Dear Catena and Donovan Families,

As we settle into October, excitement is building for fall activities and celebrations. From pumpkin seed counting to Halloween parties, this season offers many opportunities for fun and creativity. At our school, we aim to make these celebrations inclusive and enjoyable for every child, while also fostering a sense of community and connection. We’re looking forward to Family STEAM night on October 24th! Activities will highlight the theme of being connected and celebrate the beauty of autumn. Please use the link to view the invitation and RSVP by October 18th.

We know that Halloween is a time of great excitement for many students. We're excited for the PTO sponsored Trunk or Treat on October 18th and our school wide parade on October 31st. Please review the parade information in the letter previously sent. As a reminder, costumes should be school-appropriate and non-violent. We encourage creative, homemade costumes that reflect students’ unique interests. As we embrace the excitement of this season, we are mindful of ensuring that all students feel welcome. Not every family celebrates Halloween, and we want to create an environment where everyone feels valued and included. As you prepare for your family's Halloween take a look at some tips for ensuring all children can be included in the fun: Ways to calm kids' nerves about Halloween.

We continue to focus on teaching the values of respect, inclusion, and kindness—emphasizing that our differences make our community stronger. We’d love to hear about your family’s unique fall traditions. Feel free to share stories or photos by sending them to catenapbs@freeholdtwp.k12.nj.us to enrich our understanding of how different families celebrate the season. Thank you for your continued support in making our school a warm and welcoming environment for all children. We are excited for the weeks ahead and look forward to celebrating the season with our students and families!

Warmly,

Ms. Shaw & Mrs. Fern

We believe we are all connected and together we will foster our PBS core values. Catena Colts will learn what it means to be respectful, responsible, safe, and kind in all areas of the building, playground, and on the bus. As a Positive Behavior Support (PBS) school we focus on establishing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students to achieve social, emotional, and academic success. Students meeting learned expectations will be recognized and rewarded throughout the school year in a myriad of ways. Along with our PBS Coaches, teachers will share more information about expectations, reward systems, and our common PBS language when school starts in just a couple of weeks. At home, families can help to prepare students by reviewing our PBS Expectation Matrix and support them throughout the year by using our common language when talking about the school day.

Another way parents might support our PBS program is by helping us to stock our PBS school store. Students have the opportunity to visit the PBS School Store to “cash” in their Colts Cash for both tangible items and for experiences with staff.

Please review the items below in preparation for the beginning of the year:

• Genesis Parent Portal

• Support for Genesis Parent Portal is found under the log-in dialog box.

• Arrival & Dismissal procedures for 2024-25 school year are linked here. All families should review these procedures and adhere to them to help us ensure the safety of our students, staff, and families.

• School hours for JJCS students: 8:55 am-3:30 pm. Doors open at 8:45am. Students arriving in their classrooms after 8:55 am are considered tardy.

• School hours for LDS students: 9:10am-3:45pm. Doors open at 9am. Students arriving in their classrooms after 9:10am are considered tardy.

• Students late due to transportation delays are not marked tardy.

• Fridays will always be School Spirit Days. Students are encouraged to wear their Catena or Donovan spirit wear and/or PBS shirts on Fridays to show their school pride!

• Free & Reduced Lunch Applications for the 2024-2025 School Year will be available on the district website.

Families are encouraged to review the updated policy. Click here to review the FTS Attendance Policy.

October 18th: PTO Trunk or Treat

October 21st-25th: School Violence Awareness Week; PTO Scholastic Book Fair

October 24th: Family STEAM Night

October 31st: Halloween Schoolwide Parade

November 4th, 5th, & 6th: Early Dismissal & Parent Teacher Conferences

November 7th, 8th, 11th: School Closed NJEA Convention & Veteran's Day

November 12th: Picture Re-takes

We're excited to kick off our first family night of the 2024/2025 school year by hosting Family STEAM Night on October 24th! Please click on the invitation below and if attending, RSVP by October 18th. We hope to see you there!

Visit Kid Lit to find books and activities and fall in love with reading this fall! Click below.

Follow this link for information on how to support PACE and send Kindness Grams this year on World Kindness Day.

Kindness Gram Flyer (English & Spanish)

Free & Reduced Lunch Applications

Paper applications can be found on the district webpage. This folder contains all of the information regarding applying for Free/Reduced Lunch. If you can not print it, please contact your child's school and they will send a paper copy home for you. Please note, families will need the child's school ID Number to complete the application. School ID Numbers can be found in Genesis Parent Portal.

Please send any paper applications to:

Ali McKee

Freehold Township Schools

Benefits Coordinator

384 W. Main Street

Freehold, NJ 07728

You may also send by email or fax:

amckee@freeholdtwp.k12.nj.us

Fax: (732) 462-5939

Phone: (732) 462-8400 ext.8809

Paying for meals

Payments may be made with student's MealTime account. Any cash or checks brought to school for meals will be applied to your student's mealtime account. No change can be given in the cafeteria.

Nutrislice

Please check out the program we'll be using to share our menus and nutritional information with you. Nutrislice will be updated any time we have a menu change and will have menus prepared weeks in advance. You can even add the app to your phone for up to date information. Click here to learn how to filter your menus!

MealTime Information

To add funds to your student's MealTime account so they may purchase items in the school cafeteria, please click here (white box) or send cash or a check written out to Freehold Township Schools in with your student. All funds submitted in the cafeteria will be deposited into your student's Mealtime account. No change will be available in the cafeteria. For more information about Mealtime, please click here.

Breakfast is now available for Preschool & Elementary School Students

Breakfast is Served!

We'd like to remind everyone that breakfast is available for purchase in the cafeteria for all elementary school students. The menus are here. Students can go directly to the cafeteria when they come to school and grab a meal to bring to their classroom. All students who receive free lunch are also eligible to receive free breakfast. Regular price for breakfast is $2.05 and will be billed through the student's mealtime account. Menus will be posted on Nutrislice.

Doors will open at 8:30am for JJCS breakfast and 8:45am for LDS breakfast. Staff will monitor Door # 28 near the parent drop-off/pick-up to welcome students. Those students riding the bus to school will grab breakfast once buses unload and eat in their classroom.

For more information or to contact our Sodexo Food Services Department, visit our district webpage linked here.

Click here for Menus

Meet Mrs. Hazard

FTS District Webpage Health Information

Resources from NJ Department of Human Services

Resources for Financial Assistance

The Freehold Township School District will be administering both state and local standardized assessments throughout the 2024-2025 school year. All of these assessments, along with information and links to resources for families can be found on our website. You can also download this document, which lists the testing windows for all assessments. If you have any questions, please contact your building principal.

Click above for the FTS Attendance Newsletter. This picture was the message sent by Mr. Dickstein on 10/15 to clarify and answer questions regarding the district's attendance policy.

Visit the website. Make a membership toolkit account. Support our school community. Email for information: jjcpto@gmail.com