JLS Beacon Issue #1, September 2014

1

Welcome to a New Year! So many changes at Jefferson since June

1

There are many new faces among the staff at JLS this school year. Also some of the same faces are showing up in new locations. Jefferson experienced a lot of changes over the summer which will all work out to a great year for 2014-15! Please take the time to welcome the new staff and admire the physical changes to the building.

Among the changes to the building are new paint and flooring in old building’s stairwells. All JLS rooms were assigned new numbers as well. Big changes occurred in the library media center (LMC) be sure to stop in. New carpeting, paint, furniture are accompanied by great technology

Important Dates

Sept 1 First Day of School

Sept 9 MAP Testing Begins

Sept 10 4th Gr. Trip to Watershed (Rm 212 & 216)

Sept 11 4th Gr. Trip to Watershed (Rm 218 & 220)

Sept 15 PALS Testing Begins

Sept 18 Book Fair & Ice Cream Social

Sept 23 PTA Meeting (4:30 in LMC)

Sept 26 2-Hour Early Release

Oct 4 Fall Carnival

Oct 17 2-Hour Early Release

Note these upcoming events at JLS.

There are several ways to stay connected at Jefferson Lighthouse.

You can like us on Facebook. We will put regular updates on FB to help inform families of upcoming events and reminders. Please remember to keep any and all comments professional. Scan the QR code below to get to the JLS Facebook page.

You can also receive this newsletter via email. Make sure you get your email address to Mrs. Cascio (jody.cascio@rusd.org) to keep the news coming.

Connect with JLS

2

additions as well as a new, permanent library media specialist. Mr. Venne has made the move from his 5th grade position to the LMC. Mrs. Strain took the position of IB Coordinator, which allowed Ms. Kopp (now Mrs. VanOudenhoven) to return to teaching art. Each grade level also has some new faces.

The staff also wishes a warm welcome to the new students and families at JLS. It’s truly an exciting time to be at Jefferson!

Also watch as the JLS website http://sites.rusd.org/jefferson/as it will be updated in the coming weeks. Photos, news and school events will be posted there as well.

JLS Beacon Issue #1, September 2014

2

From Mrs. Strain

JLS Families,

Thank you all for a wonderful Open House. It was energizing seeing everyone so full of excitement. Thank you to everyone who came to the Principal Information Sessions. As I stated, it is an exciting time to be part of the Jefferson Family. We have so many new faces and others taking on new roles showing they are truly risk-takers. The staff at Jefferson will work very hard to ensure every student at Jefferson has a wonderful school year. Thank you all for your continued support as we get to do what we love to do. "Challenging Every Student, Every Day" - Mrs. Cascio

Welcome back to another fabulous year of inquiring and learning! I am so excited to be in my new role as our IB & Professional Development & Learning Coordinator here at Jefferson Lighthouse School. I have been a second grade teacher at JLS for seventeen years and have been involved in the journey our school has been on to become what we are today. I am honored and look forward to working with our amazing children, parents, teachers, & staff each and every day. The heart of IB is a student-centered program working to develop intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills for students to live, learn, and work in a rapidly changing world. It is my goal as your coordinator, in addition to working directly with teachers, school leadership, and PTA to increase the awareness amongst the parent community of how the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program is implemented in the classroom. Please contact me with any questions or concerns you have regarding our IB program and our school’s curriculum and instruction. You can reach me at 664-6920 or colleen.strain@rusd.org

Remember to have your yellow “Taking Action Over the Summer!” forms filled out and ready to share this fall. They were handed out by Miss Kopp at the end of the school year. If you need a new copy, please let us know.

Because of the rotating schedule, remember your children will need tennis shoes to participate in PSPE. No sandals, crocs, dress shoes, boots, etc. Check the JLS calendar to see which day of the rotation it is.

After twelve years as a homeroom teacher I have made the move to become Jefferson’s Library Media Specialist. This is an exciting time for me. In addition to the librarian duties, I will be working with all six grade levels to integrate technology into their lessons to benefit learning. Each month, I’ll post a little bit about the technology being used at Jefferson. This month I’m raving about Google. Each student in RUSD has a carefully monitored email address and access to Google Drive. Google Drive allows teachers and students to collaborate on the same document at the same time. It also allows for access from any computer with Internet. Look for more on this later this school year. From

Mr.

Ven

ne

This year the district’s wellness policy will be strictly enforced in at JLS. This includes birthday treats. If you feel compelled to bring a treat for your child’s birthday, it must follow RUSD’s guidelines or it will not be distributed. A copy of the policy can be found on the web at http://goo.gl/abFgxc

Principal’s Note