Start of the School Day Reminder
A reminder that school begins promptly at 8:30 AM each day. The doors will remain open for a five-minute drop off window from 8:30 - 8:35 AM. Morning announcements will begin promptly at 8:35 AM to maximize instructional minutes in our school day. Students dropped off after 8:35 AM will be marked tardy and will need to be signed in by an adult in the main office. Please ensure your child arrives to school on time each day.
School Security Drills
Under New Jersey fire safety regulations and legislation, all school districts must rehearse one fire drill and one security drill on a monthly basis. A security drill is defined by the state of NJ as an exercise, other than a fire drill, to practice procedures that respond to an emergency situation, similar in duration to a fire drill. We do not disclose to the community when these drills will occur and oftentimes, our local law enforcement officials are present to monitor our procedures.
This week students practiced a fire drill and a shelter in place with instruction drill. The purpose was to familiarize students with the sound of the fire alarm, their designated exit from their classroom, as well as the procedure during a security drill. The staff is well trained for emergency situations and will prepare the students for all drills and other potential scenarios. Your children were responsive and cooperative throughout the exercise. It is our goal to keep all students safe, secure, and happy in our school environment.
MISSING LIBRARY BOOKS
Our staff, with the help of parent volunteers, have been hard at work organizing our TJS library book collection to ensure it is ready for the 2024-2025 school year. Please note that at this time we are still missing over 200 library books that have not been returned, with an outstanding value of almost $2,500. Parents/guardians are asked to PLEASE check your homes for library books and return any books you find at your earliest convenience. Overdue library books may be sent into school with your child and brought to the library or dropped off in the main office.
News from Mrs. Bletcher in the Counseling Corner
Welcome back to school! I am excited to share that there will be a myriad of ways for your child to participate in social/emotional learning this year. First, for those students brand-new to Torey J. in grades 1-5, I am offering a four session, “IceBreakers” Program. This program will take place for four consecutive weeks from 3:15-3:45. Please click HERE to complete the registration form. Meeting dates are included in the link. The sign-up deadline is Wednesday, September 11th.
Our Jaguar Buddies Program will be up and running again this year. Students across all grade levels are paired with another class and meet monthly to practice leadership skills, good sportsmanship and conflict resolution skills. Students absolutely LOVE meeting with their younger or older school-mates, playing games and learning via experience.
On a more serious, but timely note, the TJS Behavioral Threat Assessment Team meets regularly to review and refine our practices in the event of a threat to our school, students, or school district. Our Behavioral Threat Assessment Team includes police, administration, medical, mental health staff, and teachers. Each team member has received mandatory training through The State of New Jersey. Our team meets monthly and on an as-needed basis. To learn more about NJ School Threat Assessment please feel free to view: https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/july/19/K-12BehavioralThreatAssessmentandManagementTeamsGuidelines.pdf
As always, if you have any social/emotional concerns or questions regarding your child, please reach out to me at bletcherj@madisonnjps.org.
