VES Back to School Bluebird
August/September 2019
The First Day of School Will Be Thursday, September 5th!
Summer Greetings
Dear Village School Families,
We hope you are enjoying the summer and looking forward to the start of school. If you are returning to VES, welcome back! If you are new to VES, welcome to our wonderful VES family and home of Blazer the Bluebird! Our team of teachers and staff cannot wait to see you and are excited about all that a new school year will bring!
The Montgomery Elementary School PTA co-presidents, Mrs. Sol Van der Heiden and Mrs. Jenna Huntley, have been working hard with their team of volunteers to plan a variety of special events and invite you to get involved. Please visit the PTA link on our website for more information.
On our first two days of school, our staff and PTA volunteers will help guide students to classrooms in the morning and the VES staff will ensure that students find their buses during dismissal. Color coded maps at each entrance and balloons will also help students navigate the building. Please join us for the open house on August 28th for a building preview!
Please review this issue of the Bluebird for important dates and links. Most importantly, take some time to review our school handbook which includes detailed information about VES as well as the VES website to stay updated and informed throughout the year!
We look forward to seeing you!
Ms. Susan Lacy, Principal
Mrs. Lia Camuto, Assistant Principal
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Placement Information
Friday, August 23rd after 5 PM, class lists and teacher welcome letters will be available on Parent Resources. Click here to find the general grade level supply lists that were shared in our May/June newsletter and MTSD eblasts. Teacher welcome letters may include a request for supplies in addition to those listed on our general grade level supply lists. Keep in mind that teacher websites may continue to be updated until school begins.
Please note that you will only be able to access class list and teacher welcome letters once all required forms are completed. Please click here to read the letter regarding required forms from Mrs. Corie Gaylord, Director of Student Academic and Counseling Services that was eblasted on August 2nd.
We have worked diligently to place your child in the best possible setting. Please know that at this time we will not be able to accommodate any requests for classroom changes. Thank you for understanding.
To View Student Placement Information:
1) Visit https://parents.mtsd.k12.nj.us
2) Enter your username, which is your email address, and your password. If you forget your password, use the "Forgot My Password" link. Your password will then be sent by email. If you are unable to log in or do not have an account, please contact Jaime Velez at jvelez@mtsd.us
3) Click on Course Pages and then select "homeroom".
Back to School with Chartwells
VES Open House
Please come and tour our building, find your classroom and get acquainted with VES. Visit the PTA table in the foyer where you'll find school gear for purchase and your child's bus tag for pick up. Bus tags are new this year and will enhance our bus identification system. Thank you parent volunteers for your support with this effort! Scavenger hunt excursion passports will also be available in the front and rear foyers as well. Bring a pencil and be sure to follow the directions to complete your passport. We hope to see you on Wednesday the 28th!
- PARKING: Please park in any of the parking lots around the school (front, side and rear). The front and side doors will be open for entry as will the rear double doors at the end of the sidewalk/railing next to the cafeteria. You may also use the lot across the street.
- Remember to visit the PTA table to pick up your child's bus tag for the new school year.
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2019, 08:30 AM
Village Elementary School, Main Boulevard, Skillman, NJ, USA
Third Grade Back to School Night
A community and related arts open house will be held from 6:00-6:30.
Wednesday, Sep 18, 2019, 06:30 PM
100 Main Boulevard, Skillman, NJ, USA
Fourth Grade Back to School Night
A community and related arts open house will be held from 6:00-6:30.
Thursday, Sep 19, 2019, 06:30 PM
100 Main Boulevard, Skillman, NJ, USA
Picture Days
Thursday, Sep 26, 2019, 09:00 AM
100 Main Boulevard, Skillman, NJ, USA
Parent Pick Up and Drop Off
Before School Drop Off: If you need to drive your child to school, please use the driveway on the right side of the school to travel to the rear entrance. This entrance will be open from 9:20 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Please do not drop your child off early as the doors will be locked until 9:20, and there is no supervision. Upon arriving at the rear of the school please follow the guidelines below.
Travel as far forward as possible along the sidewalk on your left.
Have your child ready to exit the car when you reach the sidewalk.
Stop your vehicle next to the school sidewalk.
Your child may exit on his or her own on the driver’s side of the car, along any part of the sidewalk. Children are not permitted to exit from the passenger side without assistance from an adult.
Two doors will be open and supervised for your child’s convenience and to assist with the flow of traffic.
Please remain in the line of cars in front of you and wait for traffic to move. Do not dart around any cars to avoid colliding with those exiting at the front of the line. Should you need to pass another car to exit, please do so with extreme caution!
DO NOT park in the Fire Lane for any reason.
Please do not drop students off in the front of Village School at any time, except for before school programs. After 9:30 a.m., park in our front visitors’ lot and walk your child into the building. An adult must sign children in.
Late or Midday Drop off/Pickup: If you need to drop off or pickup your child between the hours of 9:30 and 3:30, please park in our visitors parking lot in the front of VES and use the main front entrance. Parking is not permitted in the front driveway as it is a bus driveway only. After 9:30 a.m., children must be signed in by an adult. You must submit a request in writing in advance if a late arrival or early pick up is planned. (BOE Policy 5230) Please sign your child in or out at the main office.
After School Pickup: If you need to pick your child up at the end of the school day, please use the driveway on the right side of the school to travel to the rear entrance of the school. Turn left into the first entrance of the large parking lot. Park in the designated spaces and enter through the cafeteria doors. Students will be dismissed to the cafeteria for parent pick-up at 3:45 p.m. as instruction takes place up until this time. All parents must enter through the rear cafeteria doors and parents must sign children out in the cafeteria. Please send a note to your child’s teacher in the morning if you plan on picking up your child in the afternoon or if your child is attending an after school activity. Without a note, children will be sent to their buses.
If your child is to be picked up by someone other than you, they must be identified by name in your note to the teacher. Teachers will send their students to parent pickup with their parent pick up note. The person picking up your child will be asked to produce identification (valid driver’s license) when they come to pick your child up.
All parents/designees should be prepared to produce identification at any given time, upon request, and they must sign children out before leaving the school building.
Upon exiting the parking lot, please exit using the rear exit on the far side of the lot.
Change in Student Dismissal Plans
Changes in regular dismissal, after school activities, and parent pick up require a dated note from the parent or guardian to the classroom teacher at the beginning of the day.
Midday and end of day dismissal changes and pickup requests can be disruptive to instruction as dismissal information is confirmed early in the day.
If you need to make a change in your child’s dismissal plan during the day, please call the main office at 609-466-7606 before 3:00 pm. Communicating changes to the main office instead of the classroom teacher helps to ensure an organized and safe dismissal. Additionally, please contact your after school child care organization.
Any changes in dismissal plans received after 3:00 pm cannot be honored.
Additional Important Information
If signing out a child after 3:00 pm you must park in the front visitor parking lot. Do not park in the fire lanes as buses arrive during this time to prepare for dismissal.
The main entrance will be inaccessible for parent pick-up between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m.
Please review our school handbook for additional details regarding our procedures. Your assistance in following these guidelines will help us and help you, keep all children and visitors safe. Thank you for your cooperation!
A Note From the Health Office
If your child requires medication at school either administered daily or as needed for an emergency (this includes Epi Pens), please make sure that all medication is brought into the Health Office before the first day of school and that all required medical forms are completed for administration of the medication. The forms are found on the VES website under Health forms and include: the Allergy Action Plan, Asthma Treatment Plans and Medication Administration form.
If your child is new to the school district, please provide the Health Office with a current physical exam completed by his or her physician and a copy of your child's immunization record before the first day of school. Please have the physician complete the Child Health Form also found on the VES website under forms. If you have any question, please do not hesitate to call the Health Office.
Snacks and Food Allergies
All classroom celebrations will include methods that do not involve food.
For more information, please click here for the Guidelines for the Management of Life Threatening Health Conditions in School.
School Counselor Offerings
Our counselors, Mrs. Fornal and Mrs. Schantz, are both excited to start the school year. They provide social, emotional and academic support to any VES student in need. Throughout the school year, they offer individual and small group counseling to students who would benefit from additional support. To begin the year, they will be hosting groups to support our newcomers so they can acclimate and develop friendships within our learning community.
Feel free to reach out to them with any questions. Mrs. Schantz will be the third grade counselor and can be reached at jschantz@mtsd.us. Mrs. Fornal will be the fourth grade counselor and can be reached at lfornal@mtsd.us. You may also call 609-466-7606 and press 5 for the counseling office. If you have any questions or concerns that require an immediate attention, please contact the main office. Our counselors will be available for assistance once school resumes in September.
YMCA After School Program at VES
The YMCA of Princeton provides childcare before and after school for children who attend VES. The YMCA tailors its hours to accommodate working families, and offers children diverse and enriching activities in a safe and nurturing environment.
Registration packets will be available in the main office. For more information, you may visit our website at:
www.princetonymca.org or call the YMCA After School Program Office at: 609-497-9622. Please clearly state your name, your child’s name, and a phone number where we can return your phone call.