Dr. Koop's Newsletter
October 20, 2023
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Sincerely,
Dr. Kathy Koop
Important Dates
October 31, 2023 - KRS Halloween Parade 1:15 PM
November 7, 2023 - Election Day Check your voter registration here.
November 6 - 8, 2023 - Parent/Teacher Conferences 12:45 PM Dismissal Days
November 9 and 10, 2023 - Schools Closed - NJEA Convention
November 16, 2023 - PTO Meeting - KRS Multi-Purpose Room 6:00 PM
November 22, 2023 - Thanksgiving Recess - Early Dismissal 12:45 PM
November 22 & 23, 2023 - Thanksgiving Recess - Schools Closed
December 14, 2023 - 1:30 PM Winter Concert - For Families of Band, Orchestra, and Chorus Students
December 19, 2023 - KRS Sing-A-Longs. (K-2 9:30) (3-5 10:15) KRS Multi-Purpose Room
December 22, 2023 - Winter Recess - Early Dismissal 12:45 PM
December 25 - 29, 2023 - Winter Recess - Schools Closed
January 1, 2024 - New Year's Day - Schools Closed
PTO Paw Print
Please see this link for the latest edition of the PTO Paw Print.
2024-2025 School Calendar - Approved by the Board of Education on October 17, 2023
Please see this link for the Madison Public Schools 2024-2025 calendar.
PTO Meeting - Save the date! - 11/16/23 6 PM KRS Multi-Purpose Room - Learn More about the Referendum
Please attend the PTO meeting on November 16, 2023 at 6 PM in the KRS multi-purpose room. A featured guest speaker will present information about the referendum. PTO meetings are always full of a tremendous amount of information, dialogue, and fun!
The Madison Fire Department Presented to K-5 students on Tuesday.
The Madison Police Department Presented to the K-5 Students on Thursday.
ESL Back-to-School Night
Thank you to ESL teacher Miss Bihuniak for working with the other district ESL teachers to plan and facilitate a wonderful evening for the ESL families!
Halloween Information
Our Halloween parade will begin promptly at 1:15 PM on October 31, 2023.
Please see this link for Dr. Koop's Halloween letter.
- Class parties for students only will follow the parade.
- Class pictures will occur behind the school immediately after the conclusion of the parade.
- Children may bring their costumes to school and change after lunch or students may wear their costumes to school.
Halloween costumes should be school appropriate:
Masks are allowed as long as vision is clear.
Costumes should allow for easy walking.
Costumes should not represent violence. (no blood or weapons)
Please no scary clown costumes.
We love when adults wear costumes, but please no masks.
Welcome KRS/TJS Media Specialist Mr. Locke!
Our new media specialist Mr. Locke begins in Madison on Monday, October 23, 2023. His email address is lockea@madisonnjps.org.
Mr. Alex Locke is excited to join the Madison community as a media specialist at KRS and TJS. Previously, he has worked as a school library media specialist and public librarian. Mr. Locke enjoys teaching fun, creative library lessons and fostering in his students a love for reading and research.
Mr. Locke graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in photography and earned a Masters of Library and Information Science from Rutgers University. When not teaching, Mr. Locke enjoys reading, taking photos, and spending time with his wife Michele and five year old daughter Arden and two year old daughter Emery.
Welcome Mr. Locke! Thank you to Mrs. Varga for substituting! We appreciate her commitment and hard work!
READ, READ, READ!
Please make sure that your child is reading or is exposed to reading every day! Children reading and being read to are critical pieces in the development of lifelong readers. While a bit dated, this article How to Raise a Reader! is an excellent article that was featured in the New York Times. Please contact your child's teacher if you need assistance in selecting appropriate books for your child. Our new media specialist Mr. Locke, will also be available to assist beginning the week of October 23, 2023.
Math Program and Math Fact Fluency
At the elementary level, we utilize the Math in Focus program for mathematics instruction. Information about the Math in Focus program can be found on the Madison Public Schools website at this link. The math curriculum as well as other elementary curricula can be accessed within individual grade level documents at this link.
Math fluency (math facts knowledge) is a critical piece of mathematics instruction for student learning. Within the Math and Focus information on the Madison website, are resources to assist your children with math fluency. Improving math fluency at school and at home, will provide your child with a strong fluency baseline to build upon as their math learning becomes more complex throughout the years.
Principal Professional Development
TJS Principal Garcia and KRS Principal Koop attended the NJPSA/FEA/NJASCD Fall Conference Convention on October 12 and 13 in Atlantic City, NJ. The theme of the conference was Making Excellence Happen! We engaged in various session topics including Sold a Story: Where do we go from here?/Science of Reading, Transforming Equity Through Teacher Champions, Supporting the Whole Child: A Look into Restorative Practices, Special Programs, and Academic Integrity, and Owning your Data: Building Data Teams in your District to Support & Sustain Multi-Tiered Instruction. The professional development sessions were valuable and applicable to bring back new ideas and best practices to our schools and district.
Madison Public Library News
Madison Public Library has a newsletter! The link to register for their newsletter can be found here. Many programs are offered at the Madison Public Library. Please see below for information about the Kids' Graphic Novel Book Club.
Madison Elementary Academic Calendar
ACADEMIC CALENDAR
2023-2024
Trimester 1 (61)
September 5, 2023 First Trimester Begins
December 6, 2023 First Trimester Ends
December 12, 2023 Report Cards Posted for Review
December 15, 2023 Report Cards Available in Genesis
Trimester 2 (61)
December 7, 2023 Second Trimester Begins
March 14, 2024 Second Trimester Ends
March 19, 2024 Report Cards Posted for Review
March 22, 2024 Report Cards Available in Genesis
Trimester 3 (61)
March 15, 2024 Third Trimester Begins
June 20, 2024 Third Trimester Ends
June 13, 2024 Report Cards Posted for Review
June 20, 2024 Report Cards Available in Genesis
Conferences:
November 6 (Evening), 7, and 8 2023
April 15 (Evening) 16, and 17, 2024