Thomas Jefferson Elementary School is a TK-5th grade school that does not just embrace our diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds but that we celebrate them. We are a community of staff, students, parents and caregivers that believe in developing students academic, socioemotional emotional, civic, and cultural competence. We partner with neighbors, community based organizations, and local businesses to enhance the educational experiences and resources available to our students. We are committed to fostering and building the relationships critically needed to close the racial, linguistic, and economic resource gap many of our families face, so as to achieve high academic standards for all of our children.
-Principal Natalie Valencia
Mission Statement
Jefferson Elementary is committed to providing a school environment that supports the academic, social-emotional, creative, and civic learning of all students in our care. We believe that a focus on equitable outcomes will not only prepare our students for the future but also live a happy and fulfilled childhood. As a community of learners, we will honor the cultural and linguistic assets in our school community and hold high expectations of ourselves individually and collectively.
Programs and Partners
With a focus on the Common Core State Standards, the Jefferson staff is committed to providing an educational program in which the school’s instructional practices, resources, and services are effectively coordinated to meet the assets of all students’ learning styles. Within our school program, we offer a strand of English Instructed classes Tk-5th grade, in addition to our Spanish biliteracy strand for our 1st-5th grade students in a Transitional Bilingual Model that is converting into a Dual Language Immersion strand beginning with our current Kindergarten class. All programs provide students with explicit direct instruction lessons and project-based learning (PBL) opportunities that are combined with blended learning opportunities in our 1:1 (1st-5th grades) and 2:1 (TK/Kindergarten) digital learning environments. In addition, students receive instruction in Music, Art, Physical Education and have full access to the school library and its multimedia resources.
In order to ensure that our students are able to reach their highest potential as learners, the Jefferson staff has committed to the following:
- Implement Culturally Responsive teaching and learning strategies to decrease the achievement gap through targeted staff development.
- Using arts integration as a vehicle for greater student engagement.
- Regularly utilizing curriculum guides, adopted materials and other resources.
- Integrating writing across the curriculum.
- Exploring and implementing ways to allow all students access to the curriculum.
- Regularly analyzing student work and planning curricula with other teachers of their grade level.