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Jefferson Profile

Welcome!

Our school is named after Thomas Jefferson who was the third President of the United States, elected in 1801 and serving until 1809.  He is most widely known as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. 

He is one of only two people in history to have accomplished a so-called “Triple Crown,” serving as Secretary of State (under George Washington), vice president (under John Adams), and as President.  He died on the Fourth of July, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Children sit on a rug in a classroom, using laptops, with a decorated Christmas tree in the background.

Welcome to Jefferson Elementary School! 

School History and Dedication

On February 13, 2007, voters approved a $17 million bond issue, which included $9.5 million for the school's construction. Thomas Jefferson Elementary was built on land purchased from a previous bond issue between 81st and 91st streets and Garnett Road and U.S. 169.

Thomas Jefferson wished to be remembered for three accomplishments from his public life though there are many more for which he was known.  He was governor of Virginia.  He served as the United States Minister to France.  He was Secretary of State for President George Washington.  He served as Vice President for John Adams.  He was elected our president from 1801-1809.  On his tombstone, however, for which he himself wrote the inscription, only these three accomplishments appear: 

  • He was the author of the Declaration of  Independence
  • He was the author of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom
  • He was the Father of the University of Virginia.

Our country declared its independence through his words.  Our country more than doubled its size through his commissioning of the Lewis and Clark expedition during his presidency.  Our country’s children today are assured a free and public education through his strong-held belief that educating the masses was the only sure way to ensure our liberty was preserved.

Our students at Jefferson Elementary study language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and the arts due in part to his efforts. Thomas Jefferson had faith in the common man.  He believed the common man could elect wise and virtuous leaders if, and only if, that common man was educated. 

A young girl in the foreground uses a laptop, while other children and colorful lights are visible in the blurred background of a classroom.

 

Elise Skeie
Jefferson Elementary Teacher of the Year

Principals

Principal

Teresa Besses

Teresa-Besses

Teresa Besses was named principal of Jefferson Elementary in 2023. She had served as assistant principal at Ellen Ochoa Elementary since 2020, after serving as administrative intern for a year. Previously, she worked as a school counselor at Roy Clark Elementary for eight years.

While at Roy Clark, she was named that school’s Teacher of the Year in 2017. In addition to being a school counselor, she has been a licensed therapist since 2013. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Tulsa, a master’s degree in school counseling from Oklahoma State University and received her administration certification from Northeastern State University.  Besses is married and has two children.

Assistant Principal

Jaimee Lewis

Jaimee Lewis

Jaimee Lewis was named assistant principal for Jefferson Elementary in the summer of 2025.

Lewis began her career with Union Public Schools in 2012. She has taught at Briarglen, Ellen Ochoa, and Darnaby Elementary in kindergarten, first, and second grade. She has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and a master’s degree in school administration, both from Oklahoma State University.

Jefferson At Glance

A group of children and a coach are exercising on a wooden gym floor, with bleachers visible in the background.
Two young boys in the foreground perform an exercise with their arms behind their heads, while other children sit on the floor in the background of a gymnasium.
A young boy in a red shirt stands in the foreground, framing his face with his hands, while a group of children and teenagers pose behind him on a basketball court.
Two children run on a sidewalk in the foreground, while a group of other children and trees are visible in the background under a clear blue sky.
Children in the foreground are participating in a race with a tethered harness, while adults and other children are visible in the background on a grassy field with buildings and trees.
A man in military uniform helps a young boy walk across a wooden beam balanced on cinder blocks in a grassy yard with houses in the background.
Three smiling people stand behind a red glittery %22BELIEVE%22 sign, with an office setting visible in the background.
A young girl with glasses reads a book in the foreground, while other students and a teacher are visible in the blurred background of a classroom.
A young man with curly hair plays a trumpet in the foreground, while a large audience of children sits in the background.
Children in pajamas surround a giant soccer ball on a grassy field with adults and tents in the background.
Children stand under a colorful parachute held by two adults on a grassy field with a cloudy sky and distant buildings.
A woman in a yellow Play-Doh shirt cheers enthusiastically as children pull a rope in the foreground, with a grassy field, trees, houses, and a cloudy sky in the background.
A young boy in a red sweater and blue headphones focuses on his laptop in the foreground, while another child works on a computer in the blurred background of a classroom.
A young person in a dark hoodie and a woman in a gray sweatshirt smile at the camera in the foreground, while other people and a colorful wall are visible in the background.
Three smiling people stand in a school hallway with lockers and a child in the distance.
Children sit on a rug in a classroom, some using laptops and tablets, with a decorated Christmas tree in the foreground and desks and shelves in the background.
A man and three children pose in a school hallway with artwork on the walls and other people in the background.
A group of smiling children are gathered on a floral rug in the foreground, with a classroom and a teacher visible in the background.
A smiling boy reads a book in the foreground, while other children and lockers fill the background of a classroom.
A young boy smiles at the camera in a classroom with other students and desks in the background.
Children play with colorful balls in a gymnasium with a stage in the background.
Children in the foreground are gathered around a rug with two teachers in the background, one standing near a whiteboard and the other by lockers.
Children in the foreground walk towards a yellow school bus in the background, with adults supervising.
A man in a blue vest and a young girl in a purple outfit stand together in front of a wooden bench and a wall with colorful squares.
A young girl in a white dress stands on a stage with a microphone in front of a red curtain, while a row of blurred lights stretches across the foreground.
A teacher holds up a pink container to a group of diverse elementary school students sitting on a colorful rug in a classroom.
Children sit on the floor in the foreground, listening to a person in historical costume in the background, surrounded by bookshelves.
A smiling woman with a card on her head plays a game in a classroom with children in the background.
Two adults in a school hallway toss a pink ball back and forth, with a blurred figure walking in the distance.
A young boy in a wheelchair makes a gesture with his hands in the foreground, while a classroom with tables and chairs is visible in the background.
A group of smiling children and their teacher gather around a table in a classroom, with colorful decorations and learning materials visible in the background.
Five people in black t-shirts and sunglasses perform on a stage with a dark curtain background adorned with yellow stars.