Weekly Tiger Beat
Fall 2021
- Week 10: October 21, 2021
- Week 9: October 7, 2021
- Week 8: September 30, 2021
- Week 7: September 23, 2021
- Week 6: September 16, 2021
- Week 5: September 9, 2021
- Week 4: September 2, 2021
- Week 3: August 26, 2021
- Week 2: August 19, 2021
- Week 1: August 9, 2021
Week 10: October 21, 2021
IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS
- October 21 - (TONIGHT) PTA Council Scholarship Fund McDonald’s Eat + Earn (4-8 pm)
- October 22 - Last day to sign up for 4th grade Junior Great Books
- October 22 - 2019/2020 5th Grade Student Hand Prints (MPR, 9:30-10:55 am)
- October 24 - Start of UCCA Holiday Food Drive
- October 25 - Start of Red Ribbon Week. Wear Red!
- October 26 - Crazy Hair Day
- October 27 - Wear a lei or Hawaiian clothes
- October 28 - Wear bright clothing
- October 29 - Halloween Parade (8:40-9 am)
- October 29 - Wear black and orange
- October 29 - 4th grade Junior Great Books begins
- October 30 - Last day to join Chess Club
- November 3 - Chess club begins (Grades 2-5) (MPR, 6:30-7:30pm)
- November 5 - Trivia Night (Knights of Columbus, 6:30 pm)
- November 9 - PTA Meeting (Zoom, 7:30 pm)
- November 14 - HB Jones Football Sunday Eat + Earn
- November 18 - Thanksgiving Feast
- November 19 - Last day of UCCA Holiday Food Drive
PTA NEWS & EVENTS
4th Grade Junior Great Books (Begins Friday, October 29th): The Junior Great Books program will be in-person this fall! The 4th grade discussion group will meet for seven weekly sessions during recess and will run from late October thru 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, and 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.
If your child is interested in participating please fill out this form by Friday, October 22, 2021. Our first meeting will be Friday, October 29th.
Junior Great Books is sponsored by the Jefferson PTA and the REACH PTA. Please contact Lesley Samuel (lesleysamuel@gmail.com) with any questions.
Jefferson Trivia Night (Friday, November 5th): Jefferson PTA's Hollywood Trivia Night is drawing near! We are so excited to unveil our silent auction items! Be sure to secure your tickets so you can see what we have in store! Click here to register for a flat $40 per person. Participants have the option to form a complete team of eight; simply let us know who will be joining you through the questions asked during registration. (No need for one "team captain" to register and pay for all eight participants.) Or, expand your social circle and ask us to place you with other fun Jefferson parents with kids similar in age to yours!
For questions about the event, contact Colleen Pierce at PierceFamily787@gmail.com. For questions about registration, contact Cathy Dykes at Catherine.Dykes@gmail.com.
Jefferson Chess Club: We are very excited about the start of the new Chess Club at Jefferson! Chess is one of the most popular games in the world. Students will learn how to play the game of chess and have fun playing with their peers. Chess teaches children how to use creative thinking skills in real-world scenarios and helps students become better problem solvers in their everyday life.
Chess Club is for students in grades 2 through 5. It will take place every Wednesday evening from 6:30-7:30 pm in the Jefferson MPR beginning on Wednesday, November 3rd. If your child is interested in participating please fill out this form or click the link below by Friday, October 30, 2021. Our first meeting will be Wednesday, November 3rd.
A huge thank you to William Czech, a former Jefferson student and current York student, who has offered to help teach the game of chess to the students at Jefferson. Also, thank you to Gina Padgett and Jen Zacharias for supervising Chess Club. Chess Club is sponsored by the Jefferson PTA. Please contact Cynthia Mares at cynthiamares9@gmail.com with any questions you might have.
AmazonSmile: Did you know you can support the Jefferson PTA just by shopping on Amazon? AmazonSmile is a way customers can support their favorite charitable organization every time they shop! Click here to learn more about AmazonSmile and how to designate "Jefferson PTA Inc." as your chosen charity. Thank you for supporting your Jefferson PTA!
Reflections Art Program (due November 23rd): Reflections is the National PTA art program. Your children are invited to create a piece of artwork in one of six categories that reflects this year's theme: “I Will Change the World by...” They can choreograph a dance, produce a film, write a poem or story, compose a song, take photos, or create a piece of visual art, and then explain how it relates to the theme.
For more information, click here, where you will find submission rules for each category, entry forms, and other information about Reflections. All students need to submit their entries by November 23rd to the Jefferson front office. We are returning to physical submissions this year rather than virtual. Please contact Kanako Shuaipaj at kshuaipaj@gmail.com with any questions.
PTA Membership: The directory is up and running for PTA members! MemberHub let us know that their app is no longer being used, so you will want to delete the app off of your phone. If you prefer having an app, you can create a MemberHub shortcut icon on your cell phone screen for quick access to MemberHub. You will need to log in at www.memberhub.com to access the directory. You can filter the directory by "hubs" such as "second grade all" or "Third Grade - Ms. Riemersma." We are continuing to work with MemberHub to make corrections to any errors in the directory. If you notice any errors please reach out to Gina Lascody at ginalascody@gmail.com.
Jefferson Running Club: Jefferson Running Club meets every Monday and Wednesday through the first week of November (weather permitting). Please remind your students to keep their running necklaces in a safe spot (backpack, locker, cubby) so they are easily accessible on those days. Thank you to all of the volunteers who help make JRC so successful! We couldn't do it without you and we could always use more. Please sign up in the link below if you would like to come out and cheer on the students. We have slots for the minimum number of volunteers required to run JRC safely, but please feel free to come out even if slots are full. We could always use extra help on the course. We just ask that you check in with us to get your volunteer badge. Grandparents, aunts and uncles are welcome too!
We need 10 volunteers for the first session and 8 volunteers for the second session.
https://www.signupgenius.com/
- 10 volunteers needed for the first session to support Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade (10:55 am -12:05 pm)
- 8 volunteers needed for the second session to support our 3rd Grade, 4th Grade and 5th Grade (12:25 pm -1:35 pm)
If you have any questions regarding Running Club please contact: Patty Gorski (pdgorski@gmail.com) or Maggie Schweitzer (mschweitzer312@gmail.com).
SCHOOL + DISTRICT EVENTS
PTA Council Scholarship Fund McDonald’s Fundraiser (TONIGHT, Thursday, October 21 from 4-8 pm): McDonald's Eat and Earn in South Elmhurst (Butterfield Rd) and Villa Park (St Charles Rd west of Rt 83). Show the flyer or say “I’m with York!” at the 1st window for 20% of profits to benefit the scholarship fund. Then, bring CASH for cookies at the second window. (Minimum $1 per cookie). All money raised for cookies also goes towards scholarships too!
43rd Annual UCCA Holiday Food Drive (October 24 through November 19, 2021): All District 205 students and families are invited to help fill holiday food boxes by bringing their donations of nonperishable food to their local schools October 25 through November 19, 2021. The donations will be picked up, packed, and delivered to families on Saturday, December 11. Each year the vast majority of food delivered comes from the schools! Too busy to shop? UCCA will have an online donation component of the food drive as well. More details to come!
Webinar on Vaccines for School Age Children 5+: Parents, staff and community members were invited to a webinar discussing Vaccines for School Age Children. The webinar was sponsored by Elmhurst School District 205 as a service to families and was held at 7:30pm on Wednesday, October 20. The webinar featured a panel of medical experts in immunology and infectious diseases. The team answered questions about the vaccine and provided updates to families about COVID in Illinois, DuPage County, and our school district. The webinar was recorded and is posted on the District’s YouTube page.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Jefferson Fun Run: Thank you to Renee Epstein and all of the volunteers, as well as our Jefferson VP of Events, Colleen Kay, for putting together and organizing an amazing Fun Run this year! This event was much anticipated with hundreds of Jefferson students and parents in attendance.
2021-2022 PTA BOARD MEMBERS
President: Meghan Hood
VP of Membership: Gina Lascody
VP of Communications: Valerie King
VP of Events: Colleen Kay
VP of Programs: Cynthia Mares
VP of Fundraising: Cathy Dykes / Erica Philippi
Recording Secretary: Sara Roberts
Treasurer: Kara Johnson
JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA LINKS AND RESOURCES
Jefferson PTA website:
https://jefferson.elmhurst205.
Jefferson PTA Instagram: @JeffersonPTAD205
Facebook: Families of Jefferson 205
2021-2022 PTA Calendar: Click here.
Week 9: October 7, 2021
IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS
- October 8 - Teacher Institute Day, NO SCHOOL
- October 10 - Last day to sign up for Family Glo Run
- October 11 - Columbus Day, NO SCHOOL
- October 12 - PTA Meeting (In-person, MPR, 7 pm)
- October 15 - Family Glo Run (Jefferson, 6 pm)
- October 19 - Lockdown Drill
- October 20 - Student Late Arrival
- October 21 - Coffee with Dr. Podraza (MPR, 8:20 am)
- October 21 - PTA Council Scholarship Fund McDonald’s Eat + Earn
- October 22 - Last day to sign up for 4th grade Junior Great Books
- October 29 - Halloween Parade
- October 29 - 4th grade Junior Great Books begins
- November 5 - Trivia Night (Knights of Columbus, 6:30 pm)
- November 9 - PTA Meeting (Zoom, 7:30 pm)
- November 14 - HB Jones Football Sunday Eat + Earn
PTA NEWS & EVENTS
PTA Meeting (IN PERSON) (Tuesday, October 12th): Please join us for our next PTA meeting IN PERSON in the MPR and note the earlier start time of 7 pm. We are excited to have Ms. Cusack lead us in a workshop on using positive reinforcement strategies in various ways to improve behavior. Also joining us will be a special presentation by the 5th grade teaching team. We apologize but this meeting will not be streamed or recorded.
Jefferson Family Glo Run 2021 (Friday, October 15th): There has been a tremendous response to our upcoming family Glo Run on October 15th from 6-7:30 pm. This event is now FULL! Please email renee@b-wellevents.com
4th Grade Junior Great Books (Begins Friday, October 29th): The Junior Great Books program will be in-person this fall! The 4th grade discussion group will meet for seven weekly sessions during recess and will run from late October thru 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, and 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.
If your child is interested in participating please fill out this form by Friday, October 22, 2021. Our first meeting will be Friday, October 29th.
Junior Great Books is sponsored by the Jefferson PTA and the REACH PTA. Please contact Lesley Samuel (lesleysamuel@gmail.com) with any questions.
Jefferson Trivia Night (Friday, November 5th): Join us for one of the biggest fundraisers of the year! The event will host 160 parents, teachers, and staff, organized in teams of 8, in a fun, informal competition. There will be a silent auction, raffle prizes, and a grand prize for the winning team.
Doors open at 6:30 pm, trivia starts at 7:30 pm, and music and fun continue until 11:30 pm. The event will be held at the Knights of Columbus. Purchase your spot now for $40 per player or $320 for a table of 8. Please register here. For more information, please see the Hollywood Trivia Night flyer.
Reflections (due November 23rd): Reflections is the National PTA art program. Your children are invited to create a piece of artwork in one of six categories that reflects this year's theme: “I Will Change the World by...” They can choreograph a dance, produce a film, write a poem or story, compose a song, take photos, or create a piece of visual art, and then explain how it relates to the theme.
For more information, click here, where you will find submission rules for each category, entry forms, and other information about Reflections. All students need to submit their entries by November 23rd to the Jefferson front office. We are returning to physical submissions this year rather than virtual. Please contact Kanako Shuaipaj with any questions.
PTA Membership: The directory is close to being ready! Thank you to the Jefferson office staff for their help! We are hoping to have it up and running for PTA members within the next two weeks.
Jefferson Running Club: Jefferson Running Club meets every Monday and Wednesday through the first week of November (weather permitting). Please remind your students to keep their running necklaces in a safe spot (backpack, locker, cubby) so they are easily accessible on those days. Thank you to all of the volunteers who help make JRC so successful! We couldn't do it without you and we could always use more. Please sign up in the link below if you would like to come out and cheer on the students. We have slots for the minimum number of volunteers required to run JRC safely, but please feel free to come out even if slots are full. We could always use extra help on the course. We just ask that you check in with us to get your volunteer badge. Grandparents, aunts and uncles are welcome too!
We need 10 volunteers for the first session and 8 volunteers for the second session.
https://www.signupgenius.com/
- 10 volunteers needed for the first session to support Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade (10:55 am -12:05 pm)
- 8 volunteers needed for the second session to support our 3rd Grade, 4th Grade and 5th Grade (12:25 pm -1:35 pm)
If you have any questions regarding Running Club please contact: Patty Gorski (pdgorski@gmail.com) or Maggie Schweitzer (mschweitzer312@gmail.com).
SCHOOL + DISTRICT EVENTS
REACH: Please join us for our next REACH Parent Group meeting on Thursday, October 14th at 7pm via Zoom. The main focus of our meeting will be to share and celebrate some of the outstanding work being done in the REACH classrooms. We will have some of our REACH teachers joining to share some math and ELA enrichment. We hope you can join! Zoom information is below.
Topic: REACH_PG Unknown's Zoom Meeting
Time: Oct 14, 2021 07:00 PM Central Time
Zoom Meeting Link:
https://elmhurst205.zoom.us/j/
Meeting ID: 727 517 7298
Passcode: 973398
PTA Council Scholarship Fund: The PTA Council Scholarship Fund presents their first “Scholarships for Dukes” fundraiser, a McDonald's Eat and Earn 2 Way! The PTA Council Scholarship Fund provides a number of scholarships to graduating York High school seniors. Visit the McDonald’s locations in South Elmhurst (on Butterfield Road) or Villa Park (St. Charles Road, west of Route 83) on Thursday, October 21 from 4-8pm, where a portion of the proceeds will benefit this scholarship fund.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Jefferson Trolley Night: Thank you to the Jefferson community for their participation in this year's trolley event! With the support of our attendees, we were able to raise over $5,000 for the Jefferson PTA! We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to our trolley sponsors and event planners: Kara Johnson, Stephanie Palzkill, and Kristen Wrigley! This certainly was a fun tradition to bring back after not being able to hold the event last year.
Science Olympiad: Thank you to Meredith Vogel and Carly Scharfenberg-Grant, as well as all of their volunteers, for organizing and putting together an amazing Science Olympiad night! This event was much anticipated and students had a wonderful experience conducting their experiments!
Trivia Night Donors: The Jefferson PTA would like to thank and highlight a few more of our trivia night donors. Thank you to Huntington Learning Centers for the generous gift basket and Gia Mia and Cuvee Cellars for their gift card donations. These generous donors are helping make this event a great night!
2021-2022 PTA BOARD MEMBERS
President: Meghan Hood
VP of Membership: Gina Lascody
VP of Communications: Valerie King
VP of Events: Colleen Kay
VP of Programs: Cynthia Mares
VP of Fundraising: Cathy Dykes / Erica Philippi
Recording Secretary: Sara Roberts
Treasurer: Kara Johnson
JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA LINKS AND RESOURCES
Jefferson PTA website:
https://jefferson.elmhurst205.
Jefferson PTA Instagram: @JeffersonPTAD205
Facebook: Families of Jefferson 205
2021-2022 PTA Calendar: Click here.
Week 8: September 30, 2021
IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS
- October 2 - Last day to order t-shirts for Family Glo Run
- October 2 - Jefferson Trolley Night (7 pm)
- October 4 - Science Olympiad (6-7:30 pm)
- October 4 - Portillo’s Eat & Earn (5-8 pm)
- October 8 - Teacher Institute Day, NO SCHOOL
- October 10 - Last day to sign up for Family Glo Run
- October 11 - Columbus Day, NO SCHOOL
- October 12 - PTA Meeting (In-person, MPR, 7 pm) *NOTE TIME CHANGE*
- October 15 - Family Glo Run (Jefferson, 6 pm) *NOTE LOCATION CHANGE*
- October 19 - Lockdown Drill
- October 20 - Student Late Arrival
- October 21 - Coffee with Dr. Podraza (MPR, 8:20 am)
- October 29 - Halloween Parade
PTA NEWS & EVENTS
Portillo’s Eat & Earn (Monday, October 4th): Don’t forget Portillo’s eat and earn on Monday, October 4th. Make your busy Science Olympiad night a little easier with take out! The Jefferson PTA gets back 20% of all purchases from 5-8 pm.
Science Olympiad (Monday, October 4th): Science Olympiad is coming up this Monday, October 4th! We are pushing the time back by 15 minutes to accommodate rec station. Unless you are an event helper, please do not drop your child off until 6 pm. The doors will be locked until 6:00 pm. Pick up will be at 7:30 pm.
PTA Meeting (IN PERSON) (Tuesday, October 12th): Please join us for our next PTA meeting IN PERSON in the MPR and note the earlier start time of 7:00 pm. We are excited to have Ms. Cusack lead us in a workshop on using positive reinforcement strategies in various ways to improve behavior. Also joining us will be a special presentation by the 5th grade teaching team. We apologize but this meeting will not be streamed or recorded.
Jefferson Family Glo Run 2021 (Friday, October 15th): Join us for this FREE family event on Friday, October 15th from 6-7:30 pm. The event was originally to be held at Butterfield Park but will now be held at Jefferson School, due to a scheduling conflict with the park district. Meet at 6 pm at the picnic tables by the gardens at Jefferson. Please register to ensure your family receives a glo run packet (includes race bibs and glo sticks for all registered family members). This will be a 1 mile family fun run; however, families will have the option to run additional laps if they wish. Note: Glo paint will not be provided this year. You are welcome to decorate yourself with your own glo paint at home if you wish! OPTIONAL - purchase a neon "Tiger Fun Run" t-shirt for the kids! T-Shirt orders close at midnight on October 2nd; however, race registration will remain open until October 10th. Please register here.
Jefferson Trivia Night (Friday, November 5th): Join us for one of the biggest fundraisers of the year! The event will host 160 parents, teachers, and staff, organized in teams of 8, in a fun, informal competition. There will be a silent auction, raffle prizes, and a grand prize for the winning team.
Doors open at 6:30 pm, trivia starts at 7:30 pm, and music and fun continue until 11:30 pm. Event will be held at the Knights of Columbus. Purchase your spot now for $40 per player or $320 for a table of 8. Please register here.
For more information, please see the Hollywood Trivia Night flyer.
PTA Membership: The directory is close to being ready! Thank you to the Jefferson office staff for their help! We are hoping to have it up and running for PTA members within the next two weeks.
Jefferson Running Club: Jefferson Running Club meets every Monday and Wednesday through the first week of November (weather permitting). Please remind your students to keep their running necklaces in a safe spot (backpack, locker, cubby) so they are easily accessible on those days. Thank you to all of the volunteers who help make JRC so successful! We couldn't do it without you and we could always use more. Please sign up in the link below if you would like to come out and cheer on the students. We have slots for the minimum number of volunteers required to run JRC safely, but please feel free to come out even if slots are full. We could always use extra help on the course. We just ask that you check in with us to get your volunteer badge. Grandparents, aunts and uncles are welcome too!
We need 10 volunteers for the first session and 8 volunteers for the second session.
https://www.signupgenius.com/
- 10 volunteers needed for the first session to support Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade (10:55 am -12:05 pm)
- 8 volunteers needed for the second session to support our 3rd Grade, 4th Grade and 5th Grade (12:25 pm -1:35 pm)
If you have any questions regarding Running Club please contact: Patty Gorski (pdgorski@gmail.com) or Maggie Schweitzer (mschweitzer312@gmail.com).
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
LRC Volunteers: Our new librarian, Ms. Howe, is ready to welcome volunteers to come in to help with the shelving of returned books! She is VERY excited to have both new and experienced volunteers help her out now that all of our students are able to check out books weekly. All parents are welcome to sign up, and will be scheduled for a one hour shift at least once a month. The available times are currently Tuesday through Friday from 8:15 am until 9:15 am and Wednesdays from 11:30 am until 12:30 pm.
We currently have a mighty LRC volunteer team of 10, but we need more of us to help organize and restock the shelves. There are SO many books coming back in, and the to-be-returned book carts are constantly full. We want to help get the books back into student hands as soon as possible, and keeping the stacks in great shape is a key part of that! You can work as frequently as you would like, or just once a month. And the time flies when you're there!!!
If you love to organize, love books, or just love to help, please fill out this Google Form. If you have any questions, please contact Jill Burns (jillburns5@gmail.com).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Book Fair: Everybody loves the book fair because the book fair gives back! It was a magical week of reading under the stars! A special thank you to Dr. Podraza and our mascot TJ the Tiger for making the Family Night event so much fun by spending time with our Jefferson families.
With all your help the PTA was able to donate over $3,300 in new books: 170 new books to the Jefferson Library and teachers' classrooms and 385 new books for all students.
Thank you to Mrs. Howe (LRC) who was instrumental in organizing classroom book fair visits and introducing new books to the students. Thank you also to the 28 book fair volunteers that covered shifts, decorated the gym and lobby, set up and took down the fair, and helped our students find their favorite book.
A very special thank you also to our book fair co-chairs Ioana Fernandez, Kathy Fromm, Kanako Shuaipaj, and Jess Testani. The book fair would not be possible without all of your efforts.
See you next year at the book fair!
Trivia Night Donors: The Jefferson PTA would also like to send a big thank you to our donors for the November 5th trivia night! We will spotlight a few each week. Thank you to Classic Cinemas for movie passes, Halfway House and HB Jones for their generous gift cards, and Kilwins for free ice cream for a year! All of these donations will be a part of the silent auction during Trivia Night. See above for more details on this event!
2021-2022 PTA BOARD MEMBERS
President: Meghan Hood
VP of Membership: Gina Lascody
VP of Communications: Valerie King
VP of Events: Colleen Kay
VP of Programs: Cynthia Mares
VP of Fundraising: Cathy Dykes / Erica Philippi
Recording Secretary: Sara Roberts
Treasurer: Kara Johnson
JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA LINKS AND RESOURCES
Jefferson PTA website:
https://jefferson.elmhurst205.
Jefferson PTA Instagram: @JeffersonPTAD205
Facebook: Families of Jefferson 205
2021-2022 PTA Calendar: Click here.
Week 7: September 23, 2021
IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS
- September 24 - Last day for Science Olympiad registration
- September 29 - SERG Parent Webinar (Virtual, 7pm)
- October 2 - Last day to order t-shirts for Family Glo Run
- October 2 - Jefferson Trolley Night (7pm)
- October 4 - Science Olympiad (6-7:30pm)
- October 4 - Portillo’s Eat & Earn (5-8pm)
- October 8 - Teacher Institute Day, NO SCHOOL
- October 10 - Last day to sign up for Family Glo Run
- October 11 - Columbus Day, NO SCHOOL
- October 12 - PTA Meeting (In-person, MPR, 7pm) *NOTE TIME CHANGE*
- October 15 - Family Glo Run (Butterfield Park Pavilion, 6pm)
- October 21 - Coffee with Dr. Podraza (MPR, 8:20am)
PTA NEWS & EVENTS
4th Grade Girl Scout Troop (Starts Tuesday, September 28th): If your student would like to join the 4th grade troop, please reach out to Amanda French at amandawfrench@gmail.com. The first meeting is Tuesday, September 28th, 6:15-7:15pm in the MPR.
Jefferson Trolley **Full** (Saturday, October 2nd): All spots for the 2021 Jefferson Trolley have been reserved and we have no one on the waitlist! If you were hoping to join us, please add your name to the waitlist to be contacted in case of last-minute cancellations! Click here for the waitlist. Contact Cathy Dykes (Catherine.Dykes@gmail.com) with any questions regarding registration. Questions about the event itself can be directed to Kara Johnson (Karajohnson1018@
Science Olympiad is Here! (Monday, October 4th): The wait is over! Back by popular demand, we are pleased to announce this year’s Science Olympiad. Hurry and sign up to attend one of Jefferson’s favorite events. Kids will be paired up into groups of 3-5 kids and will conduct 3 amazing experiments. Come join the fun and sign up today! Registration is open until TOMORROW, September 24! Science Olympiad will be held on Monday evening, October 4. Click here to sign up!
PTA Meeting (IN PERSON) (Tuesday, October 12th): Please join us for our next PTA meeting IN PERSON in the MPR and note the earlier start time of 7:00 PM. We are excited to have Ms. Cusack lead us in a workshop on positive parenting. Also joining us will be a special presentation by the 5th grade teaching team. We apologize but this meeting will not be streamed or recorded.
Jefferson Family Glo Run 2021 (Friday, October 15th): Join us for this FREE family event on Friday, October 15th from 6:00-7:30 pm at BUTTERFIELD PARK. We will meet at the Butterfield Park Pavilion for registration, packet pickup, and warmups. Please register to ensure your family receives a glo run packet (includes race bibs and glo sticks for all registered family members). Note: Glo paint will not be provided this year. You are welcome to decorate yourself with your own glo paint at home if you wish! OPTIONAL - purchase a neon "Tiger Fun Run" t-shirt for the kids! T-Shirt orders close at midnight on October 2nd; however, race registration will remain open until October 10th. Register here.
Jefferson Running Club: Jefferson Running Club meets every Monday and Wednesday through the first week of November (weather permitting). Please remind your students to keep their running necklaces in a safe spot (backpack, locker, cubby) so they are easily accessible on those days. Thank you to all of the volunteers who help make JRC so successful! We couldn't do it without you and we could always use more. Please sign up in the link below if you would like to come out and cheer on the students. We have slots for the minimum number of volunteers required to run JRC safely, but please feel free to come out even if slots are full. We could always use extra help on the course. We just ask that you check in with us to get your volunteer badge. Grandparents, aunts and uncles are welcome too!
We need 10 volunteers for the first session and 8 volunteers for the second session.
https://www.signupgenius.com/
- 10 volunteers needed for the first session to support Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade (10:55am -12:05pm)
- 8 volunteers needed for the second session to support our 3rd Grade, 4th Grade and 5th Grade (12:25pm -1:35pm)
If you have any questions regarding Running Club please contact: Patty Gorski (pdgorski@gmail.com) or Maggie Schweitzer (mschweitzer312@gmail.com).
PTA Membership: We are currently working on the directory and hope to have it up and running soon! You can join the PTA at: https://jefferson205.
DISTRICT NEWS
SERG Parent Webinar - State of D205 Special Education Services (Wednesday, September 29th): D205 Student Services Administrators and our new Superintendent will present improvements and plans for this school year. Hear from administrators who handle K-5, 6-12, York, and Outplacement as they discuss the improvements that have been made over the last 18 months and their top two to three priority improvements for this school year. Join us for this remote meeting on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 7 pm via this Zoom Link.
FOUNDATION 205: Continue Elmhurst's outdoor holiday tree tradition! Order now to support Elmhurst Public Schools and guarantee availability. Quantities are limited and once they're gone, they're gone! Click here to place your order now!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
PTA Social Committee Chairs: Looking for an easy way to get involved? The Jefferson PTA Social Committee plans and organizes numerous fun events and social options throughout the year. We are seeking two volunteers to plan some fun events to bring Jefferson families together outside of school hours. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Colleen Kay at colleenakay@gmail.com.
LRC Volunteers: Our new librarian, Ms. Howe, is ready to welcome volunteers to come in to help with the shelving of returned books! She is VERY excited to have both new and experienced volunteers help her out now that all of our students are able to check out books weekly. All parents are welcome to sign up, and will be scheduled for a one hour shift at least once a month. The available times are currently Tuesday through Friday from 8:15 am until 9:15 am and Wednesdays from 11:30 am until 12:30 pm.
We currently have a mighty LRC volunteer team of 10, but we need more of us to help organize and restock the shelves. There are SO many books coming back in, and the to-be-returned book carts are constantly full. We want to help get the books back into student hands as soon as possible, and keeping the stacks in great shape is a key part of that! You can work as frequently as you would like, or just once a month. And the time flies when you're there!!!
If you love to organize, love books, or just love to help, please fill out this Google Form. If you have any questions, please contact Jill Burns (jillburns5@gmail.com).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A HUGE thank you to the Jefferson Book Fair Committee (Ioana Fernandez, Kathy Fromm, Kanako Shuaipaj, and Jess Testani) for all of their hard work in putting together an amazing book fair week! It has been wonderful to be able to browse in-person again and attend all of the fun family shopping events. Thank you to all of the families who have purchased and donated books so far. Your support of the Jefferson PTA is so appreciated!
Thank you also to Amanda French for organizing a super fun kindergarten parent meet-up at HB Jones this week! It was a great opportunity to mix and mingle with other kindergarten parents outside of pick-up and drop off!
2021-2022 PTA BOARD MEMBERS
President: Meghan Hood
VP of Membership: Gina Lascody
VP of Communications: Valerie King
VP of Events: Colleen Kay
VP of Programs: Cynthia Mares
VP of Fundraising: Cathy Dykes / Erica Philippi
Recording Secretary: Sara Roberts
Treasurer: Kara Johnson
JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA LINKS AND RESOURCES
Jefferson PTA website:
https://jefferson.elmhurst205.
Jefferson PTA Instagram: @JeffersonPTAD205
Facebook: Families of Jefferson 205
2021-2022 PTA Calendar: Click here.
Week 6: September 16, 2021
IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS
- September 20 - Book Fair Week starts!
- September 21 - Book Fair Family Night (5-8 pm)
- September 21 - Kindergarten Parents Meet-up (H.B. Jones NW patio, 7 pm)
- September 22 - Book Fair GRAND Event (8:30-9:30 am)
- September 22 - Student Late Arrival
- September 24 - Last day for Science Olympiad registration
- September 29 - SERG Parent Webinar (Virtual, 7 pm)
- October 4 - Science Olympiad (6-7:30 pm)
- October 4 - Portillo’s Eat & Earn (5-8 pm)
- October 8 - Teacher Institute Day, NO SCHOOL
- October 11 - Columbus Day, NO SCHOOL
- October 12 - PTA Meeting (In-person, 7:30 pm)
PTA NEWS & EVENTS
Scholastic Book Fair Week is NEXT WEEK! (September 20-24): The Books Bring Us Togetherbook fair runs September 20-24 at Jefferson Elementary. Check out the amazing new titles in this interactive book flyer. Books bring us adventure, opportunities, and discoveries. Please visit our book fair homepage for more information about hours of operation, special events, and online ordering.
- Scholastic eWallet: Sign up your child for this secure, cash-free way to shop the book fair. Simply create a free account for your child, preauthorize a spending limit, and have funds immediately available. Sales tax does apply. If you created an account in the previous years, all you have to do is sign in and add funds to the account. After the fair, remaining eWallet funds are not returned to a credit card but instead, become a gift card balance that can be used online with Scholastic or to fund an eWallet for a future book fair. Be sure to sign in with the same email used to create the eWallet.
- School Day Visits (Tuesday, September 21 and Wednesday, September 22): During the school day on Tuesday and Wednesday of book fair week, students will visit the fair with their classes and select their free book from the PTA. Students may also shop with cash from home in a clearly marked resealable bag or their eWallet account. The PTA will provide a receipt for all purchases. Sales tax does apply.
- Family Night (Tuesday, September 21, 5-8 pm): In-person event. Family night is always a favorite filled with lots of fun and a guest reader.
- GRAND Event (Wednesday, September 22, 8:30-9:30 am): Another in-person event returns! Family, friends and neighbors are invited to come in before school to shop the book fair with their favorite Jefferson Tigers. This is a great opportunity to spend time with someone GRAND (Grandparents, Relatives, Aunts/Uncles, Neighbors, Devoted Caregivers)
For more information, contact the Book Fair committee: Ioana Fernandez, Kathy Fromm, Kanako Shuaipaj, and Jess Testani.
Kindergarten Parents Night (Tuesday, September 21): Get to know fellow Jefferson kindergarten parents. Join us on Tuesday, September 21 at the H.B. Jones northwest patio along York (not their main patio) any time after 7:00 pm. Moms and/or Dads are all welcome. RSVP at http://evite.me/QRa447NhMp.
Jefferson Trolley **Full** (Saturday, October 2nd): All spots for the 2021 Jefferson Trolley have been reserved and we have no one on the waitlist! If you were hoping to join us, please add your name to the waitlist to be contacted in case of last-minute cancellations! Click here for the waitlist.
Contact Cathy Dykes (Catherine.Dykes@gmail.com) with any questions regarding registration. Questions about the event itself can be directed to Kara Johnson (Karajohnson1018@
Science Olympiad is Here! (Monday, October 4): The wait is over! Back by popular demand, we are pleased to announce this year’s Science Olympiad. Hurry and sign up to attend one of Jefferson’s favorite events. Kids will be paired up into groups of 3-5 kids and will conduct 3 amazing experiments. Come join the fun and sign up today! Registration is open until September 24! Science Olympiad will be held on Monday evening, October 4. Click here to sign up!
Jefferson Running Club: Jefferson Running Club (JRC) kicked off its 13th year with a bang! JRC members ran a total of 533 miles (1600 laps) in the first two days alone with 67% of the total student population participating!
JRC runs every Monday and Wednesday through the first week of November (weather permitting). Please remind your students to keep their running necklaces in a safe spot (backpack, locker, cubby) so they are easily accessible on Mondays and Wednesdays.
A huge THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who made the first two days a success. We kept hearing how great it was to see kids determined to earn their charm while having fun. If you would like to volunteer for a day, please sign up in the link below. Don't let full slots deter you from coming out. We can always use extra help on the course. We just ask that you check in with us to get your volunteer badge. Grandparents, aunts and uncles can come cheer on the students as well. The more the merrier! We need 10 volunteers for the first session and 8 volunteers for the second session to help make JRC safe and successful.
https://www.signupgenius.com/
- 10 volunteers needed for the first session to support Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade (10:55 am -12:05 pm)
- 8 volunteers needed for the second session to support our 3rd Grade, 4th Grade and 5th Grade (12:25 pm -1:35 pm)
If you have any questions regarding Running Club please contact Patty Gorski (pdgorski@gmail.com) or Maggie Schweitzer (mschweitzer312@gmail.com)
PTA Membership: We are currently working on the directory and hope to have it up and running soon! Join the PTA at https://jefferson205.
If you have any questions regarding membership or need assistance, please reach out to Gina Lascody via email: ginalascody@gmail.com.
DISTRICT NEWS
SERG Parent Webinar - State of D205 Special Education Services (Wednesday, September 29): D205 Student Services Administrators and our new Superintendent will present improvements and plans for this school year. Hear from administrators who handle K-5, 6-12, York, and Outplacement as they discuss the improvements that have been made over the last 18 months and their top two to three priority improvements for this school year. Join us for this remote meeting on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 7 pm via this Zoom Link.
FOUNDATION 205: Continue Elmhurst's outdoor holiday tree tradition! Order now to support Elmhurst Public Schools and guarantee availability. Quantities are limited and once they're gone, they're gone! Click here to place your order now!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Book Fair Volunteers Needed: Guess what? It is almost time for the book fair and the book fair chairs are looking for some volunteers to help us make this the best book fair ever!!!
In order to do that, we need your help: decorating, setting up, helping during class visits and other times before and after school and finally with packing up the fair materials and books.
If you are interested in volunteering, please access the volunteer sign-up here. Thank you for your help because we know that EVERYBODY LOVES THE BOOK FAIR!
For more information, contact the Book Fair committee: Ioana Fernandez, Kathy Fromm, Kanako Shuaipaj, and Jess Testani.
Jefferson Memory Book: Attention 5th-grade parents! We are looking for volunteers to help create the Jefferson memory book for class of 2029. We use an online program called TreeRing to design pages. If you are interested please contact janettelanciloti@
LRC Volunteers: Our new librarian, Ms. Howe, is ready to welcome volunteers to come in to help with the shelving of returned books! She is VERY excited to have both new and experienced volunteers help her out now that all of our students are able to check out books weekly. All parents are welcome to sign up, and will be scheduled for a one hour shift at least once a month. The available times are currently Tuesday through Friday from 8:15 am until 9:15 am and Wednesdays from 11:30 am until 12:30 pm. If you love to organize, love books, or just love to help, please fill out this Google Form. If you have any questions, please contact Jill Burns (jillburns5@gmail.com).
PTA Social Committee Chairs: Looking for an easy way to get involved? The Jefferson PTA Social Committee plans and organizes numerous fun events and social options throughout the year. We are seeking two volunteers to plan some fun events to bring Jefferson families together outside of school hours. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Colleen Kay at colleenakay@gmail.com.
New Chess Club: Calling all chess enthusiasts! Jefferson PTA is looking for a parent to help supervise this long lost club. You do not need to know chess! A former Jefferson/current York student is looking to help students be successful at the D205 Student Chess tournament held in March of every year. If you are interested in this opportunity, please reach out to Cynthia Mares cynthiamares9@gmail.com
2021-2022 PTA BOARD MEMBERS
President: Meghan Hood
VP of Membership: Gina Lascody
VP of Communications: Valerie King
VP of Events: Colleen Kay
VP of Programs: Cynthia Mares
VP of Fundraising: Cathy Dykes / Erica Philippi
Recording Secretary: Sara Roberts
Treasurer: Kara Johnson
JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA LINKS AND RESOURCES
Jefferson PTA website:
https://jefferson.elmhurst205.
Jefferson PTA Instagram: @JeffersonPTAD205
Facebook: Families of Jefferson 205
2021-2022 PTA Calendar: Click here.
Week 5: September 9, 2021
IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS
- September 9 - REACH Parent Group meeting (District Office, Conference Room 217, 1-2pm)
- September 10 - 5th grade Junior Great Books begins
- September 14 - PTA Meeting (Virtual, 7:30pm)
- September 20 - Book Fair Week starts
- September 21 - Book Fair Family Night (5-8pm)
- September 21 - Kindergarten Parents Meet-up (H.B. Jones NW patio, 7pm)
- September 22 - Book Fair Grand Event (8:30-9:30am)
- September 24 - Last day for Science Olympiad registration
- September 29 - SERG Parent Webinar (Virtual, 7pm)
- October 4 - Science Olympiad (6-7:30pm)
- October 4 - Portillo’s Eat & Earn
- October 7 - Coffee with Dr. Podraza (MPR)
- October 8 - Teacher Institute Day, NO SCHOOL
- October 11 - Columbus Day, NO SCHOOL
PTA NEWS & EVENTS
5th Grade Junior Great Books (Begins TOMORROW, September 10th): The Junior Great Books program will be in-person this fall! The 5th grade discussion group will meet for 7 weekly sessions during recess 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.
If your child is interested in participating please fill out this form. Our first meeting will be tomorrow, Friday, September 10th.
Junior Great Books is sponsored by the Jefferson PTA and the REACH PTA. Please contact Lesley Samuel (lesleysamuel@gmail.com) with any questions.
Kindergarten Parents Night (Tuesday, September 21st): Get to know fellow JeffersonKindergarten parents. Join us on Tuesday, September 21st at the H.B. Jones northwest patio along York (not their main patio) any time after 7:00pm. Moms and/or Dads are all welcome. RSVP at http://evite.me/QRa447NhMp.
Scholastic Book Fair Week is approaching (September 20th-24th): The Books Bring us Together Book Fair runs September 20-24 at Jefferson Elementary. Check out the amazing new titles in the interactive book flyer. Books bring us adventure, opportunities, and discoveries. Please visit our Book Fair Homepage for hours of operation, special events, and online ordering.
- Scholastic eWallet: Sign up your child for this secure, cash-free way to shop the book fair. Simply create a free account for your child, preauthorize a spending limit, and have funds immediately available. Your credit card will only be charged for the amount your child spends. Sales tax does apply. If you created an account in the previous years, all you have to do is sign in and add funds to the account.
- School Day Visits: During the school day, students select their free book from the PTA and may also shop with cash from home in a clearly marked resealable bag or their eWallet account. The PTA will provide a receipt for all purchases. Sales tax does apply.
- Family Night (Tuesday, September 21, 5-8pm) - in-person event. More details to follow.
- GRAND Event (Wednesday, September 22, 8:30-9:30am) - in-person event. More details to follow
For more information, contact the Book Fair committee: Ioana Fernandez, Kathy Fromm, Kanako Shuaipaj, and Jess Testani.
Jefferson Trolley Saturday **Full** (Saturday, October 2nd): All spots for the 2021 JeffersonTrolley have been reserved. Thank you all for the support! We are in the process of notifying people as spots open up from the waitlist. If you are on the waitlist, keep an eye on your inbox for notification as possible openings become available.
We can still collect names for those who are interested in attending. Click here to be added to the waitlist, and please contact Cathy Dykes (Catherine.Dykes@gmail.com) with any questions regarding registration.
Registered participants will receive an Evite with specific details as the event draws near. Questions about the event itself can be directed to Kara Johnson (Karajohnson1018@
Science Olympiad is Here! (Monday, October 4th): The wait is over! Back by popular demand, we are pleased to announce this year’s Science Olympiad. Hurry and sign up to attend one of Jefferson’s favorite events. Kids will be paired up into groups of 3-5 kids and will conduct 3 amazing experiments. Come join the fun and sign up today! Registration is open until September 24th! Science Olympiad will be held on Monday evening, October 4th. Click here to sign up!
Jefferson Running Club: Jefferson Running Club (JRC) has started its 13th year! For those new to Running Club, ALL students have the opportunity to run/walk during their 25 minute lunch recess to earn and collect charms for every mile they accumulate throughout the season. Students run around an established path on school grounds and Van Voorst Park. Three times around the path equals one mile.
JRC just started its fall season and continues every Monday and Wednesday through the first week of November (weather permitting). If your child is interested in running, please print this contract/waiver and return to their teacher. Students will receive a chain necklace on their first day of running club to start collecting their charms (colorful plastic feet). Students LOVE to wear their necklaces and show off their feet! One year Jefferson students ran a total of 1,585.3 miles (about the distance from Elmhurst, IL to Las Vegas, NV)! We cannot wait to see how far they go this year!
PARENTS/GRANDPARENTS/AUNTS/
-
10 volunteers needed for the first session to support Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade (10:55am-12:05pm)
-
8 volunteers needed for the second session to support our 3rd Grade, 4th Grade and 5th Grade (12:25pm-1:35pm)
If you have any questions regarding Running Club please contact Patty Gorski (pdgorski@gmail.com) or Maggie Schweitzer (mschweitzer312@gmail.com).
PTA Membership: It's not too late to join or renew! Join the PTA at https://jefferson205.
Bronze Donors: the Watts family, the Day family, the Hames family, the Kirchoff family, the DiFatta family, the Henry family, the Wolf family, the Ohland family, the Walsh family, the Giosa family, the Wang family, the Zhong family, the Oberlin family, the Knaus family, the Kohl family, the Ives family, the Talko family, the Foran family, the Jones family, the Patel family, the Dugandzic family, the Malamis family, the Boyle family, the Visconti family, the Wangler family, the Pappas family, the Perry family, and the Pusinelli family.
Silver Donors: the Grimm family, the Kunz family, the Palzkill family, the Bhat family, the Sant family, the Hardt family, the Shah family, the Johnson family, the Chipain family, the Muisenga family, the French family, the Bulbuc family, and the Bullock family.
Gold Donors: the Pierotti family, the Kay family, the Buhrfiend family, the Sianis family, the Pfleeger family, the Roberts family, the Johnson family, the Fikaris family, the Bissell family, the Leighton family, the Wrigley family, the Bartels family, and the Vogel family.
Platinum Donors: the O'Neal family, the Kennedy family, the Lascody family, the Zacharias family, the Hood family, the Popescu family, and the Nemesi family.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to Gina Lascody via email: ginalascody@gmail.com.
DISTRICT NEWS
REACH Parent Group Meeting (Thursday, September 9th): The REACH Parent Group is hosting its first in person meeting Thursday, September 9th from 1-2pm in Conference Room 217 at the District office. Kerry Leuschel, the new D205 Director of Curriculum & Instructional Supports, will be attending and we have a guest speaker, Vicki Kiamco, from the Center for Gifted.
SERG Parent Webinar - State of D205 Special Education Services (Wednesday, September 29th): D205 Student Services Administrators and our new Superintendent will present improvements and plans for this school year. Hear from administrators who handle K-5, 6-12, York, and Outplacement as they discuss the improvements that have been made over the last 18 months and their top two to three priority improvements for this school year. Join us for this remote meeting on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 7pm via this Zoom Link.
FOUNDATION 205: Continue Elmhurst's outdoor holiday tree tradition! Order now to support Elmhurst Public Schools and guarantee availability. Quantities are limited and once they're gone, they're gone! Click here to place your order now!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
New Chess Club: Calling all chess enthusiasts! Jefferson PTA is looking for a parent to help supervise this long lost club. You do not need to know Chess! A former Jefferson/current York student is looking to help students be successful at the D205 Student Chess tournament held in March of every year. If you are interested in this opportunity, please reach out to Cynthia Mares cynthiamares9@gmail.com
LRC Volunteers: Our new librarian, Ms. Howe, is ready to welcome volunteers to come in to help with the shelving of returned books! She is VERY excited to have both new and experienced volunteers help her out now that all of our students are able to check out books weekly. All parents are welcome to sign up, and will be scheduled for a one hour shift at least once a month. The available times are currently Tuesday through Friday from 8:15am until 9:15am and Wednesdays from 11:30am until 12:30pm. If you love to organize, love books, or just love to help, please fill out this Google Form. If you have any questions, please contact Jill Burns (jillburns5@gmail.com).
PTA Social Committee Chairs (2): The Jefferson PTA 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! We are looking for two chairs to lead this committee. If you are interested in chairing these events, please contact Colleen Kay at colleenakay@gmail.com.
2021-2022 PTA BOARD MEMBERS
President: Meghan Hood
VP of Membership: Gina Lascody
VP of Communications: Valerie King
VP of Events: Colleen Kay
VP of Programs: Cynthia Mares
VP of Fundraising: Cathy Dykes / Erica Philippi
Recording Secretary: Sara Roberts
Treasurer: Kara Johnson
JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA LINKS AND RESOURCES
Jefferson PTA website:
https://jefferson.elmhurst205.
Jefferson PTA Instagram: @JeffersonPTAD205
Facebook: Families of Jefferson 205
2021-2022 PTA Calendar: Click here.
Week 4: September 2, 2021
IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS
- September 2 - Curriculum Night (5:30-7:30pm)
- September 2 - McDonald’s Eat & Earn (4-8pm)
- September 3 - 5th grade Junior Great Books deadline
- September 6 - Labor Day, No School
- September 8 - Jefferson Running Club begins
- September 10 - 5th grade Junior Great Books begins
- September 14 - PTA Meeting (Virtual, 7:30pm)
- September 20 - Book Fair Week starts
PTA NEWS & EVENTS
McDonald's Eat & Earn (TODAY, Thursday, September 2nd, 4-8pm): Grab dinner for the family before curriculum night while also benefiting the Jefferson PTA! 20% of the proceeds will be donated to Jefferson in support of our fundraising goals for the year. Don’t forget to bring extra cash for tips and cookies, 100% of which will go directly to Jefferson’s PTA as well! Click here for more details.
Jefferson Trolley Saturday **Full** (Saturday, October 2nd): All spots for the 2021 Jefferson Trolley have been reserved. Thank you all for the support! We are in the process of notifying people as spots open up from the waitlist. If you are on the waitlist, keep an eye on your inbox for notification as possible openings become available.
We can still collect names for those who are interested in attending. Click here to be added to the waitlist, and please contact Cathy Dykes (Catherine.Dykes@gmail.com) with any questions regarding registration.
Registered participants will receive an Evite with specific details as the event draws near. Questions about the event itself can be directed to Kara Johnson (Karajohnson1018@
5th Grade Junior Great Books (Begins Friday, September 10th): The Junior Great Books program will be in-person this fall! The 5th grade discussion group will meet for 7 weekly sessions during recess 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.
If your child is interested in participating please fill out this form or click the link below by Friday, September 3, 2021. Our first meeting will be Friday, September 10th.
Junior Great Books is sponsored by the Jefferson PTA and the REACH PTA. Please contact Lesley Samuel (lesleysamuel@gmail.com) with any questions.
Jefferson Running Club (Begins September 8th): Jefferson Running Club (JRC) is about to start its 13th year! For those new to Running Club, ALL students have the opportunity to run/walk during their 25 minute lunch recess to earn and collect charms for every mile they accumulate throughout the season. Students run around an established path on school grounds and Van Voorst Park. Three times around the path equals one mile.
JRC is scheduled to start its fall season Wednesday, September 8th and continue every Monday and Wednesday through the first week of November (weather permitting). If your child is interested in running, please print this contract /waiver and return to their teacher. Students will receive a chain necklace on their first day of running club to start collecting their charms (colorful plastic feet). Students LOVE to wear their necklaces and show off their feet! One year Jefferson students ran a total of 1,585.3 miles (about the distance from Elmhurst, IL to Las Vegas, NV)! We cannot wait to see how far they go this year!
PARENTS/GRANDPARENTS/AUNTS/
- 10 volunteers needed for the first session to support Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade (10:55am -12:05pm)
- 8 volunteers needed for the second session to support our 3rd Grade, 4th Grade and 5th Grade (12:25pm -1:35pm)
If you have any questions regarding Running Club please contact: Patty Gorski (pdgorski@gmail.com) or Maggie Schweitzer (mschweitzer312@gmail.com).
PTA Membership: Our school directory will soon be ready! Join or renew your membership today to ensure that you will have directory access! Join the PTA at https://jefferson205.
We are excited to have had 230 members join the PTA for the 21-22 school year! It's not too late for more families to sign up or renew! The PTA board would like to extend a special thank you to the Jefferson staff members who have joined the PTA! We hope that more staff and families will consider joining! We have some additional families that we would like to extend our gratitude to this week:
Bronze Donors: the Watts family, the Day family, the Hames family, the Kirchoff family, the DiFatta family, the Henry family, the Wolf family, the Ohland family, the Walsh family, the Giosa family, the Wang family, the Zhong family, the Oberlin family, the Knaus family, the Kohl family, the Ives family, the Talko family, the Foran family, the Jones family, the Patel family, the Dugandzic family, the Malamis family, the Boyle family, the Visconti family, and the Wangler family.
Silver Donors: the Grimm family, the Kunz family, the Palzkill family, the Bhat family, the Sant family, the Hardt family, the Shah family, the Johnson family, the Chipain family, the Muisenga family, the French family, the Bulbuc family, and the Bullock family
Gold Donors: the Pierotti family, the Kay family, the Buhrfiend family, the Sianis family, the Pfleeger family, the Roberts family, the Johnson family, the Fikaris family, the Bissell family, the Leighton family, the Wrigley family, the Bartels family, and the Vogel family
Platinum Donors: the O'Neal family, the Kennedy family, the Lascody family, the Zacharias family, the Hood family, the Popescu family, and the Nemesi family
If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to Gina Lascody via email: ginalascody@gmail.com.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
PTA Social Committee Chairs (2): The Jefferson PTA 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! We are looking for two chairs to lead this committee. If you are interested in chairing these events, please contact Colleen Kay at colleenakay@gmail.com.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A big thank you to our VP’s of Fundraising, Cathy Dykes and Erica Philippi, for coordinating the Kona Ice truck Eat & Earn last Friday. Thank you also to Carrie Bartels and Rebecca Jones for their help with the event and to Amanda French for providing the sprinkler cooling station for the kids! The parents and students of Jefferson had a blast cooling off in the heat with a delicious treat! Thank you to everyone who participated in support of our PTA.
2021-2022 PTA BOARD MEMBERS
President: Meghan Hood
VP of Membership: Gina Lascody
VP of Communications: Valerie King
VP of Events: Colleen Kay
VP of Programs: Cynthia Mares
VP of Fundraising: Cathy Dykes / Erica Philippi
Recording Secretary: Sara Roberts
Treasurer: Kara Johnson
JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA LINKS AND RESOURCES
Jefferson PTA website:
https://jefferson.elmhurst205.
Jefferson PTA Instagram: @JeffersonPTAD205
Facebook: Families of Jefferson 205
2021-2022 PTA Calendar: Click here.
Week 3: August 26, 2021
IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS
- August 27 - Kona Ice Eat and Earn (3-4:30 pm)
- September 2 - Curriculum Night (details to follow)
- September 2 - McDonald’s Eat and Earn (4-8 pm)
- September 3 - 5th grade Junior Great Books deadline
- September 6 - Labor Day, No School
- September 8 - Jefferson Running Club begins
- September 10 - 5th grade Junior Great Books begins
- September 14 - PTA Meeting (Virtual, 7:30 pm)
- September 20 - Book Fair
PTA NEWS & EVENTS
Kona Ice Eat and Earn (Friday, August 27th, 3-4:30 pm): Join us in celebration of the completion of our first full week of school! The Kona Ice Truck will be parked in front of Jefferson School from 3 to 4:30 pm on Friday, August 27th. Enjoy a cool treat that also benefits the Jefferson PTA! 20% of proceeds will be donated to Jefferson in support of our fundraising goals for the year. Prices range from $3-$6. Hope to see you there!
Jefferson Trolley Saturday **Currently Full** (Saturday, October 2nd): All spots for the 2021 Jefferson Trolley were reserved at our first official PTA Meeting of the year! Thank you all for the support! Please check your inboxes for your confirmation email with payment information.
We are also collecting the names of those who are still interested in attending. Please click here to be added to the waitlist. If a spot opens up, you will be notified via email.
Please contact Cathy Dykes (Catherine.Dykes@gmail.com) with any questions regarding registration. Questions about the event itself can be directed to Kara Johnson (Karajohnson1018@gmail.com).
5th Grade Junior Great Books (Begins Friday, September 10th): The Junior Great Books program will be in-person this fall! The 5th grade discussion group will meet for 7 weekly sessions during recess 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.
If your child is interested in participating please fill out this form or click the link below by Friday, September 3, 2021. Our first meeting will be Friday, September 10th.
Junior Great Books is sponsored by the Jefferson PTA and the REACH PTA. Please contact Lesley Samuel (lesleysamuel@gmail.com) with any questions.
Jefferson Running Club (Begins September 8th): Jefferson Running Club (JRC) is about to start its 13th year! For those new to Running Club, ALL students have the opportunity to run/walk during their 25-minute lunch recess to earn and collect charms for every mile they accumulate throughout the season. Students run around an established path on school grounds and Van Voorst Park. Three times around the path equals one mile.
JRC is scheduled to start its fall season Wednesday, September 8th, and continue every Monday and Wednesday through the first week of November (weather permitting). If your child is interested in running, please print this contract/waiver and return it to their teacher. Students will receive a chain necklace on their first day of running club to start collecting their charms (colorful plastic feet). Students LOVE to wear their necklaces and show off their feet! One year Jefferson students ran a total of 1,585.3 miles (about the distance from Elmhurst, IL to Las Vegas, NV)! We cannot wait to see how far they go this year!
PARENTS/GRANDPARENTS/AUNTS/UNC
- 10 volunteers needed for the first session to support Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade (10:55 am -12:05 pm)
- 8 volunteers needed for the second session to support our 3rd Grade, 4th Grade and 5th Grade (12:25 pm -1:35 pm)
If you have any questions regarding Running Club please contact: Patty Gorski (pdgorski@gmail.com) or Maggie Schweitzer (mschweitzer312@gmail.com)
PTA Membership: We need your support! Please join or renew your membership today at https://jefferson205.member
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 are excited to now have over 200 members for the 21-22 school year! The PTA board would like to extend a special thank you to the following families for their generosity in supporting Jefferson:
Bronze Donors: the Watts family, the Day family, the Hames family, the Kirchoff family, the DiFatta family, the Henry family, the Wolf family, the Ohland family, the Walsh family, the Giosa family, the Wang family, the Zhong family, the Oberlin family, the Knaus family, the Kohl family, the Ives family, the Talko family, the Foran family, the Jones family, the Patel family, the Dugandzic family, and the Malamis family
Silver Donors: the Grimm family, the Kunz family, the Palzkill family, the Bhat family, the Sant family, the Hardt family, the Shah family, the Johnson family, the Chipain family, the Muisenga family, the French family, the Bulbuc family, and the Bullock family
Gold Donors: the Pierotti family, the Kay family, the Buhrfiend family, the Sianis family, the Pfleeger family, the Roberts family, the Johnson family, the Fikaris family, the Bissell family, the Leighton family, and the Wrigley family
Platinum Donors: the O'Neal family, the Kennedy family, the Lascody family, the Zacharias family, the Hood family, the Popescu family, and the Nemesi family
If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to Gina Lascody via email: ginalascody@gmail.com.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
PTA Social Committee Chairs (2): The Jefferson PTA 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! We are looking for two chairs to lead this committee. If you are interested in chairing these events, please contact Colleen Kay at colleenakay@gmail.com.
Room Parent Volunteers - LAST CALL: If you are interested in potentially being a room parent for your child, please click here. Please submit one form for each student you wish to be a room parent for. We will close the sign up tomorrow, Friday, August 27th.
Room Parent responsibilities include assisting with holiday party planning, coordinating teacher birthday and end-of-year gifts, coordinating field trip chaperones (if needed) and other volunteer opportunities as identified by the teachers and staff. Each classroom should have 1-2 room parents to help manage the load. This is an easy and fun way to be more involved with your child's class and teachers!
If you have any questions about responsibilities, please contact Kate Fuetz (kfuetz@gmail.com), the Jefferson PTA Room Parent Chairperson.
2021-2022 PTA Board Members
President: Meghan Hood
VP of Membership: Gina Lascody
VP of Communications: Valerie King
VP of Events: Colleen Kay
VP of Programs: Cynthia Mares
VP of Fundraising: Cathy Dykes / Erica Philippi
Recording Secretary: Sara Roberts
Treasurer: Kara Johnson
Jefferson Elementary PTA Links and Resources
Jefferson PTA website:
https://jefferson.elmhurst205.
Jefferson PTA Instagram: @JeffersonPTAD205
Facebook: Families of Jefferson 205
2021-2022 PTA Calendar: Click here.
Week 2: August 19, 2021
IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS
- August 20 - Spirit Wear orders due
- August 25 - Student Late Arrival
- August 27 - Kona Ice Truck Eat and Earn (Front of school, 3-4:30pm)
- September 2 - Curriculum Night (details to follow)
- September 2 - McDonald’s Eat and Earn (4-8pm)
- September 6 - Labor Day, No School
- September 14 - *Revised Date* PTA Meeting (Virtual, 7:30pm)
PTA NEWS & EVENTS
Spirit Wear: Want to show your Jefferson Spirit? The PTA is sponsoring a Jefferson Elementary Spirit Wear sale. Tees, hoodies, bags, shorts, active wear, and parent gear is available. The sale ends TOMORROW, Friday, August 20th. Items can be purchased here.
PTA Membership: Thank you to the over 100 families and staff who have joined in supporting our PTA for this school year! If you have not already renewed your membership or joined for the 2021-22 school year, please join today! We are excited to be able to bring back many of the great events and programs that we have done in the past for our Jefferson students. In addition, the PTA partners directly with our school administrators and teachers to support their needs. We cannot solely count on fundraisers to cover our budgetary needs, so your yearly 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.
All memberships and payments will be completed online this year on our platform, MemberHub. Please follow the directions below to join.
Click on the Jefferson PTA store link to choose your level of membership and join: https://jefferson205.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to Gina Lascody via email at ginalascody@gmail.com.
Kona Ice Eat and Earn (Friday, August 27th, 3-4:30pm): Join us in celebration of the completion of our first full week of school! The Kona Ice Truck will be parked in front of Jefferson School from 3 to 4:30 on Friday, August 27th. Enjoy a cool treat that also benefits the Jefferson PTA! 20% of proceeds will be donated to Jefferson in support of our fundraising goals for the year. Hope to see you there!
Jefferson Trolley Saturday **Currently Full** (Saturday, October 2nd): All spots for the 2021 Jefferson Trolley were reserved at our first official PTA Meeting of the year! Thank you all for the support! Please check your inboxes for your confirmation email with payment information.
We are also collecting names of those who are still interested in attending. Please click here to be added to the waitlist. If a spot opens up, you will be notified via email.
Please contact Kara Johnson with any questions (Karajohnson1018@gmail.com).
5th Grade Junior Great Books (Begins Friday, September 10th): The Junior Great Books program will be in-person this fall! The 5th grade discussion group will meet for 7 weekly sessions during recess 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.
If your child is interested in participating please fill out this form or click the link below by Friday, September 3, 2021. Our first meeting will be Friday, September 10th.
Junior Great Books is sponsored by the Jefferson PTA and the REACH PTA. Please contact Lesley Samuel (lesleysamuel@gmail.com) with any questions.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
PTA Social Committee Chairs (2): The Jefferson PTA 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! We are looking for two chairs to lead this committee. If you are interested in chairing these events, please contact Colleen Kay at colleenakay@gmail.com.
Room Parent Volunteers: If you are interested in potentially being a room parent for your child, please click here. Please submit one form for each student you wish to be a room parent for.
Room Parent responsibilities include assisting with holiday party planning, coordinating teacher birthday and end of year gifts, coordinating field trip chaperones (if needed) and other volunteer opportunities as identified by the teachers and staff. Each classroom should have 1-2 room parents to help manage the load. This is an easy and fun way to be more involved with your child's class and teachers!
If you have any questions about responsibilities, please contact Kate Fuetz (kfuetz@gmail.com), the Jefferson PTA Room Parent Chairperson.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you to the Jefferson PTA Hospitality Committee (Colleen Kay, Jen Bonn, Jean Hogan, and Kerri Timmerwilke) for organizing breakfast and lunch this week for Jefferson’s teachers and staff. Thank you also to Laura West for coordinating the coffee at our first PTA meeting of the year! Lastly, thank you to our Ice Cream Social chairs, Cathy Dykes and Jen Bullock, for putting together such a “sweet” event to kick off the school year!
2021-2022 PTA Board Members
President: Meghan Hood
VP of Membership: Gina Lascody
VP of Communications: Valerie King
VP of Events: Colleen Kay
VP of Programs: Cynthia Mares
VP of Fundraising: Cathy Dykes / Erica Philippi
Recording Secretary: Sara Roberts
Treasurer: Kara Johnson
Jefferson Elementary PTA Links and Resources
Jefferson PTA website: https://jefferson.
Jefferson PTA Instagram: @JeffersonPTAD205
Facebook: Families of Jefferson 205
2021-2022 PTA Calendar: Click here.
Week 1: August 9, 2021
IMPORTANT DATES & UPCOMING EVENTS
- August 12 - Kindergarten Playdate (Playground, 3-4pm)
- August 12 - Classroom assignments available in Power School
- August 17 - Meet the Teacher / Ice Cream Social / Supply Drop Off (3:30-4:30pm)
- August 17 - New to Jefferson Presentation (Multipurpose Room, 4:30-5pm)
- August 18 - First Day of School
- August 18 - 1st PTA Meeting (In Person) / PTA Welcome Back Breakfast
- August 20 - Spirit Wear orders due
- August 25 - Student Late Arrival
- September 2 - Curriculum Night (details TBA)
- September 2 - McDonald’s Eat and Earn (4-8pm)
- September 6 - Labor Day, No School
- September 7 - PTA Meeting (Virtual, 7:30pm)
JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY PTA 2021-2022 Welcome Back!
On behalf of the Jefferson PTA Board, I would like to welcome you BACK or welcome you IN to our Jefferson family! Our PTA Board has been working hard this summer to plan the year with hopes of a more normal year. Our plan has taken on a “best of” approach to events and programs. We hope to rebuild our connection to our school community with in-person events where allowed while keeping PTA meetings virtual simply for the flexibility for more parents, teachers and staff to attend during the evenings. We are proud to say that the Jefferson PTA is focused on how we move forward together.
Our plan for the year will include:
- A concise, streamlined PTA-focused newsletter every week and communicate important dates at the top.
- We will strive to keep our PTA website updated so you can go there first to look for important information.
- We encourage you to attend our virtual monthly Jefferson PTA meetings.
- We encourage you to follow the PTA social media accounts on Facebook (Families of Jefferson 205) and Instagram (@jeffersonptad205) to be kept up to date on all the PTA happenings.
We are asking parents to support us in our mission and join the PTA this year by choosing one of our new membership offerings or an individual membership as your means allow. The PTA partners directly with our school administrators and teachers to support their needs and we are uniquely positioned to respond and adapt as the needs change. Our budgetary needs are covered by a combination of fundraisers as well as memberships. 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 encourage you to join the PTA!!
I thank you in advance for your support and look forward to seeing many of you back at school! Let’s Move Forward Together!!
Should you ever have questions, you can reach me via email at meghan.l.hood@gmail.com.
Meghan Hood - PTA President 2021-22
PTA NEWS & EVENTS
Ice Cream Social (August 17th, 3:45-4:45pm): Join us on the front lawn of Jefferson during the Supply Drop Off for a cool treat! We will have vanilla ice cream cups with toppings, as well as an allergy-friendly option that avoids the top 8. Please be aware of and practice thoughtful social distancing in order to safely come together as a community!
In order for this event to run smoothly, we will need a few volunteers. We will also need coolers of ice to store the ice cream. Please click this link to sign up!
Welcome Back Breakfast & PTA Meeting (August 18th, 8:10-10am): Immediately following drop-off, parents are invited to the multipurpose room for breakfast and the first PTA meeting of the year. Parents will hear from Dr. Podraza and learn more about plans for the upcoming school year. Sign up for Jefferson Trolley Night on October 2nd will also be available!
PTA Membership: Support our Jefferson Tigers by joining the PTA or renewing your membership for the 2021-22 school year! We are excited to be able to bring back many of the great events and programs that we have done in the past for our Jefferson students. In addition, the PTA partners directly with our school administrators and teachers to support their needs. We cannot solely count on fundraisers to cover our budgetary needs, so your yearly 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.
All memberships and payments will be completed online this year on our platform, MemberHub. Please follow the directions below to join.
Here is how you can access our membership options:
Existing Jefferson Families: Go to https://jefferson205.
New To Jefferson Families: Go to https://jefferson205.
Please note, parents with students at Bryan do not need to create a second account. You will be able to toggle between each school's PTA page within your MemberHub profile drop down.
Thank you, in advance, for supporting our Tigers!
Spirit Wear: Want to show your Jefferson Spirit? The PTA is sponsoring a Jefferson Elementary Spirit Wear sale. Tees, hoodies, bags, shorts, active wear, and parent gear is available. The sale ends August 20th. Items can be purchased here.
Windy City Ninjas: Are you a parent who is searching for after school/care play for your child? Windy City Ninjas in Elmhurst is offering a fun program that might fit your needs! Visit https://windycityninjas.com/
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
PTA Social Committee Chairs: The Jefferson PTA 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! We are looking for two chairs to lead this committee. If you are interested in chairing these events, please contact Colleen Kay at colleenakay@gmail.com.
Room Parent Volunteers: If you are interested in potentially being a room parent for your child, please click here. Please submit one form for each student you wish to be a room parent for.
Room Parent responsibilities include assisting with holiday party planning, coordinating teacher birthday and end of year gifts, coordinating field trip chaperones (if needed) and other volunteer opportunities as identified by the teachers and staff. Each classroom should have 1-2 room parents to help manage the load. This is an easy and fun way to be more involved with your child's class and teachers!
If you have any questions about responsibilities, please contact Kate Fuetz (kfuetz@gmail.com), the Jefferson PTA Room Parent Chairperson.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A big thank you to Nancy Goodner and Cynthia Mares for coordinating the 2021-2022 school supply kits. Thank you also to our Welcome to Jefferson Committee Chairs Amanda French, Abby Franco, and Jill Bissell for their hard work putting together all of the exciting back-to-school activities!
2021-2022 PTA Board Members
President: Meghan Hood
VP of Membership: Gina Lascody
VP of Communications: Valerie King
VP of Events: Colleen Kay
VP of Programs: Cynthia Mares
VP of Fundraising: Cathy Dykes / Erica Philippi
Recording Secretary: Sara Roberts
Treasurer: Kara Johnson
Jefferson Elementary PTA Links
Jefferson PTA website: https://jefferson.elmhurst205.
Jefferson PTA Instagram: @JeffersonPTAD205
Facebook: Families of Jefferson 205 group