Cliffwood School Parent Newsletter
September 2019
Principal's News
Dear Cliffwood School families,
The new school year is right around the corner! I hope that you and your child(ren) had a great summer and are as excited for this new year as I am. The staff here at Cliffwood have been working hard to get the school ready for what we know will be a great year for our learners.
As always, I urge all parents to stay actively involved in their child's education. Research shows that there is a strong link between the amount of parent involvement and students' academic achievement. One easy strategy for improving students' performance in school is increasing communication between parents and teachers/staff. Please keep ongoing communication with your child's teacher(s) regularly during the year to stay informed about your child's academic progress, social/emotional growth, upcoming class activities or school events, and more. As the year gets rolling, talk with your child's teacher about your preference for communication (phone, email, writing notes) and keep your contact info updated in the parent portal. By working together, we can all help our students achieve success!
Please take a few minutes to read the information below. Remember that the first day of school is Thursday, September 5. I look forward to seeing all of our learners bright and early that morning. LET'S HAVE A GREAT YEAR...WE'RE CLIFFWOOD PROUD! Sincerely,
Free Preschool for MARSD residents!
MARSD is pleased to announce free full-day preschool for residents of the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District, pending funding approval. For more info about the program, please click the links below. A few PreK learners will be joining us here at Cliffwood so we are excited to have these students attending at our school!
Orientation info
G&T letter (also new students not in Grade K)
School Hours
Exciting new opportunity for 3rd graders!
Letter to CL grade 3 parents re: departmentalizing English & Spanish
Welcome new staff to the Cliffwood family
Ms. Ashed (Special Education teacher)
Ms. Falciglia (Special Education teacher)
Ms. Donovan (Art/Enrichment teacher)
Ms. Wendler (Spanish teacher)
Ms. Church (Health teacher)
Ms. Cagnina (BSI teacher)
Ms. Perchuk (Special Education teacher)
Ms. Pauli (Speech therapist)
Ms. Harnett (Instructional Assistant)
Ms. Incorvaia (Instructional Assistant)
Ms. Prewitt (Instructional Assistant)
Join us for Back to School Night!
Parent Portal opens this weekend
Parking and drop off/pick up procedures
Please read the important letter linked below and follow these simple steps to make sure that all students and adults stay safe during arrival/dismissal each day. Thank you!
Arrival/dismissal and parking letter
If your child does not ride the bus from school, please use the chart below to find the correct door for dismissal. Note the earlier time for PreK learners. Teachers/staff bring the children to these locations.
School supplies lists
Please be sure to check our website for the 19-20 school supplies lists. Each grade is shown on a separate document. Here is a direct link to the lists.
New parking lot, please follow the rules
Check out the Cliffwood PTO
Make sure to follow us on Twitter!
Get to know our school counselor
Mrs. Levine is our school counselor and she does a great job with all of our learners. Her school website can be accessed by clicking here. In future newsletters, be sure to read Mrs. Levine's Counselor Corner newsletter which always has lots of great info for parents. If you have any questions or concerns for Mrs. Levine, don't hesitate to contact her for assistance. She can be reached at 732-705-5630 or email jlevine@marsd.org.
Testing dates for 19-20
Please mark your calendars for these important testing dates below:
- Link-it testing Reading & Math (grades 1-3): September 16-20 and March 2-6.
- i-Ready Reading & Math: October 2-8 (grades 1-3), January 6-10 (grades 1-3), April 1-8 (grades K-3).
- DIBELS Reading (grades K-3): September 9-13, December 9-13, June 8-12.
- CogAT (grade 2 only): March 17-19.
- NJSLA Reading & Math (grade 3 only): May 6-7 (Reading) and May 12-14 (Math).
Free/Reduced Meal applications are available
The goal of the district is to provide students with the support systems necessary to make sure that students receive adequate nourishment. Therefore, please consider completing a free/reduced meal application for the 19-20 school year. These applications must be resubmitted each school year. Click the link below to learn more and to find the downloadable applications in English and Spanish.
Click here to learn more about free/reduced meal applications and access the forms.
Does your child have an allergy?
PTO welcome breakfast
September Dates to Remember
- Orientations for K and G&T (or new non-K students) - Wednesday, 9/4.
- First day of school - Thursday, 9/5.
- PTO welcome breakfast for new families - Friday, 9/6 @ 9:45 in the cafeteria.
- District closed - 9/30 and 10/1.
- School Spirit Day (students wear your Cliffwood gear!) - Friday, 9/13.
- Back to School Night - Tuesday, 9/17 @ 7:00.
- Title 1 Family Night - 9/25 at Lloyd Road School 6:30 p.m.
Contact Me
Email: mvanhorn@marsd.org
Website: http://marsd.org/Domain/465
Location: Cliffwood Avenue Elementary School, Aberdeen Township, NJ, United States
Phone: (732) 705-5600