Dragons' Dish

Dear Allenwood Families,

As we prepare for the upcoming holiday season, I am excited to share some wonderful events and important updates with you!

Allenwood Elementary School is looking forward to kicking off our holiday festivities with Spirit Week, which will take place December 16th through December 20th! Please be sure to check the attached flyer later in this newsletter for the full schedule of fun-themed days. It is always a great way to bring our school community together and spread joy among the faculty and students. Additionally, we have a special Laser Light Show named 'Winter Holiday Adventure' planned for our students. This event is sure to bring smiles and excitement, getting everyone into the holiday spirit.

A friendly reminder that our winter break begins on December 23rd and runs through January 1st. We look forward to welcoming students back to school on January 2nd to start the new year together.

As we enter the new year, I want to emphasize the importance of regular attendance. Currently, our attendance rate is around 94%, but with your continued support, I believe we can raise it to above 96%! Every school day matters, and together, we can ensure that all of our students thrive academically and socially.

I want to assure our families that I will always do my best to communicate with you when buses are running late. However, there may be occasions when I am tied up with other responsibilities and unable to send a timely message. For this reason, I encourage all families to become familiar with checking the bus status directly. To do so, please visit www.wallpublicschools.org, scroll down, and click on the "Transportation" link. From there, select the link titled "Wall Township Public School's Daily Bus Status". This resource provides real-time updates on all bus routes, both in the morning and afternoon. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in ensuring we stay informed together!

Lastly, on behalf of the entire Allenwood Elementary staff, I want to wish you and your family a happy, healthy holiday season and a joyful New Year! Thank you for your ongoing support in making our school a wonderful place for our students to learn and grow.

Sincerely,

James Sterenczak
Principal

Thank you Mrs. Cimino and the tireless PTG Board for a year full of enriching and

fun experiences. Please consider being an active member of the Allenwood PTG.

Congrats to OMS, Central, and Allenwood Elementary 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders for winning 1st place in the Division 10 large group at the AYF National Cheerleading Competition in Florida!

The WE ARE CONNECTED mindset teaches that everyone who comes into our lives can help us to achieve and live our dreams. Working with, for, and through others is crucial to realizing our dreams. When you understand this and constantly seek the positives from relationships with others, performance in every area of life improves.

The 4 critical components of WE ARE CONNECTED

• Embrace Everyone
• Maximize Positive Relationships
• Build Your Dream Team
• Lead with Value

If your family is experiencing economic challenges or homelessness, visit the McKinney Vento webpage for essential information and guidance on available resources.

District Homeless Education Liaison

Tiffany Steiner
tsteiner@wallpublicschools.org
732.556.2647

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Children need healthy meals to learn. The Wall Township Board of Education offers healthy meals every school day at the prices listed on the WTPS website. Your children may qualify for free or reduced price meals and Summer EBT benefits.

The printable packet includes an application for free or reduced price meal benefits/ and a set of detailed instructions. For a convenient way to fill out the meal application go to https://www.payschoolscentral.com. WTPS utilizes PaySchools as an online lunch account for children to use to purchase lunch on a daily basis.

If your child received federal free or reduced price school meals during the 23-24 school year, please remember you need to complete a new application for the 24-25 school year prior to October 15, 2024.

If you choose to opt out from completing the meal application, you may fill out the linked Google Form.

If your children receive federal free or reduced price school meals, they may also be able to receive free or low-cost health insurance through Medicaid or NJ FamilyCare. Children with health insurance are more likely to get regular health care and are less likely to miss school because of sickness.

Because health insurance is so important to children's well-being, the law allows us to tell Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare that your children are eligible for free or reduced price meals, unless you tell us not to. Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare only use the information to identify children who may be eligible for their programs. Program officials may contact you to offer to enroll your children. Filling out the School Meals and Summer EBT Application does not automatically enroll your children in health insurance.

If you do not want us to share your information with Medicaid or NJ FamilyCare, you will have the option if submitting the meal application online via PaySchools or you may fill out the printable form and send in (Sending in this form will not change whether your children get free or reduced price meals).

Thank you for your cooperation.

-WTPS Food Services Department

Questions? Please contact Joe Piddington at jpiddington@wallpublicschools.org or 732.556.2602