Jefferson Elementary
Jaguar Journal Sept 12th, 2025
Devices at School & Toys at Schools
We want to share a few reminders about personal items at school to help keep all students safe and focused:
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Devices (cell phones, smartwatches, Gizmo devices): Please keep these in backpacks and turned off during the school day. (The school is not responsible for lost or damaged devices.)
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Toys: Leave toys at home, as they can be distracting or may get lost or broken.
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Sharing: Teachers have specific sharing policies. Any toys brought for sharing should remain in backpacks until instructed otherwise.
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Weapons: No weapons—real, toy, or decorative—are allowed at school.
You can review the full School Board Policy here: Link to Policy
Please reach out if you have any questions!
The Outlook Overview
🌿 Nature-Based Learning at Jefferson
Fall Focus K-2
The fall curriculum for Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade focuses on exploring seasonal changes and nature. In Kindergarten, students will discover fall through their senses, focusing on weather, apples, and pumpkins, while meeting science benchmarks related to sunlight, the natural world, and the needs of living things. 1st graders will explore seasonal changes by learning about leaves, trees, farming, and animal migration, with lessons aligned to both science and reading benchmarks. Finally, 2nd graders will investigate fall habitats and life cycles with a deeper look at bats, migration, and the science behind farming, all tied to specific science standards on plant and animal growth and survival.
For grades 3-5, the fall science learning progression centers on Seasonal Change, Life Systems, and Environmental Impact. Students in these grades will engage in hands-on activities to investigate what plants need to grow and how to track the sun's position. They will also explore how human actions impact local ecosystems, learn about seed dispersal, and describe how energy flows through food chains. Further lessons will cover animal and plant adaptations for seasonal survival, the water cycle, and using fossil evidence to understand past environments. These lessons align with specific Minnesota science benchmarks, preparing students to analyze and model complex natural systems
Attendance MATTERS!!!
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:
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Why consistent attendance matters
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The difference between excused and unexcused absences
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How we respond when absences become chronic
By working together, we can ensure every child builds a strong foundation for learning and success.
Title 1 Funding
One form. Five minutes. Big impact.
The purpose of Title I, Part A under the Federal ESEA Act is to supplement services to students to help them learn what they need to know to be successful on high academic standards. Jefferson is a Title I school, meaning we receive additional funding to provide supplemental interventions or services to students.
Minnesota Free School Meals Program
Families will still need to apply to qualify for more educational benefits.
The Application for Educational Benefits takes just a few minutes, and it may unlock valuable support for your family all year long:
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:
Filling out this quick, confidential form may help your family access:
● Summer grocery benefits (Sun Bucks)
● Discounted internet and utilities
● Lower college exam and AP test fees
● After-school and summer programs
● Tutoring and academic support
It also helps schools receive essential funding for programs that support students.
Not sure if you qualify? Have questions? Call Nutrition Services at (507)388-7442 and we’re happy to walk through it with you.
Missed the PTO Meeting on September 9? Catch up with the meeting minutes and see what’s happening at your school! Then mark your calendar for the next PTO Meeting on October 7 at 6 PM in the Jefferson Cafeteria — free pizza and child care provided! Come get involved, stay informed, and connect with other families.
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!
