As a Matter of Fact!
SOMSD Newsletter: Back to School Edition | September 5, 2023
Superintendent's Return to School Welcome Message
Dear South Orange & Maplewood School District Families,
It is my pleasure to welcome all of you to the 2023-2024 school year.
In many ways, we are positioned to have one of our best years ever. This is a pivotal year for the District’s initiatives to build greater equity among our students. We are entering the new school year with a wealth of professional development among our administrators, teachers, and classroom staff. Our goal is to provide every student with the teaching and resources they need to be academically successful.
We look forward to welcoming your children to school on Thursday, September 7th. In the meantime, I’d like to make you aware of a few items pertaining to the new school year.
Educationally yours,
Dr. Ronald G. Taylor
Superintendent of Schools
SOMSD Launches Tutor.com - 24/7 Online Tutoring For Students in Grades 3-12
Perhaps one of the biggest developments as we enter the 2023-2024 school year is the District’s new partnership with Tutor.com. Through this partnership, all students in grades 3 through 12 will have access to online one-on-one tutoring and other academic support services.
The features of Tutor.com include:
- 24/7 online, on-demand access to expert tutors, 361 days of the year
- Expert tutors available in 200+ subjects, including English Language Arts, algebra,
- calculus, physics, chemistry, world languages, computer science, and more
- Tutors also available for Advanced Placement® and International Baccalaureate courses
- as well as PSAT®, SAT®, and ACT® prep
- Drop-off review of students’ writing assignments
- Spanish-speaking tutors for math, science, writing, social studies, and study skills
- subjects
- Individualized help available to reinforce student success study and life skills such as
- time management, stress management, and notetaking
- Test prep resources from The Princeton Review
Students will be able to access Tutor.com by signing into their Google accounts and clicking on
the Tutor.com icon that will appear in the group of icons at the top of the screen commonly
referred to as “the waffle.” Tutor.com will be available to students on the first day of classes,
Thursday, September 7th
.
The partnership is one of a number of District initiatives to make tutors available to students. For
example, the District has had a longstanding partnership with Achieve Foundation in providing
tutors to students.
New PowerSchool Web Address
We would like to remind everyone that the web address for the PowerSchool log-in page has been changed to somsd.powerschool.com.
Food Service Payments & Applications At PaySchools Central
The District is also launching a new way for families to manage food services for their children. The new PaySchools Central online platform will allow families to deposit funds for their children’s meals at school. Applications for free and reduced lunch can also be submitted on PaySchools Central. To register for your PaySchools Central account, please click on the following link: https://payschoolscentral.com/. You will need your child’s student identification number. The website can be displayed in English and Spanish. Any balances that remain on MyPaymentPlus will be carried over to PaySchools Central.
More information about PaySchools Central’s features is available on the following one-pager:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18q5ksGjXw-Sp0gzcAINJAfYpFDPCCflr/view
More comprehensive information about PaySchool Central is available at the following link:
https://payschools.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PaySchools-Central-Full-User-Guide.pdf
Courtesy Busing
This year marks the launch of the new courtesy busing program that was enacted by the Board of School Estimate earlier this year. The new program makes courtesy busing available to families with elementary and middle school students who live 1.25 miles or more away from their school, as well as to those whose children have a hazardous walk to school. The courtesy busing program is made available through Board of Education Policies 8600 and 8600.1. Regrettably, the District had to inform some families that courtesy busing was not available to them because they did not meet the eligibility criteria. While the District made every effort to inform these families of their status as quickly as possible, we apologize for any inconvenience this may have imposed on them.
Medications For Students During The School Day
If your child needs to receive medication or other nursing services, you can find the appropriate form the Nursing Services page on the District's website.
Beyond The Bell
Beyond the Bell is an after-school enrichment program coordinated by the South Mountain YMCA in partnership with the South Orange Maplewood School District. Registration will open at 7 a.m. on the days and schools listed below:
September 12
Clinton Elementary School
Seth Boyden Elementary School
September 13
Delia Bolden Elementary School
Marshall Elementary School
September 14
South Mountain Elementary School
South Mountain Annex
Tuscan Elementary School
Beyond the Bell is designed to help all students stretch and grow by deepening and expanding after-school opportunities at the elementary level. The fall session will begin on Monday, October 2. Registration details are coming soon. More information is available at the following link:
https://www.metroymcas.org/south-mountain-ymca/beyond-the-bell/
The School District of South Orange & Maplewood
Website: www.somsd.k12.nj.us
Location: 525 Academy Street, Maplewood, NJ, USA
Phone: 973-762-5600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somsdk12
X (formerly Twitter): @SOMSDK12
Instagram: @somsdk12