January 26th: End of Marking Period 2

February 2nd: Grades Finalized / Parent Portal opened for Marking Period 2

February 3rd: Valentine's Day Family Bingo, sponsored by the PTA

February 9th: Byram's Got Talent Auditions, sponsored by the PTA

February 13th, 14th, 15th: First day of Art classes, sponsored by the PTA

February 15th: Board of Education Meeting

February 16th: Virtual Parent Academy: Reading Strategies @ 7pm

February 17th: Kids' Heart Challenge Jumping Day

February 20th: President's Day / School Closed: Winter Recess

February 24th: Movie Night, sponsored by the PTA

March 2nd: Dr. Seuss Night, sponsored by the PTA

March 10th: Build-A-Ram, sponsored by the PTA

Hello Byram Lakes students and families!

We have made it to the halfway point of the 2022-2023 school year. This marks the point in the year where our students are closer to the end of the year than the beginning. It's time to start thinking about expectations for next year. Are our students ready? You bet they are!

Students have been tasked with buckling down and stepping up their work habits this year. Our students, staff, and parents have worked from all angles to make the kids successful in the classroom. Our teachers have been using multiple forms of data to chart this progress, including DIBELS, iReady, and grade level student learning SMART goals and common assessments. These programs allow staff to see exactly where students are successful or need some extra assistance. Another great component of these programs is that they contain suggestions for home-based activities, so you can work on reading and/or math skills with your children at home. Feel free to reach out to me or your child's teacher for more information.

In addition to the academic side, we understand how imperative it is for our students to continue to grow socially and emotionally. Our teachers do a great job of teaching the whole child, and we are thankful that students receive the positive family support they do at home. It truly takes all of us to help our children feel supported and successful. Our job is to continue to help students make mature, kind, and respectful choices. If they can do this, they will be successful. To this end, we implement multiple programs and groups, including Second Step, Kindness Club, and SEL-infused classroom lessons. Please let me know if you'd like any resources to help support your child from a social & emotional perspective.

It's been so exciting to see this growth in the first half of the year, and I can't wait to see what the second half brings!

Pete Morris

Included in this edition of the Lakes Ledger:

A Look Back

- Celebrations Assembly

- Teaching & Learning

- BLES STEM Club Presentation

- Lunar New Year

A Look Ahead

- Kindergarten Registration

- Preschool Registration

- Virtual Parent Academy: Reading Strategies

- Kids' Heart Challenge

- Byram's Got Talent

- Archer the Therapy Dog

- Byram Summer Adventure Program

- Teacher Wishlists

- Lego Club

General Info

- Attendance

- Cold Weather

- Pickup Patrol (with added note as of February edition)

- SchoolMessenger

- Lunch

- COVID

PTA Corner

- Lego Club

- Upcoming Events - There is a lot coming up!

- Fundraiser information

Extra! Extra!

- BLES Building Calendar

- Baseball Registration

- Lacrosse Registration

- Byram Recreation Signup Information

- Classroom newsletters

A huge THANK YOU to all local families who donated to Stuff the Stocking this year. Between the 48 schools that participated, over 7,000 toys were collected. Because of your generosity, 2,245 children received gifts this holiday season! See the attached flyer for a letter of thanks from the Project Self-Sufficiency executive director.

Do you live in Byram and have a child that will be turning five on or before October 1, 2023? Then it is time to register him/her for kindergarten! Do you know someone in town that has their first child turning five on or before this date? Then please share this information with them!

The Smore link below will provide a step by step walk through of the registration process. There is a short video clip providing instructions for how to use the online portal to register a child. Should you have any questions or need any assistance with the online registration process, please contact the main office at Byram Lakes for help.

PLEASE SUBMIT KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION PAPERWORK BY MARCH 3, 2023

Click Here to Access the Kindergarten Registration Newsletter

It is almost time for Byram's Got Talent! If your child has an act that they would like to show off, this is their chance! Auditions will be on February 9th right after school.

If you are interested in signing up your child, please fill in the schedule below.

Audition Signups - Feb. 9th

Would you be willing to help your child's teacher obtain materials for their classrooms? Several of our teachers have created 'wishlists' on Amazon. Simply open the doc linked here. If you would like to help out any of the teachers who have created wishlists, open their list. Any items purchased will be sent directly to the school. Thank you!

Amazon Teacher Wishlists

Attendance is crucial to our childrens' success in school! Please take a look at our district's Attendance Policy here. In accordance with our district attendance policy, we will be notifying home as students accumulate unexcused absences. Notification processes are as follows:

4 absences/tardies: letter home about the importance of attendance generated (Truancy Officer)

8 absences/tardies:second letter home with importance of attendance, and warning of what will happen if absences/tardies increase (Truancy Officer)

12 unexcused absences/tardies: mandatory meeting to develop an Attendance Improvement Plan (RTI Coordinator)

18 absences/tardies: possible referral to truancy court (Administrator)

In order to avoid an unexcused absence, please send in a doctor's note or other documentation providing an excused reason for the absence. The regulation on absence classification can be found here. If you have doctor's notes or documentation for any school days already missed, please send those in to our main office as soon as possible.

The Byram Township School District utilizes Pick Up Patrol to ensure that all students arrive to school and return home safely. This system allows parents to input the mode by which their child(ren) will return home at the end of the school day. Options for dismissal include pick up or school bus. Parents can set a default plan to notify their child's teacher of how they will be going home each day. Should that default need to be changed on a given day, it is the parent's responsibility to log in and update the day with a "Plan Change." This will notify the teacher that the student will not be following the normal dismissal plan and can then inform the student of the plan change for that day. If you need to change your child's plan for the day, you will need to do so no later than 3:05 pm.

PLEASE NOTE (Added as of February edition): If you are picking up your child, you will need to pick them up by 3:00. If you arrive after 3:00, you will need to wait on the pickup line. This is to ensure safety of all students during dismissal time.

Please click here for an informational flyer that will explain more.

Students have been loving our school lunches provided by Maschio's Food Services! Maschio's is committed to serving healthy and delicious food options to our students on a regular basis. Unlike last year, lunch will not be offered at no cost to students. Lunch options include a main course option, a bagel bag, and a muffin bag. All lunches include components of a well-rounded nutritional meal, such as a vegetable, a milk, and a cheese stick or yogurt for the bagged options. A student lunch costs $3.50.

Using their online portal, you can check out the upcoming menus for each month. You can also preload your child's account so that they have the funds to buy lunch. See the below links for more information. If your child buys lunch, it is very helpful if they know their PIN to ensure a quick buying process and more time to eat. Your child's lunch pin is the last four digits of their Student ID number.

Maschio's Welcome Back Letter

Byram Food Services

Maschio's Menus

If your child charges lunch and you have not yet added funds, you will be receiving notices from me to fund your account.

A message from the Board Office:

The school lunches are not free anymore unless you qualify through the free and reduced application process.The income guidelines have changed so if you didn't qualify in the past you may qualify now. Please complete an application and send it in an envelope to the Byram Board of Education office.Those families that qualify for reduced lunch will get it free this year under a state subsidy.The applications can be found on the Byram School website under the students tab and food service tab.

https://www.byramschools.org/cmsAdmin/uploads/freereducedapplication.pdf

A huge THANK YOU to the Byram PTA, as they continue to work so hard to provide some excellent opportunities for our students and families. Remember, if you would like to volunteer in the classroom, please Please check out this section to see what they've got going on. See below for flyers on some exciting upcoming events! Click on the flyer images for a larger version.

Check out the PTA MemberHub here to sign up, and the Facebook page here.

The PTA is always looking for volunteers, please contact them at byrampta@gmail.com

Here’s your 2022-2023 Byram PTA Board Members:

President Marla Rodriguez

Vice President Ana Lavrador

Secretary Oriana Strohmeyer

Treasurer Lindsey McBain

By-Laws Chair Patricia Trentanelli

On February 3rd, our very own BOE President Julie and Vice President Jim will be in Valentine’s Day costume as our bingo caller. Please come join the fun and let’s spread the love by donating much needed food to the Waterloo pantry.

February 9th is auditions for Byram’s Got Talent . The show will be March 24th

Come audition!

Please sign up for Auditions here

We all need yoga in our lives. This is for our BIS students. It will be one free class on Monday February 13th. If there is an interested in yoga for all different ages please reach out to us and we can get multiple programs going. If you are interested in this class please email Danielle Conroy at DCASATALDOCONROY@GMAIL.COM or the PTA.

Space is very limited

Paint them spring themed oreos at home with your family. Fun and Delicious!

Byram PTA has teamed up with the Byram Recreation to bring you a movie night on February 24th! Family night event for all ages.

Who doesn’t love cookies and cheesecake??

Forms will go out in the beginning of February. Please remember when we raise money we make sure the money goes to do something special for all grades.

Lenape Valley Youth Lacrosse Registration Now Open!

3rd and 4th grade Boys and Girls, come join us for a fun and exciting season of lacrosse!

Your child does not need to have played before to join the team! We welcome all skill levels to join in the exciting, energetic play of lacrosse. Indoor practices start in March so register now!

The K-2nd grade boys and girls clinic lacrosse program is the perfect way to introduce your child to the game of lacrosse and registration is free! Your child only needs a lacrosse stick and a mouth guard. Clinic practices will also begin indoors in March. Register today!

Register here: https://lenapevalleylacrosse.sportngin.com