VES Summer Bluebird
August/September 2017
The First Day of School Will Be Thursday, September 7th!
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. Janice Huang and Mrs. Ashley Friedman, 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 opening day, our staff and PTA volunteers will help guide students to classrooms in the morning and to buses during dismissal. Color coded maps at each entrance and balloons will help students navigate the building. Please join us for the open house on August 30th for a 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. Jaime Maccarone, Assistant Principal
Start Your Year Off By Following Us on Twitter!
Student Placement Information
Today, August 25th after 5 PM, class lists and welcome letters with supply information will be available on Parent Resources. Please note that you will only be able to access this information once all required forms are completed. 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 18th.
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 any class.
Recess and Lunch Changes
As you plan for your child's return to school, you may decide to send hand sanitizer or wipes to school with your child.
Chartwells Food Services - Back to School Letters
Please click here for two important letters from Chartwells. This information will help you plan for the school year and learn about our school lunch program and offerings.
VES Referendum Updates
Our band room is well on its way! While it is nearing completion, as a result of weather delays, it will not be completely ready for use until late September or early October. This will have no impact, however, on band lessons or other school activities. While you will see construction in progress, this work will not be disruptive to the learning environment. We can't wait for our community to see it and will keep you posted as the work progresses.
Open House - Wednesday, August 30th, 8:30-12:00
Please come and tour our building, find your classroom and get acquainted with VES. There will be scavenger hunt excursion passports available in the front and rear foyers. Bring a pencil and be sure to follow the directions to complete your passport. We hope to see you on Wednesday!
- If you haven’t updated all of your child's records and signed consents, feel free to stop into the main office and we will provide a computer for your use.
- PARKING: Please park in any of the parking lots around the school. The front, side and rear doors will be open for your entry, along with the doors at the end of the sidewalk next to the cafeteria (by the back parking lot). You may also use the lot across the street.
2017-2018 Picture Days
Monday, Oct 2, 2017, 09:00 AM
Village Elementary School, Montgomery, NJ, United States
Third Grade Back to School Night
A community and related arts open house will be held from 6:00-6:30.
Wednesday, Sep 27, 2017, 06:30 PM
Village Elementary School, Montgomery, NJ, United States
Fourth Grade Back to School Night
A community and related arts open house will be held from 6:00-6:30.
Thursday, Sep 28, 2017, 06:30 PM
Village Elementary School, Montgomery, NJ, United States
Parent Pickup and Drop Off
Before School Drop Off: If you need to drive your child to school, you must travel on Spruce Drive and use the rear entrance of the school. 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. If you stop your vehicle next to the school sidewalk, your child may exit on his or her own on that side of your vehicle. However, if your child has to walk across lanes of traffic, you must walk him or her to the sidewalk. 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. An adult must sign children in at the main office.
After School Pickup: If you need to pick your child up at the end of the school day, travel on Spruce Drive and use the rear entrance of the school. Turn left into the eastern entrance of the parking lot and park in the lot. Enter through the cafeteria doors. Parking on the roadway will no longer be permitted and doors facing roadway will not be unlocked. 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. Midday and end of day pickup requests can be disruptive to instruction and are difficult to honor as dismissal information is confirmed early in the day.
If your child is to be picked up by someone other than you, he or she 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 brand new rear exit on the western side of the lot.
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.
Snack and Allergy Reminders
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.
Guidance Offerings from Mrs. Fornal and Mrs. Schantz
Our counselors, Mrs. Fornal and Mrs. Schantz, are both excited to start the school year and are available for all of our VES learners. They provide social, emotional and academic support to any student in need, at any time. Once again, they will 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 to our community and begin to 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 guidance office. The counseling office is located in room 103.
Emergency School Closing Information
In the event of inclement weather, hazardous road
conditions, or any other emergencies requiring us to
close schools for one day, phone messages will be
used to notify families. You may also check the
following:
Message Line: 609-466-7610
District Website: www.mtsd.k12.nj.us
NJ 101.5 FM
Channel 27 (Local Access Cable)
VES Families:
In the event of an emergency school closing, the 6-
day rotation cycle will remain unchanged. For
example: If we have an emergency closing/snow day
on Day 1, the following school day will remain Day 2.
Missed days will be made up later in the school year.
Please see the district calendar for details.
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.