We hope you enjoy our reformatted weekly newsletter. In an effort to keep you informed, our newsletters will be created using Smore.com, a more user-friendly method for sending and receiving communication. There are so many exciting events taking place in our schools and we want you to know about them. As always, we thank you for your continued patience and grace as we focus on the safe return to school this year.
Dr. Fred McDowell
Superintendent
Buildings and Grounds
Kudos to the entire Buildings and Grounds team who assisted with cleanup after the January 27th snow storm. We thank you for your efforts in ensuring all areas were cleared and safe for students and staff!
Special Education & Related Services
National School Counseling Week is February 7-11, 2022
National School Counseling Week 2022, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), focuses attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems and how students are different as a result of what school counselors do. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. Please take a moment to THANK the school counselors for all they do!
Elementary Counseling Coordinator
Mrs. O'Lexy
Middle School Counseling Team
(Left to right) Mrs. Dickerson, Mrs. Alexander and Mrs. Earle
High School Counseling Team
(Left to right) Mr. Friedman, Mr. Adams, Mrs. Goodall, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Willis
Blizzard of Positivity
Several students and their families participated in a district-wide, school-to-home SEL activity where they decorated snowflakes with positive messages to be displayed throughout the school.
Show Some Love
The Kindness Crew and SEL Squad are hard at work planning for our next district-wide SEL activity! Click on this link to learn more about this project. We can't wait to #showsomelove and spread some kindness!
Mental Health Matters
Taking care of ourselves is an important part of wellness! One simple way to do this is practicing a quick mindfulness activity each day. Coloring is just one way to relax, reset, and be mindful!
It is time to plan for our 2022-2023 preschool and kindergarten classes! Please see the specific criteria below for kindergarten registration and entry into the preschool lottery.
Kindergarten
Children are eligible for kindergarten if they reach the age of five on or before October 1, 2022. If your child is new to the Collingswood Public Schools or Oaklyn Public School and you are planning to send them to kindergarten next September, please begin the registration process by following the directions on your district website’s K-12 Registration page. If your child currently attends our four-year old preschool program, you need not register at this time. Your child will be rolled into kindergarten.
Preschool
Children are eligible for 3- and 4-year old preschool if they reach the age of three or four on or before October 1, 2022. If your child is new to Collingswood Public Schools or Oaklyn Public School and you would like to enroll them in our full-day preschool program for next September, please enroll in our preschool lottery starting on Monday, February 21, 2022 on your district website’s Preschool Registration page. Please note that all 3-year olds currently enrolled in our preschool program are guaranteed seats in next year’s program. All other children will be admitted based on the number of open seats determined by the New Jersey Department of Education and results of our preschool lottery, on or around April 1st. We kindly ask that you share your interest by completing the Preschool Lottery Application for your district by Monday, March 21, 2022.
Your help is greatly appreciated in locating the children who do not have siblings in school this year. If you have any neighbors with children of kindergarten or preschool age, please pass this information on to them. For more information, please reach out to our district staff:
Ms. Lisa Pendarvis, Collingswood Public Schools: lpendarvis@collsk12.org or 856-858-0335 ext. 7188 - Click to learn more about Pre-k registration and kindergarten registration.
Ms. Diane Silliphant, Oaklyn Public Schools: dsilliaphant@oaklynschools.org or 856-858-0335 ext. 7226 - Click to learn more about Pre-k registration.
Our second graders thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of Black History Month with a Multicultural Day. The students learned about the different cultures of Africa, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Columbia. They enjoyed playing the djembe with Mr. Trotty and learning how to salsa dance with Mrs. Nieves, Mrs. Ruiz, and fifth graders, Rockell, Elody, Jackeline, Isabel, and Kasha!
Students in Ms. Tosh’s Language Arts classes created Concrete Poems in which they incorporated 100 words and a visual image to describe and depict themselves. According to www.poets.org, Concrete Poems are also sometimes referred to as pattern or shape poems, and are “as much pieces of visual art made with words as they are poems.”
Do you have a question? Please see below for a list of district contacts.
In an effort to be responsive to the needs of students and their families, we want to provide contact information to the community. Please refer to the list below to address questions or concerns to the appropriate staff member or administrator.
The primary point of contact for questions or concerns related to your child’s school is their classroom teacher. Our educators are available to address the ongoing learning needs of all students. Please direct unresolved questions or concerns related to your child’s school to the appropriate building leader.