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Dear KDM Community,

It was an action-packed week between Back to School Night and the Walk-a-Thon! Thank you to everyone who came out to meet our teachers and staff on Wednesday. It was a pleasure seeing you all here at KDM. I am so proud to be a part of our excellent team of educators and share their learning experiences with you.

Now that iReady Diagnostic tests are complete and the teachers have gotten to know their students better, we are all working together to meet the students where they are at and extend their learning. I look forward to sharing their progress with you throughout the year.

Afterschool Clubs will begin on Tuesday, October 1st. Please note that students do not have school next Thursday (10/3) and Friday (10/4) in observance of Rosh Hashanah.

A special thank you to everyone who contributed to KDM PTA's Walk-a-Thon! Whether you donated, contributed your time, or helped spread the word, your support will enhance our learning space for our current students and for future students in years to come. Stay tuned to see your dollars at work! Hats off to Janaka Fraysier and Nickie Ferrucci, who chaired the event and worked tirelessly to make it a success!

I wish you all an enjoyable weekend!

Brian Rawlins

Principal

"Success is not about being better than the other person. Success is about being a better person than I was the day before." --Anonymous

• KDM Week of Respect: On October 7th-11th, KDM will be celebrating the Week of Respect with schools across New Jersey! Please join in showing KDM spirit the following days:
  
• Monday, October 7th - Respect your Teammates! Wear your favorite sports team/clothing.
• Tuesday, October 8th - Help Everyone Respect Others! Wear a superhero shirt/clothing.
• Wednesday, October 9th - Being respectful is no sweat! Wear comfortable clothes/sweats.
• Thursday, October 10th - Respect the golden Rule! Wear gold/yellow.
• Friday, October 11th - KDM Shows respect! Wear red and white.

• After School Clubs: If your student is enrolled in the club, you have received a form asking for additional information and payment. As we've had an abundance of interest, please remit payment to the front office no later than Monday. Next week, we will open spots for students on the waiting list. After School Clubs begin Tuesday, October 1st.
  
  
• Safety Alert: If you are dropping off your child in the morning, please do not drop them off in the parking lot and send them unescorted into the building. Either escort your child all the way to the building or follow the procedures of driving through the parent drop-off lane. Please help us keep your children safe.
  
  
• Late Arrivals to School: If your child is late to school due to a medical appointment, please provide a doctor's note so it will be considered an "excused tardy."
  
  

• Parent Pick-Up Procedures: On the days that parents pick their child up from school, we ask that they email their child's teacher and our attendance secretary, Christina Markowitch (cmarkowitch@rocktwp.net) or Jude Wallin (jwallin@rocktwp.net) by 12pm. This ensures that your child is in the appropriate place for dismissal and eliminates confusion. Please use the visitor's spots in the front lot or the parking lot across the street.
  
  

• Genesis Parent Portal: HERE you will find vital information regarding your child’s schedule, teacher’s name, and bus assignments.
  
  

• Communication Framework: Click HERE. In order to ensure that all communications are directed to the right person, please use this framework with regard to all school-related inquiries

• Is your 2nd Grade Daughter interested in Girl Scouts? The 2nd Grade KDM Troop is now accepting new members. Email RockawayGirlScouts@gmail.com.

• Calling all KDM students interested in Cub Scouts!
  Reach out to nmc.wmlpack160@gmail.com.

On behalf of KDM, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Jennifer Thompson, who stepped up to teach our Kindergarten class while Ms. Jagiela has been on leave. Her dedication and warmth made such a positive impact on our students, and it has been a joy to see them thrive under her guidance. As she prepares to move on after today, I want to share that her efforts were impactful. Ms. Thompson created wonderful memories for our little ones, and we’re truly grateful for the time and care she shared with them. As we look forward to Ms. Jagiela's return on Monday, we wish Ms. Thompson all the best!

Thank you to everyone who came out to the KDM Candy Bar Bingo last week. The PTA did a great job of hosting this family-friendly event!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your incredible generosity and support! You’ve blown us away by exceeding every goal we set, and your dedication to this community is truly inspiring. Because of your efforts, we were able to fulfill immediate requests for new recess items right away, and even bigger things are in the works for our students.

The Walk-a-Thon was such a special day, filled with smiles and excitement. A huge shout-out to our top fundraisers who got to pie a PTA parent—you made the day unforgettable! And a big thanks to Mr. Rawlins for stepping up and dyeing his hair red to celebrate our success!

As of right now, we are just shy of $20,000! Fundraising officially closes at 11:59 PM tonight, so let’s finish strong and see just how far we can go!

Fundraising prize announcements will be coming next week, so stay tuned for more exciting updates!

With deep gratitude,
The Walk-a-Thon Team

• Show Your KDM Pride! T-Shirts are on sale for $10 (not available on our online store!). Click Here!

• Online Spirit Wear Store is OPEN until October 10th
  https://www.scholasticimpressions.com/kdm
  
  
• David's Cookie and Cheesecake Catalogues will be sent home with students Tuesday, October 1st to begin our fundraiser. Order deadline is 10/15.
  
  
• BMX School Assembly - Wednesday, October 16th
  
  
• Interested in decorating a TRUNK for our Trunk-or-Treat or want to contribute candy? SIGN UP HERE!!!

This calendar reflects PTA events and activities. Please refer to the "Upcoming Dates" section below for the full listing of school events.

• October 3rd (Thursday) - October 4th (Friday): School Closed for Rosh Hashanah

• October 7th - 11th: Week of Respect

  • October 7th (Monday) - Respect your Teammates! Wear your favorite sports team/clothing.

  • October 8th (Tuesday) - Help Everyone Respect Others! Wear a superhero shirt/clothing.

  • October 9th (Wednesday) - Being respectful is no sweat! Wear comfortable clothes/sweats.

  • October 10th (Thursday) - Respect the golden Rule! Wear gold/yellow.

  • October 11th (Friday) - KDM Shows respect! Wear red and white.

• October 8th (Tuesday): Rockaway Township Fire Truck Visit for Kindergarten and 2nd Grade
• October 9th (Wednesday): PTA Meeting at 7 pm
• October 11th (Friday): 5th Grade Kick-Off Party
• October 16th (Wednesday): BMX Bike Safety Assembly
• October 24th (Thursday) - October 29th (Tuesday): Parent/Teacher Conferences
• October 30th (Wednesday): School Picture Day