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Sussex SHARK Tales
Principal's Corner
Welcome Back
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!
I cannot believe tomorrow is September 5, the first day of school! Last week, we held a very successful Open House and had two wonderful opening days with staff! Our teachers never cease to amaze me. The building and classrooms look amazing. We are all very excited to welcome back the children.
All of the information in this newsletter, and so much more, can be found in our Parent Handbook on our website. You can find a button at the bottom of every newsletter to easily access the handbook.
Listed below is a reminder of some important details to ensure a smooth transition into the new school year:
It is very important that all Annual Student Information is updated throughout the year as changes occur. You must create a PowerSchool Parent Portal account. Central Office will send a parent portal ID and password to new families in the coming weeks. Steps to fill out forms through the parent portal can be found here (https://bit.ly/3SJQTDo). Reach out to msdannualupdate@msdk12.net if you need support. This portal is critical as this information will be used to send important information and messages regarding school closures and emergencies.
If you drive your child to school, they will not arrive earlier than 8:45 a.m. Students should be dropped off in front of the building. Please note that no supervision exists before 8:55; any student arriving before 8:55 will not be allowed in the building.
All students picked up at the end of the school day must be signed out by the person doing the pick-up. Pick-ups are at the school's Side entrance, not the main entrance. The Sussex Pick-Up Note must be completed as early as possible. You will receive a confirmation of your entry. A follow-up email is not needed. All teachers have access to the information entered into the form. Consistent early pick-up impedes the learning process as students receive instruction until 3:20.
- Written permission must be provided to send someone other than yourself to pick up your child. Individuals should be prepared to present identification. No one will dismiss students without written parental consent and proper identification. This is for your student’s safety.
Students designated as district-appointed walkers will be dismissed after the last period. Students will follow all approved routes in which a crossing guard is present. If you pick your child up, please follow the above procedures under Parent Pick-Ups. For safety reasons, students cannot enter vehicles on school property if the adult does not follow the above procedures.
Expect buses to be delayed during the first few weeks of the new school year (when picking up and dropping off students at the end of the day) as our bus drivers are becoming familiar with the routes.
If you do not qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, please follow these procedures for purchasing school breakfast or lunch:
Payment may be made in cash or check (payable to "Morris School District.")
Backpack an envelope with your child's name on it marked "Food Services."
Include your child's name in the memo line of your check.
You may prepay for multiple breakfasts or lunches with one check or lump sum of money, which will then be deposited into your child's food services account.
Payment may also be made online (see the link to set up an online payment account); a small fee will be charged with each transaction. This is a secure and convenient way to make payments and keep your account up to date.
All families will complete the Lunch Forms even if they do not want/qualify for free and reduced lunch. Please complete the application online. We will have paper applications available on Back to School Night.
At Sussex, we use one centralized email address when contacting the main office to ensure emails are received and responded to quickly. Please email the office staff at SXmainoffice@msdk12.net.
Please feel free to contact me at lorri.vaccaro@msdk12.net or call 973-292-2250 ext 6550. If you prefer an in-person meeting, please get in touch with Ms. Jacqueline Herrera-Ramos at the above number to schedule an appointment.
On behalf of the entire Sussex Avenue School community, thank you for your partnership. We look forward to a wonderful school year and seeing you and your children on Tuesday!
Sincerely,
Lorri Vaccaro, Principal
Welcome to New Staff
Please help me welcome the following new staff members to the Sussex Avenue School family:
K-12 Math Supervisor/Supervisor at AV/SX- Michael Serra
3rd Grade- Sydney Champi, Mark Ubranik
5th Grade Leave Replacement (Mrs.Johnson)- Lauren Basso
Special Education Teacher: Jennifer Mitchell, Kristen Graham, Angeline Angeline Wedemeir (Effective 10/30/23)
Learning Consultant- Nichole O'Donnell
Counselor- Jailene Guillermo
Secretary/Clerk- Jane Baccaglini
MTSS/Academic Success Teacher- Sally Camelotto Slaff
Additional shared ESL Teacher- Casey Miller
Speech- Kristy Maloney
ABS- Jermaine McElwee, Lucy Amieva, Jim Walsh, Belkis Jorge, Nancy Barry
Lunch Aides- Reyna Milan, Snigdha Chakrabarti, Ty-teyonnia (pronounced Tatianna) Dickson
Parking Lot Traffic Pattern
PowerSchool Web Based Portal vs. PowerSchool Mobile App
As mentioned above, the PowerSchool Portal will be a critical access point for important information relating to your children, such as teacher assignments, transportation information, report cards, and all required forms.
There are differences between the Web-based portal and the Mobile App. The web-based portal is the most comprehensive source of information.
To assist with any confusion, please find those differences below.
Web-based portal
* is customized and contains more information than the Mobile App
* preschool - 12 transportation can only be found on the web version
* K-6 schedules can only be found on the web version
* grades, forms, fees, assignments, report cards, and attendance are on this version
Mobile app
* forms, and attendance are on the app
* schedules and assignments are on the app for MS and HS only
* Fees are on the app
For additional questions regarding the PowerSchool Parent Portal click here.
Looking Ahead
September 5- First Day of School
September 12- Back to School Night- 6:30-8:00 p.m. (Adult Event Only)
September 25- School is Closed
September 26- School Reopens
September 29- Spirit Day! Wear your Sussex Spirit Wear!
Girls On The Run
The Sussex Home and School Association (HSA)
Please get in touch with our HSA president Michele Cottone or any member of our HSA Executive Board at SussexavenueHSA@gmail.com to discuss how you can lend a hand.
Be sure to register on the HSA (Home School Association) website. The HSA website is one-
stop-shopping for the school calendar, spirit wear store, latest announcements, and more!