• Parents' Reviews of Jefferson
• After School Programs at Jefferson

Parents' Reviews of Jefferson

As the deadline for the BUSD lottery approaches, I was hoping to get more recent reviews of Jefferson elementary, in particular as regards incoming kindergartners. Any info would be helpful, but I am particularly interested in feedback re: music and drama, spanish, and the before/after school program. Also, can you clarify if there are aides/assistants in the classrooms for kindergarten and 1st grade--or if not, if parents are usually there? I have received varying information so far, and worry about the ratio a little. Thank you! small step for humankind, big step for us!

My son will be entering kindergarten at Jefferson in the fall while most of his friends are going to another school. I know there will be a get-together in August and that he will make friends when he begins school, but he is very interested in having some playdates this spring with kids who will also be starting Jefferson kindergarten this fall. Is there already a forum for this that I don't know about? Or do you have a child entering Jefferson kindergarten and want to get together this spring/early summer? thanks, Katya

Our soon-to-be kindergartener has been assigned to Jefferson Elementary School in Berkeley. We would like to get some reviews of the school from families currently attending the school - both positive and negative please. We're in the position to consider private school, but are strong supporters of the public school system and we're feeling somewhat conflicted in today's school climate. We're reviewed the previous comments in the UC parents archives. Thanks! Public School Supporter

Mrs. Delany, the principal, is a SUPER lady and so are the teachers. All 3 kindergarten teachers are great! Can't say it enough....Jefferson is a great school! A Happy Jefferson Parent

In short, we've been very happy with Jefferson so far. There's a good sense of community there, and the faculty are almost uniformly liked by the parents and teachers (there are a couple of teachers that are less highly regarded, and a few that have almost celebrity status - probaby just like at any school). Although Jefferson has very good test scores, I haven't heard one single word about the tests yet - possibly that's because I'm a Kindergarten parent and the tests don't affect us, but I take it as a sign that the school as a whole isn't fixated on the standardized tests, which I think is a good thing. There's a weekly assembly every Thursday morning, which is delightfully old-fashioned - the kids sing together, and all the classes get chances to perform at assembly. There's a monthly event outside of school hours - an ice cream social, a fabulous halloween party, a cultural potluck, etc., so families get opportunities to get to know each other and feel a part of the school community. There's a conflict manager program on the playground, staffed by kids, and a culture of respect school- wide. I can't say whether any of this is unique to Jefferson, but I can say that both adults and child in our family have been very comfortable there, and my daughter is thriving. A friend whose older kids have attended two other Berkeley public schools says that Jefferson is her hands-down favorite. I'm very happy with our decision to go to Jefferson. a Jefferson mom

The teachers, parents and administration all work very well together. Our focus this year and last year in every committee has been on academic achievement for all students. The results from our test scores last year reflect good progress from a very solid academic base.

We have weekly school-wide assemblies that are open to parents/guardians. There is a lot of music appreciation as well as a variety of presentations during these assemblies -- drop by on a Thursday morning and check it out.

I know there has been a lot of press about the possible name change of the school. Please don't let this color your opinions of the school. No matter the outcome, all the participants agree that we will still have the best elementary school. It is not de-focusing us at all from the importance of improving the student experience both academically and socially.

Lastly, you're welcome to attend our monthly PTA meetings -- second Tuesday of the month at 7:00PM in the library. Please come! Kate

We have two kids at Jefferson who love school there, and we're more than happy about the education they're receiving. There are many components of a good education, here's a few issues for first-time parents to consider:
1) Quality teachers. Most Berkeley schools have experienced, dedicated teachers who know how to get the most out of the kids. There is not a teacher at Jefferson who I would not want my kid in his/her class.
2) School climate. At Jefferson, like many of the schools, recess and lunches are staggered by grade level. So the kindergartners and first graders have recess and eat lunch together. Same with 2-3 and 4-5. This makes for uncrowded play equipment and kids playing with peers.
3) School building blocks: Be Safe. Be Kind. Do Your Best Work. These are drilled into the kids in each classroom. When you go to the classes you'll see well-behaved kids. On the playground, certain students are Conflict Managers--trained to help resolve the kind of disputes kids invariably get into. [Of course there are adults there too.]
4) School community. There are many community events, from class potlucks to school-wide events sponsored by the PTA. Every Thursday morning the whole school gathers for Assembly--parents are welcome to come too. The kids sing, classes perform, sometimes outside performers too.
5) After School. There is a great, inexpensive, on-site, after-school program: Voyager. There is also a full range of after school classes including Spanish, Mandarin, chess, basketball, science, etc etc. Here are a few less obvious things to consider: 1) Remember your kid won't be in kindergarten forever--look at the whole school. 2) Yes, our schools are racially and economically diverse. Look at the kids cooperating on a variety of levels--in the classroom, on the playground--it really does give one hope for the future. 3) Your kid won't lose out on that Rhodes scholarship in kindergarten-- give it a try--you'll find that the overall level of academic achievement is quite high and your kid will love it. Jay

We feel a very strong bond with the school and are very happy to be part of the Jefferson community. We don't live in the immediate Jefferson neighborhood so we get a lot of comparative data on the public and private schools from neighbors and friends. All of them are aware of Jefferson's great reputation. It is known for its academics, Chinese bi- cultural program, musically oriented students, weekly school-wide assemblies, and for having minimal behavioral issues in the student body. For my kids, it has been a very welcoming place to do their best and it has exposed them to many things outside the classroom too - bird study, great field trips, interesting assemblies and lots of fun evening family events: Halloween, Art, Math, Culture, Books.

As far as test scores, no one can give you answers -- only you can draw your own conclusion from the information available. We had a Parent Education Forum last year to discuss standardized tests -- what they are used for and how the data can be mis-interpreted. I realized that there are lots of ways to slice the test score data and even then there are many unknowns. kate

My daughter has had a great experience at Jefferson -- she's been in the Chinese BiCultural program and both the kindergarten and first grade teachers have been fantastic. The other kids are also a good mix and the teachers have done a good job working with the very high energy kids, and the kids who didn't have formal preschool to help them understand how to be students. The PTA is strong, and raises a fair amount of money as well as sponsors several evening school-wide events that seem to attract most of the parents. The new principal is very hard-working and seems to be developing a good overall picture of the school and the community. I would strongly recommend Jefferson. CL

Afterschool Programs

My daughter will be starting kindergarten at Jefferson in the Fall and I would like to learn more about after school care options and parent feedback on those options. I know the PTA offers some after school classes and that there is a program called Voyager but couldn't find any recent reviews of either in the BPN archives. Am particularly interested in hearing from parents of kindergartners and first graders in after school programs this year as my main concern is how well the after school care is supervised and how the kindergartners do mixing with the older/bigger kids. Am not sure how much (if any) separation of ages there is, how much supervision of the playground is provided, etc.. Thanks in advance for your feedback and advice. Rita

As I said, my daughter goes to the JCC a few days a week - I actually did this initially because she had a best friend at Jefferson/Voyager with whom she had a very high-drama relationship, which was wearing me out. Kids go to the JCC on the school bus, and that works out fine. The JCC's program is marvelous - rich, warm, great teachers and aides, great values. The main downsides are the additional cost, and if you're walking distance to Jefferson but not to the JCC, the extra transportation issues. If you go to a place like the JCC, you do get a second community, which is great, but two new communities may be a bit much to adjust to for a new Kindergartener. Plenty do it fine, though, and the JCC is a very loving, fun place for all the kids.

Maybe more than you asked for, but in short - your child will be safe and happy at Voyager, but it will be a bit of a culture shock (especially for you). A bonus for being at Voyager is added opportunities to connect with other families in the school community - which at Jefferson is a very lively, strong, positive part of the school experience. Nancy

Well, now that we know we got into Jefferson, we are starting to think about what happens after school. Our kindergartener will need to go to an after school program 3 days/week, until 5 pm. What do parents think of the Voyager program? pros/cons? How is it for the little ones? (is K mixed with all the other grades, etc?) Do most kids who need after school care stay for the Voyager program, or do they go to a mix of other programs? What other programs are popular, and do we need to apply to those now to get a spot? Thanks for any input on this.

It's taken Voyager a little while to find its balance, and I think it's still best for kids who like to run around a lot. There is a ''homework club'' and computers and lego-type activities for kids whose energy isn't so large and expansive. There are no real age divisions as far as I can tell, but the Jefferson culture is so hip to the issue of bullying that I don't see that as a real problem. To be fair to Voyager, the Kenney program is supported by Berkeley property taxes, while Voyager is really scrounging for dough, so that's a big part of the difference.

A downside to Kenney is that Berkeley city holidays are rather frequently different than the school holidays, so sometimes you'll find yourself scrambling for an alternative. That's one of the reasons we are signed up for both. The other reason is that Jefferson has other after-school programs in the form of actual classes that are offered by a variety of organizations or individuals (art, dance, chess, languages, etc). If your child is enrolled in a class, s/he may not be able to catch the bus to Kenney.

Our solution has been to enroll in Voyager on a 2-3 day/week basis, as well as Kenney full-time (a bargain at only $20/month for snack fee). This gives us the leeway we need to do a little of both.

(See James Kenney Park for the rest of this review.)