It's a BEAUTIFUL Spring day! We're seeing some sunshine, the birds are chirping, and the temperatures are starting to warm up 🌞🐦 At Lincoln Elementary, our students along with our parent mentors spent some valuable time outside on Tuesday for Earth Day. 🌎🌏 They participated in fun activities like creating DIY reusable bags, planting seeds, and an environmentally friendly science experiment making Oobleck. Our kiddos went home with a flyer sharing “art from trash” craft project ideas as well as a list of ways that kids can reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Mark your calendars now! Does busting out your dance moves "pique" your interest? We're looking for student-athletes who have school spirit, rhythm, and a love for performing! 🎶💃 WMS Dance tryouts are taking place May 13th - May 15th from 5:30 to 8 p.m. This is for students entering 5th-8th grade the 2025-2026 school year.

🚍 School Bus Driver Appreciation Day 🚍 Today, we're recognizing all of our school bus drivers for taking care of our precious cargo during the school year. Whether they're transporting our kids to school, home, activities, or to sporting events, school bus drivers deserve recognition for the job they do. Thank you for your dedication to our students and their families: ▪️Victoria Followell ▪️Chasidy Gibbs ▪️ Teresa Gibson ▪️ Renee Grisham ▪️ Rick Hammontree ▪️ Judy Martin ▪️Patricia Mueller ▪️Tonnie Nordmeyer ▪️ Tracey Seebeck ▪️ Becky Vancil ▪️Carleton Vincelette ▪️ Gayle Vincelette

April is Mathematics Awareness month, and we love to brag about our students. They are smart, creative, and hard working! Check out these recent design projects completed by our 3rd and 4th grade students at our after-school STEM club! STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering and Math. The 3D printer allows our kiddos to turn their imagination into reality! We can't wait to see what our STEM Club comes up with next.

The Shawnee Region - Illinois Principals Association hosted its annual Student Recognition Dinner at SIU last night. Each principal can nominate two students from exiting grades based on scholarship, character, leadership, or other traits deemed important to their school. Students left to right: Alexandria Carpenter (8th grade), Patrick Sims (8th grade), Haedyn Lewis (4th grade), Britlynn Williams (4th grade), Kylie Dugger (12th grade), Chase McReynolds (12th grade). Lincoln Elementary Principal Michelle Smiley, "They are both outstanding 4th grade students who are hardworking, polite and they never give up and they are both great assets to our building!" Washington Middle School Principal Kristina Armes, "They are both amazing 8th graders that are driven by heart and purpose. They give service and provide leadership, they don’t just make a difference; they make our school a better place for everyone.” Johnston City High School Principal Kristi Schell, "Kylie and Chase excel in academics and are also involved in extracurricular activities, community service, and serve as leaders at JCHS. We are very proud of all their accomplishments. "

REMINDER: Tomorrow is the deadline to sign-up for the new basketball program for students in the 2nd - 6th grade. Please fill out the form and have it turned in. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r37ReF0q2HerRISsBdRuLYDauTnyoIv_EYHGG0XM48A/edit?tab=t.0

Parents/Guardians, A friendly reminder our schools will have early dismissal tomorrow, Thursday, April 17th. The elementary schools and middle school will dismiss at 1:50 p.m. Johnston City High School will dismiss at 2 p.m. There is no school Friday, April 18th, and there is no school Monday, April 21st. Enjoy your break and we will see back in the classroom Tuesday, April 22nd!

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Lions Club Vision and Hearing Screening scheduled for this Saturday, April 19th, at the Johnston City Ballfields is now postponed due to mechanical issues with the mobile unit. Once a new date is set, we'll make a new announcement regarding the time and location.

✏️ April is Mathematics Awareness month ✏️ Today we're highlighting Lincoln Elementary School where our 4th graders were given a hands-on math/science lesson by our Student Teacher Ms. Weber. Students had to create a toothpick tower strong enough to support the weight of an egg. These 4th graders worked collaboratively to design and implement their ideas!

Parents/guardians, Here are some important days to keep in mind as the school year comes to a wrap, and many of you make plans for summer vacation! Tuesday, May 27th will be an early dismissal day with Jefferson Elementary, Lincoln Elementary and Washington Middle School dismissing at 1:50 p.m. Johnston City High School will dismiss at 2:00 p.m. ▪️ Wednesday, May 7th: Seniors last day of classes ▪️ Thursday, May 8th: Senior Exams ▪️ Friday, May 9th Senior Exams ▪️ Tuesday, May 27th: Last day of classes for students ▪️ Monday, June 2nd: First day of summer school ▪️ Friday, June 27th: Last day of summer school ▪️Tuesday, August 12th: First day of classes 2025-2026 school year

April is Mathematics Awareness Month. At Lincoln Elementary, Mrs. Fort's 4th grade class collected data as students flipped plastic bottles including how many times the bottle fell versus how many times it landed upright. Her class collected data with the bottle full, half full, and one-fourth full. Then, students used that data to make a bar graph and pictograph, and analyzed the data to determine the highest probability of the bottle landing upright.

Lincoln Elementary recently celebrated AG in the Classroom with an excellent presentation from Mrs. Farris. Students were able to learn all about gardening from planting seeds to watching them grow into nutritious fruits and vegetables that provide our bodies with the vitamins and minerals we need to be healthy and thrive!

This time last week our Spring Open House was just kicking off. Our staff had so much fun with students and their families from outdoor activities to arts and crafts and even photo opportunities! We want to take the time to once more, to thank all of our parents and guardians who came out to to event. Plus, the sponsors who made this fundraiser possible with their generous donations.

At Lincoln Elementary School, spontaneous presentations are encouraged in Mrs. Grizzell's 4th grade class. This helps build and improve communication, writing, and presentation skills. Here, student Aubrie Williams is doing a small, informational presentation on the Muppets for her fellow classmates. 👏👏 We applaud her courage to speak in front of the class and to sharpen these learning skills!

Our 4th grade kiddos let out some energy and got in some exercise yesterday playing Floor Hockey with Mrs. Mattox in PE. It might have been windy outside, but we still found a way to have some fun inside!

A friendly reminder that you can eat a delicious Fish Fry, and support our JCHS students!! The Johnston City Lions Club is sponsoring a Fish Fry where proceeds will go toward scholarships for our JCHS students! There will also be free eye exams for children ages 6 months to 6 years old (no purchase necessary). This event is this Saturday, April 5th, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (or until they run out) at the Masonic Lodge, 501 Washington, Johnston City. The meal is $12.00 per plate, dine-in or carry-out. Tickets are available from Lions Club members, Johnston City High School Office, and the Johnston City District Office.

Parents and Guardians, The Lions of Illinois Foundation and the Johnston City Lions Club are hosting a FREE vision and hearing screening. Remember, all students going into Kindergarten need an eye exam. Where: Johnston City Ball Field When: April 19th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information contact Robert Miller at (618) 663-8368

All students participating in a WMS or JCHS sport for the 2025-26 school year MUST have a yearly sports physical. This is a great opportunity to cross that off your back-to-school checklist, and help support several of our school groups. Here's a link to the IHSA Physical form: https://bit.ly/3XIrjTd You can find print copies in the office at Lincoln Elementary, Washington Middle School, and Johnston City High School.

Our 4th graders participated in the Quest for a Million Pennies, raising a $692.28 donation for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This project is part of the classes Reading and Language Arts curriculum, teaching how to contribute to the community and world by works of charity. Students teamed up to create an ad for a talk show style presentation in front of the third grade classes. Overall, the teams had nine charities to present on like the World Wildlife Foundation, Salvation Army, and Make a Wish Foundation. Ultimately, 4th graders decided to select St. Jude as their fundraiser recipient.

Johnston City CUSD #1 is conducting Kindergarten Pre-Registration for the 2025-2026 school year. Please click on the link below to register eligible children. You will need to complete a separate form for each child you are registering. Students must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2025, to be eligible for Kindergarten in the 2025-2026 school year. If you have any questions, call Jefferson School at 618-983-7561. https://bit.ly/4jcWNZY