Jefferson Journal

Hello Families,

We are thrilled to share some incredible news with our community. Jefferson Elementary School has officially been recognized as a Governor’s Science of Reading Champion! This prestigious designation, awarded by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, celebrates our school's proven commitment to providing every student with high-quality literacy instruction aligned to the Science of Reading. This achievement is a testament to the hard work of our teachers, staff, students, and families.

Literacy is a top priority in Ohio because reading is the key to both school and life. By sticking to the Science of Reading, we are building a strong foundation for our students' future success in the classroom and beyond as they eventually enter the workforce. We are so proud of our efforts to raise literary achievement and ensure all our Rangers have the best opportunities to become proficient readers. To mark this achievement, keep an eye out for a new celebratory banner that will be displayed at the school soon. Thank you for your continuous support of our students and for being such vital partners in their education.

Thank you,

Mrs. Platt & Mr. Eberly

35980 Lakeshore Blvd. Eastlake, OH 44095

Office Email: tj.office@weschools.org

Main Office Line: 440-942-7244

Attendance Line: 855-612-7207 (24 Hours)

Transportation Department: 440-975-3736

• 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
• Ms. Priscilla Drewery, Health Aide

• 4/1- Yearbook Orders Deadline
• 4/2- World Autism Awareness Day- Wear Blue
• 4/2- Skating Party at United Skates
• 4/3 & 4/6- No School
• 4/7-4/16- Penny Wars
• 4/14- KIDS First Night for Incoming Kindergarten Students
• 4/16- Red Robin Dine to Donate

Dear Families of Students in Grades 3-5,

In the weeks ahead, our building is preparing to embark on Ohio State Testing (OST) for students in grades 3-5. These tests are a culmination of skills they have learned throughout this school year and are completed on their Chromebooks. Students in grades 3 and 4 have to take two English Language Arts (ELA) tests and two Math tests. Students in grade 5 take two ELA tests, two Math tests, and two Science tests.

We have short testing windows to get these tests completed, so it is very important that students attend school on time the days of these tests. If they are not here to test with their class, they will have to make up their tests on the day they return to school, missing other class time. The building testing schedule is below. Please consider avoiding these dates, if possible, when making appointments. If you already know that your child will not be at school on one of these dates, please contact their teacher as soon as possible so we can make a plan to get their tests completed.

Please see the student-created PRIDE expectations for state testing. Students will earn raffle tickets throughout testing to get a chance to win great prizes if they meet these PRIDE expectations! Although we do not want students to stress about these tests, the results of them are important to the students, our teachers, and our school. Our students and teachers have worked hard all year, so our goal is for students to put their best effort into these tests to show all that they have learned! They should have their results on these tests before the last day of school.

Please visit https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Testing for more information from the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce and contact your child’s teacher or me with any questions.

Thank you,

Candace Platt, Principal

Our Just Run Club will be practicing every Monday and Wednesday from 3-4 PM from now until race day. Any student in 3rd-5th grade is able to join. Students in 2nd grade may join if a parent stays with them for the entirety of all practices. Students must be picked up after practice. If you were not ablet o attend the informational session but still would like your child to join, please email jaycie.gibson@weschools.org, nicole.kussman@weschools.org, or jessica.sawaya@weschools.org with any questions.

Teachers paired up across grade levels to share books focused on resilience with their students and a buddy class. Following the readings, students created anchor charts about the characters’ adventures, which were displayed in our cafeteria after being shared between classes.

Our library welcomed a diverse group of guest readers, including community members, retired teachers, current staff members, district staff, and our superintendent, Dr. Ward. These guests shared stories of resilience and discussed personal experiences where they had to overcome challenges in their own lives.

Our Family Night on March 5th was a hit! Students went freely through stations all with a resilience theme. Students could make their own calm down bottle, inspire themselves with a pebble of hope, get a new book with some tips to help them when reading can get tough, learn some new math games with a deck of cards, run through an obstacle course reminding themselves of messages to keep going, and each family left with a new board game or activity to do as a family with some resilience building tips. Thanks to all who attended and for our staff that made it a special event!

Our students demonstrated incredible stamina during our Read-A-Thon fundraiser, successfully raising over $5,000 for Jefferson Elementary. These funds will directly support our Rangers by providing classroom supplies and funding field trips and PBIS activities. Some students earned prizes that will be handed out after Spring Break. Thank you for your support!

Dear Parents,

As the warmer weather approaches and spring begins to bloom, we are reminded that for many students, seasonal allergies can be a challenge. With the increase in pollen levels, allergy symptoms such as sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes, and a runny nose can significantly affect a child's comfort and focus during the school day.

We strongly encourage you to consider starting allergy medication now, before the pollen counts rise. By beginning treatment early, you can help prevent symptoms from becoming overwhelming and ensure your child is better able to concentrate on their studies and enjoy the season.

Consulting with your child's pediatrician or healthcare provider can help determine the most appropriate course of action, whether it's over-the-counter antihistamines or other medications that may work best for your child.

Getting ahead of allergy season can make a significant difference in how your child feels, so we recommend taking action now to help set them up for a more comfortable and successful spring.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Nurse Katie

In Ohio, we know that the weather can change at a moment's notice! Please be sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the changing temperature. We go outside for arrival, dismissal, and recess any time that the wind chill is 20 degrees or above. Winter coats, hats, gloves, and boots are recommended. If you are in need of assistance providing winter weather gear for your child or children, please fill out THIS form and we will try to help.

This sale is the only way to buy yearbooks. They are pre-sale only and we will not have any to buy directly from the school at a later time. Please plan to order one by 4/1 if you would like one.

In February we were focusing on the "P" and "R" in our PRIDE Promise which are "Prepared" and "Respectful". Students who exemplified these characteristics were invited to a Party with the Principals at the beginning of March. We had snacks, games, and play time on the playground to recognize these students. In March, we are focusing on "Integrity" and will celebrate with those students at the beginning of April.

Congratulations to the following students for being "Prepared" and "Respectful":

• Kindergarten: Braylin Remington, Maddox Chester, Cassidy Bartholomai, Brynn Swetel

• 1st Grade: Milan France, Aubree Willaman, Hussain Hussain, Kylie Bui, Zachary Long
• 2nd Grade: Eli Mason, Phoenix Slabe, Wren Donlin
• 3rd Grade: Gabby Baroni, Timmy Cantrell, Ian Lehtonen, Briella Glaser
• 4th Grade: Madelyn Tyson, Madison Morgan, Hayden Mason, Elivia Cantrell
• 5th Grade: Jordyn Gucanac, Kahlan Warner, Dylan Coronel Martinez

Attendance Matters! Every week we award the homeroom with the best attendance from the week before with our attendance trophy! They get to have it (and bragging rights!) for the week until they pass it to the next winners. Any homeroom that wins three times in a grading period will get a special prize.

Congratulations to our winners: Mrs. Lane's Class twice and Miss Gibson's class!

We have a limited number of new Jefferson Rangers t-shirts left. Click the button below to order and we will send them home with your student immediately. Please be sure to type the student’s first and last name when ordering.

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 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 typically meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 3:10 PM at Jefferson Elementary. 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!

New Spring Fundraiser – Penny Wars! As many of you know, every year we host a spring fundraiser to help students raise money for their 5th grade party. This year we’re trying something new that we think the kids will love… Coin Wars! More information is in your child's take home folder. The fundraiser will begin on Tuesday, April 7th, so start digging through those car seats and couch cushions this weekend!

Red Robin Dine to Donate

April 16th from 4-8PM

Join us for a Dine to Donate at Red Robin! Please remember to bring or show the flyer when you order so that a portion of the proceeds can support our school.

Last PTO Meeting of the School Year

Our final PTO meeting will be:
April 21st
3:10 PM

During this meeting we will be nominating and electing next year’s PTO board, so if you are interested in getting involved, we would love to see you there!

Sign your student up for our after school fun HERE.

April Popcorn Day

April 22nd

If you did not pre-order popcorn at the beginning of the year, no problem!
Students can bring money the day of.

Just $0.50 per bag!

Annual Ice Cream Social

May 1st

Join us for our Annual Ice Cream Social! Please RSVP HERE.

If you would like to donate toppings you can also sign up for that above. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Important Field Day Information – Tie Dye Shirts!

For Field Day, students will be tie-dyeing shirts as part of the fun!

Your student will need to bring in a white shirt that is labeled with their name and teacher on the collar. Information will be sent home soon with important dates and other information.

We can’t wait to see everyone’s colorful creations on Field 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.

• 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”.