- Holman Elementary School
- Principal's Page
September Principal's Message 2020
Dear Holman Families,
Welcome Back to Holman Elementary School for the 2020-2021 school year! We had a very successful first week with both our remote students and hybrid students.
Thank you to all of our teachers and staff for their dedication in preparing their classrooms and planning engaging instructional lessons. Thank you to the secretaries who have answered the concerns of parents, organized incoming materials, and prepared items for the first day of school. A big thank you to all of our custodial staff for cleaning and preparing the building to make it look fabulous for the return of our staff and students.
Whether you are working remotely at home or in-person, as always, it is an honor to be the proud Principal of the Holman Elementary School. We will do whatever it takes to ensure our students’, staff members’ and communities’ health and safety during this upcoming school year. If you have any questions or if we can help ease any anxiety that you may be feeling about the return to school, please feel free to call us at (732) 833-4620 .
******VERY IMPORTANT - Daily Health Screening for Students:
- Please read the questions carefully!
- The first question is asking if your child has been FEVER-FREE for 24 hours without the help of fever-reducing medication. So the answer to this question, if your child is healthy, is “YES”.
- If you answer incorrectly, when your child gets sent to the nurse and we call you, we can reset the form for you to answer it correctly.
Regular School Hours, Arrival, and Dismissal:
Please note that school hours are Grades K-5 - 8:45 am – 1:15 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.
There will be three choices for end of the day student dismissal. Students may take the bus, be picked up at the walker dismissal site, or be picked up in the car line. Parents choosing the car line dismissal must fill out paperwork and pick up their child(ren) everyday on the car line.
Parents who ignore this new procedure and try to pick up their child(ren) in the main lobby at the end of the day on a consistent basis will kindly be asked to choose an alternative dismissal option.
Thank you in advance for your support in our efforts to improve the safety and well being of our students and staff members.
DROP-OFF/ARRIVAL:
- Only students in Child Care will be admitted prior to 8:35 AM
- Between 8:35 AM and 8:45 AM – Outside, at the side entrance of the school.
- Please follow the “traffic flow” as designated by the 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 pattern; please do not move ahead or cut across the line
- Please note: Side entrance closes at 8:45 AM.
- Tardy students (arriving after 8:45 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 8:45AM daily….please DO NOT drop your child off at the side entrance after 8:45 AM)
- Late students must be escorted by an adult and signed in via the front entrance.
PICK-UP/DISMISSAL:
- Prior to 12:30 PM; For early pick-up ONLY with a note. In addition to the note, it is best to call ahead and also let us know that you are coming to the school. (must come by 12:30pm in the main reception area to ensure safety at dismissal)
- Parents/Guardians need to come inside and sign the child out with the receptionist. Others need a written note, the GREEN Change in Dismissal form or must be on the EMERGENCY CARD to sign the child out with the receptionist. Proper identification and a face mask is always necessary.
- P.M. Carline Students are dismissed between 1:10 P.M. and 1:25 P.M.
- Parents/Guardians do not need to leave their cars for carline pickup
- 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
- Be mindful of traffic patterns and traffic flow; do not pull out of the line or cut the line; this will ensure the safety for all of our learners.
- If you are interested in picking your child up from the P.M. CARLINE (only), please remember to complete the “Carline Dismissal Form”. If you choose the PM Carline option, students must be picked up on the carline for the entire school year.
WALKERS:
Students walking to school will enter the school in the morning and exit at dismissal using the rear gymnasium doors in the back of the building. Duty Teachers will be posted to assist and monitor students at 8:35AM and 1:10PM. Walkers will be dismissed from the rear gymnasium doors at the end of the day.
DAILY/REGULAR DISMISSAL PROCEDURES CHANGE:
- Parents/Guardians MUST use the " GREEN Change in Dismissal Form" – Which are distributed the first day of school and have detailed instructions on the back of the form. NOTE: Additional forms are available in Holman's E-Backpack. REMINDER: STUDENTS "WILL NOT" be dismissed to any adult that is NOT listed on their EMERGENCY FORM.
Food Services:
In September, the children will eat their lunch in designated eating areas with social distancing and a maximum of 25 students in one gathering area. Before and after each lunch period, school staff will clean surfaces so that hygiene is maintained. Students are strongly encouraged to bring a bag lunch. School meals may also be purchased and will be served in covered disposable containers.
Jackson School District Food Services Department operates a computerized point of sale system (POS) in all cafeterias. Students can purchase their breakfast and/or lunch by debiting their account. The convenience and security of placing funds in your child’s account helps to eliminate the worry about forgotten or lost money. Deposits will begin on the first day of school.
- IMPORTANT: Pursuant to new USDA Guidelines, Effective August 31, 2020, ALL Jackson School District students are now eligible for FREE breakfast and lunch through December 31, 2020. If you wish not to participate, please instruct your child(ren) not to take the meals. This includes in-school meals as well as remote meals.
- What does that mean for you?
- If you want your child to bring in their own meal to eat during their scheduled lunch you may do so. If you would like your child to choose the hot/cold lunch option they simply have to ask for it during homeroom. These orders will be filled by the food services staff and bagged/container lunches will be distributed to students during their lunch period. Students do not have to swipe into their account because meals are free of charge.
- ALL students will also have the option of taking home a FREE BAG OF REMOTE BREAKFAST/LUNCH MEALS. At the end of the day, several areas will have tables set up for students as they exit the building. The tables will have bags that contain the following day’s breakfast and lunch as well as the breakfast for their next day in school (We ask that they eat this breakfast before coming to school the next day.) Again, these meals are FREE of charge for ALL students so they do not have to swipe their card. If they would like, a student may take only one bag as they are escorted during dismissal by a staff member. If they do not want this bagged series of meals, they will simply exit the building as normal without stopping by the tables.
Technology
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.
- Parent Portal:
- If you have an issue with your portal login, please email portalsupport@jacksonsd.org
- 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 fill out a Parent/Student Technology Assistance Request Form
- If your Chromebook is broken or damaged, please contact the main office @ (732) 833-4620. For all other issues regarding passwords and logins, please use the request form above...please do not contact the main office.
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 our own 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.
Staying connected with Holman
- 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.
Back to School Night:
Grades K-2: Thursday - September 17th at 7:00 PM Virtual
Grades 3-5: Tuesday - September 22nd at 7:00 PM Virtual
HOPE (Holman’s Organization of Parent and Educators)
Please mark your calendars for our first HOPE meeting which will be held virtually at 7:00PM on September 23..
Topic: HOPE September General Meeting
Time: Sep 23, 2020 07:00 - 7:40 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
The meeting website, ID and Passcode will be forthcoming.
Schools closed:
As a reminder, school WILL NOT be in session on Monday, September 28th.
Additional Date(s) to Remember in September:
Wednesday, September 16th: Board of Education Meeting: 6:30 pm (Please check the district website to determine if the meeting will be held at a given location or virtually.)
I look forward to an outstanding school year.
Sincerely,
Rich Karas
Principal, Holman Elementary