JCHS student Luke Davis interviews Quinton Smothers, the new head coach for the Boys Basketball team.

Davis asked Smothers about his milestones on the court as a player, what it means to be at Johnston City, and how he's bonding with players before the season even starts!

Watch out for this story in our next issue of JC Hometown Highlights, out in December!
about 7 hours ago, Brooke Keltner
Luke Davis interviews Coach Smothers
All Johnston City Schools are closed today, Monday, October 13th, in observance of Columbus Day.

Enjoy this Fall day, and we will see you back in class tomorrow!
3 days ago, Brooke Keltner
Columbus Day 2025  school closure notice
🌟 SIBCA Class L All-Star Game 🌟

Congratulations to our WMS Baseball players who will participate in the All-Star Game:

⚾️ Brantley
⚾️ Carson
⚾️ Gage
⚾️ Jaxon
⚾️ Jaxson
⚾️ Jordan

The game is taking place on October 18th at Harrisburg High School, starting at 1 p.m.
6 days ago, Brooke Keltner
all-star game october 18th 2025
All Johnston City Schools will be closed on Monday, October 13th, in observance of Columbus Day.

We hope you enjoy your three-day weekend after an action-packed Homecoming week!
6 days ago, Brooke Keltner
Columbus Day 2025  school closure notice
❤️ Homecoming Dress-up Days continue 🖤

Today, students dressed as their favorite meme. We spotted The Chimpmunks, Kris Jenner, The Lorax, and more!

Tomorrow is already our last dress-up day of the week. It's Spirit Day, so grab your red and black!
7 days ago, Brooke Keltner
JCHS Meme Day
JCHS Meme Day
JCHS Meme Day
JCHS Meme Day
JCHS Meme day
JCHS Meme Day
JCHS Meme Day
JCHS Meme Day
Our WMS students in Mrs. Kerley's seventh-grade social studies class have started studying the Industrial Revolution. They participated in a hands-on activity yesterday, simulating an Assembly Line.

Each team had to work together to draw a toy soldier- one section at a time. The students could be fired from their jobs if they weren’t working quickly enough or if they didn’t draw their part well.

The timer was set at 5 minutes to complete 20 toy soldiers. While none of the teams completed the goal, they experienced some fun frustration in their attempts to make it happen.
7 days ago, Brooke Keltner
7th grade assembly line project
7th grade assembly line project
7th grade assembly line project
7th grade assembly line project
Parents and Guardians,

All Johnston City Schools have early dismissal tomorrow, Friday, October 10th.
▪ Elementary/Middle Schools - 1:50 p.m.
▪ Johnston City High School - 2 p.m.

We hope to see you at the Homecoming parade, which starts at 3 p.m.

Find more information here: https://www.jcindians.org/article/2432241
7 days ago, Brooke Keltner
early dismissal October 10th 2025
🇺🇸 Practicing Civic Duty at Lincoln 🗳

Mrs. Emery's 3rd graders have been learning about voting and reading the story "Vote!"

Then, students took the polls themselves, voting both on paper and electronically for various things. Here are a few of our favorites:

🌞 Favorite season: summer/winter tied ❄️
🍗 Favorite lunch: chicken patty
🏃‍♀️ Favorite recess activity: playing in the field 🏃
🍫 Favorite candy: chocolate
💜 Favorite color: purple
🐕 Favorite pet: dog

What a fun and hands-on way to help students learn the importance of voting and having their voices heard!
8 days ago, Brooke Keltner
emery voting lesson
emery voting lesson
emery voting lesson
emery voting lesson
emery voting lesson
emery voting lesson
emery voting lesson
emery voting lesson
🍏 Fall's in full swing at Jefferson 🍎

In September, Mrs. Fietsam's class discussed apples, and students participated in several activities related to apples. This included an exercise identifying the parts of an apple, including the stem, core, skin, and seeds.

The first-grade class ended the month in the most delicious way, making homemade applesauce in the crockpot!
8 days ago, Brooke Keltner
Fietsam favorite apple lesson
Fietsam favorite apple lesson
Johnston City Schools Superintendent Mr. Pietrantoni recently visited our high school's Social Work class to talk about the importance of grants and grant writing.

These skills can be applied in various careers, including the social work profession, non-profit sector, government agencies, healthcare settings, and educational institutions.

📸 Mrs. Gualdoni
9 days ago, Brooke Keltner
Josh teaches grant writing
Our JCHS students dressed as comedian Adam Sandler for Day 1 of Homecoming Week!

Tomorrow, it's Class Color Day for Johnston City High School students.
▪ Seniors: Purple
▪ Juniors: Blue
▪ Sophomores: Red
▪ Freshmen: Green

Let's keep the Homecoming fun and traditions going! #rolltribe
10 days ago, Brooke Keltner
JCHS Adam Sandler Day
JCHS Adam Sandler Day
JCHS Adam Sandler Day
JCHS Adam Sandler Day
JCHS Adam Sandler Day
JCHS Adam Sandler Day
JCHS Adam Sandler Day
JCHS Adam Sandler Day
JCHS Adam Sandler Day
🏆👏 Happy National Coaches Day! 👏🏆

Today, we celebrate and thank our incredible coaches at Johnston City High School and Washington Middle School!

From early practices to late nights, our coaches dedicate their time, energy, and passion to helping our student-athletes grow. Not just in sports, but also in teamwork, discipline, and confidence.

We are grateful for every coach who leads our Indians in:

⚾️ Baseball
🏀 Boys and Girls Basketball
⛳ Boys and Girls Golf
👟 Boys and Girls Track
🎳 Bowling
📣 Cheerleading
💃 Dance
🚩 Flag
🏈 Football
🥎 Softball
🏊‍♀️ Swim
🏐 Volleyball
🏆 Wrestling

Thank you for the impact you make in athletics and beyond!
10 days ago, Brooke Keltner
National Coaches Day 2025
A friendly reminder to please watch for an email this week regarding parent-teacher conferences. The email will include a Google form for you to complete in order to secure your spot. Forms must be submitted by October 15th.

Conferences will be held on Monday, October 20th, and Monday, October 27th, from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.

We strongly encourage all parents and guardians to attend, as these meetings are an important opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and work together with teachers to support continued growth.
10 days ago, Brooke Keltner
parent teacher conference email reminder 2025
A reminder to join us TOMORROW for the Johnston City Lions Club Fish Fry Fundraiser!

▪ Saturday, October 4th
▪ 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (or until we run out)
▪ NEW LOCATION: Johnston City High School

For just $12 per person, enjoy a delicious meal of fish, hushpuppies, sides, dessert, and a drink. Dine in or carry out — the choice is yours!

Proceeds benefit scholarships for JCHS seniors! Don’t miss out on this hometown favorite. Come hungry and support a great cause! ❤️🖤
13 days ago, Brooke Keltner
Johnston city lions club fish fry October 4th  2025
It was all smiles and sunshine at our Student Council Fall Dance!

Our 5th through 8th-grade students had a great time last Friday:
🍂 Listening to music,
🍂 Enjoying face paint
🍂 Playing on the playground
🍂 And snacking on pizza, candy donuts, and other treats!

This was the perfect kick-off to the Fall season!
14 days ago, Brooke Keltner
wms stuco dance 2025 pics
wms stuco dance 2025 pics
wms stuco dance 2025 pics
wms stuco dance 2025 pics
wms stuco dance 2025 pics
wms stuco dance 2025 pics
wms stuco dance 2025 pics
wms stuco dance 2025 pics
wms stuco dance 2025 pics
wms stuco dance 2025 pics
We had a packed house for our JCHS FAFSA Completion Night, attended by our high school seniors and their families.

Events like these help parents and guardians navigate the financial aid process for college or career school, which can often feel overwhelming without the right guidance.

Thank you to Garrett Speith, Presenter, and Elizabeth Bird, Coordinator, from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

Also on hand were Cheri Rushing, Director of Financial Aid at John A. Logan College (JALC) and Larissa Van, Financial Aid Coordinator at JALC.
14 days ago, Brooke Keltner
Parents and students sit in cafeteria listening to presentation for JCHS FAFSA Completion Night.
Parents and students sit in cafeteria listening to presentation for JCHS FAFSA Completion Night.
Parents and students sit in cafeteria listening to presentation for JCHS FAFSA Completion Night.
Parents and students sit in cafeteria listening to presentation for JCHS FAFSA Completion Night.
Parents and students sit in cafeteria listening to presentation for JCHS FAFSA Completion Night.
Parents and students sit in cafeteria listening to presentation for JCHS FAFSA Completion Night.
Parents and students sit in cafeteria listening to presentation for JCHS FAFSA Completion Night.
We’re proud to celebrate and recognize our incredible principals across Johnston City Schools.

Each day, they lead with dedication, support our teachers and staff, and create a safe, welcoming environment where students can thrive!

❤️ Mrs. Schell - Johnston City High School
🖤 Mrs. Armes - Washington Middle School
❤️ Mrs. Smiley - Lincoln Elementary School
🖤 Mrs. Murrah - Jefferson Elementary School

Join us in thanking our principals for their hard work, leadership, and commitment to our school community
15 days ago, Brooke Keltner
National principals month 2025
This afternoon, JCHS Journalism student Keira interviewed Mrs. Adkins about her upcoming retirement at the end of the school year.

Mrs. Adkins reminisced about her first years of teaching, the lessons she has learned from students during her career, and the advice she would pass down to new educators.

You'll find this story in our upcoming issue of the district-wide magazine, JC Hometown Highlights, out in December!



16 days ago, Brooke Keltner
Keira interview Mrs. Adkins
We had perfect weather for our JCHS Student Council Car Wash!

On Saturday, more than a dozen of our members volunteered to wash cars, SUVs, trucks -- and yes -- even a boat! 🚤

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to support our group, and to Banterra Bank for allowing us to use their parking lot.
16 days ago, Brooke Keltner
jchs student council car wash 2025
jchs student council car wash 2025
jchs student council car wash 2025
jchs student council car wash 2025
⚾ CONGRATULATIONS! ⚾

The WMS Baseball team advanced to play in the state tournament this weekend. Our Indians will take on Belleville Whiteside on Saturday, October 4th, at Oasis Sports Complex. The first pitch goes out at 2:30 p.m.

We are beyond proud of the work our baseball players have put into the season and wish them the best of luck in their game on Saturday! Let's play ball!!
16 days ago, Brooke Keltner
wms baseball state tournament 2025