Jefferson Journal

We’ve had a fantastic first three days with our 1st–5th grade students! This coming Monday, we are excited to welcome our Kindergarten and Kindersprouts students as well. We cannot wait to have our entire Jefferson community together!

This week, we will continue building strong foundations through our schoolwide Expectation Round-Up. Fifth-grade student leaders will help teach and model what it looks like to be safe, respectful, and responsible in our classrooms, hallways, bathrooms, lunchroom, playground, and assemblies. Grade levels will attend two short sessions in the auditorium throughout the week.

Clear expectations and a strong sense of school community are the building blocks of a successful school. When students feel safe, connected, and know what is expected of them, they are better prepared to learn, grow, and meet the high academic expectations our staff promote each day.

To support this work at home, we’ve included a PAX handout below alongside our school expectations. This parent-friendly guide uses the same language we use at Jefferson, helping create consistency between school and home.

We will also begin our fall benchmark assessments in the coming weeks. These assessments will give us a clear picture of where each student is beginning and help us plan the instruction and support needed for continued growth this year. Assessment info is included at the bottom of the newsletter and are general Helena School District testing notifications. If you have questions please let me know.

Brice Burton
Principal, Jefferson Elementary

1st- Bjorn

1st- Sylvia

2nd- Maddie

2nd- Lange

3rd- Wyatt

3rd- Greer S.

4th- Sal

4th/5th- Oliver

5th- Noelle

We still have one paraeducator position available at Jefferson! The position is currently scheduled for seven hours per day, from 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. However, we can be flexible and creative with the schedule, including the possibility of splitting the position between a morning and an afternoon employee.

If you or someone you know is interested in working with our students and joining the Jefferson team, please contact me at bburton@helenaschools.org.

First JPC meeting will take place September 2nd from 6:30-8:00 in room 1 at Jefferson.

JPC meetings will run the first Wednesday of each month. All are welcome to attend!

Show your support for our AMAZING school by volunteering an hour of your time to work Jefferson's hairspray booth Sunday, September 13th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm at Memorial Park. Sign up for an hour time slot or more if you'd like! Schools keep 100% of the funds raised so let's come together and make our booth the best it can be!

If you have any questions, please let me know! You can reach me at Jeffersonparentcouncil@gmail.com

I invite you to sign up for "HEF Carnival Classic 2026 (Hairspray Booth)" at SignUpGenius! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4EACA72CA5F94-65251915-hefcarnival

If you need assistance paying for your child's meal costs, the Free & Reduced Lunch program is available to help. In addition to meals, participation in the the program helps the district identify students who may benefit from additional assistance with school expenses.

Dear Kindersprouts Families,

This year (September, January, and May/June), your child will participate in the myIGDIs Numeracy assessment as part of our school’s early learning assessment process. We want to provide you with some information about the assessment and how the results will be used.

What is myIGDIs?

myIGDIs (my Individual Growth and Development Indicators) is an early childhood assessment system designed to provide teachers with information about young children’s developing skills. The Numeracy assessment focuses on early mathematical skills that are important for future success in mathematics.

The assessment is designed specifically for young children and provides information about each child’s developing numeracy skills.

What will my child do?

Your child will complete activities that look at important early numeracy skills. These may include skills such as recognizing numbers, counting, and understanding quantities.

The assessment is designed to be brief and developmentally appropriate for young children. It is not a traditional test, and children are not expected to prepare for it at home.

How will the results be used?

The primary purpose of myIGDIs is instructional. Teachers use the results to better understand what each child already knows and can do and to identify skills that may benefit from additional practice or instruction.

The results help teachers plan learning experiences that are appropriate for individual children and monitor their development over time. The assessment is one source of information about your child and is considered along with classroom observations, work samples, and other information about your child’s learning and development.

When will I receive the results?

After the assessment has been completed and results have been reviewed, results will be shared with families.

We appreciate your support as we work together to help your child develop a strong foundation in mathematics. If you have questions about the myIGDIs Numeracy assessment or your child’s results, please reach out.

Dear Kindersprouts Families,

This year (September, January, and May/June), your child will participate in the PELI assessment as part of our school’s early learning assessment process. We want to provide you with some information about the assessment and how the results will be used.

What is the PELI?

The Preschool Early Literacy Indicators (PELI) is an early childhood assessment designed to provide teachers with information about young children’s developing early literacy skills. The assessment focuses on foundational skills that are important for children as they develop toward becoming successful readers.

The PELI is designed specifically for preschool-aged children and provides teachers with information about each child’s current literacy skills and development.

What will my child do?

Your child will participate in brief, individual activities with an educator. The assessment looks at several important early literacy skills, which may include areas such as alphabet knowledge, phonemic awareness, oral language, and vocabulary.

The assessment is designed to be engaging and developmentally appropriate for young children. It is not a traditional test, and children are not expected to prepare for it at home.

How will the results be used?

The primary purpose of the PELI is instructional. Teachers use the results to better understand each child’s developing literacy skills and to identify areas where additional instruction, practice, or support may be beneficial.

The results help teachers plan learning experiences that are appropriate for individual children and monitor their development over time. The PELI is one source of information about your child and is considered along with classroom observations, work samples, and other information about your child’s learning and development.

When will I receive the results?

After the assessment has been completed and results have been reviewed, results will be shared with families.

We appreciate your support as we work together to build a strong foundation for your child’s future reading success. If you have questions about the PELI assessment or your child’s results, please reach out.

Dear Jefferson Kindergarten and First-Grade Families,

This year (September, January, and May/June), your child will participate in the Acadience Reading assessment as part of our school’s literacy assessment process. We want to provide you with some information about the assessment and how the results will be used.

What is Acadience Reading?

Acadience Reading is a literacy assessment designed to measure important foundational reading skills. It provides teachers with information about what students know and can do as they develop the skills needed to become successful readers.

Acadience Reading is designed to be brief and appropriate for young students. It helps teachers identify students’ strengths, monitor progress, and determine whether additional instruction or support may be beneficial.

What will my child do?

Your child will complete several short activities that measure foundational reading skills. The specific activities vary by grade level and time of year but may include skills such as:

· Recognizing and naming letters

· Identifying and working with sounds in spoken words

· Reading words and identifying letter sounds

· Decoding unfamiliar words

· Reading connected text accurately and fluently

The assessment is not a traditional classroom test, and students are not expected to study or prepare for it at home. We simply encourage students to do their best and show what they know.

How will the results be used?

The primary purpose of Acadience Reading is instructional. Teachers use the results to better understand each student’s current reading skills and to identify areas of strength as well as areas where additional instruction or practice may be helpful.

The results help teachers plan instruction, provide appropriate support, and monitor students’ reading progress over time. Acadience Reading is one source of information about your child and is considered along with classroom observations, classroom work, and other information about your child’s learning.

When will I receive the results?

After the assessment has been completed and results have been reviewed, individual student results will be shared with families.

We appreciate your partnership as we work together to help your child develop the foundational skills needed to become a confident and successful reader. If you have questions about the Acadience Reading assessment or your child’s results, please contact your child’s teacher.

Dear 1st-5th Grade Families,

Jefferson will be administering the i-Ready Inform (formerly i-Ready diagnostic) math and reading assessments starting on 8/31/26 to students in grades 1st-5th.

The i-Ready Inform™* assessment is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your student’s instructional level, giving teachers the data they need to best support each student’s learning. It helps your student’s teacher(s) determine opportunities for growth, personalize learning, and monitor progress throughout the school year. Each item a student sees is individualized based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier questions. Results for both assessments will be e-mailed home to you.

What can I do to help?

To help prepare your student for the i-Ready Inform assessment, encourage them to:

- Get a good night’s sleep and eat a full breakfast the day of the assessment.

- Try their best on each question and try not to rush.

- Try not to worry about questions to which they do not know the answers—remind them that it is expected that they will only get about half of the questions correct.

As always, thank you for your continued support and for being a partner in your student’s learning! It is much appreciated.