March, 2022

 

Dear Switlik Families,

March……In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb!  It seems like February passed by in the blink of an eye, and I, for one, am looking forward to sun and brighter days!

Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead on Sunday, March 13th.  With the extra hour of daylight, it's a little easier to do some fun activities with the family.  

We are rapidly approaching the mid-point of the school year.  As we look forward to the second half of our year, we continue to encourage all of our students to read on a daily basis.  One of the most important components of a good school is the partnership between the school and parents who work together for the best interest of the children.  The close partnership between home and school is one of the exceptional strengths of the Switlik Elementary School. 

Elementary Spelling Bee:  The Switlik Elementary School held their Spelling Bee on Thursday, January 20^th.  Twenty-five spellers from 4th and 5th grade showed their hard work and dedication throughout the entire process. The winner of this year's spelling bee is Rahimah Talib. Congratulations to our runners-up: Emmalyn Tolska, Maxwell Molinari, Nathan Choen and Will Bernstein who will all represent Switlik in our District Spelling Bee on March 31^st.

Switlik Souper-Bowl Time! The Results are in…..although the Rams may have won the game, Switlik students OVERWHELMINGLY voted for the Bengals based on our bin collection center.  Bengals – 365 items; Rams – 289 items for a total of 654 items donated to the Jackson Food Pantry.  Thank you for your generosity!

NJSLA Testing:  Continue to visit the district website to view the NJSLA (formerly PARCC) testing calendar (go to the For Parents and Students tab and then Assessments and Grading).  Testing will begin for Grades 3, 4, and 5 on May 9th.

Kindergarten Registration:  Kindergarten Registration in the Jackson School District will take place March 1st - March 31st by appointment.  Registration packets are available online and in all elementary schools.  We encourage all parents (this INCLUDES students already enrolled in the pre-K program) to pre-register online to save time and streamline the registration process at the time of your appointment.   It is incredibly important that parents register during this period so we can plan ahead for the next school year. If you are a parent of a kindergarten student (regardless if they are already in the pre-K program), we kindly ask that you make every effort to register your child during the month of March.  All information is available on the Registration Page on the district website. 

Please call (732) 833-4650 ext 136 and speak to Mrs. Noreen Lagano to schedule an appointment during March to register your child for Kindergarten.

 

One Book, One School:  This Spring, the students and families of Switlik Elementary will be participating in the Great Lemonade Campaign as part of the One-Book One-School Reading Initiative. Our One Book One School initiative is a community wide event that connects school and family through a shared love of reading. To kick off the initiative, students will receive a copy of the book, The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davis to read throughout this initiative with their families. Each night, all students and their families will read a chapter from the book that goes along with our initiative reading schedule. After reading the designated chapter each night with their families, students from every grade level  will have the opportunity to answer daily trivia questions, and participants will be entered into a daily trivia raffle. 

 

Along with reading the book, The Lemonade War, Switlik Elementary School will be part of the Great Lemonade Campaign with the charity, Alex’s Lemonade Stand.  The goal of this partnership is for students and staff to spread awareness and help make a change to support families impacted by childhood cancer. Throughout the initiative, Switlik Elementary School will have school spirit days and a coin collection fundraiser to help change the lives of children with cancer.

 

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) is changing the lives of children with cancer by funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families and empowering everyone to help cure childhood cancer. - Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation

 

Birthday Party Policy:  Birthdays may be celebrated at lunchtime in the cafeteria.  To be sensitive to allergy concerns, non-edible items (e.g. toys, stickers, pencils) are strongly encouraged for these celebrations so that all children can participate in the celebration.

Outside treats for a class MAY NOT be delivered to the school, regardless of the reason; however, a child may bring in pre-packaged, individually wrapped items to distribute at lunch for his/her special day.  Visitors are not permitted in the cafeteria.  Birthday and/or Party invitations are not handed out in school, under any circumstances.  However, parents are invited to have their contact information listed on the “class party list” which will be distributed to parents that join the list  Please contact your child’s teacher directly for this information.

Cold Weather

As colder weather approaches and winter is upon us, please pay careful attention to your child’s attire, as students will continue to go out, weather permitting.   Our lost and found grows by leaps and bounds.  One of the most “found” items are sweatshirts and coats.  Please label any items (coats, gloves, hats, etc.) that your child brings to school, so that we can easily return them. 

Please continue to be mindful of the icy conditions around the school when winter weather “blesses” us with challenges.  Our district building maintenance do a fantastic job of preparing our school grounds for school; however, there is no way to totally guarantee against blind slippery spots on the sidewalks, as well as in the parking lot.

Before sending your child out to the bus stop or dropping them off at school, please take a moment to make sure they are dressed appropriately for the weather.  Depending on the weather, students may go out for recess.  Dressing your child in multiple light layers is recommended so that they can remove a top layer if they get too warm while indoors.  When it gets cold outside, it gets cold inside the building as well.  Don’t be afraid to ask your children whether or not they are comfortable while they are at school; they will often tell you if they are too hot or too cold in their classrooms 

With the weather getting colder, please visit the district website for all information involving school closings and delays.  You may find this information by starting on the district’s main site (www.jacksonsd.org), highlighting the “Calendars and Hours” tab and clicking on “School Hours”.  

Please review and update your emergency information contacts in the event that we need to use this information should we have an emergency early closing due to inclement weather.  You may do this in Parent Portal.

School Bus Protocol:  Students are not permitted to get off at bus stops that are not the bus stop for their home address.  This creates a potentially dangerous situation for students and it is clearly prohibited as outlined in our student handbook:  WE ARE NOT able to grant requests for students to ride any bus other than their assigned bus to and from school.  An alternate bus assignment may be reviewed in the case of an emergency on a case by case basis. 

If a student attempts to get off at a different stop, the Transportation Department will NOT permit this to occur without permission from a school administrator.  Should this need arise, please send a note in with your student for approval. 

Regular School Hours, Arrival, and Dismissal: 

Please note that school hours are Grades Pre-School-5 - 9:05 am – 3:15 pm

In an effort to continuously improve the safety of students and staff, parents may not pick up their child(ren) at the end of the day in the main lobby on a consistent basis.  Dismissal in the main lobby will only be reserved for parents who need to occasionally pick up their child due to a doctor’s appointment, an illness, or some other reason prior to the end of the day.  Students must be signed out by 2:45 pm.

Thank you in advance for your support in our efforts to improve the safety and well-being of our students and staff members

 

Arrival  Procedures

Arrival (8:55-9:05 am): On the Bus

• Buses will be cleaned between runs
• When possible, the windows will be opened on buses
• Staggered Schedule - Buses will unload at 8:55 (no earlier)
• Students will enter the building at designated grade level areas
• Face Coverings are REQUIRED on Buses, Bus Ramp, Entering the Building, & in the Classroom
• Students should try to practice social distancing when entering the building
• Designated Entrances - Clearly marked directional signals
• Teachers will assist students and direct them to designated grade level entrances

 

DROP-OFF/ARRIVAL:

• Designated Drop Off Area (Located at the back of the building-Must enter through W. Veterans Highway)
• Only students in Child Care will be admitted prior to 8:50 AM
• Please follow the “traffic flow” as designated by the signs and cones
• Students must exit the car/vehicle from the PASSENGER/CURBSIDE ONLY·
• Staff on duty will supervise students during this time
• Be aware of traffic patterns; please do not move ahead or cut across the line·
• Tardy students (arriving after 9:05 AM) must enter through the main entrance with a

parent/guardian and will need to be signed in by a parent/guardian with the receptionist. (NOTE: Carline entrance is locked at 9:05 AM daily….please DO NOT drop your child off at the back entrance after 9:05 AM)·       

• Children arriving after 9:05 must check in with the receptionists in the main lobby of the

             main entrance·       

• Children must be accompanied into the school and signed in – please have a Photo ID
• For the safety of all of our young learners, please do not drop off students curbside unattended

 

PICK-UP/DISMISSAL:

 

DISMISSAL:

• Dismissal (Begins @ 3:05 pm): In the afternoon, children are escorted/called to

            buses, after school childcare, and parent pick up

• Students may not be signed out after 2:45 pm.
• Parent pick up is located in the back of the building
• Photo ID is required when picking up/signing students out at all time

 

Pick Up Via CARLINE DISMISSAL: Located in the rear of the building

• Pick up begins at 3:10 pm
• Be mindful of traffic patterns and traffic flow; do not pull out of the line or

cut the line; this will ensure the safety of all of our learners·       

• Designated Pick Up Area- There will be two car lines for parent pick up at the end of the day (K-2& 3-5)·
• Teachers on duty will be outside greeting each car·
• Children will be dismissed to their parent/guardian via a rolling car line·
• Parents/Guardians do not need to leave their cars for carline pickup·
• ID will be checked and parent/guardian will sign the child out on sign out a sheet indicating the time of departure
• Staff on duty will monitor and escort students TO CARS as they pull up, one at a time
• Please be ready for your child(ren) to enter via the PASSENGER side only;

it is not safe for them to walk around the car to enter·       

• The child will be called to come out via walkie-talkie communication from the Gym (Holding Area)·
• Students should try to practice social distancing when exiting the building
• All children must enter their cars on the passenger side

 

DAILY/REGULAR DISMISSAL PROCEDURES CHANGE: If your child has different dismissal plans than usual

• Must send a note to the teacher – if a request is not supported with a note, regular dismissal procedures will remain in place
• If another person besides a parent will be picking up, notification of this arrangement in writing must be given and proper ID will be required by the adult picking up
• No child is allowed to ride home on any other school bus than the one to which he/she is assigned. Playdates should be arranged by either parent providing the transportation or after the children have arrived home from school

Call the school main office before 2:00 pm If your child needs to leave school early,  
he/she must be signed out with the receptionist first

 Food Services

You may apply for free/reduced price lunch benefits. Applications were sent home with students in September, and are always available on our web site or at your child’s school. Only one application is required per household, but must be completed annually.  Please complete and return the Free and Reduced Lunch forms.  Although all students are eligible to receive free breakfast/lunch, submitting this form provides opportunities for other reduced or free opportunities for our families.  Please click this link to the Jackson Food Service Department to  complete your Free and Reduced Lunch forms.

 

Technology

All parents must have an active Chromebook Device Loan Agreement on file with the district. This form can be found on the Parent Portal and must be completed prior to your child being issued a district Chromebook.  Cases for Chromebooks are also available for purchase.  Please click on this link to view the flyer for more information.

What if I have an issue with technology and need assistance with the Parent Portal or Login?

• TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE:
  • Please be sure to use the correct support contact for the type of issue you are experiencing. We kindly ask for your patience as we handle each request. We are moving as quickly as we can and we are eager to make sure every student can access the technology they need.
  • Please try the 'Forgot My Password' link on the Portal Login pageBEFORE contacting support. Please note that the "Forgot Password'' link will work only with parents who have an email as their login ID.
  • Parent Portal:
    • If you have an issue with your portal login, please email portalsupport@jacksonsd.org
    • Please include your name and phone number, as well as your child's name, school, grade, student ID number and the problem you are experiencing.
  • Chromebooks, Student Google Login ID and Passwords:
    • If you have an issue with your child’s Chromebook or with his or her Google login credentials, please contact the main office @ (732) 833-4620.
    • If your Chromebook is broken or damaged, please contact the main office @ (732) 833-4620.  

I'm having an issue with an application, logging into my child's Google Classroom, or logging into Pearson Math.  I need help.  Are there any video tutorials to assist me?

• You've come to the right place.  Here are some videos to assist with logging into Google Classroom.  In fact, these videos were created by Kindergarten teachers at Holman.
  • How to Log Into Google Classroom
  • Google Classroom Login
  • How to Open Assignments and Add Work in Google Classroom
  • Pearson Login(Math)
• Click on the link below for a ton of helpful tutorials for all types of applications in Google and beyond.  This amazing chart was created by a teacher at McAuliffe Middle School.
  • Chart of Various Tutorials

  Staying connected with Switlik

• Parentlink
  • Our primary method of communicating information to you.  Messages are broadcast through telephone messages.  If you receive a phone from the school/district, and decide to pick up, please make sure that you say, “HELLO”, to activate the message.
• Portal
  • This is the way to access your child’s grades and report cards.
• E-Backpack
  • This is one of the main ways that the school communicates our parent-teacher organization events and sign-ups for various activities, fundraisers, and purchases during the school year.
• District website, School website, teacher class pages
  • Make sure to view these weekly to stay updated with school functions.

  Switlik PTN

 Please mark your calendars for our next PTN meeting which will be held in person/virtually at 7:00PM on March 16^th  in the Switlik APR and on Zoom.. 

PTN Events:

Please click on this link for important PTN Events:  https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:bc660872-b31a-3f39-b2c1-70697b2c80c2

2021/2022 Yearbook – Yearbooks are on sale NOW!  You can purchase your student’s book in the online store.  Price is $20 per book/all students, so order your book TODAY!  Please check our YEARBOOK tab on the Switlik PTN website for online ordering information.

There will be a shortened day of school on Thursday, April 14th, as we begin our Spring Break.  School will be closed April 15th - April 22nd.  Students will return to school on Monday, April 25th.  Enjoy the break with family and friends!

Stay safe, stay well!

Sincerely,

Kathleen McKiernan

Principal