Jefferson Jotter
February 2019
Letter from Principal
Dear Jefferson Parents,
Happy New Year to all of our Jefferson families! I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and time with your children over winter break. Since returning from break our preschoolers have been learning about snow (which is exciting now that we have some!) and our kindergarten students have been learning about different cultures around the world.
Now that we are into 2019, it is time to think about the 2019-20 school year. Please read further in the Jotter about how to register your child for preschool or kindergarten for the 2019-20 school year, as the steps are different. All students need to register each school year. If you have any questions about the various steps to the registration process please call my secretary, Kathy Luppo, or me at 847-318-5360.
January to March is my favorite time of a school year, because the skills and concepts the children have been working so hard to learn become more evident and integrated into their everyday experiences and interactions! For the child who was learning how to be a part of a school community, they are now more independent in taking care of their personal belongings and following routines. The child who was hesitant to participate earlier in the year has now found his/her voice and is volunteering at circle, spontaneously making comments, and engaging in conversations with peers. And the child who knew how to rote count, has expanded his/her depth of number sense so now counts out a specific number of items, groups items to make parts of a bigger number, and knows that zero means none. We hope that you too are seeing great growth in your child's development. Preschool parents will have an opportunity to speak more with their child's teacher at the upcoming Parent - Teacher Conferences and our EDK parents will have an opportunity to see what their child has been learning at the upcoming Family Cultural Night.
I look forward to observing your child grow and learn in the next few months!
Respectfully,
Lisa Halverson
Principal
Upcoming Events
Friday, February 1 - Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner - PR Presbyterian Church - 4:30 - 7:45 p.m.
Monday, February 4 - Board of Education Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Jefferson School
Tuesday, February 5 - EDK Family Cultural Night - morning classes - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 6 - D64 Parent University - 6:30 p.m. - Roosevelt School
Thursday, February 7 - EDK Family Cultural Night - afternoon classes - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Monday, February 11 - Dog Therapy - morning classes
Yoga - afternoon classes
Board of Education Special Meeting - 6:00 p.m. - Jefferson School
Tuesday, February 12 - Preschool Screenings by Appointment
Monday, February 18 - No School - Presidents' Day
Thursday, February 21 - Parent - Teacher Conferences - 4:00 - 7:45 p.m.
Monday, February 25 - Parent Group - 9:00 a.m.
Board of Education Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Jefferson School
Wednesday, February 27 - Library Lady - morning and afternoon classes
Monday, March 1 - End of 2nd Trimester
Tuesday, March 5 - Parent Workshop - 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. - Jefferson School
Thursday, March 7 - Parent - Teacher Conferences - 4:00 - 7:45 p.m.
Inspire every child to discover, learn, achieve, and care
Jefferson School Information
With the addition of snow piles, we now have even fewer parking spaces for our preschool and kindergarten parents at the end of the school day. For the safety of our students and families and to minimize congestion at the end of day (3:00 p.m.) dismissal we need your help! Please do not block angled parking spots along Greendale Avenue, instead park in the angled parking space. If a babysitter or grandparent is responsible for the pick up please share this information with them.
The "Noon" Kiwanis Club of Park Ridge is once again sponsoring their annual Spaghetti Dinner on Friday, February 1st from 4:45 - 7:30 p.m. The dinner will be held at the Park Ridge Presbyterian Church, 1300 W Crescent Ave. You may dine in or carry out. The proceeds from the dinner go directly to District 64's neediest families. Fifty of our D64 families were helped during the holidays through the proceeds from various Kiwanis community events, so please continue to support their efforts on behalf of our families in need. The word on the street, is this is the best spaghetti dinner in town!
Potty Training Workshop
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, February 12. 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.
Box Tops
Please continue to clip Box Tops for Education and turn them into school by February 25th. The last submission date for the 2018-19 school year is March 1st. So get clipping!
No School
All District 64 Schools will be closed for Monday, February 18, 2019 in observance of Presidents' Day. Please mark your calendars!
Preschool Information
Registration for 2019-20 School Year
Thank you to the families who submitted the Reserve a Spot form. We are excited to have your three year old attend Jefferson for another year of learning and/or having a younger sibling coming to Jefferson! Beginning February 4th enrollment will be open to the general public for the 2019-20 school year.
Next Steps for the Registration Process:
1. Current student who isn't kindergarten age for fall 2019
- 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 too will need to complete this step of the registration process.
- 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. If you would like your child to attend Jefferson's preschool program and didn't complete a Reserve a Spot form you will need to complete the pre-enrollment form by going to the district website.
Unfortunately this week's parent group was cancelled due to the snow day. However, it has been rescheduled for Friday, February 8 at 9:00 a.m. The focus is supporting your child's social and emotional development. Childcare will be provided. We hope to see you there!
Jefferson will be offering a World's of Wonder program for our current preschoolers again this summer. Registration for Jefferson's WOW program will be done via paper registration, not through the online district registration that is on the website. More information will be shared with families later in February.
Parent - Teacher Conferences are just around the corner! Parent - Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, February 21 and March 7 from 4:00 - 7:45 p.m. The teachers are excited to have an opportunity to share all of the wonderful growth your child has made across all areas of development! Teachers will be sending you sign up information soon.
The teachers are finishing up the winter benchmark assessments in literacy, numeracy, and vocabulary. 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. Teachers will be sharing with you during Parent - Teacher Conferences how your child is progressing.
Preschool Learning!
Students use tangrams to create snowflakes!
Students create an igloo sculpture!
Students do experiments with ice!
Extended Day Kindergarten (EDK) Information
Since returning from winter break, our EDK students have been learning about different cultures from around the world. The students are learning about various traditions, landmarks, and languages and comparing them to their own cultural traditions and experiences. The students have been excited to learn about other cultures and are looking forward to sharing some projects they've made this month and engaging in a family activity at the EDK Family Cultural Nights. The morning classes will have their Cultural Night 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 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!
Students Create Flags!
Students Create Masks!
Students Try on Cultural Dress!
Train the Brain!
Five lifestyle factors that influence our children:
- Kids get everything they want when they want it so they don't learn how to delay gratification
- Kids have limited social interactions because in our busy schedules we make our children "busy" too by giving them digital gadgets
- We've created an artificial fun world for our children and don't expect them to do any work
- Endless technology impacts a child's nervous system so they are less able to attend and delay gratification
- We too often give in to children's "wants" rather than giving them what they "need"
She states that you can make a difference in your child's life by training your child's brain so that your child will successfully function on social, emotional, and academic levels. Here's how:
- Make a schedule for meal times, sleep times, and technology times.
- Think of what is good for them, not what they want or don't want.
- Convert things they don't like doing or trying into fun, emotionally stimulating games.
Limit technology and re-connect emotionally with your child
- Surprise them with flowers, put a love note in their backpack, tickle them, dance together, crawl around together, or have a pillow fight.
- Have family dinners, board game nights, go biking, or take a walk at night with a flashlight.
Train delayed gratification
- Make them wait. It's okay for them to have a "bored" time, it sparks creativity!
- Gradually increase the waiting time between "I want" and "I get."
- Avoid technology use in cars and restaurants, instead teach them waiting while talking or playing games.
- Limit constant snacking.
Teach your child to do monotonous work from early years as it's the foundation for future "workability"
- Folding laundry, picking up toys, unpacking groceries, hanging up clothes, setting the table, making lunch, or making their bed.
- Be creative. Initially make it stimulating and fun so their brain associates it with something positive.
Teach them social skills
- Teach them turn taking, sharing, losing and winning, compromising, complimenting others, using "please" and "thank you."
Please join us in training your child's brain to build their executive functioning skills!