Jefferson Elementary

Jefferson School Day

7:40 - students can arrive at school

Breakfast starts at this time

7:55 - first bell head to class

8:05 - second bell to start our day

Student should be in their classroom at this time

2:35 - students are dismissed

Greetings Jefferson Families,

It’s been a wonderful start to the school year! The building is alive with the buzz of learning, and it was such a joy to see all the smiles as students reconnected with friends and settled into their routines.

Our first family engagement event, Popsicles on the Playground, was a big success! Even with the toasty weather, dozens of students and their families came out to enjoy a freezie, play together, and make meaningful connections with staff and one another.

A special thank you to our PTO for partnering with us to make this event such a fun and memorable kickoff to the year.

🌿 Nature-Based Learning at Jefferson

.Students were excited to attend their first Exploratory class! They practiced their observation skills by matching color swatches to items found in nature. This activity supports Minnesota Science Standards and helps build an understanding of phenology—the study of how plants and animals change and respond to seasonal cycles.

Through careful observation of natural items, students begin to notice patterns in color, texture, and other traits that can indicate seasonal changes. This lays the foundation for tracking how plants and animals respond to their environment over time.

This activity encourages curiosity, careful observation, and the beginnings of scientific recording—key skills for understanding phenology.

If you need to call in your student's absence and our office staff are unable to take your call at that moment please leave us a message on our attendance line. You will be prompted to press one at that point it will move you to our in box where you can leave your student's name, grade level or teacher and reason for their absence. Your message will be used to update our attendance system.

Welcome to our new main office entrance. All visitors please come through these doors.

To ensure our line moves quickly please display your car pick up number in your window for our staff working the car pick up line. Car pick up is down in our lower parking lot off of Fairfield Ave.

The Importance of Consistent Attendance

Did you know that if your student misses 17 or more days of the school year that they are considered chronically absent by the state of Minnesota?

We know that students may miss school for many reasons such as illness, vacation, or family emergencies. It is normal that most students will miss a few days throughout the year. However, when students start to miss more than a few days of school, it can be detrimental to their academic growth. Research shows that students who miss 7 or more days of school are more likely to struggle academically. We want to see our students in school as often as possible so that they can continue to get what they need to succeed in school.

Here are some important things to know about attendance:

• Stay below 17 Days Absent: Our school goal is to have less than 5% of our students missing 17+ days this year. To track how many absences your student has, you can log into the Parent Portal. If you have questions about absences, please contact the health office.

• 7 Sick Days = Med Letter Needed: Once students have missed 7 days because of illness, we will be requiring a school health office visit or doctor's note to excuse any further absences for illness. If your student reaches 7 days and is put on Med Letter status, when they aren’t feeling good but they seem like they could be at school, you can bring them to school and have them checked out by our health team. The school team will let you know if your student should stay at school or go home for the day. Otherwise, we would ask that you make a same day appointment or take your student into Urgent Care and provide a letter from their office excusing the absence. We know that sometimes an illness can take a couple of days to recover from. We would ask the school health team or the doctor's note to provide guidance on the number of days missed. Future sick days that are verified by the school health team or another doctor would be excused absences.

• Doctor's Note Needed: Every time your student goes to an appointment (doctor checkups, dentist, therapy, etc.) they must come back with a note from the visit excusing them from the time they were absent. If they have no note and the absence is only reported, it will be marked as unexcused until a note comes in verifying the absence.

• Other Barriers: If there are other reasons that your student does not want to or cannot come to school, please reach out to their teacher, counselor, social worker, or myself. We will work with you and your student to assist them in being at school.

• Unexcused Absences: Any absence that is not called in, or a practitioner's note is provided for, is considered unexcused. Once a Med Letter is required, absences that are not excused by the school health team or a doctor are considered unexcused.

County Involvement: When a student has 7 or more unexcused absences, our school partners with Nicollet/Blue Earth County to support families with a plan to get their students to school.

Linked below is a resource that explains:

• Why consistent attendance matters

• The difference between excused and unexcused absences

• How we respond when absences become chronic

By working together, we can ensure every child builds a strong foundation for learning and success.

Student reports are live in Campus Parent Portal. What does this mean? You can access your student's test data from the parent portal anytime you log in. Data is updated throughout the year as testing windows close and data is final. Local and State Assessments that your child has taken throughout their time MAPs, are readily accessible as well as available for you to download. At this time, results from the 2024-25 ACCESS and MCA Math and MCA Reading are available to view Student Test Detail. Individual Student Results (ISRs) will be available for download in late September.

Due to the new Science MCA-IV, taken by students last Spring, scores and reports have been delayed from the State. Science MCA-IV scores will be available to view in Student Test Detail in late September. ISRs will also be available to download in late September.

To access your child's scores:

1. Log in to Infinite Campus Parent Portal

2. At the bottom of the navigation bar in the portal, click on "More"

3. A drop-down menu appears: click on "Student Reports”

4. A drop-down menu appears: click on "Select a Student”

5. Then select the report you wish to view:

1. To view scores, Student Test Detail

Test Overview and Specific Information

ACCESS Testing Information

Translations: Arabic, Chinese, Hmong, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese

These scores are uploaded once a year after the test result embargo is lifted from the Minnesota Department of Education in late August each year.

MCA/MTAS Testing Information

Translations: Arabic, Chinese, Hmong, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese

These scores are uploaded once a year after the test result embargo is lifted from the Minnesota Department of Education in late August each year.

Dear Mankato Area Public School Families,

We thank you and your family for being our valued partners as we work together to educate the children in our district. Mankato Area Public Schools values input from our community – and we need to hear from your child or children! Students are important partners as we work to improve our communication, academic program and overall experience for everyone.

In order to learn more about student experiences at school, we will be asking for your child’s feedback via an online survey they will be completing at school. The survey shouldn’t take more than 20-30 minutes to complete.

We are asking that all of our students participate in the surveys, as their feedback will provide invaluable insights into their experiences and how we can improve and adapt our district to their needs. If a student doesn’t feel like they have enough information to answer a question, they will be able to skip the item altogether. The responses to these surveys will be completely confidential. We are partnering with a third-party vendor to support us in administering these surveys.

Our students have many qualities and skills to succeed both in school and in everyday life now and in the future. Qualities such as humility, curiosity, empathy, resilience, and self-awareness often aren't measured through traditional methods. By administering SEL screeners and seeking to understand how students feel about themselves, we are valuing student voice and emphasizing the importance of supporting them in their development. It’s essential that we hear from our students.

Please notify us if you would like your child to opt out of taking the surveys by filling in your name and your child’s name below and returning it to school by Sept 5th, 2025. We thank you in advance for your thoughtful responses. If you have any questions about the survey administration, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 507.388.5480.

Thank you once again for your collaboration. You will be receiving this information in your Campus Portal as well.

Jordan generously donated his time and talents to paint the steps at Jefferson, adding an important safety measure for our students and families. They look wonderful, and we are so grateful for his support. Thank you, Jordan!

Jefferson Elementary offers the Backpack Food Program to all interested students. If your student would benefit from bringing home additional food each week, please contact Nancy Altmann, School Social Worker, naltma1@isd77.org for more information or to be added to the list.

Homeless and Highly Mobile

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act supports students who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes those who are:

• Staying in shelters or transitional housing

• Sharing housing due to loss of housing or financial hardship (also known as "doubling up")

• Living in motels, cars, parks, campgrounds, or other temporary situations
  
  

How We Can Help:
Under McKinney-Vento, schools can provide immediate enrollment, transportation assistance, school supplies, access to meals, and help with academic support. Our goal is to connect families with services and ensure students can stay in school and succeed.

If you think you qualify, reach out to your School Social Worker Nancy Altmann, naltma1@isd77.org

Now that you are enrolled with Mankato Area Public Schools your next step is creating a Campus Parent account. The Campus Parent is a powerful tool that keeps families connected to their child’s education. By creating an account, parents and guardians gain secure, real-time access to important information such as grades, attendance, assignments, and teacher communication. The portal makes it easy to stay up-to-date on academic progress and school announcements—all in one place.

How to Create a Campus Parent Account (Detailed Directions HERE)

Step 1: Email icsupport@isd77.org for an activation key

Step 2: Download the Campus Parent app on your phone or use the this web address: https://mankatomn.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/mankato.jsp

Step 3: Use the activation key code to create a Campus Parent account. If you have questions please email icsupport@isd77.org.

• We encourage all legal guardians to create their own individual accounts.

Already have a Campus Parent account?: If you can't remember your username or password, select Forgot Password/Forgot Username or email icsupport@isd77.org for assistance.

Minnesota Free School Meals Program

Families will still need to apply to qualify for more educational benefits.

The Minnesota Free School Meals program will cover the cost of one breakfast and one lunch for every student on school days; however, the cost of à la carte items such as an additional milk, other drinks, or extra meal items will not be covered. Students will need to have funds in their meal accounts to purchase any additional food items.

If you believe your household may qualify, please complete and return the application for educational benefits to the nutrition services office or to your child’s school. You can also apply in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal by clicking on the "More" tab, then the "Meal Benefits" tab.

If you need a separate electronic copy follow this link:

https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1753105907/isd77org/tjwxryjjobr7q3yywo3h/EducationalBenefitsApplication.pdf

Join us for the first PTO meeting of the school year on September 9 from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the Media Center! It's a great opportunity to connect with fellow parents, discuss upcoming events, and contribute your ideas for the year ahead. We’ll have free child care and pizza provided, so bring the whole family and help us kick off the school year with enthusiasm and community spirit. We look forward to seeing you there!

Have you signed up for the Remind app and Jefferson Elementary PTO Facebook page? Stay connected and informed with our school community! Here are two easy ways to keep up with important updates and events:

1. **Remind App**: Sign up for the Remind app to receive quick notifications and reminders straight to your phone. It's the best way to stay in the loop about school activities, deadlines, and announcements. Scan the QR code below or click https://www.remind.com/join/jefpto to join the app!

2. **Facebook - Jefferson Elementary PTO**: Follow our PTO on Facebook for regular updates, event information, and opportunities to get involved. It's a great place to connect with other parents and stay engaged with what's happening at school. Subscribe/follow by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/jeffersonjagspto

Make sure to join both to never miss a beat!

Traditionally, Jefferson has always provided after school child care on site through our ACES program. We are looking to provide that same care before school for our families who need it. If you are interested click on the link below for details.