Dear Jefferson Families, 

Happy October! The first month of school flew by here at Jefferson. We have initial academic data in for beginning of the year literacy for grades 1-5. iReady scores from the beginning of the year show that 19% of our first through fifth grade students are proficient in literacy. As teachers continue to teach our universal curriculum, we anticipate seeing great growth throughout the year. Our K-2 teachers will put a strong emphasis on early literacy skills, specifically phonemic awareness and phonics throughout the year. Our 3-5 teachers will put a strong emphasis on vocabulary acquisition. I look forward to sharing an update on iReady scores and other literacy data! If you have any questions about literacy data or supporting your learner at home, please reach out!

Next week, our school will practice emergency preparedness drills for an intruder. We use the ALICE framework for these type of drills. Please see the letter linked here for more information about our ALICE drill. 

I look forward to seeing many families at movie night this evening!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Ashton, Principal

amy.ashton@oshkosh.k12.wi.us

Picture Retake Day - October 30th

If you ordered photos online or with a paper form on or before picture day, your package will come home with your student soon. If you did NOT order pictures, it's not too late! A proof sheet will come home with your student with an order link.

Was your child absent on picture day or you need a new picture taken? No problem! Jefferson's picture retake day is October 30th. If you already ordered a package and want a retake, send the photo package back to school with your child on the 30th and your package will be re-created with the new photo. If you want a retake but haven't yet ordered, you can download the form HERE or contact the office and we'll send one home with your student. Order forms need to be given to the photographer on the retake day in order to avoid shipping charges. 

Jefferson PTOStay informed and involved by checking out this month's PTO meeting agenda here. Our next meeting is on October 7th at 5:30 PM in the media center. Stay up to date on upcoming PTO events on their Facebook page here.

The PTO plays a vital role in supporting our students through various events and activities, including field trips, Opera for the Young, and school events. We’d love to see you there and share how you can help make a difference!

Jefferson PTO Dine-Out Night at McDonald's - 10/30Help support the Jefferson PTO by grabbing dinner at McDonald's on 10/30 from 4:00-7:00 pm.

Field Trips

Your student's "Walking Field Trip" form is now available to be signed in the School Store in Infinite Campus. 

The permission slip will be completed on your parent portal under school store. If you don't have access to your parent portal, please reach out to the office directly. The walking field trip form is needed so that we can complete our ALICE training to our evacuation site, 5th Grade Field Trip to South Park Middle School, all school field trip to South Park, etc. 

Please have this permission field trip signed no later than October 11, 2024.

Instructions : Field Trip Sign-Up

Math Grading Change

• Forefront Letter - Please review this important letter regarding a change in the program used to enter math grades for students in the Oshkosh Area School District. If you would like more information regarding your child please reach out to your child's teacher.

The Salvation Army - Seasonal Assistance Program

Please see this flyer for The Salvation Army seasonal assistance program sign-up information. Please note there is no in-person sign-up this year. You can find information for Coats for Kids and Toys for Tots. 

A Note from the Office:

Weather:

The weather is finally changing and we are experiencing cooler mornings. Please make sure your students have warm sweatshirts or jackets for before school and during morning recess. 

Attendance:

All reports of a student absence must go through the office. If your child(ren) are sick multiple days, please let us know each day they are absent.   All communication regarding your student's attendance (appointments, late arrival, early departure, etc.) must go to the office. You can copy in your child's teacher in the email or the office will then pass this information on to the classroom teacher.  Our school secretary's email is: katie.ascher@oshkosh.k12.wi.us and the school phone number is 920.424.0165. Thank you for your help with this important communication.

Free Meals for All Jefferson Students:

Jefferson Elementary is qualified as a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school. What does that mean? Every student at Jefferson can receive a free breakfast and a free lunch each school day, regardless of your family's free/reduced application status! 

For families who qualify, or think they may qualify, we encourage you to still complete the application! Snack milk (served in the classroom) is not part of the CEP program, so if you don't have an approved application on file, your child's snack milk will still be charged. You can apply in the Parent Portal, or contact the office for a paper copy! 

Complete the 2024-2025 Application Online!

• Log into the parent portal to complete the application.
• Instructions on how to fill out the application-English   Spanish   Hmong
• Frequently Asked Questions-English   Spanish    Hmong

Please note that milk taken with cold lunch is charged for all students, regardless of their family's free/reduced status. 

After School Dismissal and Parking:

Please avoid crowding the concrete area right next to door 1, as this can create congestion and make it difficult for all students to exit safely. To ensure a smooth and safe dismissal process for all students, we kindly ask that you wait on the blacktop area for your child after school. Teachers will confirm with your student once they see you and will dismiss them to you directly from there. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated and helps us maintain a safe environment for everyone.

This is a general reminder about our parking zones around Jefferson Elementary to ensure a safe and streamlined drop-off and pick-up process for all students. Attached is a map outlining the designated parking areas.

• Green Area: You may park in these zones and leave your vehicle to drop off or pick up your student.
• Blue Area: Please refrain from parking here. This area is reserved exclusively for bus loading.
• Yellow Area: This zone is designated for loading only. It should be used briefly for dropping off students. To keep the process efficient, please do not park and wait in this area.
• Red Area: These areas are designated for student safety while crossing the street. Please do not park here to ensure clear and safe pedestrian pathways.

For students who bike to school, a bicycle rack is available. Please make sure your child has a lock to keep their bicycle secure.

Upcoming Jefferson Events

October

• 10/4 - Family Movie Night at Jefferson 5:30-7:30 pm
• 10/7 - PTO Meeting 5:30 PM
• 10/11 - No School | Professional Development Day
• 10/16 - Recess with Relatives 11:40 am - 12:30 pm
• 10/25 - No School
• 10/30 - Picture re-take day
• 10/30 - Jefferson PTO Dine In Night at McDonalds
• 10/31 - Fall Fest - Stay tuned for more details!

Volunteer Reminders

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