December Principal's Message 2023

Dear Holman Families,

During the past few mornings, the temperatures have been rather cold and, on a few occasions, we have had frost.  Parts of New Jersey have even seen some flurries.  Students should come to Holman School wearing clothing that keeps them warm during the school day.  As the temperatures get lower, please make sure that your child is also wearing the appropriate outerwear, such as a jacket, gloves, hat, etc.  Weather permitting, teachers may take students outside for recess on a daily basis.

HOPE’s WINTER WONDERLAND- Thursday, December 14th

Singing will begin in the Gymnasium at 5:45PM.  Those students participating in singing must hand in a permission slip and arrive by 5:30PM in the Holman gymnasium.

The rest of this special event will be held in the Holman APR on Thursday, December 14th from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm. Admission is free and includes 2 crafts, 3 games, a chance to write a letter to Santa, and an opportunity to visit with our special guest. You will also be able to purchase refreshments from Cinnabon. We will be collecting donations for Toys for Tots, if you would like to participate. 

HOPE’s Holiday Shop & Candy Grams

The HOPE Holiday Shop will begin on December 4th.  There are gifts for mom, dad, grandparents, siblings, friends, teachers and pets.  Cash and e-Wallet are accepted.  To load your e-Wallet, please visit www.elfpaynow.com   

If you would like to volunteer to help students shop, you may sign up at https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/5080B4FAAAE2AA0FE3-46283273-holiday

Candy Grams are available for purchase.  You may click on https://www.jacksonsd.org/Page/12557 to access and fill out the form. Candy grams are due on December 14th and will be distributed on the 21st.

Arrival of Students in the Car Line

If you are using the car line in the morning to drop off your children, please make sure to follow the direction of the teachers who are outside supervising the children.  Please pull up to the sidewalk and release your child on the passenger’s side of the vehicle (Please do not get out of your vehicle). This should allow four to five carloads of children to dismiss to the sidewalk area.  Please do not wait to unload your child at the front of the line closest to the school if you are near the sidewalk. Even if it is raining, please continue to follow these procedures. This expedites the arrival process and gets students into the school on time.  Thank you so much for your consideration and cooperation with this matter.

Report Cards

Please be sure you are ready to access your child’s report card on the district portal website.  Report cards will be available on the portal to parents on December 14, 2023. Also, please remember that if your Portal log-in does not work, please try the “Forgot My Password” link above BEFORE contacting support, as most issues will be resolved through that feature.  Please note that the “Forgot Password” link will work only with parents who have an email as their login ID. For questions or problems with your login ID’s or password (or if you do not have them), please send an email to portalsupport@jacksonsd.org and include your name and phone number, as well as your child’s name, school, grade, student ID number and the problem you are experiencing, and we will respond to you as quickly as possible.

Looking and Planning Ahead

Board of Education Meeting - On Wednesday, December 13th, the Board of Education Meeting will be held at 6:30 pm at the Jackson Memorial Fine Arts Building.

As 2023 finally comes to a close, we look forward to the start of a new year.  The Holman Elementary School wishes you and your family the warmest holiday wishes during this Winter Break.  As we begin the New Year, I encourage you to continue to read with your child each evening, now and throughout the year.   Time spent reading with young learners has amazing effects on students’ educational success.

A happy and healthy New Year to all!  As a reminder, Holman School will have an early dismissal on Friday, December 22nd, 2023.  ALL students in grades PK-5 will be dismissed at 1:40PM.  We look forward to seeing you again on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Rich Karas

Principal, Holman Elementary