Jefferson Elementary

Parents/Guardians: Tomorrow, Friday, February 10, 2023 is the last day to take the Social-Emotional Survey from the Community Engagement Committee. If you haven't taken the survey yet, please click on the link below. We have had 734 parents and students participate so far. We will share information once the CEC has had a chance to analyze the data. Thanks again for participating! https://forms.office.com/r/4UMcLi2vAy

The 5Essentials Parent Survey is open through March 31, 2023. Please go to www.dps170.org and click on the parent survey link, or click on this link to be taken to the survey https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/?target_name=parent. The 5Essentials Survey information is used for our overall ESSA designation and in each building's school improvement plan. Your voice is important to us! Below are the parent survey percentages so far. Keep up the great work. Parent response rates for Dixon USD 170: Dixon High School: 1% Jefferson Elem School: 2% Madison School: 3% Reagan Middle School: 15% Washington Elem School: 2%

The DPS #170 Community Engagement Committee is requesting that parents/guardians take our Social-Emotional Needs Survey to help us understand how we can support families. Click on the link below to access the survey. The survey will be open until 5 p.m. on Friday, February 10, 2023. Students in grades 5-12 will be taking the survey in the next few weeks. Buildings will be reaching out to inform you of the date, time, and ability to opt your child out. Please contact the District Office with any questions. https://forms.office.com/r/4UMcLi2vAy

Please click on the link below for a statement from the Dixon Police Department and Dixon Public Schools. While this is being investigated, students and staff are proceeding safely with their day. We will keep you informed throughout the day as information is made available. https://5il.co/1nozh

Matthew and Harry are DHS student representatives at Dixon Rotary today! #RotaryRocks #OutstandingStudents #BePurple

DPS #170 will be conducing law enforcement drills at each building beginning next month. Please click on the link below to read an informational letter from Supt. Empen. Buildings will send out reminder letters to parent prior to the drill dates. https://5il.co/1nldc

DPS #170 will be conducting law enforcement safety drills in each building starting in February. Buildings will be sending out reminders to families, one to two weeks before the drill. Please contact your building principal with any questions.

Any students placed out of district will be off school tomorrow. The district will notify the schools that students will not be in attendance.

All Dixon Public Schools will be closed on Thursday, 12/22/22 due to the upcoming inclement weather. There is NO e-learning tomorrow. Please check our website/social media for updates during break. School resumes on Thursday, 1/5/23.

December 8, 2022 Dear Families, An E-Learning day may be called by Superintendent Empen if inclement weather can be predicted with advance warning. An E-learning day is different than a snow day. On a snow day, students will have the day off and the day will be made up at the end of the school year. On an E-learning day, the day would be called in advance of a major weather event and the students will be expected to complete school work from home. An E-learning day does not require an additional day at the end of the school year. The day before an E-Learning day, your child will be sent home with a packet that must be completed and returned the following school day. Your child is responsible for turning in the packet as this is how your child’s teacher will be taking attendance for the E-Learning day. If your child does not turn in the completed packet, your child will have an unexcused absence for the E-Learning day. Your child’s teacher will be available from 7:45-11:30 a.m., as well as from 12:00-1: 30 p.m. to answer any questions or concerns you may have via email: first initial last name @dps170.org (jsmith@dps170.org), or via Seesaw if you need assistance. We also understand that extenuating circumstances arise; please feel free to reach out to your building principal with any questions or concerns.

You received a text today letting you know that bus 6 was delayed. It was delayed due to a minor accident. There were no injuries. Dixon Police responded to the scene and the bus finished its route as normal. Please contact your child's school with any questions.

Ella G. and Jaxson G. at Dixon Rotary Club today. #BePurple #SuperStudents

Stupor Bowl 2023 is scheduled for Saturday, February 11, 2023! Click the link for all the details and get your team ready. https://www.dps170.org/page/stupor-bowl

We look forward to seeing everyone back in school tomorrow! Let’s finish first semester strong DPS! #BePurple #Thankful

E-Learning or Snow Days - What you need to know At the start of inclement weather we discuss the use of E-Learning Days and Snow Days. At last night's Board Meeting, Mrs. Empen discussed the reasoning behind when each day is utilized. The information below explains for parents, guardians, students, staff, and the community the District plans moving forward when having to decide how to proceed if and when inclement weather arrives. E-Learning Days: An e-learning day will be utilized districtwide when there is enough advanced notice that teachers can prepare appropriate learning materials for students to work on while at home. For students in grades Pre-kindergarten through grade 5, learning packets will be sent home with students in anticipation of an e-learning day. Pre-kindergarten through grade 5 students will utilize Seesaw for e-learning days as well. For students in grade 6-12, lessons and Zoom/Teams meeting times will be uploaded in Canvas prior to the 7:45 a.m. start time. E-learning days do not require adding additional days to the end of the school year. Snow Days: A snow day will be utilized districtwide when there is not enough advanced notice for teachers to prepare appropriate learning materials for students to work on from home. When a snow day is called, students and teachers are not in attendance. Snow days are required to be made up utilizing the emergency days added to each year’s school calendar. I will utilize our automated call and text system to announce plans on inclement weather days. Please make sure that phone numbers are updated in Lumen to ensure you receive the call or text. We will continue to notify local radio stations, television stations, our website and social media pages when inclement weather arises. The fastest way to receive inclement weather information is through our automated call and text system.

Hannah L. and Mekhi M. at Dixon Rotary Club today. #Bepurple #SuperStudents

Dear Parents/Guardians: Amplify-CKLA is the new district reading program K-8. This is a highly rated series, the result of collaboration between the education experts and the instructional technology experts at Amplify. Amplify-CKLA provides your child with the opportunity to learn and practice literacy skills within an engaging story world, built to empower students to learn to read, read to learn, and write through the science of reading. DPS #170 is excited for students to grow through the use of Amplify -CKLA. As a result of the change to our ELA series, skills may not be in order as listed on the report card for each quarter. Your child may have grades in multiple quarters for each grading period in ELA. As we navigate through the 2022-23 school year, please reach out to your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns regarding your child’s report card.

Parents/Guardians: A copy of your child's updated STAR Family Report was sent home today. STAR is a computerized assessment given in Math and Reading three times per year and tracks student progress/growth. The report gives the strengths in Reading and Math, in addition to areas needing additional support and improvement. We use these scores to continue to modify instruction for your child and to ensure that they have the needed supports in school. If you have any questions regarding the STAR report or your child's progress, please bring those questions to parent/teacher conferences. Jefferson is looking forward to seeing everyone next week at conferences!

Grant and Harvest represent DHS at Dixon Rotary today. #GoPurple #SuperStudents

Please help Jefferson Elementary honor Veterans with the creation of the annual Veteran's Day Memorial Wall. If you or a family member are a veteran of a student at Jefferson Elementary, please send a photo in to be displayed at Jefferson, complete with the Veterans name/rank/dates of service. The photo will be returned to the student. Thank you for your help in creating this memorial.