Dr. Koop's Newsletter

Thank you for a wonderful first week of the 2024-2025 school year! This was a week of acclimating to early mornings, new and old faces, and learning new expectations and procedures. Congratulations to you, your children, and to the KRS teachers and staff for great start. We are looking forward to a fantastic school year ahead.

You can expect to receive a weekly newsletter from me throughout the school year. It is very important that you review the information in the newsletter every week.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kathy Koop

Madison Public Schools 24-25 District Calendar

Please see this link for the Elementary 24-25 Letter day Schedule.

September 18, 2024 - Back-to-School Night 7:00 PM

September 17th & 18th, 2024 - Picture Days

October 3, 2024 - Rosh Hashanah - Schools Closed

October 14, 2024 - Columbus Day/Indigenous People Day - Early

Dismissal Staff In-service

The start time for school is 8:30 AM and the late bell will sound at 8:35 AM. The morning announcements will begin each day at 8:35 AM. Please make sure that your child is on time to school each day.

We must be notified of any dismissal changes in writing no later than 1 PM of the day of change. Please send the information to your child's teacher AND school secretary Mrs. James. Thank you!

Public schools in the state of New Jersey are required to conduct a fire drill and a security drill monthly. Families will be informed about the first fire drill of the school year and every security drill conducted during the school year. The teachers will review the safety procedures with the students during the first few days of school.

Arrival - School begins at 8:30 AM. The late bell is at 8:35 AM.

(Same Times for All 3 Madison Elementary Schools - To maximize instructional minutes. )

• Families are not permitted to enter the school parking lot in their vehicles to drop-off their child.
  
  

• Car Line - You MUST stay in your car while in the car line. When you leave your car for any reason, you are delaying the drop-off for everyone else in the car line.

If you need assistance, staff members will be available to help.

Dismissal - 3:15 PM

• The driveway must be clear of people at all times. If there is no room to wait on the sidewalk, please wait on the grass.
  
  

• When crossing the parking lot, you must use the crosswalk. Families and students should not be crossing at any other place in the lot.
  
  

• Please keep in mind that the parking lot cannot be closed during arrival and dismissal. Staff members need access to the parking lot and in the case of an emergency, we need to keep the lot open at all times.
  
  

• Families must wait on the sidewalk side/school side of the parking lot, NOT the grass area directly adjacent to the parking lot.
  
  

• Once you connect with your child, you must leave the school property. We enjoy the KRS families, but staying increases the dismissal congestion.
  
  

• Car Line - You must remain in your car at all times in the car line. If you need assistance, there are staff members there to help you.

For security purposes, school visitors are required to notify the office prior to their visit. Visitors will sign-in at the office and will receive a visitor’s lanyard to wear during the duration of the visit. At the conclusion of the visit, visitors must sign-out in the office and return the lanyard. It is important that visitors not use their cell phone for any reason while in the school classrooms and hallways.

Please contact the KRS school office by phone or email prior to dropping-off any items for your child. Any items must be labeled with your child's name and placed in the drop-off box located under the overhang in front of the school.

Electronic Devices

• Students are not permitted to bring personal electronic devices such as iPads, Nintendo devices, or other electronic games, etc. to school.

• No photographs, videos, or recordings may be taken at any time, unless part of a school approved project and parental consent has been obtained.

• Recognizing that some parents want their child to have a cell phone in his/her possession in the event of an emergency, students must keep them turned off and in their backpacks from the time they arrive at the bus stop or enter the school building until the time they exit the bus at their bus stop in the afternoon or arrive at home.

• While smartwatches may be useful to track steps or sleep, they are distracting to students during the instructional school day. Smartwatches must be taken off and remain in a student’s backpack during the school day. Smartwatches include any device that has the capability to text, call, or access the Internet.

• Students who need to communicate with their parent during the instructional day may ask the school secretary to call from the main office or the phone in the classroom.

• Parents are also asked to refrain from texting/calling their child on their electronic device during the school day but rather to call the main office if a message needs to be communicated to their child.