Basketball game tonight at Franklin County R-II in New Haven at 6 p.m.

Sunshine + smiles! ☀️ Our 5th graders earned extra recess this past week for hitting their Read n Quiz points. Hard work pays off! 🎉 #BestLittleSchoolEver #HappyDays

Mark your calendars! It will be an amazing night!

Welcome, Baby Clay!

LLC will resume next Tuesday!

💌🌍 Hearts Around the World Project ❤️ 2nd/3rd Grade is starting a special project called "Hearts Around the World", and they would love your help! They are hoping to collect a postcard from every U.S. state to show students how kindness and connection can reach far beyond their classroom. This project connects to what they've been learning: ✏️ Writing Skills – Students have been learning how to write postcards, focusing on clear sentences and meaningful messages. Receiving real postcards helps bring those lessons to life! 🗺️ Geography & Map Skills – As postcards arrive, we’ll locate each state on a map and revisit our geography discussions. ❤️ Kindness & Love – Most importantly, this project helps demonstrate how small acts—like sending a postcard—can spread kindness and love across the country. If you’re able to send a postcard from your state (or know someone who can), our students would be so grateful! They look forward to filling their map up! Thank you for helping them spread kindness—one postcard at a time! 💕

📣 PTO Meeting Reminder! 📣 All parents and guardians are invited to attend the Strain-Japan PTO Meeting! 🗓 January 6 ⏰ 5:30 PM 📍 SJS Library They'll be sharing PTO updates and discussing the upcoming Dance Fundraiser 💃❤️ We hope to see you there! #StrainJapanPTO #PTOMeeting #ParentInvolvement #SchoolCommunity #HappyDays #BestLittleSchoolEver

From the court to the sidelines, basketball and cheer season is underway! 🏀📣 Wishing our athletes and cheerleaders an amazing season. Let’s go Leopards! 💛🖤

Many thanks to the Sullivan Masonic Lodge No. 69 and the Masonic Home of Missouri for the Creating a Partnership Program who provide funds yearly to help us supply children in our community with the tools they need to be better students and happier children.

Pictured are Mr. Bob Martin, Sullivan Masonic Lodge No. 69 and Dr. Kathy Vandegriffe, Superintendent, Strain-Japan R-XVI School.

Parents! Please send in donations for the last day party: Frosty Frenzy. We are asking for candy or juice boxes. Thank you!

Spirit Week fun starts today! 💚❤️

🎉 Spirit Week is coming to SJS! 🎉
Get ready for three days of festive fun as we celebrate the holiday season together!

📅 December 15th–17th

🌟 Monday, Dec. 15 – Red & Green Day
Show your holiday cheer by wearing your brightest red and green!

🎄 Tuesday, Dec. 16 – Ugly Sweater Day
Break out your funniest, tackiest holiday sweaters!

😴 Wednesday, Dec. 17 – Pajama Day
Get cozy and wear your favorite pajamas to school!

We can’t wait to see all the amazing outfits and holiday spirit! ❤️💚

Today, our 1st graders and the Strain Japan staff showered Ms. J with gifts as she prepares to begin her journey as a full-time educator. 🎉

Since the start of the school year, she has been an incredible student teacher in Mrs. Wilson’s 1st grade class, bringing joy, support, and so much heart to our school community.

We are going to miss having Ms. J with us each day, but we couldn’t be more proud of her. 💛

Please join us in wishing her the best of luck as she takes the next exciting step in her teaching career! 🍎✨

🎅 Santa Grams Are Here! 🎅

Spread some Christmas cheer by sending a Santa Gram to your friends!

🗓 December 15–17, 2025
💲 Only 50¢ each

All proceeds will go toward purchasing Christmas gifts for the elderly in our community. ❤️✨🎄

📚✨ Book Blast Delivery Day! ✨📚

Our students are so excited—the Book Blast books have officially arrived! 🎉

There were big smiles, lots of cheering, and tons of anticipation as classes opened their boxes to discover all the wonderful new books waiting inside. Nothing beats seeing students eager to read! ❤️

Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen!

Attention SJS Families!

🎄 Thank You for Joining Us! 🎅✨ A huge thank-you to everyone who came out to our 8th Grade “Cookies with Santa” event today! We loved seeing so many families enjoying cookies, Christmas crafts, and of course—photos with Santa. 🎁🍪 Your support means so much to our 8th grade class, and we hope the event brought a little extra holiday cheer to your weekend. ❤️💚 Wishing you all a joyful and festive season! ❄️✨ #bestlittleschoolever #happydays

Do you recognize any of these items?