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Join the SJLES Read-a-thon! January 8 – 26, 2024

Q: What is Read-a-thon?

A: Read-a-thon is a reading fundraiser that makes it easy, fun and rewarding to practice reading at home and at school! There is no required number of books to read, and no specific time requirement. The goal is simply to have fun reading! Family and friends are invited to support students with a one-time donation.

Q: How long is the event?

A: The Read-a-thon officially begins on Monday, January 8, and runs through Friday, January 26, 2024. All Jaguars will have the opportunity to celebrate the start of Read-a-thon at the in-school Cozy Reading Day event assemblies, with an exciting and inclusive in-school event on Monday, January 8.

Q: How do I sign up?

A: Create your account right here by entering your student’s homeroom teacher code, listed below. Then invite family and friends to support your child’s Read-a-thon with a donation. It only takes a few minutes! During the registration process, you’ll have the option to send emails and texts to family and friends directly from the site, or you can have an email sent to your inbox that you’ll be able to forward as you wish. There is no requirement to read a certain number of books or minutes-per-day. However, reading minutes can be logged easily through your account if you wish to track and encourage your child’s reading.

Q: How does my child earn prizes?

Your child will earn 15% of all donations that they receive to spend in the prize store. Choose from more than 200 fun prizes! Stay tuned for more details about redeeming prizes.

Q: Are there sponsorship opportunities for businesses?

A: Do you own or manage a business that you’d like the SJLES community to know about? Read-a-thon offers ad sponsorships so your company’s information can be displayed on all the fundraising pages throughout the program. Go to Click HERE or go to https://www.read-a-thon.com/donate  and enter SJLES’ code: 58529 to learn more.

Gradeteacherteacher code
KMrs. BlakeCode: 3198487
KMrs. ByleCode: 3198488
KMrs. FauverCode: 3198489
KMrs. KirbyCode: 3198490
KMrs. McWattersCode: 3198491
1Miss CoffeyCode: 3198492
1Mrs. AlexanderCode: 3198493
1Mrs. JorqueraCode: 3198494
1Mrs. LarnerCode: 3198495
1Mrs. MuellerCode: 3198496
2Mrs. HarknessCode: 3198497
2Mrs. CareCode: 3198498
2Mrs. HaroldCode: 3198499
2Miss JangCode: 3198500
2Mrs. MarsicoCode: 3198501
3Mrs. CapecciCode: 3198502
3Mrs. BaileyCode: 3198503
3Mr. ConklinCode: 3198504
3Mrs. LosiewskiCode: 3198505
4Miss KingCode: 3198506
4Mrs. BarronCode: 3198507
4Mrs. BerubeCode: 3198508
4Miss SouthernCode: 3198509
4Mrs. LeveCode: 3198510
5Mrs. ParrCode: 3198511
5Mr. KolloschCode: 3198512
5Mrs. LowneyCode: 3198513
5Mrs. RippeonCode: 3198514
5Mrs. SprankleCode: 3198515

Cozy Reading Day Volunteers Needed

Hi 🩵💙💛SJLES Volunteers!💛💙🩵

Cozy Reading Day is during the school day on Monday, January 8th! 

The Cozy Reading Team needs 2 volunteers per grade level to help. Please consider signing up from 2:00pm to 3:45pm to help organize and distribute materials and to help the Jaguars make bookmarks with their buddies.  The volunteers will organize materials in the Staff Lounge (near the cafeteria).

Click the sign up below to get a sign up slot!

 Cozy Reading Volunteer Sign Up

New to Volunteering

*If you are a new volunteer, please take a few minutes prior to your shift to complete the following requirements. it is really just a few minutes, I promise! Please print out the forms and bring them with you to give to the front office staff.               

 1. Confidentiality Training Course              

2. Child Abuse and Neglect Training 

Thank you for your time,

Healthy Minds, Healthy Me, Healthy SJLES!

Your input is needed to shape our program!

We are delighted to share that our PTA earned grant funding from the National PTA to establish a ‘Healthy Minds’ program at SJLES to support the mental wellness of our school community. 

Action Requested

Please help shape the program by providing input here by December 31st. No identifying information is required, you are welcome to keep your responses confidential.

The Healthy Minds PTA planning committee is working in close partnership with our school counselors, Ms. Poirier and Ms. Diaz, and will announce details of the program in January. We are proactively focusing on mental wellness because when our minds are healthy and strong, we are more resilient to life’s challenges, able to use healthy coping methods, have better relationships, maintain our overall health and well-being, and prevent chronic illnesses.

In this season, be kind to yourself. “No one can show up 100% of the time… Remember that you occasionally need to slow down and preserve your energy to fully restore your well-being” – Yung Pueblo

Need Help

If you have an immediate need for help with depression, suicidal thoughts, or other serious mental health issues, please contact:

  • Grassroots Crisis Intervention at 410-531-6677
  • The Maryland Crisis Hotline: Dial 211 and then choose option 1
  • The Crisis Text Line: Text 741741 and a trained counselor will respond.
  • The National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255

It’s Almost Time to Trot!!

SJLES will be collecting student drawn Turkey Trot posters and canned food donations for the Howard County Food Bank October 23rd through November 13th.

Our 17th annual Turkey Trot is coming up on Sunday, November 19th from 10am to 12pm at Mt Hebron High School Track. The rain date will be December 3rd. 

Students are invited to:

1) Make a poster for the Turkey Trot that will be displayed in the SJLES hallways to earn an art charm. Blank posters can be picked up from Mrs. Peddicord starting October 23rd, and each poster must include the words “SJLES Turkey Trot”, a picture of a turkey, and the student’s name, grade, and teacher on the back. Posters must be received no later than November 13th to qualify for the charm. 

2) Donate non-perishable/canned food items for the Howard County Food Bank between October 23rd and November 13th. Please bring all items to the students’ homeroom class where they will be counted. The homeroom for each grade with the most donations will receive the coveted Golden Turkey Award!

3) Participate in the Turkey Trot Fun Run/Walk on November 19th. This event is for the whole family. Please RSVP for the Turkey Trot and sign your participation waiver! Waivers will be available on-site the morning of the event but we ask participants to please fill out the form in advance online so we can estimate the number of participants. 

We welcome all volunteers to please sign up here to make our Turkey Trot a success. Set up will start promptly at 9am and end by 12:30pm. 

Turkey Trot Agenda:

  • 9:00-10:00 – Set up (Volunteers needed)
  • 10:00-10:15 – Registration
  • 10:15-10:30 – Warm-up
  • 10:30-10:45 – Opening Ceremony
  • Travel to bleachers
  • Welcome Announcements
  • Flag Ceremony
  • National Anthem
  • 10:45-11:15 – Trot Time
  • 11:15-11:30 – Cool Down Dance Party and Prize Collection 
  • 11:30-12:00 – Announcement of Winners
  • 12:00-12:30 – Clean up (Volunteers needed)

Help Needed and RSVP: Trunk or Treat: October 28th

Our 2nd annual FREE Trunk-or-Treat coming up on Saturday, October 28th from 3-5! Come in costume if you’d like, and enjoy festively decorated cars and lots of treats! Fifth grade will be hosting a Hot Cocoa Bar to keep us warm and we’ll have a DJ to keep us moving. 

  • Wanted: Your Trunk! Click the link to reserve a spot for your decorated trunk! Space is limited to 23 cars, and registration closes on 10/21. 
  • Candy needed! To buy a bag of candy or treats for donation, please purchase a $10 bag from our PTA store.
  • RSVP Here!  This is not required, but it will help us plan for your ghosts and goblins. Suggested RSVP by 10/25.
  • Volunteer Here! If you are able to help make our 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat a success, please volunteer to help. We will start setting up at 2PM and hope to have everything cleaned up by 5:30PM.

SJLES Original Works Art Fundraiser

Looking for a unique gift for family and friends for birthdays or upcoming holidays? The SJLES PTA, Mrs. Peddicord and Ms. Skyles are here to help! Original Works is an art-based fundraising company who will transform your child’s artwork into products you can share or gift to family and friends. The money raised from this program goes primarily to the SJLES Art Department. This extra funding allows Mrs. Peddicord and Ms. Skyles to purchase additional materials that further enrich our SJLES art program and support our school-wide art displays as well as our annual Night of the Arts. Please keep an eye out for a packet coming home on 10/16 with everything you’ll need to create masterpieces with your child’s work. It will be due back to the school on Monday, October 30th.

Spirit Wear: Closing on SUNDAY

The Jaguar Spirit Wear Online Store is now open! Click here to place your order. Check out our tees, hoodies, and more available in both youth and adult sizes. The deadline for orders is Sunday October, 15th. Orders will be delivered to SJLES and sent home with your student(s) in early November. Please note, items are custom, so there are no refunds, returns, or exchanges. If you have any questions please contact: SJLES.Spiritwear@gmail.com.

Trunk or Treat: October 28th

Our 2nd annual FREE Trunk-or-Treat coming up on Saturday, October 28th from 3-5! Come in costume if you’d like, and enjoy festively decorated cars and lots of treats! There will also be a Hot Cocoa Bar and DJ. 

  • Wanted: Your Trunk! Click the link to reserve a spot for your decorated trunk! Space is limited to 23 cars, and registration closes on 10/21. 
  • Candy needed! To buy a bag of candy or treats for donation, please purchase a $10 bag from our PTA store.
  • RSVP Here!  This is not required, but it will help us plan for your ghosts and goblins. Suggested RSVP by 10/25.
  • Volunteer Here! If you are able to help make our 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat a success, please volunteer to help. We will start setting up at 2PM and hope to have everything cleaned up by 5:30PM.