Jefferson Elementary School

Happy National Administrative Professionals Day to the best of the best, Mrs. Terpstra and Mrs. Smith! We would be lost without them! #ExperienceWCS

Save the date, Former Jefferson Teachers and This Year's Seniors who graduated from Jefferson in 6th grade! Please mark your calendars now for our annual celebration: Spartan Senior Breakfast! The date will be Monday, May 20th from 9:00am–10:10am. More details to follow! #ExperienceWCS

For the second year in a row, the Jefferson Library has enjoyed hosting an aquarium of local fish from Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams. But just as our school year is beginning to wind down, so too is that of Grace College. Many of the student workers will be preparing to leave campus soon, so one of their tasks in April is to make the rounds in the community to bring all of the aquariums and their fishy residents back to Lilly Center. ​ Jefferson students thoroughly enjoyed the aquarium this school year and are anxiously asking if we will have another next year! (We already submitted our application!) We love how invested our Spartans are in this fascinating and enriching experience. ​ #ExperienceWCS #WCSJeffersonSTEM

As a reminder, ordering for this year's yearbook will close on FRIDAY, APRIL 19th, 2024. Yearbooks are made to order, meaning we will not have extras to sell. ​ If you want one (only $13 for 40 pages!), please order by this Friday's deadline! We don't want you to miss out! ​ Order here: https://blossers.wufoo.com/forms/jefferson-20232024-yearbook-order/

While you are out and about today, consider swinging by the WCHS Performing Arts Center between 10 and 4 to view some incredible art, created by WCS elementary students, including some from Jefferson! ​ #ExperienceWCS

Among many other amazing attributes, Jefferson also boasts having its own bee colony! The hive arrived last spring, donated by County Farm Bees, for the purpose of STEM exploration. According to Mr. Wall, Jefferson's principal, "The purpose of this venture is to learn more about sustainability and pollinators and how a hive works, as well as to enjoy tasty honey!" ​ You may be wondering just how a colony survives the colder months. The bees actually eat their own honey that they produce and then save for the winter, in order to weather the cold successfully. Now that the outside temperatures are warming, we can expect activity within the hive to become more active. ​ Our bee hive is located behind the school, where we also have a vegetable garden, along with some flowers. This area provides a vital "pollinator pathway" for our incredibly important, remarkable insect friends. ​ #ExperienceWCS

After days of activities, study, and anticipation, students were finally able to participate in viewing the historic solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. Even though Winona Lake was not quite in the path of 100% totality, our location still provided a wonderful show overhead. Several parents even came to Jefferson to watch with their children. What an experience! ​ Photo credit: Mrs. Pathak ​ #ExperienceWCS

We are incredibly grateful for our army of often unsung heroes, known as our Paraprofessionals or "Paras." We hope they are having a truly restful, recharging Spring Break. #ExperienceWCS

Our Jefferson Chess Teams are competing at State today! Go, Spartans! #ExperienceWCS

Back in the fall, Jefferson students raised money through our one-and-only fundraiser and earned several rewards as a result. Today was the day to slime Mr. Wall! Joining in the frivolity on a frigid Friday were also Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Terpstra. Top prize-earners got to do the sliming, along with a few teachers and even WL Officer Joe Bumbaugh! Needless to say, fun was had by all, as evidenced by the smiles in the "after" photo. Still to come in April: Kona Ice Truck reward! Hopefully the weather will be a bit more cooperative! #ExperienceWCS

Last week, 5th graders and their kindergarten buddies got to go on a very special St. Patrick's scavenger hunt together. The 5th-grade team put together clues that buddy teams had to solve, which led them to another spot in the school with another clue. The hunt ended in the library with Jefferson's favorite leprechaun, Mr. McClintock, handing out lucky charms from his pot of gold. #ExperienceWCS ​ A great time was had by all! #ExperienceWCS

Did you know it's "Music in Our Schools" month?

We have two, TIME-sensitive reminders for you. The first one involves NO SCHOOL for students tomorrow, Thursday, March 7th. This is a Professional Development Day for staff. See you Friday the 8th for a strong finish to our week! ​ The second one involves this weekend, where Indiana will once again observe Daylight Saving Time. This is when we "spring forward," meaning we'll lose an hour early Sunday morning. Anticipate more light in the evenings! CC0 image from Pixabay.

Jefferson was treated to a visit from the Fort Wayne Philharmonic—a string quartet ensemble, to be more specific. Members of the quartet (not pictured) played and also educated students about violins, violas, and cellos, helping them hear the difference between each of the instruments. They also helped them understand volume (pictured) by having students raise their hands to the perceived level of the sound. Other activities included a small "dance party," distinguishing which instrument of the four "made a mistake," and listening for pure enjoyment to some incredibly beautiful music. We are grateful for these types of enrichment activities! #ExperienceWCS

Don't forget to like our "Spartan Outfitters" Facebook page for all the up-to-date needs and news of this incredible outreach. https://www.facebook.com/JESpartanOutfitters #ExperienceWCS

Jefferson's Student Council began selling Smencils for $2.00 each to raise funds for special projects. ​ Smencils ("Gourmet Scented Pencils") may be purchased before school in the gym lobby on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Eager 5th-grade Student Council members are standing by to assist! #ExperienceWCS

Mark your calendars NOW for Thursday, February 29th! This is Jefferson's day to benefit from Hacienda's Give Back Fiesta! You'll need the attached coupon to dine in or carry out. (Extra coupons are available in the Jefferson Office.) All purchases on the 29th with our coupon will result in 20% of your meal price coming right back to Jefferson! It's a win-win, for sure! ​ We hope to see you there! (You may even see some "Jefferson celebrities" helping out in the restaurant!) #ExperienceWCS

It's time to pre-order your yearbook! Order online through April 19, 2024. The cost is only $13.00 for 40 pages of memories. Every student is pictured! Order today! ​ ORDER HERE>>> https://blossers.wufoo.com/forms/jefferson-20232024-yearbook-order/ ​ (The PTO will generously be providing a yearbook for each 6th grader. Please only order for 6th grade if you want an additional copy.) #ExperienceWCS

The initial, somewhat lofty, financial goal for Israel's new wheelchair was to raise $6,000.00, one cup of coffee (or tea or hot chocolate) at a time. Instead, everyone who came and drank and donated at Jefferson's Happy Beans Coffee blew the top off the cardboard thermometer with a total of...$8,283.00!!! But it gets even better! Combined with donations given at Lake City Bank and through a GoFundMe account, the GRAND TOTAL for this fundraiser comes to $14,040!!! This means a new wheelchair and a bike and finances toward medical expenses! Do we live in an amazing community or what?! Thank you to EVERYONE who donated time and/or money to this amazing project for an awesome kid. Good things happen when we come together to support each other. #ExperienceWCS #WCSmission

An announcement was made to the school in regard to a total for Happy Beans sales and donations. Did we make our goal? Stay tuned for the details! #ExperienceWCS #WCSmission