Newsletter - May 30, 2025

Jefferson
Elementary School

Patriot Press

May 30, 2025; Issue 19

Dear Jefferson Families,

It is hard to believe that we've reached the end of the school year! I want to share some of our end of the year school data so that you could see the growth made throughout the year. In literacy, we have 47% of students in grades 1-5 meeting grade level expectations in literacy. In math, 42% of our grade 1-5 students achieved proficiency in math. Although we were hoping to see higher percentages, we were thrilled to see that our students made 130% growth collectively in literacy and 95% growth collectively in math. iReady reports will be sent to families with report cards in June so that you can see how your child performed at the end of the year.

Our behavior data for the year showed that we had over 550 office referrals. Our goal is to maintain a safe learning environment. In order to achieve that at a higher success rate, our hope is to have a behavior contract for all students and families for next school year. The goal is to share what expected school behaviors are and what the consequences are for specific behaviors like aggression, inappropriate language, and refusal to follow adult directions. Our students deserve a learning environment where they can learn and grow without disruption.

We have a number of staff changes that we'd like to share.

Farewell and congratulations to Ms. Tiffany McVey. Ms. McVey taught first grade and is retiring. We wish Ms. McVey well in her retirement.
Farewell and congratulations to Mrs. Karen Menard. Mrs. Menard was one of our Cross Categorical Teacher Assistants. We wish Mrs. Menard well in her retirement.
Farewell and congratulations to Mr. Jim Pollack. Mr. Pollack has been Jefferson’s custodian for over 25 years. We wish Mr. Pollack well in his retirement.
Farewell to Mr. Jacob Severin. Mr. Severin taught third grade at Jefferson. We wish him well in his future endeavors.
Farewell to Mr. Willem Flaugher. Mr. Flaugher taught music at Jefferson. We wish him well in his future endeavors.
Farewell to Ms. Terri Smith. Ms. Smith taught fifth grade at Jefferson. We wish her well in her future endeavors.
Farewell to Mrs. Jamie Johnson. Mrs. Johnson was a Cross Categorical Teacher at Jefferson. She has taken on a new role at another school in the OASD. We wish her well.
Farewell to Mrs. Felicia Woldt. Mrs. Woldt taught 5th grade and will be teaching at another school in the OASD next year. We wish her well.
Farewell to Ms. Tigert. Ms. Tigert was our school behavior interventionist and will be an instructional support coach for the 4K program next year. We wish her well.
Farewell to Mrs. Amy Ashton. Mrs. Ashton served as Jefferson’s principal for the past year, and has been a principal in the OASD for 14 years and has served for the OASD for 20 years. We are grateful for Mrs. Ashton’s contributions to Jefferson and wish her the very best in her future endeavors.

All new staff will be featured in a communication in mid-August!

Here is a look at what the new playground will look like. Construction will begin in July.

Thank you for a great school year getting to know your child(ren)! I am wishing you a wonderful, relaxing summer ahead!

~Mrs. Ashton, Principal

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Specialist Updates

Health Office Update

A Letter from the Health Office - June/July/August

Summer Time Fun

Susan Martin LPN/Health Assistant and Liz Lynch, BSN, RN, NCSN

5 Summer Healthy Safety Tips

Stay Hydrated

Dehydration is another safety concern during the summer months. Be sure to drink enough liquids throughout the day, as our bodies can lose a lot of water through perspiration when it gets hot out.

Protect Your Skin

Use sunscreen 30 minutes before going out. Reapply sunscreen every two hours or after swimming or sweating. Limit sun exposure during the peak intensity hours - between 10am and 4pm. Stay in the shade whenever possible.

Water Safety

Remember to always have adult supervision for children. Whether they’re in the pool or playing in the sand at the seashore, having someone who can help them in case an emergency arises - is essential.

Eye Safety

The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light can harm the eyes. Wear sunglasses year-round whenever you are out in the sun. Sun damage to the eyes can occur any time of the year. Choose shades that block 99% to 100% of both UVA and UVB light.

Sports Safety

Not only can injuries happen, but in heat exhaustion and dehydration can happen more often in the summer months. It helps to be conditioned to the activities in which we’re preparing to engage. Warm up, stretch, gear up, go with a buddy, and remember to cool down and stretch afterwards.

Summer Bucket List

If your student will need to take medication during the school day, please have your child’s provider fill out and sign the appropriate form below. These can then be returned to the office or faxed by the provider to: 920-424-7583.

Over the Counter Medication Form *parent signature only required*
Prescribed Medication Form
Inhaler/Asthma Action Plan
Epipen/Allergy & Anaphylaxis Form

REMINDERS:

Directions on the medication bottle/box must match the written order on the medication request form.

Stock Epi-pens do NOT go on field trips.
Please fill out an Emergency Epi-Pen/Anaphylaxis Plan even if you don’t have a personal Epi at school.
PRN medications (Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Tums etc.) must come in a new and unopened bottle.
Is your child up to date with their immunizations? Please contact the doctor for physicals and immunizations! All students at Jefferson are required to have their Tdap, Polio, MMR, Varicella and Hep B! Please check with your doctor to see what wellness requirements are needed for your child.

Phy-Ed Update

Phy-Ed Update from Mr. Schneider

Dear Families,

We are excited to announce that Field Day is just around the corner! This year, Field Day will be held on Tuesday, June 3rd from 12:15 PM to 2:30 PM. It's always a fantastic day filled with fun, friendly competition, and plenty of school spirit.

We would love for all of our students to participate and make this day unforgettable. But to make it even better, we need parent volunteers to help make everything run smoothly! If you're available to help us during this exciting event, please consider volunteering. Your support would mean so much to the kids and teachers alike.

Volunteer Opportunities

Set-Up: Help us set up stations and activities before the event begins.
Station Supervisors: Assist with organizing and guiding students through various games and activities.
Clean-Up: Help us break down and clean up after the event ends.

To sign up as a volunteer, please fill out this form. All volunteers must have an approved background check by Tuesday, May 27th. You can fill out a background check here. We’d love to have as many hands on deck as possible to ensure the day runs smoothly!

Important Details:

Date: Tuesday, June 3rd
Time: 12:15 PM - 2:30 PM

We encourage students to wear comfortable clothes and sneakers, as they will be active throughout the day. Water bottles are a must to stay hydrated, and don’t forget to pack sunscreen!

We can’t wait to see all the smiling faces and create lasting memories together. Let’s make this year’s Field Day the best one yet!

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you on June 3rd!

Music Update

Music Update from Mr. Flaugher

Hello Jefferson Families!

It’s been an exciting spring in the music room! We wrapped up our Composer(s) of the Month series with Louis Armstrong and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month. Every grade explored different styles of jazz, learning to listen with open ears and curious minds.

Here’s a quick look at what each grade has been up to:

Kindergarten completed their Musical Opposites unit, mastering concepts like high/low, long/short, and loud/soft.
1st Grade finished exploring Carnival of the Animals and loved moving and listening to each piece.
2nd Grade had a blast with the silly song Aiken Drum as they wrapped up their latest unit.
3rd Grade successfully completed their unit on the Instruments of the Orchestra and are now starting a project on their favorite musician.
4th Grade is progressing toward their yellow and orange belts on recorder—cheer them on as they climb the recorder karate ladder!
5th Grade just wrapped up their ukulele unit and have now started a research project on their favorite musician.

Looking ahead:

Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grade will begin a Global Music unit, traveling the world through sound.
4th Grade will continue working on orange belt challenges for recorders.
3rd and 5th Graders will keep developing their musician projects and sharing what they’ve learned.

Art Update

Art Update from Ms. Keefe

In art we are glazing our clay pieces and taking home art! Students are reflecting on their pieces as we hand them back.

Kindergartners and first graders are working on landscapes, understanding foreground, middle ground and background.

Second and third graders are learning about mosaics in historic art, working with painted paper as our medium.

Fourth and fifth graders are finishing our metals pieces and finalizing our colored pencil backgrounds for the metals piece.

Technology and Media Update

Media and Technology Update from Ms. Kese

Summer Reading

The Oshkosh Area School District is gearing up for summer break. While summer presents an opportunity to relax and enjoy the sunshine, we want our students to continue to find ways to learn while away from the classroom.

What better way to engage your student’s mind than through reading?

sweet reads

Sora Sweet Reads will be back May 12th-August 25th with free 24/7 access to simultaneous ebooks and audiobooks

You can explore the title offerings HERE or log in to Sora as they are predominantly displayed

Use our district databases for audiobooks and ebooks all summer.

Destiny Discover can be found on Classlink and your Destiny page.

BookFlix, TrueFlix, TumbleBook, Sora, and Pebble Go are all on your Destiny page

discover

It’s the library’s 125th Anniversary on Washington Avenue, so we’re busy working on a birthday-themed summer of reading, learning and fun that will surely take the cake!

Stay tuned for details at the OPL and on Facebook.

School Counselor Update

School Counselor Update from Mrs. Brown

Hello families, the month of May in Great People Skills with Mrs Brown we have been/will be taking time to reflect on the positive memories of this school year that we may want to treasure, things we learned and things we are looking forward to next school year or over summer as we wrap up our lesson and small groups. Additionally, with fifth graders we visited South Park Middle School on May 8th. Students toured the school and learned about a day in the life of a middle schooler. Students were able to ask questions to current middle schoolers. This was a fun and exciting event as they continue to prepare for moving on up to middle school.

As we move into summer time I would like to share with you community mental health resources put together by Oshkosh Area School District. These are for your reference if in case at some point you or a family member may need some extra support and/or information Link here: Mental Health Resources.

I am also sharing a link to a handout with some helpful information on screen usage. The handout offers informational snippets on the negative impacts the misuse or overuse of screens can have on the healthy development of children. As well as some helpful tips on setting healthy boundaries and usage of screens. It is my hope you may find it helpful as you continue to support the healthy growth and development of your children. Link to Screen Time and Helpful Tips Handout.

As your schedule allows, please make time to spend time with your kids, play outside, play a board game, take a walk together, read together and enjoy the moments during this season.

It has been an honor to work and support your children in their educational journey. They hold a special place in my heart. May you all have a safe and reenergizing summer.

Wishing you all well!

Mrs. Brown

Math Update

Math Update from Mrs. Bauer

😎Do you want to know how you can keep your child’s math-brain growing over summer break?

💻Check out thought-provoking math activities, games, and practice pages at Bridges Math at Home.

*Below are some suggestions from Mathnasium.

🥣Bring math into the kitchen. So much of cooking involves math! Following a recipe uses concepts like sequencing and counting. Baking requires precise measuring, and scaling a recipe requires multiplication or division. Start with something simple, like a smoothie recipe. Once your child is comfortable following a recipe, ask them to double it, which requires thinking proportionally.

🎲Play math-based games. Any board or card games that use money, keep score, or require strategy, such as Monopoly®, blackjack, Scrabble®, chess, and Blokus®, are math-based games. There are also plenty of fun games to play when you’re traveling. Playing games can improve your child’s numerical fluency, logic and probability skills. It’s also a great way to spend time together!

🎶Listen to music. Music is inherently mathematical. The familiar patterns in your favorite songs follow a mathematical structure. Find out if your community has free summer concerts in the park. See what summer music activities are offered to children in your area. Listen to music together at home. Clap to the beat. Talk about the repeated patterns. Get up and dance!

⚽Watch sports and do the math. Incorporate math when you’re watching sports together. Encourage your child to keep statistics on their favorite baseball team or player. Keep track of how much time passes between goals when you’re watching a soccer game. Compare football players based on touchdowns, yardage and tackles made. If your child plays basketball in the backyard or at a nearby court, they can take measurements and compare them to an official-sized court.

🍋Start a business. Summer is the best time to earn some extra spending money. Encourage your child to start a business doing yardwork, babysitting, or walking dogs in the neighborhood. It’s a great way to learn about accounting, calculating expenses and managing profits.

📏DIY, together! When your child is involved with a home-improvement project, they are doing math as part of the process. Depending on the task, they will be working with numbers, spatial thinking, measurements, angles, calculating area and problem-solving. It’s a wonderful way to accomplish a goal as a team!

Reading and Literacy Update

Literacy Update from Mrs. Boettcher and Mrs. Vollbrecht

Summer reading 2025

125 years of stories on Washington Avenue

June 6 – Aug. 16, 2025

This summer, Oshkosh Public Library celebrates 125 years on Washington Avenue, and we want you to help us write the next chapter! Join us for a season of stories, community and celebration through our Summer Reading Challenge for all ages.

Read what you love

Books, blogs, audiobooks… if you’re reading or listening, it counts. Read solo or with friends and family.

Whatever you read, every minute counts.

Help us reach our Million Minutes Community Goal
If we hit our goal, we’ll celebrate together at a Million Minute Party on Fri., Aug. 22 from 7 – 8:30 p.m.

How it works
Choose your favorite tracking method.

Paper tracker – Available at the library or download using the link on this page.
Digital tracker – Download the free Reader Zone app or visit the website at readerzone.com. Use program code 05689.

Earn incentives and win prizes

You’ll find birthday-themed fun when you visit the library!

Receive a “goodie bag” when you reach reading milestones (while supplies last).
Enter to win one of our festive raffle baskets.
Here is the Link to the Summer Reading Birthday Bash!

Get Ready for the 2025-26 School Year!

📣 Reminder: Online enrollment for the 2025–2026 school year is due by Sept. 1! Don’t forget to answer the Photo Release question—if left blank, your child won’t appear in the yearbook. Log in and complete today! 📚

Registration

The Oshkosh Area School District’s Annual Student Update (Enrollment/Registration) for returning K-12 students and for new 4K students will take place April 1 - September 1, 2025. Students must be enrolled by September 1. While the deadline is September 1, we encourage you to complete this process as soon as possible to secure your child's spot for the next school year.

Your child’s school for the 2025-2026 school year will be listed in IC. If you have recently moved or if you were involuntarily transferred due to space limitations at your home school, please be sure to check this as it may be different from where your child is currently attending.

This annual enrollment process is mandatory, and your student's place at their school will be reserved for the upcoming academic year. You'll update your demographic and contact information through the Infinite Campus (IC) Parent Portal.

Step-by-Step Instructions: CLICK HERE

Complete the process on your computer, tablet, OR smartphone via the IC app: Campus Parent. campus

Mobile Registration: To register on your smartphone, download the app from your device's app center (iPhone - App Store or Android - Google Play), or click these direct links. Be sure to select the "Campus Parent" option - look for this icon:
- Download on the App Store
- Get it on Google Play

Online Portal Access: CLICK HERE to log in to your Infinite Campus (IC) Parent Portal and click the "Online Registration" link (located on the bottom left side of the home screen).

Note: This link will be active/available as of 8 a.m. on April 1, 2025.

Need Help? If you don't have an Infinite Campus Parent Portal account or need to reset your password, complete THIS FORM.

Contact Information: For questions or assistance during the online enrollment process, contact your child's school office or the OASD Administration Office at 920.424.0395.

In-Person Support: If you need in-person assistance, access to a device, or the internet, attend our Central Registration Day at Vel Phillips Middle School on August 6, 2025. More information will be provided in the coming months.

Your child's school will provide additional resources for the 2025-26 school year, including important dates.

Thank you for choosing the Oshkosh Area School District for your student’s educational experience. We look forward to continuing to work with your family to meet your student’s individual needs and provide them with the best education possible.

Food Service

Free and Reduced Meal Applications

Free amd reduced meal applications for the 2025-2026 school year will be available online on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal in mid-July and will also be
mailed out in the US mail to all households in mid-July. Please return your completed application to the Food Services Office, Oshkosh West High School, 375 N. Eagle St., Oshkosh, WI 54902, or the Elementary School Office your child attends on or before the first day of school.

Have Lunch with Your Child

All Elementary Schools and the Food Services Department invites parents of school-age children to have lunch with their child any
school day. Please let the school office know in advance so we can make sure a lunch gets ordered for you. You may bring money with you to pay for the meal or the adult lunch can be charged to your students Food Service Account.

Employment Opportunities in the School Food Service Department

The food service department is seeking individuals to work for our department serving breakfast and / or lunch. The majority of these positions available are 1.5 - 2 hours in length and are during the breakfast and lunch service time, which varies with the school. Opportunities for longer shifts and additional hours may also be available. Please see the WECAN at https://wecan.education.wisc.edu website for employment opportunities along with applying for positions within the Food Service Department. Please call 424-4936 for any questions. Thank you!

Field Day - Tuesday, June 3rd

Field Day 2025 is coming up on Tuesday, June 3rd, from 12:15–2:30 PM, and we are so excited to celebrate the end of the school year with an afternoon full of fun, games, and school spirit! Students will rotate through a variety of stations, including the 40- and 50-yard dash, parachute games, an obstacle course, water games, and relays. A special treat will be provided for all students at the end of the event as a sweet way to wrap up the day.

We are looking for volunteers to help run stations and support the event! All volunteers must have a completed background check to be able to volunteer. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the background check form and fill out this google form to let us know that you have completed it and are interested.

We truly appreciate your support in helping make this event a memorable experience for all our students!

5th Grade Promotion and DARE Graduation

Calling all 5th grade families! Our 5th grade promotion and DARE Graduation is scheduled for Wednesday, June 4th from, 8:30-9:30 am in the gymnasium. A family celebration and kickball game will be held after from 9:30 until 10:45 am.

We are looking forward to this momentous occasion!

Lost and Found

We need your help! Our lost and found table is overflowing with clothing, boots, personal items, etc that have been lost! Please stop into the front lobby after school to claim your student's belongings. Any items left at the end of the year will be donated.

Lego League Challenege Opportunity

Jefferson is excited to start a new club after school in the fall of the 2025-2026 school year, called Lego League Challenge Club. The Lego League Challenge teams use creative thinking and Lego technology to learn about and solve scientific and real world challenges.

This club is open to fourth and fifth graders. We begin in September and compete against other teams in November. The time commitment is 1-2 hours each week, and the fee to join is $25.

If you are interested, please email Mrs. Hibbs at stephanie.hibbs@oshkosh.k12.wi.us to let her know so your name can be added to the list. There is space for 10 participants. Names will be added to the list in order of notification.

Dine to Donate!

Supprt Jefferson Elementary and Jefferson Elementary PTO by attending our dine to donate event at PIzza Ranch on Monday, July 28th from 4:00-8:00 PM. A portion of the proceeds go back to our PTO!

End of Year Donation Opportunity

Sailing Opportunity

Jefferson Open House and Resource Fair

Jefferson's Open House and Resource Fair for the 2025-2026 school year will be held on Tuesday, August 26th from 4:00-6:00 pm. Come meet your teachers, see your classrooms, and learn about resources available in our community.

Reminder: Dressing for the Weather - Outdoor Recess Requirements

Please help our students remember to come to school appropriate clothing for outdoor recess. Students go outside for two recesses during the day and one before school, unless it is raining, storming, or the temperature drops below 10 degrees.

Here are the guidelines for outdoor attire based on the temperature:

Below 50 degrees: A coat is required.
Between 50-60 degrees: Long sleeves are needed.
61 degrees and above: Students may choose what they wear (shorts are allowed).

Please ensure your child still has weather appropriate clothing for the cooler spring temperatures. We may not always have cold weather gear available for them to use.

Upcoming Jefferson Events

June

6/3 - Field Day
6/4 - 5th Grade Promotion
6/5 - Last Day of School!

July

7/28 - Pizza Ranch PTO Dine to Donate

August

8/26 - Jefferson Open House and Community Resource Fair

Volunteer Reminders What Volunteer Opportunities are Available? - Ask a Librarian Delaware

As a reminder, if you are interested in volunteering by helping in your child's classroom or chaperoning a field trip, you must have a pre-approved volunteer application on file before the volunteering event. Applications are good for 3 years, and are effective for all OASD schools. You can find the application HERE.

Important!: Once you have completed your application, let the office know so that we can request that the application be processed; this does not happen automatically, and can take up to 48 hours, so please plan accordingly!

Important Information

2024-2025 Jefferson Family Handbook

Pre-Planned Absence Form

2024-2025 Jefferson School Supply List

2024-2025 OASD School Calendar

District

Log In

Quicklinks

Jefferson Elementary School