Introducing Jansen Avenue's New Principal - Mrs. Colleen Lester
As the new principal at Jansen Avenue, I’d like to share a little about myself. I am from the Buffalo area, where I was a teacher in the Clarence School District for fifteen years. My undergraduate work was completed at Saint Bonaventure University. I have a Master’s degree in Social Studies Education and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership from Buffalo State College.

I am very proud and excited to be a new member of the Jansen Avenue family and the Johnstown community. Everyone that I’ve met or spoken with has been extremely welcoming and friendly. As the summer moves on, I hope to meet more families and community members. Read more

Shopping for School Supplies
It may be the lazy, hazy days of summer now, but September will be here before you know it! Start your shopping for the 2008-09 school year early using our School Supply Lists.

Athletic Department Announces Summer Recreation Schedule
Enjoy the nice weather, get some physical activity and have some fun! The district is again offering a variety of activities to students through its Summer Recreation Program. View the Summer 2008 Recreation Program Flier and, should you have any questions, feel free to contact the Athletic Department at 762-7636.

Jansen Newsletter Available Online
You can read the June 2008 edition of our Jansen Avenue Newsletter here.

Jansen 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 New York State 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

Elementary Track Meet - Jansen was Hot & So was the Weather!
Students in grades four through six from each of the Greater Johnstown School District elementary school buildings took part in an Elementary Track Meet at Knox Field on June 9. Our Jansen Avenue  participants were delighted to find staff, family and friends among the many spectators cheering from the sidelines. This event, arranged as part of Johnstown's physical education classes, champions good sportsmanship and life-long healthy physical activity. It was also just plain fun, despite the heat on that day!

Sixth Graders Say Good-bye
The Sixth Graders leave behind some of their thoughts and advice.  We will miss them as they head to Knox next year. To see what they have to say, click here

Celebrating 40 Years at Jansen Avenue
Jansen Avenue School celebrated its 40th anniversary with a special event on April 24. In preparation, student council members, helped by art teacher Heather Vazal, painted a beautiful design at the school’s entrance, while the student-run business JACD created a layout for new rugs, which were purchased by the student body and placed at each doorway of the school. 

The evening kicked off with a history of the beginning of Jansen Avenue School.  Former student Greg Avery, a U.S. Marine who will be stationed in Iraq in the near future, lead the Pledge of Allegiance and former student Katie Christenson sang the Star Spangled Banner, in honor of all military individuals who protect the freedoms we enjoy in our school. The student council presented yellow roses to the PTA officers to show appreciation and friendship for the investment they make in the children. Principal Patricia Sotero acknowledged the fantastic staff at Jansen, who creatively impact the students’ lives in academics and citizenship. Recent retirees Sue Moore and Dot Laird were recognized with a special presentation; Daryl Baldwin entertained with fantastic balloon sculptures; forty prizes were given out and delicious desserts were provided by the HFM BOCES Culinary School. It was a wonderful evening enjoyed by staff, students and families.

Bicycle Safety Lessons
At the end of May, Jansen held a Bike Safety Assembly and invited Officer James Rodecker of the Johnstown Police Department to share bicycle safety rules. Officer Rodecker provided each student with bike safety information and did a fantastic job explaining how to use bikes properly. The students were reminded to wear their helmets and follow all safety rules.

Students in kindergarten, first and second grades participated in a color page writing contest, while those in grades three through six wrote a complete essay on why it is important to follow bicycle safety rules. Winners were selected by the Shared Decision Making Committee and received a brand new bicycle, while runners up received new bike helmets.

Congratulations to Jasmine Petchel, winner of the bicycle at the primary level, and to bike helmet winners Marissa Brick and Emma Kilmer. Congratulations to Jessica Manno, winner of the bicycle at the intermediate level, and to bike helmet winners Jack Brabant and Ashley Ward.

Congratulations to this year’s Math League Winners at Jansen:
Fourth Grade
Mr. Westman’s Class:  first place - Kaeleigh Lozier; second place - Kyle Polidore
Mrs. Miller’s Class: first place - Jacob Morgan, Jacob Pabis, Rhea Sharma; second place - Alexia Brunetto, Opal Pandya
Fifth Grade
Mrs. Kollar’s Class: first place - Sam Davis; second place - David Ambrosino, Jack Brabant, Megan Brownell, Julie Holmes
Ms. Eagan’s Class:  first place - Briana Esposito, Anthony Mowrey, Damian Sgro; second place - David Ormiston
Sixth Grade
Ms. Hickok’s Class: first place - Gage Kilmer; second place - Axel Johnson
Ms. Johnson’s Class: first place -  Joshua Fuller; second place - Shawnna Price
 

Learning the Old Fashion Way
Students in Mr. Westman’s fourth grade classroom recently simulated a one-room school to experience school in the 1850’s. The girls wore bonnets and long dresses, while the boys wore flannel shirts and jeans. They were assigned age groups (grade levels) and the schedule for the day was discussed and posted. Lessons included elocution, memorization, penmanship, arithmetic, reading and a spelling bee. Independent work was assigned and completed at desks; boys sat on one side and the girls say on the other. They learned that discipline and punishment were considered an important part of educating a child. They also learned that holding books in their arms, standing on wooden blocks, writing words 100 times and wearing a dunce cap were not fun, but they still enjoyed their school experience of 150 years ago.

Students Surpass 25,000 Minute Reading Goal and Cream the Principal
Jansen students were challenged by Mrs. Hastings and Principal Sotero to read for a combined 25,000 minutes during the month of March. If they achieved the goal, ten students would be randomly selected, along with one teacher, to throw a cream pie in Mrs. Sotero’s face at the final school-wide Accelerated Reading assembly. In true Jansen fashion, the students not only completed the goal, they totally surpassed it, achieving more than 34,000 minutes by March 28. Mrs. Spencer lent the students a hand in preparing for a successful pie launch, with laughter and cheers abounding as students received gift certificates, prizes and a chance to “cream the principal.”
 

Students Raise Money to Support Good Causes
Our Student Council, assisted by lead advisor Mr. Westman and co-advisors Mrs. Sitts and Ms. Vazal, reports that, to date, the Jansen student body has raised more than $500 for Pennies for Patients, Leukemia and MDA. Our students have great compassion!

Fifth Graders Get Taken to Court
Students in the fifth grade classes at Jansen welcomed a special visitor from Johnstown City Court, who gave a presentation regarding our federal, state and local judicial system. To prepare them for an actual visit to the courtroom during a live session, Mr. Stephen Russo, Johnstown City Court Clerk, discussed many aspects of our local court system. The presentation and trip were part of a recent government unit covered in class. Students were able to see the court in action, meet with other City Court officials and tour the facilities and police department. It was a great learning experience!

Board Member Shares Graphic Arts Skills
On Tuesday, March 11, members of Jansen Avenue's Photography Club enjoyed a visit with Board of Education member Mr. Robert Kosowicz, who shared his graphics arts knowledge with the students and taught them some new and interesting ways to work with pictures and technology.

 

Mr. Robert Esposito drew a wonderful poster for students in Mrs. Ackerbauer's classroom to enjoy as they learned about the Iditarod, a 1,100 mile dogsled race in Alaska.
	The children enjoyed being able to see first-hand what a Siberian husky looks like.

Reading March Madness
The Accelerated Reading Program, under the direction of Mrs. Hastings and Mrs. Mowrey, will be ending with quite a challenge - a reading goal of 25,000 minutes for the month of March. Every week, students will bring home a slip of paper to record the minutes they read each night. All slips must be turned in every Friday and, they must be signed by a parent to count. These minutes are NOT in addition to their AR reading, it may include the AR reading each and every night. The students in second place with the highest amount of minutes read will have their names placed in a drawing for fun prizes.

A poster will be hung in the lobby showing the progress of Jansen’s student readers. If the school reaches the 25,000 minute goal, 10 names will be drawn at the end of the month from all of the slips turned in. These students will get the opportunity to throw a cream pie in Mrs. Sotero’s face at the final AR assembly. Yes, that’s right, the principal will be at the mercy of the Jansen Ave. students, if they reach their goal!

Winter Concert - A December to Remember
We make beautiful music at Jansen under the direction of Ms. Zullo and Ms. Healy! On Tuesday, December 18, our students were challenged to meet their potential by playing and singing musical selections for the student body, the staff and the community to enjoy. They did an outstanding job, presenting a variety of wonderful selections from around the world!

Science Rocks at Jansen Ave!
Every Monday and Tuesday, our art room is converted into a hands-on science lab, as requested by the teachers. Students from Mr. Westman's classroom were recently assigned to the science lab to learn about birds and adaptation. They were provided with materials and instructed to utilize them to apply the scientific method of inquiry and observation and recording of data. Totally engaged in the process, the students' conversations revealed a greater understanding of the lesson being taught. Whetting children's appetites to further discover the world around them is a continuous focus at Jansen - we strive to provide a rich, relevant and purposeful learning environment to further assist our students to excel!

JACD Receives $200 Grant
On November 13, our student-run business, Jansen Avenue Creative Design, was awarded a $200 grant from the Johnstown Teachers Association. These funds will be used to purchase equipment for JACD, to further enhance student technology and creativity as they learn first hand about economics, advertising and business operations. Student council advisor James Westman presented the grant information. We are elated by this wonderful news!

Student Council Election Results

Jansen Art Gallery
Have you visited Jansen's online Art Gallery? Stop by and see the Papier Mache Masks made by sixth graders in Ms. Vazal's art class.

Box Tops For Education
Take a minute to visit  boxtops4education.com and you can increase our chances of earning 20,000 points with a single click of the mouse.

Just a Reminder: Visit District Homepage For Your District-Wide News
Information of importance to all schools in the district (i.e., stranger-danger tips, NYS Test Sampler links, etc.) is posted to the district homepage of the GJSD Web site. When checking your individual school’s page, please remember to check the district homepage, as well.

Wondering what Greater Johnstown School District news you may have missed?

News items previously listed can be accessed in our Archives.

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