Joseph City School District

Chemistry is all set and ready to go with labs now that they have passed their Lab Skills Day.
They even had a special guest come and join the lab and he also passed his lab skills!
Thank you to Mr. Harvilla for joining us today --> he even walked out of the room with the telling line on the forehead from the goggles.

Today in Kindergarten we used pirate sand to help form some of the letters we've been learning. This helps engage our senses and helps solidify the formation pathways. T says /t/!!

Our math high school Geometry class graphed emotional change over time graphs for the characters of the book “The Giving Tree”. Improving data literacy in all aspects of our lives is one of our goals this year!!

Fifth graders are bringing amazing energy to band, with many practicing during lunch! Quick tip for our young musicians: to keep those instruments shining and clean, make sure to separate lunch time and practice time. Eat then play, or play then eat! Mr. Hutchens reports, "Things are really going good so far."

Upper Elementary had a great time eating on the patio for the first time this year on Thursday! Our third graders were so excited for their very first outdoor lunch. We check the dark metal furniture every day to make sure it is cool enough to sit on.

Who else is excited about auditions?!?

Junior High Science has been preparing for a year of exploration, scientific thinking and finding truth. Here they are participating in a Lab to practice inductive and deductive reasoning.

Two weeks into the school year. Here is what that looks like at Joseph City.

FFA came back from their leadership campout at Big Lake with four other schools from our region. The automotive and welding programs picked up donated engines and tools from GoPowerSports and Harbor Freight. Environmental science buried trash in the ground to find out what actually breaks down, and they will dig it up in April to see. High school and junior high art started cyanotypes, a photo printing process from 1842, using sunlight. Sixth grade social studies became History Detectives. Kindergarten finished boot camp and earned dog tags. And auditions for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ran this week.

That is two weeks.

If your student is not here yet, it is not too late. We enroll year round. Call the office at 928.288.3307 and we will walk you through it.

ESA families, this part is for you. Your student does not have to enroll full time to be part of Joseph City. You can buy individual classes here, and play our sports, join FFA, be in the band, be in the play. Our board adopted a fee schedule for exactly this and ESA funds pay for it through ClassWallet. Classes are $1,000 each. Sports and clubs are $500, or $250 if your student is taking two or more classes with us.

Homeschool families who are not on an ESA, call us. The rules for you are different and the cost is usually lower. We will tell you exactly what applies to your student instead of guessing.

Either way, a student can take chemistry here, run cross country here, and choose other options for everything else. Most families do not know that is allowed. It is.

We have been an A school and the best high school in this county. That is not nostalgia, it is the standard we are building back to. If you want your student in that, call us.

928.288.3307

What happens at auditions? 1. When you arrive there will be a short form to fill out and a packet about the show. Fill out the form and bring it to the director. This lets us stay organized. If there is a specific part or parts you think you would be a good fit for, there is a place to put that on the form. We always take these into consideration when casting. If you'd like a singing part, you will be asked to sing a short 45-60 second song. Sometimes you'll be asked to sing a different song that shows versatility. Within the show packet will be a list of monologues. You'll be asked to read one or two of these. Finally, in groups of 3-4 you'll be asked to act out an improv scene.
Auditions for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are TONIGHT and TOMORROW 5:30 - 7PM at the Joseph City BG Bennett Auditorium. The back door by the band room will be open.
See you there!

Environmental Science brought trash to school today.
Students used ChatGPT to figure out what their trash was made out of, then measured and weighed the trash, and then they buried the trash.
What will that trash look like in 8 months? In April, students will dig up their trash, re-measure and re-weigh it to see how it has changed.

Wednesday was Kindergarten Boot camp. We practiced what to do with all of our supplies and earned dog tags to show we knew how to use our supplies correctly. Ask us how to use our markers, scissors, and how to go down the slide! "I don't know what I've been told, but Kindergarten is good as gold!"

Students in both HS and JH are beginning their journey through the history of photography by creating cyanotypes, one of the earliest photographic printing processes, using sunlight to produce beautiful blue-and-white images. Fun fact: cyanotypes were invented in 1842, and the process was famously used by botanist Anna Atkins to create some of the world’s earliest photographic books of plants!

Earth & Space science using clay to understand the 3 types of tectonic plate movements and Biology finding single celled organisms swimming around . . .there was one named Chuck.
Always a good day when we are in the lab.

Mrs. Birk's junior high English students practiced plotting stories on a plot line today. They read children's books together and then created a poster identifying important elements of the plot.

A huge thank you to @GoPowerSports and @Harbor Freight for supporting our Automotive and Welding programs! GoPowerSports generously donated engines for our students to learn hands-on engine repair and rebuilding, while Harbor Freight donated $100, which we used to purchase new ratchets and measuring tapes for our shop. These donations make a real difference in giving our students the tools and equipment they need to learn valuable, hands-on skills. We are excited for another great year!

Congratulations to these students on being elected Junior High Student Council Officers today!

President: Auna Dobbs
Vice President: Sawyer Frost
Secretary: Logan Gardner
Social Secretary: Carlee Fish

Our 6th grade Social Studies students have been having a great time becoming History Detectives!

Today, students have been moving around the classroom through hands-on stations where they match historical eras, examine different types of evidence, identify primary and secondary sources, spot bias, and use clues to make careful conclusions about the past.

The goal is to help students see that history is more than memorizing dates—it’s about asking questions, examining evidence, and thinking critically.

It has been wonderful to see them working together, discussing their ideas, and genuinely enjoying the challenge!

FFA started the year off with a leadership training campout, COLT! Along with four other schools from our Northern Region we traveled to Big Lake and met with our state officers. The activities helped build unity, focused on leadership skills, and taught us how to lead our FFA Chapter. It was an opportunity to meet new people, bond as a group, and create memories that we will take with us for years.

We include everyone in science—including our favorite stuffed animal friends! Grab your index card and get ready to write down your big ideas.