Jefferson Jotter
September 2018
Letter from Principal
Dear Jefferson Parents,
I love to see and feel the excitement of the new school year! The teachers were busy over the summer preparing for the school year and anxiously await the arrival of the students. Likewise, the children eagerly anticipate the start of the school year to see old friends or meet new ones, explore what is new in their classroom, and find comfort in the predictability of the school day. With all of this positive energy it is awesome coming to work each day!
You, the parent, have provided your child with their first learning experiences. It is now our privilege to partner with you to further develop your child's social/emotional, cognitive, language, and motor development. As the foundation to a child's school experience, I am committed to ensuring that every child who attends Jefferson School will receive a high quality education. Through a play-based model, the children will have whole group, small group, and individual learning opportunities, as well as, child initiated play. In order to prepare the children for future learning, an emphasis is also placed on self-regulation, independence, language development, and interpersonal skills.
To that end, we are excited to be able to offer an expanded Extended Day Kindergarten (EDK) program this year. We now have three certified kindergarten teachers providing rich learning opportunities for the students, with an emphasis on social/emotional learning and community building, inquiry based learning through social studies and science related themes, and opportunities for child initiated play. These enriching opportunities are not a continuum of the kindergarten curriculum in their home school, however, they will enrich your child's learning and development. Within the Jefferson Jotter you will see a section that pertains to all Jefferson students and families, a section for preschool only, and a kindergarten only section.
We are fortunate to have an outstanding team of teachers, specialists, and teaching assistants that have a strong understanding of child development, strategies to differentiate instruction for the varying learning needs of the children, assessment tools to monitor the children's progress, and the ability to establish a caring community of learners. Additionally, the Jefferson team is child-centered, compassionate, dedicated, and collaborative.
As we develop a close parent - school partnership, it is important that you maintain regular communication with your child's teacher, share your concerns and/or questions about your child or the program, and invest time in talking with your child about what he/she did at school. The Jefferson team will in turn keep you well informed about the happenings in the classroom, problem solve with you on how to carry over strategies that have been successful at school, listen to your thoughts, suggestions, and concerns, and provide your child with a safe, loving home away from home!
I'm confident that we'll have an awesome 2018-19 school year! Please don't hesitate to contact me if you ever have any questions or concerns, at lhalverson@d64.org or 847-318-4249..
Respectfully,
Lisa Halverson
Principal
Upcoming Events
Monday, September 3 - No School - Labor Day
Monday, September 10 Board of Education COW Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Jefferson School
Tuesday, September 11 - Preschool Screenings By Appointment
Wednesday, September 12 - Preschool Screenings by Appointment
Monday September 17 - Yoga - afternoon classes
Monday, September 24 - Dog Therapy - afternoon classes
Board of Education Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Field School
Wednesday, September 26 - Library Lady
Monday, October 1 - Walking Field Trip - morning and afternoon classes
Monday, October 8 - No School - Columbus Day
Inspire every child to discover, learn, achieve, and care
Jefferson School Information
For additional reference information about Jefferson School click here. This one page information sheet would look perfect on your refrigerator door!
New Staff
We are excited to welcome a number of staff members to Jefferson School. Carrie Carmichael is back as a preschool teacher after taking off the past two years. Alexa Lombardi is one of our new Extended Day Kindergarten (EDK) teachers. Ms. Lombardi comes to Jefferson School with experience teaching in a private school. Also joining the EDK team is Caroline Meredith, Mrs. Meredith has worked at Jefferson School the past two summers for summer school so we are excited to have her assume a teaching role in the EDK program. The third new EDK teacher, Toni Mihalopoulos, is also a familiar face at Jefferson School as she taught preschool two years ago and has taught summer school the past two summers. If you've called the school or been to the front office, you've found that we have a new secretary, Kathy Luppo. Mrs. Luppo has worked in a number of area preschools teaching music to children so many children recognize her. We have two new teacher assistants, Mrs. DuMars worked in the summer school program this past summer and is joining the preschool team. Laura Isard, is the other new teacher assistant in the preschool program. Mrs. Isard has been a substitute in the district and is excited to be joining the Jefferson team. Finally, we have a new part-time school psychologist, Jaime Long. Dr. Long comes to us after working at a middle school in North Chicago. We are fortunate to have such talented and dedicated staff joining the Jefferson School team!
New Families
We want to extend a warm welcome to the families who are either new to Park Ridge/Niles or to Jefferson School. We hope that you have already found the Jefferson School staff to be warm and welcoming to you and your child. Jefferson School prides itself on being a close knit family! We also want to welcome back the returning children and families. We are very excited for the start of the school year!
Jefferson School Spirit Wear
It's time to show your school pride by wearing a Jefferson School t-shirt. T-shirts cost $10.00 for children and adult sizes. The children sizes run large, so note that the XSmall is approximately a 4/5 and Small is approximately a 6/8 size. Please send in your order form with payment to the school by Friday, September 21st.
Student Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures
To ensure student and family safety, Greendale Avenue will be temporarily closed to traffic during student drop off and pick up. The road will be closed during the following times:
- 8:45 - 8:55 (Monday - Friday)
- 11:20 - 11:30 (M, T, Th, F) and 10:55 - 11:05 (Wednesday)
- 12:20 - 12:30 (M, T, Th, F) and 11:55 - 12:05 (Wednesday)
- 2:50 - 3:05 (M, T, Th, F) and 2:00 - 2:15 (Wednesday)
With the expansion of the Extended Day Kindergarten program we have more cars at morning drop off and afternoon pick-up. Therefore, please be aware that the above times are approximate, if no remaining spots are open the road will be closed sooner. Please be considerate of other families and their schedules by complying with the following:
- If you arrive prior to the barricades going up, you can park on Greendale Ave in four locations; (1) along the curb, but in front of the orange cones indicating the bus loading area. (2) in an angled parking spot, (3) behind an angled parked car, or (4) along the entrance to the back parking lot or back parking lot.
- To optimize the number of cars able to park on Greendale, please pull forward as far as possible and pull into an angled parking spot before double parking.
- If you are on a tight schedule, it is recommended that you park in the back parking lot or along the entrance to the back parking lot so that you don't get blocked in.
- If you arrive after the barricades are put up, you will need to park along the east side (right) of the street going into the back parking lot or in the back parking lot. Again, please pull up as far as you can so cars coming behind you don't have to parallel park and more cars can park behind you.
Drive Safely in the School Zone
Our first priority is the safety of our students, families, and staff. Therefore, it is critical that we maintain a safe environment during drop off and pick up. Everyone who comes to Jefferson School should abide by the following traffic laws and safety procedures:
- Follow all parking and traffic laws, including no cell phone usage in the school zone
- Do not block any intersections around Jefferson, especially the intersection of Greendale and Field.
- Do not drive past a bus when the stop sign is extended or park in the bus zone (marked by orange cones)
- All preschool aged children need to be either in a car seat or booster seat
- Use your turn signal so others know which direction you plan to go
- Be patient and safe!
Late Arrivals or Early Pick Ups
To ensure the safety of our students and staff, only one entrance will be used between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. To access the building, parents should ring the doorbell at the main entrance (door #7), state your name and reason for being here, then once the secretary buzzes you in report immediately to the office. If you see another parent standing at the door do not open the door for them, the office will take care of admitting them.
If someone other than the parent will be picking up your child we ask that you complete and turn in the Student Pick Up form. The first time someone other than yourself picks up your child they will be asked to present their driver's license so we can confirm their identity. Once the teacher knows the authorized person they need not show their driver's license. If you haven't already turned in this form it can be accessed by clicking here.
School Visitors
You will be asked to produce your driver's license so that it can be run through a visitor management system, prior to receiving a visitor's badge. If you visited your child's class last year, you will need to bring in your driver's license and have it scanned the first time you visit this year. After your first visit, the office will be able to look up your name in the system in order to print out your visitor's badge.
Snacks and Food Allergy Management
To ensure the safety of all of our students and staff, parents should not send peanuts/nuts and their products for snack time. Product labels should always be read for listing of peanuts/nuts, and for disclaimers such as "processed on shared machinery" or "manufactured in/with peanuts/nuts." Instead, parents are asked to send a healthy snack with their child on a daily basis. Healthy snacks include fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and cheese sticks. The Back to School Health Reminder Letter is attached at the end of the Jotter for your reference.
Developmental Screenings
On a monthly basis the Early Childhood Diagnostic Team conducts screenings of children ages three to five. Additionally, twice a year they conduct developmental screenings of children birth through three. 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. If you have concerns about your child's development in any of these areas please call 847-318-5360 to schedule an appointment for a screening. The first Preschool Screenings for the 2018-19 school year are scheduled for September 11 and 12.
Box Tops for Education
Jefferson School uses Box Tops for Education as a fundraising source for special projects, so please consider sending in the Box Tops from your favorite products. Each box top collected is worth ten cents!
No School
Monday, September 3 is a non-attendance day for students and staff in recognition of Labor Day. Please mark your calendars!
Preschool Information
Preschool Hours
Morning session: 8:50 - 11:25 (M, T, Th, F) and 8:50 - 11:00 (Wednesday)
Afternoon session: 12:25 - 3:00 (M, T, Th, F) and 12:00 - 2:10 (Wednesday)
If there are no staff outside when you arrive, you must come to the main office off of the back parking lot (door #7) to sign your child into school.
Child's Absence
If your child will be absent from school, please remember to call the attendance line, as an email to the teacher isn't sufficient. To reach the attendance line call 847-318-5360 and press 1. You need not listen to all of the prompts, but can go directly to the attendance line by pressing 1. If your child rides the school bus you will also need to call Lakeview Bus Service (847-647-6965) so they don't unnecessarily stop to pick up your child.
Safety During PE and Gross Motor Time
Every day the students engage in gross motor play, either in PE class, on the playground, or gym. When the children are running, climbing, and/or engaging in various movement activities it can be dangerous when wearing sandals, flip flops, or Crocs. To ensure your child's safety, please send your child to school on T,W, and F in athletic shoes or send a pair to be left at school. Your child will have the opportunity to change into athletic/gym shoes before going to PE. Additionally, girls who wear flowing dresses and/or skirts on PE days find it hard to actively participate and/or are not safe because of the dress/skirt getting caught in the equipment. Please help your child be safe by sending them to school on PE days in clothing that will keep them safe!
Preschool Family Picnic
It was wonderful seeing so many families out for the annual, preschool Family Picnic last night! We enjoyed seeing and/or meeting the families, younger and older siblings, and seeing some former Jefferson students!
First Days of Preschool!
We love listening to stories!
Look at me building!
Finding letters in sensory table!
Extended Day Kindergarten (EDK) Information
Extended Day Kindergarten Hours
Before School Care: 7:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Morning EDK program: 9:00 - 12:10 p.m.
Afternoon EDK program: 12:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Children attending the Before School Program will enter the building through the EDK door (door #4). Students attending the morning EDK program will also enter the building through the EDK door (door #4). The door will close at 9:00 a.m. Therefore, if you arrive after 9:00 you will need to go around the building to the main entrance off the back parking lot (door #7).
Children who are registered for the Beyond the Bell program will leave at 2:40 on Wednesdays. Non Beyond the Bell children may stay until 3:30 on Wednesdays. Parents picking children up from school before 3:00 p.m. must come to the main entrance (door #7) off the back parking lot even on Wacky Wednesdays.
If your kindergarten child will be absent, you need to call Jefferson School to report the absence (847-318-4212) in addition to notifying their home school. If your child attends Beyond the Bell, you will also need to contact the Park District.
Unlike snacks that are eaten in the classroom, children attending our Extended Day Kindergarten program eat lunch in a lunchroom. Therefore, they are able to have food that contains tree nuts or peanuts. We have a dedicated, tree nut/peanut free table for those who are allergic.
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.