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.
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: Devarae Loomis
Vice President/Dance Liason: Dana Patton-Ku
Secretary/Garden Liason: Siri Shetty
Board Member/Dining-Out Liason: Brianna Carroll Colón
Board Member/Clubs Liason: Stacie Somers
Co-Treasurer: Dana Crites
Co-Treasurer: Charles Herlevic
Board Member/ArtReach Liason: Anthony Cafiso
Teacher Board Member/Clubs: Erin Leavitt
*Teacher Liason (non-board member): Jasmine Hubbard
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".
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.
Aiza worked for the YMCA of Southern Arizona for about 8 years. She had various roles while there, including Youth Sports coach, Fundraising and CommunityCoordinating, and Summer Camp Program Coordinator. She volunteered with high school students throughout her whole college career and for the past 4 years she has chaperoned high school students on Arts and Culture trips internationally.
"I want our kids to feel inspired and see reflections of themselves in the artists and projects we do at Jefferson this year. I want to continue to foster an environment where our little artists feel safe to explore new techniques, express their creative voice, and refine skills they have already been introduced to. I want our artists to also gain more confidence in trying new skills and knowing they can do hard things."
Cybele Peña has been teaching dance to youth and adults for 20 years. As a teacher for Arts for Learning San Diego, she has taught short and long term residencies in schools all over San Diego County. She danced and performed Afro Cuban traditional dance for ten years. She trained as a dancer in a school for traditional arts in Caracas, Venezuela. She has also danced and performed Puerto Rican Bomba (with Bomba Liberté and Areito Botincano). She is passionate and inspired by all forms of dance as well as the stories, history, and culture that come with the dances.
Through weekly dance classes, "Ms. Cybele" has brought joy and the gift of self-expression to the Jefferson community for 7 years.
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