JBN Parent Newsletter 9.16.22
Principal’s Message
Do you follow us on Twitter? See what is happening at JB! Click here.
JB Nelson Families,
We had another great week of learning!
The week started with the Running club kicking off their fall season! 4th and 5th grade students are welcome to join the club and run with Mr. Albrecht and Mrs. Avery on Mondays and Fridays before school.
Our students are showing the JB Way and earning class compliments! We counted up how many classes have earned 10 compliments and had a class celebration. We have a grand total of 25 class celebrations! That means that classes have earned 250 compliments since we started school a little over a month ago! The schoolwide goal is 50 so we are halfway there!
Yesterday all of our students participated in a bus evacuation drill. During the pandemic these were put on hold but now that we are looking forward to having field trips again we wanted students to know how to respond in an emergency situation on the bus.
If you have been reading my newsletters for the past few years you know that I was a member of the Building Our Future Together committee (BOFT) and that the JB Nelson staff and community have loudly shared the need for our building to have a secure entrance. BPS101’s $140 million bond referendum on Nov. 8 will enable the district to address essential safety and security needs at our schools. Approval will not increase the district’s bond and interest property tax levy. Find out more at: www.bps101.net/boft.
We are still looking for a lunch/recess supervisor. The hours are 11:10-1:30 Monday-Friday and you spend some time outside supporting recess and some time inside supporting lunch. We have a fun team that would love to meet you! Please email if you are interested: nicole.prentiss@bps101.net
We hope you enjoy your weekend and we will see you on Monday!
~Mrs. Prentiss
Opportunities for Students
(All of these events are also listed on the JBN Parent calendar)
JBN Running Club
- Running club is open to all 4th and 5th grade boys and girls.
- Practices will be held on Monday AND Friday mornings from 8-8:40am. The first practice will be on Monday, September 12th.
- We will meet outside on the blacktop by the gym doors. Please do not arrive before 7:55am.
- The fall season runs from September 12th-October 28th. We will run the BatFest 5K on October 29th. Stay tuned for more information!
- Please dress appropriately for the weather as our runs will be outside! Having an extra pair of socks with you is encouraged. (In case of rain, we will run inside that day)
- We are thrilled to have the opportunity to host Run Club at JBN!
If you are interested in joining, please fill out the form that was handed out in PE and turn it into Mrs. Avery or Mr. Albrecht.
JBN Chorus
Come make music with your friends at Chorus! We will meet every Monday that we have school through the beginning of May.
WHO: Any interested 4th or 5th grade student
WHAT: Elementary Chorus
WHEN: Every Monday morning from 8:00-8:45 (starting 9/19)
REHEARSAL BEGINS: Monday, 9/19/22
FORM DUE: Thursday, 9/15/22
Please sign up by using the link below.
https://forms.gle/wrTASjeu4LsEEL2j6
Please email Mrs. Niner for any questions at jacqueline.niner@bps101.net.
JBN S.T.E.A.M. Club
The JBN S.T.E.A.M. Club is a gathering of students in 3rd-5th grade that meet regularly in an informal environment to work on inquiry-based Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) related activities. Meetings are before school EVERY WEDNESDAY IN OCTOBER from 8-9am. There is no cost to participate. Sign up will be in lottery format and you will be notified whether your child was chosen or not by September 26th. Mrs. Phillips is the leader of the STEAM Club. If needed, you can contact her at julie.phillips@bps101.net.
*FYI–K-2 STEAM will be held in April!
Is your 3rd, 4th or 5th grader interested in joining the SAB (Student Advisory Board)? If so, click on the link below to learn more about opportunities for student leadership this year.
JBN Student Advisory Board (S.A.B.)
Who: 3rd, 4th & 5th Graders
(Teacher leaders are Mrs. Bach and Mrs. Phillips)
What: S.A.B. offers leadership opportunities for students. Students in this club focus on improving their school, town and larger global community. Students brainstorm, propose, plan and then bring to life projects that make our community a better place. Our group meets 2x a month on Friday before school at 8am. Mrs. Bach and Mrs. Phillips are the teacher leaders of this group.
When: September 15th 8:45am -Informational Meeting in LRC
*Applications due September 23rd at 8AM
*SAB Membership announced Sept. 30th @5 pm on the JBN LRC Page (Side Topics)
Where: In person in LRC
How: SAB Form for 2022-23
JBN Prowl Updates
Interested in joining Prowl or have ideas for one of our teams?
Contact our team leaders:
Events- Karin Cheesman (kcheesman@queenbee16.org)
Working with Students- Rhonda Henderson (rhondahenderson0424@yahoo.com)
Finance- Dana Weller (dana.weller2@gmail.com)
Communication/Tech- Stina Castellani (snowbrdgirl83@yahoo.com)
Looking for Prowl Info – Download the App!
Be sure to download the JB Nelson Membership Tool Kit App to keep you updated on all the PROWL’s in’s and out for the upcoming school year. You can download the app today: Apple Store or Google Play
Prowl Volunteer Opportunities
- Halloween Party sign-up:
https://jbnpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/97802
- Library Book fair and other LRC sign-ups:
https://jbnpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/97822
- Recess Duty sign-up for the 22/23 school year: https://jbnpto.membershiptoolkit.com/volunteer/88894
Join Cub Scout Pack 153!
Scouting is a great way to learn life skills like leadership, community service, responsibility and much more. It is also a great way to make lifelong friends and most of all HAVE FUN!! Please join us for an exciting fun filled year of Scouting! We already have several activities planned for the year with at least one event per month! If you missed our kickoff meeting last month, we have another pack meeting Thursday, September 22 at 6:45 at JB Nelson. This meeting is also our second annual RC Rally so bring your remote control car for a fun filled and informative meeting. If you are interested in joining our pack or attending any of the events please contact Chris Weller at cubmaster@bataviapack153.org or 630-728-7228. Follow us on Facebook at Cub Scout Pack 153 for more info on upcoming events.
Girl Scouts at JB Nelson!
All fun. No filter. Imagine it-you and your forever friends. Dreaming up adventures. Making the whole world sparkle with your own personal brand of magic. Come make new friends and learn more about the
Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois! Be a Girl Scout!
Email Batavia Service Unit 410: Bataviasu@gmail.com or
Contact your local GSNI Recruiter:
Beth Bustard / bbustard@girlscoutsni.org 815-275-4445
Effortless Fundraising! Here are a few easy ways to help the PROWL and our students with fundraising:
Remember to use AmazonSmile for Online shopping!
When you shop at smile.amazon.com, AmazonSmile donations are generated for the JBN PTO. How to set up:
- For shopping from your desktop, please save this fundraising LINK to your Amazon account!
- If shopping from the mobile app, search smile.amazon then click to visit Your Amazon Smile Settings.
- Verify that JB Nelson Elementary School PTO is your charity of choice. Also, periodically check your renewal period and the On/Off dropdown to ensure donations continue.
Box Tops
Box Tops are worth $.10 each. Twice a year, our school receives a check to help pay for whatever we need – equipment, supplies or experiences the kids love! Receipts are valid to scan for 14 days. Make sure to designate JB Nelson Elementary School as your home school, and start scanning! The app also has a leaderboard so you can see which JBN grade level has the most Tops scanned. 2nd Graders have currently taken the lead with 200 box tops!
Limited time promos at certain stores: get an extra 40 Box tops ($5 worth) by purchasing 5 participating items from Meijer! Translated, this means 5 boxes of Cheerios or Annie’s Mac & Cheese = $4.50 earned for JB! If every family at JB did just one promo this month, we could far exceed our previous year’s worth of Box Top earnings! Other stores like Target, Mariano’s, Dollar General, and Costco/Sam’s Club all have similar promos running right now. To view these promos, download the app on your device, or go into your already existing app, then click on “Bonus Offers.” Click on each promo to view the deadlines and limitations.
Download the Box Tops for Education app in the Apple store here: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1150038564 and in the Play Store here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.generalmills.btfe
Simple, Easy…Donate to PROWL
Did you know that you can donate to your PTO with a simple click of a button? Just visit the PTO website, scroll to the bottom and click DONATE. Your donations help fund teacher appreciation, seasonal crafts and events.
Feedback and Ideas for JBN PROWL
We always want your feedback and new ideas! Please email ideas for discussion to JBNPTO@gmail.com.
Newsletter info
Need to get information out about your event, or need volunteers for your committee? Make sure your newsletter blurb has been cleared by either the PROWL or Mrs. Prentiss and then get it to Stina Castellani at jbnptoinfo@gmail.com by Wednesday at noon.
District News
Batavia Music Buffs
The Batavia Music Buffs is a 501(c)3 booster organization supporting music in all of Batavia’s public schools from elementary to middle and high school. We have begun our Fall membership drive, and we’d like to invite you to become a member today. Anyone can be a member – parents, past students, grandparents, faculty, staff, friends, etc. Being a member does not involve any volunteering (unless you’d like to). It simply means that you are financially helping to bridge the funding gap that exists in the district for music. Based upon the membership tier you select you will be eligible for some fun swag from a member magnet, lanyard and/or tote bag to a wooden Batavia Music ornament for the highest tier! Visit our website to join www.bataviamusicbuffs.org/membership and/or to get one of our awesome new metal music yard signs www.bataviamusicbuffs.org/shop
Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Terminology
BPS101 takes building safety seriously. In our schools, safety drills are practiced periodically throughout the year. You may also receive a message from the District about an incident at your student’s school. Please make sure your emergency contact information is correct in PowerSchool. For reference, please watch this short video on EOP terms.
Emergency Contact Information
Please login to your PowerSchool account to ensure your contact information is correct so that you will receive notifications in the event of an emergency.
- Login to PowerSchool
- Click on “Update my contact information”
- Confirm Primary Email, Home Phone, and Cell Phone is current for both Parent/Guardian listings (if applicable)
- Repeat these steps for each of your students
School Board Elections
In the April 2023 election, three seats for the BPS101 school board will be on the ballot. If you are interested in running for the school board, this resource will help you learn about the process. Petitions can be circulated starting on September 20th.
Upcoming Events
Sync your mobile device(s) with the J.B.Nelson School Calendar.
Important JBN Links
