Bogert Bulletin
September 2022
Bogert School
Email: dkaplan@usrschoolsk8.com
Website: www.usrschoolsk8.com/bogert
Location: 391 West Saddle River Road
Phone: (201) 961-6350
Welcome Back!
On behalf of the faculty of Bogert School, let me welcome you to the 2022-2023 school year! Whether you are new to Upper Saddle River, new to Bogert School, or you are a returning family, I hope you are as excited and energized as I am for what lies ahead. Your children have been sorely missed and it's with much enthusiasm that we open the school year. This newsletter contains important information you'll need for a smooth start. Please take a few minutes to carefully read its contents. (It'll be worth it!)
School will begin on Tuesday, September 6th. Please see the following information about drop-off:
- Students can be dropped off as early as 7:30, but not prior.
- Parents are most welcomed to take their annual first-day-of-school photos in front of the school, but students will enter the building without their parents.
- Students will line up behind Bogert, where staff will be stationed to guide them to their class's line-up spot.
- At 7:55 the bell will ring and the teachers will pick up their students from the blacktop and take them to the classroom.
- There will be plenty of staff in, and around, Bogert, so children will have all the support they need.
The first day of school is a minimum day, meaning dismissal is at 12:20. The rest of the week consists of a regular 2:30 dismissal time. Be sure to leave extra time for pick-up and drop-off during the first week (or so) of school. As families begin to figure out routines, I assure you traffic will lessen.
As parents, it is your responsibility to keep up-to-date with school happenings, however it is my hope that we can make things a bit easier for you. There are several easy ways to keep electronically informed and in touch with the school. All staff members have email accounts and each Bogert teacher maintains a classroom website on which you can find useful information. School notices are emailed home to parents, and each month a newsletter and calendar will be posted on the school’s website. As the school year unfolds, please check Bogert’s web pages to access valuable information about your child’s classroom, curriculum, and other types of important information you might need.
The 2022-2023 Bogert Family Handbook will be sent home on the first day of school via backpacks. This is an important resource for all families as it outlines a variety of procedures, policies, and other important information for students and parents. Please take some time to review this booklet.
Lastly, please do not hesitate to contact me at any point regarding your child’s education. It is my goal to work with you to ensure that your child receives an enriching, stimulating, and enjoyable education, and it's always my pleasure to help, no matter what the issue. Remember: it's better to reach out even if you're unsure you should, as opposed to not reaching out and wishing you had.
Have a great year!
Mr. Kaplan
Principal
Please welcome Bogert's new teachers for the 2022-2023 school year!
Pictured above: Ms. Massaro (Spanish), Ms. Garcia (4th grade), Ms. Guilfoyle (special education), Mr. D'Anna (5th grade), Mrs. Albano (5th grade), Ms. Piazza (5th grade).
Not pictured: Jason Alba (afternoon greeter), Justin Alba (morning greeter), Ms. Barrow (5th grade), Ms. Haggerty (aide), Ms. Rodas (aide), Ms. Schondorf (aide), Ms. Fennell (physical therapist), Mr. Apollo (safety & security officer).
Important Forms
You will notice on Genesis that you are going to be prompted to electronically complete various forms. These forms are essential and must be completed at your earliest convenience. Not completing the forms before the first day of school, particularly the dismissal form, will result in us calling you to follow up and could delay the pick-up of your child. Thank you for your prompt attention to these forms.
Student Attendance
It is essential that you notify the school when your child will be absent. We expect children every day and it is concerning when we can't account for their presence - just because you know they're not in school, we can't possibly know that unless you tell us!
- Log on to the Genesis Parent Portal (https://genesisparents.usrschoolsk8.com
- Click the "Notify Attendance Office" found directly under the "THIS WEEK" attendance and assignments summary on the Summary page
- Enter an attendance note (reason) describing why the student will be absent
- Click the "Submit to Office" button to finish
If you can't access your computer or a device, you may call 201-961-6376, but the primary way for notifying the school is on-line.
Consistent attendance at school, both in terms of arriving on time and being present throughout the year, is obviously an essential component of a high quality education. Repeated absences, whether excused or unexcused, deprive students from essential learning opportunities and may result in corrective actions, including retention. I encourage you to read BOE policy #5200 for complete details. Remember: schools can have the best teachers and the greatest resources available, but a child cannot benefit from them if s/he is not in school. As a reminder, instruction begins promptly at 8:05 every day.
Bogert Student Code of Conduct
Bogert School is very proud of its character education program. Our robust and varied approach to proactively and reactively teach students about respect, tolerance, manners, and appreciation of differences. We work with parents as our partners to help students navigate the ups and downs of growing up in a socially complex world.
The goal of the Bogert School Student Code of Conduct is to establish standards of conduct that will: promote a safe and welcoming school environment, allow students to do their best learning, and foster positive relationships between all members of the school community. The social, emotional, and academic success of all students is paramount and the Code of Conduct will set forth rights and responsibilities that allow all students to receive a high quality and well-rounded education in a nurturing environment.
The Upper Saddle River Schools pride themselves on valuing diversity and promoting an anti-hate environment. This includes an intolerance for racial slurs or any hurtful language motivated by race, religion or ethnicity.
In an effort to support the social, emotional, and academic growth of students, parents are expected to:
- model positive behaviors and exercise respect and civility in interactions with staff, students, and members of the community.
- work cooperatively with the school staff to ensure the well-being of all children.
- insist on their child’s punctual and regular school attendance.
- provide emotional, social, and academic support in a student’s school life.
- explain, discuss, and reinforce compliance with the School Code of Conduct.
School Supplies
Those families who ordered school supplies through the PTO likely have already received them at home and should bring those items, not the boxes, to school. If you did not order a PTO toolkit you can still find the list of supplies for each grade level on the front of the Bogert website. Students will record their homework in either a planner or Chromebook that we provide. Please review the homework with your child every evening in order to be familiar with your child’s responsibilities, and to learn more about what is happening in the classroom each day.
Visiting Bogert Before School Starts
This year, children who have not yet met their teacher can do so on September 2 from 2:00 - 2:45. Remember: this is only for students who didn't attend Move-up Day, registered over the summer, or whose teacher was not at Move-up Day in June.
Lunch
Students are expected to bring their lunch to school on a daily basis, if/when not ordering through the PTO. While we understand the occasional forgotten lunch will need to be delivered, at this age, students should know they need to pack their lunch every day, and parents should help them make that a consistent part of the morning routine. In addition, please know that we will not allow deliveries from Grub Hub, Door Dash, etc.
Home Connection: Readying your child for a new school year
The New Jersey Department of Education has developed the following set of recommended back-to-school activities for parents and children. What follows are a few helpful suggestions for beginning the school year on a positive and productive note:
- Support and encourage your child, and also emphasize the importance of high goals and sticking with those goals throughout the year.
- Discuss your expectations with your child. If there are consequences for poor academic performance and/or behavior, they should be made clear at the outset.
- Create a school schedule that includes getting enough sleep, what time to get up, catching the bus, time for homework, how long it takes to walk to school, after-school activities and sports, and eating healthy foods. Make the schedule a fun activity and display it in a prominent place.
- Make “back-to-school” a celebration with a fun dinner to emphasize that returning to school is a positive experience.
- Update the contact information on file in the Main Office so that we have the most current correct information (email, medical, cell phones, emergency contacts, etc.)
- Label things such as jackets, backpacks, notebooks, and eyeglasses.