Helping Needy Families at Joyner

We hope you can join us in making the Holidays a little brighter for some of our needy families at Joyner.  We currently have our Snowman in the office (It's the JYJ version of the Angel Tree) from which you can select a needy student (Students have a number and we list sizes and gender/not names) to purchase necessities and perhaps a toy.  Once you select a student,complete your shopping and wrapping by Dec. 16th and leave the gifts with our Office Staff. 

Another project we have has been a pet project of mine for years.  Every December, parents, teachers, and friends of our school donate gift cards from Grocery Stores (Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, etc), Department Stores (Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, etc.) and Fast Food Restaurants (McDonalds, Burger King, etc) to distribute to needy families.  The last week of school before the Christmas break, I deliver these cards to needy families and help them get their shopping done. If you would like to participate in this project, please leave your gift cards with one of our Office Staff and we will make sure they brighten a needy family's holiday.

Literacy Night is Tuesday, Dec. 7th!!

We have a big night planned for Tuesday, Dec. 7th.

It all kicks off at 5 pm in the Cafeteria.  We will be selling Pizza for dinner ($1 per slice).  The Book Fair will be in progress from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm in the media center. 

At 6:00 pm, we will have our general PTA meeting in the Gym and that will be followed by a Latin Dance performance by our Kindergarteners.

At. 6:30 pm and 7:15 pm we will have two story telling sessions.

We hope you can come out!

Friday, Dec. 3rd is an Early Release Day!

Friday Dec. 3rd is an Early Release Day!  Students will be dismissed at 12:30 pm.

Joyner Holiday Market is Thursday Dec. 2nd!

The 2nd Annual JYJ Holiday Market will be held from 5 pm to 9 pm in the Gym on Thursday, Dec. 2nd.  Artists and Craftspeople from all over the Raleigh area will be there.  Come on out and do your Holiday Shopping!

JYJ International Parade

JYJ International Parade!!!

What an AMAZING PARADE!!!

Presenters from Around the World

As part of International Education Week, presenters from around the world shared their culture, their countries, and their pictures with our students.  In the pictures in this post are presenters from Bhutan and Nepal and a U.S. student who studied in South Korea.

Tuesday Nov. 16th is Magnet Open House

Magnet Open House will be held at on Tuesday Nov. 16th at 10 am and 1 pm in the Media Center.

Nov. 15-19 is International Education Week at Joyner!

This week is International Education Week at JYJ!  The culminating activity for the week is our International Parade.  More details to come!

5th Grade Parents Yardsale a Big Success!!!

Our 5th Grade Parents Yardsale was a big success Saturday, raising over $1200 for our Washington D.C. field trip.  A Big Thanks to all who helped!

Character Ed. Committee Collects over 200 lbs. of Halloween Candy for the Troops

Thanks to everyone who donated their extra Halloween Candy to be sent to our Armed Forces.  Parents and students collected over 200 pounds of Candy over a three day period.

Joyner Jamboree Pictures

Joyner Jamboree is Big Time!!!

This years Joyner Jamboree was the Biggest EVER!!! Over 650 wristbands were sold and we estimate that nearly 1000 people attended the evening's festivities!!! Special thanks to all who made this such a great event. Pictures are soon to follow.

Joyner Jamboree is just a few days away!!!

Dear Parents,

The Joyner Jamboree is just a few days away (Friday, Oct. 15th from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.)

Location: JY Joyner Elementary- Out Back, Under the Building, in the Car Pool Loop

Time: 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Cost: $5 for a wristband that gains admission to every activity. Food can be purchased from the vendors listed below. Raffle tickets can be purchased separately as well.

Activities: Bounce Houses, Slides, DJ, Games, Haunted Hallway, Face Painting, JYJ Pretend "Emergency Room", Bucket Raffles (in Cafeteria), JYJ Spanish Dancing at 6 pm

Food: Chick-fil-A, Moes, and Carnival Concessions (snow cones, cotton candy, popcorn, etc.)

Special Notes are as listed:

1. Parking is at a premium!!! Be a good neighbor and don't block others driveways or street entrances. Don't leave valuables in your car and make sure to lock things up!

2. Bring a flashlight! The streets around the school can be dark in the evening and with all of the construction, new sidewalk changes seem to happen on a daily basis.

3. If you live within walking distance, you will thank yourself for walking (Once again, bring a flashlight.)

4. Coming with correct change ($5's and $10's) will make things quicker for everyone.

5. Playgrounds are off limits after dark.

6. The main entrance, the back door by carpool, and the doors to the cafeteria will be open as will the restroom facilities. Classrooms are off limits to all except those assisting with preparing our dancers for their performance.

7. Our afterschool program will dismiss from the media center (front of the building.) Afterschool parents should park in the bus loop to pick up students on Friday. Note: Afterschool parents may want to pick up students prior to 5:30 pm to avoid the congestion of the Jamboree or to take advantage of being the first ones there!)

8. Parents, Please monitor your children at all times! Use the buddy system (children go together with a friend or small group) for older children if you need to spend time with your younger children.

9. Wear comfortable shoes!

10. Have a great time!!!

Last Day for No Fuss Fundraiser!

Friday, Oct. 8th is the last "official" day for the No Fuss Fundraiser! To date we have raised over $20,000 (Big Success, especially considering we were making much less selling wrapping paper and candy)and have had over 420 PTA members sign up. If you haven't joined the PTA, it's just $3.50 for an individual membership or $7.00 for an family. Anything you donate over that amount, will go to the No Fuss Fundraiser.

Joyner Jamboree is just a week away!

The Joyner Jamboree is just a week away (Friday Night, Oct. 15th from 5:30 - 8:00 pm!!! there will be lots of Food, Fun, Games, and Activities. The PTA is collecting Bucket Raffle Items in each class and in the Carpool Lane.

Math Night Photos

Math Night a BIG SUCCESS!!!

We had a great turnout for Math Night!!! Thanks to all who attended!

What do you get a man who has everything???

How about a Clean Glass of Water? Did you know that thousands of school children in Haiti do not have clean water to drink? Help celebrate Mr. Knott's birthday by donating your change to purchase water purification systems for Haitian schools. We will place donation cans out in the lobby beginning on Tuesday Morning, Oct. 5th. This is the first wave of a multi-part school-wide project to engage and involve our school community in making a difference in Haiti. Watch the video for more information.

HopeExperience: Haiti - August 2010 from Convoy of Hope on Vimeo.

School Pictures Oct. 7th

School Pictures are Oct. 7th!!!

Math Night is Coming!!!

Math Night is just two weeks away!!!

Tuesday Oct. 5th is a great night to bring your family out and explore the world of Math at JYJ! The fun starts at 6:30 pm. There will be estimation games, raffles, and lots of grade level games and activities. Fun for the whole family!!!

JYJ Students Featured in International Magazine

Last year's third grade students and teachers were recognized in the Sept. 2010 edition of IB World Magazine for Operation Belize, a community project in which students collected books, school supplies, and playground balls for a sister school in Belize. During Spring Break our third grade teachers flew to Belize to deliver these materials and to help set up libraries at the school. It was a very rewarding experience for all of our students.

This Week's Happenings (Sept. 13-17)

Monday Sept. 13th - Two new employees join us!
Katie McMahon, Our New Assistant Principal starts Monday.
Gina Desmarais, Our New Media Assistant starts Monday.

Joyner Dining Night Out at North Hills Chick-Fil-A (4:00 to 8:00 pm)-Let
them know you are a Joyner Family and a portion of the proceeds goes to our
PTA.

Tuesday Sept.14th- 6 pm. Odyssey of the Mind Informational Meeting in the Media Center.

Friday Sept. 17th- Early Release Day (School Dismisses at 12:30 pm)
ALSO
Team Jersey Day- Wear Your Favorite Team Jersey or Shirt

Welcome our New Assistant Principal, Katie McMahon

Please join me in welcoming Katie McMahon, our new assistant principal.

Katie graduated from East Carolina University in 2000 with a Bachelors in Elementary Education.

Upon her graduation, she taught for three years before being named IB Coordinator at East Garner Middle School. In her four years in that position, Katie co-authored East Garner Middle's and Garner High's 1.3 Million Dollar Magnet grant and served as one of only 3 U.S. Magnet Coordinators on the International Baccalaureate Organization's Middle Years Programme committee. While at East Garner she oversaw the school's afterschool tutoring program. She also served as a site evaluator for the International Baccalaureate Organization during this time.

She is a certified in gifted education and has served as a mentor for beginning teachers. She has spent the last four years as a Fifth grade team leader at Laurel Park Elementary.

She received her Masters in School Administration from NC State in May and comes from a family of school administrators. She is recognized by her peers as an outstanding teacher and tireless advocate for children.

Katie's first day in Monday Sept. 13th. Please stop by and welcome her to our school.

JYJ Open House is Tuesday Night!

We invite all of our parents to our Open House on Tuesday Night, Sept. 7th.

Open House is a time when teachers review classroom behavior and academic expectations with parents and answer questions about grade level curriculum.

Also, we will be having a PTA General Business Meeting and signing up PTA members and taking donations for our "No Fuss" fundraiser. So, bring your checkbooks. We'll see you Tuesday night.

Thanks for a Great Kindergarten Open House

Thanks to all of our Staff, PTA Parents, and Kindergarten Parents for making our Kindergarten Meet The Teacher held on Tuesday Aug. 31st, a big success.

Over 100 Joyner Kindergarten Parents met their teachers, got to know their classmates, and fellowshiped with them over Pizza and refreshments.

Meet The Teacher A Big Success!

Over 500 Joyner families turned out for our Meet the Teacher Night! Our PTA recruited over 200 members and our "No Fuss" fundraiser is off to a great start! Thanks to all who made it a big success!

A New Face to Kindergarten

Welcome Ms. Stefanie Piner to Kindergarten! Ms. Piner will be moving back to Kindergarten this year after helping establish our Pre-K program. She is very excited about working with the Kindergarten team this year.

Donde Esta Sr. Butler?

Where in the world is Mr. Butler? Mr. Butler, one of our great 5th grade teachers has been on a month long tour of Turkey and the Middle East! I'm sure he will have lots of interesting stories to tell when he gets home.

Ms. Pelletier catches a break!!!

After teaching a 1st/2nd split last year and doing 2nd grade team leader duties, Ms. Pelletier will teach only second graders this year and continue to lead our second grade team! The first graders she had last year will stay with her another year.

I know Ms. Pelletier is looking forward to it!

Back to 1st Grade for Ms. Strom and Ms. Cameron

Welcome back to 1st Grade Ms. Strom and Ms. Cameron!!! Our veteran loopers (Teachers who stay with their students in the next grade) will be taking their kindergarten class to 1st grade!

Meet the Teacher Night

Meet the Teacher Night is Monday August 23rd from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm -7:00 pm (Teachers and Staff eat Dinner from 5:00 to 6:00 pm.)

This is a great opportunity to: Join the PTA, Sign up for Before and After School Care, Buy JYJ merchandise (T-shirts, school store), Get information about our "No Fuss" fundraiser, Put money in your Child's Lunch Account, Meet with the Nurse and bring any medications that your child's Doctor authorizes us to dispense at school, get carpool numbers, get bus information, register to volunteer, pick up classroom wish lists, and . . . Meet your child's grade level teacher as well as our specialists, Spanish teachers, and the rest of our staff.

Teacher Assignment Letters Go Out Next Week!

Dear Parents,

Be on the lookout for information to arrive in the mail next week concerning Meet the Teacher Night and your child's grade level teacher assignment. Letters will go out either Saturday or Monday.

Big Changes for Ms. Carey!!!

Ms. Carey has had some big changes this summer! She got married and is now Ms. Rickley! Congratulations Mrs. Rickley! She also will be joining our 1st grade team!

Amy Gourley is Back!!!

Dear Friends,

We are excited to announce that Amy Gourley is back working with Kindergarten and
1st grade Spanish as well as offering a new "Specials" class to Kindergarten and 1st grade that will focus on Cultural Literacy. We are really glad to have Amy join us again this year!

Welcome our New to 3rd Grade Teacher!!!

Please join me in welcoming Ms. Honeyager back to teacher land as our new 3rd grade teacher. Ms. Honeyager taught for two years at Ballentine Elementary before joining us to work on her ESL certificate and to serve as a TA. She is now ready to go back into the classroom and here's what she has to say about it!

Hello! My name is Joanna Honeyager, and I'm excited to be starting my third year at Joyner as a third grade teacher. This is my fifth year within Wake County and my third year as a teacher. I went to college at North Greenville University in SC but grew up close to the mountains in western NC with my mom, dad, and three sisters. In my spare time, I enjoy road biking, exercising, reading, volunteering at my church, and spending time with friends. I'm trying to pick up some sewing skills, but I have to admit that I'm a slow learner when it comes to that department! My love for learning and other cultures has resulted in me having the privilege of visiting several countries, becoming certified to teach English as a Second Language, and being challenged to start learning Spanish. I'm looking forward to another great year at Joyner!

Welcome our New to 5th Grade Teacher

Jennifer Bell will be moving from 4th grade to 5th grade with her class this year! Ms. Bell is one of the most creative teachers we have ever had at Joyner and we are excited about her moving to 5th grade. She is also a veteran Middle School teacher, so she knows what it takes to get students ready for Middle School.

Welcome Dr. Brian Farias, our new Music Teacher!

Dr. Brian Farias, (BME cum laude- Boston Conservatory, MM- New England Conservatory, DMA- Mason Gross at Rutgers University, May 2010) has been a performer, educator, conductor, and adjudicator in music for over 30 years. He has taught vocal and instrumental music in the public schools of NJ, MD, PA, and NC in grades K-12 for 16 years. He is a member of MENC, NCMEA, and the NCBandMasters Association and Atlantic Indoor Association as a Music adjudicator. In New Jersey, Brian was also the former President of the NJ-IAJE (Jazz Educators Group) in Region 1, and re-established the NJMEA Solo and Ensemble Festival. As a clarinetist, he is a former student of Anthony Gigliotti (Philadelphia Orchestra), Leon Russianoff (NYC), and William Wrzesien (Boston Ballet and Esplanade Orchestras). He has also been a member of many community ensembles in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, and is currently a playing and board member of the Triangle Wind Ensemble in Cary. This summer, Brian is forming a new group based in Cary, the Triangle Revolutionary Fife and Drum Corps where students age 9-21 may join. He maintains a private teaching studio in Raleigh, and is a freelance clarinetist in the metropolitan area. During this past school year, he was on the faculty of Dillard Drive Elementary in Raleigh as a Music Specialist. Most recently, he was nominated and accepted into the “Who’s Who In American Education” and “Who’s Who In America” publications for 2006-07.
Brian is very excited to be working with the J.Y. Joyner family and looks forward to a fantastic school year as a Music Specialist!

Welcome Amanda Kilburn or New Spanish Teacher!

About Sra. Kilburn
I live in Raleigh with my two daughters. I have lived and worked in Spain for many years and have traveled in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Guatemala . I have a real love of the Spanish language and culture and am enthusiastic about imparting that to my students.


I received a Bachelor’s from UNC Chapel Hill in International Studies and a Masters Degree at USC Columbia in International Business Studies. After years running a business in Spain and raising a family, I realized my passion was in education and trained with the NC Teach program at UNC to receive my teaching certification.

Amanda also is a National Board Certified Teacher.

Welcome Back Mr. Jones!!!

We are very excited to welcome back, as a Fourth Grade Teacher, Mr. Charles Jones. Charles was a long time Joyner Teacher before he left us two years ago to be the IB Coordinator for East Millbrook Middle School. Charles is a Carolina graduate and a graduate of Columbia University Teachers College. He is a world traveler and has twin boys!

Welcome back Mr. Jones.

Welcome Blair Hogan, Our New Pre-K Teacher!

We are very excited to welcome Blair Hogan to our Joyner Family.

Blair Hogan has been a Wake County Teacher since 2003 and began her teaching career at Partnership Elementary. During her first year teaching, she taught a K-1 multi-age class. Blair taught first grade for four years and then decided to move back to Kindergarten, where she spent the past two years discovering her passion for teaching very young children. Blair is excited to join the JY Joyner family as a Pre-K teacher in the fall.

Blair received her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education at East Carolina University and has her Masters of Education degree in Early Childhood Intervention and Family Support from UNC-Chapel Hill. In addition, Blair is an Early Childhood Generalist National Board certified teacher.

5th Grade Spanish Dance Performance

4th Grade Spanish Dance Performance

3rd Grade Spanish Dance Performance

Second Grade Spanish Dance Performance

First Grade Spanish Dance Performance

Pre-K Spanish Dance Performance

Hope you're enjoying your Summer Vacation!

The Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head, SC is one of our favorite vacation places! The lighthouse behind me is the Harbourtown Lighthouse. This picture was taken on the
18th green of the Harbourtown Golf Course after a round from the Pro Tees. Tiger and Phil are very safe for now.

Volunteering to make a Difference!

Did you know that JYJ logged over 15,000 volunteer hours for the 2009-2010 school year? That's more than 80 hours per day! We want to thank all of our parents and volunteers for lending an extra hand to make our school such a great place to teach and learn.

Preparing our Children for the Most Important Test!

When our 3rd graders set out to learn about communities this year, I never dreamed the outcome of their inquiry would lead to an action that would touch so many hearts and lives. Operation Belize, a project started by our third grade classes to collect school supplies, books, fans, first aid supplies, and playground balls and games for a school in Belize City, Belize, and carried out through a spring break visit by our Third Grade team, Ms. Cameron and Ms. Green, is perhaps the most meaningful learning experience I have ever been a part of.

Many folks have remarked that "We wouldn't have time to do that kind of thing at my school, we have a state test to get ready for."

I always reply to them, "We don't have time not to do this kind of thing, for this, the ACTION in this unit on COMMUNITIES, allowed every child in our third grade, and most of the children in our school, to prepare for the biggest test of their lives, learning how to become a part of a bigger community, our GLOBAL COMMUNITY."

More Firsts for a Great Staff!

The NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey went live a couple of weeks ago and I am proud to report that JYJ was the First School in Wake County and one of the first five in the state to have 100% participation on this survey.

Our Teachers are proud of their school and their students!

What Magnet Parents Who Toured Joyner Are Saying. . .

Recently, I received the results of the Magnet Survey conducted by WCPSS and Magnet Parents are saying great things about our school.

For Example,

Of all the schools surveyed, 62% of the parents surveyed ranked Joyner's Open Houses as Excellent (Ranking Joyner #1 in this category). 96% of the Parents surveyed ranked Joyner's Open Houses as Excellent or Good (Again, Ranking Joyner #1 in this category.)

Parent Comment: The diversity and sense of "Internationalism" at Joyner was amazing! It was so wonderful visiting a school with such a caring and dedicated staff. I was very impressed by the number of parent volunteers in the school and how everyone was so positive in their relationships. The main selling point though, was the happiest children I have ever seen!

It's Masters Week in Augusta

Perhaps one of the most beautiful sights on Earth. Amen Corner and the Par 3 13th hole at Augusta National, home of The Masters golf tournament (April 8th - 11th in Augusta, Georgia)

Hope you had a Great Spring Break!

We hope you had a great Spring Break! We will see you on Tuesday April 6th.

JYJ Chick-fil-a Night at North Hills Monday March 22nd

Tonight is JYJ night at the North Hills Chick-fil-a. From 4-8 pm, a portion of the proceeds from meals purchased by JYJ families will go to our PTA.

Come on out and support the JYJ PTA and the Chick-fil-a Cows!

School Pictures are Thursday March 25th

Spring Pictures will be taken Thursday March 25th.

We will take individual shots of all of our children and there will also be whole class photos.

Please note that for the teachers (3rd grade) who are in Belize and the others who are attending a workshop, their CLASSROOM photos will be taken at a later date so the kids can have their class picture with their teacher.

Noodles and Nonsense Skit-Party in the JYJ

Ms. Cameron and Ms. Strom

First in Fitness!

Joyner Students had a GREAT showing at First in Fitness!!! Even better, they had a GREAT time!!! Thanks for representing your school so well!

Joyner Teams Do Great at OM!

Congratulatons to our OM Students who all turned in great performances at the Eastern Regional Tournament!

Our Food Court Team now moves on to the State Finals in Wingate, NC April 10th!

More to come!

Noodles and Nonsense-1st and 4th grade skit

Joyner 2nd Grade Noodles and Nonsense Video

Noodles and Nonsense Another Huge Success!!!

We had another great success with Noodles and Nonsense! The food from Pronto Pasta was GREAT! The entertainment was super and over 500 Joyner Families enjoyed a great night!

SGR Pics . . . More to Come

Science Go Round a HUGE Success

Friday's Science Go Round was a Great Success thanks to all of our parents, staff, and presenters! We had over 15 presenters from all over the U.S. and our students left "charged up" about science!