Dear Catena Families,
As we move into March, we’re excited to share that our mural project is officially underway! This project is a wonderful opportunity for our school community to come together and create something meaningful that will brighten our space for years to come. A huge thank you to our parent volunteers who have helped us get started—we truly appreciate your time and support! Next week, students and staff will begin painting, bringing the design to life with their creativity and teamwork.
This project is also a great reminder of the values we focus on every day. Our Catena Colts strive to be Respectful, Responsible, Safe, and Kind. As students take part in painting the mural, they are practicing respect by working together, listening to others’ ideas, and taking care of our shared space; responsibility by doing their best work, following directions, and taking ownership of their contributions; safety by using materials carefully and being mindful of their surroundings; and being kind by encouraging and supporting one another throughout the process. We are so proud of our students for demonstrating these values in their work, their friendships, and their school community. We look forward to sharing progress updates and celebrating the finished mural with you all soon.
Next week is also Read Across America and we are ready to celebrate our love of literacy at Catena. Students and staff will dress up each day aligned with the themes shared below. Thursday evening is our Family Literacy Night and we invite families to join us for games, teacher read alouds, learning stations, and more!
Ms. Shaw & Mrs. Fern
Partner with us and stand up to bullying & violence!
FTSD is committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all students, staff and families. Bullying, in any form, is not tolerated. Recently, we’ve observed that the most common forms of bullying in our building have been comments made about others' appearance and cultures. We also recently communicated with families regarding an uptick in threatening and violent language amongst students. We hope that conversations at home will focus upon this and remind students that utilizing such language and/or drawing violent scenes or items is not tolerated in school.
We encourage open communication between parents, students, and staff to help prevent bullying and address other behavioral concerns. Please remind your child about the importance of kindness, inclusivity, respect, and standing up for others. Together, we can ensure a positive school experience for everyone.
To learn more about our HIB policies please visit our district webpage and/or click here
Freehold Township School District’s Board of Education voted to proceed with a bond referendum, with the vote planned for Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The proposal includes improvements that would increase safety and security and bring much-needed building updates to every school. A voter-approved bond referendum is the only way to capture state aid for these necessary improvements.
A dedicated referendum website is one of the opportunities the district will take to inform every member of the community about the importance of this vote.
We're a Positive Behavior Support School
We believe we are all connected and together we will foster our PBS core values. At home, families can help to remind students by reviewing our PBS Expectation Matrix and support them throughout the year by using our common language when talking about the school day.
We hope you'll continue to support our schoolwide PBS and behavioral expectations by reviewing with your child(ren) at home. Recently we have seen a significant increase in negative, physical, damaging, and inappropriate behaviors in school. Students would benefit from reminders around being respectful of those around them, responsible in their environment, being safe, and being kind toward others. We ask that families reinforce playing safely with peers on the playground and being safe on the school bus. Parents are always encouraged to review the importance of being kind toward others. Commenting on another's appearance, race, ethnicity, or other characteristics will prompt a HIB investigation. If you have questions regarding the district's anti-bullying policies and procedures, you can access them in the handbook or on the district website linked here. Questions can always be directed to one of us or Mrs. Senna, our Anti-Bullying Specialist. Staff are always available to support students who may be facing a challenging situation or who are struggling emotionally. Additionally, parents are encouraged to keep an eye on students with access to devices, group chats, and/or social media accounts.
Another way parents might support our PBS program is by helping us to stock our PBS school store. Students have the opportunity to visit the PBS School Store to “cash” in their Colts Cash for both tangible items and for experiences with staff.
FTS Attendance Policy
Families are encouraged to review the updated policy. Click here to review the FTS Attendance Policy.
Kindergarten Registration
It's time to register for Kindergarten! The registration link and more information is shared below. We look forward to welcoming our newest Catena Colts in September 2025! Call the Catena Main Office with questions, 732-431-4430.
Free & Reduced Lunch Applications
Paper applications can be found on the district webpage. This folder contains all of the information regarding applying for Free/Reduced Lunch. If you can not print it, please contact your child's school and they will send a paper copy home for you. Please note, families will need the child's school ID Number to complete the application. School ID Numbers can be found in Genesis Parent Portal.
Please send any paper applications to:
Ali McKee
Freehold Township Schools
Benefits Coordinator
384 W. Main Street
Freehold, NJ 07728
You may also send by email or fax:
Fax: (732) 462-5939
Phone: (732) 462-8400 ext.8809
Paying for meals
Payments may be made with student's MealTime account. Any cash or checks brought to school for meals will be applied to your student's mealtime account. No change can be given in the cafeteria.
Please check out the program we'll be using to share our menus and nutritional information with you. Nutrislice will be updated any time we have a menu change and will have menus prepared weeks in advance. You can even add the app to your phone for up to date information. Click here to learn how to filter your menus!
To add funds to your student's MealTime account so they may purchase items in the school cafeteria, please click here (white box) or send cash or a check written out to Freehold Township Schools in with your student. All funds submitted in the cafeteria will be deposited into your student's Mealtime account. No change will be available in the cafeteria. For more information about Mealtime, please click here.
Breakfast is now available for Preschool & Elementary School Students
Breakfast is Served!
We'd like to remind everyone that breakfast is available for purchase in the cafeteria for all elementary school students. The menus are here. Students can go directly to the cafeteria when they come to school and grab a meal to bring to their classroom. All students who receive free lunch are also eligible to receive free breakfast. Regular price for breakfast is $2.05 and will be billed through the student's mealtime account. Menus will be posted on Nutrislice.
Doors will open at 8:30am for JJCS breakfast and 8:45am for LDS breakfast. Staff will monitor Door # 28 near the parent drop-off/pick-up to welcome students. Those students riding the bus to school will grab breakfast once buses unload and eat in their classroom.
For more information or to contact our Sodexo Food Services Department, visit our district webpage linked here.
Counselor's Corner: Connect with Mrs. Senna!
Freehold Township School District’s Board of Education voted to proceed with a bond referendum, with the vote planned for Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The proposal includes improvements that would increase safety and security and bring much-needed building updates to every school. A voter-approved bond referendum is the only way to capture state aid for these necessary improvements.
A dedicated referendum website is one of the opportunities the district will take to inform every member of the community about the importance of this vote.
Visit the website. Make a membership toolkit account. Support our school community. Email for information: jjcpto@gmail.com
