Do you have a first grader interested in joining a Girl Scout’s Daisy Troop? If so, please email katie.e.shutt@gmail.com for more information.

Our first PTA meeting of the year will be held IN-PERSON on Wednesday 9/6 @ 6:30 PM in the school’s Media Center!

Pop in to meet this year’s Board and see what we have in store for this year! If you’ve never attended a PTA meeting before, this is a great way to get a look inside what’s going on SJLES and connect with other parents. Principal Dan Notari or Assistant Principal Erin Coleman will speak at every meeting and answer questions. Hope to see you there!

We look forward to seeing you at our first school-wide event, the Back to School Picnic! There is no cost to attend and all are invited! Bring your own picnic dinner and we’ll provide the musical entertainment!

Welcome to a new school year (almost)! Every week you’ll receive an email from the PTA with updates on how you and your Jaguars can get involved at SJLES this year. The PTA is a nonprofit organization run by parent volunteers. The goal of everything we do is to help support SJLES teachers and staff, provide fun and enriching experiences for the kids, and to build a sense of community among parents. Becoming a member of the PTA means that you are donating to help enhance the school experience for all of the students. There is never any obligation to volunteer!

The PTA funds school-wide assemblies, family fun events, teacher appreciation activities, teacher-requested classroom supplies, and so much more. Without a PTA these events would not be possible.  Visit our online Membership site to make your tax-deductible donation. 

All membership dues and donations go directly into funding school-wide assemblies, family fun events, teacher appreciation activities, and to buy items needed by the teachers for their classrooms.Thank you so much – your support makes it all happen!

If you are ready to dive in to help, there are two immediate opportunities:

• If you’d like to help plan and coordinate a fun activity/event for our Jaguars, you can sign up to join an event committee here: Committee Sign UP 2023-2024. You can learn more about these events and what is involved in organizing here: Event Program Planning Guides.

*Important Reminder for Volunteer Requirements

All volunteers must complete a Confidentiality Training Course about protecting the privacy of our students, staff, and schools, and the Child Abuse and Neglect Training about reporting any suspicion of child abuse or neglect to Howard County Department of Social Services. Once you complete the courses, which take 10 or so minutes, please print out the certificates and give them to the front office prior to your volunteer shift. These need to be completed every year, before any volunteer shift at SJLES.

See a getting started FAQ here

Or navigate by going to About -> New to SJLES

Hello SJLES Community, 

The PTA Staff Appreciation Committee will be hosting a Back-to-School Breakfast for the amazing SJLES staff on Thursday, August 17, and we are looking for some items to be donated. If you would like to contribute, please use this link to sign up for items: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0949adae2ca02-back#/

Can’t donate any of these items but still want to help? You can also make a monetary donation which will go to support our many Staff Appreciation efforts throughout the year. To make a monetary donation, please visit: https://sjles.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true&category=Donations

Please follow this Link to complete the Donation Form to accompany your item donation. This form will allow us to issue you a receipt for your tax purposes. You can submit this Donation Form directly with your donation or via email to the PTA VP of Finance and Compliance, at sjlesptavp1@gmail.com. 

Thank you for helping support the PTA and the SJLES Staff!

–SJLES PTA

Dear SJLES Families,

I’d like to thank everyone who helped to make all of our PTA events and programs possible.  We’ve been lucky enough to have an exceptional group of Board Members, Committee Chairs, and consistent volunteers.  Together, with the community’s fundraising support, we’ve accomplished so much this year…

• Hosted 12 fun events for students and families
• Funded 4 school-wide cultural arts assemblies
• Free Field Day T-shirt and Snowball to all students and staff
• Free Class T-shirt to all 5th Graders, plus funds for end-of-year pool party
• Purchased a brand-new Gaga Ball Pit for the playground
• Bought a class set of ukuleles for the Music Department
• Purchased new carpets for every First Grade classroom
• Provided funding for over $9,300 worth of new books for the Media Center
• Framing and materials for over 1,400 artwork displays for the Art Department’s Art Shows
• Funded improvements to the Motor Room for the Special Education Department
• Purchased a class pack of coding robots for the Technology Department
• Bought supplies to convert chalkboards into dry-erase boards for all classrooms
• Funded materials for new Beginning Band Method Books to be provided to all Beginning Band students in the future
• Provided meals on 7 different occasions for 100 teachers and staff members
• Supplied coffee and creamer for the staff lounge and tissues for every classroom all year long
• Gifted each staff member a new bluetooth speaker
• Coordinated, set up, and staffed the Book Fair
• Implemented the Book Fairy program to expand access to the Book Fair for students who would not be able to make a purchase otherwise
• Coordinated and produced a yearbook
• Bought a new Harry Spotter mascot costume
• Funded the Howard County Conservancy Owl Outreach on-site Field Trip for 5th Grade
• Bought baseball caps for end-of-year gifts for Kindergarten students
• Provided prizes for the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program to fill the Spot-O-Gram store
• Funded the lunch for the Simulated Congressional Hearing Judges
• Collected 1377 items for the food drive, 234 toys for students in need, and 52 coats, scarves, hats, and gloves for the coat drive
• Donated to the PTACHC Scholarship Program and to Homewood Center
• Provided supplies for the Jaguar Garden Days, a letter writing project for students, and individual white boards for student use, and countless classroom supplies 

As you can see, the PTA is an important support for SJLES and the benefits to the students and staff are immensely impactful.

I’ve reached my term limits for serving as your President, but I’m excited to share that a wonderful new group of parents have stepped forward for next year.  Please join me in welcoming our New Board:

• Katie Brewer – President
• Chinedu Agbakwuru – Vice President 1
• Christian Buzzerd – Vice President 2
• Claire Mathews – Treasurer
• Sarah Day – Corresponding Secretary
• Sarah Sherry – PTACHC Representative
• Seba Kurian – PTACHC Representative

(If anyone is interested in learning about joining this amazing team as the Recording Secretary, reach out to SJLES.PTAmail@gmail.com with any questions.)

We sincerely thank everyone who gave membership dues, volunteered their time, loaned us equipment for events, and encouraged us with your feedback!

With sincere gratitude,
Meg Halvorsen
PTA President 2021-2023

You don’t have to spend a summer day driving from store to store to purchase school supplies…because now you can get everything you need in one easy box! The PTA is offering a pre-packaged school supply box that includes the exact items requested by your child’s teachers. Check out pricing here and order online at www.shopttkits.com using account number 19690. The kit will be in your child’s classroom in time for the “welcome back” Open House this fall. Orders are due by June 16! ***NOTE about GT boxes: If your 4th or 5th grade student is in GT classes, be sure to select their grade’s GT box only. You do NOT need to buy both grade-level boxes for your student.***

HCPSS Kindergarten registration for the 2023-2024 school year is open! Parents/guardians of children who will be five on or before September 1, 2023, must enroll their children in kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year. Please help spread the word! By registering for Kindergarten as early as possible, you’re helping to ensure that SJLES will have the staffing and resources in place for the incoming class of Kindergarteners well in advance. Working in advance also helps SJLES recruit the best teachers! Registration info can be found here. In addition, we hope to see many of our new SJLES Kindergarteners and families at our Kindergarten Sneak A Peek on 5/24/23 at 4:00 p.m. Please spread the word and complete this RSVP form if you plan to attend.