The Crossing
Brooks Crossing & Deans School Newsletter - 3/1/19
Message from Principal Famous
We have now turned the calendar to March and warmer weather is sure to be just around the corner! Please take note of the various district and school events coming up this month. We kicked off the new month today - Friday, March 1st, with "Hat Day" and a variety of assembly programs at both schools to celebrate Read Across America. Special thanks to our librarians (Mrs. Tom at BC and Mrs. Kish at DE) for planning some great reading celebations and coordinating a visit from The Cat in the Hat in both schools. Speaking of celebrating reading, please note the "Help Wanted" request from our PTO. We are in need of volunteers to assist with this year's Scholastic Book Fair. Please click on the link below and sign up today. Thank you!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4cabac28a1fb6-book
Parent-Teacher Conferences
As you hopefully know by now, Genesis is open for the scheduling of spring parent-teacher conferences. Conferences will take place on March 19th and March 26th (both days will be early release days for students). Some parents may not require a conference due to the extensive communication that occurs between home and school throughout the year. While we do not want to discourage you from having a conference on one of these days, please do not feel compelled to schedule a formal conference if you have met or spoken with your child's teacher recently and believe you are are up to date on school progress. If a formal conference is needed, Genesis is now open until Friday, March 15th, to schedule your conference. Should you have any difficulty with scheduling, please reach out to your child's teacher directly. Please note that Genesis is only designed to secure conference time slots with the classroom teacher. Should you feel the need to meet with any of the school Specialists, please email the Specialist directly to arrange a meeting prior to or after your classroom conference.
NJSLA (formerly PARCC) Grade 3 Parent Information NIght
Each year the District holds an information night for parents of students who will be taking the standardized test for the first time. Please click here for information regarding the Grade 3 Parent Information Night for NJSLA testing taking place on Wednesday, March 13th from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Brooks Crossing Elementary School.
Thank You & Welcome!
As I begin my final month as Principal at Brooks Crossing I want to again thank you all for the wonderful support you have provided to me over the last four years. The staff and families of BC/Deans have made my time here truly memorable. I will be here through the last day of the month and I will have an opportunity to spend some transition time with an old friend and colleague, Mr. Joseph Anzek, who will serve as interim principal from April 1-June 30. I could not be happier for the entire school community that Joe Anzek was available and willing to serve. I had the great fortune of having Joe as an administrative colleague for nearly 20 years and I know he will be extremely helpful in ensuring a smooth end of school year for all involved.
Important Dates and Events - March 2019
To stay informed and not miss an opportunity you or your child may be interested in, please also read the District Friday Folder weekly for many items that are not included in our BC/DE weekly online Friday Folder and this monthly newsletter.
Fri. Mar. 1 - Hats Off to Reading School Spirit Day. Wear your favorite hat to celebrate Read Across America and show your school spirit!
Mon. Mar. 4 - Board of Education Meeting, Crossroads North, 7:00pm
Tues. Mar. 5 - Book Fair for Deans students.
- SB Parent Academy Workshop entitled District Focus: Department of Special Services - Different Avenues on the Road to Our Students' Success. Crossroads North Middle School, 7pm-8:30pm. Please click here for additional information and to register.
Thurs. Mar. 7 and Friday Mar. 8 - Book Fair for BC Main Campus students.
Thurs. Mar. 7 - Pizza and Pajama Party, BC Main Campus, 6-8pm. Party also includes our popular storytime with BC/DE teachers and staff! Admission is Free for Pajama Party and Storytime, but you must pre-purchase Food/Drink Combo with the order form, as no food/drink will be sold the night of the event. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS AND THE FOOD/DRINK COMBO ORDER FORM.
Sun. Mar. 10 - Daylight Savings Time Begins @ 2AM. SET CLOCKS AHEAD 1 HOUR.
Wed. Mar. 13 - NJSLA (formerly PARCC) Grade 3 Parent Information Night, Brooks Crossing Main Campus, 7:00pm-8:00pm
Fri. Mar. 15 - Conference Scheduling closes today in the Genesis Parent Portal.
Mon. Mar. 18 - Board of Education Meeting, Crossroads North, 7:00pm
Tues. Mar. 19 - NOW AN EARLY RELEASE DAY. (DE dismisses 12:45/BC dismisses 12:50) Parent/Teacher Conferences.
Tues. Mar. 26 - NOW AN EARLY RELEASE DAY. (DE dismisses 12:45/BC dismisses 12:50) Parent/Teacher Conferences.
Updates to the District Calendar for Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences
Save the dates! We will now have two Early Release Days in March, so please mark your calendars! Refer to the District notification from Superintendent Feder regarding scheduling conferences.
DE will dismiss at 12:45pm and BC will dismiss at 12:50pm on:
Tuesday, MARCH 19th now an EARLY RELEASE DAY
Tuesday, MARCH 26th now an EARLY RELEASE DAY
Message from the Brooks Crossing/Deans Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
Stay informed and read the Brooks Crossing/Deans Online Friday Folder weekly for upcoming PTO events! Go to https://bcde.sbschools.org/school_information/friday_folders.
Upcoming events for MARCH include:
- The PTO Scholastic Book Fair (March 5-8). See this BC/DE PTO BOOK FAIR flyer for details. Use the link provided in the flyer to purchase books online. Students are also bringing home the Scholastic Book Fair Shopping brochure on March 1st.
We need you! Parent volunteers are always needed so our children can enjoy another successful Book Fair! Without volunteers, the Book Fair would not be possible, so please consider volunteering some time for our book fair. See time slots available to volunteer at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4cabac28a1fb6-book. We have several dates and times to choose from and your help will be very much appreciated!
- Pajama Party and Storytime with BC/DE teachers, Thursday, March 7th. See this Pajama Party and Storytime flyer for details. Use this order form to purchase your food/drink/dessert combo tickets. Admission is free, but you must pre-purchase your food/drink tickets by March 4th, as NO food/drink tickets will be sold at this event.
South Brunswick Parent Academy (SBPA) - Upcoming Workshops
The parent academy was founded on the concept of “Solving the Puzzle of Parenting… One Piece at a Time.” In its 13th year, SBPA continues to offer parenting workshops, as well as District workshops on curriculum, instruction and safe and caring schools.
There are scheduled events for parents/staff and students during the month of March. This includes a workshop from the Student Services Department: Different Avenues on the Road to Our Students' Success, the annual Saturday Special-Social Media Symposium Event and Hidden in Plain Sight - A Drug Awareness Information Program.
For the March 5th workshop, Please click here for additional information and to register.
For more information on the workshops, see Upcoming Parent Learning Events.
Please register by using the Parent Academy Registration Form to register online for workshops.
All workshops are held at Crossroads North Middle School, unless otherwise indicated.
Online Attendance Reporting
Did you know that as of February 25th, you can now report your child's absence through the Genesis Parent Portal? Click here for Online Attendance Directions.
If reporting your child's absence due to illness, please follow procedures found below in the Important Message from the Health Center, before sending your child back to school.
Important Message from the Health Center
Now that flu and cold season is here, it is more important than ever to follow practical guidelines before sending a child to school. We understand the inconvenience keeping home a sick child may cause with busy work schedules and family responsibilities, but following these guidelines will help prevent the spread of germs, that may cause students and staff more lost days due to illness, or children relapsing.
Anytime throughout the school year that children exhibit signs or symptoms of illness such as; unusually tired, pale, lack of appetite, nausea or stomachache, they should be monitored before sending to school. This may include contacting your medical provider for advice.
Please keep your child home and call the main office to report your child's absence if your child is experiencing any of the following conditions:
- Fever of 100.4°F or higher. Students must be fever free for 24 hours, without the use of fever reducing medications, before returning to school.
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea in the last 24 hours.
- Thick mucus or crusty drainage from the eye or pink coloring on the whites of the eye. A medical evaluation may be necessary to rule out "pink-eye".
- Has been exposed to a contagious disease and is exhibiting noticeable symptoms.
- Tested positive for strep throat, but has not been on antibiotics for at least 24 hours.
- All students diagnosed with head lice should be seen by the school nurse before returning to the classroom. Call the health center for details.
Dress Daily Prepared for Outside Recess
K-2 Report Cards - Accessing Genesis Parent Portal
Did you access and review the report card with your child? First semester report cards for Grades K-2 were available in the Genesis Parent Portal on February 20th.
To access your child's report card, go to: https://parents.sbschools.org/
Once in the Genesis Parent Portal choose “Grading,” then “Available Report Cards” to see the most current report card. It is from this screen that you may choose to print a PDF of your child’s report card for your records.
If your child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), you will also be able to access his/her Progress Report through the Genesis Parent Portal Summary Screen.
Questions related to your child’s report card should be directed to your child’s teacher. Questions about access to the Genesis System should be directed to the Genesis Help Desk at: http://tinyurl.com/genesishelpdesk
BC/DE School Yearbook Ordering
Don't miss out! Order your 2018-2019 School Yearbook today and enjoy memories of our school year! Please see this School Yearbook Ordering Information and Instructions for Ordering Online. You can order a yearbook with or without personalizing pages. You even have the option to upload more photos of your child, so you can include even more memories of their '18-'19 school year! Online orders only and all orders are due by May 7th.