Note From The Administrators
Some thoughts for the starting school year
A Note From Mr. Masessa & Sra. Peake
October Newsletter
Dear Desmares Families,
We hope you enjoyed the start of the school year and your children are feeling more relaxed and confident with their daily routines. We want to thank you all for your patience as we adjusted to a new dismissal process. As a school community, we are committed to student safety and with the organization of Mrs. Weil and our team of teachers, along with the guidance of Officer Powell, we feel we have a solid system in place. Please communicate any issues or concerns you may have with this process to myself or Mrs. Peake. Our fourth grade students successfully completed the START STRONG assessment and the first through fourth graders completed the NWEA MAP assessment. Over the upcoming weeks, our teachers will be diving into the data produced from the NWEA to determine student strengths and weaknesses so we can better support their individual needs. NJSLA SPRING results are now available in GENESIS, so please take a look at the results.
We hope everyone enjoyed the first PTO sponsored event, Kona Ice Night! We are so grateful for the support and efforts of our PTO executive board and the many parent volunteers it took to make that a successful evening. Stay tuned for more action as we approach October 14th, Walk - A - Thon!! We look forward to seeing you attend this fun event and appreciate the support friends and families offer through this fundraising event.
Enjoy the start of to beautiful Fall weather!
Mark Masessa and Nydia Peake
Mr. Mark Masessa
Principal
Sra. Peake
Vice Principal
Toys and Personal Devices at School
As per our Parent Handbook we strongly recommend toys remain home as they may cause a distraction and unnecessary issues.
Toys at School
We ask that students keep toys and trinkets at home including stuffed animals and dolls. They may be lost or damaged and cause unnecessary distraction during the school day. Our PTO has provided all types of safe playground equipment and games for the students to play at recess, so there is no need to bring balls that may not be safe to use without appropriate helmets or padding. Students that have such items for an after-school activity must keep them in their book bag during school hours. On occasion children may be asked to bring an item in for a special classroom activity. Your child’s teacher will inform you of those special events in a classroom newsletter.
As per our district code of conduct personal devices are to remain in student backpacks during the school day. Please see below for more detailed information.
Electronic Devices
Cell Phones, Cameras, Smart Watches
We thank you for your cooperation and support as we work collaboratively to ensure that our students have the best learning environment possible.
Maschio's Food Services
For information on Maschio's Food services please click here.
For Maschio's Welcome Letter Click here
You can access our school lunch menu by clicking here.
For information on the cashless pay system click here.
You can access the PaySchool site by clicking here. If you are new to our school community you can create an account. If you need the information in Spanish please click here.
Student Breakfast= $2.00
Student Lunch = $3.50
SNACKS= Prices range from $0.50 to $2.00
Please note that snacks are not included as part of the Free & Reduced program. Any child interested in purchasing a snack must bring money in for snacks or have money available in their Pay-for-it account. We are asking students to only purchase one snack after they have eaten the majority of their main meal.
Free & Reduced Lunch Forms English Form Spanish Form
Important Events in October
- 10/5/2022 ~ Wednesday ~ No School Yom Kippur
- 10/7/2022 ~ Friday ~ School Spirit Day ~ Wear Blue or your Dolphin Year
- 10/12/2022 - Wednesday - School Picture Day!! Dress your best and smile for the camera!
- 10/18/2022 ~ Tuesday~ EARLY DISMISSAL School Day ends at 1:20 pm
- 10/31/ 2022~ ~ Halloween Parade @9:30 am
"Talk-a-Latte"
During the 2022-2023 school year, Dr. McGann will hold a Superintendent's Roundtable discussion at each school. These sessions are designed to open dialogue between my office and community members. The intent is to have an open dialogue with community members about issues that are important and on-the-mind of Flemington-Raritan residents. She is hopeful that events such as these help her build relations with parents, staff, and community members and assist her to keep a pulse on the community.
Click here to visit the roundtable page.
Heritage, History, & Awareness Education
The months of September and October honor several heritage, history, & awareness events. During the month of October the following cultures that make up our beautifully diverse community are honored: Hispanic Heritage Month, Filipino American History Month, Polish American History Month, and Italian American History Month. Please feel free to visit our Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion site to learn more about these celebrations. Please click here to visit the site.
Our Dolphins Need You!
Dear Parents/Guardians:
In order to better meet the needs of our educational community, we are forming a new site-based advisory committee for the 2022- 2023 School Year, which will offer guidance for the learning goals and direction of Desmares School.
The committee will consist of the school principal, Vice Principal, teachers from varying grade levels, and parents. The purpose of the committee will be to offer suggestions and recommendations that will improve the culture and learning environment of the school, not the individual needs of students, but the collective concerns of the school. The committee will meet three times this year, with the first meeting scheduled for October. The meetings will be held on Wednesday, one hour prior to the already scheduled PTO Meetings.
If you feel that you would like to participate in this worthwhile endeavor, please complete the form below by clicking the button. We are looking for five or six parents from varying grade levels who will come together to provide input and support.
Thank you for your time with this matter. Research has shown that when administrators, teachers, and parents work together with a shared vision for improvement, then positive changes will take place.
Sincerely,
Mark Masessa & Nydia Peake