The school includes a Chinese Bicultural Program, in students in the class are introduced to Chinese culture and language. A great deal of thought and planning went into Jefferson's beautiful play yard. Ten years ago the yard was a flat piece of concrete. Parents dreamed, schemed and rolled up their sleeves in a unique partnership with the school district to create a great place for learning and play. The butterfly, vegetable and shade gardens grow, and the space boasts a dry creek bed with an Asian style bridge, an outdoor classroom, terraces, as well as a new play structure and basketball courts.
Children study science both in and out of the classroom.
Hands-on explorations in biology, botany, geology, chemistry, physics and the scientific method lead to an appreciation of the fundamentals of science. Ornithology is taught in the classroom and supplemented by weekend Chickadee Club bird walks on which children and their families become acquainted with Bay Area birds and their habitats. At Jefferson, science is taken beyond the classroom walls. Music is another important part of learning at Jefferson. Students in grades kindergarten through third learn fingering and musical composing on recorders, which are put to daily use, so that they are ready for the district-wide program in which all fourth and fifth graders participate.