J e f f e r s o n E l e m e n t a r y S c h o o l 140 Horse Plain Road, New Britain, CT 06037 860.223.8007

F J F J F J T H E JETSTREAM

Our mission at Jefferson Elementary School is to create and sustain an emotionally and physically safe, supportive learning environment, where all students can engage in meaningful learning and work to reach their full potential.

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From the FLIGHT DECK Miss Hill, Proud Principal w Mrs. Amenta, Secretary

Oh My Goodness!! The first few months of school have flown by so quickly! We are so thankful to have the best students in the whole city attending our school! We know that your children are working hard to meet and exceed their goals and for this we are so proud! FAMILIES – please remember it is very important to support learning at home during the Winter Break while school is not in session! MATH FACTS are a must along with taking the time to READ EVERY DAY/NIGHT! This will help your children reach their goals and prepare for future learning! We are looking forward to our second leg of Flight 2015-16 with great anticipation! Please remember, your children will have the opportunity to ‘show what they know’ during our Winter NWEA Assessments, just around the corner scheduled for the end of January. Thank you all for attending school events and for volunteering your time to make our school the ‘happiest place on earth’ for our students! Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas, a Happy Holiday, a fun Winter Break & A Happy New Year! See you all back at school soon!

Qt Kindergarten Miss Dulla w Mrs. Lighty w Mrs. Morello (ELD) wMiss Staufer

Hello from the kindergarten team! In language arts, we continue to practice letter sounds and sight words. Please ask your child what words he or she has learned at home. uIn math, we have begun addition and subtraction fluency using strategies such as counting on our fingers. Help your child practice this important skill at home! uOver the holiday break, continue reading with your child every day! Check your child's folder for activities that will keep them learning over the holiday break! Happy Holidays!

Qu FIRST GRADE Mrs. Dastoli w Mrs. Dufresne w Mrs. Lucas (ELD)

In Grade 1, the students continue to improve their ability to independently read fiction and non-fiction text. They have identified the main idea and details of a reading, as well as discussed why an author wrote a particular story. During vacation, please have your child practice reading and talking about stories. uIn Math, students have been solving story problems using math mountains, circle drawings and equations. Practicing addition and subtraction math facts every day is an important way to help your child be successful in math.

Qv SECOND GRADE Mrs. Casasanta w Mrs. Esernia w Miss Kamens (ELD) w Miss Reis

Happy holidays! We hope that you enjoy the time with your loved ones. We are learning about how holidays are celebrated around the world.uWe have completed our unit on animals and will be moving onto a unit on weather. uWe are working on double-digit addition and understanding money. uWe are continuing to work on fiction and non-fiction in reading. Please read and practice math facts with your children over the winter break. We will be holding classroom math fact competitions throughout January. We look forward to seeing your children in the new year!

Qw THIRD GRADE Mrs. Boschi w Ms. Byrnes wMr. Kupiecw Miss Kamens (ELD)

In Math we are learning multiplication and division facts 1’s through 10’s and units of measurement in liquid volume, distance, and time. Please practice how to tell time with your child at home! We are adding and subtracting 3-4 digit numbers. u In Reading we are building our fluency (reading at a good pace with expression – no robot reading), looking for the main idea and details of paragraphs, reading a text closely to find the steps in a sequence, looking for story structure (characters, setting, problem, etc.), how to make inferences, judgments and predictions about a text and reading independently for at least

30 minutes by finding a good fit book. uWe are writing opinions, responding to questions about a story in written sentences, summarizing a story, writing in complete sentences and checking our work closely for errors. uIn Science we are learning how to make observations and how to ask science questions, make/follow a plan to investigate. We are setting up experiments and making measurements. uIn social studies we are learning about communities, local and around the world - geography and maps. uWe will continue to write in our planners every day to ensure our homework is complete with first name, last name and date written on it and handed in every morning. uOver the December break, students should continue reading for at least 20 minutes every day, practice telling time on an analog clock (non digital) and practice their math facts.

Qx FOURTH GRADE Mrs. Badecker w Mr. Bilger w Miss Pensiero wMrs. Ruiz (ELD)

The 4th graders are learning methods in math for multiplication of multi-digit numbers. They are multiplying into the thousands place. To be successful, students need to continue practice of multiplication facts. We also are working on mastery of addition and subtraction of large numbers. They are beginning to work on division and will use all of this when they solve word problems. uIn reading, students have used strategies of using graphic sources along with sequencing of events in a story to help them understand what they have read and to be able to answer questions about the story. We are reading about interesting science topics such as; hurricanes, earthquakes, and a story about the early radio broadcasts. uStudents should be writing complete sentences in the correct verb tense and using punctuation on all writing samples at this point of the school year. uSocial studies topics include the 5 regions of the United States. Some students are learning all 50 states by singing a song with all the states in alphabetical order. uOur focus in science includes interesting topics on plants and animals. uAs the cold weather comes upon us, the 4th graders had the idea of leading a food drive at Jefferson. We are proud of your children and how they are working during the food drive. They have communicated to each classroom about the food drive and every day they put on some elf hats and become the “food drive elves.” We collected 1,344 items!!

Qy FIFTH GRADE Mrs. Cho w Mrs. Granger w Mrs. Powell wMrs. Ruiz(ELD)

The fifth graders want to send a big "thank You" to Mrs. Siharath for cutting up our math flash cards. Please look for them in your child's backpack & create a select time for them to practice these facts. uWe are using models & real world situations to solve problems involving multiplication of fractions.. In reading our focus is reading about animal behaviors. uIn Reading, we are identifying main ideas & details along with other strategies for reading informational test. These strategies will Social Studies and Science texts. uWe enjoyed our trip to CCSU to watch a production of "The Nutcracker" presented by The Albano Ballet. We want to thank all of our chaperones that joined us on this trip. uDuring our Winter Break, all students have math and reading practice packets to complete at their own pace. These review skills previously taught. Students can set goals for themselves as to how much they want to complete.

Q tuvwxy MUSIC ! Mr. Lepak

The music world at Jefferson is moving along at a rapid pace. Sometimes students don’t know how much they are learning or how much they have grown because time goes by so quickly. The students at Jefferson have grown enormously. Grade 5 has discovered a music composition technique called Theme and Variations. Students learned a theme and are learning to perform two different variations on that theme using different techniques.

Grade 4 is learning to put pitch and rhythm together using the notes of two chords. They have begun to write on the music staff using traditional notation. Grade 3 is excited to start the recorder. All recorders were received and primary lessons have begun. This process includes music reading. They just completed an assessment on the lines and spaces of the treble clef. They will be receiving instrumental instruction and will be playing well soon. Grade 2 is singing. They are learning to think and sing at the same time. They are being recorded for assessment and are enjoy singing the song Rocky Mountain. Let them sing it for you! Grade 1 is singing a call and response song, creating ABA form compositions with animal names, singing their name in tune and clapping and sounding out rhythms. They are joy to have in class and are eager to learn. Grade K is experimenting with high and low pitch and using their voice in different ways. They are singing their name and learning to become independent singers. They are also responding to a call and response song on their own. Go Kindergarten. It is such an honor to teach your child in the General music classroom and I look forward to finding more musical treasures inside of all my students as time passes by. THANK YOU for attending our Winter Concert!

Qtuvwxy ART Mrs. Buccheri

Colors are everywhere! For Quarter 2, our focus is Color Theory. All grade levels will focus on the vocabulary and color groups and apply this knowledge to art projects. Congratulations to Zofia Usmail (2) and Julianna Jurkowski (4) our Art Students for the month of October. For November the students were Callie Greene (K) and Adriana Gutowska (5). Enjoy the festivities of the holiday season and time off from school with your children and encourage them to color and draw over the break. This activity is great for fine motor skills and a great relaxation tool, as well! Happy New Year!

Q tuvwxy GYM Mr. Defronzo

The goal of our physical education program is to help students develop skills that they can use to be physically active throughout their lives. Research shows that children who take part in daily physical activity get better grades, are more attentive, develop greater self-confidence, and become healthier adults!! SNEAKERS, SNEAKERS!!!! Please be sure to send your child to school with sneakers for physical education class. Boots and other types of shoes are slippery and may cause safety issues for your child in the gym. Students may bring their sneakers to school and change in their classroom prior to P.E.. It is important to be prepared and sneakers are part of this! If students are not prepared with proper shoes – it could impact their grade and limit their participation. Over the last several months, Grade 3-5 students have been working hard to complete the Connecticut Physical Fitness Test. The test measures muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility. The students completed their testing in mid-November and have moved on to units on soccer and flag football skills. Grade K-2 students have been learning about teamwork, cooperation, personal space and all of the different loco motor movements they can use to move their bodies. Loco motor movements are things like walking, running, skipping and hopping. When your kids are playing at home ask them to show you some of the different loco motor movements that they know.

Q tuvwxy MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY Mrs. Pierpoint-Grayson wMrs. Aiudi

We have been having a very festive season in library learning about how different cultures celebrate. We have also been working hard to be helpful members of our community by taking lessons from the Grinch! Over break, please encourage your students to utilize our website [www.mrspgs.library.weebly.com], if possible, for their reading and learning needs! Have a wonderful break!

Q BAND ! STRINGS ! CHORUS Mr. Vacca w Mrs. Raymondw Mr. Lepak

The Grade 4 and 5 violinists did an awesome job at our Winter Concert! We hope you were able to enjoy it. All JETS attended the concert and those who are not currently playing a strings instrument may express an interest! Violin classes that take place every Wednesday at Jefferson! I would love to have more students join our strings group! u Please encourage your children to practice their instruments (band and strings) over the break!

FROM THE NURSE Mrs. Badum u Mrs. Oshana (our substitue nurse)

A few reminders from our nurse: u Children must be fever-free without the use of medication for 24 hours before returning to school. u Children who are vomiting must remain home until they are no longer vomiting, and are able to tolerate a “b.r.a.t.” diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and tea). u Children who are coughing or are exhibit excessive nose blowing, sore throat, earache accompanied by a fever should remain home until symptom free. Cough drops are only permitted in school with a doctor’s note. uPlease dress your child appropriately for the cold weather. u If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!

Q tuvwxy PTA PTA has been busy this month! Thank you to all families who participated in our Gingerbread House night! We loved seeing all of you having fun! We would love to have your involvement as our PTA Team continues to grow! We are always in need of volunteers for fundraising, event ideas and planning, parents who are able to volunteer their time preparing for events or helping support an event! Please call our front office if you are able to serve our students in some capacity! PTA will be hosting the Ugly Sweater Day ($1) and providing Cocoa and Cookies for our JETS! It’s never to late to show up and assist!

Q FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER Mrs. Riccio w Mrs. Maroun w Mrs. Poplawski

The Jefferson FRC is now offering the class “Parenting for Academic Success” from 9:15 -11:00 on Wednesdays . Also, we are recruiting parents who are interested in taking a series of parent trainings. The first series offered is People Empowering People; also known as PEP and the second offering is Parent SEE, Parents Supporting Educational Excellence. For more information, please call the FRC at 860- 224-3193 or visit us.

Q tuvwxy INTERVENTION TEAM w Ms. Cormier w Mrs. Ray w Mrs. Nevico w Mrs. Perez w Mrs. Roohr

Just as reading nightly is important to maintain skills, writing is equally important. Finding meaningful ways to write is simple! Writing thank you notes to loved ones after any celebration is one example. If you will be traveling over the break or taking day trips, have your child keep a journal of all their activities. During this busy time of year, give your child the opportunity to help you write shopping lists, cards, letters, etc. Reading aloud to your child, partner reading, and discussing books can turn into a writing activity as well. Here are some ideas for writing before, during or after reading; write a new ending to the story, if you were the character how would you solve the problem, rewrite the story from another point of view, write an all about book, something you wondered or predicted, or a connection or what reminded you about the book. Keeping skills sharp during the break, will help your child start the new year strong. Of course, keep reading every day!!

Q UPCOMING . . . plan ahead J

Dec 22nd thru Jan 6th – NO SCHOOL Jan 7th – RETURN TO SCHOOL Jan 7th – December Attendance Incentive Jan 11th- Badecker/Pensiero - NBMuseum of Art (chaperones needed) Jan 13th – HALF DAY! School Dismisses at 1:20 J Jan 18th – NO SCHOOL – Martin Luther King Jan 22nd – Feb 5th – NWEA Benchmarks (Math, Reading, Language) January (more information to come) – Kids At Hope For Parents