Jefferson Jotter
March 2023
Letter from Principal
Dear Jefferson Parents,
I look forward to seeing our parents at the upcoming Parent Teacher Conferences. As I shared in the last Jotter, I love this time of year when the students are more readily able to share the skills they have been working hard to develop since the start of the school year. What makes it even better is that many times they don't even know they are learning when they are engaged in play!
We are well into the registration process for the 2023-24 school year. Students enrolled this year are not automatically re-enrolled for next year, you need to re-register each year.
Whether you plan to have your child attend Jefferson next year or your child will be moving on to kindergarten, you need to register ASAP. Further information about the registration process can be found below in the Jotter. If you have any questions about the various steps to the enrollment process please call my secretary, Kathy Luppo, at 847-318-5360.
I also look forward to seeing our students next Monday for Picture Day! Our students always look so nice on this special day! Please read further in the Jotter about how to order school pictures.
Thank you for your ongoing support of your child and their education. I look forward to observing your child continue to grow and learn in the last few months!
Respectfully,
Lisa Halverson
Principal
Upcoming Events
Thursday, March 2
- Parent - Teacher Conferences - 3:30 - 7:15 p.m.
Monday, March 6
- Picture Day
- Board of Education Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Jefferson School
Tuesday, March 7
- Preschool Screenings - By Appointment
Wednesday, March 8
- End of Trimester 2
Thursday, March 9
- Dog Therapy - afternoon classes
- Parent - Teacher Conferences - 3:30 - 7:15 p.m.
Friday, March 10
- No School for Students - Records Planning Day
Monday, March 13
- Field Trip Permission and Payment Due
- Dog Therapy - morning classes
Thursday, March 16
- Board of Education Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Jefferson School
Thursday, March 23
- Dog Therapy - afternoon classes
Friday, March 24
- Field Trip - morning and afternoon classes
March 27 - March 31 No School for Students and Staff - Spring Break
Tuesday, April 4
- No School for Students - Teacher Institute Day
Friday, April 7
- No School for Students and Staff
Inspire every child to discover, learn, achieve, and care
Don't Delay - Registration for the 2023-24 School Year
We are well underway with registration for the 2023-24 school year. Students enrolled this year are not automatically re-enrolled for next year, you need to re-register each year.
Therefore, if your child will be returning to Jefferson next year and you haven't registered yet, please do so ASAP.
If you've already registered for the 2023-24 school year, you would have received an email from the Jefferson secretary, Kathy Luppo, confirming your assignment to morning or afternoon.
For our current families, see below for registration details based on your child's status.
1. Current student - Reserve a Spot completed
- Your child's enrollment for morning or afternoon is already set based on the preference you indicated on the Reserve a Spot form.
- If you have other children in the district, you can wait until March 7th to register all of your children at once.
- If your child has an IEP for the preschool classroom you still need to re-register.
- Log into your Parent Portal account and click "Forms" on the left hand side. Then click the Enrollment tab. Complete the 2023-24 Registration forms. You may be asked to upload necessary documents, among them proof of residency.
2. Current student - Reserve a Spot not completed
- Your child's enrollment will be determined on a first come, first served basis. Currently, the only available spots are for the afternoon session.
- Log into your Parent Portal account and click "Forms" on the left hand side. Then click the Enrollment tab. Complete the 2023-24 Registration forms. You may be asked to upload necessary documents, among them proof of residency.
3. Current student who is kindergarten age for fall 2023 (5 by September 1, 2023)
- Registration opens March 7th for kindergarten.
- Log into your Parent Portal account and click "Forms" on the left hand side. Then click the Enrollment tab. Complete the 2023-24 Registration forms. You may be asked to upload necessary documents, among them proof of residency.
- Registration isn't considered final until it has been reviewed by the school secretary. You will receive an email confirmation once your registration has been approved.
4. Sibling new to Jefferson
- Go to the district website and click on the 2023-24 New Student Registration link. Here you will fill out basic information and need to indicate the year the sibling will begin at Jefferson (i.e. 2023-24).
- Within 1-2 days after submitting, you will receive an email with a link to the Parent Portal. Add the sibling to your Parent Portal account and complete the enrollment forms.
5. Current speech only student
- If you'd like your child to attend Jefferson's preschool program next year in addition to receiving speech services, complete the registration ASAP. Currently, the only available spots are for the afternoon session.
- Log into your Parent Portal account and click "Forms" on the left hand side. Then click the Enrollment tab. Complete the 2023-24 Registration forms. You may be asked to upload necessary documents, among them proof of residency.
If you have any questions about the registration process for Jefferson, please contact the school secretary, Kathy, at 847-318-5360. If you have questions about the kindergarten registration process, contact the secretary at the home school.
Picture Day is Monday!
Our preschoolers will have their school photos taken on Monday, March 6. Color Portraits has established 3 ways in which you can order pictures: ordering online, ordering by phone, or scanning the QR code. Click here to find out how to order your child's school picture.
As a culminating event to the Farm Unit of study our students will be going on a field trip to Wagner Farm. If you intend to send your child on the field trip, you will need to sign and return the permission slip and pay for the field trip through My School Bucks by Monday, March 13th. To access My School Bucks you need to go into the Parent Portal, click on the School Store, select field trip, and then select Wagner Farm. You will then be prompted to make a payment. Click here for step-by-step directions on how to access My School Bucks to make a payment.
The spring Parent - Teacher conferences are scheduled for Thursday, March 2nd and 9th between 3:30 - 7:15 p.m. Your child's teacher looks forward to sharing information about your child's progress.
Thank you to the parents who completed the 5Essential Survey. We look forward to reviewing your input and/or suggestions on how to improve our practices at Jefferson.
School Closure Guidelines
Here are the weather guidelines we would follow if we had to close school due to weather conditions. In the event we need to close due to weather, students and staff will not attend school that day. Should we need to make up days during the school year, the district would adjust the calendar accordingly.
COVID Dashboard
If you are interested in knowing how many active cases of COVID are present for Jefferson Early Childhood Center the dashboard can be found by clicking this link. An active case starts when a student tests positive and ends after a period of 10 days. Therefore, the numbers in the dashboard represent the reported students who are in that 10-day window. The dashboard will be updated daily.
If your child will be absent please call or email the Jefferson School nurse, Kelly DeFelice, at 847-318-5441 or kdefelice@d64.org.
There will be no school for students Friday, March 10th, as it is a Records Planning Day for staff. Students and staff will also be off for Spring Break, which is March 27 - 31. Please make your calendars!
See What’s Going on in Our Community!
From the library to the park district, our communities of Park Ridge-Niles have lots to offer. For information on all the latest happenings, be sure to check the Community Info & Events webpage.