Jefferson Elementary Newsletter
Patriot Press
I just want to start by saying thank you. Thank you for showing up for your students and for our school community. It truly makes a difference.
Because of that partnership, I’m so excited to share that we have completed 100% of Forward Testing, including all make-ups. That doesn’t happen without strong support from home. Our students came in, used their superpowers, and really took their time to show what they know. We are so proud of them, and I know you are too.
It was also incredible to see so many of you at the Spring Concert. Our students did an amazing job, and seeing families in the audience, smiling, cheering, and celebrating them, meant everything. Those are the moments our students will remember.
As we move into the final stretch of the school year, I do want to ask for your help with one thing. We’ve seen an increase in students bringing soda and energy drinks (like Grape Crush, Bloom, and similar items) to school. These are not allowed during the school day. At lunch, students should only have water, milk, or juice. Staff have been collecting these when we see them, and we appreciate your support in reinforcing this expectation from our Family Handbook.
Lastly, Tri-County Dental will be at school on May 1 and May 4 to provide dental screenings for students.
Thank you again for all the ways you support your children and our school. We see it, we feel it, and we’re grateful for it every day.
Free Haircut Event
Looking for a fresh new look before summer break? Students are invited to the free haircut event on May 8 at the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh! ✂️✨
Reporting Student Attendance 💛
To help us support your student’s success and safety, all attendance notifications need to come through the school office. This includes:
✨ Absences — Please let us know each day your child is out, especially if they’re sick for multiple days. You may email doctor's notes to the school secretary or send them to school with your student.
✨ Late Arrivals & Early Pick-Ups — Inform the office so we can properly record the day.
✨ Extended Vacations - Please fill out the Pre-Planned Absence Form (link is located at the bottom of the newsletter) and return it to the office with your student.
✨ Attendance may be reported to the office via phone, secretary email, or via Infinite Campus Parent Portal under "more" and "absence requests".
📧 Email: katie.ascher@oshkosh.k12.wi.us
📞 Phone: 920-424-0165
If someone other than a parent/guardian will be picking up your student, please notify the office ahead of time. For everyone’s safety, the person picking up must show a valid ID at pickup so we can confirm they’re approved to take your child.
Thank you for staying connected and helping us ensure every student’s day is safe, smooth, and successful!
🚗 Morning Drop-Off & Afternoon Pick-Up Reminder
📍 View the official Jefferson Elementary Traffic Flow & Parking Map:
👉 Jefferson Traffic Flow/Parking Map (official)
Where you can park & walk:
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11th Ave (from the end of the bus loading zone down toward Oregon St.) — Street parking is allowed. You may park, exit your vehicle, and walk your student to the blacktop.
Surrounding streets: 10th Avenue, Oregon Street, and other designated green areas on the map.
Where you cannot park:
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Minnesota Street (along the school) — Loading zone only. Pull up, drop off or pick up quickly, do not park and exit your car here.
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Blacktop in front of the playground (11th Ave) — Bus zone only. No parking or loading here.
Safety reminder:
Please keep traffic heading north on Minnesota Street. Stopping in the middle of the road to drop off creates a safety hazard with oncoming cars.
A message from Mrs. Boettcher and Mrs. Vollbrecht
Simple Yet Powerful Things to Do When Reading Aloud
Most parents recognize the value of reading to a child. Books are a terrific way to share the joys of reading: interesting words, beautiful illustrations, and the keys to unlocking the mysteries of letters, sounds, and words. Recently, several researchers published work that helps us understand that very simple, small actions during reading can have a big impact on what a child takes away from sharing a book with an adult.
It turns out that young children being read to almost always focus on the illustrations. And when they’re not enjoying the pictures, they are looking up at the adult reader. The child’s eyes almost never look at the print on the page, yet that’s where children can learn the most about letters, sounds, and words. To get the most out of a shared reading, encourage your child to appreciate the pictures, and also guide their attention to printed words. Doing so may help your child’s reading, spelling, and comprehension skills down the road.
To help direct your child’s attention to the print in a book, parents can focus on specific parts of it, including:
The meaning of the print. This includes pointing out specific words within a book and drawing the child’s attention to the print. For example, “Here are the penguin’s words. He says, thank you.”
The organization of the book and print, which includes understanding the way pages are read, the role of the author, and print direction. For example, “I am going to read this page first and then this page over here next.” Or “This is the top of the page. This is where I begin reading.”
The letters, which includes helping your child know that letters come in uppercase and lowercase, and helping your child learn the names of each letter. For example, “This M in the red block is an uppercase letter. See how this uppercase letter is bigger than these lowercase letters?”
The words, which includes helping your child recognize some written words, and the match between spoken words and written words. For example, “Let’s point to each word as I read it. Ready?"
A message from Mrs. Kese
“The single greatest factor in reading ability is how much we read.” Stephen Krashen
Digital Citizenship: Help Kids Spot Fake News and Decode Media Messages
With so much media & information coming at us through television, phones,and social media, it's important for kids to understand the basics of media literacy. When kids can identify different types of news and media and the methods and meanings behind them, they're on their way to being critical thinkers and smart consumers.
Encourage healthy skepticism.
Help them analyze the messages around them -- from toy packaging to news headlines -- and question the purpose of the words and images they see.
Play "spot the ad."
When you see advertising on TV or on a billboard, ask kids to figure out what the ad is selling. Sometimes it's obvious, and sometimes it's not. Help them explore why certain pictures, sounds, or words are used to sell certain products.
Explore different sides of a story.
Use real-life examples to help kids understand how people can view the same situation with totally different perspectives. One child might experience a game on the playground as fun, while another might feel like the rules are unfair.
Discuss fact vs. opinion.
Play around with ideas and decide which are facts and which are opinions. Ask: How tall are you? What's the best food in the world? Do rocks sink or float? Do you like dogs? Point out that both facts and opinions show up in the news, but opinion is usually labeled.
Choose a variety of sources.
Show kids how you get news and information from different places, and explain how you make your choices. Use words like "credible," "trustworthy," "respected," and "fair." As kids get older, introduce the ideas of bias, satire, and clickbait.
Join us for our next PTO meeting - April 6th at 5:30 PM in the Library Media Center. Please see this link for the upcoming agenda.
📅🎥🍿Save the Date for Family Movie Night on Friday, May 1st. Details to come soon!
Check out 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!
Volunteer in the OASD
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!