LEAP Activities
LEAP programming at Jefferson Middle School is funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant from the Iowa Department of Education. Learn more at: www.dbqschools.org/leap
Jefferson LEAP activities are offered:
Monday through Friday afternoons
from 2:30-4 p.m.
Here are a few upcoming activities…
| Mondays and Wednesdays, Beginning September 16 (excluding non-school and conference dates) World of Art Are you ready to submerge in the beauty of learning various art forms? Come and join us in a fun-filled and colorful Friday afternoons. Origami, drawing, lettering designs, painting, and academic related arts and crafts are only some of the great projects/activities that we will do in this course. Together we can bring color to our world. Provided by: Maria Elaine Kluga, TJMS Teacher |
| Tuesdays and Thursdays, Beginning September 17 (excluding non-school and conference dates) Karaoke Fun and Vocal Coaching Do you love singing? Has music been a great part of you? Do you love Karaoke? We are inviting you and your friends to come and join us. We will help you bring out the uniqueness of your singing voice and gain confidence to share your talents to others. We cannot wait to have you! Provided by: Maria Elaine Kluga, TJMS Teacher |
| Fridays, Beginning September 20 (excluding non-school and conference dates) Chess Club and Board Games Do you love playing chess? Whether you have been playing chess for years, you just learned how to play chess recently or you would love to learn how to play chess for the first time, come and join us Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Have fun as we play chess, create camaraderie with one another and gain new friends. See you there! Provided by: Maria Elaine Kluga, TJMS Teacher |
| First and Third Tuesdays of the month, Beginning October 1 through May 6 (excluding non-school and conference dates) Self-Defense Seminar Boost your confidence & improve your self-defense skills in this hands-on class. We will cover a mix of basic moves & techniques that work in many scenarios that participants of every size can use effectively. In addition to learning effective moves students will also learn how to harness & control their inner strength, increase their focus and relieve stress. Provided by: Eryka Cook, Co-Owner/Kickboxing & Self-Defense Instructor, Empowermental |
| Tuesdays, beginning October 1 through May 13 (excluding non-school and conference dates) Card Game Fun!!! Come join us for some crazy fun card games. Show off your card playing skills while playing various games with your friends! We will be playing a mix of fun cards games everyone will enjoy! Uno Flip, 5 Alive, Bird Call to name a few. Come on and have some fun! There may be a little something special for you! Provided by: Judi Schmitz, TJMS Guidance Secretary |
| Wednesdays & Thursdays, Beginning October 2 through December 19 (excluding November 13, non-school and conference days) DANCE! Join us for dance! Whether you have danced before or just enjoy doing it for the TikTok, join us learning different routines from a combination of jazz, hip hop, and pom. If you are interested in doing Dance after winter break, this is a great opportunity to see if you love it! All levels are welcome to join to have fun dancing! Provided by: Nicole Snitkey, TJMS Teacher |
| October 3&15, November 7&19, December 3&18 Hot Coco and Trivia Join us for a cozy and fun-filled after-school activity where you can warm up with delicious hot chocolate while testing your knowledge with exciting trivia! This event is perfect for students who love a good challenge and enjoy spending time with friends. Provided by: Shelby Kelchen, TJMS Teacher |
| Wednesdays, beginning October 15 (excluding non-school and conference dates) Lego Club Imagine buckets of LEGOS waiting for YOU to build anything you can imagine. Bring your imagination and creativity as we build with LEGOS on Tuesdays at Jefferson. This is a club for all skill levels of LEGO builders. If you’re just beginning but have no LEGOs at home, we provide everything you need. Master builders, bring your creativity and get ready to challenge yourself! *This LEAP activity is open for all students, but IF you want to learn more about LEGO League you will need to come to LEGO Club. Provided by: Stacy Seyer, TJMS Teacher |
| October 8, November 12&21 and December 1 Jewelry Making Discover the joy of creating your own jewelry with our Jewelry Making LEAP activity. Perfect for beginners, our activity provides a friendly and relaxed atmosphere to learn the fundamentals of jewelry making. Join us to explore your creativity, share ideas, and make new friends while crafting unique jewelry that reflects your personal style. Provided by: Shelby Kelchen, TJMS Teacher |
| Thursdays, beginning October 10 (excluding non-school and conference dates) Scratch Club Do you want to learn how to program and design your own games or make your name dance across the screen? This club will offer you the opportunity to begin coding and designing your own programs. *This LEAP activity is open for all students, but IF you want to learn more about LEGO League you will need to come to Scratch Club. Provided by: Stacy Seyer, TJMS Teacher |
| Mondays and Wednesdays, beginning Monday, Oct 14 through Dec 16(excluding non-school and conference dates) Minecraft Club Build magnificent structures and explore an endless world with your fellow students in the Minecraft Club. We will work together and independently digging deep mines to find valuable resources, building homes and communities, farming to prevent starvation, terraforming the land to fit our needs, crafting tools and weapons, and surviving through the night on the popular game Minecraft. Provided by: Kevin McGinnis, TJMS Teacher |
| October 21 November 11 and December 16 Battle of the Books Battle of the Books is a competition between grade level teams. The teams can be up to 5 people. Battle of the Books is a competition in which students compete against each other using their understanding of the selected books. The LEAP time will be used to check in with teams to make sure they are on top of their readings and feel confident in what they read. I will also offer them time to just sit and read if they need to catch up on reading. Provided by: Amanda Marks, TJMS Teacher |
| Tuesdays & Thursdays, beginning Tuesday, Sept 17 through Thursday, May 22 (excluding non-school and conference days) Art for Crazies Come dive into the crazy of art by doing a variety of projects you may not get to do during the school year like clay on the wheel, sewing, collage, T-shirt designing and photography! Provided by: Angel Flack, TJMS Teacher |
| Wednesdays and Fridays, beginning Wednesday, November 13 (excluding non-school and conference dates) Dungeons & Dragons Club Are you ready to embark on a thrilling adventure? Join our D&D club and become a hero! Create your own character, explore fantastical realms, battle fearsome monsters, and solve ancient mysteries. No experience necessary – just bring your imagination! Provided by: Robert Daughters, TJMS Mentor |
| Monday, November 25 Costumes, Props, Games and More! Students will learn some fun facts about theatre costumes and props and try their hand at quick changes and shifting just like the pros! If you’re a backstage kid, this session is for you! Some fun theatre games will be added in the mix! Provided by: Rising Star Theatre Company |
| Thursday, December 5 DIY Wood Ornament Create your own wood ornament by sanding down a tree slice, drilling a hole to string it up, and creating a design to be laser-engraved into the ornament at a later date by Dubuque County Conservation staff. Hot cocoa will also be provided for students to enjoy while doing this craft. The ornaments will then be dropped off for pickup in the school office at a later date, where students can then pick up to take home. Provided by: Dubuque County Conservation Naturalist |
| Monday, December 9 Ugly Sweater Party You provide the sweater, and we provide the ugly! Participants will use provided supplies to decorate their garments however they wish. Provided by: Haidee Cordoso, Carnegie-Stout Library |
| Wednesday, December 11 Improvisation Acting Workshop! If you like making things up on the spot, this session is for you! Students and staff will engage in a series of improvisational games to keep you on your toes! Get ready to jump right into this unscripted fun! Provided by: Rising Star Theatre Company |
| Monday, December 16 Theatre Dance! Theatre Dance! Get ready to move as students and staff will learn choreography for a Broadway Musical show! Make sure to wear clothes and shoes you can move in and be ready for a toe tapping time! Provided by: Rising Star Theatre Company |
| Monday, January, 6 Mini Dot Art Paint a simple yet lovely work of art on a small canvas. With the help of dotting tools, create a painting that is easy to achieve. Provided by: Haidee Cordoso, Carnegie-Stout Library |
| Wednesday, February 5 Magazine Strip Art Animals, letters, or weird and wacky shapes – the room for ideas is endless! Using easy and accessible materials, make this artwork full of individuality Provided by: Haidee Cordoso, Carnegie-Stout Library |
| Monday, March 3 Vellum Luminaries Craft an elegant luminary to light up any space. They are great for decorating tables and make cute little personalized gifts. Provided by: Haidee Cordoso, Carnegie-Stout Library |
| Thursday, March 6 Calling all Engineers! Do you have what it takes to build the tallest structure or the strongest bridge? Work with a group or by yourself and put your skills to the test with some building challenges! National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium |
| Tuesday, March 11 Live Animals, Furs & Skulls Join us to learn all about our native animals in the area as we get up close to them! Be ready to see turtles, salamander, and other guest animals. We will also be looking at other furs from animals to learn about their adaptations and everything cool about them. Provided by: Dubuque County Conservation Naturalist |
| Wednesday, April 2 Duct Tape Stations Is there anything duct tape can’t do? Try your hand at making wallets, flowers, and other crafts completely out of duct tape. Provided by: Haidee Cordoso, Carnegie-Stout Library |
| Thursday, April 3 Drone Presentation See how the police department uses drones in police work. See the different cameras the drone has and how it Provided by: Dubuque Police Department |
| Wednesday, May 7 Pony Bead Keychains Love lizards, dragonflies, or other quirky things? Try your hand at beading one for a keychain or some adorable wall art. Provided by: Haidee Cordoso, Carnegie-Stout Library |
Students will meet in the cafeteria right after school. They’ll grab a free snack and head to the location of the LEAP activity.
When the program concludes at 4 p.m., students taking the activity bus will meet the bus and depart from the back of school. Students not taking the activity bus will exit from the front or back entrance.
Complete the LEAP Parent Permission Form (PDF) and have your student return it to the main office. Students can’t participate without this form on file for 2024-2025.
Students will have the opportunity to sign-up for LEAP activities in their school’s main office as they are announced. Remember, it’s expected that students attend all sessions offered for each activity. Students will sign-in each day so we can keep participate records, but we won’t monitor daily attendance – so there is no need to let us know if for some reason your student can’t make it.
Students will be held to the same conduct standards as they are during the school day. Failure to follow established rules may result in loss of participation.
Contact the main office or guidance counselor.