Mr. McShaffrey and I are so excited to welcome back our families for the 2023-2024 school year. Please read through this Newsletter as it will address many of the questions you may have. If you have any other questions please feel free to reach out to me at acimino@btboe.org. We will present additional information at Back to School Night on Wednesday September 20. Please see the information below for times for that event.

We will be sending out important information via Remind in our H & M Potter group. Please join by texting @hmpparents to the number 81010.

Please remember that students in grades K-4 have Gym once per week and should be wearing sneakers and proper attire to participate in the activities. Students in preschool have Gross Motor activities daily so proper footwear and attire should be worn.

We again thank you for your cooperation, and wish everyone a wonderful school year.

Andrea Cimino, Principal

Hi Potter family! I am Jessica Roth. I will be the new Behavioral Disabilities teacher at Potter school. I am beyond thrilled to be back at Potter school. I have been teaching special education in a charter school for the past 3 years. Before that I was a long term substitute in many different positions in Berkeley Township School District. I have a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education and History from Stockton University. I also have a certification of Teacher of Students with Disabilities.

I have two children who went through Potter. One is now in 7th grade at Central and the other is at BTES. As a family we love to kayak, go to the beach, and go fishing/crabbing.

I am looking forward to a great school year and getting to know everyone! Go Potter Panthers!

Arrival:

Due to parking restrictions we will no longer be able to allow student drop off in the front parking lot during arrival. All cars will be redirected to Deal Ave. This is the best way to ensure a safe arrival for all of our students. For those of you who are not new to the school, the procedures outlined below are the same procedures that were in place last school year. Drop off cannot take place before 9:10am as there will be no staff members available to supervise the children prior to that time.

Students in grades K-4:

We strive to have a steady flow of traffic during arrival. Please remain in your vehicle and pull up to the unloading zone (near Door 8). Students should be seated on the passenger side of the vehicle for quick exit.

Students in Preschool:

Please pull up past the unloading zone for K-4. Park on the right side of the street and escort your child to Door 5 where they will be met by their classroom aide. Please be patient, and do not park on the left side of the street.

If you receive a bus but plan on driving your child to the school each day, please make sure that you complete the transportation waiver and opt out of busing.

Dismissal:

When picking up your child from Deal Avenue at dismissal please stay to the right, pull as far forward as possible in the loading zone, and remain in your vehicle. Your child will be escorted out by a staff member. During the first week of school you will receive a placard to display in your car window with your child's name. Please make sure that whoever will be picking your child up has a placard to expedite the dismissal process. Please remain in your vehicle and refrain from parking in the back parking lot or on the left side of the street.

If your child needs assistance buckling or getting into a car seat we ask that you pull forward past the loading zone and park on the right side of the street temporarily.

Please note that even parents only picking students up occasionally at dismissal time must use Deal Ave. Please call the Main Office or notify the teacher prior to 2:30 on the day of pick up so that your child will be directed to the Walker Door where you will follow the procedures outlined above.

School breakfast and lunch will be available for purchase this year. Breakfast will be $2.00 and lunch will be $3.30. Please fill out the Free and Reduced Lunch form on the Parent Portal to determine if you qualify. The school lunch menu can be found monthly here, please remember that due to supply issues the menu may need to change occasionally.

If your child does not plan to purchase lunch, please send a packed lunch daily along with a classroom snack.

We are asking that parents provide headphones or earbuds for each child in grades K-4. Please provide whatever your child is comfortable with. They must be wired (not wireless) and include a microphone. Any headphones that meet that criteria will be acceptable, we have included some links below for examples.

Back to school night will be held on Tuesday September 20, 2022. Please remember that Back to School Night is intended for parents, and not designed for children to attend. Please click the photo for the full schedule.

We are so fortunate to have an amazing PTA here at H & M Potter! Please visit their website by clicking here. On the site you will find important information, and be able to become a member.

Our first PTA Meeting will be held in the APR on September 27, 2023 at 7pm, all are welcome!

To reach the PTA please follow their Facebook page by searching H & M Potter PTA, or email them at hmppta@gmail.com.

We are thrilled to once again be participating in the Recycle Rally Program! This program allows us to compete against other schools in the country to see how much our school can help the planet through recycling! We are able to collect your home recycling, and trade it for points to earn rewards for our school. Although the contest has changed and we are not competing for a monetary prize, we are able to compete for other incentives and rewards. Please see the graphic below to see what we are able to collect. Bagged recyclables that meet the criteria below can be dropped off at the front of our school in the fenced in bin. Thank you in advance for your support!

Please join us on September 4 from 4-6pm to "Chalk the Walk" with positive back to school messages for our students! Chalk will be provided, or you can bring your own.

On Friday September 29 from 6-7pm the H & M Potter School will once again be participating in the Global Cardboard Challenge! Inspired by the short film, ‘Caine’s Arcade’, the Global Cardboard Challenge is an annual event presented by the Imagination Foundation to celebrate child creativity and the role communities can play in fostering it. Kids of all ages are invited to build anything they can dream up using cardboard, recycled materials and imagination. Families will work together to build a cardboard creation to put on display!

We will be sending out a flyer in mid-September for those who are interested in signing up to attend. In the meantime, we will be taking donations of cardboard starting September 11- September 29. Please bring any donations to the Main Office. We could especially use any larger pieces of cardboard that you may have available. Thank you!

September 4: Chalk the Walk, See Information Above

September 5: First Day of School!

September 8: Spirit Day, Go Gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness

September 11: Spirit Day, Wear Red, White and Blue for Patriot's Day

September 19: PTA Dine to Donate at Miss Mindy's, 4-9pm Mention Potter School!

September 20: Back to School Night (Times Vary, See Schedule Above)

September 25-29: Book Fair, Students Will Attend During Library Special

September 26: Board of Education Meeting, 7pm at BTES

September 27: Family Night at the Book Fair, 5:30-7pm Library

September 27: PTA Meeting, 7pm in the APR

September 29: Spirit Day, Wear Potter Spirit Wear

September 29: Global Cardboard Challenge, 6-7pm APR

Andrea Cimino, Principal

Keith McShaffrey, Assistant Principal

Email: acimino@btboe.org
Website: www.btboe.org
Location: 60 Veeder Lane Bayville, NJ 08721
Phone: (732) 269-5700
Twitter: @berkeleypotter