Lafayette School
August 17
Principal Message ~ Cheryl Russo
Greetings Lafayette Families,
The Lafayette staff has once again balanced their summer with rest and reading as they prepare to kick off another year in just two weeks. I am always amazed at the new resources and research the teachers uncover over the summer, and I look forward to your children being a part of what is new and exciting in our classrooms this school year.
Beyond the District and State curriculum your children will be diving into this year, they will also be introduced to The Big 3. The Big 3 will focus on our Kind and Calm Challenge, The Power of Yet and Rights and Responsibilities. Please mark your calendar for our Back to School Night on September 13th and our first PTO Meeting on September 28th to hear more about The Big 3.
Please take the time to review the contents of this newsletter. There is important information on school policies, procedures, and programs. The PTO also has a lot of information about beginning of the year events, programs and the many ways to volunteer during your time here.
If you have any questions about the beginning of the school year, please feel free to contact me. I can be reached at 973-457-2507 or via email at crusso@chatham-nj.org. Enjoy the rest of your summer; the hustle and bustle of the fall will soon be here.
Class Placements
Please click here to view the LAF Teaching Teams for 2017-2018.
The class placement information will be available tomorrow, Friday, August 18th through the Genesis Parent Portal around 10:00 a.m.. If you are having difficulty managing the parent portal tomorrow, please contact Sally Moreno at 973-457-2560 or smoreno@chatham-nj.org.
A Message from Beth Kneebone – PTO President
Welcome Lafayette Families,
I’m so excited to serve as your PTO President for the 2017-2018 school year. As the mother of two girls, my youngest entering 5th grade, I can tell you that the transformation that happens here at LAF is amazing! And, the PTO is so proud to be part of this experience. Our PTO is responsible for many of the activities and programs your child participates in each and every day at school— including Mini-Marathon, Field Day, Read-a-thon, Book Fair -- and so many more.
The funds we raise cover the costs of all LAF field trips, Movie Night, assemblies and many more things that enhance our school. This past year, we gifted a new sound system in the gymnasium, Backjack Chairs in our ELA Classrooms, new signage (coming soon!) and benches in the LAF Circle, an additional set of swings, ONE-TO-ONE CHROMEBOOKS IN ALL CLASSROOMS and so much more!
A majority of this is funded by our General Fund. The goal of our General Fund is to ask our parents for a one-time donation at the start of the year instead of asking for donations throughout the year. The only additional fundraising efforts that we organize throughout the year are ones that benefit and include the children such as Book Fair or Read-a-thon. Our returning General Fund Chair, Jennifer Newman and her new Co-Chair Shannon Matter, run this amazing resource. Please read their message in this newsletter with information on how to donate.
As I mentioned, we can’t do any of this without help from our parents. There are so many different ways to help— from home, in school, once a year, once a month— whatever works for you.
Please visit our online SignUp. You can pay your PTO dues online and donate to the General Fund https://squareup.com/store/lafpto.
Last, but certainly not least, we encourage you to stay connected with the LAF PTO:
PTO Website: www.chathampto.org Use the “Our Schools” drop down menu and click on “Lafayette” (website is being updated and will be online for start of school)
Facebook: “Like” us at https://www.facebook.com/LafayetteSchoolPTO
PTO Meetings: Our PTO mtgs are every other month and are posted on our website. Please save the date for our first one on 9/28 at 9:15 am in the LAF cafeteria.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at lafptopresident@gmail.com.
Thank you for your help. We appreciate it. Our teachers appreciate it. And, most of all, our children appreciate it.
See you in September!
Beth Kneebone
PTO President 2017-2018
Lafayette General Fund
Dear Lafayette School Parents,
We hope you are enjoying your summer and are slowly starting to think about getting back to school. Since we had such a high participation rate last year, most of our 5th grade parents already know about our General Fund. Our incoming 4th grade parents and anyone new to Lafayette may not know about the General Fund and all that it does for our children.
The General Fund is an opportunity for us to provide our children with the extra and exciting things the school budget doesn't cover. It replaces most of the smaller PTO fundraisers, making it easier for parents to give. Last year, our General Fund was very successful, with a 70% participation rate, and over $65,000 in donations. This money was used to buy all of the wonderful things our PTO President Beth Kneebone mentioned above.
Please help us fund more exciting items and experiences for your children by generously donating to the General Fund. We also encourage you to email your ideas for how to use the funds directly to the LAF PTO at lafgeneralfund@gmail.com.
You can donate now!
We will be collecting donations to the General Fund at Back to School Night, but you can donate right now by mailing the form below to LAF school, or by donating online at: https://squareup.com/store/lafpto.Thank you in advance for your generous support!
Please make donation check payable to “LAF PTO” and mail to: The Lafayette School, 221 Lafayette Ave. Chatham, N.J. 07928.
Student Name: _______________________________________________
Teacher: ____________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Name: ________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________
Email: ______________________________________________________
Donation Amount (check as appropriate):
____$50 ____$100 ____$200 ____$300 ____$500 ____$750 ______Other
_______Matching gift amount
The PTO of the Chathams is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization, so all donations are tax deductible and can be matched by your employer.
~~ School Information ~~
Parking, Drop Off and Pick Up Procedures
Communication
The LAF Office and PTO will communicate with you using two different methods. Each month you will receive a LAF newsletter. This newsletter will contain information from the PTO and highlight upcoming school and district events. On a weekly basis, there will be an email to remind you of the upcoming week’s dates and events that are time sensitive. We know our families are very busy so we hope these two forms of communication will keep you informed in a timely manner. Please know that our lines of communication are always open if you have any questions or concerns, never hesitate to reach out.
Applied Music Program
The Lafayette Applied Music Program includes instruction in BAND, CHORUS, and ORCHESTRA. The Applied Music period is a special time of the day, two or three times a week between 2:37 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. Your child may choose to join chorus and/or one instrumental group. Lafayette also provides an INSTRUMENTAL LESSON PROGRAM. Students playing an instrument will attend a small group lesson once a week. All of the Lafayette students will be provided an overview of the Applied Music Program during the first week of school.
Many students have already signed up for the band and orchestra program and have instruments or have sent in rental forms for their instruments. The rental instruments will be delivered by the music store before school begins. Please do not hesitate to contact any of the music staff whenever you have concerns or questions during the year. We want to work together with you to give your child many wonderful musical experiences at Lafayette School.
Lafayette Music Staff
Brian Conti (bconti@chatham-nj.org), Band Lesson Teacher
Laurie DeBiasse (ldebiasse@chatham-nj.org), 4th & 5th Grade Band Director and Band Lesson Teacher
Krystle Graser (kgraser@chatham-nj.org), 4th & 5th Grade Orchestra Director and Lesson Teacher
Dean Kravitz (dkravitz@chatham-nj.org) General Music Teacher and 4th & 5th Grade Choral Director
Concert Performances - 7:00 PM
- 4th Grade: December 21 and June 13
- 5th Grade: December 20 and June 14
School Lunch - PayForIt.net
Dear Lafayette School Parents/Guardians,
The Lafayette School requires that all lunch/cafeteria purchases are charged against a student account. All students in the School District of the Chathams have individual lunch accounts in place for them. A standard elementary school lunch is $3.25 per day and ala carte purchased items are extra. If you would like your child to use his/her account to purchase lunch or snacks in September, you can send in a check payable to the “School District of the Chathams” or you can put money on the account electronically by going to www.PayForIt.net.
- The recommended operating account balance is $50.00.
- When the account falls below $20.00 you will be notified with a low balance letter by email.
- You can also sign up for auto-replenishment on PayForIt.
If your child has a zero balance in the account he/she may still use the account to purchase a basic lunch (no snack items) and you will receive an email for the balance due. If you choose not to let your child use the account you can notify me and I can block the account so the student cannot use it for lunches or snacks. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 973-457-2555 or email me: rmcbreen@chatham-nj.org. Applications for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program can be found by clicking on the following link: http://www.chatham-nj.org/Page/8850.
Thank you for your time and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Bob McBreen; Food Service Supervisor
Open House
Come for a self guided tour around Lafayette before school begins.
Tuesday, September 5 - 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
School Hours
Our day begins at 8:45 am
We end our day at 3:15 pm
Supervision on the playground begins at 8:25 am. On rainy days, the students will line up in the gym and cafeteria.
First Day of School
On the first day of school, all 4th and 5th grade students will report to the back of the building and line up next to their teacher’s line-up sign.
In the event of rain, students should report to their classrooms on the first day of school.
School Supplies
If you ordered a School Kidz Kit this past spring it will be available to your child on the first day of school. Please use the links below to view school supply lists if you are still in need of supplies.
Back to School Night
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
7:00 p.m.
More information to follow
Theater Arts Lottery
Lafayette offers Theater Arts as a class during the regularly scheduled school day. Theater has been proven to facilitate a child’s ability to learn in visual, auditory, and kinesthetic ways. Theater students also gain confidence, build trust, and develop creativity.
The Theater class will be working in a collaborative setting, performing activities and exercises which are fun, challenging, and rewarding. Students will explore creative drama, mime, movement, and storytelling. At times, there may be some homework to assist your child in memorizing lines and/or assemble props/costumes; all other work will be done during our ten class meetings. The goal of Theater is not to burden your child with more work, but to enhance their academic experience.
We will be holding a lottery to develop the classes for Theater Arts. If you are interested in having your child placed in the lottery, please click on the link below and fill in the form by September 2nd. Once the entries have been received, we will pick 75 students from each grade level. These 75 students will be divided into three classes. You will be notified the second week of school if your child will be participating in a 2017 - 2018 Theater Arts class.
Please click here to register for the Theater Arts Lottery. You will need your child's homeroom teacher's name to register.
~~ PTO Information ~~
Volunteer for the PTO
Calling all parents — Book Fair, Mini-Marathon, Field Day, Assemblies and so many more activities are organized by the PTO. We can’t do all that we do without you! Please sign up to help us out during the 2017-2018 school year. http://signup.com/go/PUovK1
CALLING ALL ROOM PARENTS!
Are you interested in being a Room Parent? Sign Up now and you will be included in a list of parents that we will use when choosing room parents. Nothing is guaranteed as class lists have not been distributed yet. Please sign up by August 25th. Thank you!
Lafayette Art Department
After-School Enrichments for 2017/2018
Mrs. Kraemer is offering four different art enrichment opportunities after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The after school art enrichment will culminate with an art show on January 17 from 6:00 – 7:30. at Lafayette School.
If you are interesting in participating, you can use the form below to be entered into a lottery. The lottery will run between now and September 15th. All lottery forms should be sent to jkraemer@chatham-nj.org by midnight on September 15th. The outcome of the lottery will be emailed to everyone by September 19th. Click here for more information.
2017 LAF MINI MARATHON - OCTOBER 23rd
On Monday, October 23rd the LAF PTO will be holding our annual Mini Marathon! The Mini Marathon is 2.6 mile run/walk, and all 4th and 5th grade students are encouraged to participate. Practices for the event will be held on Mondays, immediately after school until 4:00 pm, beginning on September 18th. The LAF Physical Education teachers and LAF PTO volunteers run all of the practices. The rain date for the event will be Tuesday, October 24th. Information to register for the Mini Marathon will be sent out next week.
Click the link below to volunteer for the Mini Marathon on October 23rd and for the after school practices held on Mondays: https://signup.com/client/invitation/6775657374/1592038/false#!1592038/false/false
Register for the mini marathon:
Picture Day
It's time to say cheese and capture those beginning of the school year smiles! LAF Picture Day will be held on Wednesday, September 13th.
Photos will be scheduled throughout the day so please send your child to school ready for their photo. Information for ordering your photos will be sent home.
Should your child be absent on the 13th or you decide you are not happy with the photos, we will be offering a retake day on Wednesday, November 15th.
We are looking for 3 parent volunteers to assist with Picture Day. We need one volunteer for each of the following time slots: 8:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m., and 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions, please contact Shannon Matter (shannonmatter@hotmail.com) or Jamie Callahan (jls509@me.com).
Families New to Chatham
We want to welcome your family to Chatham, and we look forward to meeting you soon! Please join us on Tuesday, September 12th at 9:30 am for a Welcome Breakfast at Lafayette School. We will be available to chat with you, distribute important school and community information packets and answer any questions you may have. If you have any pressing questions before the breakfast, please feel free to contact:
Sally Simonfay – sallysimonfay@gmail.com
Sarah Treacy - sarahtreacy8@aol.com
Krista Caracciolo - mailto:kristacara@aol.com
Calling all Literary Lovers and Media Maniacs!! The Lafayette School Library Media Center Needs You!!!
The LAF Library team has a great year planned for our children. To make that happen they really need our help. Here’s what you can do:
- Volunteer for a regular library shift (2 hour shifts between 9:00am-3:00pm on either odd or even numbered days).
- Working in the library involves shelving books, checking books in/out and just helping Mrs. Cifrodella as needed. It’s a great way to find out what the kids are learning at school, see what they are reading and occasionally get a glimpse of your child too!
If you would like to volunteer please send an email to laflmcvolunteers@gmail.com with the following information:
Shift
- 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
- 1:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Day(s) of the week
An odd or even numbered day
Your child’s name and homeroom
Please consider volunteering your time to make the library a very special place for our children next year. If you have any questions, please email coordinators Helen Angelis or Rebecca Henwood at laflmcvolunteers@gmail.com Thank you!
Box Tops for Education™
Welcome back!! Once again, Lafayette will be participating in the Box Tops for Education™ program to earn additional money for our school. Last year, LAF was able to raise over $750 and we know we can do better. If every student contributed just 20 Box Tops, we could make a huge impact. Just look for pink Box Tops (or bonus certificates) on products, clip them, and send them to school. Our first collection will run until Thursday, October 26, 2017. To make the submission process more efficient, we would appreciate your help as follows:
• Check the expiration date on your Boxtops--we cannot submit anything that has expired.
• Send in any Boxtops you have collected in a sealable (Ziploc-type) bag or envelope OR
• Tape or glue Box Tops on a collection sheet (one box top per space provided on the sheet), available under Forms at the LAF PTO website.
Box Tops can be submitted to your child's teacher or to the basket in the LAF school office. For more information on the BoxTops for Education program, including a list of participating products, visit www.BTFE.com. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Suzanne David (suzanne.david25@gmail.com). Thanks for your help!