Dear James Monroe Families,

We can't believe it is the last and final month of school. It has been a year of growth and learning!

Important June Dates:

• June 4th - 5th Grade Fun Day
• June 4th - Stock up for Summer Title 1 Event and Trivia Night
• June 7th - Kinder Concert at 9:30 a.m.
• June 6th - Final PTO Meeting at 5:00 pm
• June 13th - 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony at 9:30 a.m.
• June 18th - Class Parties
• June 19th- No School (Juneteeth)
• June 20th- 1:30pm dismissal
• June 21st - Last Day! - 1:30pm dismissal

We hope you have an enjoyable summer and we will see you in September!

Warmly,

Cynthia Tufaro, principal

Maggie Callahan, assistant principal

Thank you to all the volunteers, PTO and staff for helping to support such a wonderful field day! We were so lucky the morning showers turned into a comfortable day for play.
Mr. Fernandez and Mrs. Reif planned an extra special day that our students will remember for a lifetime!

Please join us in the cafeteria for our next PTO meeting on June 6th at 5:00 pm to thank our PTO volunteers. RSVP by June 3rd.

We will also be conducting an election for 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 second grade students who live n Middlesex County are eligible to receive free swimming lessons under a new county initiative.

In partnership with local municipalities and pools, the pilot program aims to equip young children with essential swimming skills and educate them about water safety.

To read more about the program or to register for the free lessons, please visit HERE.

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 has a partnership with the YMCA for before care and after care. Transportation is provided. Please register early if you are interested in having your child in the program.

Our first ever Community Connection Day was a wonderful opportunity for James Monroe families to connect with the people and services in our neighborhood who help us. Families visited one of the 17 different tables to interact and learn about services in our community and then ran laps in our color run! Thank you to Mr. Doug Peters for helping with organizing the event.

Thank you to our amazing team of roving student reporters for capturing highlights from our very busy Spring! We are so proud of how our Media Club takes responsibility for filming, editing and reporting each month. Check out their video below!

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!

Recently, Mrs. Lisa Romeo, Kindergarten teacher at James Monroe, Melissa Medina, 4th grader and Ayaan Tahir, 5th grader spoke about leadership through the Power of our Words.

Abraham Lincoln was a powerful orator who used his words to inspire and unite. Reflecting his oratorical legacy, the Ford’s Theatre Oratory Approach offers easy-to-implement tools adapted from theater techniques that help every student develop public speaking skills and find their own powerful voice.

But just what is Oratory anyway? Oratory is the Art of Public Speaking. Following the Ford’s Approach we have become Proud and Confident speakers.

As a Ford’s Theatre National Oratory Master Fellow, Mrs. Romeo had the opportunity to bring two student delegates with her to Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. this past May. These student delegates demonstrated leadership by collaborating with other students from across the country. Additionally, they learned from and worked alongside teachers and Teaching Artists, many of whom are professional actors. Our student delegates acquired knowledge of the impact of their voice on a deeper level. They strengthened their skills to write and speak about issues that matter to them. Learning to offer specific, constructive feedback strengthens this understanding and develops skills for leadership and civil classroom conversations.

We are so proud of their accomplishments and to have Melissa and Ayaan represent James Monroe! Melissa performed her own speech and Ayaan performed Steve Jobs' 2005 Commencement Address.

Our final field trip of the season was with our SC classes to a trampoline park. They had an amazing experience! . Thank you to our school community and PTO for raising funds to cover the costs of our field trips and colorful t-shirts! Our teachers had so many positive compliments to say about our students and their experiences.

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.

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