Visit District Homepage For District-Wide News
Information of importance to all schools in the district (i.e., stranger-danger tips, health and safety information, 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.

Pleasant Avenue Newsletter Available Online
The following issues of our monthly Pleasant Avenue newsletter are now available to read on line: May 2013, April 2013, March 2013, February 2013, January 2013, December 2012, November 2012, October 2012, September 2012

Message from the Principal - May
As you can tell the next two months are very busy. Now that the weather is getting nicer and spring sports have started, please remind your child that school work is their number one priority. There are still 7 weeks left of school and they should give it their all. [Read more]

2013 NYSAHPERD Morley Award Winners Recognized
Twenty-four Greater Johnstown School District Students have been ecognized by the Capital Zone of the New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance with the 2013 Sandy Morley Physical Education Leadership.  Over 600 students from 37 school districts were recognized for excellence in physical education and outstanding leadership characteristics during a ceremony on at Hudson Valley Community College on May 6, 2013. Click here to see names and photos of Johnstown's winners.

Volleyball for Girls in Grades 3-6
The JHS varsity volleyball team will be hosting an open gym at the high school from 4 – 5 p.m. on Wednesdays in May for Johnstown elementary girls in grades 3-6. There is no cost to participate. Come join us!

Grade Level Grouping Updates
Please click on the "Grade Level Grouping" link in the column on the left side of this page for the latest news and developments regarding the status of Grade Level Grouping (elementary restructuring) in the Johnstown School District.

Elementary Foul Shooting Contest
 On Saturday, March 23rd, Johnstown's physical education staff held their annual elementary foul shooting contest. In order to qualify, the students first competed in foul shooting contests as part of a basketball unit in their physical education classes. Click here to see a picture of the winners!

PARP - Parents As Reading Partners, March 2013
PARP is a statewide program designed to encourage children to read at home with their parent/guardian, grandparents or siblings for 15 minutes each day. Learning to read is the single most important activity in a child's education. This year’s PARP program has two themes which we hope you will be excited about. [Click to Learn More]

Persevering Pioneers - January
Congratulations to Pleasant Avenue's most recently recognized Persevering Pioneers. They were presented with their awards at a Persevering Pioneer breakfast on February 7th. The Persevering Pioneer program is part of our character education program, based on the NED principles: Never give up, Encourage others and always Do your best.

UAlbany Day
The Pleasant Avenue sixth graders participated in UAlbany Days on February 4, 2013. They were able to witness the mock trial "Goldilocks vs. The Three Bears," and helped to determine that Goldilocks was guilty of breaking (the chair) and entering (the house).

The students also met UAlbany athletes, watched a fencing demonstration, and saw dancing groups perform. They powered a blender by riding a bike, and received lots of college freebies - including three fish! They were introduced to the endless majors, clubs, and activities that UAlbany offers. Overall, the sixth graders had a great time discovering all that college has in store for them! Follow this linkto see more pictures.

December Persevering Pioneers Honored
Congratulations to Pleasant Avenue's most recently recognized Persevering Pioneers. They were presented with their awards at a Persevering Pioneer breakfast in December. The Persevering Pioneer program is part of our character education program, based on the NED principles: Never give up, Encourage others and always Do your best.

Grade Level Grouping Forums Dec. 13 & 20
The Board of Education and Administration invite all parents, staff and community members to participate in two evenings of collaborative discussion to help formulate a prospective plan for Grade Level Grouping in the Greater Johnstown School District. These discussions, scheduled for 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, December 13, and from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, December 20, will take place in the large cafeteria at Johnstown High School. Click here to learn more.

Important Influenza Information
New York State Public Health Law Section 613 requires that schools post influenza educational material. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to refer to guidelines from our school district nurses; read the NYSDOH Seasonal Flu Guide for Parents; or visit the NYS Dept of Health web site.

Three For Me: Be Respectful Be Responsible & Be Ready to Learn!
	Congratulations to Zachary VanAernam, Kalena Eaton, Maryann Austin, Kenneth Boger Devon Pinckney, Ethan Angus, Abbie Rizzo and Noah Bowne. They displayed the 3 for Me character traits of respect, responsibility and always ready to learn and chose the "duct tape the principal to the wall" incentive - the results of which are picture here!

Sixth Graders Pay Tribute to Veterans
Pleasant Avenue's sixth graders put together a special PowerPoint presentation to pay tribute to our country's service men and women for Veterans Day.  View it here in PDF format.

Student-Athletes Buddy Up with Second Graders
As part of Johnstown's Student-Athlete Mentoring Program, student athletes visit each of the district's elementary schools at various times throughout the year to buddy-up with the younger children and promote being active in Johnstown Athletics. For Fall 2012, the Johnstown Field Hockey and Varsity Football teams visited Pleasant Avenue Elementary School once a week to help students in Mrs. Ringer’s second grade class do homework, read, play team/project adventure games and, at the end of the session, have a show and tell for their buddies. The athletic department would like to thank the second graders for their participation. We hope that they enjoy the rest of the school year participating in activities and getting involved in their community!

All Sorts of Characters at Halloween Parade
Pleasant Avenue's annual Halloween Parade rolled through the school and around the grounds on October 31. Students and staff showed up in style, dressed in a range of costumes from scary to funny to pretty to sporty, and everything else in between! Check them out in these pictures from the parade.

Pleasant Avenue School Rules: 3 FOR ME
3 for Me is our new character ed program for this year. Students that are caught being Respectful, Responsible and Ready to learn earn tickets to either receive a daily prize or a chance to win a weekly, monthly or quarterly prize.

First Persevering Pioneers of 2012-2013 Honored
On October 16, the Pleasant Avenue PTA hosted its first Persevering Pioneer Breakfast for the 2012-2013 school year. The Persevering Pioneer program is part of our character education program, based on the NED principles: Never give up, Encourage others and always Do your best. Congratulations to Casey, Lamori, George Garhartt, Noah Eaton, Mykenzie Prevost, Mariah Beagle, Gigi Stefic, Kalena Eaton, Lindsay Lamori, Haley Case, Sarah Pratt, and Savannah Shaut, who are this month's Persevering Pioneers and were honored at the breakfast.

Join us for Shopping Night at Pleasant Ave. on Dec. 7
The Pleasant Avenue PTA is sponsoring a Shopping Night from 6 - 8 p.m. on Friday, December 7, at Pleasant Avenue School. There will be a variety of vendors present with a multitude of products, crafts and treats to choose from. Whether you are shopping for yourself, or looking to purchase a gift for someone special, we hope to see you there!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town Nov. 25
Sundaes with Santa & Toys For Tots Drive
HO! HO! HO! Join JHS Class of 2015 as they welcome Santa and his elves to Johnstown from 12 - 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 25. Come and have your picture taken with Santa, make a frame to put it in, decorate and eat a cookie and make your own ice cream sundae. Presale tickets are available until Wed., November 21st in all elementary school offices for $5. Tickets at the door are $6. Parents and adults attend free, but please bring a toy to donate for the Toys for Tots drive. *Please note the venue has changed from last year - we will be at the Johnstown Community Center this year.*

Pumpkin Decorating Party for Second & Third Graders
Sponsored by the JHS Class of 2015
On Tuesday, October 23, from 6 - 7:30 p.m., the JHS Class of 2015 will host a Pumpkin Decorating Party for second and third graders in the high school's small cafe. The cost is $5 per student and includes pumpkin decorating, making a craft and enjoying delicious treats! If you would like to join the fun, return this sign-up form to your school secretary by October 18, together with your payment.

Second Annual Family Fall Festival - Saturday, Oct. 13
The three elementary PTAs will be hosting their second annual Family Fall Festival from noon to 2 p.m. on October 13 at Jansen Avenue School. Admission, music, and fun-filled events are free, but please bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to the local food pantry. Lunch items will be available for purchase from a concession stand sponsored by the JHS Class of 2015. Rain date will be Sunday, October 14.

Accelerated Reader Raffle - Claim Your Prize
If you have ticket number 739754 from the AR Raffle, you have won a book from the book fair! Please bring your winning ticket to Mrs. Ammann in the Pleasant Avenue Library to claim your prize. Congratulations!

PTA Open House, Wednesday, September 26
Please come and get acquainted with our school and staff during Open House, scheduled for 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 26. At that time, our PTA will also be sponsoring their annual membership drive and the Book Fair will be open. More details will be sent home in the near future.

Elementary Dismissal Time is 3:10 p.m.
Regular dismissal time in the Greater Johnstown School District begins at 3:10 p.m. for elementary students. In order that a full educational day may be provided, the prior practice of dismissing at 3 p.m. will no longer be observed. The assistance of parents/guardians and staff in observing a 3:10 p.m. dismissal time is most appreciated.

Pleasant Ave. School Supplies 2012-2013
Start your school shopping over the summer and come to school prepared in September using this list of school supplies for 2012-2013.

Now Your Internet Searches & Purchases Can Benefit Pleasant Avenue School!
What if Pleasant Avenue School earned a donation every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our school? Well, now it can! Learn how here!

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)

Price Chopper Tools for Schools
Do you participate in the Price Chopper Tools for Schools Program?  Your support can help us earn cool tools for our school!

General Mills Box Tops for Education
Our collection of General Mills Box Tops for Education (found on most  General Mills cereals and other products) continues. Support of boxtops4education.com is most appreciated, as it enables us to purchase new equipment for our school.

Wondering what news you may have missed? Many web articles previously posted on our site can be accessed in our Archives.

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Other Helpful Links:
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