Introducing JES
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Updated 8-30-09
The following overview may be of interest, particularly to those who are new to Johnson or who currently are not part of the school's "immediate family" of students, parents, staff, and volunteers. For more information, check out the rest of our website, and download the JES Student Handbook (click on the link, or go to Policies, Procedures & Forms on the Main Menu.) |
Contents : Our Facility - Our Program - Food Service & Transportation Our Students - Our Staff - Our Budget - PTA & Volunteers
OUR FACILITY Located in the Village of Johnson, just below Johnson State College, JES' beautiful, functional and well-equipped building consists of an 1895 historic schoolhouse renovation and a major addition, both completed in 1997.
The basics. JES' pre-kindergarten through grade 6 students are organized into four "base teams" of two grades each: Sparkles (Pre-K & Kindergarten), Detectives (1st & 2nd grades), Green Mountaineers (3rd & 4th) and Explorers (5th & 6th). Our pre-school is funded mainly by our federal Title I and other grants. It is open to all Johnson 4-year-olds, and busing is available. Classes meet 12 hours per week, in several morning or afternoon sessions. Kindergarten is full-time. The other teams are organized into multi-grade homerooms, with students staying in the same homeroom for two years. Students are usually with their homeroom class for social studies and science (which are taught in a two year cycle), music, art, physical education, and health education, as well as special activities. For math and reading, students are grouped flexibly within teams according to their current level of mastery of each subject. In addition to classroom teachers, special education, enrichment and supplemental reading/ math teachers have reading and math groups, which keeps instructional groups small. JES uses comprehensive published programs, K-to-6, for both math and reading: Addison-Wesley math and McGraw-Hill language arts. Perhaps the greatest strength of both is the consistency and continuity that they provide from classroom to classroom and grade to grade. Beyond the basics (K-6) Students have music and P.E. twice a week. Band is open to 4th, 5th and 6th graders. The Vermont Studio Center generously donates art instruction for all classes, and many other art activities are integrated into the regular classroom. Our School Counselor, Nurse and P.E. Teacher/Health Educator teach social skills and healthy living lessons weekly. Classes have weekly library and computer lab periods. In recent years, both the library book collection and the school's computer technology have been greatly expanded and upgraded. We have a 24-station main computer lab; an 8-station lab in the library; and a 20-laptop wireless mobile lab that may be used in any classroom. In the fall of 2009, most classrooms were updated with 4 new student computer work stations, and we've also acquired 10 highly versatile netbooks, which will be used extensively for computer-based interactive tutoring. All of the school's computers are networked and have Internet access. In addition, thanks to a combination of federal and state grants, each classroom has an interactive "Smartboard", which uses a computer and digital projector to display a computer monitor on a large "smart" screen, which allows interaction between students and information being displayed. Special Education & Related Services . Our special educators provide a wide range of specialized instruction and support for students with disabilities. In addition, JES has been successful in implementing a comprehensive, school-wide Educational Support System (ESS) that can identify students who need extra help early on and provide them with intensive, individualized support that prevents them from ever entering the much more costly and complex world of special education services. School Discipline System . JES has a comprehensive, multi-faceted schoolwide "discipline" system, which includes clearly articulated standards and expectations for student conduct, a progressive sequence of logical consequences for misconduct, and a parallel system of recognition and rewards for good conduct. Our goal is for school to be an inviting, respectful and calm place where children are physically safe, emotionally secure, socially comfortable, and intellectually engaged. All "school rules" tie back to the basics: be safe, and treat others as you would like to be treated. A key principle underlying the system is that any time students are so disruptive that the teacher can't teach and the other students can't learn, the disruptive students leave the classroom, and other trained staff take over, working with children to correct their behavior in the future. Our Intervention Support Program focuses on children with serious behavior disorders, but it is built upon and is an extension of the regular schoolwide discipline system. After school
JES' popular REACH enrichment program for 1st to 6th graders runs from 2:30 to 4:30, on Tuesday through Thursday afternoons. It is coordinated by the Enrichment Teacher and also staffed by our music and P.E. teachers, librarian, technology coordinator, other JES employees, as well as parent and community volunteers. Offerings include athletics, music, art, drama, literacy, computer, science, geography, foreign language, homework club, and more. REACH puts on a musical every spring - watch for announcements! Beyond the Bell is a for-fee child care center housed at and operated by the school. BTB operates every school day until 6:00 p.m. as well as full-time for six weeks in the summer. It is open to JES students in grades K to 6. When REACH is in session, REACH and BTB merge, with all eligible BTB enrollees participating in REACH activities. Step-Up is another JES after school program providing literacy and math tutoring to students in grades 1 to 4 who need extra assistance. Students are invited to participate based on teacher referrals and test results. They attend the program two days per week using specialized interactive software. Two JES teacher staff the program, which is funded by federal grants. Math Mania is provides after-school math tutoring and enrichment for students in grades 5 and 6 needing extra help in math. Students are invited to participate based on teacher referrals and test results. They attend the program two days per week. A teacher coordinates the program, which is funded by a special grants.
JES offers both breakfast and lunch at school under the National Meals Program. Our food service is operated by the Abbey Group. The school provides free bus transportation to and from school. Our busses are operated by First Student.
September 2009 enrollment is about 215 in grades K-to-6 and 25 in pre-school. K-to-6 enrollment has gone from 259 in 1975, to a high of 310 (in 1987), with the current trend being downward, consistent with statewide trends. Average K-6 enrollment for the past decade is 240. Average class sizes are: 12-13 in Pre-School, 15 in Kindergarten, and 18 in grades 1 to 6. Having started as JES Principal in July 2009, David Manning heads up a staff of about 50 regular employees. Our 26 certified teachers include: 12 K-to-6 classroom teachers; a pre-School/EEE (special education for 3 and 4-year-olds) teacher, 3 special educators;music/band, P.E./health, Enrichment and supplemental reading & math teachers, a school counselor, a school nurse, a school librarian, and two reading specialists (as part of our federal Reading First grant). We also have a consulting speech/language pathologist. Our non-certified staff include: 4 special education paraprofessionals who work with multiple students and 6 assigned to assist individual students; 4 pre-k, kindergarten and grade 1/2 paraprofessionals; a speech assistant; a planning room supervisor and three intervention support room supervisors; a technology coordinator; three core staff of the Beyond the Bell after-school program;a business assistant; two office staff; and three maintenance and custodial staff. In total, about 5 full-time equivalent teacher positions and 4 paraprofessionals are funded by special purpose federal and state grants. Several positions, both certified and non-certified staff, are less than full-time, and/or split between multiple functions/ departments.
J ohnson Elementary parents formally organized as a Parent-Teacher Association in 2001. The group sponsors a wide variety of events and activities, and in addition, carries out fund-raising to pay for many wonderful special events for Johnson students and families.
We are always on the lookout for community volunteers, especially to help us provide the "extras". The PTA coordinates many parent volunteer activities. |