TJ Family News

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, is a special day that we celebrate to honor the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was a remarkable leader in the civil rights movement, advocating for equality and justice for all people. On this day, which falls on the third Monday of January each year, we take time to reflect on Dr. King's legacy and the importance of treating everyone with kindness and respect. It's a day to remember the power of love and unity in making positive changes in our communities. It's a chance for us to appreciate the progress we've made towards equality and to commit ourselves to continuing the work for a more inclusive and harmonious future.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 16, 2024 will be an E-Learning Day. Please have your child login to their Google Classroom using their district issued laptop at 9:05 tomorrow.

Please click on the below link for TJ's E-Learning Day Schedule.

E-Learning Day Schedule

PTO meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 16rg has been canceled.

i.Ready results will be sent home the week of Jan. 15.

Report Cards will be sent home electronically on Jan. 19.

The following rules should be reviewed with your student(s).

The Board of Education expects that student conduct on school buses be in keeping with the high standards expected of students while they are in school. Security cameras are present on school buses to monitor student behavior. The security cameras record both audio and video of the students’ bus ride to and from school. The bus driver is in full charge of the bus and its passengers at all times. All school rules and behavior expectations for students as defined in the Student Discipline policy and the Student Handbook are applicable while traveling to and from the bus stop, waiting at the bus stop, boarding the bus, riding the bus, and disembarking from the bus.

Parents are not permitted to board a school bus without permission from the district. Any concerns about student behavior, seat assignments, routes/stops, bus procedures, etc. are to be directed to the building administration.

Cooperative bus riders do the following:

1. Accept the driver as being in full charge of the bus and the students.

2. Obey the driver's instructions promptly and respectfully.

3. Arrive on time at his/her bus stop, realizing that if he/she misses the bus, he/she shall be required to find other means of transportation to school.

4. Stand well off the road while waiting for the bus.

5. Carry on only quiet, ordinary conversations during the bus ride.

6. Go to assigned seats immediately and remain there until the bus stops at designated stops.

7. Ride only on the bus to which he/she has been assigned or obtain written permission from his/her building principal to ride on a different bus. In case of a family emergency, written permission from the building principal must be obtained before a student will be allowed to ride on a different bus.

8. Understand that only assigned students or school personnel may board or ride on the school bus. 9. Notify the building principal of a move so that he/she may be transferred to another bus route.

10. Keep hands, feet, and personal belongings to themselves.

11. Follow the applicable guidelines listed under the "Expected Behavior of Students" section of this handbook.

12. Get on and off the bus ONLY at your designated bus stop.

Cooperative bus riders do not do the following because they realize that such activities may lead to suspension and/or expulsion of the student from the bus or that other appropriate disciplinary action may be taken by the building principal (see Discipline).

All Plainfield elementary schools follow due process 29 procedures and have the right to search a student and his/her belongings under reasonable suspicion guidelines as defined in School Board Policies.

1. Eat and/or drink on the bus unless it is medically necessary and approved by the school nurse.

2. Throw waste paper or rubbish on the floor, behind the seats, or out of the windows.

3. Put their hands or heads out of the windows.

4. Chase the bus. Once the doors are closed and the bus begins moving, the student does not attempt to board the bus or touch it in any way.

5. Deface the bus in any way. Parents/guardians are held responsible for any damage to the inside or outside of a bus by students.

6. Shoot articles, such as water pistols or rubber bands, at one another or at the driver.

7. Cross the road behind the bus at bus stops.

8. Hang on to the rear, the sides, or any part of the bus after getting off the bus.

9. Play with or use the rear emergency door when no emergency exists.

10. Place hands on the driver's operating equipment (i.e., the door handle mechanism).

11. Violate the applicable behavior guidelines listed under the "Expected Behavior of Students" section of this handbook.

Violations of the below regulations may result in disciplinary action by school administration:

● Students may ride only on their assigned bus (the District no longer honors bus change request)

● Students may only enter and exit the bus at their assigned stop

● Students must be at the assigned stop five (5) minutes prior to scheduled pick-up

● Students must be courteous to students and neighbors at bus stops

● Loud talking, singing, or profanity is not allowed

● Students must always remain in their seat while the bus is in motion

● Eating, drinking, or smoking is not allowed on the bus

● Throwing objects in, out of, or at any bus is prohibited

Erin's Law

SEL focus is on Empathy.

Empathy: Getting along with others helps make our school a happier place. To get along with others, we need to have empathy for each other. Empathy is feeling or understanding what someone else is feeling. This week, be a feelings detective!

Identifying Feelings: We’re all learning to identify our own and others’ feelings. We can focus our attention on someone’s face or body and on the situation for clues about how the person is feeling. Sometimes people’s voices and the words they say also give us clues. If someone is yelling, it might be that this person is angry. If a person is using a very quiet voice, it might be that the person is scared or worried.

Same and Different Feelings:

We all want to have friends here at school. But people can have similar or different feelings about the same situation. For example, I might feel scared to climb up high, and my friend might feel excited. Learning to respect other people’s feelings can help us make and keep friends!

Showing Compassion:

Here at our school we want to put our empathy into action. This is called showing compassion. When we’re able to understand how someone else is feeling and do something to show we understand, we are showing that person compassion. Listening, saying kind words, and helping are three ways to show compassion. Take a moment now to think about how you can show compassion to someone today. Then find a way to do it during the day.

Please take the time to review our lunchroom and recess expectations with your child. Our expectations at TJ are for students to be their best by being responsible, respectful, and safe.

Lunchroom Expectations:

Remain seated

Raise your hand if you need anything

Do not share food

Keep your hands to yourself

Walk in the lunchroom

Be respectful to all students and staff

Recess Expectations:

Keep your hands to yourself

Use recess equipment as intended

Be respectful to all students and staff

ABCDE Calendar

Free Meals for the 2023-2024 School Year

In order to ensure accurate counts of meals, students will need to make a choice in the morning. Please see the link for the menu below and talk to your child about their lunch choice.

Elementary Breakfast and Lunch Menu

• Plainfield202 2022-2023 School Calendar
• English
• Spanish

• Arrival Procedures
• Dismissal Procedures

We are asking for your cooperation and patience with arrival and dismissal to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and families. If your child is a car rider, please place a nameplate in the front window of your car that is visible to staff. Your child's teacher can provide you with a nameplate or you can get one from the office.

Students can enter the building at 8:50. There will not be supervision prior to 8:50 AM. If students are not at their classrooms by 9:05 AM, students will need to get a tardy slip from the office.

If your student is arriving at school after 9:05, you will need to sign your child into school in the main office.

If you and your child are walkers, we are asking everyone to cross using the designated crosswalks in the parking lot and in front of the school for your safety.

We are asking all families who are picking up their children as walkers to remain on the sidewalk and out of the grass. Please stay behind the bike racks to allow students room to dismiss safely.

Please know the safety of our students is first and foremost, they will not be able to change their dismissal arrangements unless the office has been notified. Please contact the office prior to 3:00 with any dismissal changes.

Thank you to everyone for your cooperation!

January

8 Classes Resume Following Winter Break

11 Lunch Spirit Monkeys

15 Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday - NO SCHOOL

16 PTO Meeting

17 Access Testing Window Opens

19 Popcorn Friday

23 Lou Malnatis No Cook Night

25 Lunch Spirit Monkeys

26 Magic Night

February

1 Spirit Monkeys Sold at Lunch

8 Oberweise No Cook

9 Seetheart Dance

12-23 OLSAT Testing Window

14 Free Popcorn Friday from the PTO

14 Friendship Parties

19 President's Day - No School

22 Spirit Monkeys Sold at Lunch

Google Translate is a quick and easy way to translate text to another language. You can access Google Translate by clicking here.

Megan Orto - President

Adrianna Aurich - Vice President

Karen Killian - Secretary

Justin Zak - Treasurer

Email: tj_reg@psd202.org
Website: https://tjes.psd202.org/
Location: 1900 Oxford Way, Joliet, IL, 60431
Phone: (815) 577-2021
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tjelem202/post