The TES Times Welcome Back!

I sincerely hope this message finds you well and enjoying the summer break. As the new school year approaches, we are filled with excitement and anticipation for all the wonderful experiences and opportunities that lie ahead.

As you enjoy the last weeks of summer, please be sure to review the important information included in this newsletter, such as important dates, upcoming events, and helpful tips for a successful start to the school year. We encourage you to stay connected with us through our website for the latest updates and news.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. We look forward to a fantastic year ahead and to welcoming you back to school!

Sincerely,

Lisa Moore

Principal

Last year, so many creative families decorated the hay bale in front of the school to welcome students, staff, and visitors to TES. We will bring back this tradition and invite families to sign up to decorate this year's hay bale. Once again we thank Bob Hoffman, local farmer and the district's transportation coordinator, for providing the hay bale.

At the end of each month, the family that is signed up will decorate the bale with something unique for the following month. We are looking forward to seeing what your imagination and your family can do!

Sign Up to Decorate the Hay Bale

If you purchased a supply kit from the PTA, it will be on your child's desk on August 27th. If not, please use the supply list below.

Kaycie Sconda, Physical Education Teacher:

We are pleased to welcome Kaycie Sconda (pictured on the left) who will be a Health & Physical Education teacher at both TES and OTS. Ms. Sconda is a 2021 graduate of SUNY Cortland and has experience as a coach at the Branchburg Sports complex and the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School.

Nicola Hall, First Grade Teacher:

Nicola Hall will be a First Grade Teacher this year. She joins us from the Hope, NJ, public school where she was a Special Education Teacher for many years. Mrs. Hall completed her undergraduate education at East Stroudsburg University and earned her Master of Education degree from Centenary University.

Tracy Barnes, Special Education Teacher:

Tracy has been on the TES staff for many years and served as a special education maternity leave teacher during the 2023-2024 school year. For 2024-2025, she will co-teach with Mrs. Hall in First Grade and Mr. Strange in Second Grade. Tracy earned a Masters degree in Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Our school's website is updated frequently with important information for you:

Link to TES Website

There you will find links to:

• School Event Calendar
• Health Services (Nurse)
• Realtime Parent Portal
• Pick Up Patrol
• Virtual Backpack (Flyers and Notices)
• Lunch Menu

Families that are new to the district will receive an email with the Realtime Parent Portal information on August 21st. The Parent Portal will open on August 22nd.

Bus stop information will be emailed to you in August from Bob Hoffman, Transportation Coordinator.

Pick Up Patrol welcome letters will be emailed that week directly from Pick Up Patrol.

More info below!

Please note that your child's classroom assignment will be available to view in Realtime on Thursday, August 22, 2024. There are several documents in Realtime that you will need to read and acknowledge prior to viewing your child's classroom assignment. If you need assistance with your Realtime login, please email Mrs. Callahan: ecallahan@tewksburyschools.org

We are pleased to invite all of our incoming Kindergartner's and their families to the PTA-sponsored Kindergarten Playdate on Thursday, August 22, 2024, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. On this day, you and your child will have an opportunity to meet their teacher, view their classroom, enjoy a short bus ride, and meet new friends on the playground. Click on the picture to access the flyer. We look forward to meeting you all soon!

We look forward to seeing all of our returning students, and to meeting and welcoming our Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and new students and families to TES! We would like to invite your child(ren) who will be attending TES this fall to our school on Monday August 26th & Tuesday, August 27th, 2024, to take a "sneak peek" at their classroom and meet their teacher. This event was a great success last year and helped make drop-off and the transition on the first day much easier for all of our students. Please read the important details below to ensure this event runs smoothly for all.

Drop-Off

Arrive at your designated time slot and follow the outer driveway to the main entrance. Please have your child exit your vehicle on the right (passenger side) where staff members will assist them in lining up with their teachers. Parents will remain in their cars and then should proceed to the lower level parking lot and park. Please know that this provides important practice getting out of the car quickly and efficiently on the first day of school.

During Sneak Peek

The teacher will walk his or her students into the building and take them to see their classroom.

Pick-Up

Five minutes before your child is due to be dismissed, please park your car in the lower level parking lot and proceed to the labeled cafeteria doors, A-L and M-Z. Homeroom teachers will dismiss your children to you from the cafeteria.

Monday, August 26, 2024

10:00 -11:00 AM - Pre-K

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

12:00 - 12:15 PM - Grade 1

12:30 - 12:45 PM - Kindergarten

1:00 - 1:15 PM - Grades 2

2:-00 - 2:15 PM - Grades 3

2:30 - 2:45 - Grade 4

Please arrive promptly at your designated arrival and pickup times. *Kindergarten families: please do not feel obligated to attend if you plan on attending the Kindergarten Playdate on August 22nd. We are providing this sneak peek for those unable to attend the playdate. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Callahan in the main office.

PickUp Patrol (PUP) is a database used for attendance and to dismiss our students safely at the end of each day. On August 26th, you will receive a time expiring email directly from PickUp Patrol. (It expires in 24 hours.) Please set up your child's default plan, where they will go on a typical day. The default plans must be input by August 27th so we are ready for dismissal on August 28th.

Going forward, PUP will be used for the following:

1. On a given day, when your child will not be following their default dismissal plan, you will enter them in PUP to let us know. Please make sure all plan changes are in PickUp Patrol by 3:00 PM daily.

2. If you are picking your child up early from school, you will enter that information in PickUp Patrol using the drop down labeled "Early Dismissal".

3. If your child will be absent from school, you will enter the absence with a detailed reason. If your child will be coming in late, please mark them as absent and leave us a note.

If you have any questions about PUP, please contact Cathy Pepe, school secretary, at cpepe@tewksburyschools.org. Thanks!

Arrival:

The school day starts promptly at 8:45 AM. Students are considered tardy if arriving after 8:45 AM.

If your child will not be taking the bus, parents/guardians will drive to the upper parking lot and follow the outer driveway to the main entrance where staff will guide you and assist your child, if necessary. Please ensure that your student(s) exits your vehicle on the sidewalk/passenger side. Parents: please remain inside your vehicle; there will be an abundance of faculty on hand to assist your child.

Dismissal:

Parents picking up students will park their vehicle in the lower parking lot and proceed to your designated cafeteria door. Please note that parents will not be allowed to enter the building; in the event of inclement weather, please come prepared.

Late Arrivals:

If your child arrives after 8:45am, please park your car and escort your child to the main entrance to sign them in.

The YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties provides school age child care before and after school for families in the Tewksbury Township School District. Our program includes homework support, art, leadership development, service learning, STEM, physical activities, and Sanford Harmony Social and Emotional Learning. The Y staff are here to support families and help children build social connections. Please click on the total above or contact Stephanie Lawreck for additional information: sflawreck@ymcabhc.org 908-483-4628.

Illness Protocol

• If your child is ill, please keep them home.
• Reasons to keep your child home: Temperature of 100 or higher, coughing, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, pink eye, a new rash or head lice. Children need to be 24 hrs free of fever (without fever-reducing medicine), diarrhea or vomiting before returning to school. If they come to school with any of the above symptoms, they may be sent home.

If your child is going to be absent for any reason, please notify the school by 9:00AM by entering it in PickUp Patrol or by calling 908-832-2594 and select option 2 from the voice prompt. Please leave a reason for your child's absence (vomiting, fever, cough, strept throat, personal day or family day etc.) rather than just saying "out" or "sick". Having specific information enables us to track the type and class/ grade of illness activity.

Please contact the school nurse if your child has a medical condition, is having surgery or has an injury to discuss any accommodations your child might require at school. Please note if your child is restricted from participating in PE, outdoor recess activities are also restricted.

Health Services

Nancy Morogiello

School Nurse

nmorogiello@tewksburyschools.org

Ext. 2011

Maschio's Food Services, Inc. is the contracted lunch provider at TES. See the following links for more information about the lunch service provided by Maschio's as well as PaySchools, our point of sale service system. You can find their menu on our school website at the following link:

https://tewksburyschools.nutrislice.com/menu/tewksbury-elementary/lunch

Students will have an opportunity to have a snack during the school day. Snacks will be eaten in the classroom or outside. Please be mindful of student allergies when packing snacks. Please pack your child(ren) a healthy snack each day that they can open and consume independently along with a bottle of water. Please label the water bottles.

We have a very active PTA and hope you will join!

The Tewksbury Education Foundation (TEF) is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization established to bring innovative, inspiring, and cutting-edge events and programs to the students in the Tewksbury Township School District. In collaboration with teachers, the TEF procures enrichment programs for each grade as well as assemblies for each school. The TEF also partners with outside organizations to bring parent speaker programming and provides mini-grants directly to teachers. This year, look out for exciting community events such as STEM Night and the Barn Dance! Please visit our website https://www.tewksburytef.org to find out how to get involved and donate, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram @TewksburyTEF.

Back to School Night @ TES

September 19th at 6:30 PM