Jefferson Jotter
January 2019
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. Then they got their own kazoo and played along with the band! 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 7th!
Respectfully,
Lisa Halverson
Principal
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, December 19 - PK Holiday Sing - 10:00 - morning classes
EDK Holiday Band Concert at Emerson - 9:30 - 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
January 7 - 18 , 2019 - 5 Essentials Survey
Monday, January 7 - School Resumes
Yoga - afternoon classes
Saturday, January 12 - Park Ridge Library Preschool Fair - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - St. Andrew's School
Monday, January 14 - Dog Therapy - morning classes
Yoga - afternoon classes
Tuesday, January 15 - Preschool Screenings - By Appointment
Monday, January 21 - No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday
Wednesday, January 23 - Niles Public Library Preschool Fair - 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Monday, January 28 - Parent Group - 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Dog Therapy - afternoon classes
Board of Education Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Jefferson School
Wednesday, January 30 - Library Lady - morning and afternoon classes
Tuesday, February 5 - EDK Family Cultural Night - morning classes - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 7 - EDK Family Cultural Night - afternoon classes - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Inspire every child to discover, learn, achieve, and care
Jefferson School Information
2018-19 5Essentials Survey
The Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be completed by parents and staff in January. New this year, ISBE has extended student participation to include students in grades 4-8. Results will provide information to schools in five areas: instruction, environment, leaders, teachers, and families.
The survey will take no more than 20 minutes to complete. All responses are completely confidential. Data from this report will be used by our district and our school to help inform our school improvement planning efforts and to provide a picture of our school’s performance beyond test scores. You will receive an email link to the survey on January 7, 2019 so watch your inbox!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, January 15. 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.
We've been fortunate not to have much snow yet this year, however that could change in January. With the addition of piles of snow, the parking gets even more compromised. Therefore, we ask that you help to optimize the number of cars that can park for the afternoon pick up (3:00 p.m.) by pulling ahead as far as you can and not blocking an angled parking spot. You are also encouraged to park in the back parking lot. If another family member or babysitter does the afternoon pick up, please share this information with them!
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.
No School
All District 64 Schools will be closed for Monday, January 21, 2019 in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday. Please mark your calendars!
Preschool Information
It was great seeing so many families at the annual Jefferson School Holiday Sing! The students were very excited to show their moms, dads, and grandparents their school, some of their special projects, and engage in the craft activity. They were also ecstatic about singing a few holiday songs and getting a present from Santa! Thank you for making this a special day for your child and all of the Jefferson children and staff! Check out my blog for more pictures!
Registration for 2019-20 School Year
It's hard to believe that we are already planning for the 2019-20 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 January 8th). Also, if you have a younger child who will be three as of September 1, 2019 you will be able to reserve a spot by completing the same electronic form. Beginning February 4th enrollment will be open to the general public. Registration is on a first come, first served basis.
There are different steps to the registration process for the 2019-20 school year depending upon your child's status:
1. Current student who isn't kindergarten age for fall 2019
- Complete "Reserve a spot" form. An email will be sent to you January 8, 2019. You have until January 31st to reserve a spot before registration is opened up to the general public. If your child has an IEP for the preschool classroom, we also ask that you complete the electronic form so we know whether you plan to return to the district next year (your child is guaranteed a spot for the 2019-20 school year).
- You will receive an email on April 22, 2019 from the District to complete the registration process through InfoSnap. If your child has an IEP for the preschool classroom you will need to complete this step of the registration process as well.
- Complete the pre-enrollment form by going to the district website. Starting February 4, 2019 the pre-enrollment form will be available on the district website. Through the pre-enrollment process you will be asked to upload your residency documents.
3. Sibling new to Jefferson
- Complete the pre-enrollment form by going to the district website. If you submitted the "reserve a spot" form by January 31st a spot has already been reserved for the sibling. However, you will still need to complete the pre-enrollment form, which will be available starting February 4, 2019. Through the pre-enrollment process you will be asked to upload your residency documents.
4. Current speech only student
- If your child will only receive speech services and won't be attending our preschool program, you will receive an email on April 22, 2019 from the District to complete the registration process through InfoSnap. You shouldn't complete the "reserve a spot" form.
Jefferson will be offering a World's of Wonder program for our current preschoolers again this summer. The information/link that is included in this Jotter 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 next Parent Group is scheduled for Monday, January 28 from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. This month's topic is supporting your child's social and emotional development. Childcare will be provided. We hope to see you there!
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.
Preschool Learning!
Under, Over and Through Obstacle Course!
Celebrating Cultural Dress!
Balancing While Catching Air!
Preschool Holiday Sing!
Santa announces his visit!
A gift from Santa!
Look what Santa brought me!
Extended Day Kindergarten (EDK) Information
Our students loved taking a "field trip" to Emerson MIddle School for the Holiday Band concert! They learned about the different musical instruments, how to be a conductor, and enjoyed the 7th and 8th grade band play some holiday music. For a special treat they got their own kazoo and played along with the band! Check out my blog for more pictures!
After the winter break 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 the first week in February. The morning classes will have their Cultural Event on Tuesday, February 5th from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. and the afternoon classes will have their event on Thursday, February 7th from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. We look forward to learning more about your family's culture!
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.