Dear James Monroe Families,

The year is quickly coming to an end with just one and half months left. There is still much to accomplish over the final weeks of school and a lot of celebrate.

Important May Dates:

• May 6th-14 NJSLA Testing & Teacher Appreciation Week
• May 7th PTO Meeting
• May 10th - School Nurse Day & SCA Field Trip
• May 17th - Field Day
• May 22nd & 23rd Finding Nemo
• May 27th - No School
• May 29th - Community Day & Color Run

Families, please remember school starts at 8:55am. Please leave enough time to park and walk your child to the school if you are a walker. There has been an increase in tardy arrivals. Supervision on school property begins at 8:45.

Warmly,

Cynthia Tufaro, principal

Maggie Callahan, assistant principal

Thank you to our amazing staff and nurse for their ability to instruct our students, balance responsibilities and create a safe, supportive environment for our children to thrive! Please take a moment to share a message of appreciation...your words go a long way!

Please join us in the cafeteria or virtually at or next PTO meeting on May 7th at 6:00 pm. A link will be shared to join virtually as well before the meeting.

We are also seeking PTO Executive Board members and committee chairs. These are important roles that meet with leadership, plan the events for the year and ensure we raise funds for the expenses. Please complete this form and return if you are interested in serving in a leadership role.

All NJ students across the state in grades 3, 4 & 5 will take the following standardized tests.

May 6th & 7th - Math

May 8th & 9th - ELA

May 15th & 16th - Science (5th grade only)

You may use the following items from previous tests with your children:

https://nj.digitalitemlibrary.com/home

We are pleased to inform you that the Subscription Busing Application for the 2024/2025 school year will open on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. and close on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Applications can be found in Parent Portal under forms.

Registration will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. A separate registration application must be submitted for each child.

Families who register after the June 30, 2024, deadline will have another opportunity to apply for subscription busing when the application reopens on October 1, 2024.

You will be notified of your transportation status in July. Upon notification of an available seat, you will have 7 calendar days to acknowledge and pay the $625 fee. If this fee is not paid within this frame, your spot will be forfeited. Payments will only be accepted online via Community Pass. If your child qualifies for 2024/2025 free lunch, the bus fee can be waived if seats are available.

Please be aware that refunds will not be issued. In the event that you unenroll your child from the district at any time, you will also forfeit the seat. Payments will only be accepted online via Community Pass.

Please note the new eligibility guidelines established in October 2023, will continue to apply.

• Elementary School Eligibility: Students residing 1.0 miles or more from their school.
• Middle and High School Eligibility: Students residing 1.25 miles or more from their school.

James Monroe's Annual Field Day will be Friday, May 17th. Mrs. Reif and Mr. Fernandez are in need of volunteers to help run and organize activities. This day could not happen without your support!

Please feel free to sign up for the activity you would like to help at as well as for multiple time slots. You will stay at this activity during your entire volunteerig time. Some activities are indoors while some are outdoors.

Each activity has a grade level listed. If your child is in that grade, they will visit that activity during that time. We want to make sure all volunteers see their child during their volunteering time.

Thank you for all your time and support!

Click the link HERE to volunteer!

This year’s concert was a collaborative effort by the talented Ms. Ford and Mrs. Sanchez! We were so impressed with how much our musicians have accomplished from their training and rehearsals. Their sweet voices reminded us "Don't worry!" Thank you also to Ms. Joy Russell for accompanying the performance and to our staff who volunteered to chaperone the evening. Please enjoy this video from our in-school performance.

Our first ever Community Connection Day will be a wonderful opportunity for James Monroe families to connect with the people and services in our neighborhood who help us. Please stop by one of the 17 different tables to interact and learn about services in our community and then stick around to run in our annual Color Run! Please register for the Color Run by May 17th!

This month, our teachers and students in the self contained Autism classes integrated into grades 3-5 for various opportunities to build friendships, develop empathy and understanding. We kicked off the month with a beautiful outdoor gathering of all students with Bubbles for Autism. Everyone loves Bubbles!

Then each week, students came together for different activities including coloring the infinity symbol with 3rd grade, playing games together in gym with 4th grade and crafting in 5th grade with our Monroe Project Buddies. And don't forget, our SC program runs the School Store each month!

Thank you to Ms. Kerri Colletto for organizing the events and for the entire SC Team of teachers and paras who embrace our students' strengths and help educate our community.

Thank you to our amazing team of roving student reporters for capturing highlights from our very busy month of April! We are so proud of how our Media Club takes responsibility for filming, editing and reporting each month. Our video is still in production...please check back!

We look forward to celebrating our fifth graders on June 13th at their Moving Up Ceremony. Students will be able to bring 2 guests and tickets will be sent home in advance. School age siblings at the school will be invited to the ceremony.

Celebrate the start of summer with ways to help students keep learning at our "Stock up for Summer" and "Family Game Show" events.

See the attached flyers to register!

Our Tricky Tray was a big winner! Thank you to our PTO for all of the hard work and planning that went into the 3rd Annual Tricky Tray which raised significant funds to support future school endeavors! Also, many thanks to the school community and staff for all of their donations to our baskets and to the JPS National Honor Societies for volunteering to assist with the baskets.

Thank you to Mrs. Westcott and the intervention team for planning a magical evening that incorporated math skills with mysteries to solve, scavenger hunts and a performances by a professional hip hop singer that got everyone on their feet. Each participant went home with snacks, prizes and a math game.

“Go with the Flow”- Our cast of Finding Nemo is in the final weeks of rehearsals before “Tech Week”

Some additional rehearsals have been added to assure that we are ready for our Opening Night in May! Please check the schedule on Google Classroom for updated information.

Our Kindergarten, First and Second Grade actors are hard at work learning their “Opening Number” songs and choreography.

Costumes are being prepared and are starting to come in for our due date of May 9th.

Our Production team has been working hard to create sets and props to make our production look amazing!

It truly takes an ocean to put on a production and we are so excited to share our story with an audience very soon!

Ticket information was sent home to the cast and crew.

Students in grades 1st, 4th and 5th ventured out of the school to explore on exciting field trips. Thank you to our school community and PTO for raising funds to cover the costs of our field trips and colorful t-shirts! Our chaperones had so many positive compliments to say about our students and their experiences.

James Monroe has talent! Our staff came together to surprise the students with a compliation of song, dance, rap, musical and juggling acts to raise money for the Student Council. The students voted and the Student Council Executive Board served as judges. We can't wait to surprise our students with a special treat on May 10th with the funds collected from the event!

Visit the Edison Public Schools Website to learn more about how to register your incoming Kindergarten student.

RE-ENROLLMENT: Child is returning to Edison after having been out of the district for less than 90 days. Child must be physically in Edison to re-enroll. You will be asked to bring child to enrollment center.

PREVIOUSLY ENROLLED: Child was previously enrolled but has not been in the Edison schools for more than 90 days. You will be asked to bring the child to the enrollment center if you are returning from out of state or out of country.

NEW INCOMING SPECIAL EDUCATION PRE-SCHOOL: Children being evaluated for Special Services for Preschool Special Education.

The Public Schools of Edison Township is proud to offer a Dual Language Academy (DLA) to be located at Washington Elementary School. In this dual language program, students will be taught literacy and academic content in both English and Spanish. The DLA will be a full-time program of instruction running from Grade K through 5th grade that provides structured English language instruction, as well as instruction in Spanish, in all core content areas. All Edison School District students are eligible to apply for the program prior to the start of kindergarten.

Important Announcements:

1. 6th Grade Immunization requirements for entry into middle schools will be going home in backpacks very soon. Please be sure to make your doctor appointments to have your student/s receive these mandatory vaccinations and also read below if your student is interested in signing up for a school sport in the fall.

2.Sports Physicals are required for all sports in middle school. Students interested in joining a Fall Sports team or Intramural must obtain a sports physical from their physician. The Sports Physical forms are due in the health office by Monday June 3, 2024. There is no grace period for late entries. Forms returned AFTER the 6/3/2024 due date, MAY NOT be cleared to participate prior to the 1ST practice session.

Link to sports physical form: Preparticipation Physical Evaluation (4 pages): https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1577380417/edisonk12njus/zevex1coj8dxmmilw4ay/HSForm14APrePreparationPhysicalEvaluation2015.pdf

To participate on a school-sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic team or squad, each student whose physical examination (HS Form #14C) was completed more than 90 days prior to the first day of official practice MUST provide a Health History Update Questionnaire (HS Form #14G) of medical issues experienced since the last medical examination, completed and signed by the student’s parent or guardian. These will be mailed out in May/June along with the Pre-Participation Physical form above. Please let me know if you will require one sooner.

3. In accordance with state regulations and district policy, it is important for your child to receive physical examinations at least once during each developmental stage, and more often with a chronic medical condition.

Early childhood (preschool through grade 3)

Pre-adolescence (grades 4 through 6)

Adolescence (grades 7 through 12)

Please have your child examined by his/her primary healthcare provider during these critical periods of development to ensure your child's good health. If your child had a recent physical exam (within the last year or two) please forward it to the health office via email or mail including the parent portion. Here is the medical form requiring completion by your child’s doctor and you as the parent or guardian: If you do not have a family healthcare provider or clinic where your child receives his/her health care, please contact the nurse for community resources. https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1577381590/edisonk12njus/uliebetgtwfrw4cl9iax/Form_16_HealthCareProviderExamination.pdf

Children can purchase ONE snack after they eat lunch on Tuesday and Thursdays!