Jefferson Journal

Hello Jefferson Families! We hope your summer has been filled with fun, relaxation, and great memories. As the new school year approaches, our excitement is growing—we can’t wait to kick off another year filled with learning, growth, and joyful moments. This newsletter has all the important information to help you feel prepared for a great start. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions—we’re happy to help! We’re looking forward to welcoming our students back to school soon!

• Mrs. Platt & Mr. Eberly

35980 Lakeshore Blvd. Eastlake, OH 44095

Office Email: tj.office@weschools.org

Main Office Line: 440-942-7244

Attendance Line: 440-283-2177 (this is a 24 hour line and a message can be left at any time!)

• Mrs. Candace Platt, Principal
• Mr. David Eberly, Assistant Principal
• Mrs. Lori Dugger, Principal's Secretary
• Mrs. Wendy Flick, Administrative Secretary
• Mrs. Jacque Sparent, Family Liaison
• Ms. Katie Klemencic, School Nurse

• It is important that you know your Parent Portal Login, as this will allow you to view your child's teacher and bus route information.
• Kindergarten students and students that are new to Jefferson this year will have their Parent Portal Login information mailed to them.
• Any returning Jefferson student in grades 1-5 already has Parent Portal Login information. If you do not know your Parent Portal Login, please complete THIS FORM and we will email your login information to you as soon as possible.
• Families will be able to view their child's teacher(s) in the Parent Portal on Friday, August 15th at 4 PM.
• Like last school year, student bus routes will not be mailed home. Parents and students will be able to view bus information on August 15th in the Parent and Student Portals by opening the transportation link at the bottom of the menu. At this time the Portal Phone App does not currently support this feature, so please view bus information by logging into your Portal Account through a web browser on a phone or computer. Login here: https://www.weschools.org/W-EParentStudentPortal.aspx

We are proud to welcome some new staff members to our school. There are also some staff members changing positions within our school. We are excited to see the impact our staff makes in the lives of our students and in our school community!

• Mr. Ronnie Ashford (Noon Aide)
• Mrs. Jill Deitrick (1st Grade Teacher)
• Mrs. Ursula Fani (Grades K, 2 , & 4 Intervention Specialist)
• Ms. Jaycie Gibson (2nd Grade Teacher)
• Ms. Abby Gaba (Music Teacher)
• Ms. Sierra Helm (4th Grade Teacher)
• Mrs. Sonja Hogue (Noon Aide)
• Mr. Jelani Jordan (K-5 Building Paraprofessional)
• Mrs. Katie Klemencic (School Nurse)
• Ms. Nicole Kussman (1st Grade Teacher)
• Ms. Allie Miller (Grades 4 & 5 Intervention Specialist)
• Ms. Stephanie Pesosky (Paraprofessional in Mrs. Salomon's Class)
• Mrs. Ashley Tagle (Grades 1 & 3 Intervention Specialist)
• Mrs. Meghan Vidmar (3rd Grade Teacher)

New for this year, all students in the Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools may enjoy one free breakfast meal and one free lunch meal daily. Breakfast and lunch are provided free for every student at no charge. There are no income requirements to qualify due to the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a federal program.

If families need assistance with the payment of school fees, the Household Survey Form must be completed and returned to school to determine eligibility.. The form should be returned to the school office. It only needs to be completed for fee waiver assistance, not for meal services.

Information on the new RevTrak (for paying school fees) and Meal Magic (monitoring of student meal accounts) will be shared soon. Both of these systems will be available to access from the MyPowerHub parent portal.

For questions about Food Services, contact stephanie.kemna@weschools.org.

For questions about the Household Survey Form, contact pam.clair@weschools.org

All families in the Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools will have the option to receive free breakfast and lunch daily for all students, regardless of income, at no charge. No forms are needed for receiving free breakfast and lunch. To determine eligibility for various additional state and federal program benefits for qualified students, please complete, sign and return the application form to your school building if your income falls within or below the guidelines listed on the attached chart. The free breakfast and lunch option is provided through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

• It is very important that the school is aware of your child’s daily dismissal plan. Please communicate with the teacher with a note or email, if there will be changes to their dismissal for the day.

• Our Jefferson School hours are 8:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. First bell to enter the building is 8:37 a.m. During inclement weather, students will be allowed to wait indoors.
• Buses will arrive between 8:20-8:40 a.m. for morning drop-off, using the Bus Only lanes. Buses will line-up between 2:30-2:45 p.m. in the Bus Lanes. Student dismissal is 2:43 p.m.. Buses will depart for their routes between 2:47-2:55 p.m.

• Buses Only in the front of the school during the following times:

• 8:20 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
• 2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

• It is a single lane. Parents will use this loop for student Drop-Off/Pick-Up. Please follow the traffic pattern. Drop-off is from 8:20 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
• Students may NOT be dropped off prior to 8:20 a.m. Teachers are there to supervise at that time.
• After 8:45 a.m., students must enter through the main doors and buzz the office in the vestibule. They will be instructed to report to the office before going to class. Parents/Guardians do not need to come in to sign a student in.
• Pick-up begins at 2:45 p.m. and concludes at 3:00 p.m.. The gate will be open at 2:30 p.m.. By 3:00 p.m., any child that has not been picked up will be brought into the office and a parent/guardian will be contacted by phone.

• All families using our Parent Drop-Off/Pick-Up line will be issued a Car Tag with the student’s name on it, and we will distribute these at New Student Orientation (August 19th) and Meet the Teacher Night/Supply Drop-Off (August 19th). Kindergarten families will get these from your teacher at your one on one interviews. If you use the pick-up line, please have this tag visible.
• Our Drop-Off/Pick-Up Loop is single lane. All cars will pull up as far as possible in the lane at the Drop-Off/Pick-Up point. Students will exit out of the building side of the car for safety purposes. Staff will be present. Please do not drop off if there are no adults present. At the end of the day, our designated staff will check car signs and student tags to pair up families for departure. We will pair up as many cars/students as possible at a time in order to keep the line flowing. Please be patient as safety is our main priority. Please use the loop. It is unsafe to park and walk your children in front of the buses. Thank you!

• Parents and students will be able to view bus information beginning in the Parent and Student Portals by opening the transportation link at the bottom of the menu. At this time the Portal Phone App does not currently support this feature, so please view bus information by logging into your Portal Account account through a web browser on a phone or computer. Please call the Transportation Department with any questions regarding bussing.
• If changes occur during the year with your child’s needs, please inform Transportation and our school office so we can accommodate you.

• If your child will be absent from school, please call the school’s attendance line at, 855-612-7207 (24-hour line) by 9:00 AM. If we do not receive a call from you, and your child is absent, we will call you to verify the absence. We will also utilize all emergency contacts. If you still cannot be reached, a home visit may be conducted to verify the safety of the child. This is for the safety of your child.
• If your child needs to be released from school prior to dismissal, please send in a signed note with your child’s name, child’s teacher and the time they will be leaving school early. The office gets these notes first thing in the morning from your child’s teacher. It is very helpful to know ahead of time when a student is leaving. Please note, if your child has an early release, it must be by 2:30 PM. Buses enter the front lot starting at 2:30 PM. When the buses are in the front lot, cars are not permitted there.

• All visitors to Jefferson Elementary School will be required to run their License/State ID through our Raptor Security Kiosk in the vestibule. Please be sure to tell anyone who may be picking up your child to bring their License/State ID, as this is a safety requirement. Visitors will be instructed to come to the main office for a visitor’s pass. If you are picking your child up early for any reason, we will call down to your child’s classroom and he/she can meet you in the vestibule. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation regarding our school’s safety procedures.

• Information from the school and district will be sent out regularly. All information from our school will be sent through School Messenger. Twice a month there will be a school newsletter, The Jefferson Journal, emailed out with important information. We also post regularly on our school Facebook page. Be sure to check our website regularly for updates and information, as well.

• At Jefferson Elementary we use Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to encourage and celebrate positive behavior choices from our students. It is also a way to set explicit expectations for students. We focus on our PRIDE Promise of being Prepared, Respectful, having Integrity, Dedication, and Excellence along with being kind. Students may earn rewards and incentives for their positive actions on their Jag Tags, Positive Student Shout Outs Referrals, and Student of the Month parties with the principals.
• Having conversations with your child to review school expectations can be very beneficial. HERE are the expectations for the different areas of our school. If you are looking for a back to school family activity try choosing two areas to discuss with your child. Ask them how they show "PRIDE" in those areas. You can also see if your child remembers our "PRIDE Promise"!

• Please make every attempt to get your child to school on time as we are required to monitor students’ hours absent, due to House Bill 410. It is important for every student in Ohio to attend school every day. Missing too much school has long-term, negative effects on students, such as lower achievement and graduation rates. It is extremely important to always call our attendance line to let us know when they will be out. Providing a doctor's note when applicable is helpful as well. When students hit certain benchmarks of hours of school missed, you will receive a letter notifying you of this. Certain benchmarks require meetings and/or intervention plans to take place. The highest of benchmarks could require further actions and local resources to be involved. Click HERE for a link to more information regarding House Bill 410. Please reach out to the school if you need help!

• We enjoy celebrating our students on their birthday by announcing their name and providing them with a special birthday pencil. We also respect that many parents would like to send in items for their child’s class on this special day. Sending in an item on your child’s birthday is optional, but please follow the following guidelines if you choose to provide something for the class.
• Due to allergies and other health concerns, no food treats or deliveries of flowers, balloons, etc. are permitted.
• If you choose to send in a non-food treat, please communicate with the teacher and provide enough for each student in the class.
• In order to limit class interruptions, all treats must be sent in with the student or brought to the main office as we are unable to accommodate guests for individual birthday celebrations. Teachers will send the treat home with students at the end of the day.
• Students may not pass out any birthday invitations to other students or classes at school.

• Our District is 1:1 with Chromebook devices for every student! Please review the Chromebook Handbook HERE.
• Students in grades K-2 will keep their devices at school and students in grades 3-5 will take them back and forth between school and home each day. Please help your child remember to charge their device at home and bring it to school!

• To ensure safety during recess and physical education times, we highly recommend students wear sneakers to school each day. Students who are not wearing appropriate footwear may not be able to participate in all activities and spaces that day.
• Students will be going out to recess in many types of weather conditions. Please ensure that they are dressed appropriately for the weather.
• Please send a water bottle with a lid labeled with your child’s name to school each day. Due to the frequency of spills, we ask that only water be sent in your child’s water bottle please.

• Student cell phones must be turned off and stored in student backpacks. Students may not have their cell phones in their pockets (pants, sweatshirts, jackets etc). Some bus drivers allow kids to use their phones on the bus, but they should not be walking in or out of school with them in their hands/pockets.
• Offense #1 - Staff Member reminds the student to turn the phone off and put it in their backpack (notify classroom teacher for tracking purposes).
  • Classroom teacher discretion whether to notify parents or not.
• ​​​Offense #2 - Staff Member takes the student’s phone and keeps it in their possession (or gives it to the classroom teacher to keep in their possession) until the end of the school day.
  • Classroom teacher will notify parents of the 2nd offense and warn about the consequences of a third offense.
• Offense #3 - Staff Member notifies the classroom teacher and brings the student’s cell phone to the office.
• Principal or Assistant Principal calls home and informs parents that the phone will remain in the office until picked up by the parent.

• Smart watches may only be used to tell time. If students are using them for communication or gaming purposes, they will follow the same rules above stated for cell phones.

  Students are not allowed to have their personal headphones (airpods, earbuds) during class time (unless approved by teacher for use), recess, or during ENCORE classes. Unauthorized use of these items will result in the above stated processes for cell phones and smart watches.

• Students should not bring their own toys, balls, or electronics to school and may not bring them out to recess. If they do bring them to school (for before/after school use), this is at their own risk, and they need to be kept in the student’s backpack. The school is NOT responsible for lost or stolen items.

• Students may wear hoodies inside the school, but they must keep their hoods down at all times. Having hoods up makes it difficult to identify students and their actions, and often leads to academic disengagement. Hats are not permitted inside the school unless it is a designated “hat day”.

• Students may wear hoodies inside the school, but they must keep their hoods down at all times. Having hoods up makes it difficult to identify students and their actions, and often leads to academic disengagement. Hats are not permitted inside the school unless it is a designated “hat day”.

• Students may not pass out birthday invitations. If the family is having a party and wants to invite the entire class, the parent may contact the teacher and request for the teacher to pass the invitations out to all students in the class. NO FOOD BIRTHDAY TREATS MAY BE SENT IN TO SCHOOL THROUGH THE STUDENT OR DROPPED OFF IN THE OFFICE. We will contact the family to pick these up. Thank you for your cooperation!

• Outside Food Deliveries are Prohibited (Uber Eats, GrubHub, etc). If a student forgets a lunch, and the family can’t drop one off prior to the student lunch period, we will provide them with a school lunch.

Welcome to the 2025-26 school year! We have a lot of fun things planned this year, but first get to know the PTO!

President: Diana Warner
Vice President: Marcia Gamiere
Secretary: Katie Pavlick
Treasurer: Melissa Grinstead

Contact: jefferson.pto01@gmail.com

We know making a commitment to the PTO Board takes a lot of time and dedication. So in an effort to secure the future of the Thomas Jefferson PTO, and to slowly introduce the workings of the PTO to potential future board members, we will be creating 3 Coordinator positions. These positions will:

• Have one specific duty throughout the year to assist the PTO Board (ex. stocking the book machine, making Facebook Posts, etc.).
• Give the ability to get first hand knowledge of the behind the scenes of the PTO to make the potential transition into a Board Officer easier.
• Give the Coordinator exclusive volunteer opportunities to be more involved with the school.

If you feel you may be able to dedicate a little more time next year to help us and the school, please let us know via email: jefferson.pto01@gmail.com. Once we create the official job titles and duties, we will email you the information to apply.

Every parent is already a member of the PTO, no need to join or pay a fee- just come to a meeting and get involved! Our PTO meets the third Tuesday of every month at 3:10 PM at Jefferson Elementary. Your child can stay at school and do a fun activity with a staff member while you attend the meeting. Plan to come to a meeting and help make our school even better for our students and community!

Come join us for a fun back-to-school pool party at Osborne Pool!

Doors will open at 7:15PM (No admittance after 8PM).
Event ends at 9:00PM.

Tickets are $5 per person (MAX. fee of $20 per family). We need to re-coop the fee for renting the pool, but we don't want to make this unattainable for people either. So any family with more than 4 members only needs to get 4 tickets and then put the correct quantity in the question of how many people are in your group. We just ask for people to be honest.

Tickets can be bought in advance at https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/back-to-school-pool-party or paid by cash at the door.

This is a PRIVATE event. No public will be admitted.

This is not a DROP OFF EVENT! Adults MUST stay with their student.

Feel free to bring your own food and drinks.

We have a very active PTO and we are always looking for more people to get involved to help create fun, engaging, and memorable experiences for our students and families! You are already a member of the PTO by having a child attend our school. There are no membership fees and requirements- plan to attend a meeting!

PTO meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 3:10 PM at Jefferson Elementary. The first PTO meeting will be Tuesday, 9/16. Your child can stay after school to have a snack and do a fun activity with one of our staff members while you attend our meeting! The meetings are typically under an hour each time. You can come to a meeting or two or attend every one throughout the year. We cannot wait to meet you!