Jefferson ES 2015-16 School Year

The silkmoths have emerged from their cocoons!

This year, second grade classes raised silkworms as part of their Life Science unit.  The silkworms started as tiny eggs, and six weeks later they had hatched and grown into the larva stage.

We are sad to say goodbye to our wonderful Garden Coordinator, Ellie O'Brien, pictured here in front of some of her spectacular blooming, sprouting, flowering, fruiting beds.  For the past two years, she has sowed Jefferson with her incredible enthusiasm, her teaching skill, her love of the outdoors, her sunny disposition, her way with plants, and her instant rapport with kids.  She also instituted our monthly Golden Sneaker Day to promote traveling to school in a green way.

At least we know she isn't heading off to greener pastures.  Thanks to Ms. O'Brien, none could be greener than Jefferson's. 

The whole school participated in Jefferson's annual Junior Olympics of track and field events at Kezar Stadium.  The Olympic Decathlon comprised the Football Throw, Softball Pitch, Obstacle Course, Basketball, Beanbag Launch, Golf, Hula Hoop, Stacking Cups, Soccer, and Water Relay.  What a great day!

Congratulations to Room 101 for earning the most money for the PTA in response to the schoolwide Spell-A-Thon challenge.  They won a pizza party featuring pizza baked in Jefferson's own wood-fire oven.  The pizza was especially delicious because they all helped make it.  Many thanks to all of the families who contributed to the Spell-A-Thon fundraiser.  You are all winners!

Have you seen the "Tower of Jewels" echium blooming so stupendously in the Kindergarten Yard?  Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers of Jefferson students (and to lovely mums everywhere)!

Jefferson families brought in armloads of beautiful flowers to celebrate and recognize our wonderful administrative professionals in the Main Office.  Thank you, Shirley and Ana, for all you do!

Thanks to all who participated in Bike & Roll to School Day!  As you can see from our very full bike racks, loads of Jefferson students and parents biked and scootered to school.  And that's not even counting those who skateboarded, walked, jogged, and carpooled.  Thanks for keeping it green, Jefferson!

Jefferson has won the 2016 California Gold Ribbon Schools Award for our Model Science Program. We are one of only four schools in San Francisco to win this prestigious award!

California teachers are "training the students of today to be the problem-solvers, inventors and pioneers of tomorrow," says State Schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson.

Bunny baskets by the first graders of Room 101. Happy Spring Break everyone!!

Latin American music group Xquenda introduced Jefferson's first and second graders to diverse string and percussion instruments called the looper, cajon, shaker, fiberglass cello, electric guitar, and merlin.  Students joined in on their very own kazoos, courtesy of the Adventures In Music program of the San Francisco Symphony.

This year's '70s-theme Gala & Auction was Jefferson's grooviest fundraising party ever.  The adults-only night of good food, good music, and good friends brought out plenty of suede, fringe, and bell bottoms, as we all got down and raised money for our fabulous school!  It was psychedelic.  It was out of sight.  It was solid gold, baby!

At the 18th Annual Jefferson Science Night, fourth and fifth graders and their families had a blast doing experiments and making discoveries together at stations with the intriguing names of Volcano in a Bottle; Grass Head; CSI Chromatography; You Be the Geologist; What Scientists Really Use; Bubbles & Dry Ice; Now You See It, Now You Don't; Air Pressure; and Wire Me Up!

Many thanks to Jefferson science coordinator Leslie Quan for organizing and to the many Jefferson teachers and
UCSF and other scientist volunteers for overseeing so many busy and popular stations.

In honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday - parents, parents everywhere from there to here, from here to there
read one book, two books, three books, four in every class, on every floor - on Read Aloud Day at Jefferson.

Thanks to the Adventures In Music program of the San Francisco Symphony, Jefferson's first and second graders
were treated to a demonstration performance by string and percussion ensemble Del Cielo, featuring the fancy footwork of a castanet-clacking Flamenco dancer.

Jefferson is a first-time recipient of a $1,000 "Step Up to the Plate for Education" grant award from Wells Fargo and KNBR, to be used for Motor Skills equipment.‪

Yes, that's Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (on left) and a Wells Fargo regional president (on right) presenting the huge check to PTA president Diana Schneider (second from right) and  PTA secretary Sara Norwick, who wrote the grant application!

Big-time thanks and congratulations!!!

Jefferson Social Worker Heather Golden gave an excellent Presentation on Bullying to Jefferson parents and caregivers.  

Another successful Garden Day!  Parents, students, grandparents, and staff worked together to spruce up the garden, plant some native species, do some digging and pruning, and generally get our hands dirty.

The Book Fair is on!  All this week, December 14 to 18, in the Jefferson Library.  Books of all kinds, for children and adults.

Jefferson's First Annual Holiday Boutique is Saturday, December 12, from 10 to 4.  See you there!

Winterfest is a day when every Jefferson student does a holiday craft project.  Students in every class created gifts to give family members or friends.  First graders created hot chocolate in a mug, complete with cocoa powder, crushed candy canes, and mini marshmallows.  Happy holidays to all!

First graders did an experiment to see what germs were on their hands.  They swiped two fingers through some agar in a petri dish, and after a week they saw lots of bacteria and fungus!  Who had the most germy growths?  Whose were most colorful?  Who needs to wash hands more often?  Thanks to science coordinator Leslie Quan for leading this interesting experiment.  Special thanks to dads Eli Zunder and Jason Cyster for providing the petri dishes.

The very talented Shirley Yee (in the Main Office) decorated these fantastic Minion pumpkins for Halloween.  Jefferson students guessed the weight of their grade's Minion pumpkin, and the student in each grade who came closest to the correct weight won the pumpkin!  On Halloween Eve, the day of our annual all-school Halloween Costume Parade.

A generous group of children's book authors visited every Jefferson class on Authors Day.  Author-illustrator Julie Downing, who founded Authors Day 17 years ago when she was a Jefferson parent, read to the First Grade students, explained to them the process of writing and illustrating a book and just how long it takes, and drew an illustration on the spot (a hedgehog wearing a Halloween pumpkin costume).  We are lucky she continues to organize this annual event.  We are grateful to all of the authors who gave their time and shared
their experience.  We know that many students were excited and inspired by Authors Day!

Let's all get together for an Ice Cream Social this Saturday, October 17, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Upper Yard.  FREE ice cream, popsicles, and FUN!  Kids are welcome to bring scooters, bikes, skates, and siblings.  Our DJ will be spinning some cool tunes.  The whole family is welcome.  See you there!

What a great turnout!  About 300 Jefferson students walked or rolled to school on October 7, 2015, including 65 who hopped on our four Walking School Buses.  Principal Kim Adams helped pass out prizes to everyone who walked or rolled.  Supervisor Katy Tang addressed the students afterwards.  Congratulations to all who participated in Walk and Roll to School Day 2015!

We are excited to welcome Jefferson's new principal, Kim Adams!

Just look at how much we accomplished in the Kindergarten Yard on Garden Day!  New sand in the sand pit, new succulents and other plants, new wood chips in the beds and teaching area, the third beautiful wood pergola built, the water barrel relocated, and drip irrigation installed.  It looks gorgeous!