Jefferson Jotter
December 2018
Letter from Principal
Dear Jefferson Parents,
Whether you stayed home or traveled over the Thanksgiving Break, I hope you had quality family time and enjoyed the holiday. As we head into December, the next three weeks will be very busy before we head off for the holiday break! On Wednesday, December 19th, the preschoolers and Extended Day Kindergarten students will participate in long held holiday traditions here at Jefferson. Our preschoolers will perform for their family members at the Holiday Sing and have a visit from Santa. Our EDK kindergarten students will take a "field trip" to Emerson for a band concert. See the Upcoming Events section below for specific times.
This past month our preschoolers have been immersed in a study of clothing. They have been learning different features of clothing, how to take care of one's clothes, how clothes are made, and what special clothing people of other cultures wear. Some of our students have practiced washing, ironing, and sorting clothes in the housekeeping area that has been turned into a "laundromat", students have been sorting buttons and noticing zippers and pockets on clothing, and others have made predictions about what happens when dark and light colors are washed together. Our preschoolers also enjoyed coming to school dressed in a specific color and/or wearing clothing with patterns!
The Extended Day Kindergarten students have been learning about keeping our bodies healthy. They've been learning about healthy eating choices, making their bodies strong through exercise, preventing illness through proper hand washing and using their "germ catcher" when sneezing, and paying attention to how their body is feeling so they know when they are hungry, tired, or getting sick. The students have made predictions about how germs are spread, sorted foods by food groups, drawn the steps to hand washing, and learned a hand washing song. We hope your children are coming home sharing their new knowledge with you and will continue to practice making healthy choices!
We look forward to the next few weeks of learning and growing before the winter break!
Respectfully,
Lisa Halverson
Principal
Upcoming Events
Monday, December 3 - Yoga - PK afternoon classes
Wednesday, December 5 - D64 Parent University - 7:00 p.m. - Emerson Middle School
Monday, December 10 - Dog Therapy - PK morning classes
Yoga - PK afternoon classes
Board of Education Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Jefferson School
Tuesday, December 11 - Preschool Screenings - 9:00 - 11:30 By Appointment
Wednesday, December 19 - PK Holiday Sing - 10:00 - morning classes
EDK Holiday Band Concert at Emerson - 9:35 - morning classes
PK Holiday Sing - 1:00 - afternoon classes
EDK Holiday Band Concert at Emerson - 12:45 - afternoon classes
December 24 - January 6 - No School - Winter Break
Monday, January 7 - School Resumes
Inspire every child to discover, learn, achieve, and care
Jefferson School Information
If you haven't donated non-perishable food items for the Park Ridge Community Food Drive, it's not too late! Donations will be accepted through Monday, December 3rd. Items will be donated to the Main Township Food Pantry and distributed to families in need within our community. For those of you who have already donated, THANK YOU for helping those families who are in need during this holiday season!
With the new year quickly approaching, you may be getting your documents ready for tax season. If you are paid tuition during the 2017-18 school year for preschool or the Extended Day Kindergarten program you can access and print your 2018 tax statements listing all payments that you've made within the current year. Click here for step-by-step instructions. As you know, the District moved to Pay Pal for billing purposes for the 2018-19 school year so you will need to go into your individual Pay Pal account to access the individual invoices for the 2018-19 school year.
Health & Wellness Resources Webpage Launched
In District 64, we regularly support our students through individual and group counseling as well as our social-emotional learning programs so that students are able to engage in all that school has to offer.
As a follow-up to the recent showing of the documentary film, Angst, about teen anxiety, District 64 would like to further support our students and families by providing information about community resources available in Park Ridge and Niles as well as links to where you can find additional perspectives from other reliable organizations. Visit our new webpage here.
Developmental Screenings
On a monthly basis the Early Childhood Diagnostic Team conducts screenings of children ages three to five. The screenings are conducted by a team, consisting of an occupational therapist, speech language pathologist, psychologist, and social worker. The areas assessed include motor, communication, play skills, pre-academic and thinking skills. The next Preschool Screening is scheduled for Tuesday, December 11. If you have concerns about your child's development in any of these areas please call 847-318-5360 to schedule an appointment for the screening.
No School
All District 64 Schools will be closed for the Winter Break from December 24 - January 6, 2019. Please mark your calendars!
Preschool Information
Thank you for taking time to meet with your child's teacher for the Fall Parent - Teacher Conferences. Hopefully, you found the conversation with your child's teacher informative as to how your child is doing in school, areas in which they have shown improvement since the start of the school year, and possibly areas in which they continue to need support or further opportunities to learn and grow. We are fortunate to have a team of teachers who work closely with the children and know how they are progressing in all areas of development. If you discussed some home strategies to support your child's development, please keep your child's teacher informed as to how that is going and whether or not you need further support. As you know, our teaching teams have a wealth of knowledge and experiences in early childhood and are great resources for you!
The annual, Preschool Holiday Sing is scheduled for Wednesday, December 19th. Parents and family members are invited to join the students in an art activity, songs, gift exchange ($5.00 item), and a picture with Santa. The morning classes will have their festivities from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. and the afternoon classes will have their festivities from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. More details will be coming from your child's teacher soon.
Unfortunately, the November Parent Group was cancelled due to the Snow Day. Knowing that the topic of ipads for preschoolers is of high interest to our families we are working on finding a date in December to hold the Parent Group. Mrs. Sewell will be sending out an email to our preschool families once the rescheduled date has been set.
Preschool Learning!
Students Safely Evacuate During Bus Drill!
Special Reader For Birthday!
Friends Playing Together!
Extended Day Kindergarten (EDK) Information
We are excited to continue the tradition of having the Emerson School band students perform a holiday concert for our Extended Day Kindergarten students! This year our students will have a special treat by going to Emerson School for the concert rather than having them come to Jefferson. Our morning EDK classes will walk over to Emerson for a 9:30 concert and our afternoon students will walk over for a 12:45 concert.
We still have a few open spots for the morning and afternoon Extended Day Kindergarten program. If you know any D64 families that would like their kindergartener to experience more enriching learning opportunities have them call the school office at 847-318-5360.
Extended Day Kindergarten Learning!
Look What We Made in Before School Care!
I Know The Steps To Washing Hands!
Love Playing In The Snow!
Surviving And Enjoying The Holidays
Earlier this week, Mrs. Sewell sent our preschool parents a great article about how to help your child enjoy and survive the holidays. It was such a good article that I've highlighted some of the key points here. To read the entire article click here.
- Prepare your child for changes in routines and schedule
- Involve your child in some of the holiday preparations
- Keep aspects of your typical routine whenever possible
- Give clear directions
- Use positive words
- Provide transition warnings
- Use ‘Wait Time’
- Provide limited choices
- Tell your child how to behave
- Provide frequent and specific praise for acceptable behavior
6. Inform family and friends of helpful strategies
7. Be attentive to your child’s diet
8. Holiday Travel – Plan ahead
- Pack a bag of favorite items to take with you
- Call airlines, airport or bus depot ahead about special accommodations
- Visit the airport or bus depot in advance
- Create a personal story
- Celebrate the successes along the way