Programs

Band

The Band Director for Thomas Jefferson School teaches the Fourth Grade beginners and the Fifth Grade advanced students. Lessons begin in September for the Fifth Grade and in October for the Fourth Grade students. Fourth Grade students are provided lessons during the school day. Fifth Grade students are provided lessons and band rehearsals during the day.   Students are required to practice 15-20 minutes a day in order to improve on their instruments. Practice is the key to success on any instrument. There are practice sheets the students fill out and their parents sign to help show progress. All the improvement and hard work finally pays off at the Annual Spring Concert. Usually in March, the students perform a night of beautiful music.

Orchestra

The strings program at Thomas Jefferson starts at the Third Grade level.  Students can choose to play violin, viola, or cello, and possibly double bass.  Group lessons are held once a week, during school hours for about 35 minutes.  Besides keeping up with their school work, students are expected to practice their instruments at least 100 minutes per week (that's about 15 minutes every day).  Students who continue in Fourth and Fifth Grade become members of the school orchestra which meets for 40 minutes each week before the end of the school day.  They also continue to have group lessons once a week.

Chorus

Chorus is open to all 5^th graders who wish to join.  Signup is held in the Fall of their 5^th grade year.

Rehearsals are held once each week.  Students who love to sing and would like to have a chance to perform on stage are encouraged to join.  We do a variety of different songs each year.  Opportunities for “Solos” are also offered to the students.

The concert is held in March.  Chorus members perform for the other students at a daytime concert and in the evening for parents and other family members.

Safety Patrol

The Thomas Jefferson Elementary School Safety Patrol consists of fifth grade students. The purpose of the school Safety Patrol is to encourage a happy and safe environment for all students. Our aim is to help keep students of our school safe, both within the school and on the school grounds.

Safety Patrol members are selected at the end of fourth grade. Their responsibilities are to be on duty at the required times, help students throughout the building and on the school grounds, and to be examples of polite students. Our members wear belts and badges to show the community their dedication to Thomas Jefferson School.

Our patrol meets once a month with an advisor. All meetings are held during the school day. Safeties are to be on duty both before school and after school. Safeties who are bus students only perform their duties at the end of the day. They assist first grade teachers by escorting first grade students to their buses. All members must sustain a C average throughout their fifth grade.

Safety Patrol member are honored for their dedication at the end of the fifth grade at our annual awards breakfast. They are also rewarded with an annual picnic with members of all Washington Township School Safety Patrols at a local lake.                   (top of page)