BARCLAY BROOK SCHOOL Principal’s Newsletter National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence New Jersey Star School 31 Top Elementary Schools – N.J. Monthly Middle States Accreditation

“The Monroe Public Schools, in collaboration with the members of the community, shal l ensure that all children receive an exemplary education by well trained, commit ted staff, in a safe and orderly environment.”

Winter 2014/2015 www.monroe.k12.nj.us

Dear Barclay Brook Families, Time is flying fast; it is hard to believe that the first marking period has already come to an end! Our students are in the full swing of things, have a clear understanding of our daily routines and procedures, and are deeply engaged in their learning each day. They are extremely well-behaved and respectful to the adults and other children in the building. We received a tremendous compliment after two of our assemblies. The performers made a point to tell me after the shows that the behavior of our students was exceptional compared to other schools they have visited. While we know that they are wonderful children, it is always nice to receive affirmation from an outside perspective! You should have already received your child’s first marking period report card and should have scheduled for a parent-teacher conference on December 3, 4, or 5. Parent-teacher conferences give you the opportunity to meet your child’s teacher(s) and discuss your child’s progress as well as any areas of concern. A strong parent-teacher relationship will only serve to benefit your child and his/her learning throughout the year. Below are some helpful tips for a successful parent-teacher conference:

Before the Conference – Write down your concerns: academic progress, behavior, peer relations and attitude. During the Conference – Discuss these concerns. If you don’t understand something, ask to have it explained. Listen carefully to everything the teacher says. Ask for ways that you can help support your child’s learning at home. After the Conference – Talk to your child about the conference and be sure to share the positive feedback you received from his/her teacher. Let your child know you are proud! Follow up with any suggestions agreed upon during the conference, and be sure to maintain open communication with the teacher throughout the year. If you have any questions or concerns regarding parent-teacher conferences, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher or myself at any time. Finally, on behalf of all of us at Barclay Brook, I would like to wish you and your family a safe and joyous holiday season, and a happy, healthy new year!

Sincerely yours, Erinn M. Mahoney Erinn M. Mahoney Principal

IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS

Pennies for Patients Fundraiser – We are excited to participate once again in the Pennies for Patients Fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We will be hosting a variety of exciting fundraising activities from December 1 – December 19th and all money will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Parent-Teacher Conferences – Parent-teacher conferences will be held Wednesday, December 3, Thursday, December 4, and Friday, December 5. You should have already received a scheduled time from your child’s teacher(s). Please note that these will be early dismissal days for the students and no lunches will be served.

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION – March 5 th and March 6 th

Kindergarten registration for Barclay Brook will be held on Thurs., March 5th and Friday, March 6th. Registration for those whose last names begin with the letters A-G will be on March 5th from 9:15 to 11:30 am and names beginning with the letters H-M will register on the same day from 1:00 to 2:45 pm. Registration for those whose last names begin with the letters N-R will be on March 6th from 9:15 to 11:30 am and last names beginning with the letters S-Z will be from 1:00 to 2:45 pm on that same day. Additional information can be found as an attachment on the website. SCHOOL PROCEDURES

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL TIMES:

Regular School Hours: 9:05 a.m. – 3:34 p.m.

Pre-School – AM 9:05 – 11:39 Pre-School - PM 1:00 – 3:34 Kindergarten – AM 9:05 – 11:39 Kindergarten – PM 1:00 – 3:34 Grades 1 – 2 9:05 – 3:34

Early Dismissal Schedule:

Pre-School – AM 9:05 – 11:05 Pre-School - PM 11:05 – 1:05 Kindergarten – AM 9:05 – 11:39 Kindergarten – PM 10:31 – 1:05 Grades 1 – 2 9:05 – 1:05

Delayed Opening Schedule:

Pre-School – AM 11:05 – 1:19 Pre-School – PM 1:20 – 3:34 Kindergarten – AM 11:05 – 1:19 Kindergarten – PM 1:20 – 3:34 Grades 1 - 2 11:05 – 3:34

Release of Students: If you plan to pick your child up from school before the end of the school day, please send a note to your child’s teacher in the morning. Please DO NOT email your child’s teacher with this request. Your child’s teacher may be absent that day and the substitute teacher would not have access to the teacher’s email. We do not release students to anyone unless they are on the emergency list or unless we have a note signed by the parent/guardian. Please remind any individual picking up your child that s/he must show photo identification before the child is released. If you need to change your child’s normal dismissal procedure (i.e., taking the bus home instead of going to BASC, going to Brownies every Tuesday, etc.), we must have a note each time your child’s normal routine is changed. We receive many requests and we are concerned that your child arrives home safely. As a reminder, requests for your child to go home on another bus must be for an emergency only.

Student Absences: Parents are required to call the school nurse prior to the beginning of the school day whenever their child is absent. This allows us to compare your reported absence against our actual attendance so we can be alerted to children who are potentially missing. If you fail to report your child’s absence, we are then forced to try to contact you at multiple locations, wasting valuable time and resources if your child is safe and at home with you. Please help us avoid this problem by calling us. If your child is absent, please call the school at (732) 521-1000 and then press “1”. Please include the following information: date of call, child’s name, child’s teacher, and reason for absence. Please remember to send a note to our school nurse, Mrs. Beaton, through your child’s teacher, when he/she returns to school after an absence. Please also arrange to have your child arrive at Barclay Brook on time each day. Excessive unexcused absences and excessive tardiness interferes with your child’s academic progress and may be reported to Mr. Naumik, our district’s Truant Officer.

Recess in Cold Weather: Whenever possible, students will be going outside for recess. Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for outdoor recess, and when possible, please label coats, hats, etc. with your child’s name.

Inclement Weather: We do intend to use the Alert Now System to notify all families of school closings. Parents can check on school closings and delays at www.monroe.k12.nj.us or www.weatherclosings.com. Delays and closings are also announced on the following radio stations: WCTC 1450 AM, WMGQ 98.3 FM, or NJ 101.5 FM. Parents can also receive information on closings and delays on News 12 New Jersey on the television.

Delayed Opening: When a delayed opening is called, Barclay Brook School will begin at 11:05 AM and lunch will be served at its normal time. Students will dismissed at the regular time (3:34 PM) and after school TAG classes will be cancelled.

Early Dismissal: Occasionally, conditions exist which necessitate an early dismissal from school. Deterioration of the weather or facility problems such as loss of water or power may require such action. Parents are asked to instruct their child as to the procedures to be followed. For an early closing all students will be sent home on the bus if they are not picked up prior to dismissal. If a school closing is called, TAG and BASC Programs will be cancelled. In addition, the school is using the Alert Now telephone system and will make every effort to contact every family to inform them of the emergency early dismissal. If your home or work telephone numbers change, please notify the school immediately.

STOP & SHOP A+ BONUS PROGRAM

Barclay Brook School is registered and will have the opportunity to earn cash through Stop & Shop A+ Bonus Bucks Program. All you have to do is: Log on to www.stopandshop.com/aplus to register online. The school ID# is 08282 or dial 1-877-275- 2758 to register your Stop & Shop card over the phone. After you register your card, each shopping trip at Stop & Shop earns cash for our school. You can track the amount of points you earn for our school by checking your grocery receipt and online when you create an account at www.stopandshop.com. Our school will receive a check at the end of the program that can be used for our school’s educational needs. Attending to this simple process will provide assistance to our school. Please ask your friends/relatives/neighbors to register their card for Barclay Brook too!

SUBSTITUTE NURSES AND SUBSTITUTE PARAPROFESSIONALS

We are currently seeking applicants for Substitute Nurses and Substitute Paraprofessionals. Please apply at Central Office 423 Buckelew Avenue, Monroe Township, NJ 08831 Dorothy Domke (732) 521-2111 ext 5227 Processing Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

INTEGRATED PRESCHOOL

The Monroe Township Public Schools offer a half day Integrated Preschool Program for a limited number of typically developing children who will be 4 years of age by October 31, 2014. The child must be toilet trained and reside in Monroe Township. The program is tuition-based. Classes will be held in the afternoon session at the Barclay Brook and Mill Lake Elementary Schools. Each class will operate 2.5 hours per day 5 days a week while school is in session. Parents will be responsible for transporting their child to and from the program.

To register or to receive more information, please contact Mrs. McCoy at Central Registration (609) 655-7642 ext. 3016 FROM MRS. BEATON, RN/HEALTH OFFICE

Dres si ng for th e W in ter Students go outside for recess during the winter months too when the ground is dry. It is healthy to get fresh air and get out of the school building for a short time. Please make sure your child is sent to school with a coat and gloves or mittens (all labeled with their names!). Sweatshirts are not warm enough for 20-30 degree temperatures. Children should be dressed for the outdoors at all times. If they do not have a jacket and it is cold, they will not be allowed outside for recess.

I ll n es s e s

With flu season upon us shortly, there are numerous things you can do for your child to keep him/her healthy. The best ways to lower your child’s risk of getting the flu is to (1) have them vaccinated against seasonal flu, and (2) to educate them about how to keep germs from entering their bodies.

Did you know that the single most important way to stay healthy year round is by frequent hand washing? Did you know that many of our students do not wash their hands before eating or after using the bathroom?

Children at school are constantly putting their fingers in their mouths especially if they have loose teeth. This is the easiest way for germs to enter the body. A good method is using a “hands off the face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face including mouth, nose and eyes. Germs can enter the body through all of these places.

Encourage your child to sneeze or cough into their sleeve rather than into their hands or out into the air. Most illnesses are caused by oral or nasal secretions being released into the air or carried on hands.

Strep is an illness common in elementary school age children. Symptoms can include a sore throat, fever, or stomach ache. Left untreated, strep can cause a more serious illness such as rheumatic fever or kidney disease. A culture by your child’s physician will confirm the presence of strep. Strep is an illness that should be reported to the school nurse.

In the event that your child gets sick with a fever, a good rule of thumb to follow regarding when your child returns to school is that he/she be fever free for 24 hours (without taking any fever-reducing medication) before returning to school. Remember that the body temperature is lower in the morning and will continue to rise later in the day if the child is still sick.

Lice

It is not unusual for elementary school children to get head lice.

Please be vigilant about checking your child’s head Daily AND reporting any new cases of head lice to our nurse immediately. This is the best way to control the spread of head lice. If you notice your child complaining about an itchy head, please take the time to check him/her. The nurse will be glad to recheck your child if you are unsure if lice are present. Treat them with special shampoo, but most importantly, report the case to the school nurse. Also, if your child has had close contact with other students outside of school (sleepovers, etc.), please alert their parents as well. For those of you who are unsure what head lice nits (egg sacs) look like, here is a brief description. They are most commonly found (while nits) behind the ears and/or at the nape of the neck. They are usually located approximately ½ to one-inch from the scalp; their ultimate goal is to get to the scalp where they will feed when they hatch into live bugs. Most times your child will complain of an itchy head when nits are present. The nit resembles a grain of sand glued to the individual strand of hair. It is tan in color and will not come off when you try to remove it between your thumb and forefinger. It will feel like a grain of sand glued to the strand of hair. Dandruff, hair gel, hairspray, dry scalp, etc. will all flake off the hair strand; nits (head lice) will not. If the eggs have hatched into live bugs, they will scatter when the hair is parted.

If you suspect that your child may have head lice but are not sure please call the school nurse and she will check their head. The treatment involves using a special shampoo sold over the counter in drug stores and also health food stores, then removing the nits (which are loosened by the shampoo) with a special comb included with the shampoo. Please do not treat your child’s hair with this shampoo if no nits are found. The shampoo is not a preventative but rather a cure.

For anyone who has had to deal with head lice in their homes, it is a monumental job. You not only have to rid the child’s head of nits/bugs entirely, but the work involved in ridding your home (furniture, bedding, carpeting, etc.) and car of the eggs takes a tremendous deal of time and energy. Please take 5 minutes every day to check your child’s head. If you do find nits/head lice, please notify the nurse and any friends’ families with whom your child has had recent contact.

This is a common nuisance in elementary schools. This is no reflection on your child’s hygiene or the cleanliness of your home. You may pick up lice by using the same com/brush of someone (even in your family) who has nits. Discourage your child from piling his or her coat with other students’ coats as lice may transfer this way, too!

Listed below are some useful facts and some helpful links to more information:

Did you know… Head lice are small and wingless, varying in size from 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch (about the size of a sesame seed). Eggs look like a grain of sand or small grain of rice and hatch in 7-10 days. Lice feed on blood every 3-6 hours. The primary symptom of infestation is itching. Eggs are firmly attached to the hair shaft. Females can lay up to 10 eggs a day, over 100 in their lifetime. If dislodged from the hair shaft and host, eggs die with 2 weeks. Off the scalp, adult head lice rarely survive beyond 36 hours. Head lice can infest anyone and prefer clean hair. Head lice are more of nuisance than a health hazard. Head lice do not fly or jump. They are passed through direct contact. You cannot give head lice to your pets or get it from pets. The National Pediculosis Association estimates that as many as 12 million cases occur every year. Lice move quickly and shy away from light during a head check.

Sharing is not always a good thing! By sharing the items listed below, even in the same family, it may also mean sharing lice: Combs, brushes, hats hair clips, headbands, helmets, clothing, stuffed animals, costumes pillows and coats. Helpful links: www.headlice.org. www.pediculosis.com www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/lice/default.htm

Food Allergies

We have numerous students at Barclay Brook School with allergies to certain foods, primarily peanuts and tree nuts. For this reason snacks in all classrooms should be peanut free/tree nut free. Your child may have any foods for lunch because there are safe tables for our food allergic students. For children with food allergies please send in safe treats to be kept in the classroom. DATES TO REMEMBER

December 1-19 Fundraising Drive – Pennies for Patients 2 Picture Re-Take Day 2 Kindergarten Parent Teacher Conferences 3-5 Parent Teacher Conference (Early Dismissal) 3 Evening Conferences 3 PTA Popcorn & Water Sale 4 PTA Pretzel & Water Sale 5 PTA Cheerios & Milk Sale 10 2nd Grade Book Swap Board of Education Meeting 7PM HS 15-17 PTA Holiday Shop 18 Progress Reports 23 Early Dismissal 24-31 Winter Recess

January 1-2 School Closed – Happy New Year 5 Schools Reopen 16 Staff In-Service Day (Early Dismissal) PTA Pretzel Sale 19 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (School Closed) 30 Marking Period Ends PTA Movie Night

February 4 Family Dental Presentation 2nd Grade 6 Report Cards Distributed PTA Movie Night (Snow Date) 11 2nd Grade Book Swap Family Dental Presentation 1st Grade 13 PTA Sweets and Treats for Valentine’s Day 16 President’s Day (School Closed) 18 Family Dental Presentation Kdg.