JMS PTO News

Hello JMS parents!

The March PTO meeting is on Thursday, the 5th at 8:30 a.m. in the library. Yes, this is a MORNING

meeting. Last PTO meeting we had some announcements from Mr. Sanders regarding the new 10-block

schedule for next year and a new Magnet discipline – Creative Writing. Plan on attending this next PTO

meeting to learn more information about what will be new at the start of the 2015-16 school year.

Greyhound News is posted on the PTO website. It includes bi-monthly issues since the beginning of the

school year. Click “PTO Newsletters” under “Parents” at the JMS website

(http://www.houstonisd.org/Page/78513) to read the newsletter and, while you are at it, check our newly

upgraded and updated PTO website. We are creating a Spanish version of our website (work in progress)

which includes our Spanish Greyhound newsletter. Check it out!

Update on TALENT FEST

A committee is forming to plan a Talent Fest held in the Fall. We have co-chairpersons signed up to head

up this effort. If you would like to help with the committee or just the day of the event, please contact

Ann Guerra, 1st VP of JMS PTO at Annieguerra@att.net or 713-471-9224.

Melanie Rosen

JMS PTO President

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Parent Learning Community Session

March 12 from 6-7 p.m.

Library

Topic: Naviance - A Family Connection is a web-based service designed especially for students and

parents. A comprehensive website that parents can use to help in making decisions about colleges,

scholarships and careers.

High School Endorsements- What are they? What do you need to know before your student leaves

Johnston Middle School?

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COMING SOON… SPRING GARDENING DAY ON CAMPUS!

LOOK FOR DETAILS SOON!

10410 Manhattan, Houston, TX 77096-5202 Tel 713-726-3616 Fax 713-726-2101

GREYHOUND NEWS March 1, 2015

Native Speaker Spanish I/ español para nativos I Dear JMS parent or guardian:

Johnston MS students who speak Spanish at home are eligible to take the placement test for the Dual

Language Program at Johnston Middle School. The placement exam is March 9 and 11. Acceptance into

the program is based on passing the placement test. Your child would be in Native Speaker Spanish I for

the 2015-2016 school year.

This program will equip your son/daughter with strategies to develop advance proficiency in Spanish. The

program consists of two years, whereupon your child could earn from two to four credits for high school

and the possibility of several university credits.

If you would like more information regarding the program or if you have any questions, please contact

Ms. Hull Frederick at 713.726.3616 or mhullfre@houstonisd.org.

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Estimados padres o tutores de Johnston:

Hispanohablantes de Johnston califican para tomar el examen de ubicación en el programa de Dos

Idiomas de la Escuela Intermedia Johnston. El examen es el 9 y 11 de marzo. Su calificación en el

programa está basada en los resultados del examen de ubicación. Su hijo/a estará en la clase de español

para nativos I para el 2015-2016 año escolar.

Este programa proveerá a su hijo/a estrategias para desarrollar una mayor competencia de la lengua

española. El programa consiste de dos años, después de los cuales su hijo/a recibirá dos a cuatro créditos

de preparatoria y la posibilidad de algunos créditos universitarios.

Si desea más información acerca del programa o tiene preguntas, haga el favor de ponerse en contacto con

la Sra. Hull Frederick en el número 713.726.3616 o en mhullfre@houstonisd.org.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Library Update

Recycling Club

New, new, new student club forming at Johnston! We’re forming a Recycling Club and the first meeting

was Friday, 2/27, after school in the library. If you or your child has an interest in recycling, please let

Ms. Dinneen know; her email is cdinneen@houstonisd.org.

Student Anthology Reminder

Is your child an artist or a writer? If so, make sure they know about the first ever JMS Student

Anthology. We’re accepting submission now through March 13 and submission guidelines and forms are

available on the JMS website or in the library. The anthology will be published and available for

purchase on Amazon before the end of this school year. Cindy Dinneen, MLIS, Librarian

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mask by 6th grader Divya Mathews

Ms. Arsham took all of her 6th graders to the

Silver Palace Chinese Buffet and to the Asia

Society Texas Center earlier this

month.They were able to tour the exhibit:

Traditions Transfigured. The Noh Masks of

Bidou Yamaguchi. The students were

presented with a powerful and educational

presentation, toured the exhibit, and created

a mask of their own. The students had a

great time and learned a lot.

“My favorite part of the whole field trip was

challenging my 6th graders to try at least 2

new Asian inspired foods at the Chinese

buffet. They all won the challenge by so

many of them trying different types of sushi,

eel, mussels and clams!” -Ms. Arsham

6th

Grade

Art Field Trip

From the PTO Website Team

The answer for current online Alumni Quiz is Brandon Lee.

Lee attended Parker Elementary (trumpet/band), JMS (trumpet/band and jazz band) and graduated from

the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (trumpet/band and jazz band). Having completed a

Jazz Studies degree and masters at the Juilliard School (NYC), in 2008, he became the youngest faculty

member at the Juilliard School (NYC) teaching jazz. He has performed around the world. He has cut

albums. Lee has soared. In 2013, he became a faculty member of the Miles Davis Jazz Studies Program

at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro in the fall of 2013. He also continues to perform. To

read more about this JMS Alumnus go to http://www.bleejazz.com/html/about.php

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Johnston Swimmers make a Splash at the Championship!

Our 7

th grade girls team finished the season becoming the 2015 District Champs! Way to go girls! Our

7th grade boys, 8

th grade girls and 8

thgrade boys teams were all a close second place! The 8

th grade boys

relay team set two new school records and our 8th grade boy Wayne King captured the school record in

both the 200 Freestyle and the 100 Individual Medley this year. Congratulations to all of our swimmers

for a great season!

Coach Hines

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March 1 through March 21, 2015 March

2 Nat’l Jr. Honor Society – 3:45-5 p.m.

Boys Baseball vs Briarmeadow – 4:15 p.m.

Softball JMS vs Westbriar – 4:30 p.m.

3-5 Choir UIL Contest

3 Band Booster Meeting – 6-7:30 p.m.

JMS Adv. Orchestra Guest Artist Concert 7-8:30 p.m.

4 Boys Baseball vs Pin Oak – 4:15 p.m.

5 PTO Meeting – 8:40 a.m.

JMS Softball vs Black 4:30 p.m.

JMS vs Lanier Soccer – 5 p.m.

7 Jazz Band – Waltrip Jazz Festival – time TBA

9 Dual Language Placement

Nat’l Jr. Honor Society – 3:45-5 p.m.

10 Name That Book competition – 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

8th Grade Bellaire zoned students – 10-10:45 a.m.

JMS Softball vs Lanier – 4:30 p.m.

11 Dual Language Placement

Boys Baseball vs Grady – 4:15 p.m.

12 JMS Softball vs Marshall – 4:30 p.m.

Parent Learning Community session – 6-7 p.m.

13 House 8J Fieldtrip to Holocaust Museum – 8:30- a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Name That Book competition – 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

16-20 SPRING BREAK!

21 Cheer Squad Fieldtrip – 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Disclaimer: This calendar is accurate as of issue date. Additions and deletions

are possible. A complete calendar listing for all Johnston events can be found on

the JMS website at http://www.houstonisd.org/Page/78514. Current dates are on

the main page http://www.houstonisd.org/Page/78513. The 2014-15 Magnet

Performance schedule can be found under “Magnet Information”. Sporting

events are also under the Athletics Department calendar. Events are also listed

in the JMS Student Planner. When in doubt, call the school.

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I’m going to

tell my Mom

to get me a

Graduation

ad with my

picture!

Hey! Let’s put our money

together and do a

Friendship ad with our

picture!

I’m going to tell

my Mom to put

her business ad

in, but add in

my picture!

Yearbook Ads (Business or Personal)

$25-$200 Order NOW @

tarsham@houstonisd.org, or in JMS classroom 221 Deadline: March 6, 2015 Act Fast! Space is limited! Great Gift for your Graduate!

Greyhound Alumni Sports News

Congratulations to our grown up Greyhound swimmers… Chris Miller, Nolan Hines, Brinn Busch and

Angela Floyd. It’s nice to see that our Greyhound alumni continue on with their sport in High

School. These students participated in both swimming and water polo and have had a very successful

four years of High School swimming.

Coach Hines

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The JMS Arts Fund Stars are soon to be shining big and bright -- clap, clap, clap -- deep in the South

East corner of Texas! Thank you contributors!

Special Thanks

In the 2/15 issue, the JMS Fine Arts Fund committee thanked Gabbanelli Accordions for donating

$2,000 worth of instruments including guitars, flutes, cellos, saxophones, a trombone and a vihuela to

Johnston. The dollar amount was incorrect. We have since received the instruments and are even more

grateful! The actual value of this donation is closer to $10,000. We are elated by Gabbanelli’s donation.

Our thanks again to Gabbanelli Accordions!

Please support the JMS Fine Arts Fund!

Be a donor and get a STAR on the Magnet Hall Wall.

Use the form to submit donations.

Johnston Middle School Fine Arts Fund 10410 Manhattan Dr. Houston, TX 77096

FAMILY STAR LEVELS: $50 – 8” Personal STAR

$100 – 12” Personal STAR $250 – 16” Personal STAR

$500 and above – 16” Personal STAR WITH GOLD TIE/VEST

$25 – Your name plate on the 4 foot Friends of JMS FINE ARTS STAR Name of Donor: Home Address:

Email Address:

Phone:

Donation Level (circle one): $25 (name plate only) $50 $100 $250 $500 Other $ ______ Name as it should appear on your STAR ($50 and above):

Name Plate Information ($25 donation): The __________________Family ____ no dedication ____ with the following dedication In honor/memory/appreciation of/for (circle one) ______________________________________ *For additional name plates, please attach additional forms.

Processed By:

Payment Method (mark one): Check#______ Credit Card _____ Cash______

Make checks payable to: JMS PTO Fine Arts Fund, 10410 Manhattan Dr. Houston, TX 77096 **For Business sponsorship forms, please contact Ann Guerra - annieguerra@att.net or 713-471-9224** REV 2/8/15

BE A JOHNSTON STAR! Stars will be displayed in the magnet hallway outside of

the auditorium for a minimum of 3 years.

Johnston Lady Greyhounds Basketball Team Fundraiser

After many requests for the long-sleeved Johnston Lady Greyhounds Basketball Team (JLGBT) shirt, I’m

happy to announce, the shirts will be available for sale as our Johnston Lady Greyhounds Basketball

Team Fundraiser. The shirts will be available for purchase by the general student population from March

1st through June 2nd. The cost of a shirt is $15 – payment in cash only. Sizes available are Adult small

through XLG. They can be purchased Monday through Friday during gym class and also after school

until 4:15 p.m. in the gym. Pre-order forms can also be picked up in the gym or the front office.

You asked for them. We got them for you.

Go Johnston Lady Greyhounds!

S.Jackson

JMS Head Girls Basketball

Painless Fundraising

Please send your Labels for Education UPC’s!

The PTO is participating in the Labels for Education program. This program has UPC’s that are worth

various points that can be used to redeem for school merchandise. These UPC’s can be found on

hundreds of Labels for Education participating products such as: Campbell’s, Pepperidge Farm, BIC,

Prego, V8, Pace, Goldfish crackers, Pop Secret Popcorn, and Swanson.

If you have any labels that you have collected and wish to turn them in, please place them in an envelope

or bag marked “Labels for Education” and have your student drop them off in one of the box top

collection bins located in the school library or cafeteria.

When the whole school participates, the points really add up!

To learn more about the program, please visit the Labels for Education website at

http://www.labelsforeducation.com/.

Box Top$ for Education - Keep on Clipping!

This school year, you’ve submitted over 5,000 box tops! That’s a lot of dimes! Great job, everyone!

The Box Tops from this last round are currently being counted and prepared for our March 2nd

submission deadline. The winners for the Spring Box Tops drawing will be announced live during a

morning announcement in early March.

Please continue to clip and collect Box Tops throughout the rest of this school year and over the Summer.

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has helped us with our Box Tops collection efforts. We greatly

appreciate your help!

If you haven’t already signed up, please be sure to register through the Box Tops for Education website at

www.boxtops4education.com to support Johnston MS. There are daily bonus offers and sweepstake

contests that everyone can enter which gives us more chances to win bonus Box Tops.

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PTO BOARD POSITIONS CONTACT INFORMATION Melanie Rosen: President johnstonmiddleschool.pto@gmail.com

Nicole Lewis: Treasurer nrlewis71@earthlink.net

Regina Puccio: Secretary reginapuccio@sbcglobal.net

Ann Guerra: 1st VP annieguerra@att.net

Subha Balasubramanian: 2ndVP subhab@hotmail.com

Gloria Pereira: 2nd VP gloriapereira@aol.com

Mindy Cox: Membership mindy@coxclan.com

Jan Huff: Aftercare/Membership jmhuff3@sbcglobal.net

Veronica Simmons: Uniform/ Title1 vsimmonsrph@gmail.com

Ellen Tagtmeier: SDMC etagtmeier@comcast.net

Michelle Maislin: SDMC/Directory mmaislin@gmail.com

Diane Ragan: Directory diragand@gmail.com

Adriana Perez: Hospitality ace55502004@yahoo.com

Barbara Haverkamp: Greyhound newsletter jmsnewskamp@hotmail.com

Elizabeth Shaw: Landscaping elizstop@aol.com

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The Greyhound News is produced twice monthly (1

st and 15

th) by the PTO and e-mailed to parents and

faculty and/or posted at the website. To submit articles, please e-mail them seven days in advance of

issue posting to Principal Sanders at wsander1@houstonisd.org, or PTO President Melanie Rosen at

johnstonmiddleschool.pto@gmail.com, or B. Haverkamp, PTO newsletter editor, at

jmsnewskamp@hotmail.com.