You’re Invited to our Back to School Picnic!

Welcome to a new school year! 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. 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!

• When: Friday, September 9th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
  • Rain Date: Friday, September 16th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
• Where: SJLES Playground

Additional News

PTA Kickoff Meeting: IN-PERSON, Wed 9/7 @ 6:30 PM

Our first PTA meeting of the year will be held IN-PERSON next Wednesday 9/7 @ 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!

Why Join the PTA?

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. Visit our online Membership site to make your tax-deductible donation. Thank you so much – your support is what makes everything we do possible!

Open Positions

There’s an open position on the PTA Board of Directors – and we’d welcome your help! We’re looking for one or two people who can fill the following roles:

• Vice President #1 (Board Position): This role involves assisting the president as needed, reviewing all vendor contracts, helping our local PTA maintain compliance with the national and local PTA policies and other regulations, and managing the process for certain PTA-funded programs. 
• Education Enrichment Program Coordinator: This role is NEW for 2022-2023! We’re looking for someone to seek out and apply for grants that can benefit the students of SJLES. We’ve discovered there are numerous educational grants out there that can fund additional enrichment experiences for students–if only we had someone to apply for them! 
• Special Note: These duties were originally combined into the Vice President’s role. We would welcome one person to take on both, or two people to split it up! The Vice President #1 will serve as a member of the Board. If a separate Education Enrichment Program Coordinator is found, that position would not serve on the Board.

Questions?

Reach out to PTA President Meg Halvorsen at SJLES.PTAmail@gmail.com. 

The Kindergarten Playdate originally scheduled for tonight at 6 PM will NOT be held due to the forecasted rain. But Kindergarten families are invited to come early for our playdate next week.

All SJLES families (K-5) are invited to the playground next Wednesday, August 17th from 6-7 PM for our schoolwide Jaguar playdate. Kindergarteners can come at 5:30 PM. Hope to see you there next week!

Mark Your Calendars

See all the summer events and important back-to-school dates at a glance here: https://sjles.hcpss.org/events/mark-your-calendars

Event Details

1. Popsicles on the Playground: The PTA is hosting 3 playdates at the school playground so kids and parents have a chance to meet each other before the first day of school. Some SJLES staff members will also attend. The first two events are just for incoming Kindergarteners and their families, and the third one is for the entire school. Siblings are welcome!
   • Kindergarten Popsicle Playdate #1: Wed July 20, 10:30-11:30 AM
   • Kindergarten Popsicle Playdate #2: Wed August 10, 6-7 PM
   • Schoolwide K-5 Playdate: Wed, August 17,  6-7 PM
2. Virtual “Lunch Bunch”: SJLES Principal, Mr. Notari, is hosting virtual lunch bunches to connect with students.
   • Upcoming dates include July 21 and August 4, with separate sessions each day for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5.
   • Details, Google Meet links and login instructions are available here: https://sjles.hcpss.org/events/lunch-bunches-summer-stories-more 
3. Jaguar Summer Stories: Teachers read favorite books aloud for students. (“Jaguar” refers to the school mascot, affectionately known as “Harry Spotter.”)
   • Jaguar Summer Story #1: Mr. Notari reads from Just Joking by National Geographic Kids
   • Jaguar Summer Story #2: Mrs. Berube reading Flight School by Lita Judge
   • Jaguar Summer Story #3: Mrs. Blake reading The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
   • Jaguar Summer Story #4: Mrs. Alexander reading The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
   • Kindergarten JSS #1: Mrs. Shoff reads I Love Slop by Mo Willems
   • Kindergarten JSS #2: Mr. Notari reads The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing
   • Kindergarten JSS #3: Mrs. Taylor reads The Best Place to Read by Debbie Bertram and Susan Lynn Bloom
   • Kindergarten JSS #4: Ms. Fauver reads If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff
   • Kindergarten JSS #5:  Mrs. Meiklejohn reading A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee
   • Kindergarten JSS #6: Mrs. Kirby reading Pigeon Has to go to School by Mo Willems
   • Additional summer stories may be announced on the SJLES website.
4. Kindergarten Back-to-School Night: This is an information session intended for parents that is held prior to the first day of school. This session will fill in the details about how the day will go for Kindergarteners.
   • Wednesday, Aug 24 @ 6:30-8:00 PM
   • A virtual info session was held at the end of the school year as well. Access the slideshow through this link 
5. New Student Orientation: An introduction to SJLES for new students!
   • Friday, August 26 @ 1:00-1:45 PM 
6. Open House: This is when parents and students can come to the school together to drop off their school supplies, see their classrooms, and say hello to their teachers!
   • Friday, August 26 @ 2:00-3:00 PM

Thanks to all that you did we had a wonderful year last year. Please take a look back at all we accomplished! We want to continue supporting our Jaguars and make this upcoming school year memorable and fun too!

Please consider signing up for a committee.

Seeking Committee Chairs and Members for Next Year!

Let’s work together to make the 2022-2023 school year filled with fun events and activities for our little Jaguars! Being on a committee is a great way to get involved, meet more parents, and give back to SJLES! Please signup here to help plan and organize one of our school’s iconic events. For more details on each event, see our Event and Program Planning Guides, located on the SJLES PTA website. 

When signing up, please note if you want to chair the event or be on the committee.

PTA Meeting Planning Sessions!

This summer, we’ll hold two planning sessions so we’ll be ready for next school year.  Just like our regular PTA meetings, these sessions will be held on the first Wednesday of the month at 8:00 p.m. via Zoom.

• July 6th is NEXT WEDNESDAY!!!
• August 3rd

Mark your calendars now and bookmark our zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84490138573?pwd=eVBBUm9ZdXpEL3NvQkExQ0JXcVIyZz09 Meeting ID: 844 9013 8573
Passcode: 643443 

Dear SJLES Families,

This was a rebuilding year in so many ways.  As a PTA, our goal was to organize events that could bring our community together again, but in outdoor environments so people could feel as comfortable as possible.  We had a couple challenges: 1) unpredictable weather; 2) since the previous two years did not allow for gatherings, the majority of our PTA team had never even been to many of the school events that we were planning for this year; and 3) we needed to rebuild the budget after two years of being unable to hold fundraisers.  

But with determination and teamwork we were able to have a great year.  Here’s a peek at some of what the PTA was able to accomplish this year, thanks to all who supported PTA programs with their time, talents, and finances…  

• Hosted 17 super fun events for students and families
• Provided meals on 6 different occasions for 100 teachers and staff members
• Bought coffee and creamer for the staff lounge all year long
• Purchased a brand-new Funnel Ball system for the playground, which will be installed over the summer
• Purchased table top scales and butterfly terrariums for science classes
• Purchased 46 recycling bins, for every room in the school
• Purchased 212 laptop bags for students
• Collected 1,799 items for the food drive, 89 coats for the Coat Drive, and countless toys for students in need
• Provided prizes for the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports to fill the Spot-O-Gram store
• Framing for over 1,400 artwork displays
• Purchased new books for the Media Center
• Purchased headphones, learning manipulatives, therapy putty, sensory fidget toys, instructional games, pumped up recess supplies, and countless school supplies

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

P.S. This summer, we’ll hold two planning sessions so we’ll be ready for next school year.  Just like our regular PTA meetings, these sessions will be held on the first Wednesday of the month at 8:00 p.m. via Zoom.

• July 6th
• August 3rd

Mark your calendars now and bookmark our zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84490138573?pwd=eVBBUm9ZdXpEL3NvQkExQ0JXcVIyZz09

• Meeting ID: 844 9013 8573
• Passcode: 643443 

Hope to see you there!

Thank you to all our May Day donors. The May Day Festival cannot happen without generous donations of time and items from all our parents and teachers. It’s with your help that we are able to provide a fun filled day for our Jaguars.

Thank you also to our local business donors, that generously donated to our silent auction. You are helping to raise funds that provide school supplies, assemblies, field trips, picnics, and more. Below are the business that donated to our silent auction:

Saturday 5/21  •  1PM – 5PM

Our beloved tradition at St. John’s Lane for over 55 years is coming back this year! It is a carnival event with games, prizes, inflatables, delicious food, entertainment, and a silent auction.

All are welcome! Please spread the word to family, friends, and neighbors!

Ticket Information

• Blue Tickets can be used to play games, play on the inflatables, and purchase PTA-provided food (i.e., excludes Food Trucks)
  • Pre-sale discount pricing: 20 cents per ticket (5 tickets for $1)
  • Ticket price on the day of May Day: 25 cents per ticket (4 tickets for $1)

• Wristbands available for all-day, unlimited access to games and inflatables (not food)
  • Pre-sale discount wristband price: $20
  • Wristband price on the day of May Day: $25

• Order forms for pre-sale tickets will be sent home during the first week of May. You can also order using our PTA online store. Pre-sale pricing will be available until Wednesday, May 18th. 

Games & Food

• Here’s the list of games and food that will be available at the May Day Festival! 

Delicious menu options include:

• Tasty Maryland Food Truck
• Vocelli’s Pizza by the slice
• Kona Ice Truck
• Cotton candy
• Fan-favorite lemon sticks
• And more!

• Play for prizes! Each game gives you a chance to win Yellow Prize tickets that can be redeemed for fabulous prizes!

Volunteers Needed!

• We need your help to make May Day run smoothly! Choose a time slot to help with the games, prize tables, and silent auction. Click here to sign up. Thank you!
• We are also looking for Bake Sale volunteers and Items for Loan. Thank you!

Live Entertainment

• We are pleased to welcome several great community groups, including a Cub Scouts opening ceremony, the MHHS Color Guard, Kangaroo Kids, Kavanagh Porter Academy of Irish Dance, and more! 
• A live DJ will provide the perfect soundtrack for the day!

Silent Auction

• Our Silent Auction will be held in the Gym and has some amazing items up for bidding! Don’t miss your opportunity to win incredible prizes, including…
  • Front row tickets to 5th Grade Graduation
  • $1000 orthodontics gift card
  • Tickets to the Frederick Keys
  • 8-person tasting event at Black Ankle Vineyards
  • Merriweather Post Pavilion gift certificate
  • Free yogurt for a YEAR from Sweet Frog
  • Lift tickets for Timberline Resort
  • Vedic Spa facial gift certificate
  • 3-month YMCA family  membership
  • 4 free passes to the Zava Zone
  • And much, much more!

Rain Date Information

Saturday, June 4, 1:00 – 5:00 PM

• In the past, May Day has been held rain or shine. But this year, we wanted to have a plan so almost all of the event can be outside.

• Inflatables can only be set up outside (per HCPSS policy), and we didn’t want rain to ruin the fun!
• May Day is a BIG event and we’d like as many people as possible to feel comfortable!
• In the event of rain on BOTH days, the event will be moved inside on June 4th, 1-5 PM.

Questions?

Send a note to SJLES.PTAmail@gmail.com

Yearbook Order Deadline is April 29

LAST CHANCE to Save on Theme Park Tickets!