Weekly Tiger Beat

IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS

• November 2-29 - Remote learning for ALL students
• November 24 - Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences, 10:00AM-6:00PM - No School
• November 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School
• November 27 - Odyssey of the Mind program sign-up deadline
• November 30 - Special Education Programs Return to in-person, hybrid learning (communication sent to affected families)
• November 30 - Student Council Decade's Day
• December 1 - Request to Change to In-Person/Hybrid Learning Form Due (form closes at 5:00PM)
• December 9 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM - Presentation by Ms. Cusack on Mental Health, 5th Grade Team Sharing 
• December 10 - Portillo's Eat & Earn
• December 10 - *New* Square 1 Art Projects due date
• December 11 - Giving Tree photo submissions due
• December 15 - Edie Boutique Private Shopping Event 
• December 17 - Virtual Family Trivia Night Holiday Edition, 7:00PM
• December 23-January 5 - Winter Break - No School 
• January 6 - Return to in-person, hybrid learning (dependent on D205 Metrics & Factors for Decision on Hybrid/Remote Learning)

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JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA

PTA Membership & Online Directory: It's not too late to enjoy the benefits of being a Jefferson PTA Member! Click here to join the PTA today. If you have any questions, email Maggie Schweitzer (mschweitzer312@gmail.com). Thank you for your support!

Stay Connected 2020-2021: Follow the Jefferson PTA on Instagram, Twitter, or join Families of Jefferson 205 Facebook group. 

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SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Odyssey of the Mind (Sign up by Friday, November 27): Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving educational program that challenges students to think outside the box and as a team create a solution to a problem in an 8 minute skit.  Click here to sign up by November 27th. Contact Heidi Moy (heidimoy4@gmail.com) with any questions.  

Student Council Spirit Day (Monday, November 30): The Jefferson Student Council has declared Monday, November 30th as Decades Day! Show your school spirit by wearing the clothing of your favorite decade. Have fun Jefferson Tigers!

• 1950s - Poodle skirts, jeans & leather jackets
• 1960s - Tie-dyes, flower shirts, paisley, bell-bottoms
• 1970s - Bell bottoms, fringed clothes, ponchos, disco looks
• 1980s - Neon colors, crimped hair, scrunchies, preppy styles 
• 1990s - Baggy clothes, plaid outfits, flannels, overalls, tracksuits
• 2000s - Cargo pants, spiked hair, platform shoes, flip flops

The Jan Newman Giving Tree Gift Card Donations (December 7-December 11): Every year our Jefferson families donate gift cards that are shared (through the school social worker) with Elmhurst families in need. This year, we will continue that tradition - with a slight twist! If you would like to make a donation, please drop off your gift cards at the main entrance (Door 2) in the donation box inside the entrance during one of the following dates/times:

• Monday 12/7, 10:00AM-1:30PM 
• Tuesday 12/8, 10:00AM-1:30PM
• Tuesday 12/8, 5:30PM-6:30PM
• Wednesday 12/9, 10:00AM-1:30PM
• Thursday 12/10, 10:00AM-4:00PM
• Friday 12/11, 10:00AM-1:30PM

Any gift card and any amount is appreciated. The most preferred gift cards for many families in need are Visa, Target, Walmart or Kohl's gift cards. Click here for more details.

The Giving Tree Season of Giving Video (Due Friday, December 11): We may not be able to be together like we would like this year, but we'd still LOVE to see how you are celebrating this Season of Giving. Please take a picture of your child showing how you are giving back (like holding their donation or making a card/gift for someone) and upload it into THIS FOLDER by Friday, December 11th. These photos will be put into a video compilation and shared with all Jefferson families. We can't wait to see all those smiling faces!

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FUNDRAISING

*New* Square 1 Art (Due Thursday, December 10): It's not too late to turn your child's artwork into memorable keepsakes and help raise money for Jefferson! Parents can STILL turn in your child's Square 1 Art projects up until 12/10 and purchase keepsakes to be shipped to the school! Original art can STILL be photographed & uploaded to Square 1. These keepsakes WILL NOT arrive until January 2021 but your purchase would still be part of the Jefferson fundraiser. Just follow these easy steps:

1. CREATE ART during art class or at home
2. PHOTOGRAPH & UPLOAD ART by 12/10/2020. Click here to enter the Square 1 Art Parent Portal for details on Virtual Art Creation & Upload Instructions
3. SHOP online for art keepsakes (Order by 12/10)
4. NEED HELP? Contact Square 1 Art Customer Care at or call 888.332.3294

Thank you for creating art for the Jefferson's 6th annual Square 1 Art fundraiser! We hope you had fun! We know you will enjoy your child's art on Square 1 Art keepsakes for years to come!

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

One Jefferson, One Book: One Jefferson, One Book is coming to Jefferson in January 2021. We are looking for volunteers to form a committee to ensure this school-wide program is a success! The goal of One Jefferson, One Book is to build a community of readers. The entire school will read the same book at the same time. Everyone - students, parents, teachers, even administrative staff - will be participating and we can all reap the many benefits of this program. If you would like to volunteer, please email Kanako Shuaipaj (kshuaipaj@gmail.com). 

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanksgiving Feast: Thank you to Becca Harpster, Kerri Timmerwilke and Aleka Mandelaris for all their hard work in making the virtual Thanksgiving Feast a complete success! The kids loved the Flip Grids and placemat, the boxed lunches were delicious and the pumpkin square recipe was a great surprise! Thank you Jefferson staff for taking the time to hand out the lunches. We are thankful for all of you!

Trivia Night: Thank you to all that participated in Jefferson's Adult Only Virtual Trivia Night. It was a night filled with friendly competition and lots of fun. Congrats to the 1st Place winners Making a Mess (The Messersmith's), the runners up Potent Potables (The Ives'), and to the 3rd Place winners Party Crashers (The Oviedo-Navarro's). The next virtual Family Trivia Night is December 17th at 7:00PM.   

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DISTRICT NEWS

Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry “Pop the Trunk” Food Drive (Sunday, November 29, 2:00PM-5:00PM): Help EYFP collect 3,000 pounds of food and make the holidays brighter for those in need on Sunday, November 29, 2:00PM-5:00PM. School, church, troop, fraternity/ sorority, and other group food drives are not possible this year due to social distancing, so EYFP is taking a contactless approach. Simply put your donations in the trunk of your car, drive up to the pantry (1083 S York St, Elmhurst), pop the trunk, and the food pantry will do the rest. Click here for more details.

Request to Change to In-Person/Hybrid Learning Form (Due Tuesday, December 1): Parents of Fully Remote Students may change their child’s learning model to In-Person/Hybrid Learning for the second semester. D205’s goal is to accommodate parents who now prefer in-person/hybrid learning to the greatest extent possible. This goal is, as always, contingent on health metrics, staffing, and other factors.

To indicate your choice, fill out the form called “Request to Change to In-Person/Hybrid Learning” in the PowerSchool parent portal by logging in, going to “Forms”, and submitting the form (steps here or in this short video). Contact your child's school if you need help accessing the PowerSchool parent portal.

This form must be filled out separately for each student who is currently enrolled in the fully remote learning option. This form closes on December 1, 2020 at 5 pm. Changes in student schedules will be communicated back to parents before winter break.

Foundation 205 Annual Fall Campaign: The Foundation 205 Fall Campaign has kicked off and runs through December 2nd. This year, they have graciously offered to identify York Senior scholarships as one of their priorities. Foundation 205's annual fall campaign will help D205 students grow, thrive and excel. Over its 25 year history, Foundation 205 has evolved to meet the current environment and needs of our students. Through the Community Response Fund, they provided $120,000 in emergency support for students and their families since March. Looking ahead, Foundation 205 has identified 3 main priorities and is asking for philanthropic support in these critical areas:

1. York senior scholarships in partnership with PTA Council Scholarship committee
2. Diverse and inclusive literature collections in collaboration with the Elmhurst Pride Collective
3. Mental health resources to expand the PTA Council's Thrive 205 Wellness Partnership.  

Click here for more information and to make a donation.

42nd Annual UCCA Virtual Holiday Food Drive (Ends Tuesday, December 1): For more than 40 years, the Elmhurst Community has participated in the UCCA Holiday Food Drive to help Elmhurst D205 school children and their families. This year will look a little different but the need is still great, if not greater, than ever. We are helping almost 100 more families than last year.

To ensure everyone’s safety, we are moving our efforts online. Instead of bringing food donations to school, you can go online and donate to sponsor a holiday meal ($16), a box of food ($30) or more. It’s quick and easy. Go to www.ucca-elmhurst.org/ucca-volunteers or scan the QR code. You may also drop off Jewel and Mariano’s gift cards at the Elmhurst YMCA and the Elmhurst Public Library.

Please give today so we can help struggling families put food on the table during these unprecedented times. We appreciate your gift in any amount. 

"Anxiety in Kids During COVID" Presentation (Wednesday, December 2): The City of Elmhurst Commission on Youth presents their first virtual event, “Anxiety in kids during  COVID-19,” presented by Rogers Behavioral Health on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 7:00PM on ElmhurstTV. If you  have any questions, please email jackie.haddad-tamer@elmhurst.org. D205 is part of the City of Elmhurst Commission on Youth and regularly partners with the Commission to host and promote youth centric events.

D205 Meal Service FREE to ALL Students: D205 has free meal pick-up service for ALL children, ages 1-18, starting November 16th. Seven days of meals are provided. No pre-order or ID is required. Meals may also be picked up for your neighbors. Please wear your mask, remain in your car when picking up food, and let down the back window or open the trunk. The D205 Food Services team will place the food in your car.

• Days and Times: Monday & Wednesday, 3:30PM-5:00PM and Tuesday & Thursday, 7:00AM-8:00AM
• Locations: York High School (Main Entrance Door #3), Bryan Middle School (East side Door #13), Churchville Middle School (Main Entrance Door #1) and Sandburg Middle School (Main Entrance Door #3)

Technology/Chromebook Support: If you are having technical issues with your D205 device or your device is not working properly, please contact elearninghelp@elmhurst205.org. For help with your other tech needs, you may email Jefferson’s tech assistant, Ms. Strong, at lstrong@jefferson205.org. The district parent website has some helpful tips for WiFi issues here.

D205 COVID-19 Dashboard: The Open D205 COVID-19 Dashboard has been created in an effort to keep the community informed of local transmission data. The Dashboard will be updated every Monday and includes information on county, district, and city data. 

Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week.

District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.

IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS November 2-29 - Remote learning for ALL students November 17 - Parent-Teacher Conferences (PTC) Sign-up deadline (PTC portal closes today) November 17 - PTA Reflections Submissions due November 17 - Square 1 Art Projects due November 18 - D205 Staff Professional Learning Day - No School November 18 - Virtual Thanksgiving Feast meal pick-up  November 19 - Virtual Trivia Night, 8:00PM November 20 - 1st Trimester Report Cards Available in PowerSchool November 23 - Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:00-PM-8:00PM - Remote Day for ALL students November 24 - Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences, 10:00AM-6:00PM - No School November 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School November 27 - Odyssey of the Mind program sign-up deadline November 30 - Return to in-person, hybrid learning (dependent on District decision made on 11/23) December 9 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM - Presentation by Ms. Cusack on Mental Health, 5th Grade Team Sharing  JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA PTA Membership & Online Directory: It's not too late to enjoy the benefits of being a Jefferson PTA Member! Click here to join the PTA today. If you have any questions, email Maggie Schweitzer(mschweitzer312@gmail.com). Thank you for your support! Stay Connected 2020-2021: Follow the Jefferson PTA on Instagram, Twitter, or join Families of Jefferson 205 Facebook group.  SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES Parent Resource Help: Did you miss the November virtual PTA meeting and the helpful tips and tricks from the amazing Ms. Leban? Ms. Leban gave this helpful presentation on parent tips for navigating Google Classroom & Seesaw. There is also a new parent website for Remote Learning created by some of our knowledgeable instructional coaches in the district. It is another great resource on an abundance of topics. Parent-Teacher Conference (PTC) Sign-ups (Deadline November 17): Today is the last day for parents to schedule their virtual conference using the PTC portal. The PTC portal closes tonight at 11:59PM Tuesday, November 17th. Click here for more details. Parent-Teacher conferences are scheduled as follows: Monday, November 23rd - 4:30PM-8:00PM Tuesday, November 24th - 10:00AM-6:00PM PTA Reflections Arts Program (Due November 17): Does your child love art, music, film and video, dance choreography, or photography? Then they should submit their amazing works to this year’s Reflections contest! The 2020-2021 Reflections theme is "I Matter Because..." Everything is virtual this year. Submissions are due today Tuesday, November 17th using our easy google form. Click here for more info and submission forms, visit the  Jefferson PTA Reflections page or contact Janet Taylor(jataylorart@gmail.com). Thanksgiving Feast Meal Pick-up Information (Wednesday, November 18): There are over 200 students signed up for a Thanksgiving Feast meal! Please follow these instructions created to pick-up your meals efficiently on Wednesday, November 18th. Write your last name and number of meals on a piece of paper and tape it to your passenger side windshield When you arrive at the Jefferson School parking lot, drive through the lot in the same way as school supply pick-up. Pop open your trunk when you arrive at the pick-up location and a volunteer will retrieve and place your meals in your trunk.  Close your trunk and exit the parking lot.  The chart below details your pick up times: Last Name Begins With: Pick-up Time A-D 10:00am-10:30am E-K 10:30am-11:00am L-R 11:00am-11:30am S-Z 11:30am-12:00pm Please contact Becca Harpster, Aleka Mandelaris, or Kerri Timmerwilke if you have any questions. Thanksgiving Feast FUN: The PTA is excited to offer this virtual Feast even though we can't all be together at the traditional Thanksgiving Feast! Please have your student share what they are grateful for this Thanksgiving on FlipGrid (https://flipgrid.com/c68bec07). This FlipGrid will be available so you can watch and connect with all of your Jefferson friends while you enjoy your Feast lunch at home!  Click here for even more excitement and print your Thanksgiving Feast placemat at home and color before you enjoy your meal. Have fun at your Thanksgiving table, Jefferson Tigers! 5th Grade Memory Book (Due November 20): Creating 5th Grade Memory Books is underway! All 5th grade parents, we need your help in making it a cherished keepsake for the kids to remember their time in elementary school.  We need pictures! Search through your phone and download them to our google drive account. Look for the email from your room parent on how to do this. ALL photos need to be uploaded into the existing folders by Friday, November 20th. Remember, please do not create any folders or delete any folders/photos in the google drive account. We need volunteers! Putting together 6 years of pictures and memories takes time. Please consider volunteering to put together pages of the book. It’s simple and fun! We need your child's kindergarten school photo! We are asking you to please search through your home and find a copy of your child’s kindergarten school photo to add to the book. You can scan in a HIGH resolution jpeg and email it to Shannon Jackson(sfitch12@hotmail.com). Or email Shannon Jackson for an address to drop off a hard copy.  If you have any questions, please contact the memory book committee for the Class of 2028 - Fifth Grade, Melissa Shah, Stephanie Drolett and Shannon Jackson. Accessing Report Cards (November 20): Access to 1st trimester report cards begins on Friday, November 20th. Click here for instructions on how to log in or  create PowerSchool accounts. For the best user experience when accessing SBRs, it is recommended to view the PowerSchool Parent Portal via a desktop or laptop web browser by using the following link: https://aps.elmhurst205. org/public. Parents of students at different levels must make sure they have selected the “Elementary Student” button at the top of the screen and then click the “Report Cards” link on the left side of the screen. Odyssey of the Mind (sign up by November 27): Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving educational program that challenges students to think outside the box and as a team create a solution to a problem in an 8 minute skit.  Click here to sign up by November 27th. Contact Heidi Moy (heidimoy4@gmail.com) with any questions.   FUNDRAISING Square 1 Art (Due Tuesday, November 17): Turn your child's artwork into memorable keepsakes and help raise money for Jefferson. Creating art at home for Jefferson's Square 1 Art fundraiser is easy. Just follow these easy steps: CREATE ART during art class or at home PHOTOGRAPH & UPLOAD ART by 11/17/2020. Click on the link to enter the Square 1 Art Parent Portal for details on Virtual Art Creation & Upload Instructions https://www.square1art.com/parent-portal/ SHOP online for art keepsakes (Order by 11/17 for Christmas delivery. Shipping charges will apply to orders from parents uploading online and shipping keepsakes directly to their home before the holidays) NEED HELP? Contact Square 1 Art Customer Care at https://www.square1art.com/other-inquirescomments/ or call 888.332.3294 Thank you for creating art for the Jefferson's 6th annual Square 1 Art fundraiser! We hope you had fun! We know you will enjoy your child's art on Square 1 Art keepsakes for years to come! Parents Virtual Trivia Night (Thursday, November 19): See if you've got the smarts to win our adults-only virtual trivia night on Thursday, November 19th at 8:00PM. Questions will be asked by professional emcee and trivia host Nicole Kawell as you play against other Jefferson adults in a battle of the minds! Each household will be its own team. After you register, you will be sent a zoom link for the trivia night prior to the event along with some trivia tips. This event will be capped at 50 households! Jefferson teachers and staff - we would love to have you join in on the fun! The winning team will win a $100 gift certificate to Cuvee. Plus other great prizes! Click here to sign up on MemberHub.  VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES One Jefferson, One Book: One Jefferson, One Book is coming to Jefferson in January 2021. We are looking for volunteers to form a committee to ensure this school-wide program is a success! The goal of One Jefferson, One Book is to build a community of readers. The entire school will read the same book at the same time. Everyone - students, parents, teachers, even administrative staff - will be participating and we can all reap the many benefits of this program. If you would like to volunteer, please email Kanako Shuaipaj (kshuaipaj@gmail.com).  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Junior Great Books: Thank you to Stephanie Drolett & Lesley Samuel for leading the Junior Great Books program at Jefferson. Thank you for finding a way to make this great program a success virtually. It has been a great way for students to spend time together with their classmates discussing stories and expanding their horizons. Sign-ups to participate in future JGB discussions by grade level will be announced in the Tiger Beat. enzee Boutique Event: Thank you to all who shopped in person or online! We hope you were able to find some amazing things for the holidays or yourself. enzee Boutique generously donated 10% of their sales back to the Jefferson PTA. Your participation helped earn funds for the Jefferson PTA to make all the various quality programs and events available for ALL our Jefferson Tigers!  Jefferson PTA Members: Thank you to everyone who has joined the Jefferson PTA for the 2020-2021 school year!  DISTRICT NEWS PTA Council Scholarships (Order due November 18): The PTA Council is kicking off our fundraising for York Senior Scholarships this year with a yummy ready to bake cookie dough sale!!! Please click this link to place an order. The sale runs through the week of November 18th so get your orders in soon. Order pickup will be the week of December 7th and details will be sent out prior to pickup. If you have any questions, contact Dena Fasheh or Kristie Szejner at d205ptascholarship@gmail.com. Thank you for your support! Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry “Pop the Trunk” Food Drive (Sunday, November 29, 2:00PM-5:00PM): Help EYFP collect 3,000 pounds of food and make the holidays brighter for those in need on Sunday, November 29, 2:00PM-5:00PM. School, church, troop, fraternity/ sorority, and other group food drives are not possible this year due to social distancing, so EYFP is taking a contactless approach. Simply put your donations in the trunk of your car, drive up to the pantry (1083 S York St, Elmhurst), pop the trunk, and the food pantry will do the rest. Click here for more details. Foundation 205 Annual Fall Campaign: The Foundation 205 Fall Campaign has kicked off and runs through December 2nd. This year, they have graciously offered to identify York Senior scholarships as one of their priorities. Foundation 205's annual fall campaign will help D205 students grow, thrive and excel. Over its 25 year history, Foundation 205 has evolved to meet the current environment and needs of our students. Through the Community Response Fund, they provided $120,000 in emergency support for students and their families since March. Looking ahead, Foundation 205 has identified 3 main priorities and is asking for philanthropic support in these critical areas: York senior scholarships in partnership with PTA Council Scholarship committee Diverse and inclusive literature collections in collaboration with the Elmhurst Pride Collective Mental health resources to expand the PTA Council's Thrive 205 Wellness Partnership.   Click here for more information and to make a donation. 42nd Annual UCCA Virtual Holiday Food Drive (October 26-December 1): For more than 40 years, the Elmhurst Community has participated in the UCCA Holiday Food Drive to help Elmhurst D205 school children and their families. This year will look a little different but the need is still great, if not greater, than ever. We are helping almost 100 more families than last year. To ensure everyone’s safety, we are moving our efforts online. Instead of bringing food donations to school, you can go online and donate to sponsor a holiday meal ($16), a box of food ($30) or more. It’s quick and easy. Go to www.ucca-elmhurst.org/ucca-volunteers or scan the QR code. You may also drop off Jewel and Mariano’s gift cards at the Elmhurst YMCA and the Elmhurst Public Library. Please give today so we can help struggling families put food on the table during these unprecedented times. We appreciate your gift in any amount.  D205 Meal Service FREE to All Students: D205 has free meal pick-up service for all children, ages 1-18, starting November 16th. Seven days of meals are provided. No pre-order or ID is required. Meals may also be picked up for your neighbors. Please wear your mask, remain in your car when picking up food, and let down the back window or open the trunk. The D205 Food Services team will place the food in your car. Days and Times: Monday & Wednesday, 3:30PM-5:00PM and Tuesday & Thursday, 7:00AM-8:00AM Locations: York High School (Main Entrance Door #3), Bryan Middle School (East side Door #13), Churchville Middle School (Main Entrance Door #1) and Sandburg Middle School (Main Entrance Door #3) Technology/Chromebook Support: If you are having technical issues with your D205 device, please contact elearninghelp@elmhurst205.org or email Jefferson’s tech assistant, Ms. Strong, at lstrong@jefferson205.org. The district parent website has some helpful tips for WiFi issues here. Daily Student Health Self-Certification Process Required: A daily health self-certification form must be completed for every student by 8:00AM each day before entering the school. This quick certification process is part of the Open D205 plan. If you would like a daily text message reminder to fill out the self-certification form, text YES to 67587. A daily email will also be sent to the parents/guardians of any students attending in person. Your username is your student’s 5-digit PowerSchool ID (ex: 12345) and the password is your student's date of birth in mmddyyyy format (ex: 01011975). Please answer each health question honestly and hit submit. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe! D205 COVID-19 Dashboard: The Open D205 COVID-19 Dashboard has been created in an effort to keep the community informed of local transmission data. The Dashboard will be updated every Monday and includes information on county, district, and city data.  Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week. District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.

IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS November 2-29 - Remote learning for ALL students November 10 - enzee Boutique Private Shopping Event, 6:00PM-9:00PM November 11 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM (zoom details below) November 12 - Parent Teacher Conference Sign-up (begins at 6:00AM) November 13 - Jefferson Holiday Spiritwear Order Deadline (order here) November 17 - PTA Reflections Submissions due November 17 - Square 1 Art Projects due November 18 - D205 Staff Professional Learning Day - No School November 18 - Virtual Thanksgiving Feast meal pick-up  November 19 - Virtual Trivia Night, 8:00PM November 20 - 1st Trimester Report Cards Available in PowerSchool November 23 - Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:00-PM-8:00PM - Remote Day for ALL students November 24 - Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences, 10:00AM-6:00PM - No School November 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School November 30 - Return to in-person, hybrid learning (dependent on District decision made on 11/23) JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA PTA Meeting (Wednesday, November 11, 7:30PM): What are all those Google notifications? How do I read messages on SeeSaw? How do I help my child stay organized on Google Classroom? Please join our next PTA meeting at 7:30PM on Wednesday, November 11th to learn how to help your child and yourself as we navigate tech tools for remote learning! Hear from the very engaging Jefferson LRC Director, Ms. Leban, as she shows us some tips and tricks on the classroom tech tools our kids use every day!! Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8688016657?pwd=Wkl2cThkYVRqcEMwZ3ZzSGpWcm5vdz09 Meeting ID: 868 801 6657 Passcode: 801687 PTA Membership & Online Directory: It's not too late to enjoy the benefits of being a Jefferson PTA Member! Joining the PTA gives you access to the school directory & allows you to participate as a voting member in an organization that not only benefits your child, but ALL children at Jefferson! Click here to join the PTA today. If you have any questions, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com. Thank you for your support! Stay Connected 2020-2021: Follow the Jefferson PTA on Instagram, Twitter, or join Families of Jefferson 205 Facebook group.  SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES Parent-Teacher Conference (PTC) Sign-ups (November 12, 6:00AM): The PTC portal will open to parents for scheduling their virtual conferences at 6:00AM Thursday, November 12th and close at 11:59PM Tuesday, November 17th. Click here for more details. Parent-Teacher conferences are scheduled as follows: Monday, November 23rd - 4:30PM-8:00PM Tuesday, November 24th - 10:00AM-6:00PM PTA Reflections Arts Program (Due November 17): Does your child enjoy the arts areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts? Then encourage them to have fun and find a creative outlet with PTA Reflections! The 2020-2021 Reflections theme is "I Matter Because..." Children are encouraged to participate and to express this theme, especially in these challenging times! Submissions are due Tuesday, November 17th. For more information on submission guidelines, the entry form and the Google Form to Submit, visit the Jefferson PTA Reflections or contact Janet Taylor (jataylorart@gmail.com). Thanksgiving Feast Meal Pick-up Information (Wednesday, November 18): There are over 200 students signed up for a Thanksgiving Feast meal! Please follow these instructions created to pick-up your meals efficiently on Wednesday, November 18th. Write your last name and number of meals on a piece of paper and tape it to your passenger side windshield When you arrive at the Jefferson School parking lot, drive through the lot in the same way as school supply pick-up. Pop open your trunk when you arrive at the pick-up location and a volunteer will retrieve and place your meals in your trunk.  Close your trunk and exit the parking lot.  The chart below details your pick up times: Last Name Begins With: Pick-up Time A-D 10:00am-10:30am E-K 10:30am-11:00am L-R 11:00am-11:30am S-Z 11:30am-12:00pm Please contact Becca Harpster, Aleka Mandelaris, or Kerri Timmerwilke if you have any questions. Thanksgiving Feast FUN: Even though we can't be at the Thanksgiving Feast together, the PTA is excited to offer this virtual Feast! In order to feel the sense of community that normally comes with the Thanksgiving Feast, we'd love for each student to share what they are grateful for this Thanksgiving on FlipGrid (https://flipgrid.com/c68bec07). This FlipGrid will be available so you can watch and connect with all of your Jefferson friends while you enjoy your Feast lunch at home!  For even more excitement, a Thanksgiving Feast placemat is available to print at home and color before you eat for those of you who miss coloring the paper tablecloths at the Feast. Click here to print your Thanksgiving Feast placemat and have fun at your Thanksgiving table, Jefferson Tigers! 5th Grade Memory Book (Due November 20): Calling all 5th grade parents! It’s time to start putting together the memory book. We need your help in making it a cherished keepsake for the kids to remember their time in elementary school.  We need pictures! Search through your phone and download them to our google drive account. Look for the email from your room parent on how to do this. We need all photos uploaded into the existing folders by Friday, November 20th. Remember, please do not create any folders or delete any folders/photos in the google drive account. We need volunteers! Putting together 6 years of pictures and memories takes time. Please consider volunteering to put together pages of the book. It’s simple and fun! We need your child's kindergarten school photo! We are asking you to please search through your home and find a copy of your child’s kindergarten school photo to add to the book. You can scan in a HIGH resolution jpeg and email it to Shannon Jackson (sfitch12@hotmail.com). Or email Shannon Jackson for an address to drop off a hard copy.  If you have any questions, please contact the memory book committee for the Class of 2028 - Fifth Grade, Melissa Shah, Stephanie Drolett and Shannon Jackson. Pledge Leader Volunteers: Would your child like to lead the pledge during Morning Announcements? Simply record your child saying the pledge and upload it to the link emailed to you by Dr. Podraza the day before your chosen date. Click here for your child to sign-up. Morning announcements are posted daily at 8:00AM on both the Jefferson Instagram page (@jeffersond205) and the Jefferson YouTube channel (Jefferson Elementary).  FUNDRAISING enzee Boutique Shopping Event (Tuesday, November 10): enzee Boutique has extended their evening shopping hours for us to do some holiday shopping! Join the Jefferson PTA for a private shopping event today, November 10th from 6PM-9PM. Shopping at enzee Boutique can be done in person or virtually ALL DAY at https://www.shopenzeeboutique.com using code: Jefferson. Click here for details. Jefferson Holiday Spiritwear Sale (Orders Due November 13): The Jefferson Holiday Spiritwear drive has begun. Click here to order a holiday gift for your favorite Jefferson Tiger. These items also make great teacher gifts! Orders are due by Friday, November 13th and will come in the week of December 14th. Upon arrival, details regarding spiritwear distribution will be communicated. If you have questions, please contact Andria Evans (aevans806@gmail.com).  Square 1 Art (Due Tuesday, November 17): Jefferson's 6th annual Square 1 Art fundraiser has begun! Creating art at home for Jefferson's Square 1 Art fundraiser is easy. Students are already working on their Square 1 Art projects in class with Ms. Serrata. Each class will have a week or two more to work on the project in class. Some students may have to work on this outside of class in order for their projects to be completed & uploaded by the deadline on Tuesday, November 17th. We understand this is a quick turnaround however families wanting Square 1 keepsakes delivered by  Christmas will need to have projects completed & uploaded by this deadline. Completed Square 1 Art projects already turned into the Jefferson main office can be picked up in order for parents to upload them to the website for Christmas delivery. Completed projects can also be left at the school to be mailed to Square 1 but those projects will not be delivered by Christmas time. Click here to enter the Square 1 Parent Portal for details on Virtual Art Creation & Upload Instructions. Shipping charges will apply to orders from parents who are uploading online and shipping keepsakes directly to their home before the holidays. Parents Virtual Trivia Night (Thursday, November 19): See if you've got the smarts to win our adults-only virtual trivia night on Thursday, November 19th at 8:00PM. Questions will be asked by professional emcee and trivia host Nicole Kawell as you play against other Jefferson adults in a battle of the minds! Each household will be its own team. After you register, you will be sent a zoom link for the trivia night prior to the event along with some trivia tips. This event will be capped at 50 households! Jefferson teachers and staff - we would love to have you join in on the fun! Silly prizes will be awarded for the top three winners. Click here to sign up on MemberHub.  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS HB Jones Eat & Earn Event: Thank you to all who enjoyed a great meal during the Bears game from HB Jones! HB Jones generously donated 25% of their sales back to the Jefferson PTA. Your participation helped earn funds for the Jefferson PTA to make all the various quality programs and events available for all our Jefferson Tigers!  Jefferson PTA Members: Thank you to everyone who has joined the Jefferson PTA for the 2020-2021 school year!  DISTRICT NEWS Bryan Holiday Spiritwear Sale (Orders Due November 13): The Bryan Holiday Spiritwear sale has begun. Click here to order a holiday gift for your Jefferson 5th grader. Orders are due Friday, November 13th.  If you have questions, please contact Cara Wilkins (caramaria@sbcglobal.net). REACH Parent Group Virtual Meeting (Friday, November 13, 11:30AM): Topics discussed may include (but not limited to) SEL (social-emotional learning), REACH teacher donations, students adapting to the “new normal," and continued Q&A with and support from other REACH parents. This 60-90 minute meeting is open to all D205 parents. Leslie Weber, D205 Director of Curriculum and REACH Coordinator will be present. Meeting details: Zoom ID: 891 6572 8919, Passcode: 168417 (Please note that EACH meeting has a unique ID & Passcode) PTA Council Scholarships (Order due November 18): The PTA Council is kicking off our fundraising for York Senior Scholarships this year with a yummy ready to bake cookie dough sale!!! Please click this link to place an order. The sale runs through the week of November 18th so get your orders in soon. Order pickup will be the week of December 7th and details will be sent out prior to pickup. If you have any questions, contact Dena Fasheh or Kristie Szejner at d205ptascholarship@gmail.com. Thank you for your support! Foundation 205 Annual Fall Campaign: The Foundation 205 Fall Campaign has kicked off and runs through December 2nd. This year, they have graciously offered to identify York Senior scholarships as one of their priorities. Foundation 205's annual fall campaign will help D205 students grow, thrive and excel. Over its 25 year history, Foundation 205 has evolved to meet the current environment and needs of our students. Through the Community Response Fund, they provided $120,000 in emergency support for students and their families since March. Looking ahead, Foundation 205 has identified 3 main priorities and is asking for philanthropic support in these critical areas: York senior scholarships in partnership with PTA Council Scholarship committee Diverse and inclusive literature collections in collaboration with the Elmhurst Pride Collective Mental health resources to expand the PTA Council's Thrive 205 Wellness Partnership.   Click here for more information and to make a donation. 42nd Annual UCCA Virtual Holiday Food Drive (October 26-December 1): For more than 40 years, the Elmhurst Community has participated in the UCCA Holiday Food Drive to help Elmhurst D205 school children and their families. This year will look a little different but the need is still great, if not greater, than ever. We are helping almost 100 more families than last year. To ensure everyone’s safety, we are moving our efforts online. Instead of bringing food donations to school, you can go online and donate to sponsor a holiday meal ($16), a box of food ($30) or more. It’s quick and easy. Go to www.ucca-elmhurst.org/ucca-volunteers or scan the QR code. You may also drop off Jewel and Mariano’s gift cards at the Elmhurst YMCA and the Elmhurst Public Library. Please give today so we can help struggling families put food on the table during these unprecedented times. We appreciate your gift in any amount.  D205 Breakfast & Lunch FREE to All Students: Breakfast and lunch options are now available for FREE for all D205 students through the PushCoin Webstore! Meals may now be ordered on a weekly basis and picked up on the following schedule for November. Technology/Chromebook Support: If you are having technical issues with your D205 device, please contact elearninghelp@elmhurst205.org or email Jefferson’s tech assistant, Ms. Strong, at lstrong@jefferson205.org. The district parent website has some helpful tips for WiFi issues here. Daily Student Health Self-Certification Process Required: A daily health self-certification form must be completed for every student by 8:00AM each day before entering the school. The "certification" process is part of the Open D205 plan and is quick (less than 20 seconds per child). If you would like a daily text message reminder to fill out the self-certification form, text YES to 67587. An email will also be sent daily to the parents/guardians of any students attending in person. Your username is your student’s 5-digit PowerSchool ID (ex: 12345) and the password is your student's date of birth in mmddyyyy format (ex: 01011975). Please answer each of the three health questions honestly, and hit submit. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe! D205 COVID-19 Dashboard: The Open D205 COVID-19 Dashboard has been created in an effort to keep the community informed of local transmission data. The Dashboard includes information on county, district, and city data and will be updated every Monday.  Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week. District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.

IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS

• November 2-11 - Remote learning for ALL students
• November 3 - General Election Day, No School
• November 5 - Thanksgiving Feast Order Deadline (sign up each child)
• November 8 - HB Jones Eat and Earn Event, 11:00AM-9:00PM
• November 10 - Enzee Boutique Parents Night Out Shopping Event
• November 11 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM
• November 12 - Return to in-person, hybrid learning
• November 13 - Holiday Jefferson Spiritwear Order Deadline (order here)
• November 17 - PTA Reflections Submissions due
• November 17 - Square 1 Art Projects due
• November 18 - D205 Staff Professional Learning Day - No School
• November 18 - Virtual Thanksgiving Feast
• November 19 - Virtual Trivia Night, 8:00PM
• November 23 - Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences, 4:00-PM-8:00PM - Remote Day for ALL students
• November 24 - Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences, 10:00AM-6:00PM - No School
• November 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

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JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA

PTA Membership & Online Directory: Joining the PTA gives you access to the school directory & allows you to participate as a voting member in an organization that not only benefits your child, but ALL children at Jefferson! Jefferson's PTA is working hard to reinvent many of our great events and programs for this unique year which makes your membership more important than ever! We cannot solely count on fundraisers to cover our budgetary needs so if you haven’t done so already, please sign up, pay your membership dues and get access to the online student directory. Click here to join the PTA today. If you have any questions, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

Stay Connected: Follow the Jefferson PTA on Instagram, Twitter, or join Families of Jefferson 205 Facebook group. It's a great way to stay up to date on the happenings at Jefferson for the 2020-2021 school year.

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SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Book Fair Classroom Wishlists: Thank you for participating in this year's book fair and for purchasing books for your children's classrooms. Please drop off the classroom books in the box placed at the school entrance. There are nameplates available there to fill in with the teacher name and student that donated the book. Or you can use a post-it with the information and the Book Fair Committee will take care of the rest. If you are not able to drop off the book at school, please contact Ioana Fernandez (ioana@iprchicago.com) to make arrangements. 

PTA Reflections Arts Program (Due November 17): Does your child enjoy the arts areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts? Then encourage them to have fun and find a creative outlet with PTA Reflections! The 2020-2021 Reflections theme is "I Matter Because..." Children are encouraged to participate and to express this theme, especially in these challenging times! Submissions are due Tuesday, November 17th. For more information on submission guidelines, the entry form and the Google Form to Submit, visit the Jefferson PTA Reflections or contact Janet Taylor(jataylorart@gmail.com).

Thanksgiving Feast 2020 (Wednesday, November 18): As is tradition at Jefferson, the PTA is sponsoring an all-school Thanksgiving Feast, virtually this year, on Wednesday, November 18, 2020. Families will have an opportunity to pick up an individually packaged Thanksgiving lunch for their student between 10:00AM-12:00PM on the day of the Feast (details on pick-up instructions to come). The meal will be prepared by D205 Food Service and will include a turkey and cheese sandwich, stuffing, applesauce, and a pumpkin square! The meal is FREE for all students. Please sign upfor each student participating in the Thanksgiving Feast by Thursday, November 5th using this link https://forms.gle/LujKdcuxg4WEF5mo6. If you have any questions, contact Becca Harpster, Aleka Mandelaris, or Kerri Timmerwilke. More fun Thanksgiving Feast activities will be sent in the weeks to come!

5th Grade Memory Book (Due November 20): Calling all 5th grade parents! It’s time to start putting together the memory book. We need your help in making it a cherished keepsake for the kids to remember their time in elementary school. 

1. We need pictures! Search through your phone and download them to our google drive account. Look for the email from your room parent on how to do this. We need all photos uploaded into the existing folders by Friday, November 20th. Remember, please do not create any folders or delete any folders/photos in the google drive account.
2. We need volunteers! Putting together 6 years of pictures and memories takes time. Please consider volunteering to put together pages of the book. It’s simple and fun!
3. We need your child's kindergarten school photo! We are asking you to please search through your home and find a copy of your child’s kindergarten school photo to add to the book. You can scan in a HIGH resolution jpeg and email it to Shannon Jackson (sfitch12@hotmail.com). Or email Shannon Jackson for an address to drop off a hard copy. 

If you have any questions, please contact the memory book committee for the Class of 2028 - Fifth Grade, Melissa Shah, Stephanie Drolett and Shannon Jackson.

Pledge Leader Volunteers: Would your child like to lead the pledge during Morning Announcements? Simply record your child saying the pledge and upload it to the link emailed to you by Dr. Podraza the day before your chosen date. Click here for your child to sign-up. Morning announcements are posted daily at 8:00AM on both the Jefferson Instagram page (@jeffersond205) and the Jefferson YouTube channel (Jefferson Elementary). 

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FUNDRAISING

Holiday Spiritwear Fall 2020 (Orders Due November 13): The Jefferson Holiday Spiritwear drive starts TODAY and ends Friday, NOV 13th. This is a great time to order a holiday gift for your Jefferson Tiger. Click here to order your Jefferson swag. Orders will come in the week of December 14th. We will let you know how we will distribute once the orders have been placed. If you have questions, please contact Andria Evans (aevans806@gmail.com). 

HB Jones Eat & Earn (Sunday, November 8): Cheer on the Chicago Bears, enjoy a great meal & support Jefferson! All day carry out at HB Jones for lunch or dinner during the Bears game on Sunday, November 8th from 11:00AM until 9:00PM. Mention the Jefferson PTA when you order and HB Jones will graciously donate 25% of the qualifying sales of food back to our organization. Click here for details. Spread the word to your family, friends, and neighbors.

Enzee Boutique Shopping Event (Tuesday, November 10): Enzee Boutique has extended their evening shopping hours for us to do some holiday shopping! Shopping the boutique can be done in person or virtually at https://www.shopenzeeboutique.com. A promo code will be coming soon. 

Square 1 Art (Due Tuesday, November 17): Jefferson's 6th annual Square 1 Art fundraiser has begun! Creating art at home for Jefferson's Square 1 Art fundraiser is easy. Students are already working on their Square 1 Art projects in class with Ms. Serrata. Each class will have a week or two more to work on the project in class. Some students may have to work on this outside of class in order for their projects to be completed & uploaded by the deadline on Tuesday, November 17th. We understand this is a quick turnaround however families wanting Square 1 keepsakes delivered by  Christmas will need to have projects completed & uploaded by this deadline. Completed Square 1 Art projects already turned into the Jefferson main office can be picked up in order for parents to upload them to the website for Christmas delivery. Completed projects can also be left at the school to be mailed to Square 1 but those projects will not be delivered by Christmas time. Click here to enter the Square 1 Parent Portal for details on Virtual Art Creation & Upload Instructions. More details on how to turn your child's artwork into memorable keepsakes and help raise money for Jefferson will be coming. 

Parents Virtual Trivia Night (Thursday, November 19): See if you've got the smarts to win our adults-only virtual trivia night on Thursday, November 19th at 8:00PM. Questions will be asked by professional emcee and trivia host Nicole Kawell as you play against other Jefferson adults in a battle of the minds! Each household will be its own team. After you register, you will be sent a zoom link for the trivia night prior to the event as well as some trivia tips. This event will be capped at 50 households! Jefferson teachers and staff - we would love to have you join in on the fun! Silly prizes will be awarded for the top three winners. Click here to sign up on MemberHub. 

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Scholastic Book Fair: Thank you to our amazing community for participating in this year's Virtual Book Fair. Total sales were over $5,600 and that rewarded Jefferson with almost $1,600 in Scholastic Dollars. Our school can now purchase new books, health and safety items, classroom materials, or technology equipment. With your help, we were also able to donate over 600 books to the Interact Club at York Highschool, which will benefit PADS, Easter Seals & Onward Neighborhood House.  

Halloween Parade Video: A special thank you to all of the parents who sent in videos of their children for Jefferson's class Halloween video project, to the room parents for collecting the videos and getting them uploaded and to Jen Bullock and Rebecca Harpster for making the videos come to life! We greatly appreciate the collective efforts! If you would like to watch the videos, you can view them on the Jefferson YouTube page.  

Trivia Night: Thank you to all the families that participated in Jefferson's first virtual Trivia Night. It was a night filled with friendly competition and lots of fun. Congrats to the 1st Place winners Making a Mess (The Messersmith Family), the runners up DancyZebra93 (The Dykes Family), and to the 3rd Place winners The Killer B’s (The Bissell Family). The next virtual Trivia Night is November 19th at 8:00PM.   

Kie and Kate Shopping Event: Thank you to all of you who shopped in person or online! We hope you got yourself some goodies to make quarantine more bearable. You all helped raise $326 for programs the PTA is currently working on! 

Jefferson PTA Members: Thank you to everyone who has joined the Jefferson PTA for the 2020-2021 school year! 

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DISTRICT NEWS

REACH Parent Group Virtual Meeting (Friday, November 13, 11:30AM): Topics discussed may include (but not limited to) SEL (social-emotional learning), REACH teacher donations, students adapting to the “new normal," and continued Q&A with and support from other REACH parents. This 60-90 minute meeting is open to all D205 parents. Leslie Weber, D205 Director of Curriculum and REACH Coordinator will be present. Meeting details: Zoom ID: 891 6572 8919, Passcode: 168417 (Please note that EACH meeting has a unique ID & Passcode)

PTA Council Scholarships (Due November 18): The PTA Council is kicking off our fundraising for York Senior Scholarships this year with a yummy ready to bake cookie dough sale!!! Please click this link to place an order. The sale runs through the week of November 18th so get your orders in soon. Order pickup will be the week of December 7th and details will be sent out prior to pickup. If you have any questions, contact Dena Fasheh or Kristie Szejner at d205ptascholarship@gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

Foundation 205 Annual Fall Campaign: The Foundation 205 Fall Campaign has kicked off and runs through December 2nd. This year, they have graciously offered to identify York Senior scholarships as one of their priorities. Foundation 205's annual fall campaign will help D205 students grow, thrive and excel. Over its 25 year history, Foundation 205 has evolved to meet the current environment and needs of our students. Through the Community Response Fund, they provided $120,000 in emergency support for students and their families since March. Looking ahead, Foundation 205 has identified 3 main priorities and is asking for philanthropic support in these critical areas:

1. York senior scholarships in partnership with PTA Council Scholarship committee
2. Diverse and inclusive literature collections in collaboration with the Elmhurst Pride Collective
3. Mental health resources to expand the PTA Council's Thrive 205 Wellness Partnership.  

Click here for more information and to make a donation.

UCCA Virtual Holiday Food Drive (October 26-December 1): The 42nd Annual UCCA Virtual Holiday Food Drive has begun. For more than 40 years, the Elmhurst Community has participated in the UCCA Holiday Food Drive to help Elmhurst D205 school children and their families. This year will look a little different but the need is still great, if not greater, than ever. We are helping almost 100 more families than last year.

To ensure everyone’s safety, we are moving our efforts online. Instead of bringing food donations to school, you can go online and donate to sponsor a holiday meal ($16), a box of food ($30) or more. It’s quick and easy. Go to www.ucca-elmhurst.org/ucca-volunteers or scan the QR code. You may also drop off Jewel and Mariano’s gift cards at the Elmhurst YMCA and the Elmhurst Public Library.

Please give today so we can help struggling families put food on the table during these unprecedented times. We appreciate your gift in any amount. 

Daily Student Health Self-Certification Process Required: A daily health self-certification form must be completed for every student by 8:00AM each day before entering the school. The "certification" process is part of the Open D205 plan and is quick (less than 20 seconds per child). If you would like a daily text message reminder to fill out the self-certification form, text YES to 67587. An email will also be sent daily to the parents/guardians of any students attending in person. Your username is your student’s 5-digit PowerSchool ID (ex: 12345) and the password is your student's date of birth in mmddyyyy format (ex: 01011975). Please answer each of the three health questions honestly, and hit submit. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe!

D205 COVID-19 Dashboard: The Open D205 COVID-19 Dashboard has been created in an effort to keep the community informed of local transmission data. The Dashboard includes information on county, district, and city data and will be updated every Friday. 

D205 Breakfast & Lunch FREE to All Students: Breakfast and lunch options are now available for FREE for all D205 students through the PushCoin Webstore! Meals may now be ordered on a weekly basis and picked up on the following schedule for November 2020.

Technology/Chromebook Support: If you are having technical issues with your D205 device, please contact elearninghelp@elmhurst205.org or email Jefferson’s tech assistant, Ms. Strong, at lstrong@jefferson205.org. The district parent website has some helpful tips for WiFi issues here.

Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week.

District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.

IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS

• October 20 - Hawaiian Day (Student Council Spirit Day)
• October 21 - Return to remote learning for ALL students
• October 22 - Virtual Coffee with Dr. Podraza, 8:30AM-9:00AM (zoom link below)
• October 23 - PJ or Comfy Clothes Day (Student Council Spirit Day)
• October 28 - Fourth Grade Junior Great Books sign-up deadline
• October 29 - Virtual Trivia Night, 7:00PM
• October 30 - Halloween Costume Day
• November 3 - General Election Day, No School
• November 5 - Thanksgiving Feast Order Deadline (see info below)
• November 5 - Return to in-person, hybrid learning
• November 11 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM
• November 17 - PTA Reflections Submissions due
• November 18 - D205 Staff Professional Learning Day - No School
• November 18 - Virtual Thanksgiving Feast
• November 23-24 - Parent Teacher Conferences
• November 24-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

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JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA

PTA Membership & Online Directory: Thank you to our Jefferson families who have joined the PTA! Membership in the PTA gives you access to the school directory as well as the right to participate and vote at our meetings. Jefferson's PTA is working hard to reinvent many of Jefferson's great events and programs for this unique year. In addition, the PTA is working directly with our school administrators and teachers to support their needs. Please remember, we cannot solely count on fundraisers to cover our budgetary needs, so your membership is more important than ever. Thank you all for your support!
Join the PTA today with the links below:

• Existing Jefferson Families: Go to www.memberhub.com and enter your email address associated with the school directory. If you are not already registered, select "I need to create my password" and click next. Complete the directions to access your account. Click "Shop" in the top navigation to see membership options. If you have any issues, try this link or email mschweitzer312@gmail.com.
• New Jefferson Families: Go to this MemberHub new join link. Complete the directions to create your account. For security purposes, a site administrator will approve your account before you can access it to complete your profile and membership payment. If you have any issues, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com.

Stay Connected: Follow the Jefferson PTA on Instagram, Twitter, or join Families of Jefferson 205 Facebook group. It's a great way to stay up to date on the happenings at Jefferson for the 2020-2021 school year.

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SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Student Council Spirit Days (Tuesday, October 20 & Friday, October 23): The Jefferson Student Council has declared Tuesday, October 20th as Hawaiian Day! Show your school spirit by dressing up in your favorite Hawaiian outfit (tropical themed shirts/dresses, leis, sandals, etc). And Friday, October 23rd has been declared PJ/Comfy Clothes Day where students are encouraged to show their school spirit by wearing their pajamas or comfortable clothes. Go Tigers!   

Virtual Coffee with Dr. Podraza (Thursday, October 22nd, 8:30AM): Please join Dr. Podraza for a conversation about school this year at Jefferson. Dr. Podraza will be presenting a brief presentation on Jefferson’s 100 Day plan for the school year followed by an opportunity to give feedback and ask questions.  Click the Virtual Coffee with Dr. Podraza Meeting Link at 8:30AM to join the virtual meeting that will last approximately 30 minutes. We hope you can join us!

Halloween Costume Day (Friday, October 30): Students are encouraged to have fun and wear their costumes on Friday, October 30th to celebrate Halloween. Happy Halloween Jefferson Tigers!

4th Grade Junior Great Books: The Junior Great Books program will be virtual this fall/winter. Students will have access to each story digitally and we will meet online for our discussion. The 4th Grade discussion group will meet for 7 weekly sessions after school (Wednesdays between 2:00-3:00PM) and will run from November until before winter break in December.

For those new to Junior Great Books, it is a short story discussion group that offers a fun way for students to read and discuss age-appropriate literature through the Shared Inquiry method. This program strengthens retention, comprehension, and critical thinking skills, as well as, is a strong compliment to the Reading Street program taught in the classroom. For more information on Junior Great Books and the Shared Inquiry method, please visit www.greatbooks.org. 

We appreciate your patience as we set up our program in a new way. If your child would like to participate in Junior Great Books, please fill out the form by Wednesday, October 28, 2020. 

Junior Great Books is sponsored by the Jefferson PTA and the REACH PTA. Please feel free to contact Lesley Samuel (lesleysamuel@gmail.com) or Stephanie Drolett (scdrolett@yahoo.com) with any questions. Thank you!

PTA Reflections Arts Program (Due November 17): Does your child(ren) enjoy the arts areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts? Then encourage them to have fun and find a creative outlet with PTA Reflections! The 2020-2021 Reflections theme is "I Matter Because..." Children are encouraged to participate and to express this theme, especially in these challenging times! Submissions are due Tuesday, November 17th. For submission guidelines and an entry form, visit the Jefferson PTA Reflections or contact Janet Taylor (jataylorart@gmail.com).

Thanksgiving Feast 2020 (Wednesday, November 18): As is tradition at Jefferson, the PTA is sponsoring an all-school Thanksgiving Feast, virtually this year, on Wednesday, November 18, 2020. Families will have an opportunity to pick up an individually packaged Thanksgiving lunch for their student between 10:00AM-12:00PM on the day of the Feast (details on pick-up instructions to come). The meal will include a turkey and cheese sandwich, stuffing, applesauce, and, of course, a pumpkin square, all prepared by D205 Food Service! The meal is FREE for all students, but you need to sign up for each student participating at https://forms.gle/LujKdcuxg4WEF5mo6. The deadline to sign up for your student's lunch is Thursday, November 5. Please contact Becca Harpster, Aleka Mandelaris, or Kerri Timmerwilke if you have any questions. And be on the lookout for more fun Thanksgiving Feast activities in the weeks to come!

5th Grade Memory Book (Due November 20): Calling all 5th grade parents! It’s time to start putting together the memory book. We need your help in making it a cherished keepsake for the kids to remember their time in elementary school. 

1. We need pictures! Search through your phone and download them to our google drive account. Look for the email from your room parent on how to do this. We need all photos uploaded into the existing folders by Friday, November 20th. Remember, please do not create any folders or delete any folders/photos in the google drive account.
2. We need volunteers! Putting together 6 years worth of pictures and memories takes time. Please consider volunteering to put together pages of the book. It’s simple and fun!
3. We need your child's kindergarten school photo! We are asking you to please search through your home and find a copy of your child’s kindergarten school photo to add to the book. You can scan in a HIGH resolution jpeg and email it to Shannon Jackson(sfitch12@hotmail.com). Or email Shannon Jackson for an address to drop off a hard copy. 

If you have any questions, please contact the memory book committee for the Class of 2028 - Fifth Grade, Melissa Shah, Stephanie Drolett and Shannon Jackson.

Pledge Leader Volunteers: Would your child like to lead the pledge during Morning Announcements? Simply record your child saying the pledge and upload it to the link emailed to you by Dr.Podraza the day before your chosen date. Click here for your child to sign-up. Morning announcements are posted daily at 8:00AM on both the Jefferson Instagram page (@jeffersond205) and the Jefferson YouTube channel (Jefferson Elementary). 

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FUNDRAISING

Virtual Trivia Night (Thursday, October 29, 7:00PM): Moms & Dads gather the kids and get ready to have some virtual fun! Family friendly questions will be asked as you play against other Jefferson families in a battle of the minds! Our first of three trivia nights will be Thursday, October 29th. Dressing up in Halloween attire/costumes is encouraged!

Each family will be their own team. Our host, Nicole, will guide each team through the entire event with ease. Click here to register your family to join this event. After registering, a zoom link will be sent for the trivia night 2 days prior to the event as well as some trivia tips. Register quickly! This event will be capped at 50 participants! Fun and SILLY prizes will be awarded for the top 3 winning teams/families.

Square 1 Art: Jefferson's 6th annual Square1 Art fundraiser is just around the corner. Turn your child's artwork into memorable keepsakes and help raise money for school. Details on how to order will be coming soon.

Give Back Programs: There are a number of "free fundraisers" that will benefit your children at Jefferson. Some you may know about and others may be new to you. Take a moment to review the Give Back program options located on the Jefferson PTA site. Do you know of other “free fundraisers” in the area? We would love to build our list! Contact Jackie Messina or Laura Westwith any programs.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Learning Resource Center Refresh Project: Thank you to those who donated items for the LRC refresh project (http://bit.ly/jeffLRC)! A spot on our PTAs MemberHub website has been added for any monetary donations. Big or small, every penny counts in helping transform this beloved space. Click here to donate or you can find the spot to donate in the menu under "Shop" after logging in to your account. The window to donate will be until the end of the month.

Scholastic Book Fair: It was an exciting two weeks of the virtual Time Machine Book Fair filled with many events. A special thank you to Dr. Podraza for reading the book "The Dodo: Nubby's Story" during the Bedtime Story Read-Aloud Events on Instagram Live. Thank you to Mrs. Leban (LRC) who was instrumental in introducing new books to the teachers and students. The PTA would also like to thank all the families who purchased books off the Teacher Wish Lists and that donated books to Interact Club at York High School. Thank you to all the members of the Book Fair Committee (Ioana Fernandez, Kathy Fromm, Kim Paske, Jess Testani). Thank you for all your support this year! Reading can take you anywhere!

Kie&Kate Parents Night Out Shopping Event: Thank you to the Jefferson Fundraising Committee, Jackie Messina & Laura West, for organizing a successful, fun private shopping event. Thank you to all the Jefferson parents who came out to shop and support both the Jefferson PTA and a local business. Kie&Kate generously donated 10% back to the Jefferson PTA.

Jefferson PTA Members: Thank you to everyone who has joined the Jefferson PTA for the 2020-2021 school year!  

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DISTRICT NEWS

UCCA Virtual Holiday Food Drive (October 26-December 1): The 42nd Annual UCCA Virtual Holiday Food Drive kicks off on Monday, October 26th. For more than 40 years, the Elmhurst Community has participated in the UCCA Holiday Food Drive to help Elmhurst D205 school children and their families. This year will look a little different but the need is still great, if not greater, than ever. We are helping almost 100 more families than last year.

To ensure everyone’s safety, we are moving our efforts online. Instead of bringing food donations to school, you can go online and donate to sponsor a holiday meal ($16), a box of food ($30) or more. It’s quick and easy. Go to www.ucca-elmhurst.org/ucca-volunteers or scan the QR code. You may also drop off Jewel and Mariano’s gift cards at the Elmhurst YMCA and the Elmhurst Public Library.

Please give today so we can help struggling families put food on the table during these unprecedented times. We appreciate your gift in any amount. 

SERG Parent Meeting (Tuesday, October 20): All D205 parents with a student who receives special education services are welcome to attend our SERG parent meeting on Tuesday, October 20th at 7:00PM via Zoom Webinar (https://relx.zoom.us/j/94775794977). Dr. Kevin Rubenstein will share Special Education program goals and plans for the 2020-2021 school year. 

Daily Student Health Self-Certification Process Required: A daily health self-certification form must be completed for every student by 8:00AM each day before entering the school. The "certification" process is part of the Open D205 plan and is quick (less than 20 seconds per child). If you would like a daily text message reminder to fill out the self-certification form, textYES to 67587. An email will also be sent daily to the parents/guardians of any students attending in person. Your username is your student’s 5-digit PowerSchool ID (ex: 12345) and the password is your student's date of birth in mmddyyyy format (ex: 01011975). Please answer each of the three health questions honestly, and hit submit. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe!

D205 COVID-19 Dashboard: The Open D205 COVID-19 Dashboard has been created in an effort to keep the community informed of local transmission data. The Dashboard includes information on county, district, and city data and will be updated every Friday. 

D205 Breakfast & Lunch FREE to All Students: Breakfast and lunch options are now available for FREE for all D205 students through the PushCoin Webstore! Meals may be ordered on a weekly basis and picked up on the following schedule.

Technology/Chromebook Support: Please contact elearninghelp@elmhurst205.org if you are having technical issues with your District 205 device. Help is available from 7:30AM-4:00PM. You may also email Ms. Strong at lstrong@jefferson205.org. Thank you Ms. Strong!

Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week.

District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.

IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS

• October 5-18 - Virtual "Time Machine" Scholastic Book Fair
• October 14 - Group A students in-person attendance day (makeup for Oct. 12)
• October 14 (NEW DATE) - PJ Party & Story time Part II with Dr. Prodraza, 7:00PM (Instagram Live)
• October 14 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM (zoom details below)
• October 16 - Jefferson Spirit Wear Day 
• October 19 - Picture Day (A, A/B, Remote, Staff)
• October 19 - Kie&Kate Parent Night Out Shopping Event, 6:00PM-8:00PM
• October 20 - Hawaiian Day (Student Council Spirit Day)
• October 22 - Picture Day (B, Remote, Makeup A/B)
• October 23 - PJ or Comfy Clothes Day (Student Council Spirit Day)
• October 29 - Virtual Trivia Night
• November 3 - General Election Day, No School
• November 11 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM
• November 17 - PTA Reflections Submissions due
• November 18 - D205 Staff Professional Learning Day - No School

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JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA

PTA Meeting (Wednesday, October 14): Please join us for our second PTA meeting of the year starting at 7:30PM on Wednesday, October 14th. All are welcome to join but only members of the PTA can vote at the meeting (see below to become a PTA member).

Zoom meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8688016657?pwd=Wkl2cThkYVRqcEMwZ3ZzSGpWcm5vdz09

Meeting ID: 868 801 6657

Passcode: 801687

PTA Membership & Online Directory: Join the PTA today! On this Thursday, October 15th, the school directory will be closed to members only! Members, you can download the MemberHub app to use the directory easily on your phone. Become a PTA member and maintain your directory access by following the directions below to access MemberHub. Our PTA is reinventing many of Jefferson's great events and programs for this unique year. In addition, the PTA is working directly with our school administrators and teachers to support their needs. Unlike other years, we cannot solely count on fundraisers to cover our budgetary needs, so your membership is more important than ever. Membership in the PTA gives you access to the school directory as well as the right to participate and vote at our meetings. Thank you all for your support!

Here is how you can access our membership options:

• Existing Jefferson Families: Go to www.memberhub.com and enter your email address associated with the school directory. If you are not already registered, select "I need to create my password" and click next. Complete the directions to access your account. Click "Shop" in the top navigation to see membership options. MemberHub has confirmed that you will likely need to check out of the store as a guest - but don't worry, your purchase will be tied to your account. **Please note, some existing members have had an issue accessing the store or switching to their Jefferson account. If so, please first ensure you are on a desktop (not mobile device). You can also access the store directly by clicking this link.** If you have any other issues, please email mschweitzer312@gmail.com.
• New Jefferson Families: Go to this MemberHub new join link. Complete the directions to create your account. For security purposes, a site administrator will approve your account before you can access it to complete your profile and membership payment. If you have any issues, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com.

Stay Connected: Follow the Jefferson PTA on Instagram, Twitter, or join Families of Jefferson 205 Facebook group. It's a great way to stay up to date on the happenings at Jefferson for the 2020-2021 school year.

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SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Jefferson Spirit Day (Friday, October 16): Students are encouraged to show their school spirit by wearing their Jefferson sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc. or dressing in school colors of blue and orange. Go Tigers!   

Class Halloween Video (Due October 16): In lieu of this year's Halloween parade, we are asking parents to send in a short 5 second video clip of your child in costume and/or in a festive Halloween/Fall setting so that a Halloween video can be made for each class. Kids do not need to be in costume in order to participate. Teachers will share these videos the Friday before Halloween so the kids can still see their classmates in costume. Please refer to the email from your room parent with instructions and make sure to send all videos to them. Any questions regarding the video, please contact Jen Bullock (jenbullock@mac.com).

Learning Resource Center Refresh Project (Due October 13): Jefferson's new librarian needs our HELP! Ms. Leban has an amazing plan to refresh and update the Jefferson library (http://bit.ly/jeffLRC)! We are currently looking for donations of painting supplies (i.e. brushes, paint pans, tarps, painters tape, rollers, roller brushes, etc) to start moving this project along. Donations can be dropped off in a bin at the Burns' house, front porch (370 E Niagara). Please contact Jill Burns if you have any questions or have any connections to paint suppliers. Parent volunteers needed to assist in the labor side of the project are not allowed at this time. 

Picture Day (Monday, October 19 & Thursday, October 22): It's almost Picture Day! This year's Picture Day will be on two separate days to accommodate the hybrid schedule. Please see the schedule below and this flyer for more details. Students will wear masks until it is time for the photo. Students will remove their mask when it is time for the photo and then will promptly replace their mask once the photo has been taken. Social distancing will be maintained throughout the process.

• Monday, October 19 - A, A/B, Remote Students & Staff Photos
  • Student pictures begin at 8:15AM
  • Remote students begin at 1:30PM
• Thursday, October 22 - B, Remote Students
  • B students and any missed A/B students pictures begin at 8:15AM
  • Remote students begin at 7:45AM

PTA Reflections Arts Program (Due November 17): Does your child(ren) enjoy the arts areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts? Then encourage them to have fun and find a creative outlet with PTA Reflections! The 2020-2021 Reflections theme is "I Matter Because..." Children are encouraged to participate and to express this theme, especially in these challenging times! The deadline for submission is November 17th. Check back for more details on submission guidelines, the entry form, and a link to the Jefferson PTA Reflections web page. Any questions, please contact Janet Taylor(jataylorart@gmail.com).

5th Grade Memory Book (Due November 20): Calling all 5th grade parents! It’s time to start putting together the memory book. We need your help in making it a cherished keepsake for the kids to remember their time in elementary school. 

1. We need pictures! Search through your phone and download them to our google drive account. Look for the email from your room parent on how to do this. We need all photos uploaded into the existing folders by Friday, November 20th. Remember, please do not create any folders or delete any folders/photos in the google drive account.
2. We need volunteers! Putting together 6 years worth of pictures and memories takes time. Please consider volunteering to put together pages of the book. It’s simple and fun!
3. We need your child's kindergarten school photo! We are asking you to please search through your home and find a copy of your child’s kindergarten school photo to add to the book. You can scan in a HIGH resolution jpeg and email it to Shannon Jackson(sfitch12@hotmail.com). Or email Shannon Jackson for an address to drop off a hard copy. 

If you have any questions, please contact the memory book committee for the Class of 2028 - Fifth Grade, Melissa Shah, Stephanie Drolett and Shannon Jackson.

Pledge Leader Volunteers: Would your child like to lead the pledge during Morning Announcements? Simply record your child saying the pledge and upload it to the link emailed to you by Dr.Podraza the day before your chosen date. Click here for your child to sign-up. Morning announcements are posted daily at 8:00AM on both the Jefferson Instagram page (@jeffersond205) and the Jefferson YouTube channel (Jefferson Elementary). 

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FUNDRAISING

Virtual Scholastic Book Fair (Monday, October 5-Sunday, October 18): Only one week left to buy your favorite books during our Virtual "Time Machine" Scholastic Book Fair! Reading can take you anywhere so be sure to visit the Book Fair here until October 18th. Join your kids in exploring titles and plots and discovering inspiring characters. Empower them by letting them choose the books to purchase—and bring on the joy of reading!

• New titles this year! Check out all the amazing new titles in the interactive book flyer.
• Scholastic Gives Back! Remember, every dollar you spend will benefit our school directly (25% back in rewards).
• Amazing features of our online store:
  • Over 6,000 items to choose from including new releases, best sellers, and value packs
  • All orders ship direct to home
  • FREE shipping on book-only orders over $25
• Teachers Wish Lists: Check out the must-have titles that your child's teachers are eager to add to their classroom libraries for the school year! Every year at the Jefferson Book Fair, teachers select books for their classrooms and add them to their Wish List for parents to purchase. Because we are virtual this year, we would greatly appreciate it if you select a book or two from your Teacher's Wish List  to purchase for your child's classroom. Upon receiving the book, please drop it off in the bin located in the vestibule at the Jefferson front office. Stickers will be available by the Teacher Wish List bin. Please fill out the sticker with the teacher's name, who it is from and place inside the front cover of the book. The Book Fair Committee will then gather all the books and deliver them to the teachers. Thank you for your cooperation with the additional steps required this year. And thank you for supporting our teachers and Jefferson Elementary by shopping at the Scholastic Book Fair. Click here to access the Teacher's Wish List or use this link https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JXz8RbPP1cuB29C9H40aIjwRQN0Pl-114vhR31M6SBA/edit#gid=0 
• PJ Party & Story time PART II (Wednesday, October 14, 7:00 PM): Put on your comfy pjs, grab your favorite stuffed animal, and join Dr. Podraza on Instagram live where she will read 2 more chapters of the book "The Dodo: Nubby's Story."
• Donate your used books! (October 5th-October 18th): Once again we are hosting a Book Drive in coordination with our Book Fair and Interact Club at York High School. New or gently used books will be donated to PADS, Easter Seals, and Onward Neighborhood House.  You can drop off books in the Jefferson Elementary School vestibule during school hours or at the Paske house, front porch (646 S Fern Ct). Click here for more details.

Kie&Kate Parents Night Out Shopping Event (Monday, October 19): The Jefferson Fundraising Committee hopes you can join us for a private shopping event on Monday, October 19th from 6-8pm at Kie&Kate Couture. You will save 10% on your purchases and Kie&Kate will generously donate 10% back to the Jefferson PTA. 

Virtual Trivia Night (Thursday, October 29): Moms & Dads gather the kids and get ready to have some virtual fun! Family friendly questions will be asked as you play against other Jefferson families in a battle of the minds! Our first of three trivia nights will be Thursday, October 29th. Dressing up in Halloween attire/costumes is encouraged!

Each family will be their own team. Our host, Nicole, will guide each team through the entire event with ease. Click here to register your family to join this event. After registering, a zoom link will be sent for the trivia night 2 days prior to the event as well as some trivia tips. Register quickly! This event will be capped at 50 participants! Fun and SILLY prizes will be awarded for the top 3 winning teams/families.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Eat & Earn Fundraiser at Chipotle: Thank you to the Fundraising Committee for organizing and to everyone who participated in the Eat & Earn Event at Chipotle. The PTA was able to raise $273 to support PTA programs and projects. 

Prairie Garden Committee: Thank you to the Chair of the Prairie Garden Committee, Jess Testani, for festively beautifying the large flower pot in front of school for the fall season. Flowers, pumpkins and gourds...oh my! What a beautiful way to be welcomed into our school!

Jefferson PTA Members: Thank you to everyone who has joined the Jefferson PTA for the 2020-2021 school year!  

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DISTRICT NEWS

Calendar Updates: During the week of October 12, students who traditionally attend school the first two and last two days of the week will attend in-person as follows:

• October 13 & 14: Group A Students attend in person
• October 15 & 16: Group B Students attend in person
• Week of Oct. 20: Typical hybrid schedule resumes

On September 22, the Board of Education declared Wednesday, November 18, a Remote Learning Professional Learning Day for staff. This will be a day of non-attendance for students, but, consistent with Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order, will not result in a day being added to the calendar at the end of the school year.

Daily Student Health Self-Certification Process Required: A daily health self-certification form must be completed for every student by 8:00AM each day before entering the school. The "certification" process is part of the Open D205 plan and is quick (less than 20 seconds per child). If you would like a daily text message reminder to fill out the self-certification form, text YES to 67587. An email will also be sent daily to the parents/guardians of any students attending in person. Your username is your student’s 5-digit PowerSchool ID (ex: 12345) and the password is your student's date of birth in mmddyyyy format (ex: 01011975). Please answer each of the three health questions honestly, and hit submit. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe!

D205 COVID-19 Dashboard: The Open D205 COVID-19 Dashboard has been created in an effort to keep the community informed of local transmission data. The Dashboard includes information on county, district, and city data and will be updated every Friday. 

D205 Breakfast & Lunch FREE to All Students: Breakfast and lunch options are now available for FREE for all D205 students through the PushCoin Webstore! Meals may be ordered on a weekly basis and picked up on the following schedule.

Technology/Chromebook Support: Please contact elearninghelp@elmhurst205.org if you are having technical issues with your District 205 device. Help is available from 7:30AM-4:00PM. You may also email Ms. Strong at lstrong@jefferson205.org. Thank you Ms. Strong!

Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week.

District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.

IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS

• October 5-18 - Virtual "Time Machine" Scholastic Book Fair
• October 7 - Group B students in-person attendance day (make up for Oct. 9)
• October 7 - Eat & Earn Fundraiser at Chipotle Mexican Grill, 4:00PM-8:00PM 
• October 8 - Pajama Party & Bedtime Story with Dr. Prodraza, 7:00PM 
• October 9 - Teacher's Institute Day, No School
• October 12 - Columbus Day, No School
• October 14 - Group A students in-person attendance day (make up for Oct. 12)
• October 14 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM
• October 16 - Jefferson Spirit Wear Day 
• October 29 - Virtual Trivia Night
• November 3 - General Election Day, No School
• November 17 - PTA Reflections Submissions due
• November 18 - D205 Staff Professional Learning Day - No School

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JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA

PTA Membership & Online Directory - Join the PTA today: The MemberHub school directory is NOW LIVE! To access it, you can either login to your MemberHub account or download the MemberHub app on your phone. The directory will be available for all to use until October 15th - at that point it will be available to members only. Please follow the directions below to access MemberHub and complete your membership. Our PTA is working very hard to creatively offer many of the great events and programs to our Jefferson students as we have in the past, although they may look a little different. In addition, the PTA partners directly with our school administrators and teachers to support their needs. Unlike other years, we cannot solely count on fundraisers to cover our budgetary needs, so your membership is more important than ever. Membership in the PTA gives you the right to participate and vote at our meetings AND it is the only way you will have access to our school directory. Thank you in advance for your support. 

Here is how you can access our membership options:

• Existing Jefferson Families: Go to www.memberhub.com and enter your email address associated with the school directory. If you are not already registered, select "I need to create my password" and click next. Complete the directions to access your account. Click "Shop" in the top navigation to see membership options. MemberHub has confirmed that you will likely need to check out of the store as a guest - but don't worry, your purchase will be tied to your account. **Please note, some existing members have had an issue accessing the store or switching to their Jefferson account. If so, please first ensure you are on a desktop (not mobile device). You can also access the store directly by clicking this link.** If you have any other issues, please email mschweitzer312@gmail.com
• New Jefferson Families: Go to this MemberHub new join link. Complete the directions to create your account. For security purposes, a site administrator will approve your account before you can access it to complete your profile and membership payment. If you have any issues, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com.

Stay Connected: Follow the Jefferson PTA on Instagram, Twitter, or join Families of Jefferson 205 Facebook group. It's a great way to stay up to date on the happenings at Jefferson for the 2020-2021 school year.

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SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

*New* Class Halloween Video (Due October 16): In lieu of this year's Halloween parade, we are asking parents to send in a short 5 second video clip of your child in costume and/or in a festive Halloween/Fall setting so that a Halloween video can be made for each class. Kids do not need to be in costume in order to participate. Teachers will share these videos the Friday before Halloween so the kids can still see their classmates in costume. Your child’s room parent will be sending a detailed email about the Class Halloween Video. Any questions, please contact Jen Bullock(jenbullock@mac.com).

Jefferson Spiritwear: Jefferson Spiritwear will be delivered to school this week. Hybrid students will receive their orders at school and remote students will pick their orders up from the front office. An email will be sent to the remote students from the front office or Andria Evans with exact dates for pick-up. Any questions, please contact Andria Evans (aevans806@gmail.com).  

Learning Resource Center Refresh Project - Help Needed! (September 29-October 13): Jefferson's new librarian, Ms. Leban, has an amazing plan to refresh and update the Jefferson library (http://bit.ly/jeffLRC) and she needs our help! We are currently looking for donations of painting supplies (i.e. brushes, paint pans, tarps, painters tape, rollers, roller brushes, etc) to start moving this project along. Donations can be dropped off in a bin at the Burns' house, front porch (370 E Niagara). Please contact Jill Burns if you have any questions or have any connections to paint suppliers. Parent volunteers needed to assist in the labor side of the project are not allowed at this time. 

PTA Reflections Arts Program (Due November 17): Does your child(ren) enjoy the arts areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts? Then encourage them to have fun and find a creative outlet with PTA Reflections! The 2020-2021 Reflections theme is "I Matter Because..." Children are encouraged to participate and to express this theme, especially in these challenging times!

The deadline for submission has now been extended to November 17th. Check back for more details on submission guidelines, the entry form, and a link to the Jefferson PTA Reflections web page. Any questions, please contact Janet Taylor(jataylorart@gmail.com).

Pledge Leader Volunteers: Would your child like to lead the pledge during Morning Announcements? Morning announcements are posted daily at 8:00AM on both the Jefferson Instagram page (@jeffersond205) and the Jefferson YouTube channel (Jefferson Elementary). Click here to sign-up for a date. Detailed information will be sent to you via email after signing up.

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FUNDRAISING

Virtual Scholastic Book Fair (Monday, October 5-Sunday, October 18): Our Scholastic Virtual "Time Machine" Book Fair is now OPEN! Reading can take you anywhere so be sure to visit the Fair here from October 5th - October 18th. Join your kids in exploring titles and plots and discovering inspiring characters. Empower them by letting them choose the books to purchase—and bring on the joy of reading! We can’t wait to “see” you at the Fair!

• New titles this year! Check out all the amazing new titles in the interactive book flyer.
• Scholastic Gives Back! Remember, every dollar you spend will benefit our school directly (25% back in rewards).
• Amazing features of our online store:
  • Over 6,000 items to choose from including new releases, best sellers, and value packs
  • All orders ship direct to home
  • FREE shipping on book-only orders over $25
• Pajama Party & Bedtime Story (Thursday, October 8th, 7:00 PM): Put on your comfy pjs, grab your favorite stuffed animal, and join Dr. Podraza on Instagram where she will read a book live.
• Donate your used books! (October 5th-October 18th): Once again we are hosting a Book Drive in coordination with our Book Fair and Interact Club at York High School. New or gently used books will be donated to PADS, Easter Seals, and Onward Neighborhood House.  You can drop off books in the Jefferson Elementary School vestibule during school hours or at the Paske house, front porch (646 S Fern Ct). Click here for more details.

Eat & Earn Fundraiser at Chipotle Mexican Grill (Wednesday, October 7): Make dinner a selfless act by joining us for a fundraiser to support the Jefferson Elementary PTA. Dine at the Chipotle (139 N York St, Elmhurst) on Wednesday, October 7th between 4:00PM-8:00PM. Bring in this flyer, show it on your smartphone or tell the cashier you are supporting the cause to make sure that 33% of the proceeds will be donated to Jefferson Elementary PTA. NEW! Order online for pick-up by using code 33XWEZR before checkout in ‘promo’ field. Orders placed on Chipotle.com or through the Chipotle app for pickup using this unique code will be counted towards the fundraiser. Spread the word and invite your family, friends and neighbors to join!

Virtual Trivia Night (Thursday, October 29): Moms & Dads gather the kids and get ready to have some virtual fun!!! Family friendly questions will be asked as you play against other Jefferson families in a battle of the minds! Our first of three trivia nights will be Thursday, October 29th. Dressing up in Halloween attire/costumes is encouraged!

Each family will be their own team. Our host, Nicole, will guide each team through the entire event with ease. Click here to register your family to join this event. After registering, a zoom link will be sent for the trivia night 2 days prior to the event as well as some trivia tips. Register quickly! This event will be capped at 50 participants! Fun and SILLY prizes will be awarded for the top 3 winning teams/families.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Virtual Experience Party The OneHope Shopping Event: Thank you to everyone who participated in Jefferson's first virtual experience party, The OneHope Shopping Event. Using the money raised during this event, the PTA purchased headphones (w/ microphones), reducing the number the school needed to support each student through remote and hybrid learning.

Jefferson PTA Members: Thank you to everyone who has joined the Jefferson PTA for the 2020-2021 school year! We especially would like to thank our newest Jefferson PTA Platinum Level members: the Zacharias family and the Wang family. THANK YOUto all our members for your support.  

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DISTRICT NEWS

Calendar Updates: During the weeks of October 5 and October 12, students who traditionally attend school the first two and last two days of the week will attend in-person as follows:

• October 5, 6, 13 & 14: Group A Students attend in person
• October 7, 8, 15 & 16: Group B Students attend in person
• Week of Oct. 20: Typical hybrid schedule resumes

On September 22, the Board of Education declared Wednesday, November 18, a Remote Learning Professional Learning Day for staff. This will be a day of non-attendance for students, but, consistent with Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order, will not result in a day being added to the calendar at the end of the school year.

Daily Student Health Self-Certification Process Required: A daily health self-certification form must be completed for every student by 8:00AM each day before entering the school. The "certification" process is part of the Open D205 plan and is quick (less than 20 seconds per child). Please see our steps to complete the health certification process and watch our 1:47 video tutorial to learn how.

If you would like a daily text message reminder to fill out the self-certification form, text YES to 67587. An email will also be sent daily to the parents/guardians of any students attending in person. Your username is your student’s 5-digit PowerSchool ID (ex: 12345) and the password is your student's date of birth in mmddyyyy format (ex: 01011975). Please answer each of the three health questions honestly, and hit submit. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe!

D205 COVID-19 Dashboard: The Open D205 COVID-19 Dashboard has been created in an effort to keep the community informed of local transmission data. The Dashboard includes information on county, district, and city data and will be updated every Friday, beginning October 2. 

The plan to support hybrid instruction and extracurricular participation is contingent on the District’s ability to staff and the DuPage County Health Department’s metrics for risk assessment. Keeping people healthy and minimizing community transmission is a collective responsibility. Please do your part to social distance, mask, and practice regular hand washing. 

D205 Breakfast & Lunch FREE to All Students: Breakfast and lunch options are now available for FREE for all D205 students through the PushCoin Webstore! Meals may now be ordered on a weekly basis and may be picked up on the following schedule.

Technology/Chromebook Support: Please contact elearninghelp@elmhurst205.org if you are having technical issues with your District 205 device. Help is available from 7:30AM-4:00PM. You may also email Ms. Strong at lstrong@jefferson205.org. Thank you Ms. Strong!

Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Again, students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week.

District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.

IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS

• September 14-October 1 - Virtual Experience Party "OneHope" Shopping Event 
• October 5-18 - Virtual "Time Machine" Scholastic Book Fair
• October 7 - Group B students in-person attendance day (make up for Oct. 9)
• October 7 - Eat & Earn Fundraiser at Chipotle Mexican Grill, 4:00PM-8:00PM 
• October 9 - Teacher's Institute Day, No School
• October 12 - Columbus Day, No School
• October 14 - Group A students in-person attendance day (make up for Oct. 12)
• October 14 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM
• October 16 - Jefferson Spirit Wear Day 
• November 18 - D205 Staff Professional Learning Day - No School

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JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA

PTA Membership & Online Directory - Join the PTA today: The MemberHub school directory is NOW LIVE! To access it, you can either login to your MemberHub account or download the MemberHub app on your phone. The directory will be available for all to use until October 15th - at that point it will be available to members only. Please follow the directions below to access MemberHub and complete your membership. Our PTA is working very hard to creatively offer many of the great events and programs to our Jefferson students as we have in the past, although they may look a little different. In addition, the PTA partners directly with our school administrators and teachers to support their needs. Unlike other years, we cannot solely count on fundraisers to cover our budgetary needs, so your membership is more important than ever. Membership in the PTA gives you the right to participate and vote at our meetings AND it is the only way you will have access to our school directory. Thank you in advance for your support. 

Here is how you can access our membership options:

• Existing Jefferson Families: Go to www.memberhub.com and enter your email address associated with the school directory. If you are not already registered, select "I need to create my password" and click next. Complete the directions to access your account. Click "Shop" in the top navigation to see membership options. MemberHub has confirmed that you will likely need to check out of the store as a guest - but don't worry, your purchase will be tied to your account. **Please note, some existing members have had an issue accessing the store or switching to their Jefferson account. If so, please first ensure you are on a desktop (not mobile device). You can also access the store directly by clicking this link.** If you have any other issues, please email mschweitzer312@gmail.com
• New Jefferson Families: Go to this MemberHub new join link. Complete the directions to create your account. For security purposes, a site administrator will approve your account before you can access it to complete your profile and membership payment. If you have any issues, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com.

Stay Connected: Follow the Jefferson PTA on Instagram, Twitter, or join Families of Jefferson 205 Facebook group. It's a great way to stay up to date on the happenings at Jefferson for the 2020-2021 school year.

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SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

PTA Reflections Arts Program: Does your child(ren) enjoy the arts areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts? Then encourage them to have fun and find a creative outlet with PTA Reflections! The 2020-2021 Reflections theme is "I Matter Because..." Children are encouraged to participate and to express this theme, especially in these challenging times!

The deadline for submission is November 10th. Check back for more details on submission guidelines, the entry form, and a link to the Jefferson PTA Reflections web page. Any questions, please contact Janet Taylor (jataylorart@gmail.com).

Learning Resource Center Refresh Project: Jefferson's new librarian, Ms. Leban, has an awesome plan to refresh and update the Jefferson library (http://bit.ly/jeffLRC) and she needs our help! We are currently looking for donations of painting supplies (i.e. brushes, paint pans, tarps, painters tape, rollers, roller brushes, etc) to start moving this project along. Please drop off any materials or donations in the bin on the front porch at 370 E Niagara starting Tuesday, September 29th until Tuesday, October 13th. Parent volunteers needed to assist in the labor side of the project are not allowed at this time. Please contact Jill Burns if you have any questions or have any connections to paint suppliers. 

Pledge Leader Volunteers (New Dates): Would your child like to lead the pledge during Morning Announcements? Morning announcements are posted daily at 8:00AM on both the Jefferson Instagram page (@jeffersond205) and the Jefferson YouTube channel (Jefferson Elementary). Click here to sign-up for a date. Detailed information will be sent to you via email after signing up.

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FUNDRAISING

Virtual Experience Party (Monday, September 14-Thursday, October 1): Only 3 days left and only $123 more to reach our goal for the OneHope fundraiser. We can do this! Start your holiday shopping early and help raise money to purchase headphones (w/ microphone) to support each student through remote and hybrid learning! Invitations and details for Jefferson's first virtual experience party, The OneHope Shopping Event, have been sent out via Facebook and this event is open to everyone. Please contact Jackie Messina if you have questions or to be added to the event.

Virtual Scholastic Book Fair (Monday, October 5-Sunday, October 18): The Scholastic Book Fair is back, VIRTUAL this year! While the Fair will be held exclusively online this year, we still plan on making it a fun and joyous experience for our kids. The online fair will include features like Jefferson's own online store, games for kids, and more. Remember! Every dollar you spend will benefit our school directly (25% back in rewards). Save the dates for the Jefferson "Time Machine" Book Fair: October 5th - October 18, 2020, and follow us on social media for more details. Check out this interactive flyer to see what's new and exciting this year and bookmark the Jefferson website for your virtual shopping experience. Reading can take you anywhere!

Eat & Earn Fundraiser at Chipotle Mexican Grill (Wednesday, October 7): Make dinner a selfless act by joining us for a fundraiser to support the Jefferson Elementary PTA. Dine at the Chipotle (139 N York St, Elmhurst) on Wednesday, October 7th between 4:00PM-8:00PM. Bring in this flyer, show it on your smartphone or tell the cashier you are supporting the cause to make sure that 33% of the proceeds will be donated to Jefferson Elementary PTA. NEW! Order online for pick-up by using code 33XWEZR before checkout in ‘promo’ field. Orders placed on Chipotle.com or through the Chipotle app for pickup using this unique code will be counted towards the fundraiser. Spread the word and invite your family, friends and neighbors to join!

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Hospitality Committee: Thank you to the Hospitality Committee, Colleen Kay and Kerri Timmerwilke, for the delicious Roberto's dinner for our teachers to start off their evening on Curriculum Night! What a great way to remind our teachers and staff how much our Jefferson community appreciates them!

Jefferson PTA Members: Thank you to everyone who has joined the Jefferson PTA for the 2020-2021 school year! THANK YOU for your support.  

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DISTRICT NEWS

Calendar Updates: During the weeks of October 5 and October 12, students who traditionally attend school the first two and last two days of the week will attend in-person as follows:

• October 5, 6, 13 & 14: Group A Students attend in person
• October 7, 8, 15 & 16: Group B Students attend in person
• Week of Oct. 20: Typical hybrid schedule resumes

On September 22, the Board of Education declared Wednesday, November 18, a Remote Learning Professional Learning Day for staff. This will be a day of non-attendance for students, but, consistent with Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order, will not result in a day being added to the calendar at the end of the school year.

Daily Student Health Self-Certification Process Required: A daily health self-certification form must be completed for every student by 8:00AM each day before entering the school. The "certification" process is part of the Open D205 plan and is quick (less than 20 seconds per child). Please see our steps to complete the health certification process and watch our 1:47 video tutorial to learn how.

If you would like a daily text message reminder to fill out the self-certification form, text YES to 67587. An email will also be sent daily to the parents/guardians of any students attending in person. Your username is your student’s 5-digit PowerSchool ID (ex: 12345) and the password is your student's date of birth in mmddyyyy format (ex: 01011975). Please answer each of the three health questions honestly, and hit submit. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe!

D205 COVID-19 Dashboard: The D205 Covid-19 Dashboard has been created in an effort to keep the community informed of local transmission data. The Dashboard includes information on county, district, and city data and will be updated every Friday, beginning October 2, on the Open D205 section of the D205 website. 

The plan to support hybrid instruction and extracurricular participation is contingent on the District’s ability to staff and the DuPage County Health Department’s metrics for risk assessment. Keeping people healthy and minimizing community transmission is a collective responsibility. Please do your part to social distance, mask, and practice regular hand washing. 

D205 Breakfast & Lunch FREE to All Students: Breakfast and lunch options are now available for FREE for all D205 students through the PushCoin Webstore! Meals may now be ordered on a weekly basis and may be picked up on the following schedule.

Technology/Chromebook Support: Please contact elearninghelp@elmhurst205.org if you are having technical issues with your District 205 device. Help is available from 7:30AM-4:00PM. You may also email Ms. Strong at lstrong@jefferson205.org. She has been able to help many Jefferson families who have had issues. Thank you Ms. Strong!

Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Again, students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week.

District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.

IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS

• September 14-October 9 - Virtual Experience Party "OneHope" Shopping Event 
• September 24 - Virtual Curriculum Night, 5:30PM-7:00PM
• September 24 - Middle School PTAs Drive-Thru Fundraiser Night, 1:00PM-8:00PM 
• September 25 - Fifth Grade Junior Greatbooks sign-up deadline
• October 5-16 - Virtual "Time Machine" Scholastic Book Fair
• October 7 - Eat & Earn Fundraiser at Chipotle, 4:00PM-8:00PM 
• October 9 - Teacher's Institute Day, No School
• October 12 - Columbus Day, No School
• October 14 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM
• October 16 - Jefferson Spirit Wear Day 

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JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA

PTA Membership & Online Directory: Thank you to everyone who has joined the PTA for the 2020-2021 school year! Please follow the directions below to access MemberHub and complete your membership. Our PTA is working very hard to creatively offer many of the great events and programs to our Jefferson students as we have in the past, although they may look a little different. In addition, the  PTA partners directly with our school administrators and teachers to support their needs. Unlike other years, we cannot solely count on fundraisers to cover our budgetary needs, so your membership is more important than ever. Membership in the PTA gives you the right to participate and vote at our meetings AND it is the only way you will have access to our school directory, which will be live on MemberHub soon. We strongly urge you to join the PTA this year. Thank you in advance for your support. Due to COVID restrictions, all memberships and payments will be completed online this year on our new platform, MemberHub.  

Here is how you can access our membership options:

• Existing Jefferson Families: Go to www.memberhub.com and enter your email address associated with the school directory. If you are not already registered, select "I need to create my password" and click next. Complete the directions to access your account. Click "Shop" in the top navigation to see membership options. MemberHub has confirmed that you will likely need to check out of the store as a guest - but don't worry, your purchase will be tied to your account. **Please note, some existing members have had an issue accessing the store or switching to their Jefferson account. If so, please first ensure you are on a desktop (not mobile device). You can also access the store directly by clicking this link.** If you have any other issues, please email mschweitzer312@gmail.com.
• New Jefferson Families: Go to this MemberHub new join link. Complete the directions to create your account. For security purposes, a site administrator will approve your account before you can access it to complete your profile and membership payment. If you have any issues, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com.

Stay Connected: A great way to stay up to date on the happenings at Jefferson for this 2020-2021 school year is to follow the Jefferson PTA on Instagram, Twitter, or join Families of Jefferson 205 Facebook group.

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SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Virtual Curriculum Night (Thursday, September 24): Virtual Curriculum Night is Thursday, September 24th from 5:30-7:00PM. The schedule is as follows:

• 5:30PM - General Education Classroom Teachers
• 6:00PM - Specials Team, Special Education, REACH, EL
• 6:30PM - General Education Teachers, Specialists, Special Education, REACH, EL (Everyone)

To access each live presentation, please click on the link sent to you by your child’s teacher. Special education teachers, REACH, & EL will also be sending out their own link. The Specials link will come from Dr. Podraza.

Each teacher's presentation will be followed by a general question session in the chat feature of Zoom. Teachers will address as many questions as possible. Any questions not answered, will be followed up the following week.

Pledge Leader Volunteers (New Dates Added): Would your child like to lead the pledge during Morning Announcements? Morning announcements are posted daily at 8:00AM on both the Jefferson Instagram page (@jeffersond205) and the Jefferson YouTube channel (Jefferson Elementary). Click here to sign-up for a date. More detailed information will be sent to you once you have signed up.

5th-Grade Junior Great Books: The Junior Great Books program will be virtual this fall/winter. Students will have access to each story digitally and will meet online for discussions. The 5th-Grade discussion group will meet for 7 weekly sessions after school (between 2:00-3:00 pm) and will run from late September thru early November. 

For those new to Junior Great Books, it is a short story discussion group that offers a fun way for students to read and discuss age-appropriate literature through the Shared Inquiry method. This program strengthens retention, comprehension, and critical thinking skills, as well as, is a strong complement to the Reading Street program taught in the classroom. For more information on Junior Great Books and the Shared Inquiry method, please visit www.greatbooks.org. 

We appreciate your patience as we set up our program in a new way. If your child would like to participate in Junior Great Books, please fill out this form or click the link below by Friday, September 25, 2020. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScfs0sED39guiRGXjWm9WHI3XGVqh0MccynqepUkV7StvRJsQ/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0  

Junior Great Books is sponsored by the Jefferson PTA and the REACH PTA. Please contact Lesley Samuel (lesleysamuel@gmail.com) or Stephanie Drolett (scdrolett@yahoo.com) with any questions. Thank you!

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FUNDRAISING

Virtual Experience Party (Monday, September 14-Friday, October 9): Parents, we are about 75% of the way to our goal for the OneHope fundraiser. Get excited! Invitations and details for Jefferson's first virtual experience party, The OneHope Shopping Event, have been sent out via Facebook. Start your holiday shopping early and help raise money to purchase headphones with a microphone for each student to support them through remote and hybrid learning. This event is open to everyone. Please contact Jackie Messina if you have questions or to be added to the event.

Virtual Scholastic Book Fair (Monday, October 5-Friday, October 16): Mark your calendars! The Jefferson "Time Machine" Book Fair will take place October 5th-16th! Any time is a great time to read, especially when the books students choose today will help make them future readers of tomorrow. Reading can take you anywhere! This years beloved Book Fair will be virtual but will still have lots of fun activities for everyone. Details on special events and online ordering will be posted on the Book Fair Homepage coming soon.  

Eat & Earn Fundraiser at Chipotle  (Wednesday, October 7): Make dinner a selfless act by joining us for a fundraiser to support the Jefferson Elementary PTA. Dine at the Chipotle (139 N York St, Elmhurst) on Wednesday, October 7th between 4:00PM-8:00PM. Bring in this flyer, show it on your smartphone or tell the cashier you are supporting the cause to make sure that 33% of the proceeds will be donated to Jefferson Elementary PTA. NEW! Order online for pick-up by using code 33XWEZR before checkout in ‘promo’ field. Orders placed on Chipotle.com or through the Chipotle app for pickup using this unique code will be counted towards the fundraiser. Spread the word and invite your family, friends and neighbors to join!

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Jefferson PTA Members: Thank you to everyone who has joined the Jefferson PTA for the 2020-2021 school year! We especially would like to thank our Newest Jefferson PTA Platinum Level members: The Vogel family. THANK YOU to all our members for your support.  

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DISTRICT NEWS

Daily Student Health Self-Certification Process Required: A daily health self-certification form will need to be completed for every student before they enter any building. This is a primary safety effort that is part of the Open D205 plan is to certify student health information every day. The "certification" process is quick (less than 20 seconds per child). Please see our steps to complete the health certification process and watch our 1:47 video tutorial to learn how. 

If you would like a daily text message reminder to fill out the self-certification form, text YES to 67587. An email will also be sent daily to the parents/guardians of any students attending in person. Your username is your student’s 5-digit PowerSchool ID (ex: 12345) and the password is your student's date of birth in mmddyyyy format (ex: 01011975). Please answer each of the three health questions honestly, and hit submit. Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe!

D205 Breakfast & Lunch FREE to All Students: Breakfast and lunch options are now available for FREE for all D205 students through the PushCoin Webstore! Meals may now be ordered on a weekly basis and may be picked up on the following schedule.

Middle School PTAs Drive-Thru Fundraiser Night (Thursday, September 24): Support our middle school PTA's on 9/24 from 1:00PM-8:00PM at McDonald's! 20% of proceeds and all cash tips and donations for pies will go to our middle school PTA's. Bring this flyer or just mention that you are with our Elmhurst middle school PTA's. Applies to 3 McDonald's locations (York Road, Butterfield Road and St. Charles Road/Berkley locations).

Technology/Chromebook Support: Please contact elearninghelp@elmhurst205.org if you are having technical issues with your District 205 device. Help is available from 7:30AM-4:00PM. You may also email Ms. Strong at lstrong@jefferson205.org. She has been able to help many Jefferson families who have had issues. Thank you Ms. Strong!

Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Again, students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week.

District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.

IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS

• September 14-October 9 - Virtual Experience Party "OneHope" Shopping Event 
• September 24 - Virtual Curriculum Night, 5:30PM-7:00PM 
• October 5-16 - Virtual "Time Machine" Scholastic Book Fair
• October 9 - Teacher's Institute Day, No School
• October 12 - Columbus Day, No School
• October 14 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM
• October 16 - Jefferson Spirit Wear Day 

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JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA

PTA Membership & Online Directory: You are now able to access MemberHub to join the PTA for the 2020-2021 school year. Please follow the directions below. Please remember, our PTA is working hard to creatively offer many of the great events and programs to our Jefferson students as we have in the past, although they may look a little different. In addition, the  PTA partners directly with our school administrators and teachers to support their needs. Unlike other years, we cannot solely count on fundraisers to cover our budgetary needs, so your membership is more important than ever. Membership in the PTA gives you the right to participate and vote at our meetings AND it is the only way you will have access to our school directory, which will be live on MemberHub soon. We strongly urge you to join the PTA this year. Thank you in advance for your support. Due to Covid restrictions, all memberships and payments will be completed online this year on our new platform, MemberHub.  

Here is how you can access our membership options:

• Existing Jefferson Families: Go to www.memberhub.com and enter your email address associated with the school directory. If you are not already registered, select "I need to create my password" and click next. Complete the directions to access your account. Click "Shop" in the top navigation to see membership options. MemberHub has confirmed that you will likely need to check out of the store as a guest - but don't worry, your purchase will be tied to your account. If you cannot access your account or don't know which email address you should use, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com.
• New Jefferson Families: Go to this MemberHub new join link. Complete the directions to create your account. For security purposes, a site administrator will approve your account before you can access it to complete your profile and membership payment. If you have any issues, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com.

Stay Connected: The Jefferson PTA has some exciting new things in the works for this 2020-2021 school year! A great way to stay up to date on the happenings at Jefferson is to follow the Jefferson PTA on Instagram, Twitter, or join Families of Jefferson 205Facebook group.

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FUNDRAISING

Virtual Experience Party (Monday, September 14-Friday, October 9): Parents, get excited for Jefferson's first virtual experience party! Invitations and more details on the OneHope Shopping Event have been sent out via Facebook. Start shopping for the holidays and help raise money to purchase headphones with a microphone for each student to support them through remote and hybrid learning. This event is open to everyone. Please contact Jackie Messina if you have questions or to be added to the event.

Virtual Scholastic Book Fair (Monday, October 5 - Friday, October 16): Mark your calendars! The Jefferson "Time Machine" Book Fair will take place October 5th-16th! Any time is a great time to read, especially when the books students choose today will help make them future readers of tomorrow. Reading can take you anywhere! This years beloved Book Fair will be virtual but will still have lots of fun activities for everyone. Details on special events and online ordering will be posted on the Book Fair Homepage coming soon.  

Box Top$ for Education Program: Does everyone know how easy Box Tops are now? Just download the Box Tops app and scan your receipt! The app uses state-of-the-art technology to scan your store receipts, find participating products and instantly add Box Tops to your Jefferson Elementary School's earnings online. It takes about 10 seconds. Such an easy way to raise $ for Jefferson! Click here to start today.

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SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Pledge Leader Volunteers (New Dates Added): Morning announcements are posted daily at 8:00AM on both the Jefferson Instagram page (@jeffersond205) and the Jefferson YouTube channel (Jefferson Elementary). Would your child like to lead the pledge during Morning Announcements? Click here for your child to sign-up for a date over the next few weeks. More detailed information will be sent to you once you have signed up.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to everyone who has joined the Jefferson PTA for the 2020-2021 school year! We especially would like to thank our Jefferson PTA Platinum Level members: The Duffy family, the Hood family, the Romano family, the Schweitzer Family, and the Wamsley family. THANK YOU for your support.

Hospitality Committee: Thank you to Kerri Timmerwilke and Colleen Kay for the fabulous back-to-school morning treats to remind our amazing teachers how much our Jefferson community appreciates them. 

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DISTRICT NEWS

Daily Student Health Self-Certification Process Required: As we begin to phase students back to in-person learning, a daily health self-certification form will need to be completed for every student before they enter any building. This is a primary safety effort that is part of the Open D205 plan is to certify student health information every day. Please see our steps to complete the health certification process and watch our 1:47 video tutorial to learn how. The "certification" process is quick (less than 20 seconds per child) and the system is available now for parents/guardians to login and practice the health certification process.

If you would like a daily text message reminder to fill out the self-certification form, text YES to 67587. An email will also be sent daily to the parents/guardians of any students attending in person. Your username is your student’s 5-digit PowerSchool ID (ex: 12345) and the password is your student's date of birth in mmddyyyy format (ex: 01011975). Please answer each of the three health questions honestly, and hit submit.

Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe!

D205 Remote Learning Meal Service Pick-Up Schedule: Breakfast and lunch options are now available for purchase for all D205 students during the remote learning period through the PushCoin Webstore! Meals may now be ordered on a weekly basis and may be picked up on the following schedule.

Foundation 205 Holiday Tree Sale Fundraiser: Spread Holiday joy and support Foundation 205! Although it may seem early, the annual outdoor tree sale is now underway so it is time to gather your neighbors and organize your outdoor holiday tree displays. Foundation 205 is partnering with a proven vendor from Michigan to ensure improved tree quality and consistency, however quantities are limited. Click here to learn more and order by September 20th.

Technology/Chromebook Support: Please fill out this form and/or contact elearninghelp@elmhurst205.org if you are having technical issues with your District 205 device. Help is available from 7:30AM-4:00PM. You may also email Ms. Strong at lstrong@jefferson205.org. She has been able to help many Jefferson families who have had issues. Thank you Ms. Strong!

Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Again, students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week.

District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.

IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS

• September 8 - 1st Day of Hybrid Instruction Kindergarten 
• September 9 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM (Zoom details below)
• September 10 - Informational Video about Hybrid Instruction Sent to Families
• September 11- REACH Parent Group Virtual Meeting, 11:30AM
• September 13 - Room Parent Volunteer Form due
• September 14 - 1st Day of Hybrid Instruction 1st - 5th
• September 14 - “New to REACH” Parent Informational Virtual Meeting, 7:00PM
• September 14 - Virtual Experience Party "OneHope" Shopping Event 
• September 24 - Virtual Curriculum Night, 5:30PM-7:00PM 
• October 9 - Teacher's Institute Day, No School
• October 12 - Columbus Day, No School
• October 14 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM
• October 16 - Jefferson Spirit Wear Day 

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JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA

Virtual PTA Meeting (Wednesday, September 9): Please join us for our first PTA meeting of the year starting at 7:30PM on Wednesday, September 9th. The meeting agenda includes Board introductions, 2020-2021 PTA budget review and approval, fundraising goals and upcoming opportunities. All are welcome to join but only members of the PTA can actively participate and vote at the meeting (see below to join the PTA).  

Zoom meeting Link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8688016657?pwd=Wkl2cThkYVRqcEMwZ3ZzSGpWcm5vdz09 

Meeting ID: 868 801 6657

Passcode: 801687

PTA Membership & Online Directory: You are now able to access MemberHub to join the PTA for the 2020-2021 school year. Please follow the directions below. Please remember, our PTA is working hard to creatively offer many of the great events and programs to our Jefferson students as we have in the past, although they may look a little different. In addition, the  PTA partners directly with our school administrators and teachers to support their needs. Unlike other years, we cannot solely count on fundraisers to cover our budgetary needs, so your membership is more important than ever. Membership in the PTA gives you the right to participate and vote at our meetings AND it is the only way you will have access to our school directory, which will be live on MemberHub soon. We strongly urge you to join the PTA this year. Thank you in advance for your support. Due to Covid restrictions, all memberships and payments will be completed online this year on our new platform, MemberHub.  

Here is how you can access our membership options:

• Existing Jefferson Families: Go to www.memberhub.com and enter your email address associated with the school directory. If you are not already registered, select "I need to create my password" and click next. Complete the directions to access your account. Click "Shop" in the top navigation to see membership options. MemberHub has confirmed that you will likely need to check out of the store as a guest - but don't worry, your purchase will be tied to your account. If you cannot access your account or don't know which email address you should use, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com.
• New Jefferson Families: Go to this MemberHub new join link. Complete the directions to create your account. For security purposes, a site administrator will approve your account before you can access it to complete your profile and membership payment. If you have any issues, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com.

Please note, parents with students at Bryan do not need to create a second account. If you click on your profile in the top right corner of the MemberHub homepage, you will be able to "switch organizations" between Bryan and Jefferson PTAs.

Stay Connected: The Jefferson PTA has some exciting new things in the works for this 2020-2021 school year! A great way to stay up to date on the happenings at Jefferson is to follow the Jefferson PTA on Instagram, Twitter, or join Families of Jefferson 205Facebook group.

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FUNDRAISING

Virtual Experience Party (Monday, September 14): Parents, get ready for Jefferson's first virtual experience party beginning on September 14th! Look for more details on the OneHope Shopping Event and an invitation on Facebook. The "private party link" to purchase items will be in the next e-newsletter. Start shopping for the holidays and raise money as well!

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SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Room Parent Volunteers (Due Sunday, September 13): Although we do not know what this school year will look like, we do know we want to support our teachers in any way we can! One way you can do that is by becoming a Room Parent for your child(ren). If you are interested in making the 2020-2021 school year a great one, please fill in the form to become a Room Parent.

Pledge Leader Volunteers: Morning announcements will be posted daily at 8:00AM on both the Jefferson Instagram page (@jeffersond205) and the Jefferson YouTube channel (Jefferson Elementary). Would your child like to lead the pledge during Morning Announcements? Click here for your child to sign-up for a date over the next few weeks. More detailed information will be sent to you once you have signed up.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to all the parents who have joined the Jefferson PTA for the 2020-2021 school year! We especially would like to thank our Jefferson PTA Platinum Level members: The Hood family, the Romano family, and the Schweitzer Family. Thank you for your support.

Thank you to everyone that purchased Spiritwear in the Fall Jefferson Spiritwear Sale. Orders will arrive the week of October 5th. We can not wait to see our Jefferson Tigers wearing their new gear on Jefferson Spirit Day (Friday, October 16th). 

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DISTRICT NEWS

Daily Student Health Self-Certification Process Required: As students begin in-person learning, the District has implemented a new safety measure that requires parent/guardian attention. A primary safety effort that is part of our Open D205 plan is to certify student health information every day. 

This request is being asked of all D205 faculty, staff and families to complete. Parents/guardians need to complete the daily “certification” process prior to their child(ren) attempting to enter the school building each day. Please see our steps to complete the health certification process and watch our 1:47 video tutorial to learn how. The "certification" process is quick (less than 20 seconds per child) and the system is available now for parents/guardians to login and practice the health certification process.

REACH Parent Group Virtual Meeting (Friday, September 11): The REACH Parent Group will be having a Zoom meeting Friday, September 11th at 11:30AM. The meeting is OPEN TO ALL D205 parents and will last about 60-90 mins. Leslie Weber, D205 REACH Coordinator, will be present. The REACH Parent Group will be discussing the upcoming “New to REACH” Parent Information Meeting, how programming may look different than last year, and Leslie and experienced parents alike will be ready to answer any questions that may surface during the meeting. If you've never been to a meeting, now's the time! 

REACH Parent Informational Meeting (Monday, September 14): The REACH Parent Group is hosting a “New to REACH” Parent Informational Meeting on Monday, September 14th, 7:00PM (duration 1-2 hrs) on Zoom, details forthcoming. Leslie Weber, D205 Director of Curriculum and REACH Coordinator will present a program overview, identification, expectations, appeals, along with details from the REACH Program Analysis conducted this past year. The primary focus is on those families new to REACH. Experienced REACH parents will be on hand for questions and to provide further insight into the program. This meeting is OPEN TO ALL D205 parents including second grade parents wanting to learn more about REACH. Should you have any questions please contact Patti Berner REACH Parent Group Chairperson and/or your REACH Representative.

D205 Remote Learning Meal Service Pick-Up Schedule: Meals may be ordered on a weekly basis through the PushCoin Webstore and are only available for pickup at the three middle schools (Bryan, Churchville, Sandburg) and at York High School. You must indicate which pickup location you prefer before you checkout. Please know your child(ren)'s student ID number will be required at pickup.

• Pick-Up: Wednesday, Sept. 9, 4-5:30PM (Items ordered for Sept. 10,11, 14) 

• Pick-Up: Monday, Sept. 14, 4-5:30PM (Items ordered for Sept. 15, 16)

• Pick-Up: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 4-5:30PM (Items ordered for Sept. 17, 18, 21)

• Pick-Up: Monday, Sept. 21, 4-5:30PM (Items ordered for Sept. 22, 23)

• Pick-Up: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 4-5:30PM (Items ordered for Sept. 24, 25, 28)

• Pick-Up: Monday, Sept. 28, 4-5:30PM (Items ordered for Sept. 29, 30)

To set up an account and for more information go to the D205 website at: www.elmhurst205.org/resources/pushcoin 

Foundation 205 Holiday Tree Sale Fundraiser: Spread Holiday joy and support Foundation 205! Although it may seem early, the annual outdoor tree sale is now underway so it is time to gather your neighbors and organize your outdoor holiday tree displays. Foundation 205 is partnering with a proven vendor from Michigan to ensure improved tree quality and consistency, however quantities are limited. Click here to learn more and order by September 20th.

Technology/Chromebook Support: Please fill out this form and/or contact elearninghelp@elmhurst205.org if you are having technical issues with your District 205 device. Help is available from 7:30AM-4:00PM. You may also email Ms. Strong at lstrong@jefferson205.org. She has been able to help many Jefferson families who have had issues. Thank you Ms. Strong!

Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Again, students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week.

District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.

IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS September 8 - 1st Day of Hybrid Instruction Kindergarten  September 9 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM (Zoom details below) September 10 - Informational Video about Hybrid Instruction Sent to Families September 11- REACH Parent Group Virtual Meeting, 11:30AM September 13 - Room Parent Volunteer Form due September 14 - 1st Day of Hybrid Instruction 1st - 5th September 14 - “New to REACH” Parent Informational Virtual Meeting, 7:00PM September 14 - Virtual Experience Party "OneHope" Shopping Event  September 24 - Virtual Curriculum Night, 5:30PM-7:00PM  October 9 - Teacher's Institute Day, No School October 12 - Columbus Day, No School October 14 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30PM October 16 - Jefferson Spirit Wear Day  JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA Virtual PTA Meeting (Wednesday, September 9): Please join us for our first PTA meeting of the year starting at 7:30PM on Wednesday, September 9th. The meeting agenda includes Board introductions, 2020-2021 PTA budget review and approval, fundraising goals and upcoming opportunities. All are welcome to join but only members of the PTA can actively participate and vote at the meeting (see below to join the PTA).   Zoom meeting Link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8688016657?pwd=Wkl2cThkYVRqcEMwZ3ZzSGpWcm5vdz09  Meeting ID: 868 801 6657 Passcode: 801687 PTA Membership & Online Directory: You are now able to access MemberHub to join the PTA for the 2020-2021 school year. Please follow the directions below. Please remember, our PTA is working hard to creatively offer many of the great events and programs to our Jefferson students as we have in the past, although they may look a little different. In addition, the  PTA partners directly with our school administrators and teachers to support their needs. Unlike other years, we cannot solely count on fundraisers to cover our budgetary needs, so your membership is more important than ever. Membership in the PTA gives you the right to participate and vote at our meetings AND it is the only way you will have access to our school directory, which will be live on MemberHub soon. We strongly urge you to join the PTA this year. Thank you in advance for your support. Due to Covid restrictions, all memberships and payments will be completed online this year on our new platform, MemberHub.   Here is how you can access our membership options: Existing Jefferson Families: Go to www.memberhub.com and enter your email address associated with the school directory. If you are not already registered, select "I need to create my password" and click next. Complete the directions to access your account. Click "Shop" in the top navigation to see membership options. MemberHub has confirmed that you will likely need to check out of the store as a guest - but don't worry, your purchase will be tied to your account. If you cannot access your account or don't know which email address you should use, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com. New Jefferson Families: Go to this MemberHub new join link. Complete the directions to create your account. For security purposes, a site administrator will approve your account before you can access it to complete your profile and membership payment. If you have any issues, email mschweitzer312@gmail.com. Please note, parents with students at Bryan do not need to create a second account. If you click on your profile in the top right corner of the MemberHub homepage, you will be able to "switch organizations" between Bryan and Jefferson PTAs. Stay Connected: The Jefferson PTA has some exciting new things in the works for this 2020-2021 school year! A great way to stay up to date on the happenings at Jefferson is to follow the Jefferson PTA on Instagram, Twitter, or join Families of Jefferson 205Facebook group. FUNDRAISING Virtual Experience Party (Monday, September 14): Parents, get ready for Jefferson's first virtual experience party beginning on September 14th! Look for more details on the OneHope Shopping Event and an invitation on Facebook. The "private party link" to purchase items will be in the next e-newsletter. Start shopping for the holidays and raise money as well! SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES Room Parent Volunteers (Due Sunday, September 13): Although we do not know what this school year will look like, we do know we want to support our teachers in any way we can! One way you can do that is by becoming a Room Parent for your child(ren). If you are interested in making the 2020-2021 school year a great one, please fill in the form to become a Room Parent. Pledge Leader Volunteers: Morning announcements will be posted daily at 8:00AM on both the Jefferson Instagram page (@jeffersond205) and the Jefferson YouTube channel (Jefferson Elementary). Would your child like to lead the pledge during Morning Announcements? Click here for your child to sign-up for a date over the next few weeks. More detailed information will be sent to you once you have signed up. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to all the parents who have joined the Jefferson PTA for the 2020-2021 school year! We especially would like to thank our Jefferson PTA Platinum Level members: The Hood family, the Romano family, and the Schweitzer Family. Thank you for your support. Thank you to everyone that purchased Spiritwear in the Fall Jefferson Spiritwear Sale. Orders will arrive the week of October 5th. We can not wait to see our Jefferson Tigers wearing their new gear on Jefferson Spirit Day (Friday, October 16th).  DISTRICT NEWS Daily Student Health Self-Certification Process Required: As students begin in-person learning, the District has implemented a new safety measure that requires parent/guardian attention. A primary safety effort that is part of our Open D205 plan is to certify student health information every day.  This request is being asked of all D205 faculty, staff and families to complete. Parents/guardians need to complete the daily “certification” process prior to their child(ren) attempting to enter the school building each day. Please see our steps to complete the health certification process and watch our 1:47 video tutorial to learn how. The "certification" process is quick (less than 20 seconds per child) and the system is available now for parents/guardians to login and practice the health certification process. REACH Parent Group Virtual Meeting (Friday, September 11): The REACH Parent Group will be having a Zoom meeting Friday, September 11th at 11:30AM. The meeting is OPEN TO ALL D205 parents and will last about 60-90 mins. Leslie Weber, D205 REACH Coordinator, will be present. The REACH Parent Group will be discussing the upcoming “New to REACH” Parent Information Meeting, how programming may look different than last year, and Leslie and experienced parents alike will be ready to answer any questions that may surface during the meeting. If you've never been to a meeting, now's the time!  REACH Parent Informational Meeting (Monday, September 14): The REACH Parent Group is hosting a “New to REACH” Parent Informational Meeting on Monday, September 14th, 7:00PM (duration 1-2 hrs) on Zoom, details forthcoming. Leslie Weber, D205 Director of Curriculum and REACH Coordinator will present a program overview, identification, expectations, appeals, along with details from the REACH Program Analysis conducted this past year. The primary focus is on those families new to REACH. Experienced REACH parents will be on hand for questions and to provide further insight into the program. This meeting is OPEN TO ALL D205 parents including second grade parents wanting to learn more about REACH. Should you have any questions please contact Patti Berner REACH Parent Group Chairperson and/or your REACH Representative. D205 Remote Learning Meal Service Pick-Up Schedule: Meals may be ordered on a weekly basis through the PushCoin Webstore and are only available for pickup at the three middle schools (Bryan, Churchville, Sandburg) and at York High School. You must indicate which pickup location you prefer before you checkout. Please know your child(ren)'s student ID number will be required at pickup. Pick-Up: Wednesday, Sept. 9, 4-5:30PM (Items ordered for Sept. 10,11, 14)  Pick-Up: Monday, Sept. 14, 4-5:30PM (Items ordered for Sept. 15, 16) Pick-Up: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 4-5:30PM (Items ordered for Sept. 17, 18, 21) Pick-Up: Monday, Sept. 21, 4-5:30PM (Items ordered for Sept. 22, 23) Pick-Up: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 4-5:30PM (Items ordered for Sept. 24, 25, 28) Pick-Up: Monday, Sept. 28, 4-5:30PM (Items ordered for Sept. 29, 30) To set up an account and for more information go to the D205 website at: www.elmhurst205.org/resources/pushcoin  Foundation 205 Holiday Tree Sale Fundraiser: Spread Holiday joy and support Foundation 205! Although it may seem early, the annual outdoor tree sale is now underway so it is time to gather your neighbors and organize your outdoor holiday tree displays. Foundation 205 is partnering with a proven vendor from Michigan to ensure improved tree quality and consistency, however quantities are limited. Click here to learn more and order by September 20th. Technology/Chromebook Support: Please fill out this form and/or contact elearninghelp@elmhurst205.org if you are having technical issues with your District 205 device. Help is available from 7:30AM-4:00PM. You may also email Ms. Strong at lstrong@jefferson205.org. She has been able to help many Jefferson families who have had issues. Thank you Ms. Strong! Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Again, students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week. District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.

 

JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA

PTA Membership & Online Directory: Coming Soon! Our new membership and directory platform, MemberHub, will be ready soon. Please remember, our PTA is working hard to creatively offer many of the great events and programs to our Jefferson students as we have in the past, although they may look a little different. In addition, the  PTA partners directly with our school administrators and teachers to support their needs. Unlike other years, we cannot solely count on fundraisers to cover our budgetary needs, so your membership is more important than ever. Membership in the PTA gives you the right to participate and vote at our meetings AND it is the only way you will have access to our school directory. We strongly urge you to join the PTA this year. Thank you in advance for your support.

Please look for more detailed information in next week’s Tiger Beat on how to get registered on MemberHub and pay your PTA dues in the new platform.

PTA Committee Chair volunteer needs: The PTA is looking for people who can think outside of the box and work to make events happen in some capacity with our district’s COVID rules for the 2020-2021 school year.

• Jefferson Social (2 Chairs Needed) - The Social Committee plans and organizes numerous fun events and social options throughout the year to bring Jefferson families together outside of school hours. In past years we have had charitable offerings, family-friendly theater excursions, shopping events and parent’s night out to name a few! 

If you are interested in chairing these events, please contact Jen Bullock at jenbullock@mac.com.

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FUNDRAISING

Eat & Earn Fundraiser at McDonald's (Wednesday, August 26): Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! McDonald's is hosting a fundraiser for the Jefferson PTA. It's the perfect place to grab an after school snack, have lunch or enjoy dinner. Just mention Jefferson Elementary PTA when you order on Wednesday, August 26 from 1:00PM- 8:00PM and McDonald's will donate 20% of qualifying sales to the Jefferson Elementary School PTA. What a delicious way to raise money! Invite your family, friends and neighbors. McDonald's is located at 190 E. Butterfield Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126. Click here and here for more details.

Spiritwear: WANT TO SHOW YOUR JEFFERSON SPIRIT? Order your 2020-2021 Fall Spiritwear now before the sale ends September 4th! There are numerous new styles for boys, girls and parents. Click here or https://jefferson2020spiritwear.itemorder.com/sale to order your Jefferson swag. Orders will come in the week of October 5th. Pickup or delivery details will be announced shortly. If you have questions, please contact Andria Evans at aevans806@gmail.com. 

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SCHOOL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Jefferson Morning Announcements: Morning announcements will be posted daily at 8:00AM on both the Jefferson Instagram page (@jeffersond205) and the Jefferson YouTube channel (Jefferson Elementary). Opportunities to participate in the morning announcements will be emailed by Dr. Podraza later this week.  

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special thanks to Amanda Johnson and Cynthia Mares for welcoming our Kindergarteners and families new to Jefferson this year! We love seeing all the Jefferson Tiger signs throughout the neighborhood!

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DISTRICT NEWS

D205 Remote Learning Meal Service: Breakfast and lunch options are available for purchase for all D205 students during the remote learning period through the PushCoin Webstore. Meals may be ordered on a weekly basis and are only available for pickup at the three middle schools (Bryan, Churchville, Sandburg) and at York High School. You must indicate which pickup location you prefer before you checkout. Please know your child(ren)'s student ID number will be required at pickup.

• Pick up Date: Wednesday, August 26, 4-6PM - Items ordered for August 27th, 28th, and 31st 

To set up an account and for more information go to the D205 website at: www.elmhurst205.org/resources/pushcoin 

Foundation 205 Holiday Tree Sale Fundraiser: Spread Holiday joy and support Foundation 205! Although it may seem early, the annual outdoor tree sale is now underway so it is time to gather your neighbors and organize your outdoor holiday tree displays. Foundation 205 is partnering with a proven vendor from Michigan to ensure improved tree quality and consistency, however quantities are limited. Click here to learn more and order by September 20th.

Student Late Arrival Days: Wednesdays are remote learning days for students. References to late arrivals in the 2020-21 school calendar only apply to teachers at this time and until further notice. Again, students will report on Wednesdays for remote learning as they would on the other days of the week.

District 205 School Calendar 2020-2021: Refer to the Elmhurst D205 school calendar for the 2020-2021 year & specific Student Late Arrival dates.