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Dear KDM Community,

From my family to yours, I'm wishing you all an enjoyable, relaxing holiday break. Thank you for a wonderful 2024! May 2025 be a great year of growth, happiness, and prosperity for you and your family.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”— Albert Einstein

See you in 2025,

Brian Rawlins

Principal

"Success is not about being better than the other person. Success is about being a better person than I was the day before." --Anonymous

• CLUBS UPDATE: We are looking for more registrants for the Exercise Club for Grades 4-5, Karaoke Klub, and Sign Language for Talent Show Club. Please review the Winter Clubs 2025 for the club descriptions and register at this link.

• Water Update: KDM Water is Good to Go! Repairs to the pump have been completed and tests support that KDM's water is potable. Students and staff can resume using the water fountains, as well as their refillable water bottles.

• School pictures are ready! To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.com or create an account using your student's student ID number. All families can also log on and order a FREE Digital SmileSafe card. More about the Smilesafe program here. Lifetouch is offering discounts on school photography!
  • 50% off a purchase of $50+ with code USNOV50
  • 40% off a purchase of $40+ with code USNOV40
  • 30% off a purchase of $30+ with code USNOV30

• Cafeteria Online Orders: Maschio's Food Services would like to remind parents that ordering at least 24 hours ahead ensures that your child will receive the lunch of their choice. When online orders come in the day of, availability is not guaranteed. Here's a link to review how to place orders.

• Safety Alert: If you are dropping off your child in the morning, please do not drop them off in the parking lot and send them unescorted into the building. Either escort your child all the way to the building or follow the procedures of driving through the parent drop-off lane. Please help us keep your children safe.
  
  
• Late Arrivals to School: If your child is late to school due to a medical appointment, please provide a doctor's note so it will be considered an "excused tardy."
  
  

• Parent Pick-Up Procedures: On the days that parents pick their child up from school, we ask that they email their child's teacher and our attendance secretary, Christina Markowitch (cmarkowitch@rocktwp.net) or Jude Wallin (jwallin@rocktwp.net) by 12pm. This ensures that your child is in the appropriate place for dismissal and eliminates confusion. Please use the visitor's spots in the front lot or the parking lot across the street.
  
  

• Genesis Parent Portal: HERE you will find vital information regarding your child’s schedule, teacher’s name, and bus assignments.
  
  

• Communication Framework: Click HERE. In order to ensure that all communications are directed to the right person, please use this framework with regard to all school-related inquiries

It’s with both gratitude and a touch of sadness that we bid farewell to school nurse, Paula Kelly, after an incredible 6 1/2 years of service to the KDM community. She has been more than just a nurse; she's been a caring, reliable presence for both students and staff alike. Nurse Kelly's dedication, compassion, and expertise touched so many lives. Whether it was offering a comforting word, providing medical care, ensuring dietary guidelines are honored, or simply being a reassuring face during stressful times, Nurse Kelly has always gone above and beyond. We wish Nurse Kelly all the best in her next chapter. She will always be a cherished part of the KDM family.

Farewell karaoke with Nurse Kelly in Mr. Koenig's class.

"Fifth Grade Art Studio students contributing to our “Winter Wonderland” chalk mural near the entrance to our school. The students had so many creative ideas including a hot cocoa stand, a train, and a ski lift!" -Mrs.Reilly

A special thank you to the Janaka Fraysier and Lauren Ferrand for collaborating with our Art Teacher, Mrs. Reilly, and making KDM a warm and festive winter wonderland. Our students' snowflakes add an extra special touch!

KDM student, Colin Saunders has been running cross country with the Rockaway Racers since 2023. This year he placed second in the USATF NJ Association Junior Olympic (J.O.) Championship, securing him a spot in the USATF National J.O. Cross Country Championship at the Blue River Cross Country Course in Indiana. Colin placed 26th overall in the 8 and under boys group, running a 2k in 8 minutes and 2 seconds. His performance helped the Lakeland Track Club 8 and under boys place 2nd overall out of 16 teams. Way to Go, Colin!

Ms. Lasnick's class had a special visitor Friday Morning! Ashton O'Shea really embraced the Holiday Spirit! We wish you a very Happy and Healthy Holiday Season.

"This year, to ring in 2025, the student council has provided each student with a hexagon that they will design to communicate their wishes for the New Year. The student council will then take all of the pieces and create our own 3D New Year's Ball! On Friday, January 3rd, the KDM community will kick off the New Year by having our very own ball drop to celebrate our wishes and goals for the remainder of the school year!" --Mrs. Crispino

Mrs. Haas's class received their prizes of STEAM Activities from the PTA as a result of their collective participation in the Walk-a-Thon. It's a pleasure to see the students engaging in academically enriching activities as play.

Students and staff showed tremendous spirit throughout the week during KDM'S Winter Spirit Week! The participation was incredible and spread cheer all throughout the building! Kudos to Mrs. Bodnar and Dr. Eisenhauer for coordinating the week's themes. The participation was phenomenal!

Students in Ms. Ronay's, Mr. Koenig's, Ms. Ruzicka's, Ms. Duda's, and Ms. Creeden's classes participated in "Grinch Day", moving from classroom to classroom to participate in engaging spirit-themed, learning activities.

Ms. Briggs

Ms. Cerna

Ms. Jacobson

Ms. McOmish

Thank You to the PTA Executive Board (pictured from left to right): Janaka Fraysier, Janelle Lauterbach, Nicole Witzig, and Anya Tayts. Dominic is standing in for his mom, Carla Wharton. This team has done an incredible job of coordinating and executing memorable experiences for our students and staff. Their contributions to the KDM community are beyond measure. We are so fortunate to have this phenomenal group organizing events, experiences , and resources for our students. Thank you to them and all of the parents who continue to support PTA initiatives!

The KDM Holiday Giving Tree was a great success this year. We were able to donate over 145 gifts to the Rockaway Holiday Wishes organization, supporting families in need in the Borough and Township. It is amazing to see the generosity that exists in our school community. The PTA would like to thank everyone who donated this year! Thank you to Ms. Ryan for running point on this initiative!

Still Need a Red KDM T-Shirt ?? Fill out this form and pay online!

Print and Save for your reference! December KDM PTA Calendar--This calendar reflects PTA events and activities. Please refer to the "Upcoming Dates" section below for the full listing of school events.

• January 2nd (Thursday): Welcome Back to School!
• January 20th (Monday): Martin Luther King Day - Schools Closed/Staff In-Service