From Mrs. Abatemarco, Principal
Welcome back to another exciting and promising school year at James Madison Intermediate School! I hope you all enjoyed a fun and restful summer break, and I am thrilled to see the bright, eager faces of our students as we kick off this new chapter together.
This year, our dedicated staff is committed to fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment where every child can thrive. This year, we are focused on delivering lessons that are designed to inspire curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning.
Our school community is truly special, and we are grateful for the ongoing support and involvement from our families. Your partnership is essential in creating a nurturing environment where every student feels valued and motivated to achieve their best. I strongly encourage you attend our Back to School Night on Thursday, September 12, 2024. Our Back to School is a great opportunity for teachers and families to come together to build a strong foundation that will serve as a support for each child's growth over the course of the year.
As we embark on this new school year, let’s work together to make it the best one yet. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, suggestions, or concerns. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead filled with growth, achievements, and memorable experiences!
Mrs. Abatemarco
Every Sunday (or the day before the first day of school that week), Mrs. Abatemarco will send out a weekly update. Please check your spam/junk folders and send the emails to your inbox to ensure you are up to date on all the latest and greatest JMI news!
If you have checked your spam folders and are still not receiving the weekly updates, please email Mrs. Abatemarco to be added to the list.
Non-Bus Students
Time
Arrival Time for JMI Students - 8:30 - 9:00 AM.
- To ease the congestion of the complex, JMI students are allowed to come to school starting at 8:30 AM. Students should not arrive prior to 8:30 as there is no supervision.
- Students will enter through Door 1 and wait in the multi-purpose room until 8:45.
Options
Students not assigned to a school bus can arrive by walking or by car. Students arriving by car have two options:
- Park and Walk - Parents/Guardians can park the vehicle by staying to the left when entering the parking lot. Vehicles must be parked in a designated parking spot, and parents/guardians MUST walk your child through the lot, across the crosswalks, and onto JMI property. Students are not allowed to walk through the parking lot without an adult.
- Drop Off (see video clip below) - Students can be dropped off through our Drop Off lane. When entering the parking lot, stay to the left and continue alongside the fence on the right until you are in front of the school. Students MUST be able to exit the car by themselves (please remove child locks) and MUST exit out the passenger side. Please follow the directions of the JMI staff and pull all the way up and have your child exit the vehicle as directed.
Bus Students
Students are only permitted to take a bus to and from school if they have been issued a bus pass. Bus Passes will be available on Parent Portal starting the third week of August.
**Please note that all transportation questions/concerns/issues, must go through the Transportation Department. The school does not handle bus passes, routes, subscription bussing, payments, location of stops, etc.**
- Bus passes are no longer mailed home. Bus passes must be printed from Parent Portal. The bus pass will include the name of the bus route and the bus stop.
- All students have a bus pass template in the Parent Portal account. A bus pass is valid if it lists a route and bus stop. If the bus pass does not contain a route or a stop, your child is not assigned to a bus and must either walk or get a ride to school. (See pictures below for examples of a blank bus pass and a valid bus pass.)
- If your child should have a bus pass and does not, please reach out to the Transportation Department through the Help Desk or by emailing transportation.bussing@edison.k12.nj.us.
- Students are expected to keep their bus pass in their bookbag at all times throughout the school year.
Students should be at the bus stop 45 minutes before the start of school. I ask for your patience with the buses during the first few days of school as there will most likely be delays. As the school year progresses, the time the bus arrives in the morning and afternoon should become more consistent.
Bus students will be dismissed from their classroom and wait in the MPR until their bus arrives. Students will then walk to the bus, supervised by JMI staff.
Non-Bus Students - 3:30 PM
- JMI students in Grade 3 and 4 should not walk home alone. Any parent/guardian of a 5th grade student who wants their child to walk home without an adult must complete the Google Form linked below.
- Students will be dismissed from Door 6 onto the blacktop.
- Parents/guardians should wait behind the white line to give our teachers and students space to exit the building.
- Teachers will lead the class out with a sign so parents/guardians will know when their child's class comes out. Teachers will walk students to a designated area. This will be the same area where the class will stand every day.
- Students cannot leave until they see a parent/guardian.
- Please discuss a meeting space on the JMI blacktop with your child so they know where to look for you. This helps ease their anxiety.
- Please tell your child they should NOT leave the JMI property even if you run late.
- Students will wait up against the side of the building with JMI staff until a parent/guardian arrives.
- At 3:45, students who have not been picked up will be brought to the office, and parents/guardians will be called.
As always, pets are not allowed on school property during dismissal.
Siblings at JMP
- Parents/Guardians with children at JMI and JMP are encouraged to pick up the child at JMP first and then come to the JMI blacktop to pick up the older child.
- If you want your JMI child to meet you at JMP, please complete the Google Form linked below.
Parking Lot Safety
As we are all part of the school community, we must do our part to keep our children safe, especially in the parking lot.
- Students are not allowed to walk through the parking lot without an adult.
- Vehicles need to park in a designated spot. If the lot is full, you must park on an adjacent street, but please remember to respect our neighbors.
- Please practice patience with letting cars out of spots and merging. A security guard will be in the parking lot to help with traffic flow, but a safe parking lot environment requires everyone's help. Remember, the children are always watching, learning and imitating.
**NEW FOR 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR** IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO MEET YOU AT JMP EVERY DAY OR IF YOU WANT TO GIVE PERMISSION FOR YOUR CHILD TO LEAVE THE PROPERTY ALONE EVERY DAY, PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM LINKED BELOW.
***PLEASE DO NOT COMPLETE THIS FORM IF YOUR CHILD WILL BE ON THE BUS, OR IF AN ADULT WILL MEET YOUR CHILD ON THE JMI BLACKTOP EVERY DAY.**
- THIS FORM IS FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS WHO WANT THEIR CHILD TO WALK TO JMP.
- THIS FORM IS FOR PARENTS/GUARIDANS OF 5TH GRADE STUDENTS WHO WANT TO GIVE PERMISSION FOR THEIR CHILD TO LEAVE JMI PROPERTY WITHOUT AN ADULT AT DISMISSAL (including 1:30 dismissals, rainy days, etc.)
IF FOR ANY REASON, THERE IS A CHANGE TO YOUR CHILD'S REGULAR DISMISSAL PROCEDURE, A PARENT/GUARDIAN MUST CALL THE OFFICE AND SPEAK TO A SECRETARY REGARDING THE CHANGE.
Instead of asking families to email the homeroom teacher, we are asking that families email our JMI ATTENDANCE EMAIL ACCOUNT at JMI.ATTENDANCE@EDISON.K12.NJ.US. Both secretaries can monitor this account. We were finding that if teachers were absent or were not able to check their attendance because they were teaching, student's attendance reporting was delayed.
Therefore, we ask that moving forward, families email JMI.ATTENDANCE@EDISON.K12.NJ.US to report your child's absence. If you would like to cc your child's teacher, you may, but the attendance email is the priority account to inform the school of your child's attendance.
Of course, families can still call the school at 732-452-2960 and Press 1 to call in their child's absence as well.
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If your child needs to get picked up early, or if there is a change in dismissal procedure (i.e., your child will be a walker instead of taking the bus, etc.), CALL THE MAIN OFFICE TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE DIRECTLY to ensure that a child is dismissed accordingly. Please do not email changes of dismissals because the email might not be read before dismissal.
Since we platoon at JMI, our 5th-grade students will have a homeroom teacher and then a platooning teacher. The partnerships in 5th grade are as follows:
- 5-1, 5-2 and 5-3
- Ms. Romeo (5-1) will teach ELA to 5-1 and 5-3.
- Mrs. Bowler (5-2) will teach ELA to 5-2 and Math, Science and Social Studies to 5-1.
- Ms. Misko (5-3) will teach Math, Science, and Social Studies to 5-2 and 5-3.
- 5-4 and 5-5
- Ms. Jackapino (5-4) will teach Math, Science, and Social Studies to both sections.
- Ms. Hunter (5-5) will teach ELA to both sections.
- 5-6 and 5-7
- Mrs. Benson (5-6) will teach ELA to both sections.
- Mrs. Nuesa (5-7) will teach Math, Science, and Social Studies to both sections.
- 5-8 and 5-9
- Ms. Purnell and Mrs. D'Angelo (5-8) will teach Math, Science, and Social Studies to both sections.
- Mr. Crincoli and Mrs. Waters (5-9) will teach ELA to both sections.
Log In Information
https://parents.edison.k12.nj.us/genesis/parents?gohome=true
- If you are locked out or forgot your password, please click the "Forgot My Password" button.
- After 15 minutes, refresh the log-in page.
- An option to reset your password should be available for you to reset your password.
- If that does not work, please email genesis.help@edison.k12.nj.us.
- The school is not able to reset your password.
Once all the required forms are completed, you can view your child's homeroom teacher(s) for the 2024-2025 school year.
Please note that bookbags with wheels are not permitted. If your child needs a rolling bookbag, they must carry the bookbag through the hallways. Students cannot roll their bookbags through the hallway.
ALL students will need a reusable water bottle every day. The school does not provide cups and students are not allowed to drink directly from the fountains for sanitary reasons. If students need water and do not have a water bottle, they will need to purchase a water bottle from Maschio's. We will not call home for water bottles. Metal water bottles are discouraged because they are very distracting when they fall or are knocked over during the day.
It is strongly recommended that all things are labeled, especially jackets, coats, and water bottles.
Mrs. Modzelewski's Supply List
Mrs. Agostinacchio's Supply List
Thank you in advance for purchasing the materials requested for the upcoming school year. If you need assistance with purchasing the materials, please contact Mrs. Abatemarco directly.
BREAKFAST - starting Friday, September 6
Breakfast will continue to be free for all students again for the 2024-2025 school year. If students would like breakfast, they will need to order in advance with the homeroom teacher. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to review the Breakfast menu with their child to help the child determine which days they are ordering breakfast.
LUNCH - starting Thursday, September 5 (the first day of school)
Times
Grade 3 and 4 - 12:19 - 1:04
Grade 5, S1, S2 and S3 - 1:06 - 1:51
Location
Students will eat in the multi-purpose room.
Lunch Options
Students can bring lunch from home or purchase lunch through our food vendor, Maschio's.
Lunch from Home
Students should bring their lunch with them to school to avoid lunch being dropped off during the day. Glass containers, knives, soda, seltzer, coffee (in any form) and hot beverages are NOT allowed.
Buying Lunch from Maschio's
- Lunch will cost $3.50.
- Students will order lunch the week before during homeroom.
- Parents/Guardians are encouraged to review the Lunch menu with their child to help the child determine which days they are ordering lunch to help ensure accurate food counts.
- The Maschio's menu includes a hot and cold option for lunch daily. There is a hot vegetarian option everyday and most days there is also a hot non-vegetarian option.
Payment
- Option 1 - Families can add and replenish funds through My Schools Bucks. There is a convenience fee when adding money to the account.
- Option 2 - Students can bring money into school in a sealed, labeled envelope. Students need to give the money to their homeroom teacher during homeroom. Students should not give money in during lunch as it slows down the service.
Food Safety
- As in the past, students are not allowed to share food or buy snacks for other students.
- Glass containers, knives, canned beverages (soda, seltzer), and hot beverages are not allowed.
- If your child will be ordering through Maschio's and has specific dietary restrictions beyond being vegetarian, like celiac or dairy allergies, you MUST complete the food packet below. Again, this is only if you plan to have your child receive their lunch/breakfast through Maschio's. If you do not plan on your child eating a school breakfast or lunch you do not need to complete the form. Our school nurse, Mrs. Tejani, or Maschio's Dietician, Ms. Caccio (jcaccio@maschiofood.com), can assist you with the forms and the process.
SNACKS
All students will have time built into their morning for a working snack. The snacks must be sent in from home and should be healthy and quick so students can continue working. Snack is optional - students do not need to have a snack if they do not want to. Each homeroom teacher will determine the snack time based on their academic schedule.
Snacks are also available for purchase during lunch. Snacks vary from chips, Fruit Roll-Ups, Rice Krispy Treats, and novelty ice creams. Students can purchase snacks two days a week, depending on where they sit in the cafeteria. Your child can tell you which days they can buy snacks. Snacks are not sold on Fridays or 1:30 dismissal days.
WATER BOTTLES
Students must bring their own water bottles from home or purchase one through Maschio's. All our school water fountains are filtered and have refilling stations that students can use throughout the day, which also helps reduce waste. The school does not provide water bottles or cups.
Back to School Night will be on Thursday, September 12 starting at 6:00 PM for parents/guardians only. Back to School Night is completely in-person this year. All presentations will be made available on our school website after September 12 for anyone who cannot attend Back to School Night that evening.
Back to School Night will have two sessions. Teachers will present the same presentation during both sessions.
Session I - 6:00 PM - 6:25 PM
Session II – 6:30 PM - 6:55 PM
Parents/Guardians can choose which session they would like to attend. As you can see from the options below, you do not have to attend both sessions - you can attend at 6:00 and then leave or you can come just for the 6:30 session. Here are some options for how you can enjoy our Back to School Night:
Birthdays are very important to the students, and should be celebrated! They are just as important as the academic instruction that our children receive on a daily basis. While we recognize the importance of the celebration, food or goodie bags of any kind (containing food or non-food items) are NOT ALLOWED for birthday celebrations. This includes sending things into school to send home with the students. The following are “non-food” birthday options:
read a book to the class (either by a parent/guardian, grandparent, or child)
donate a book to the classroom library
These options will allow for your child to celebrate his/her birthday while having a limited interruption to the classroom instruction.
Invitations to birthday parties cannot be distributed during the school day or on school grounds unless the entire class is invited.
Students in Grades 4 and 5 are allowed to sign up for instrumental lessons at school. Students can either choose to be in the Band or Strings.
Lessons are done weekly, and students are excused from their homeroom classes to attend their instrumental classes. The schedule rotates to ensure that students are not missing the same class every week. For example, one week, the student might miss their period 2 class which is math, and the following week they will miss their period 3 class which is art. Students are expected to make up the work that they miss in their homeroom class. While the homeroom teacher will help them, it is ultimately the student's responsibility to make sure they make up any work they miss.
Our Band and Strings ensemble will perform at our Winter Concert, which is usually held in January, and our Spring Concert, which is usually held in May.
Please use the link below to access our JMI Band/Strings website, which contains important information about selecting an instrument and renting an instrument. Additional questions can be sent to our two instrumental directors:
Strings - Mrs. Biscocho at molly.biscocho@edison.k12.nj.us
Band - Mr. Zapata at daniel.zapata@edison.k12.nj.us
PTO Membership Letter
Click picture to access letter.
OPT-OUT Option
Click picture to access flyer.
Birthday Sign Fundraiser
Click picture to access flyer.
Popsicles in the Park Event
Click the picture to access flyer.
Results from NJSLA's Spring 2024 session will be mailed home to families once the schools receive them, which is usually late fall/early winter.
NJSLA will take place again in MAY 2025. While specific dates have not been determined yet, I anticipate that we will be administering the NJSLA the first or second full week of May. I humbly request that families avoid all unnecessary travel during this time. Please mark your calendars now.
Our 5th-grade students will have an opportunity to experience the long-time Edison tradition of going to Camp Bernie. This year, the trip will be a day trip only (no overnight).
JMI has two trips scheduled:
Tuesday, October 15 - Homerooms: Benson, Nuesa, Purnell/D'Angelo, Crincoli/Waters, Peters, Modzelewski, Agostinacchio
Wednesday, October 16 - Homerooms: Romeo, Bowler, Misko, Jackapino, Hunter
Students will be coming home with IMPORTANT PAPERWORK that needs to be completed by Friday, September 20, 2024. This paperwork includes:
- Edison Permission Slip
- YMCA Permission Slip
- Mandatory Health Forms
- Camp Bernie T-Shirt Order Flyer- It is not required that students purchase a Camp Bernie shirt to attend.
Your cooperation in returning the completed forms as soon as possible is greatly appreciated.
Parents/guardians of students who are not going on the trip should notify the homeroom teacher in writing (note or email). Students who do not attend are required to come to school the day their class is going on the trip and will be placed in another homeroom for the day.
The district will host a Camp Bernie Parent/Guardian Orientation later this month. More information will be shared in the upcoming weeks.
Our Parent Helpdesk and Support Solution has the following modules to support your needs (click on the department name to access the respective helpdesk):
James Madison Intermediate School
Email: donna.abatemarco@edison.k12.nj.us
Website: https://jmi.edison.k12.nj.us/
Location: 838 New Dover Road, Edison, NJ, USA
Phone: 732-452-2960
Twitter: @JMI_Edison