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Jefferson Newsletter
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From the Principal's Desk
May 13, 2024
Tobi Reardon
This is the home stretch of the school year! It's hard to believe how fast the year went by. We have field day coming up on Friday, May 24. Second grade will be in the morning and third grade in the afternoon. Please let Mr. Smoker or our office know if you can volunteer.
Our students are enjoying the field trips and we appreciate our Elementary Boosters for their monetary contribution to pay for transportation. It mean a lot to us! Please continue to support our Boosters!
Our staff is looking forward to seeing families at the Celebration of Learning on Thursday, May 16 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Come and check out their learning for the year! Our book fair will be open during that time. Students will also receive their first book from Kids Read Now.
We had a BLAST celebrating our teachers and staff this past week. We were able to have Travelin Tom's Coffee Truck visit us as well as many different luncheons. We appreciated all the generous donations to our lounge as we had a lots of snacks and drinks.
We had our Volunteer Luncheon this past week. Over 35 volunteers attended to enjoy a presentation and lunch from our students and staff. The Schools of Hope volunteers gave their reading buddies books for the summer. Words cannot adequately express the gratitude our staff and students wish to convey to our volunteers. We thank them and look forward to our continued partnership in the fall.
We will be saying good-bye to Kelli Redman and Ken Smoker at the end of this month. We would like to take a moment and thank them for their dedication and service to Coldwater Community Schools. Both of them will be retiring at the end of this school year. We wish you luck in your next chapter! We are also will be saying good-bye to Diana Salto. Diana is one of EL paraprofessionals that wears a variety of hats in the building. She is going to Ball State University in the fall to pursue a Master's degree.
As always, my door is open and I welcome your feedback. Thank you for all that you do!
Upcoming Events
May 13-17: Scholastic Spring Book Fair
May 24: Field Day. Second grade in the p.m. Third grade in a.m.
May 27: No School- Memorial Day.
May 30: Half-Day, dismissal at 11:55. Records Day in the p.m.
May 31: Last Day of School- Dismissal at 11:55 a.m.
Popcorn Dates
The dates for popcorn Friday are as follows:
- May 17- Last one!!
A background check is required to be on file to help out!
Forms are available at the office, and will need returned ASAP if you are interested in helping!
Class Field Trips
Throughout the month of May our second grade classes will be taking a field trip to The Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Here are the dates they will be going:
- May 2: Mrs. Mueller & Mrs. Welker's classes.
- May 10: Miss Conner & Mrs. Redman's classes.
- May 16: Mrs. Sullivan & Mr. Vitto's second grade classes.
- May 23: Mrs. Fondren & Mr. Iwanicki's classes.
Throughout the month of May our third grade classes will be going to Sauder's Village on the following dates:
- May 14: Mr. Cross & Mrs. Mencke's classes
- May 18: Mr. Decker & Mrs. McDonald's classes
- May 21: Mrs. Dixon & Mrs. Hodge's classes.
- May 23: Mr. Bachler & Mr. Vitto's third grade classes.
If you're interested in chaperoning, you must have an approved volunteer form on file. If you haven't filled out a form, please do so as soon as possible.
Thank you!
News from the Social Worker/ Behavior Analyst.
Get Outside!!
Recent studies have exposed the benefit-even necessity– of spending time outdoors, both for kids and adults. Studies agree that the kids who play outside are smarter, happier, more attentive, and less anxious than kids who spend more time indoors. A few reasons why nature is good for you. 1. It builds confidence. The way that kids play in nature has a lot less structure than most types of indoor play. 2. It promotes creativity and imagination. They can think more freely, design their own activities, and approach the world in inventive ways. 3. It provides different stimulation. Nature may seem less stimulating than your child’s video game, but in reality it activates more senses– you can see, hear, smell and touch outdoor environments. 4. It gets kids moving. Not only is exercise good for kids’ bodies, but it seems to make them more focused, which is especially beneficial for kids with ADHD. 5. It reduces stress and fatigue. According to the Attention Restoration Theory, urban environments require what’s called directed attention, which forces us to ignore distractions and exhausts our brains. In nature we practice an effortless type of attention that creates pleasure.
Mrs. Miller
Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Mrs. Ferry
Social Worker
ELL News
Just because the school year is over, it doesn’t mean the learning stops! The more time and exposure EL learners have in a language-rich learning environment in English or their native language, the greater their language development and retention. It is important for learners to always be reading. Learners can read in their first language or in English, just keep them reading! Create a journal. Have your learner decorate their journal and write in it during the summer. They can write anything theywant just keep them writing!
Intervention News
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What an amazing year! The children have come so far. Congratulations to those moving on to Lakeland next year and to those children coming back we look forward to your return. Over the summer, you should still consider reading on a regular basis. Summer reading loss is a real thing! Some ideas on where to find books to read over the summer are the Kids Read Now program and community places like the public library. It is always good to spend a little time with your child reading over the summer. Maybe listen to them read a few pages and then have them retell what they’ve read. Let them do the work and try not to step in too much. When the child gets stuck, ask them to try something. In this way, the child is being led to become an independent reader which is what we want after all. After the child has attempted at the unknown word, you can then either just tell them or guide them to solve the word by sounding it out together. Hope you have a great summer and happy reading.
Stephanie Johnson
Chris Roberts
Reading and Math Interventionist
News from Mrs. Hayward.
Not only is May our last month of the school year, but it is also National Speech-Language-Hearing Month! As we wrap up this year, I want to take a moment to thank the amazing parents, students, and teachers I have been able to work with this year. I hope your families have a fun and relaxing summer. This month in Speech, we will be describing summer vocabulary, reading about summer activities, and having our end-of-the-year speech party. In honor of National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, I also want to provide some tips and ideas to support better speech and language over the summer break. Thank your for a fantastic year!
Articulation
Go on a “find my sound” scavenger hunt: for /r/ you could find rocks, grass, butterflies
Make art! Find some sidewalk chalk and draw pictures of your sounds: for /s/ you could draw a sun, slides, or ice cream!
Play iSpy: Going on a road trip? How many times can you find your sound?
Language
Go on a “Describing” scavenger hunt: find a flower and talk about what category it belongs to (plant), what color is it, what size is it…
Plan a small Adventure- the park, beach, or zoo and talk about all the vocabulary you see. What equipment is at the park? What are people doing at the beach?
Have a reading picnic: Grab some books and a blanket and read together in the grass
BISD PAC Make a Difference Awards
Itinerant Person of the Year!
We would like to celebrate our Speech teacher, Miss Emma, for being recognized by the BISD as Itinerant Person of the Year.
BISD PAC Make a Difference Award Nominee!
We would also to recognize Mr. Decker for being nominated for BISD PAC Make a Difference Award for General Education Teacher. Please take a moment to read his nomination letter.
News from the Specialist Team
News from the Art Room
In Art we have been exploring how to draw various objects. I guided 2nd grade students through drawing a cupcake, while 3rd grade students watched an online guide to draw an ice cream cone. After using a permanent marker to draw the designs, students were able to finish their creation with watercolor paints. Watch for these to come before the end of the school year.
P.E. UPDATE
FitnessGram physical fitness testing has been completed and result forms will be sent home at the end of the year. Our annual Field Day will be held on Friday, May 24. Third grade students will be participating from 9:30-11:30 while the second grades will have theirs from 1:00-3:00. We will be having an Olympic theme with each class competing with each other for the fastest completion times. We are looking for parental volunteers to direct each event. Please contact me at smokke@ccscards if you would be willing to help. I would also like to let you all know that I have made the difficult decision to retire at the end of this school year, my 36th with Coldwater Community Schools.
From the Jefferson Music Room
The 2nd graders are so very thankful for everyone that attended our Pajama Party program! It was a great success and we had so much fun performing for you! As we look to the end of the school year, we will be wrapping up by expanding our rhythm vocabulary with the half note and playing some singing games!
In 3rd grade we continue to work on learning about the music staff and how to correctly write music notation on the staff. We are also singing, moving, and playing some musical games!
We hope that everyone has a safe, enjoyable and musical summer!
Summer Meals Outreach Program
Hunger doesn't take a break just because school does. Attached are the 2 informational flyers for dates and times that we are offering meals to our students. We start curbside service in July to distribute bulk meals to families until school starts back up.
Cultural Jubilee
Cultural Jubilee
Saturday, May 18, 2024, 10:00 AM
Tibbits Plaza, Coldwater, MI, USA
The Cultural Jubilee is coming up on Saturday, May 18, from 10 - 4 at the Tibbits Plaza. The event will feature music, food, games, dancing, booths, etc. all featuring our many cultures in our community. There will be displays, a kids' area with a bounce house, temporary tattoos, a drum circle, henna, etc.
Celebrating our Artistic Students
We had several students participate in a coloring contest sponsored by CBPU. The following students have won a $25 gift certificate to Showcase Gardens.
Miss Conner’s Class:
- Elliott Simmons
- Stella Davenport
- Sma Alboraihe
Mrs. Fondren’s Class:
- Rod Ahmed
- Margaret Heminger
Mr. Iwanicki’s Class:
- Layla Parker
- Jordan Myers
- Santiago Garcia
- Kyler Ledyard
- Joelle LaGuire
- Chloe O'Donnell
Mrs. Mueller’s Class:
- Naomi Harris
- Izabella Goetz-Hoke
Mrs. Redman’s Class:
- Aubrianna Howard
- Knehmias Salas
- Scarlett Wickey
- Alison Okoniewski
- Kenan Haggagi
- Lucy Rus
- Brayden Holmes
- Hussain Yahya
- Mila Obare
- Dane Vitto
Mrs. Sullivan’s Class:
- Woodley Excellent
- Paige Myers
- Jennat Hussein
- Ryker Auble
- Natalie Gomez
- Shahd Noman
Mrs. Welker’s Class:
- Joshua Riche
- Nelah Johnson
- Charlotte Nearpass
- Emmett Foster
- Maddie Bowers
- Andrea Mendoza Lopez
- Scarlett Manthri
- Case Thompson
Mr. Bacher’s Class:
- Kai Porter
- Kenzie Phair
- Maylin Miller
- Sharifia Abdulllah
Mr. Cross’ Class:
- Kendall Bates
- Karter Shaw
Mrs. Dixon’s Class:
- Natalie Albright
- Jennavieve Niedzwiecki
- Bethannie Niedzwiecki
- Aiden Zheng
- Molly Smith
Mrs. Hodge’s Class:
- Zainab Alsalahi
Mrs. McDonald’s Class:
- Bently Cogdill
- Aldelia Blount
- James Simmons
- Reem Balhm
- Mrs. Mencke’s Class:
- Maggie Woodhull
Mr. Decker’s Class:
- Rousemerie Tanon Ortiz
- Josielynn Hernandez
- TJ Rissman
A special "Congratulations" to Bethannie Niedzwiecki!! Her artwork was selected by ProMedica H.E.P. committee. Her artwork will be on display for the next twelve months at ProMedica. Way to go, Bethannie!
Thank you Volunteers!
Thank you to all of our volunteers! Because of your efforts, we are able to enrich the lives and the learning of our students at Jefferson! Our school volunteers were invited to our annual volunteer luncheon.
Our Community
Adopt-A-Cop
We had our last our Adopt-A-Cop assembly. We appreciate them taking the time to teach our second graders safety tips.
Aquatic Center Visit
Congratulations to our students who raised $100 or more for our school read-a-thon! These students were able to enjoy a field trip to the aquatic center as a reward for all their hard work! Great job!
Teacher Appreciation Week
Jefferson Reminders
Student Absences:
Call the office (517-279-5970) before 9:00 am.
Regular School Hours
Our school hours are 8:25 a.m. to 3:35 p.m. On early release Wednesdays dismissal will be at 2:20 p.m. When we have scheduled half-days we will dismiss at 11:55 a.m. In the event of a two-hour delay, school will start at 10:25 a.m. Please remember that no breakfast will be served when there's a two-hour delay.
Before School:
Please remember that drop off in the morning is at 8:05. We do not have staff available before 8:05 to supervise.
Our school day starts at 8:25 a.m. Any student arriving between 8:25 and 8:55 will be marked as tardy.
If they arrive after 8:55 it will be marked as a half-day absence. If a student leaves before 3:05 in the afternoon it will be marked as a half-day absence. The office is a busy place throughout the day. If we don’t answer the phone please leave a message. There may also be circumstances where we’re unable to answer the front doorbell. Please be patient as we will assist you as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding!
Student Dismissal:
No child may change his/her usual method of transportation home from school without a written note or a phone call from a parent. Please call before 3:15 (2:00 on early release Wednesdays) if you are changing their usual method of transportation.
Dismissal is a very busy time in our building. We are releasing bus and car rider students at the same time. This takes all of our resources to do this safely. Students who are not picked up through the car rider line, will be released after the bus and car riders are picked up. We appreciate your support with this!
End of Year Reminders.
Please make sure to check our Lost and Found. If your child has medication at school, please pick it before 4 p.m. on May 31. If you know that your child won't be attending Coldwater Community Schools next year, please let our office know.
Thank you, and have a wonderful summer!1