Montrose Messenger
Welcome to the 2022-2023 School Year! August 31, 2022
Dear Montrose Preschool Families,
I hope you've had a marvelous summer and are excited for the school year ahead! It is my pleasure to welcome you - or welcome you back - to the Montrose Early Childhood Center.
Our school year begins with a full day on Thursday, September 8, 2022. Students will attend from 8:30 AM-2:30 PM. As difficult as it may be for some, family members will not be permitted to accompany children to class on the first day. We will greet students and families at their designated doors or buses (see information below) and the students will enter the building with their teachers and school staff. We will have staff members available to assist where needed. Students will exit the building at the same locations.
The District will open the PowerSchool Parent Portal before September 6. Once you log in you will be able to view your child's teacher assignment. Shortly thereafter, you will receive a welcome email directly from your child's teacher. It will be sent to the email address(es) that we have in PowerSchool.
We look forward to seeing you and your children on Thursday, September 8.
Mrs. Samuels
These supplies do not need to be brought or sent in on the first day. They can be dropped off on September 6 or 7 or provided over the course of the month of September.
**If you are in need of support for school supplies, don't worry! Please send an email to Principal Samuels (bsamuels@somsd.k12.nj.us) and supplies will be provided. Any information you provide will be kept confidential.**
Please dress your child with rubber-soled shoes that are closed-toe and not slip-ons.
Sneakers are preferred.
Optional Supply Drop Off/Name Tag Pick Up
In order to get these name tags to you, we are providing an opportunity for you to drop off any supplies and pick up name tags before the first day of school. Locations will be the same as the arrival/dismissal locations indicated above.
Dates: Tuesday, September 6 and Wednesday, September 7
Times: 9:00 AM- 1:00 PM.
Montrose Family Playdate
Tuesday, Sep 6, 2022, 04:30 PM
Montrose Early Childhood Center, Clark Street, South Orange, NJ, USA
Parking and Safety
When you arrive at Montrose, please be mindful of the safety of our school community and be sure to obey parking ordinances at all times. School driveways are for staff and those with handicapped placards only. The front of the building is designated for school buses. Also, dogs are not permitted on school grounds at any time.
We ask that you walk along sidewalks and not across the main parking lot when arriving and departing the campus. This helps us to reinforce good safety habits and encourage each child's awareness of their surroundings.
School Arrival and Dismissal
Morning Line-Up Procedure - Walkers and students who are driven to school will line up at assigned doors as outlined in the Arrival/Dismissal Locations below. Teachers will enter the building in a specific order, with classrooms that are furthest from the door entering first. Grown-ups are not required to join their children in the line. When teachers come out to pick up students, grown-ups are encouraged to send them with the teacher. We understand that some children will not want to separate from their grown-up initially, but will be able to join their classmates and teacher swiftly after a short while.
Bus Arrival/Departure - Students who use District Transportation will be escorted to and from their buses by school staff.
Door Assignment - Once you receive your child's teacher assignment vis PowerSchool, you will be able to determine where your child should arrive and depart.
We will have snack time daily, beginning Thursday, September 8. Please send a healthy snack with your child every day. The best options are those your child can open/eat with as little assistance as possible. Lunch service will begin on the first day of school. The menu is below. If you choose to send lunch with your child, please send it in a labeled lunch bag. You may send in a reusable (labeled) water bottle daily. We will refill with bottled water as needed.
In order to support students the first few days, we ask that you send lunch and snack if you are able. These meals from home allow students to feel comfortable with what they are eating, and also provide us with opportunities to fine tune our delivery system. We can also assess students' self-help skills and get lunch documents organized. By Monday, we will be all set.
When sending food for snack and lunch for the first few days, include only those that do not include nuts. Once you have heard from your child’s teacher and the school nurse, you will know what foods are unsafe in your child’s classroom and environment.
Daily weather permitting, we will have outdoor lunch Starting Monday, September 12.
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For the 2022-23 school year SOMSD will offer students healthy meals daily at a reasonable price:
- Preschool/Elementary: $3.25
Families may prepay for student meals through the Meal Pay Plus online payment system. To Receive Free & Reduced Meal Benefits or the 2022-23 SY eligible families must complete a new free and reduced lunch application online: Free & Reduced Lunch Application. Applications must be completed annually.
We do not accept cash payments for lunch.
If ordering school lunch, you can decide which days your child would prefer.
Your child's teacher will provide more detailed information on ordering lunch.
September Lunch Menu
Dear Families,
Welcome! My name is Steffi Golden. I am the Certified School Nurse For Montrose Early Childhood Center. I look forward to meeting your children. The students call me “Nurse Steffi”. Our program’s shared goal is to keep all the children healthy so that they can continue to learn and grow in the best possible environment.
The Certified School Nurse serves students in a variety of ways including but not limited to providing basic emergency care, caring for minor injuries, screening students for various health conditions, communicating children’s health needs to teachers and staff. Height, weight, hearing, vision and oral screenings are assessed during the school year.
At Montrose we work very hard to keep EVERYONE (including staff) healthy here so we really appreciate your cooperation in advance. Please do not send sick children to school and PLEASE adhere to the rule of keeping them home until they are symptom free for 24 hours without any medication. I strongly encourage getting your child the REQUIRED flu vaccine as soon as you can - it is due before our December break. Please read attached. *The Flu Vaccine is required for all children age 6 months through 59 months who attend Preschool. I have also attached the District Guidelines Sending Your Healthy Children to School .
I will be in the front of the building, next to the parking lot, under the big umbrella from 8:15 am - 9:00 am on Thursday, September 8 and Friday, September 9. If you received any medical forms over the summer and you have not sent them back to me, please email them before the first day of school or hand them to me on the first day. Please bring all medication to me before or after your child enters the building. Medication must be in the original box labeled with the child's name.
Please do not put medication in backpacks or give to children or teachers to give to me. I must receive any medication directly from you.
Here’s to a healthy school year!
Steffi Golden, BSN, RN, CSN
(973)378-2086 ext. 7503
Back to School Night (In-Person)
schedule is forthcoming
Wednesday, Sep 14, 2022, 06:30 PM
Montrose Early Childhood Center, Clark Street, South Orange, NJ, USA
On Wednesday, September 14, 2022, Montrose will host our annual Back-to-School Night. This is an opportunity to learn more about our school, meet your child’s teachers, and hear from our School Nurse. You will learn about the curriculum and schedule, in addition to classroom routines and how we can partner to create a wonderful experience for the community.
September 14 is an early dismissal day. Students will be dismissed at 11:30 AM.
Please send a snack.
No lunch will be served.
Join us for Family Fun!
School Contact Information
Steffi Golden, Nurse sgolden@somsd.k12.nj.us or 973-378-2086 x7503
Nikki Burns, Secretary nburns@somsd.k12.nj.us or 973-378-2086 x7500
Montrose Early Childhood Center
Email: bsamuels@somsd.k12.nj.us
Website: https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/montrose/
Location: 356 Clark Street, South Orange, NJ, USA
Phone: 973-378-2086