Jefferson School Newsletter
First Trimester 2026-2027
Getting Into a Routine
Greetings Jefferson Families!
We hope you enjoyed the start of the school year. From Back to School Night to a fresh look for the office, staff room, MPR and exterior walls, we are marching through these first few weeks in style!
Thank you for continuing to help your child be successful by getting a good night sleep and encouraging nutritious foods at home and at lunch. The MPR doors open at 7:20am for breakfast and the gates open at 7:30am for kids to come onto campus. The gates are closed at 7:40 and students must then enter through the office with a tardy slip.
Read on for the best Jefferson news.
See you on campus!
Mrs. Deslaurier
RCSD Calendar
PTC Calendar
Projected Calendar for PTC 2026-2027
AUGUST 2026
- Aug 26 – Snowie King at dismissal
SEPTEMBER 2026
- Sep 7 – No School — Labor Day
- Sep 16 – Snowie King at dismissal
- Sep 17 – All-School PTC Meeting
- Sep 21 – Boosterthon Fundraiser Kickoff
- Sep 28 – PTC Meeting, 6:00 PM
OCTOBER 2026
- Oct 2 – Fun Run
- Oct 2 – National Custodian Appreciation Day
- Oct 21 – Snowie King at dismissal
- Oct 21 – Harvest Festival
- Oct 26 – PTC Meeting, 6:00 PM
NOVEMBER 2026
- Nov 2 – No School — District Staff Development Day
- Nov 9 – Roller Skate Night #2
- Nov 11 – No School — Veterans Day
- Nov 16–20 – Conference Week
- Nov 23–27 – No School — Fall Break
- TBD Nov – PTC Meeting, 6:00 PM
DECEMBER 2026
- Dec 17 – Winter Wonderland
- TBD Dec – PTC Meeting, 6:00 PM
- Dec 21–Jan 1 – No School — Winter Break
JANUARY 2027
- Jan 4 – No School — District Staff Development Day
- Jan 18 – No School — MLK Jr. Day
- Jan 22 – Jefferson All-School Dance
- Jan 25 – PTC Meeting, 6:00 PM
FEBRUARY 2027
- Feb 4 – All-School PTC Meeting
- Feb 9 – Crossing Guard Appreciation Day
- Feb 12 – Family Fun Night
- Feb 15–19 – No School — Presidents Week
- Feb 22 – PTC Meeting, 6:00 PM
MARCH 2027
- Mar 15–19 – Book Fair / Read Across America Week
- Mar 22–26 – No School — Spring Break
- TBD Mar – PTC Meeting, 6:00 PM
APRIL 2027
- Apr 6 – TJ Open House / Art Show
- Apr 14 – Snowie King at dismissal
- Apr 15 – StarStruck Showcase
- Apr 26 – PTC Meeting, 6:00 PM
- Apr 28 – Administrative Professionals Day
MAY 2027
- May 3–7 – Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week
- May 4 – All-School PTC Meeting
- May 19 – Snowie King at dismissal
- May 24 (TBD) – PTC Meeting, 6:00 PM
- May 26 – Promotion (tentative date)
- May 27 – Last Day of School
School Day Offerings
Optional Free Breakfast - 7:20am-7:30am in the MPR
Gates Open to the Campus - 7:30am
Gates Closed, Student is Tardy - 7:40am
Snack Recess - 9:25-9:41am (provide a HEALTHY snack for your child daily)
Lunch Between 11:00-12:25 (time depending on the grade, free lunch for all or bring own)
Dismissal Between 12:36-1:59 (depending on the grade and day)
School Site Council and English Learner Advisory Committee
Jefferson is always looking for ways to include families in our planning and systems. Two ways you can get involved are through School Site Council and our English Learner Advisory Committee
The School Site Council (SSC) is an elected or selected group representative of the school’s staff, parents, and in secondary schools, students.
SSC is a leadership team on a school site that is involved in the development and review of the School Site Plan.
They are given the opportunity to understand how funds are allocated and used.
ELAC is a group of parents that represent our families that speak multiple languages.
They advise the school on needs related to English Learners.
Meetings are planned for:
October 26th at 1:45 (SSC) and 2:45 (ELAC)
December 14th at 1:45 (SSC) and 2:45 (ELAC)
January 25th at 1:45 (SSC) and 2:45 (ELAC)
March 8th at 1:45 (SSC) and 2:45 (ELAC)
If you want to join either group, please reach out to the principal -- jdeslaurier@rcsdk8.org
Healthy Choices
Fueling Our Students for Success!
Our lunchroom team works hard every day to help students enjoy healthy, balanced meals from home or at school. School meals include all the food groups, but students aren’t required to eat everything. Similarly, home-packed lunches often include healthy items, but they’re not always eaten.
How you can help:
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Talk to your child about eating balanced meals.
Do not offer processed or packaged foods instead of what the family is serving.
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Encourage them to eat fruits and veggies, aim for at least one serving per meal.
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Try the “healthy first” rule: eat the nutritious stuff before any treats.
We’re seeing more students bringing mostly processed snacks like chips, desserts, and sugary drinks—leaving out important foods like protein, fruits, and veggies. This leads to low energy and focus by the end of the day.
Let’s build strong minds and bodies—one healthy lunch at a time!
Visit myplate.gov for helpful tips.
Construction
Ready for more shade? Starting this week, a company called CPM is going to be doing some construction on our upper grade blacktop, including adding a huge 30’x44’ shade structure between Kinder and Adventure Club. It will have fencing around it until finished. The construction will take at least two months, but the end result will be worth it! The construction team will try to limit drilling/loud activity when students are out and about.
The kickball court on the upper grade side will be closed. Kinder bikes can be used when teachers deem it safe. Mrs. D will be reteaching playground and grass expectations on Monday in order to be sure all students understand the expectations around the work area.
PTC Needs You!
Feeling Ill?
Donations Needed
We are looking for rectangular tissue boxes and bleach-free wipes for the office!
Jobs in RCSD
Jefferson and RCSD are hiring. Check out EdJoin for positions in the district. RCSD has openings for Instructional Assistants (IA) cashiers and more! Openings change weekly. https://www.edjoin.org/RCSDK8
Rather work part-time or when you want? Contact Jenny to get you set up with an ESS account. (916) 771-1600 ext. 50156 or jbainbridge@rcsdk8.org
Fundraiser for PTC
Coming soon! PTC will be hosting their annual Fun Run which will raise money for special projects on campus. Last year we saved up to paint murals on the walls in the MPR, sides of campus and to get a fresh coat of paint on the MPR walls and office doors. We love our clean look and are excited to see what you raise money for this year. Fundraising beginning Sept 21st and the culminating activity, the Fun Run in October 2nd.
Safety Reminders
We also want to make sure all kids are safe before and after school if they are traveling by car or walking. Please do not arrive before 7:20am. There is no supervision. At 7:20am, doors open the MPR for breakfast students and for any students not eating that have arrived too early. Students cannot hang outside campus from 7:20-7:30am without an adult. The bell to enter campus rings at 7:30am and gates close at 7:40am. Students arriving after the 7:40am bell must enter through the office and get a tardy slip. For more information, please see the Jefferson Parent Guide.
Drill Practice
Every month Jefferson practices emergency drills; evacuation (fire drill), secure, shelter and lockdown.
Evacuate This action moves students and staff from one location to another. Most commonly this would be used for a fire.
Secure This action protects students and staff from a threat outside of the campus and we want the perimeter of our school secured. No one is in or out at this time.
Lockdown This action protects students and staff from a threat inside our campus and organizes the students behind locked doors and out of sight.
Shelter This action protects students and staff from extreme weather conditions. Most commonly this is used for earthquakes.
Hold This action helps clear the hallways and common areas. This may not be needed at sites. Most commonly used if halls needed to be cleared for a medical emergency.
We practice drills to help build muscle memory in the event of a true emergency, and we practice in order for our school to identify gaps and areas of improvement.
The following dates will be additional drills:
September 23
October 29
November 16
December 16
January 21
February 26
March 25
April 28
May 11
For more information about our safety procedures, please check out the safety information on our district website.
Attendance Matters
Surprise! Without warning, we will be pulling students names/numbers for prizes. If your child comes home with a certificate for a free meal, treat or other prize, you will know why. Thanks for keeping your child in school, EVERY DAY and ON TIME.
S.T.A.R.S.
Character Traits at Jefferson
SEPTEMBER is RESPECT
STUDENTS and STAFF are a TEAM. We are ACCOUNTABLE, RESPECTFUL and SAFE.
Jefferson Elementary uses PBIS which is focused on positive behavior choices. Teaching behavioral expectations and rewarding students for following them is a much more positive approach than waiting for misbehavior to occur before responding. Staff model, teach, practice, and reinforce desired behaviors. To assist us with supporting our students, we utilize STARS Expectations. Each month we focus on a specific character trait and teachers positively reinforce this in the classroom and throughout the campus. Each classroom teacher additionally reinforces positive behaviors daily within their classroom in their own creative way.
Parent Information
Need Help Finding Something?
CALENDARS/SCHEDULES
Breakfast and lunch menus are here.
FORMS
Short-Term Independent Study Request Form (English)
Short-Term Independent Study Request Form (Spanish)
WEBSITES/SOCIALS
Instagram @tjptc @rcsdjefferson
Facebook Jefferson PTC
SAFETY DOCS
STOPit Access Code: RCSDistrict
TRANSPORTATION
RESOURCES