October at Woodbrook

Dear Woodbrook Families,

Happy Fall!

Thanks to everyone for making the first month of school so successful! Our staff made everyone feel welcome and comfortable, parents helped their children prepare for the new beginning, our children came smiling and excited and some former Woodbrook students welcomed our newest families during our school tour!

Back-to-School night was very successful and productive. Everyone was able to meet their teachers and get an overview of the curriculum and their classrooms' day to day routines. If you were not able to attend, please ask your teacher for a copy of their presentation.

Please click the links to see Mrs. Cirillo's K-2 and 3-5 presentations.

October brings a flurry of activities to Woodbrook!

Orchestra and band lessons will begin this week for those students who have registered for the extra program. We strongly urge parents to use the two companies we have listed HERE as opposed to the inexpensive instruments which are being purchased online. The quality of the sound is far inferior which disappoints the children when they realize that their music does not sound as good as their neighbor's music. Further, when the inferior instruments break (and they will) it is very difficult to find anyone willing to repair the products.

PTO clubs have begun and co-curricular clubs will begin shortly. The Math Club will meet every Wednesday night from 7-8 p.m. in the Woodbrook cafe beginning October 18 ending March 13. No meetings on: Nov 22 or Dec 20.

The Woodbrook Pumpkin Patch will be open to the children in late October for our pumpkin decorating contest. You may purchase a pumpkin on Community Pass for $5. Children will choose their pumpkins and receive paint to decorate for the contest. Students who do not purchase pumpkins will receive a paper pumpkin to decorate.

Our Halloween Parade (weather permitting) and parties will be held beginning at 1:30 p.m. on October 31st. Children should wear child friendly, positive costumes (nothing "adult" or scary i.e. no "Scream" masks) no fake blood, and no toys or props that look like weapons. Thank you!

Woodbrook's annual Got Talent Show is scheduled for Friday, Feb 14. Auditions will take place on line on Nov 16 & 30 from 4-6 p.m. Register for auditions on the PTO website for $5 per child. Preference will be given to parents/siblings performing together and group performances. There is a 2 minute limit for each act.

School photos are scheduled for October 10 & 11. Please dress for the event. Please do not wear t-shirts with graphics/designs for this special day. These pictures will be used for the fifth-grade yearbook, so all fifth grade students should dress for their yearbook photos. See the order form below. The exact date for class pictures will be shared by your teacher. All fifth grade photos will be taken on October 10 due to the fifth grade trip to Camp Bernie on October 11.

Parent teacher conference dates are November 16 & November 30. Registration will be in the Parent Portal in late October. Meetings may be a bit shorter this year as there has been a change to the teachers' contract and we must accommodate the timings.

Please scroll down for some helpful and important information.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Cirillo

Dress Up/Theme Days

Monday - Super Hero T shirt or Favorite Role Model

Tuesday - Wear as many colors as you can!

Wednesday - Wear something that represents your culture

Thursday - Wear blue or green to show respect for our environment

Friday - School spirit day! Wear your Woodbrook t-shirt!

School Counselor, Mrs, Romero will be conducting lessons in classrooms and classroom teachers will be focused on providing age appropriate activities throughout the week.

THE PARADE WILL BEGIN WITH GRADE 5, THEN GRADE 4, GRADE 3, ETC

AND END WITH KINDERGARTEN

ARRIVE REGULAR TIME BY BUS OR WALKER OR CAR RIDERS

PICK UP IN THE CAFE 8 P.M.

LOOK FOR YOUR CLASS TABLE

SIGN YOUR CHILD OUT

SIT AND WAIT FOR YOUR CHILD TO ARRIVE

NJSLA SCORES FROM LAST YEAR

WILL BE MAILED HOME THIS WEEK

LOOK FOR THE RESULTS IN THE MAIL LATER THIS WEEK OR NEXT WEEK

MORNING STOP & DROP RULES

1. Proceed around the barricades/cones in the lot by the playground.

2. Follow all of the traffic in front of you.

3. Do not drop off at the garbage bins or grass in front of the playground. You may drop off by the PAVED part of the curve, but be sure your car is BEHIND (not next to) the vehicle in front of you, as sometimes cars pull up next to vehicles in that space.

4. Pull up as far as you can by the straight sidewalk and drop off at the sidewalk.

5. Parents may not step out of their cars to open car doors at drop off.

6. Students must be able to open the car door & step out independently onto the sidewalk side of the lot in order to use the stop & drop lot.

• UNLOCK CHILD SAFETY LOCKS.

• Children may NEVER exit on the driver side of the car.

7. DO NOT PULL AWAY UNTIL YOUR CHILD IS SAFELY ON THE SIDEWALK. WATCH THEM get on the sidewalk!

8. If your child can not independently leave the car, please park on Robin Road and walk your child to his/her entrance.

9. No passing other cars in line.

10. DO NOT PARK OR PULL UP AROUND THE FRONT CIRCLE. This is restricted to BUS drop off only.

Breakfast Free

$3.50 for lunch

Best method: Place money on an account on myschoolbucks.com

Click for the Welcome Back Flyer

It is highly recommended that you send lunch from home for younger students (and slow eaters) during the first week of school.

New Woodbrook T-Shirts!

Bring $10 cash, go home with a new T-Shirt!

Wear your Woodbrook Shirt every Friday to show your school spirit!

Woodbrook Shirts will also be worn on school trips in the spring.

Sale Dates

• Families New to Woodbrook Tour 8/31 2 pm
• Kindergarten Orientation 9/1 1:15 pm
• Back to School Nights 9/18 & 9/19 6-8:15 pm
• Parent Teacher Conference Evening Dates

I hope you all join the PTO by paying your dues (the PTO website will open up in a few weeks).

All of the money goes directly to benefit the children and the school.

We always need volunteers for all activities! This is a wonderful opportunity to support the school, get to know other parents and families and see your children and their friends during the special activities!

Sign up for the PTO mobilearq.com/schooldirectory

Code: woodbrook (all lowercase)

See directions to sign up HERE

Please read and refer to this handbook for Woodbrook's Policies and Procedures.

CLICK HERE FOR:

Woodbrook Handbook 23-24

I am sorry to say that I do not have any control of buses or their stops.

• Please email the Transportation Department at transportation.bussing@edison.k12.nj.us if you have any questions.
• You may also call 732-452-4562.

If your child rides the bus, please remember to save the link Daily Bus Dismissal Times in order to find out what time your bus leaves Woodbrook in the afternoon.

• We do not send out phone calls as this is a real time document and everyone has access to it no matter where they are.
• It will be updated for September with the new bus numbers/companies.

Wednesday Night 7 p.m. Parent Run Club - Volunteers Needed

Click to volunteer

See math club details HERE

Math Club Registration Closes Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023

Books will be delivered before the first meeting on October 18.

Coach and student assignments will be communicated the week of October 11.

Payments for Math Club, Student Trips and Camp Bernie Shirts must be made on the Edison School District Community Pass. (Will open after Parent Portal Opens.)

Once you login/create an account, you must hit the Orange REGISTER button on your Community Pass home screen.

Click on the District Fees Link to locate Woodbrook catalog and find your grade.

Troubleshooting:

1. Parents are using the Edison Rec Township/Latchkey Community Pass - please do not, just use the school Community Pass. Us the QR code below or click to go to the correct Community Pass.

2. Only use the login credentials sent to you from me, Christine Burke, or the official SCHOOL DISTRICT Community Pass.

3. Check all parent email addresses for that letter - many people do not check their email.

4. If you have any trouble, please contact communitypass@edison.k12.nj.us

Click for the District Calendar

• Wednesday, Oct 4 1:30 Early Dismissal (lunch hours will be earlier, ABC latchkey open)

• Thursday, October 5, 6:30 – 8:00pm, PTO meeting in gym Mandatory for Class Parents
  

• Tuesday, October 10 School Photos (Grade 5 on Oct 10)

• Wednesday, October 11 School Photos (Grade 5 on Oct 10)

• Wednesday, October 11 9:30am – 8pm Camp Bernie Full Day for Grade 5

• Tuesday, Oct 31- 1:30 pm - Halloween Parade followed by Class Parties

• November 6 – 10, 2023 School Closed
  

• Tuesday, November 14, Grades K, 3 & 5 American Education Open House

• Wednesday, November 15, Grades 1, 2 & 4 American Education Open House

• Thursday, November 16, 1:30 Dismissal PTC (lunch hours earlier, ABC latchkey open)

• Wednesday, November 22, 1:30 Dismissal (lunch hours earlier, ABC latchkey open)
  

• November 23 – 24, 2023, School Closed

• Tuesday, November 28, 1:30 Dismissal (lunch hours earlier, ABC latchkey open)
  

• Thursday, November 30, 1:30 Dismissal PTC (lunch hours earlier, ABC latchkey open)

Dismissal

• Please do not park in spots around the circle, and/or by any yellow curbs which are fire lanes. Park in the stop & drop lot or on Robin Road.
• Please do not leave your engines running. Turn the cars off while waiting.
• K-2 will be dismissed by the playground.
• 3-5 will be dismissed on the blacktop behind the playground.

Morning arrival 8:40 a.m.

• Pull all the way up to the next available spot in line before letting your child out of the car.
• Do NOT let your child out by the woods, near the garbage or where there is snow, mud and grass.
• ONLY let your child out on the PASSENGER side of the car and only on the sidewalk where our Woodbrook staff stands each morning. This is for the safety of the children.
• NO U turns by the flagpole circle...no parking in the visitor spots by the flagpole circle.

Lateness

• When students are late to school and no staff members are outside to greet them, ALL parents must park in a legal spot and sign their children into the school.
• No one may drop off children and drive away.

Morning Club Arrival

• Park in a spot between the lines in the stop & drop lot for morning clubs & watch your child enter through the main doors. Do NOT park around the circle - no children should be walking in the circle.
• No one is permitted to drive around the circle for club drop off.

Latchkey/ABC Drop Off & Pick Up

• 7-8:30 a.m. Parents should park in the stop & drop lot and enter the cafe via the side cafe door by the playground.
• 3:30-6 pm Parents should park in the stop & drop lot and enter the cafe via the side cafe door by the playground.

COURTESY...

Please do not park in any spots marked RESERVED.

These employees need access in order to serve the children, families and staff at all times.

On rainy days students are still expected to walk down the sidewalk into the building. Please do not ignore the stop & drop procedure by trying to drop children off closer to an entrance when it is raining. Instead, continue to pull up as far as possible in the stop & drop lot and ensure your child is wearing rain boots and using a child size umbrella.

Please always ensure that you follow the TWO STEP procedure when your child is absent.

1. Call the school to report your child's absence. Press "1" for absences.

2. Send a note with the REASON/doctor's note for your child's absence when your child RETURNS.

Please keep sick children home.

If your child has a fever, please do not give them

Tylenol or any other medication and send them to school.

Keep them home for 24 hours after the fever has subsided.

Please be reminded that there is no idling when you are parked in the stop & drop lot to pick up students at 3:30 p.m. The neighbors have been complaining and have called the police to enforce the law.

In addition, be sure you are not making a U-turn by the stop & drop lot or by the flagpole. It is dangerous and it is not permitted.

The Edison Township Recreation Department office located at

100 Municipal Blvd., Edison, NJ 08817, 2nd Floor

Open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

732-248-7310

Online Registration For All ABC Latchkey Community Pass

NOTE: This is NOT the same Community Pass as the Edison Schools.

Please do not confuse the two.

Please recycle your batteries by sending them to school with your child.

Batteries should be placed in the battery bin

located in front of our library.

recyclemybattery.org

This organization was founded by former student Nihal Tammana here at Woodbrook

and our current students are working hard to keep it going!