Jefferson Elementary

Tuesday, April 15th | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

We are excited to invite you to our We Are Jefferson Night—a special evening designed for our entire Jefferson community, both current and new families! Join us for a variety of engaging activities for both students and families to enjoy together as we highlight our new focus school theme: Nature Based Outdoor Learning.

This night will feature a mix of indoor and outdoor experiences hosted by potential community partners who will be collaborating with us to create hands-on, real-world learning opportunities for next school year. The forecast is sunny and in the upper 50s°, making it the perfect evening to explore and celebrate our Jefferson vision together!

As you explore, you’ll see how each hands-on activity is thoughtfully connected to Minnesota K–5 Academic Standards. Our Nature-Based Outdoor Learning and Agriculture experiences are designed to bring learning to life, deepen academic understanding, and inspire curiosity through experiential, student-centered activities.

👉 Check out this linked chart of standards to learn more.

📍 Check out the map below for a full list of activity locations and events.

🌟 Please fill out this quick Google Form to help us gauge attendance for the evening.

We look forward to seeing everyone there and sharing a meaningful, hands-on evening with our amazing Jefferson community!

2025-2026CalendarAdjustment

The MAPS School Board will be adopting a revised 2025-2026 school calendar in order to provide additional time for construction in the summer of 2026.

On March 4th, a proposal was shared with the school community that outlined changes to next year’s calendar. Since that time, another option has been identified that would end the school year even sooner, eliminating the need to start the 2026-27 school year a week after Labor Day.

On Monday, March 17, the School Board met and discussed the attached 2025-26 calendar option that would:

• Start the school year before Labor Day.

• Hold school on November 25, November 26, January 2, March 13, March 23, April 1 and April 2.

• Hold Parent-Teacher conferences during the evenings in November and March and move the ‘no school days’ associated with conference days (teacher comp days) to the end of the school year.

• Set the last day of school as follows:

• Elementary: Monday, May 18, 2026

• Middle: Wednesday, May 20, 2026

• High School: Thursday, May 21, 2026 (graduation)

The School Board met on April 7th and approved this change.

Learning About Reuse & Caring for Our Planet 🌎

This week, students participated in a fun and meaningful activity to learn about reusing everyday items and protecting the environment. In small groups, students practiced greetings while passing around a reusable object—like a jar or paper towel roll—and shared creative ways it could be used again (like turning a jar into a vase or a paper towel roll into a telescope!).

The activity sparked great conversations about how reusing helps reduce waste, what happens to trash when it’s thrown away, and how long it takes different items to decompose in landfills.

To wrap up, students took their learning outside for a trash clean-up walk around our school grounds. They picked up litter, reflected on where those items should have gone, and discussed how small actions—like reusing and recycling—can make a big impact on our planet.

We're proud of our students for being thoughtful, creative, and environmentally conscious leaders! 🌱♻️

We had a great turnout for our Kindergarten Connection Event! This open house-style event welcomed our incoming kindergartners and their families. Students had the opportunity to sign an official certificate to mark their welcome to Jefferson, meet some teachers, and explore our kindergarten classrooms.

Community Education

Your Step by Step Guide for MAPS PRESCHOOL Registration

Step One : Register with MAPS - Visit the MAPS website to complete the general registration process.

Step Two: Apply for Preschool - Submit your application for the MAPS Preschool program.

Step Three: Schedule Your Early Learning Childhood Screening Appointment - Book your Early Childhood screening appointment the Early Learning Department to schedule a screening appointment for your child.

Step Four: Confirmation of Enrollment - Early Learning will contact you to confirm your child’s preschool enrollment once all steps are completed.

Volunteers are needed to teach Junior Achievement lessons in Jefferson Elementary classrooms! [2nd and 4th] grade available. Volunteers have all lesson materials provided and receive a short training by Junior Achievement. This commitment is about 5 lessons- 40 minutes each in the classroom. To sign up or for more information, email Haley at haley.geinnotta@janorth.org

Focus School Transition Update

JOIN THE TASK FORCE!!!!

I wanted to reach out to this group, as some of you may have been part of the initial process when we formed a task force to gather valuable input while exploring potential directions for our Focus School. We recognize the importance of that input and the role this group has played in shaping the process.

As we move forward, we want to continue seeking input and feedback from the task force for the remainder of this school year and into next year. In addition to inviting the original task force members to stay engaged, we’re also opening up this opportunity to anyone else who might be interested in joining the conversation.

Below, you’ll find a Google Form for anyone who would like to participate. This is a chance for you to continue shaping the direction of the Focus School or to become part of this important conversation moving forward.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScuRT4TY6aAFUAxfAdn1JuJoRPbFMsWxXf9lciYwz8-LWex-A/viewform?usp=sharing

Thank you for your consideration. I will be reaching out around our next meeting dates and times in the near future.

Missed the April PTO Meeting, no worries, linked here are the April PTO minutes.

Join us for Jefferson Night on April 15 from 5:30-7 PM, featuring a fun evening with a book fair! Don't miss out on this exciting community event!

Check out the Jefferson online book fair between April 15-29. Jefferson will get 25% back in scholastic dollars to spend on our classroom bookshelves!

🗓 May 29 | 🕠 5:30 - 7:30 PM

Get ready for an evening of fun, games, and excitement at the Jefferson Carnival! 🎪✨ Don't miss out on the festivities—mark your calendar now!

• Sign up for Remind app: https://www.remind.com/join/jefpto

Community Education

Your Step by Step Guide for MAPS PRESCHOOL Registration

Step One : Register with MAPS - Visit the MAPS website to complete the general registration process.

Step Two: Apply for Preschool - Submit your application for the MAPS Preschool program.

Step Three: Schedule Your Early Learning Childhood Screening Appointment - Book your Early Childhood screening appointment the Early Learning Department to schedule a screening appointment for your child.

Step Four: Confirmation of Enrollment - Early Learning will contact you to confirm your child’s preschool enrollment once all steps are completed.