School News

The generosity of our local community members continues to warm our hearts!

Pete Maurath is an avid cyclist. He was interested in helping children in our community who might not have a bicycle to enjoy this summer and perhaps would like to ride to school one day. He has been hard at work refurbishing bicycles that he donates to our schools, and then they are distributed to students.

This first round of ten bikes were donated to Edison, Jefferson, Longfellow and Royalview. More bicycles will be available this summer.

Thank you so much, Pete, for helping our students be on the move safely!

 

The students in Mrs. Salomon's class at Thomas Jefferson and Miss Minichello's class at Eastlake Middle got together to make girl scout popcorn!  Each student was partnered up and got a turn when working with the recipe.  Thank you to Ms. M (SLP) and Mrs. Chandar (OT) for coordinating this fun buddy group!  

 

Congratulations to Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and Edison Elementary School on being selected for the 2026 Governor’s Science of Reading Champions Award! 

This recognition reflects each school’s strong commitment to evidence-based literacy practices and the dedication of educators who implement those practices with fidelity every day. Their work is helping ensure that all students build the foundational reading skills they need to succeed.

We are proud of the leadership, collaboration, and focus on high-quality instruction that made this achievement possible. Congratulations to the entire Thomas Jefferson and Edison Elementary communities!

 

We would like to recognize our Thomas Jefferson Elementary staff members who received the Impact and Connection Award for February 2026. Staff members are nominated by their peers for being extraordinary in their field.

Janet Ranallo, Paraprofessional and Linda Davidson, Speech Language Pathologist, were surprised by Superintendent Dr. Patrick Ward! Dr. Patrick Ward visited the schools and presented their awards while they were surrounded by students. What a great way to honor our staff in front of the people who matter every day - their colleagues and their students!

Janet was nominated because of her patience, professionalism, fairness, consistency, gentleness and kindness. She is a shining light each and every day in the classroom, helping her students succeed!

Linda Davidson's colleagues admire her for always going "above and beyond" for her students and co-workers. She is a problem solver and her dedication to the whole child is evident in all of her teaching and interactions as she prioritizes positive relationships. She was instrumental in the Augmentative and Alternative Communication mentor group and works with families through the "Together WE Talk" series.

Congratulations to these outstanding staff members!

 

 

Eastlake Police challenged all students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary to design holiday badges to support the Shop with a Cop program. After reviewing and voting on all entries, the department selected third-grader Kalli’s colorful and fun design as this year’s winner. Officers surprised Kalli and her classmates with the news, and she received her own badge along with a few special keepsakes for her family. We are thankful for Officer Koehnle, Eastlake Middle School’s Student Resource Officer, who organized the contest and helped make this experience meaningful for our students. The department raised $950 through this initiative and plans to expand the contest next year to include even more young artists in our community.