Jefferson Jotter
December 2019
Letter from Principal
Dear Jefferson Parents,
As we head into the Thanksgiving season I want to take this opportunity to share with you some of the things I am thankful for:
- Students who are eager to come to school each day to see their friends and teachers
- Parents who maintain open communication with their child's teacher
- Teachers who work tirelessly to plan engaging, learning activities for their students
- Eager students who show interest in learning how the world works by asking questions and engaging in problem solving
- Nurturing parents who provide their child with a safe and secure home
- Dedicated teachers who take the time to build relationships with their students and families
- Compassionate students who lend a helping hand and/or offer comfort to a friend who is sad or hurt
- Committed parents who foster their child's development by exposing them to wonderful learning opportunities and experiences
- Creative teachers who never forget their life's work of building each child's future
While this list isn't exhaustive, I want to thank each Jefferson student, parent, and teacher for working collaboratively together to make the 2019-20 school year successful. Happy a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Lisa Halverson
Principal
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, November 20 - End of First Trimester
Thursday, November 21 - Usborne Book Fair - 4:00 - 7:45 p.m.
PK Parent - Teacher Conferences - 4:00 - 7:45 p.m.
November 25 - 29 - No School for Students and Staff - Thanksgiving Break
Monday, December 2 - School Resumes
Yoga - PK afternoon classes
Wednesday, December 4 - Library Lady - PK morning and afternoon classes
Monday, December 9 - Dog Therapy - PK morning classes
Tuesday, December 10 - Preschool Developmental Screenings - By Appointment
Wednesday, December 11 - D64 Parent University - 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. - Lincoln Middle School
Friday, December 13 - End of Food Drive
Monday, December 16 - Yoga - PK afternoon classes
Parent Workshop - 9:00 a.m. - Plimpton
Board of Education Meeting - 7:00 p.m. - Field School
Wednesday, December 18 - Emerson Band Concert for EDK students - 9:15 a.m.
PK Holiday Sing - 10:00 a.m. - morning classes
Emerson Band Concert for EDK students - 1:00 p.m.
PK Holiday Sing - 1:15 p.m. - PK afternoon classes
December 23 - January 5 - Winter Break - No School
Monday, January 6 - School Resumes
Inspire every child to discover, learn, achieve, and care
Jefferson School Information
Thank you to the families who purchased books at the Usborne Book Fair or ordered books online. We hope you find the books to be highly engaging for your child. Tomorrow, November 22 is the final day you can place an order online. If interested in shopping online click here. The books would be great holiday gifts for your family!
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 Friday, December 13. 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!
Monetary donations will also be accepted by making checks out to City of Park Ridge - Holiday Food Drive, 505 Butler Place, Park Ridge, IL 60068. The monetary donations will be used by the Park Ridge Police Department Emergency Fund, which provides food certificates from local grocers to qualifying individuals in need.
Fundraiser to Benefit D64 Families
The Park Ridge Kiwanis Club has again taken up the challenge to provide holiday food baskets to School District 64 families in need. But this year the Club will do it without a fundraising event at a local restaurant.
Instead, the Kiwanis will focus on accepting donations online to help more than 100 families in District 64 that fall below the poverty level. To make a donation click this link.
As children learn how to problem solve situations, it isn't uncommon for a child to experience a "meltdown." As with all learning, children need to be supported through challenging times but they also need to be taught how to respond to their strong emotions when they are calm. We call these times "teachable moments." To learn more about how you can support your child at home from having a meltdown click 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 Screenings is scheduled for Tuesday, December 10. 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.
District 64's guidelines focus on wind chill and use the National Weather Service distinctions between an advisory and a warning (among other factors) when considering whether schools will be closed. As always, our first priority is the safety of students and staff when making decisions on when schools are closed. Make sure you know about our School Closing Guidelines before the bad weather hits! Here's to a safe winter ahead!
No School
Mark your calendars! Thanksgiving Break is the week of November 25 - 29, so there will be no school for students and staff that week. Students and staff will also have Winter Break from December 23 - January 5.
Health Office Reminders
Head Lice
With the return of colder weather along with hats and scarves, it's a good time to review guidelines for health lice prevention. Although the focus of head lice is usually on treatment, prevention is just as important. Since head lice cannot jump from child to child, preventing head lice may not be as difficult as it sounds. Please take the opportunity to read the following information. Experts recommend:
- Avoiding head to head contact during play and other activities.
- Encouraging your child to avoid sharing items that have been on or near another child’s head, such as hairbrushes, combs, and hair accessories, hats, scarves, towels, pillows, helmets, etc.
- Teaching your child to hang up hats and coats on individual hooks. Avoid piling coats/jackets.
- Reviewing pictures of head lice and nits (eggs) to help you understand what you are looking for when checking your child’s head.
- Checking your child for lice and/or nits on a weekly basis.
- Recognizing symptoms of head lice: itchy scalp and small red bumps on the back of the head and neck.
- Reviewing head lice prevention steps with your child before sleepovers or trips. If your child is found to have head lice, check with your healthcare provider for recommended treatment. Please inform your child’s school health office. Health staff members are available to answer questions about treatment and prevention.
For more information, please visit these sites:
http://www.d64.org/health-services/health-safety-tips
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/parents.html
Flu Season
Fall months also herald the start of cold and flu season. Since influenza viruses vary from year to year, it is difficult to predict the season’s beginning and peak. Flu activity in the U.S. tends to peak between December and February, but can begin as early as October and continue into May. Current recommendations state that everyone 6 months of age and older, especially those considered at high risk, receives influenza vaccination annually. To prepare for the upcoming flu season, please visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for basic flu facts, prevention tips and treatment information by clicking here.
Cold Weather Safety
Recent weather trends have brought January-like weather conditions to our area unexpectedly! Hypothermia (abnormally low body temperature) and frostbite are both dangerous conditions that can occur with exposure to very cold temperatures. Stay safe during the cold weather by learning more about hypothermia. For an infographic about avoiding, spotting and treating frostbite and hypothermia, click here.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
The annual, Preschool Holiday Sing is scheduled for Wednesday, December 18th. 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 1:15 - 2:00 p.m. More details will be coming from your child's teacher soon.
Parent Teacher Conferences
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 topic for the next parent group is Apps and screen time. The group will be held on Monday, December 16 starting at 9:00 a.m. Childcare is available. We hope to see you there!
We had another successful year with the KidsStuff Coupon Books. Thank you to the families who purchased the coupon books. We made more than $600 on this fundraiser! Proceeds from the fundraiser will be used for special projects for our students.
Students Have Loved the Music Making Unit!
Student playing piano!
Students enjoyed singing along to ukulele!
Student playing drums!
Extended Day Kindergarten (EDK) Information
We are excited to introduce and 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 beginning in December. 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.
We are excited to continue the tradition of having the Emerson School band students perform a holiday concert for our Extended Day Kindergarten students. Our students will have a special treat by going to Emerson School for the concert! Our morning EDK classes will walk over to Emerson for a 9:15 concert and our afternoon students will walk over for a 1:00 concert on Wednesday, December 18.