Jefferson Jotter
January 2020
Letter from Principal
Dear Jefferson Parents,
The excitement of the holidays has certainly been felt here at Jefferson School! Yesterday was the annual Preschool Holiday Sing and Emerson Holiday Concert for our Extended Day Kindergarten students. Our Extended Day Kindergarten students enjoyed a holiday concert from the Emerson band, learned about conducting, and the four instrument families. The preschoolers played the bells and sang for their parents and grandparents and had a special visit from Santa. Some children even took individual or family photos with Santa! The children were adorable in their festive outfits and big smiles!
Certainly, the look of wonder and excitement when a child opens a gift is priceless. But this is a great time to share with your child the value of helping others who are in need or less fortunate than us. If you exchange gifts for your holiday, consider making a donation on your child’s behalf to a worthy charity or donate one of his/her gifts to a children’s hospital or social service agency. It is also a perfect time to share with your child a favorite family tradition you had when you were a child and why you’ve kept or created the family traditions that you now have. The special memories and traditions will keep your family connected for a lifetime!
I wish you all a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends. Enjoy the time that you have with your child during the winter break and take advantage of all that the Chicago area has to offer families. Take in the latest children’s movie, go to a museum, check out the holiday lights at the zoo or botanical garden, put a puzzle together, play a board game, or sit in front of a crackling fire and read a story. Whatever you do, have a fun and safe break! We’ll see you all again on Monday, January 6th!
Lisa Halverson
Principal
Upcoming Events
December 23 - January 5 - Winter Break - No School
Monday, January 6 - School Resumes
Yoga - PK afternoon classes
Monday, January 13 - Dog Therapy - PK morning classes
Yoga - PK afternoon classes
Tuesday, January 14 - Preschool Screenings - By Appointment
Thursday, January 16 - Coffee with Director of Student Services - 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. - Franklin School
Monday, January 20 - No School - MLK Birthday
Monday, January 27 - PK Parent Group - 9:00 a.m.
Dog Therapy - PK afternoon classes
Board of Education Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Jefferson School
Wednesday, January 29 - Library Lady - PK morning and afternoon classes
Monday, February 17 - No School - Presidents' Day
Monday, February 24 - Cultural Night - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. - EDK morning classes
Wednesday, February 26 - Cultural Night - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. - EDK afternoon classes
Inspire every child to discover, learn, achieve, and care
Jefferson School Information
Thank you to the families who donated non-perishable food items for the Maine Township Food Pantry. Jefferson School collected four large boxes of food items that will be shared with local families in need. Your generosity will help to make a bountiful holiday for some area residents who are less fortunate!
Thank you to the families who purchased books at the Usborne Book Fair or ordered books online. Due to your purchases Jefferson School earned over $400 in books for the preschool and EDK classrooms!
We have a number of parents who fail to make their PK or EDK tuition payment by the first of the month, therefore, are being accessed a late fee ($25 if payment isn't made by the 3rd of the month and $50 if payment isn't made by the 20th of the month). If late with payments, not only are you responsible for paying a larger bill but your child is also in jeopardy of being dropped from the program! Please stay current with payments so your child can benefit from the Jefferson School programs!
Coffee with the Director of Student Services
Beginning in January, Dr. Lea Anne Frost, District 64’s Director of Student Services, will host a monthly coffee for parents to express their concerns, ask questions, or discuss any matters related to the Student Services Department. The first coffee will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 16 at the Franklin School conference room, 2401 Manor Lane, Park Ridge. Please feel free to attend all or part of this meeting.The All Abilities group, in collaboration with the District 64 Student Services department, is hosting a “Planning for the Future of Children with Special Needs” parent workshop on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 from 7-9 p.m. at Franklin Elementary School, 2401 Manor Lane, Park Ridge. Attorney Mr. Brian Rubin, the founder of Rubin Law, will be presenting on the use of government benefits as well as estate and future planning for parents of students with special needs. Please join us for this informative event by registering and identifying any specific questions you might have to be addressed. For questions on this workshop, contact Maura Cullen at maura.cullen@yahoo.com or Dr. Lea Anne Frost at lfrost@d64.org.
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 Screenings is scheduled for Tuesday, January 14. 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.
Disappointment is a normal part of life, whether you are an adult or child. When you allow your child to feel, experience and learn from little disappointments at an early age, you help him/her to create the skills he/she will need to successfully handle the bigger disappointments he/she will experience later in childhood and adulthood. To learn more about how you can support your child manage disappointment click here.
No School
Mark your calendars! Winter Break is December 23 - January 5, so there will be no school for students and staff. Students and staff will also have Monday, January 20th off in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday. Please mark your calendars!
Health Office Reminders
Head Lice
As we near winter break, family schedules become even busier, with holiday celebrations, travel, and more opportunities for children to play with one another. Please take the time to check your child’s head for the presence of head lice and nits (eggs) now, during break, and prior to return to school in January. If nits or live lice are found, all household members should be examined and treated if needed.
If your child has an active infestation (live lice), you should notify parents of your child’s playmates, so that steps can be taken to prevent further spread. In addition, please contact the health office at your child’s school. Head lice are spread most commonly by head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact with someone who already has head lice, and less frequently, by sharing clothing or belongings onto which lice may have crawled.
Prevention Measures:
Avoid head-to-head contact during play (sports activities, sleep-overs).
Do not share items such as hats, caps, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair accessories, combs, brushes, or towels.
Do not lie on beds, couches, pillows, carpets, or stuffed animals that have been in recent contact with a person with head lice.
Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items worn/used by the affected person during the 2 days before treatment, using the hot water (130°F) laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks.
Vacuum floors and furniture. However, spending excessive time and money on house cleaning activities is unnecessary; rather, efforts should be concentrated on treatment of live lice and removal of nits from affected persons.
For more information, please visit the District website at:
http://www.d64.org/health-services/health-safety-tips. Please scroll down the page to the section titled “Head Lice.”
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.Preschool Information
More than 600 D64 families entered a Super Heroic Shoe giveaway contest through a survey sent out in November. The shoes were donated to elementary students by the Park Ridge Police Department in collaboration with Unity Partnership and Super Heroic shoes in an ongoing effort to build trusting relationships with the community’s youth.
A random drawing was held and we had one Jefferson School winner, Mira Hanna, in Mrs. Holtz's afternoon class. On Monday officers from the Park Ridge Police Department and the Niles Police Department presented Mira with her new shoes. In addition to the shoes she received a backpack with a cape! Our students were reminded that police officers are heroes because they keep our communities safe and kids can be super heroes too by doing little things each day to help others.
Registration for 2020-21 School Year
It's hard to believe that we are already planning for the 2020-21 school year! When we return from winter break, our current families will have an opportunity to "reserve a spot" for their child or sibling for next year. If your child is currently in the morning program and you plan to have your child attend Jefferson again next year, you'll need to complete an electronic form by January 31st in order to reserve a spot (the form will be emailed to you when we return from winter break). Also, if you have a younger child who will be three as of September 1, 2020 you will be able to reserve a spot by completing the same electronic form. Beginning early February enrollment will be open to the general public. Registration is on a first come, first served basis.
Benchmark Assessments
During the month of January the teachers will be completing benchmark assessments with the students to monitor their progress in literacy, numeracy, and vocabulary. The assessments are conducted 1:1 with the students in order to get the most accurate results. After the assessments are completed the teachers will review the data to determine how to appropriately group students for instruction so they continue to grow. The same assessments will be conducted again in April/May.
Summer Program
Jefferson will be offering a World's of Wonder program for our current preschoolers again this summer. Information that is included on the district website and in other school newsletters is for current kindergarten through seventh grade students. The registration for Jefferson's WOW program will be done via paper registration, not through the online district registration. More information will be shared with families after the first of the year.
The topic for the next parent group is play development. The group will be held on Monday, January 27 starting at 9:00 a.m. Childcare is available. We hope to see you there!
Annual Holiday Sing!
Extended Day Kindergarten (EDK) Information
We are excited to offer to our EDK families a beverage program at Jefferson School. You may purchase water or milk (1%, 1% chocolate, or fat free) for your student's lunch. By setting up an account in MyMealOrder you can order 1 day a week or can order all 5 days a week, there is no minimum or limit to use the program. If you have older children in D64 schools you are probably already familiar with ordering through MyMealOrder. For instructions on how to create an account please click here.
If you withdraw from the EDK program and/or want to drop a day(s) you must notify the Jefferson School secretary, Kathy Luppo, by the 14th of the month or before an invoice is submitted. If you notify the office after the 14th or have already received an invoice you will be responsible for paying the tuition for the upcoming month.
Save the Date!
In January our kindergarten students will be learning about different cultures. Your child's teacher will be sending you information to learn more about your family's culture and traditions. As a culminating event, he EDK program will host a Cultural Family Event in February. The morning classes will have their Cultural Event on Monday, February 24 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. and the afternoon classes will have their event on Wednesday, February 26 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. We look forward to learning more about your family's culture!