2008/09 Tax Levy Drops $50,000 from April Projections
At its August 14, 2008 business meeting, the Board of Education adopted a tax levy of $6,990,887 for the 2008/09 school year, down $50,000 from the April projections. Per Superintendent Katherine Sullivan, "The $50,000 decrease in the approved levy reflects a grant secured in May through Senator Farley, funds from which District officials announced would be used to reduce the tax levy." To read more about how this impacts 2008/09 school tax rates in the Greater Johnstown School District, click here.

School Meals Program Price Increases
Due to rising costs in operating the Food Service Program, the Greater Johnstown School District finds it necessary to raise the price of the food service program meals and milk.

The new costs for school meals effective September 2008 are as follows:
Elementary:      Breakfast $1.00          Lunch $1.75
Knox/JHS:        Breakfast $1.50          Lunch $2.00
Milk will be $ .50 in all school buildings
 
All families are encouraged to fill out a free/reduced school meal/milk application and submit it to the food service office as soon as possible. Children of qualified families can begin receiving the benefit on the first day of school if a form has been submitted and processed. Families already receiving free or reduced price meals have until September 30, 2008 to submit a new application for the 2008/09 school year. 

Free/Reduced School Meal Application

Download a free/reduced school meal/milk Application for the 08-09 school year, and/or a Free and Reduced Price Meal Application  Fact Sheet. Please fill out one form per family, listing all children on one form, as well as what school they attend and their grade level. Completed applications should be returned to the attention of School Food Service, 2 Wright Drive, Johnstown, NY 12095, or your child's school building. Please call 762-1875 if you have any questions.

2008-09 School Year One Page Calendar

View or download the one page 2008-09 School Calendar

Get the Most Up-To-Date Johnstown Sports Schedules
For the most up-to-date Johnstown sports schedules, visit HighSchoolSports.net and then simply select your sport, grade level and gender. You can also view Johnstown's current sports schedule. Should you have any problems or need further information in accessing the particular Johnstown sports schedule you're looking for, please contact Patti St. Peter in the Athletics Department at 762-7636.

New York State Report Cards
Each spring, the New York State Department of Education releases various statistics and information about NYS school districts (e.g., enrollment figures; annual results on Regents examinations, Regents Competency Tests and ELA, math and science state test results, etc.) from the previous school year, to help to keep the public informed about the performance of public schools. To view current and past NYS school report cards for Johnstown (or any other school district), please visit  www.nystart.gov/publicweb/

21st Century Field Day & Family Night Fun
The 21^st Century Community Learning Center After-School Program held a field day and family night at Knox Field on June 2, 2008 for students from programs in Johnstown, Amsterdam, Fort Plain and Gloversville. Each student attending the field day was treated to a new book bag filled with a variety of items.

A number of fun events were offered, including tug of war, a foul shooting contest, crazy kickball, water balloon toss, Frisbee toss, football toss and jewelry making, just to name a few. The Johnstown School Museum was also open to students and parents for tours. Community groups that worked with the students during the school year, including members of ASAPP'S Promise, the Boy Scouts, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Girl Scouts, the James A. Brennan Humane Society and the National Guard, were on hand and staffing tables filled with information.

2008-09 Budget Approved by Voters
Residents of the Greater Johnstown School District approved the $29,061,903 budget for the 2008-09 school year on May 20, 2008 by vote of 268 in favor and 225 opposed. Re-elected to serve three year terms on the Board of Education were incumbents Leslie Buggeln-Bosworth (378), Scott Miller (375) and Robert Curtis (369). Learn more about the budget here.

Johnstown's Jansen Avenue Elementary Selected as One of the Top 19 Schools in New York State to Make Significant Academic Progress
What does this mean? The U.S. Department of Education has established the “No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Program” to honor schools that are academically superior or make dramatic gains in student achievement. “Dramatically improving schools improved the performance of all students to high levels in reading (language arts or English) and mathematics on state assessments.” The Department of Education decides how many schools each state may nominate. For 2008, only 19 NYS schools have been selected to apply for this honor – and the Greater Johnstown School District’s Jansen Avenue Elementary is one of them! Read More

Dan Jones is Wal-Mart State Teacher of the Year!
Congratulations to GJSD music teacher Dan Jones, selected as Wal-Mart’s State Teacher of the Year! Mr. Jones was honored with this prestigious award at a surprise celebration in the Warren Street School gymnasium on October 18, 2007. Wal-Mart presents this award annually to one educator in each of the 50 states. As part of its acknowledgement of Mr. Jones’ dedication to children and teaching, Wal-Mart will present a $10,000 educational grant to the school district. Winners of the state teacher award are selected through a partnership between Wal-Mart and the Phi Delta Kappa international professional education association. Jones became eligible for consideration for the state award after being presented with the local Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year award in a ceremony at Warren Street on May 8, 2007. More Photos.

Johnstown’s Winter Guards are Number One
The Mid-York Color Guard Circuit’s 2008 Championship Color Guard Competition took place on April 5 and 6 at Shenendehowa High School. Johnstown’s winter guards (Gold Dust Elementary Guard, Amethyst Junior Guard and Amethyst Gold Senior Guard) competed in their respective classes before a packed gym of supportive spectators.

On Saturday, April 5, Gold Dust placed first in the Novice class, earning the gold medal and a chance to perform in exhibition that evening as the new champion. On that same day, Amethyst placed first in the Scholastic regional A class, also earning the gold medal and an exhibition performance on April 6. Returning to Shenendehowa on Sunday, Amethyst Gold placed first in the Scholastic Open class, earning the gold medal and stretching its championship title to encompass a fourth straight year.

Currently ranked first in New York State and twenty-first in the country, the Amethyst Gold Senior Guard will be competing in the Winter Guard International (WGI) World Championships in Dayton, Ohio April 10 –12.

View performances of "Lights in a Box" by Amethyst Gold; "He Lives in You" by Amethyst; and "I’ll Be" by Gold Dust. To learn more about the Johnstown Winter Guard season, click here.

Physical Education Leadership Awards Ceremony
Several students from each of Johnstown's four elementary schools, together with several Knox Junior High School students, were among more than 600 Capital District Area students recognized at the twenty-third annual Capital Zone Physical Education Student Leadership Awards Ceremony held at Hudson Valley Community College on May 5. The students were recognized for character, sportsmanship, citizenship and leadership both in and out of the classroom. Congratulations to each of them!

JHS Physical Education Leadership Award Winners
Johnstown High School students Natalie Engel and Phillip Satterlee were recognized with Physical Education Leadership Awards on February 2 during a dinner at the Century House Restaurant in Latham. The awards are given to one female and one male student from each high school in the Capital Zone of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Selection is based upon their commitment to education and health, with criteria for the award including a high level of physical performance, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities and service to the school and/or community.

Fulton County Spelling Bee
The sixteenth annual Fulton County Spelling Bee, presented by The Leader-Herald, took place on Monday, March 10 at the Gloversville Middle School. Pleasant Avenue sixth grader Kevin Ammann displayed amazing spelling prowess, earning a second place finish from among the 42 fourth through eighth graders vying for the opportunity to represent Fulton County at the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.  Congratulations to Kevin, and to the following Greater Johnstown School District students, who each earned a place in the competition based on the results of spelling contests in their school buildings:

Universal Pre-Kindergarten
The Greater Johnstown School District Universal Pre-kindergarten program is accepting applications for the 2008-09 school year for children who will be four years old on or before December 1, 2008 and who reside in the district (when all sessions are full, we maintain a waiting list for placement in the event of a vacancy). The Universal  Pre-kindergarten program addresses instructional components, cognitive skills, social and emotional development, and physical skills of youngsters. The program does not require income eligibility. For more information on the Johnstown Universal Pre-kindergarten program or to receive an application, contact Warren Street School’s main office at 762-3715. You may also download a 2008-09 Pre-K Application Packet. Applications, together with appropriate documents, must be returned to the GJSD Pre-kindergarten Office at Warren Street School.

Bringing Cheer to our Troops
Students in Ms. Campbell's five math classes at Knox Junior High are adopting a soldier for the year and, once a month, will put together a box with letters, cards and personal items, to send to each adopted soldier. The first boxes were sent out on December 7, in order to assure arrival by Christmas. New boxes will be sent out at the beginning of each month during the school year. If you would like to participate in this great opportunity to help others, donations are more than welcome! Not sure what to give? Check out this reference list of items requested by soldiers and then send your items to the main office at Knox.

PTA Reflections Program
The Johnstown Central Council PTA, the PTSA/PTA units and Greater Johnstown School District staff members were happy to see the participation of many students from each building during this year’s National PTA Reflections program. Forty-eight entries were displayed at the Central Council PTA Showcase on December 17 at the Johnstown Public Library.

Congratulations to the following students for sharing their talents (students with asterisks by their names have been selected to move on to the Mohawk Valley Showcase scheduled for January 16): James Raspanti*, Emily Colasanti*, Molly Sear*, Juliet Sear, Zachary Simone, Kendra McCoy*, Laura Raspanti*, Michael Bevington*, Caliope Brower*, Rachel Perras*, Serena Smith*, Cody Brewer*, Griffin Klena*, Samuel Miller*, Maddie Willet*, Maymie Winright, Jessica Manno*, Opal Pandya, Rhea Sharma*, Daviannah Spencer, Elizabeth Willet*, Mike Brown*, Jacob Miller*, Adrianna Randolph*, Alexis Randolph*, Katherine Ammann*, Ben Empie*, Haley Claes*, Lindsey Fiore*, Ryan Ammann*, Kevin Ammann*, Dalton Town*, Samantha Wright*, Allison Hanmer, Hannah Nettles, Tatyana Rosario, Hannah Putman*, Aylene Newman*, Andrew Raylinsky*, Casey VanValkenburgh* and Breanna VanValkenburgh*.

Special congratulations to Jacob Miller from Jansen Avenue for submitting our first film/video entry; to Kevin Ammann from Pleasant Avenue for our only musical composition; and to Ryan Ammann for our only photography entry.

Every student who participated will receive a certificate and a dessert gift card from McDonald’s for each entry.

Storybook Writing Contest Winners
Winners of the annual Storybook Writing Contest sponsored by the Friends of the Johnstown Public Library read their stories at a pre-school story time held on November 14. This year's winners included: first place, B. Hladik; second place, S. Brown; third place, H. Cimo & B. Simpson; fourth place tie, J. Smicinski & A. Demarco; honorable mention, K. Gillen. Stop by the library and look for these winning stories, which will be on display in the children's room through December: Bella the Bat; Bake With Jake; Pigs in Pointe Shoes; The Ugly Pug; Tank Goodness for Goldfish; and It's Springtime Hurray.

Taking Precautions Against Antibiotic Resistant MSRA
Please take a moment to read the attached Letter from the Superintendent regarding precautions everyone can take to reduce their possibility of contact with Methicillin resistant Staphyloccoccus aureus (MRSA).

Safety First
We should always remember to keep our children’s safety in mind and to immediately report to the police department any incident of a stranger approaching a child. Please take a few moments to review these safety tips with your children. (Read more)

Got Directions?

Johnstown PTSA has travel directories available for $5.00. The directory provides directions to Section 2 schools and others in the surrounding area. It can be a lifesaver if you are running late and are trying to get to the event as quickly as possible! Keep it in your car for easy access. The directories can be purchased from any Johnstown PTSA officer or from any one of the district school building's main office.

Annual Notification of the availability of the district asbestos management plan
The Greater Johnstown School District submitted in 1989, to the New York State Education Department, the Greater Johnstown School District’s Asbestos Management Plan. In accordance with the EPA Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1987 (40 CFR Part 763), this memo is intended to fulfill annual notification stating that the Asbestos Management plan for this school building is available and kept on file at: Director of Facilities & Operations Office. These records are available for review during these times: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, please contact the following persons: E.J. Maye, LEA Designee, 518-762-3212

NOTE: REFRESH YOUR SCREEN BY HITTING SHIFT+ REFRESH to make sure your computer is displaying the LATEST news on this page! Some computers cache the page in memory; hitting the shift key while refreshing the page in your browser will help the most current information to load. Another strategy is to hit the F5 key on your keyboard to refresh the page.

(top of page)