Valley 411
2023-2024 Spring Edition
Happy Spring!
We are now in the final days of the 23-24 school year! Make sure to check grades in Schoology/PowerSchool to finish the year off strong!
A few important reminders:
- Dress Code: Students are permitted to wear pajama pants and slides. Students ARE NOT permitted to wear hats and/or hoods in the building.
- Cell Phones: Phones should be off and in the student's locker. Please see the additional information about our cell phone policy below!
- Lunch Expectations: Please remind students that they are not allowed to take food out of the cafeteria.
- PantherPride: Be sure to encourage Panther Pride (Positivity, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Excellence) at home! Students earn tickets and incentives for showing theses traits at school!
Please feel free to reach out to us at any time! We are looking forward to an awesome rest of our school year!
Sincerely,
Frau Berry & Mr. Zachowski
Our Administration!
Important Dates!
Student Arrival: 7:45 AM
Student Dismissal: 2:55 PM
Late Buses: 4:05-4:15 PM (Monday-Friday)
JUNE
June 5: WTHS Boys Soccer meeting 3pm for 8th graders
June 6: Rally at the Valley
June 7: 8th Grade Farewell Dance
June 10: Honors and Leadership Banquet at 7 pm
June 12-17: Early Dismissals
June 13: Dine and Donate for OVMS PTO at Dolce Vita
June 17: Last Day of School for Students
June 17: 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony- 9:00am
Yearbooks are still available!
WTHS Transition Camp Information
Dine and Donate!
WTHS Boys Soccer - Fall 2024 Interest Meeting
WTHS Summer Golf Clinic 2024!
8th Grade End of Year Activities
WTHS Marching Band 2024-2025
Open to 8th -12th graders!
The opportunity is open to all students in grades 8-12 in the fall.
We want as many students to come to this meeting as possible. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT CURRENTLY AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE!!!!
We want anyone who is interested to come out and give band a try!!!
Rally at the Valley Criteria - passports were distributed in homerooms!
Middle School FBLA - June meeting date TBD!
Remind Codes
Contact the Main Office for Attendance!
- Phone: 856-582-5353 x 5600
- E-Mail: OVMSATTENDANCE@WTPS.ORG.
OVMS PTO
Join our PTO!
We need you! Please complete the form below! Have fun and help us make our 2023-2024 school year a great one!
JOIN PTO FOR ONLY $5!
Remember to put your student's name and grade in the comments and send it privately!
Support the PTO and scan your receipts for Box Tops!
WTPS School Calendar
Grading
Tentative NJSLA Testing Calendar-Please Do Not Schedule Vacations Where Grades 6-7-8 Are Listed
Student Code of Conduct and Parent Handbook
MS Restorative Code of Conduct (002).docx
Please note: Face Paint is not allowed for Halloween, spirit weeks, or any other school day.
Announcements!
All announcements will also be showcased on our Announcement TV's throughout the building!
Counseling Assignments
Rebecca Burr, Secretary
Natalie Marakowski
Grade 6: A - Gin
Grade 7: A - Esc
Grade 8: A - Gil
Sarah Doherty
Grade 6: Gio - Mur
Grade 7: Fan - Mye
Grade 8: Gra- Pal
Dan Jedwabny
Grade 6: Nei - Zem
Grade 7: Nap - Zoy
Grade 8: Par - Zor
*Students' counseling assignments will appear in PowerSchool!
Encourage Panther Pride!
Students will be able to earn tickets by displaying traits of PRIDE (see below). Those tickets will be used in drawings to earn incentives!
Clubs & Activities
Late Bus Routes 2023-2024
Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
See the document below for important procedures!
Breakfast Procedures
OVMS is proud to partner with our Food Services Department to offer Breakfast for students. All students who wish to purchase breakfast daily will be expected to adhere to the following expectations:
- If arriving by car or walking, students may arrive no earlier than 7:35am. Students will enter the building using the same door as Car Drop-off, at the end of 6th grade hall facing Altair Drive.
- If arriving by bus, students will exit their bus immediately upon arrival to OVMS.
- Upon entrance to the building, students will report immediately to the cafeteria to be supervised. No student should be walking the halls or going upstairs during this time.
- Upon arrival to the café, students will line up to process through the café line.
- We provide Breakfast as an opportunity to have a solid meal to start the day. It is not a hangout opportunity to avoid homeroom or arrive late to 1st period. All students who enter the café for breakfast are expected to purchase and eat.
- Once students are finished eating, they will be directed to proceed to homeroom in a timely manner starting at 7:45am.
- If a bus arrives late, we will make accommodations for those students to finish their breakfast and proceed to homeroom.
Cell Phone Reminders!
Dear Parents,
It is time to remind our students of our cell phone and electronics procedures! Thank you for your help and support!
Our code of conduct states:
Use or display of smartphones and other unauthorized electronic devices:
- 2 Documented Warnings (This is an administrative warning documented in Power School)
- 1 Administrative Detention
- 2 Administrative Detentions
- 1 Saturday School
Our staff will be reminding students every morning to have their phones turned off and in their lockers during the school day as explained at the beginning of the year. Students have the opportunity to go to their lockers at arrival, dismissal, and lunchtime every day. As always, if students need to contact home for any reason, they may use the phone in our counseling office or main office. If they are feeling sick and need to contact home, please remind them to go to the nurse's office. If you need to get a message to your child during the school day, please call the Main Office: 856-582-5353 x 5600 and we will deliver the message to your child. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation!
Football Games at WTHS!
*One adult is required for every 3 middle school students!
New Schoology and PowerSchool Workflow!
Schoology Parent Account Information!
Parents will be emailed their Parent Access Codes in the next two weeks. If you already have an account, it is still good. If you never had an account, you can use the new code and the information found on this page to set up your account:
Schoology / Schoology Resources for Families (wtps.org)
This page also has videos posted on how to use and interact with the platform. Additional information will be added to this site soon!
Helpful Schoology Videos!
GETTING STARTED WITH SCHOOLOGY VIDEO! CLICK HERE!
WORKING WITH THE SCHOOLOGY CALENDAR! CLICK HERE FOR INSTRUCTIONS!
Math Assistance!
Here is the ClassLink link that you can click on while on your child's device for assistance:
https://launchpad.classlink.com/wtps
Click on the McGraw Hill Education App. (pictured above)
2023-2024 Breakfast/Lunch Prices
The Washington Township Board of Education has approved the following meal prices for the 2023-2024 school year.
Teacher Lunch (ALL Levels) $5.00 / Specialty Teacher Lunch $5.50
GTECC
Student Breakfast $2.50
Student Lunch $3.50
ELEMENTARY
Student Breakfast $2.50
Student Lunch $3.50
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Student Breakfast $2.50
Student Lunch $3.50
HIGH SCHOOL
Student Breakfast $2.50
Student Lunch $3.75
PLEASE NOTE: ALL STUDENTS WHO ARE FOUND ELIGIBLE FOR FREE/REDUCED LUNCH WILL NOT BE CHARGED.
The 2023-2024 Free and Reduced Meal Application is available. Please visit the FREE AND REDUCED INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTION PAGE to download an application.
Setting Up Your Student Account:
Student Meal Payment Options (Pay Schools Central):
Students’ meal accounts function as debit accounts. When a student goes through the lunch line to receive a meal, they enter their ID/PIN number or scan their school ID, and the cost of the lunch and any a la carte item is automatically deducted from their account.
- You or your student can pay cash or check (made payable to "Washington Township Food Service), directly to the cashier at the school.
- You may put money in your child's meal account with your credit or debit card through the payschoolscentral.com website. Student's meal accounts function as a debit account with a Pay Schools account. In order to add money to your child's account with a credit card and your child's ID/PIN to activate the account. Once the account is active, you will be able to enter your child's username and password.
NEED HELP?
If you are having trouble activating, accessing, or adding funds, please see the below contact information for different scenarios you may have.
- Technical issues with your Pay Schools account, such as password issues or credit card information or adding funds, please contact PaySchools Central directly on the Parent HELP LINE: 1-877-393-6628
- If you require assistance with activating or accessing your child's account, a Patron Activity Report, refund, or need to transfer funds between student accounts, please contact WT Food Service Department at 856-582-4010.
WTPS Department of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging!
In 2021 Washington Township Public School District charged themselves to take the next steps to foster and center diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging regardless of ability, race, gender, sexuality, age, faith, national origin, or political perspective. As a result, the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) was established to facilitate WTPS’ efforts to continue to be a leading comprehensive P-12 school district that is committed to addressing persistent issues related to diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging that result in positive outcomes for students, faculty, staff, and community partners. WTPS is a public school district with realities that are composed of various experiences, motivations, and identities that should be celebrated daily. When students have opportunities to see themselves in text and school programming it increases our students’ pride, confidence, and self-esteem. When students can be exposed to other students’ lived experiences, we are building empathy and understanding while examining our shared society, cultures, and history
Our Mission
WTPS is a public school district with realities that are composed of various experiences, motivations, and identities that should be celebrated daily. The Office of DIEB will assist with identifying interconnecting opportunities that support the WTPS community and promote diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging by developing and sustaining meaningful and collaborative relationships. These collaborations will result in creating a more diverse and inclusive community and centering the voices of our community to drive District-wide, culturally sustaining initiatives and equitable opportunities.
Student Voices: Students within the WTPS will offer their unique perspectives regarding diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging through a collective commitment. This forum will allow them to engage in a process of inquiry that emphasizes student voices and creates opportunities for young people to study their own social contexts, learn how to improve conditions and create greater equity within them. With guidance from the Office of DEIB, the students will become investigators and conduct research using standard social science research techniques and then draw upon creative expressive forms such as spoken word, poetry, visual arts, music, and theater to present their findings.