Jefferson Jotter

Dear Jefferson Parents,

One of our primary goals for all of the children attending Jefferson School is to develop self-help and independence skills so that they can feel a sense of pride in accomplishing new tasks and are well prepared for kindergarten. For example, rather than emptying a child’s backpack or zipping/unzipping fasteners we have the children do it even though it would be faster if one of the adults did it. Additionally, we encourage a child to use his/her words to ask for help rather than automatically helping them when we can see they need something. There is nothing better than the look on a child’s face when he/she does something that was difficult for them in the past, thought they couldn’t do something, or that their older sibling can already do!

As parents, you too are encouraged to foster your child’s self-help and independence skills at home. For example, you could give your child safety scissors to cut open a snack bag rather than opening it yourself, encourage your child to tell you why they are upset even if you saw what might have upset them, and giving them small household tasks to assist with meal preparation, setup, or cleanup. At school you can also work on independence by having your child carry his/her backpack rather than you carrying it for them and after a welcome hug, have them walk to the car rather than carrying them. Independence is a great gift we can give our children and one that will benefit them throughout their life!

Thank you for being a partner in your child's education. If you have any questions or concerns throughout the school year please contact me at 847-318-4249 or lhalverson@d64.org.

Respectfully,

Lisa Halverson

Principal

Monday, October 31

• Halloween Activities

Tuesday, November 1

• Preschool Screenings - By Appointment

Thursday, November 3

• Parent - Teacher Conferences - 3:30 - 7:15 p.m. - By Appointment

Tuesday, November 8

• No School for Students and Staff - Election Day

Thursday, November 10

• Tornado Drill - 11:00 a.m. - morning classes
• Dog Therapy - afternoon classes
• Parent - Teacher Conferences - 3:30 - 7:15 p.m. - By Appointment

Friday, November 11

• Library Lady - morning and afternoon classes
• Tornado Drill - 2:15 p.m. - afternoon classes

Monday, November 14

• Dog Therapy - morning classes

Friday, November 18

• Trimester 1 Ends

Monday, November 21 - Friday, November 25

• No School for Students & Staff - Thanksgiving Break

Monday, November 28

• Dog Therapy - morning classes

Friday, December 2

• IEP Progress Updates Sent Home

Halloween

Our students and staff had a great day celebrating Halloween at Jefferson! The students played Halloween themed games in the gymnasium, went trick-or-treating in the Jefferson School office and at the District Office, and had a Halloween parade at the end of the day. Additionally, the District Office had a pumpkin decorating contest and the Jefferson students determined the winner by casting their ballot for their favorite pumpkin. The winning pumpkin was created by the Business office!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Our teachers are looking forward to meeting with you at the upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences. To make the most of your conference, think about what questions you have for your child's teacher prior to arriving. Conferences are typically scheduled back to back, so please arrive to your conference prior to the assigned time and honor the time dedicated to the conference so families who have conferences after you are able to stay on schedule. Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, November 3 and 10 from 3:30 - 7:15 p.m. If you are unable to meet during that time, please talk with your child's teacher to see if an alternative date/time can be arranged.

Student Drop Off and Pick Up

To accommodate all of our families, please pull up as far as you can when parking at student drop off and pick up. Also, please pull into an empty angled parking spot rather than blocking the empty space or leaving a space behind the open space. If someone other than you drops off or picks up your child, please share this information with them. Thank you.

Text Messages from the District

Last week a communication went out to District 64 families about the District re-energizing its efforts to bring families district/school information via SMS text messaging, as it is a preferred method of communication with many of our families. In order to opt into the service you will need to text "Y" or "Yes" to 67587. If you'd like not to receive District 64 text messages, you have to send "Stop" to 67587. This upcoming week you should receive your first text message from the district. If you have any questions about the use of text messaging to communicate district or school information please contact Christopher Lilly, at clilly@d64.org.

Safety Drills

The final safety drill our teachers and students will be practicing is a tornado drill. Our morning students will practice the tornado drill on Thursday, November 10th and our afternoon students will practice the drill on Friday, November 11th.

Holiday Food Baskets

Each year the Kiwanis of Park Ridge sponsor a holiday food basket drive to provide area families who experience food insecurities a Mariano's gift card. The drive kicked off on Thursday, October 20th, and will end on Sunday, November 20th. Holiday Food Baskets will be distributed to needing families in our community the week of December 5th.

If you would like to support this worthy event you may make a donation by visiting the Kiwanis website www.kiwanisPR.org or by sending a check directly to Kiwanis Holiday Food Basket Fundraiser at 19 N. Seminary, Park Ridge, IL, 60068. Contributions are tax deductible.

Tuition Payments

On the 15th of each month you will receive an invoice via email from the District’s electronic invoicing system, My School Bucks. Payment of fees is due by the 1st of each month. A $25.00 late fee will be assessed if payment isn’t received by the 3rd of the month. For your convenience, families may set up automatic payment through My School Bucks so that you don't miss a payment. If your child is eligible for the preschool classroom because of special needs, you are not responsible for paying tuition.

Change of Clothes

Teachers take students outside for learning activities and physical exercise on a regular basis. And now with the changing temperatures, it is important that your child has a change of clothes at school. Please make certain that your child has an extra pair of underwear, socks, pants, shirt, and a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt. Remember to write your child's name on the clothing tags so that it can be returned to its rightful owner!

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 for the 2022-23 school year is scheduled for December 6th. To schedule an appointment for a screening call 847-318-4290.

COVID Dashboard

If you are interested in knowing how many active cases of COVID are present for Jefferson Early Childhood Center the dashboard can be found by clicking this link. An active case starts when a student tests positive and ends after a period of 10 days. Therefore, the numbers in the dashboard represent the reported students who are in that 10-day window. The dashboard will be updated daily.

Refund for COVID Isolation Days

If your child had/has to isolate due to COVID, you will receive a refund through My School Bucks on the credit card that was used to pay tuition. Refunds will be dispersed in December and May. If you have any questions about your credit, please contact Kathy Luppo at 847-318-5360.

Absences

If your child will be absent please call or email the Jefferson School nurse, Kelly DeFelice, at 847-318-5441 or kdefelice@d64.org.

No School

In observance of the state holiday of Election Day, November 8th, there will be no school for students and staff. Additionally, the week of November 21 - 25 is Thanksgiving Break, therefore there will be no school. Please make your calendars!

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.