Who We Are

Friends of Jefferson is the parent teacher organization (PTO) at Jefferson Elementary School in North Park, San Diego. FoJ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Through fundraising and community sponsorships we pay for programs that are not funded by San Diego Unified. Our primary focus this year is art, garden and dance enrichment. We organize fun events on campus and support our teachers & staff in any way we can.

 Our History

In 2021, Parents and teachers voted to merge Friends of Jefferson and the PTA into a single parent teacher organization (PTO) for Jefferson Elementary. Since FoJ is not bound by the regulations of PTA, we can be more creative in how we raise money, and more flexible in how we spend it.

Friends of Jefferson started with a very simple goal: to raise awareness of the amazing public school in our local community and encourage all families to send their kids there. 

President: Dana Patton-Ku
Treasurer: Jason Patton-Ku
Social Media: Jerry Dawa

Board Member: Anthony Cafiso
Board Member: Devarae Loomis
FoJ Teacher Liaison: Ms. Pallito Lima

ArtReach Liaison: Ms. Archer
Dance Liaison: Mrs. Leavitt
Garden Liaison: Ms. Pallito Lima

Learn more about our program instructors:

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Mama Mia

Good Neighbor Gardens

In 1987 Mia started an organic food cart at UCSD supporting local organic farmers.  There was just a handful at the time, but she was one of the early pioneers who taught students the importance of eating "organic" at a time when the word was not yet in most people's consciousness. “I think we are living in a socially disconnected and health starved community. Food can bring us together.  It has always been the life-giving, unifying force and food tastes better when shared.  It's the common denominator by which we can work together, side by side to regenerate ourselves and our community".
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Catherine Dzialo-Haller

ArtReach

Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Catherine’s earliest memories were with a Crayola, always loving to draw. Her mentor was John Sweeney, her high school art teacher…a true artist. He inspired her to enter exhibitions, winning two national Scholastic Art Awards by 16. After moving to California, Catherine attended Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles, then moved to Hawaii, where she attended the Honolulu Art Academy and the University of Hawaii. After many years, she returned to California and earned her degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Throughout Catherine’s career, she has been honored with many awards and is represented in galleries in Southern California and Connecticut. She describes herself as a contemporary realist who paints abstractly. Her painting journey is through abstract areas of color, shapes, and contrast, and when completed and taken as a whole, surprises her by becoming realistic.
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Laurie Evans

ArtReach

Laurie obtained her BFA at the Laguna College of Art and Design in 2016 majoring in Illustration with an emphasis in fine art. She has worked as an art teacher and studio manager in both Southern California and Australia. Laurie uses her experience as both an art student and teacher to cultivate a safe learning environment where her own students can create regardless of personal ability. Her personal work straddles abstraction and representation while focusing primarily on the female form which is designed using a tonal approach. The rendered figure is often complimented with bold graphic design and color. Her goal at ArtReach is to provide students with projects that are challenging yet accessible.

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