FTSD is committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all students, staff and families. Bullying, in any form, is not tolerated. Recently, we’ve observed that the most common forms of bullying in our building have been comments made about others' appearance and cultures. We also recently communicated with families regarding an uptick in threatening and violent language amongst students. We hope that conversations at home will focus upon this and remind students that utilizing such language and/or drawing violent scenes or items is not tolerated in school.

We encourage open communication between parents, students, and staff to help prevent bullying and address other behavioral concerns. Please remind your child about the importance of kindness, inclusivity, respect, and standing up for others. Together, we can ensure a positive school experience for everyone.

To learn more about our HIB policies please visit our district webpage and/or click here

Please share your voice with us. Together we can make our school community the best it can be.

Freehold Township School District’s Board of Education voted to proceed with a bond referendum, with the vote planned for Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The proposal includes improvements that would increase safety and security and bring much-needed building updates to every school. A voter-approved bond referendum is the only way to capture state aid for these necessary improvements.

A dedicated referendum website is one of the opportunities the district will take to inform every member of the community about the importance of this vote.

In alignment with our goal for fostering a warm, inviting, and inclusive environment, we’re thrilled to begin the planning process for a school mural at Catena! This creative endeavor is designed to bring our entire school community together and celebrate the uniqueness of our Catena family.

Every student will have the chance to contribute a unique voice and vision to the mural through some lessons here in school. Our resident muralist, Caren Olmsted, will take all of our ideas, create the mural, and then guide us in making our vision come alive on the walls of Catena. From sharing ideas of what it looks like to be respectful, responsible, safe, and kind in the school community to painting sections of the mural, each child’s involvement will be visible. By incorporating everyone’s talents and ideas, our mural will stand as a collective representation of our Catena community. This inclusive project is an opportunity for each student and staff member to take pride in something they’ve created as a part of the larger whole. This project will allow our students to see firsthand how their individuality contributes to a shared vision—reminding them that when we come together, we create something extraordinary.

We’re individually unique, together complete!

Your family can get involved! See below for an opportunity to have your name on the mural–either a student name or family name! We hope you’ll join us as a volunteer during the project, as well, with a paintbrush in hand (more details will be forthcoming).

Thank you in advance for supporting our students’ ideas and our school community.

Get your legacy book by February 20th!

Some of our amazing Catena Staff will be out to bowl at this year's PACE fundraiser. We'd love to see you there!

We believe we are all connected and together we will foster our PBS core values. At home, families can help to remind students by reviewing our PBS Expectation Matrix and support them throughout the year by using our common language when talking about the school day.

We hope you'll continue to support our schoolwide PBS and behavioral expectations by reviewing with your child(ren) at home. Recently we have seen a significant increase in negative, physical, damaging, and inappropriate behaviors in school. Students would benefit from reminders around being respectful of those around them, responsible in their environment, being safe, and being kind toward others. We ask that families reinforce playing safely with peers on the playground and being safe on the school bus. Parents are always encouraged to review the importance of being kind toward others. Commenting on another's appearance, race, ethnicity, or other characteristics will prompt a HIB investigation. If you have questions regarding the district's anti-bullying policies and procedures, you can access them in the handbook or on the district website linked here. Questions can always be directed to one of us or Mrs. Senna, our Anti-Bullying Specialist. Staff are always available to support students who may be facing a challenging situation or who are struggling emotionally. Additionally, parents are encouraged to keep an eye on students with access to devices, group chats, and/or social media accounts.

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.

• 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.

February 17th: Presidents' Day; district closed

February 20th: District Referendum Virtual Meeting 6-8pm; PTO meeting 7pm

February 28th: Pace Bowling Night at 7:00 (Come bowl with some of your Catena Staff!)

March 6th: Family Literacy Night

March 12th: Early dismissal for students

It's time to register for Kindergarten! The registration link and more information is shared below. We look forward to welcoming our newest Catena Colts in September 2025! Call the Catena Main Office with questions, 732-431-4430.

2025-2026 Kindergarten Registration

Fractions are an important math concept that students encounter in everyday life, from sharing a pizza to measuring ingredients in a recipe. Helping your child develop a strong understanding of fractions at home can boost their confidence and success in math.

Have your child help measure ingredients. Ask questions like, “If we need ¾ cup of sugar but only have a ¼ cup measuring cup, how many times do we fill it?” When dividing a pizza, cake, or a set of snacks, discuss how to split them equally. For example, “If we have 8 slices of pizza and 4 people, what fraction of the piece does each person receive? If we add a second pizza, what fraction of the total does each person receive?”

By incorporating fractions into everyday experiences, you can help your child build a strong foundation while making learning fun. If you have any questions or need additional resources, feel free to reach out!

Click this link for some tips on making literacy part of your family's lifestyle!

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

Freehold Township School District’s Board of Education voted to proceed with a bond referendum, with the vote planned for Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The proposal includes improvements that would increase safety and security and bring much-needed building updates to every school. A voter-approved bond referendum is the only way to capture state aid for these necessary improvements.

A dedicated referendum website is one of the opportunities the district will take to inform every member of the community about the importance of this vote.

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

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