Dragons' Dish

Dear Allenwood Families,

As we move into this season of gratitude, I want to share some wonderful moments and achievements that have brought our school community together. It is a joy to see our students and staff embracing opportunities to learn, honor, and give back.

We recently held our Veterans Day Ceremony, where we had the privilege of honoring three World War II veterans in recognition of their service and the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Our students proudly sang the National Anthem, dressed in red, white, and blue, and presented thank you cards as a token of their appreciation. I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Wall Township Police Department for escorting our veterans to the school, the State Police for providing a memorable flyover, and the high school color guard for proudly displaying the American flag. It was a powerful experience, allowing our students to reflect on the significance of service and sacrifice.

In the spirit of giving, Allenwood also organized a food drive to benefit a local food bank, with our Mindset Mentors personally delivering the donations. This initiative helped our students understand the importance of supporting those in need, especially during the holiday season.

Finally, I want like to emphasize the importance of regular attendance, especially at the elementary level. Consistent, timely attendance is essential for academic growth, establishing classroom routines, and social development. Please remember that when a student is absent—even if a parent or guardian calls the school to report the absence, or provides a doctor's note—the state still considers the student absent from school. Let’s keep working together to help our students reach their fullest potential.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to Allenwood Elementary School.

Sincerely,

James Sterenczak
Principal

A heartfelt thank you to the WWII Veterans who visited Allenwood Elementary yesterday. Here are the incredible stories of each veteran who joined us. We’re grateful for the bravery and wisdom they shared with our students!

Thank you Mrs. Cimino and the tireless PTG Board for a year full of enriching and

fun experiences. Please consider being an active member of the Allenwood PTG.

Early Dismissal Wednesday, 11/27 at 1:05 PM

No School (Thanksgiving) Thursday, 11/28 & Friday, 11/29

The month of November is dedicated to the exploration of the mindset, Passion First.

Passion First teaches understanding that each of us is a unique expression of human existence, and that our lives should be focused on finding our individual genius. Essential to this is making our dreams authentic and aligned with our core values.

4 Key Components in this Mindset include:

• Focus on Strengths
• Explore Your Interests
• Take a Stand
• Be Authentic

If your family is experiencing economic challenges or homelessness, visit the McKinney Vento webpage for essential information and guidance on available resources.

District Homeless Education Liaison

Tiffany Steiner
tsteiner@wallpublicschools.org
732.556.2647

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Children need healthy meals to learn. The Wall Township Board of Education offers healthy meals every school day at the prices listed on the WTPS website. Your children may qualify for free or reduced price meals and Summer EBT benefits.

The printable packet includes an application for free or reduced price meal benefits/ and a set of detailed instructions. For a convenient way to fill out the meal application go to https://www.payschoolscentral.com. WTPS utilizes PaySchools as an online lunch account for children to use to purchase lunch on a daily basis.

If your child received federal free or reduced price school meals during the 23-24 school year, please remember you need to complete a new application for the 24-25 school year prior to October 15, 2024.

If you choose to opt out from completing the meal application, you may fill out the linked Google Form.

If your children receive federal free or reduced price school meals, they may also be able to receive free or low-cost health insurance through Medicaid or NJ FamilyCare. Children with health insurance are more likely to get regular health care and are less likely to miss school because of sickness.

Because health insurance is so important to children's well-being, the law allows us to tell Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare that your children are eligible for free or reduced price meals, unless you tell us not to. Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare only use the information to identify children who may be eligible for their programs. Program officials may contact you to offer to enroll your children. Filling out the School Meals and Summer EBT Application does not automatically enroll your children in health insurance.

If you do not want us to share your information with Medicaid or NJ FamilyCare, you will have the option if submitting the meal application online via PaySchools or you may fill out the printable form and send in (Sending in this form will not change whether your children get free or reduced price meals).

Thank you for your cooperation.

-WTPS Food Services Department

Questions? Please contact Joe Piddington at jpiddington@wallpublicschools.org or 732.556.2602