Our fourth graders participated in a Bike Safety Assembly this week to prepare for safer spring and summer riding. They learned the vital importance of using hand gestures to signal turns, wearing helmets properly, sporting bright-colored clothing, and avoiding distractions while on the road. This was excellent preparation for their upcoming Bike Rodeo in June. Thank you to Mr. Mike Johnson from EZ Ride for a great program!
Our students dove into marine biology this week with the incredible Whalemobile program. Students learned about different whale species and their ocean habitats, but the absolute highlight was getting to step inside a life-sized inflatable whale! A huge thank you to our wonderful PTO for sponsoring this unforgettable, hands-on experience for our students.
This week, Jefferson recognized Allergy Awareness Week with specialized lessons for our first, second, and third graders. One of our parents, Mrs. Larkin, presented to our students, and our helpful PTO volunteers facilitated a hands-on activity. Students learned the critical importance of both food and environmental allergies, as well as how to advocate for their own safety and care for others. The students were engaged and had insightful thoughts to share!
We were thrilled to welcome Mr. Alongi of Alongi Media to our school! With a career spanning TV shows, live events, and news productions, he offered the students in 4L a fascinating look into the world of media. Our students were incredibly curious as they learned how producers use cameras, lighting, and sound to tell powerful stories and create exciting content. We are so grateful to him for sharing his professional equipment and technical expertise with our budding creators!
Our 4th and 5th-grade orchestra delivered a wonderful performance at our school assembly. Mrs. Naylor did a fantastic job leading the students in her final concert before her retirement. It was a truly special occasion, made even more memorable by a guest appearance from Mrs. Naylor's daughter, who served as the piano accompanist for our final song, 'Try Everything.' We wish Mrs. Naylor all the best as she begins her well-deserved retirement this summer!
Today’s Field Day was a wonderful success, aided by beautiful weather and great school spirit. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our PE teachers, Mr. Marino and Dr. Andzel, for their organization and to the WHS volunteers for their time and support. Additionally, we are grateful to the PTO for providing ice pops to help our students cool off at the conclusion of the activities.
We had some very special visitors this week. Three therapy dogs stopped by to spend time with our students! Our classes had a blast learning about how these dogs are trained to support people and offer comfort. It was the perfect way to de-stress during state testing. Thank you so much to our school counselor, Ms. Saliceti, for organizing such a treat!
Today, our first and second graders gathered for a special Arbor Day celebration on Lansdowne. We were honored to host Mayor Berman and other town officials for the planting of a beautiful new tree, marking a wonderful addition to our landscape by our arrival door. The ceremony began with several of our first and second-grade students sharing heartfelt poems about nature and the importance of trees. It was a perfect day to be outdoors, celebrating growth and community together.
Our 2nd graders recently teamed up to put their math and movement skills to the test! Working in small groups, they measured each other’s standing jumps using both centimeters and inches. Students practiced collaboration, precision, and conversion between units, all while having a blast seeing how far they could jump. It was a fun, hands-on way to make math and physical activity come alive!
On Tuesday, our students headed out to the learning garden to celebrate National Garden Day! We kicked off the spring season with some much-needed cleanup to prepare our beds for a successful growing year. Our hard work will continue throughout next week as we get the soil ready for new plantings. In the meantime, our "baby plants" have been growing strong indoors and are nearly ready for their outdoor home!
We were proud to host the WHS Water Safety Club. The high schoolers led an engaging and important lesson for our 3rd graders on how to stay safe at the pool and beach as we look toward the warmer months. It was a special treat to welcome many Jefferson alumni back to our halls as part of the WHS presentation team. Seeing our former students return to contribute so meaningfully to our school community is wonderful full-circle moment. Thank you to the WHS students for their leadership and to our 3rd graders for being such an attentive audience!
We were thrilled to host the a cappella group Back Track Vocals from NYC for a special school-wide assembly. The performers offered a fantastic blend of entertainment and education, engaging students in interactive demonstrations of vocal percussion and beatboxing. We extend our sincere gratitude to the PTO and Cultural Arts Committee for their dedication to bringing such high-quality enrichment programs to our school community.
This week in math, 2nd graders explored partial sums method, a different way to visualize and solve multi-digit addition. By breaking numbers apart into hundreds, tens and ones, students gained a deeper understanding of place value. They had a great time practicing the steps on their slates and are becoming much more confident in their calculation skills!
With the incredible support of our PTO and parent volunteers, our students participated in various meaningful community service projects. Student projects included assembling care bags and decorated cards for Hope 4 Paws Humane Society; creating personalized coasters and cards for Mobile Meals of Westfield; donating personal books, crafted bookmarks, and wrote reviews to create gift-wrapped surprises for the Bridge of Books Foundation; and assembling essential toiletry kits and supportive cards for Refugee Assistance Partners of NJ. We are proud of their dedication to giving back!
Yesterday, Class 4L had a special visit from Mrs. Elahi who taught the students about the beautiful traditions of Ramadan and Eid, highlighting the significance of giving back to those in need. Taking that lesson to heart, the class spent the morning creating special goodie bags for pediatric patients. We are proud of our students for spreading joy and supporting our local community! For our families celebrating Eid today, we wish you a joyous and blessed celebration.
Today, we were thrilled to welcome a group of Westfield High School athletes, all our own Jefferson alumni! They spent the afternoon reading stories to our students and lead discussions on the importance of sportsmanship. It is always a proud moment to see our former students return as such positive role models. Thank you to Dr. Andzel for organizing this event for our school community!
This week we were honored to host a wonderful visit from renowned Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall. Ms. Blackall captivated our students with stories of her life in Australia and shared the unique inspirations behind her celebrated books. As a talented illustrator, she engaged the children in helping her sketch a cartoon alien. The room was filled with creativity and excitement! A huge thank you to our librarian, Ms. Harrigan, and our PTO for hosting such a memorable event.
On St. Patrick's Day, our school was full of festive spirit. It was a joy to see our students and staff decked out in green, and our first graders had a particularly magical experience. Students shared their creative leprechaun traps and discovered how their classrooms had been transformed by a mischievous overnight visitor. All classes also participated in a Shamrock hunt around the school. It was a fun day!
Our multipurpose room was transformed for our annual Multicultural Night! It was a truly spectacular evening filled with the sights, sounds, and flavors of our diverse community. We would like to extend a huge thank you to our PTO and the Multicultural Committee for their tireless hard work in organizing such a seamless event. Thank you to everyone who participated in making this night a beautiful tapestry of our school’s culture!
It is Read Across America week! On Tuesday, our entire school community participated in a coordinated "Drop Everything and Read" (DEAR) session. A special thank you goes to Mrs. Harrigan for organizing this school-wide event and fostering such a wonderful love for reading!
