Nov. 14 , 2025

💡 Principal's Priority: A Few Minutes a Day Adds Up!

At Jefferson, we understand that family time is precious, and finding the right balance between school work and home life is important. That's why we don't believe in overwhelming our students with hours of homework.

However, we know that a few focused minutes of "brain work" every day really adds up over time and is key to increasing academic achievement.

The Challenge: Before your child zones out on technology—whether it's watching videos or playing online games—we encourage you to set the expectation for a little learning first.

Simple Ways to Boost Learning Tonight:

Fluency Practice: All students should be reading their fluency passages on a regular basis. Consistency is everything here!
Online Learning: Encourage your child to log into DREAMBOX (for math) or LEXIA (for reading). These programs are personalized to their current needs.
Read a Good Book: Make sure your child spends time reading a book—either on their own, with an older sibling, or with an adult in the household. Reading is the foundation of all learning!

A few minutes of dedicated effort each night can make a dramatic difference in your child's academic success.

Need Login Help?

If you need directions for logging into Dreambox or Lexia, please contact your child's teacher or reach out directly to Mrs. Jen VanHorseen: vanhorssenj@gjps.org.

Dreambox and Lexia Login Information

In addition to regular homework, take advantage to learn about various things going on around our community- for example: A strong solar storm headed toward Earth lit up the skies across the northern half of the country, including in the Greater Columbus area, Tuesday and Wednesday night, with the northern lights being seen across our area.

🚗 Your Help is Needed: Let's Fix Dismissal Gridlock!

We love our Jefferson neighborhood, but our dismissal process is causing serious traffic issues that slow down everyone—including our buses.

The good news? The actual time it takes to load all car riders, from the first car to the last, is only 6 to 7 minutes!

Here's the Problem & The Simple Solution

Currently, many cars are arriving too early, causing gridlock and slowing the entire dismissal process (including bus loading).

The Solution? Delay your arrival!

Please do not arrive before 2:45 PM.

That's right—2:45 PM! Walkers and car riders are not dismissed until this time, and it takes a few minutes for students to reach the pick-up location.

Why 2:45 PM is Critical:

Bus Safety: We have buses that need to clear key intersections before 2:45 PM. Early car arrivals block their route.
The Wait: The first cars cannot leave until the first five cars are loaded. Due to "Murphy's Law," the first car often carries the student who is last out of the building!
End Result is the Same: By delaying your arrival, we avoid gridlock, make the process safer for buses and staff, and your student will still be loaded and headed home by 2:56 PM!

Your cooperation is essential to make this work!

Thank you in advance for helping us avoid gridlock and making dismissal safer for everyone. Remember: arrive at 2:45 PM!

P.S. There is an alternative: students can also walk home or ride an assigned bus!

A 10% Off Sale is great- Missing 10% of a school year is not!

Missing two days per month - excused or unexcused - can add up to a child being considered chronically absent.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more (approximately 18 days) during a school year, regardless if the absence is coded excused or unexcused!

4th Grade Economics and Small Business Learning

We are excited to announce our yearly smencil sale! The 4th graders are ready to take your orders as we learn about economics. If your child would like to purchase smencils, please complete the order form below. 4th graders will tally up the sales and determine how many packages we will need to order. Smencils will be ordered and delivered to classrooms BEFORE winter break and make

great holiday gifts!

Please include cash or check with your order. Checks can be made out to Jefferson PTO.

Smencils can ONLY be ordered through the form sent home, or you can print the form below. All proceeds will help fund our 4th-grade field trip to the State House and

Kelton House. Thank you for supporting our 4th graders!

Orders and payments are due by Friday, November 21st

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🧥 The Case of the Vanishing Outerwear: Our Lost and Found is Overflowing! 🕵️‍♀️

Brace yourselves! With the wild temperature swings we've been experiencing—sunny one minute, chilly the next—our Lost and Found has exploded! It looks like a department store clearance rack full of lonely jackets, sweaters, and sweatshirts waiting for their owners.

If your student has been coming home without their favorite cozy item, the chances are high that it's taken a detour to its temporary home!

🔎 Lost and Found Hot Tip!

For the time being, if your child is missing a jacket, coat, or sweatshirt, please have them check the main location: the Cafeteria!

A Special Mission: PTO to the Rescue!

Our amazing PTO is launching a special Lost and Found project soon to help us reunite these lost treasures with their rightful owners! Stay tuned for more details on how they plan to tackle this massive collection. In the meantime, remind your child to check the lost and found in the cafeteria.

How YOU Can Help Solve the Mystery

Want to make sure your child’s jacket doesn't become a permanent resident of the Lost and Found? Two simple actions make a huge difference:

Name It to Claim It! Please, please, please take a moment to write your child's name clearly on the tag or inside of the item. Having a name increases the chances of a return!
Recess Reminder: The great outdoors is a common culprit! Please remind your student that if they wear a coat or sweatshirt out to recess, they need to keep wearing it and not leave it on the ground when they get too warm- tie it around your waist instead!

Let's work together to empty that Lost and Found and keep our kids warm!

Please make sure students are dressed warmly for recess as the weather gets colder. We will be outside for recess unless the temperature or wind chill is below 17 degrees.

If you need coats, hats, or gloves, please reach out to the front office or Mrs. Bills.

SHOW THIS DIGITAL FLYER AT THE HOSTESS STAND AND TO YOUR SERVER

Thank you for supporting the Jefferson PTO!

CLICK HERE TO BROWSE THE SELECTION

Please Note: Directory is only for personal use and not for business solicitations

Please see the link below to access the student Directory. The directory was created based on permission given by families when they completed the Infinite Campus Yearly update. If information in the directory is incorrect, please contact Miss Schilling via email or phone call.

25-26 Student Directory

Join our Facebook Group and be part of the community.

This group was created for Jefferson families and staff to support and celebrate our students and school. It's also a great place to ask questions of other parents and have support as you navigate the school year.

We are excited to see all the amazing and encouraging ways our families and staff connect with each other! This is a place for positive comments and a helpful resource for families. This is not the place to voice concerns. If you have an issue you would like to discuss, please get in touch with the staff member directly via email or call the school. This is a place to build on the sense of community within our Jefferson Family.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP