a variety of sounds. They also further investigated vibration using a tuning fork and ping-pong ball. We have a lot more to discover about sound and light before we begin creating our tool, but the learning that has happened so far is amazing! We look forward to sharing what we learned in March, more details to come.

Non-Discrimination PolicyIt is the policy of the Cedar Rapids Community School District not to discriminate in educational programs on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity, socioeconomic status, national origin, religion, disability, age (except for permitting/prohibiting students to engage in certain activities) or genetic information and in employment opportunities on the basis of age, race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact Rod Dooley, Executive Director of Equity, (RDooley@cr.k12.ia.us), and/or Linda Noggle, Executive Director of Talent Management, (LNoggle@cr.k12.ia.us), Educational Leadership and Support Center, 2500 Edgewood Rd NW, Cedar Rapids, IA, (319) 558-2000.

Nov. 7, 2017

2ND GRADEIt has been a great semester in second grade.

We are happy to have Mrs. Thompson back from her maternity leave. Second grade is working really hard on mastering our basic addition and subtraction facts to 20. We are excited to get started on our physical science unit on solids and liquids and learn more about how our actions im-pact others in our community. We look forward to meeting with all of our families in February for conferences. We are reading and writing more and getting ready to make the move to third grade. We are also enjoying visits from Mrs. Blair, o u r s n a c k lady. She has taught us a lot about new f ru i t s and veggies and eating healthy. Be sure to ask your ch i ld what his/her favorite part of the day is or what is something they learned today that they did not know this morning when they left for school.

3RD GRADEThird graders have been learning about ge-

ography throughout the school year. We have ended with a State Research Project. Student chose a state to research and created a display board about their state. They also chose one person from their state to research and created a figure of their person using a 2-liter bottle. They are sharing their learning on Feb. 28th at 2:45. We will also be beginning a unit on Immigration. We started this off by having the Eulenspiegel Puppeteers here to do a Puppet Residency. All third graders were able to create a puppet in their own likeness. We focused on the uniqueness of each of us and how we all make up the Johnson STEAM Academy Community through learning that even though we are all different – we look different, have different customs, traditions, and backgrounds – we all still have a lot in common. Students were able to create twirlies, a flat puppet with separate arms and legs attached with fasten-ers and skewer that goes in the top, allowing it to be twirled. Some third graders were also selected to help put on the Immigration Stew show with the Eulenspiegel Puppeteers the week of Feb. 11th. The puppet residency at JSA was made possible through grants from the State Historical Society, Inc. and the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

4TH GRADEWe have been very busy in fourth grade! After finishing up a big study on habitats and having

an exhibition day to show our learning, we began to study Iowa past and present. We looked at how Iowa was hundreds of years ago, studied the Black Hawk War, and researched current day Iowa. We are currently beginning to dig into science and learn about energy and motion. In math we have worked a lot on mastering our multiplication and have begun to learn long division. We even celebrated those friends who have mastered their multiplication facts through 10 by having a pizza party! We look forward to learning more about how energy works and what it takes to produce energy!

5TH GRADE 5th grade has had a busy winter season so far! We have been involved in many different learn-

ing adventures. For science, we have started learning about different mixtures and solutions. This is a lot like a beginning chemistry class, where students are studying different particles and how they interact with our world. This unit consists of many hands-on experiments, as well as focusing on recording our data we observe. For social studies, we finished our unit over European Explorers. The fifth graders grouped up and created life-size explorers that are on display around the upstairs. The students had to use their knowledge about their explorer’s personal background, voyage and motives. Currently, fifth grade is learning about the First English Settlements in the New World. We are focusing on the Roanoke, Jamestown and Plymouth settlements. We will end this learning with an online simulation, where students create their own settlement and hope for survival. Fifth grade also had the opportunity to go see Elf the musical at Theater Cedar Rapids in early December. The students enjoyed the presentation at the amazing theater here in Cedar Rapids! It’s been a great season of learning!

ATTENDANCE AWAREWould you know if your child was tardy or had

an unexcused absences? Would we know how to get ahold of you if your child got ill at school or JSA had a winter weather related closure? Help student safety, by ensuring we have up to date phone, address, email and emergency contact information. JSA and the CRCSD send important communications via phone, email and traditional mail; make sure you are receiving them.

Your JSA Calendar and Family Handbook is full of information related to student absences, absenteeism and school closures. One critical piece of information is that the Cedar Rapids Community School District policy states “After a student has accrued fifteen (15) days of absences, for reasons other than a health condition verified by a school nurse, and the building level admin-istration has exhausted every means available (phone calls, letters, home visits, etc.) to the school to assure that the student is in regular attendance, the following should occur:

The school administrator will inform the par-ent/guardian in writing that due to the lack of improvement in the attendance of their child, the school will be referring the student and the parent/guardian to the District Truancy Officer for further action.”

Do you know how many days your student has missed?

If you are concerned about your child’s at-tendance, please contact Ms. Conyers, our JSA Transition and Attendance Specialist, at 319-558-2174 or aconyers@cr.k12.ia.us

JSA TITLE 1Johnson STEAM Academy thanks St.

Paul’s United Methodist Church for their extremely generous Christmas Offering to support our youngest readers and ex-pand our summer reading program - “Take Ten!”

Plans are underway to support our K-3 students with age-appropriate books and reading resources. “Take Ten!” started as a 3-year program in Summer 2018 and this donation will allow for more children (and St. Paul’s mentors) to participate. We cel-ebrate St. Paul UMC’s continued support of JSA and our growing partnership. We share their belief that “learning to read has the power the change a child’s story forever.”

We are grateful for Western Fraternal Life for doing the annual Christmas book give away at JSA in December. Each of our students went home with a book they chose, wrapped by WFL volunteers, and a bookmark about Reading Aloud.

Snow Days are a great time for students to snuggle up with a good book! Happy Reading!

HY-VEE CASH FOR STUDENTSPlease remember to bring in your Hy-Vee re-

ceipts. This is a very easy was to raise money for your student’s school. For every $200 in receipts, Johnson receives $1. No receipt is too small; all the amounts add up in the end. Please remind family and friends to save their receipts. Receipts can be dropped off in the main office.

The District offers an online Virtual Backpack site to support the efforts of community orga-nizations wanting to share information about educationally-based programming.

Individuals or organizations wishing to post material on the Virtual Backpack submit items electronically and approved materials will ap-pear online for families to access.

Organizations will � nd a link to submit � yers for consideration on the District homepage at www.cr.k12.ia.us . Families can access th e Virtual Backpack from their school Web site.

VIRTUAL

BACKPACK

PTA MONTHLY MEETINGThe JSA PTA monthly meeting is the first Mon-

day of the month. Please join us at 5:30 for a free PTA provided meal, the PTA meeting will follow at 6:00. Let your voice be heard! Please contact Debbie Ackerman at johnsonsteamacademy@gmail.com with any questions.

A NOTE FROM THE COUNSELORIowa Statewide Assessment of Student Prog-

ressAll students in 3rd – 5th grades will take the

Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, April 1 – 12. This test is replacing the Iowa Assess-ments. Here are some things we encourage all students to do as our testing window gets closer:

• Come to school every day and on time as we start our tests by 9:30 each day

• Get plenty of sleep• Eat breakfast at home or at school• Do your personal best• Stay calm, relaxed, and focused

LIBRARIANThanks for everyone who came out

to support the Johnson STEAM Library for our annual Barnes & Noble night. Thank you to the many families who donated books as well as our many volunteers! Because of your support and the support of others in the com-munity, we raised over $800 that will be used to purchase brand new books for the students to read and enjoy! Our Scholastic bookfair “Dino-mite: Stomp, Chomp, and Read” is coming up from February 18th-February 22nd. We will be open before and after school and during late night conferences. We will have a coin drive and dress up days, so be sure to check your student’s folder and Seesaw for more information!

CLINIC Tips for Preventing the Flu:

1. Wash Your Hands Think of all the things your hands touch over

the course of the day: A grocery cart, the handle on the door, that $5 bill in your wallet.

It’s important to wash your hands regularly to prevent the spread of disease. If you are unable to use soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Proper handwashing is one of the best things you can do to protect yourself and others from illness.

2. Rest up, Eat Healthy A good night’s rest can allow your body to build

up its natural defenses against disease. And your body is fueled by the food that you eat, so qual-ity nutrition can help you fight off the flu virus.

3. Sick? Stay Home! Your body is telling you to stay home in bed,

so why not listen? Staying home and resting is preferable to

struggling through the daily routine, as it helps you recover and prevents the spread of the dis-ease to your coworkers and their families.

4. Cover up Coughs and Sneezes The flu is a droplet-borne illness, so those

coughs and sneezes spread diseases. Cough into a sleeve, elbow, or tissue that you

throw away immediately, rather than into your hands.

5. Clean Frequently Touched Surfaces Sanitizing surfaces like doorknobs, desktops,

keyboards, and other often-touched items can prevent them from becoming vectors of disease.

6. Take Your Antiviral Meds If your doctor has determined that you could

benefit from these medications, take them as directed. They can both shorten the duration of your illness and prevent serious complications from the flu.

7. Get a Seasonal Flu Shot A flu shot can offer

excellent protection from illness. It’s the best way to avoid or minimize the severity of the flu.

JANE BOYD Although we’re in the midst of winter

now, soon the warm summer months will be upon us! Once again Jane Boyd Achievement Academy is gearing up for another year of Summer Day Camp. Sum-mer Day Camp is offered at the Jane Boyd Community House for students entering K through those entering 6th grade. Camp is offered 10 weeks of the summer, 8am-5pm Monday-Friday, and provides free break-fast, lunch, and snack daily, along with a variety of academic enrichments and fun field trips for kids! If you’re looking for af-fordable, quality childcare options for your children this summer, Jane Boyd has you covered! Summer Camp fees are assessed on a sliding scale fee based on your fam-ily’s income. Childcare assistance (block grant) payments are also accepted. Enroll-ment for summer camp begins the week of March 25th for kids already enrolled in the Achievement Academy. In mid-April, enroll-ment then opens to the public to fill remain-ing spots on a first come first serve basis. Spots are limited and in high-demand, so if you’re considering Jane Boyd’s Achieve-ment Academy Summer Camp, please con-nect with Gabrielle Armstrong or Megan Brown in early spring. For more informa-tion, please contact Jane Boyd Community House at 319-366-0431 ext. 2608.

SAFETY CONCERNSCedar Rapids Community School

District takes your safety seriously and welcomes your input. Please contact your building principal/administrator and report any safety concerns that you may have. Thank you for helping us keep staff and students safe.

BOOK FEE REMINDER!Book Fees are due. The $30.00 per

student fee is due at the beginning of the school year for the entire year. The fee cov-ers academic resources provided to your student annually. You may pay these online with Cashonline.com. If you have additional questions, please contact Ms. Shawn in the main office.

Special DietsIf your student has a special diet form on file from a previous year

and something has changed, please contact the

Food and Nutrition Office at 558-2305.

Be Part Of the fOOd and nutritiOn team

help feed Our future it’s easy!

Go to: www.cr.k12.ia.usClick Link: Employment, then

How to ApplyComplete: Food and Nutrition General Application

Low Fat Dairy/Protein: • String Cheese or Cheese Cubes• Yogurt • Cott age Cheese • Deli Meat• Sunfl ower Seeds• Pepita/Pumpkin seeds

Whole Grains:• Crackers• Low Sodium Pretzels• Pita Chips • Popcorn • Low Fat Granola Bars • Baked Corn Torti lla Chips • Animal Crackers• Graham Crackers

Drinks:• Water• Low Fat or Fat Free Milk• 100% Fruit/Vegetable Juice

HEALTHY SCHOOL SNACKS

Cedar Rapids Community School DistrictThe provided list is not all inclusive. Reference CRCSD Nutriti onal Standards for specifi c guidance.

Snacks play a major role in a child’s diet and provide a valuable opportunity for nutriti on educati on. Healthy snacks are important to providing good nutriti on and supporti ng lifelong healthy eati ng habits.

Fruits:• Fresh fruit-whole or sliced • Assorted fruit salads• Dried Fruits• Applesauce • Individual fruit cups (packaged in juice)• 100% Fruit Juice• 100% Frozen Fruit Bars

Vegetables:• Raw Vegetables

Simple kid-friendly examples: Baby Carrots, Broccoli, Caulifl ower, Snap Peas, Sliced Peppers, Celery

• Dehydrated Vegetables • Vegetable Chips,

Chickpeas• Edamame (Soybeans)

Snack ti ps:• Snack on fruit and

vegetables whenever possible. • Select appropriate porti on sizes. • For food safety select sealed and

prepackaged snack items. • Combine protein and fi ber

for a sati sfying snack.

Dip Ideas: Hummus, Salsa, Bean dip, Honey Mustard, Yogurt based dips

Live

WELLNESS

TIP

2019-2020 Kindergarten/Preschool Registration

Online, starting Monday, February 25, 2019

You will be able to access the link at 7a.m. by going to our website:

http://www.cr.k12.ia.us

Your child must be 5 by September 15, 2019 to enroll into Kindergarten and 3 or 4 by September 15, 2019 for Preschool

If you DO NOT have internet access 1. Come to the District Offices

@ 2500 Edgewood Rd N.W. between the hours of 8am-4pm

2. Visit your resident school https://gis.linncounty.org/webapps/education/attendancearea/

Documents needed for:

Kindergarten • Birth Certificate • Proof of Residence

current utility bill, gas or electric lease agreement or mortgage

Preschool • Birth Certificate (needed)

• Proof of Income (to qualify for certain programs) 2 recent paystubs or a letter of decision from DHS

For questions, please call:

319-558-2247 for Kindergarten/AK 319-558-2549 for Preschool