We celebrated Read Across Jefferson on Monday by doing Drop Everything and Read for 10 minutes after recess. Everyone enjoyed some quiet reading in the hallways. It was a great way to ease into the afternoon. Thank you to Ms. Harrigan for planning our activities for Read Across America week at Jefferson!
On March 21, Stephen Hill of Speak Sobriety will present "Not My Kid: How to Build Resilient Kids to Make Healthy Choices and Overcome Adversity," sharing his impactful story of addiction and recovery. https://www.westfieldnjk12.org/article/1504996
Our dedicated teachers participated in a rewarding afternoon of collaborative learning. Working in small groups, they reflected on the school year so far, identifying both successes and areas for improvement. The focus was on sharing effective teaching strategies that benefit student learning. This valuable exchange fostered innovation and a collective understanding of best practices. Additionally, teachers brainstormed areas they would like to delve deeper into, promoting ongoing professional development. This collaborative session highlights our teachers' commitment to continuous improvement and their dedication to providing the best possible educational experience for all our students at Jefferson.
Our 1st graders enjoyed their visit from the Liberty Science Center today! They had so much hands-on fun with light exploration. They started by investigating how light interacts with different materials. They shone a light through various objects and observed the results. Based on their observations, they sorted the materials into three categories: opaque, translucent, and transparent. This classification involved much discussion on how well light passed through each material. Their exploration didn't stop there! They then took on the role of inventors, building their own mini flashlights using batteries and small bulbs. Thank you to our PTO for sponsoring this enrichment lesson for our students.
The Parent Teacher Council (PTC) is hosting a virtual Board Candidates Night on Monday, March 18 from 7:30-9:30p. Visit the Board Election page for details, including how to register. https://www.westfieldnjk12.org/page/boardelectionapril2024
The Rotary Club of Westfield is accepting nominations for the Philhower and Steengrafe Awards. Nominate a favorite Pre-K to Grade 5 teacher and deserving staff member. Details here: https://www.westfieldnjk12.org/article/1491926
Calling all students in Grades K-12! The Westfield Public School District is hosting an Earth Day 2024 Poster Contest. The 2024 Earth Day theme is "Planet vs. Plastics." Deadline to submit is March 27. Submission details here: https://www.westfieldnjk12.org/article/1491955
Reminder: All Westfield Public Schools will have an early dismissal this Friday, March 8, as staff participate in professional development in the afternoon. Schedule here: https://www.westfieldnjk12.org/page/inclement-weather-procedures-school-closings
Integrating local history with Black History Month, our 5th grade students learned about Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and Paul Robeson, three important figures of the Harlem Renaissance with ties to Westfield. As a culminating activity, they visited the downtown mural honoring these three individuals. The mural is located on the side wall of the Evalyn Dunn Gallery at 549 South Avenue West. The mural’s creator Ricardo Roig joined to speak about his artwork. We had a beautiful day for our walking field trip. Thank you to the teachers for organizing the event and parents for chaperoning!
The Board of Education will hold a regular public meeting on March 5 in Cafeteria B at WHS, beginning at 7p. The Board will vote on the tentative 2024-25 school district operating budget. Agenda: https://bit.ly/BOEAgendas2023-2024 Livestream: https://bit.ly/BOELivestream2023-2024
Students in 5A had a special visitor teach them about stocks. They will be following the stock market and watching our stocks over the next few months!
March is Youth Art Month and Music In Our Schools Month. We're kicking both off with an Opening Reception on Tuesday, March 5 from 4:30-6:30p at the Roig Collection. We hope to see you there, as we celebrate the arts in our schools!
Jefferson students had a crazy hat day to celebrate their efforts in collecting 875 food items for our SOUPER BOWL drive this month. The food items were donated to Grace Church and Holy Trinity food pantries. Thank you to our amazing families for supporting our service projects!
Our students celebrated a fun Valentine's Day at school today. Kindness hearts were displayed on our painted tree, and students exchanged cards. Class parents worked with the teachers to plan for a fun afternoon with a crafts and snacks. Thank you so much! We wish you a Happy Valentine's Day!
Second graders are learning change more number stories in math. Students worked in pairs to solve the problems together.
Today, our 1st graders celebrated the 100th Day of School! They completed many fun learning activities using the number 100.
5A and 3O celebrated World Read Aloud with Live virtual author visits from Claire Noland and Jared Chapman. Afterwards, 5A students shared a special book they chose to read aloud to their younger buddies.
Classes 3O and 3Z had Super Bowl Fun Friday! Ms. O'Leary and Mrs. Zlotnick created various learning activities which students tackled in teams. Each team created a team name, mascot, chant, jersey and matching helmet. The purpose of the day was not only to continue practicing skills in a fun way, but to build teamwork among the classmates. They had to work together to complete activities, communicate with a team leader, and show good sportsmanship behavior. It was an exctiting day of learning!
Our 2nd grade students are learning about different kinds of communities, such as rural, urban and suburban. One of the parents, Mr. Perlmutter, from Class 2B was a guest speaker who talked about New York City and the many types of advertising you see in a city environment. Mr. Perlmutter has an advertising background and talked about how words can be so powerful in relaying a persuasive message. This connects well as students are learning how descriptive language is impactful in their writing.
Class 2L welcomed parent presenters, Mr. and Mrs.Khanshab, who shared a special science demonstration of “Elephant Toothpaste”. Mrs. Khanshab showed the young scientists what happens when yeast, warm water, hydrogen peroxide and dish soap are mixed together. Different percentages of hydrogen peroxide were used to cause varied reactions. The students could touch the bottom of an aluminum pan to feel the warmth the reaction caused. It was an exciting lesson for our students!
