John Harris Elementary School -

Earlier this week, 501 had "Cloud 9 Day" to celebrate all their Color Run rewards!

Steve, Alex, Mohamed, and Phul are the unsung heroes of cleanliness and order! Our learning community is stronger because of their work everyday!

The 2025 Color Run was a great success! Thanks to Jami Bishop, Aubrey Erickson, and everyone else that volunteered and supported this fundraising event. This is Jami's last year coordinating this effort, so we wish her an especially big thank you to her as she wraps up her final year as a John Harris parent!

Friday, we will wrap up the Color Run Fundraiser with top pledging classrooms and a few other staff members getting slimed!

Our Child Nutrition Crew is the best in the biz! Victor, Herlinda, and Chris regularly work together to efficiently distribute lunches while building connections with students. Our fabulous ESPs rotate and support on the serving line (Mrs. Hansen and Mrs. Fisher pictured).

Yesterday, Lincoln High School football players came to visit with JHE students about homecoming games, share some wisdom about positive school experiences, and play on the playground!

What a great learning opportunity this will be for our JHE students!

Yesterday Mr. DeGraff and Mr. Conner, geared up in astronaut inflatables, pumped up students with fundraising energy during the JHE Color Run kickoff event!

We had a great turnout for All Pro Dad Friday. Join us for the next All Pro Dad on Oct 10th!

What a wonderful Friday evening it was for Family Fun Night! Thanks to the JHE PTO and all of the volunteers that made this event special.

Let's wish Mrs. Rhode a big congratulations on being a recipient of the School Achievement Through Libraries Award!

The School Achievement Through Libraries (SATL) Award Program, managed by the South Dakota State Library, recognizes schools with libraries that demonstrate exemplary practice in three key areas of school librarianship: Program, Place, and Professional. The program aims to support the whole child by encouraging reading for academic and personal growth, supporting the development of research strategies, teaching ethical participation in an interconnected world, and promoting a school culture of reading and lifelong learning.

JHE father figures- bring your kids and join us for All Pro Dad tomorrow morning at 7:15 a.m. Coffee, donuts, and juice will be provided!

All Pro Dad is a monthly gathering at school where dads and kids engage in meaningful conversations and activities that strengthen their relationship.

We hope to see you there!

Please see the optional dress up days in support of the Fun Run!

Next week is National Arts Week!

In celebration, our new back-to-school, school-wide collaborative project is complete! This year, students created a paint drip mural inspired by the artist Jen Stark. Jen Stark is an abstract, multi-media artist. While she has become well known for her colorful murals, her artwork also includes sculptures, paintings, digital/interactive art, and more.

Inspired by her work, our JHE students worked collaboratively, and they each contributed a paint drip to our new mural. The larger paint drips were created by our older students, while the smaller drips were done by our younger students.

Thanks to Ms. Levisay for coordinating this wonderful shared art piece for our school community!


Pictured:
Facebook HQ (mural in Menlo Park, CA), 2015, latex paint, 30 x 15 ft
JHE Student Create Mural w/ guidance from Ms. Levisay

Thanks to our amazing JHE PTO for providing staff with delicious beverages from Rainy Day Coffee Company last Wednesday!

Thanks to our amazing JHE PTO for providing staff with delicious beverages from Rainy Day Coffee Company last Wednesday!

K-5 Education Support Professionals feature! Mrs. Stolp, Mrs. Trapp, Mrs. Harrington, Mrs. Hansen, Mrs. Meier, Mrs. Christensen, Mrs. Weber, Mrs. Kurtz (not picture: Mrs. Bruns) Shoutout to our amazing team of ESPs! They wear many hats each day — from guiding learning, to offering a listening ear, to providing supervision in the lunchroom and playground, to offering support wherever it is needed! Their commitment to our students and school community makes a lasting difference.

Learning Adventures Preschool Opportunity Program Team Feature! Their students know them as Ms. Nola, Ms. Kat, and Ms. Marley Our preschool team has the special privilege of welcoming the youngest learners to their very first school experience. From learning through play to building strong foundations for a lifetime of success, this incredible team makes every moment count.

JHE Families,

We’re excited to share that the Barrel House restaurant will be donating 10% of all profits on Monday, September 8th to John Harris Elementary. This is a great way to enjoy a meal out with your family while also supporting our school!

Thank you for your continued support of our students and community.

SPED team teacher/staff feature! Mrs. Merkouris, Mrs. Bork-Hickey, Megan Reisdorfer, Mrs. Keckler, Mrs. Erickson, Mrs. Lang'at, Mrs. Block This group of dedicated educators goes above and beyond every single day to ensure students are supported. JHE benefits from their tireless efforts to make sure every student feels seen, valued, and capable of achieving great things.