Welcome to Your Jefferson PTA!

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Current Tiger Beat Edition

The Tiger Beat provides the best way to stay current on PTA activities as well as Jefferson Elementary School updates.

PTA and all District 205 messages are communicated through ParentSquare. Signup for an account, and download the mobile app.

Show Your Spirit!

Jefferson Spirit Wear! Shop the Jefferson Back-To-School Spirit Wear Sale! Choose from hundreds of designs and garments that are delivered to your home in days! New product lines include Nike and Adidas! Shop at https://1stplace.sale/31296.

D205 Holiday Fundraisers

  • Minted.com:  In progress now.  CODE: FUNDRAISED205PTA   Minted offers 20% discount on items (Holiday cards, gifts, etc.), PTA Council receives 15% of orders towards scholarship fund.

  • Kie & Kate: Saturday (12/14) Shop and Earn. CODE: 10PTA  A discount on in-store and online purchases will be offered and a portion of sales will go to PTA Council Scholarship fund.

Other News

Chess Club:  Chess Club begins on Monday 1/13! We will meet from 3-4pm in the Makerspace. All participants have received an email with permission form and more details. Please contact Mina McMahon with any questions. 

2025 Jefferson Ice Skating Party (Monday, January 20th):  Thank you to everyone who signed up for the annual ice skating party - we are at capacity right now so have paused the sign up.  For those attending, the event is at the Elmhurst YMCA (211 W. 1st St. Elmhurst) on Martin Luther King Day, January 20th from 10-11:30 a.m.  Students must be supervised by an adult. There is no cost to attend, skate rental is free (if you have skates, please bring them as supplies are limited) and snacks will be provided!  If you have any questions - please contact Megan Boyle or Kristy Dugandzic.

Portillo's Eat and Earn (Monday, January 20th 4:30-7:30pm):  Work up an appetite at the Ice Skating Party and stop by Portillo's (155 S Route 83, Elmhurst) that night from 4:30-7:30pm for all your favorites!  You can participate in the fundraiser by placing an order inside, drive-thru, or carry-out on the Portillo app. Have guests mention they are there for the fundraiser or use the code (PORTILLOS3) for online orders.  20% of the sales will benefit Jefferson!
 
Dad’s Club Chili Cook Off (Saturday, January 26): The Jefferson Dads Club is participating in Golden Boy Barbecue’s 14th Annual Chili Cook Off - click to see flyer. It’s owner (and Jefferson Dads Club founder), Anthony Gambino, is giving all the admission money to the Jefferson Dads Club. The Chili Cook Off begins at 1:30pm on Sunday, January 26, 2025.  If you want to enter the Chili Cook Off, call 630-782-5669 to let them know. You’ll then just make your chili and bring it anywhere from 1:30-2:30. They have surge protectors on the table for crock pots. They may have a limited number of portable electric burners. If you are coming to taste chili, come by when you can for however long you can!  $30 fee to cover the Chili Cook Off admission ($10) and to participate in a unique spin on a 50/50 raffle ($20).  Bring a friend!  The event is open to the public.  If your friend happens to be a Jefferson dad (current, past, or future), sign them up for Dad's Club email list here

Save the date for Family Math Night (Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 6-7:30PM): Join us for a fun evening filled with creative, hands-on math activities, games, and projects. There will be 8 go-at-your-own-pace stations to explore, as well as an opportunity to experience some of Jefferson’s Maker Space STEM activities. So bring the whole family and join your friends for some fun and engaging, hands-on math!  CLICK HERE to RSVP by Thursday, January 23rd.   In order for the evening to run smoothly, we need volunteers to facilitate the various stations on the evening of January 28. No math background or education experience is necessary!!! Please consider donating your time to make this event possible! Don’t hesitate to contact Regine Day at reginejn@gmail.com or 773-848-3663 with any questions or if you'd like to volunteer!

Jefferson Carnival (Saturday, February 8th 12-4pm): Come one, come all to the Jefferson Carnival! For those of you who are new to our school, you will find some information regarding our biggest fundraiser of the year HERE.  Carnival PreSale Link will be available soon! 

  • Tiger Bucks: Are you looking for a way to clean out those closets? Do you have gift cards lying around that you don’t ever remember to use? Look no further! Consider donating them to the fan-favorite Tiger Bucks Prize Pull! No prize is too small, we just ask that they be in new, unopened condition. You can find more information HERE. Drop off at:  Jefferson Front Office ~ Danielle Melone (152 E. Crescent Ave) ~ Bridget Gravin (589 S. Arlington Ave) 

  • Volunteers: Have you ever wanted to work a game at a carnival?! Well now is your chance! Take a look at the SIGN UP LINK HERE to join the fun! It’s a great way to volunteer for an hour or two and still enjoy the carnival with your kids! High school and middle school volunteers are welcome as well.

  • Experience Parties: We would love to add more experience parties to our offerings, especially those geared towards kids and families! Past Experiences have included: Easter Egg Hunts. Moms & Mimosas/Margaritas, Dads & Drafts, Couples & Cocktails, Hip Hop Cardio Dance Class, Movie in the Backyard, Crafting Opportunities, Cooking Demos, Kickball Games, Bunco, and more! What else would YOU like to see offered?!

If you have any other questions, please email erin.nolan83@gmail.com or jenbullock@mac.com

BAM Theater after school program (February 3 - April 21): In my BAM Era - Taylor's Greatest Hits! Calling all Swifties - are you ready to "Shake it off!"  This class is the perfect theater experience for elementary school performers!  Appropriate for beginners and experienced actors, this program provides musical theater training right at their own school.  Students will learn singing, acting, and dancing, culminating in a medley-style showcase presentation.  Sign up here!

Jefferson Mom's Bunco Night (Friday, January 17th):  We are piloting a new signup.com platform and new waitlist system. If the "I want to play bunco" spots are full, please sign up to be notified of an opening. When a spot opens up, everyone on the waitlist will get notified and the spot is first come, first served. We typically move all the way through the waitlist by the afternoon of the event, so keep your calendar open. Also, going forward everyone will sign up to bring an app, dessert, etc. a week before the event. Contact amandawfrench@gmail.com if you have challenges with the new piloted platform. Sign up here!

PTA Calendar of Events

  • January 13 - Chess club begins

  • January 14 -  PTA Meeting (7pm, Maker's Space)

  • January 17 - Moms Bunco Night (sign-up here)

  • January 20 - MLK Day - NO SCHOOL

  • January 20 - Ice Skating Party 10:00-11:30

  • January 20 - Portillo's Eat and Earn following the Ice Skating Party 4:30-7:30pm

  • January 26 - Dads Club Chili Cook-off 1:30-6:30

  • January 28 - Family Math Night 6-7:30PM

  • February 5 - D205 PTA Summer Recreation Open house

  • February 8 - Jefferson Winter Carnival

  • February 11 - PTA Meeting

  • February 17 - No School President's Day

  • February 19 - Dad's Poker Night

Acknowledgements

A big thank you to Lara Bogenrief for designing the seasonal flower planter outside of the office!  Thank you for keeping Jefferson looking great throughout the seasons!

Stay Informed!

If you want to start the year off right, follow this list:

  1. Join the PTA!

  2. Download the ParentSquare app.

  3. Download the Directory Spot app to gain access to the school directory.

  4. Add us on Social Media

  5. Review the School Supply List if you didn't pre-purchase school supplies at the end of last year.

    • Supply drop off is August 13th from 3:30-4:30pm.

  6. Review Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

  7. Load your students lunch money at PushCoin

  8. Make sure you have access to PowerSchool for attendance and grade tracking.

Volunteer Opportunities

  • Carnival Volunteers: Have you ever wanted to work a game at a carnival?! Well now is your chance! Take a look at the SIGN UP LINK HERE to join the fun! It’s a great way to volunteer for an hour or two and still enjoy the carnival with your kids! High school and middle school volunteers are welcome as well.

Support the PTA / Jefferson Elementary

PTA Sign-up: It's time to join or re-new your PTA membership! Use this link to go directly to the Jefferson PTA store to choose your level of membership and join. For more info, visit the Membership page.

Spirit Wear: Choose from hundreds of spirit wear designs and items that are delivered to your home in days! Check it out today

Are you a Jefferson Dad? Click here to add your name to the Jefferson Dads Club. For more info, visit the JDC page. We’ll be using Whats App to communicate for events - add yourself here.

5th Grade Memory Book:  It’s never too early to start preparing for the 5th grade memory book. Below are links to the photo drives for each class. Please bookmark these links for your child’s year(s) so that you may add pictures to the drive. It’s best to load pictures in real time throughout the years in order to avoid having to do it all at once in 5th grade.  Listed next to the links are your memory book leaders. Once your child is in 5th grade, they along with a handful of volunteers will be responsible for creating the memory book. Please feel free to reach out to Melissa Shah (melissakumar@yahoo.com) with any questions.

Jefferson Elementary Resources

Schedule (Arrival, Dismissal, Lunch Recess, Late Starts): The lunch and recess schedule can be found here.

Lunch Menu: Here is the link to the Food Services website. Click the link in the gray box on the upper left to see the weekly lunch menu.

Parent Volunteers for Lunchroom and Recess Supervision

This year’s SignUpGenius for volunteering can be found HERE. Please note, if you are new to volunteering for lunch and recess, please plan on attending one of our training sessions on Monday, August 26th at 9am or Monday, September 23 at 9am in the Multi-Purpose Room before you sign up to volunteer. Slots are available beginning the Tuesday after Labor Day.

Returning lunchroom volunteers will not need to attend the training this year, however we are asking everyone to sign a Volunteer Agreement. Please reach out to Mrs. Guerino in the front office for this form. New volunteers will receive this after completing the training.