The Crossing
Brooks Crossing & Deans School Newsletter - Summer 2019
Welcome Back to Brooks Crossing and Deans!
Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year! I hope your family has enjoyed this summer break. I could not be more excited about the year that lies ahead. It is truly a privilege to serve as the principal of a school that has such caring staff members, talented students, and supportive parents. We've missed you! The school is so quiet without our kids' happy voices!
The FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL for students is Thursday, September 5th and it will be a full day for all students. Students may enter the BC at Deans (DE) building at 8:05 and the Brooks Crossing Main Campus (BC) at 8:10. We strongly recommend that your child arrive by bus if they have a bus assignment. Riding the school bus from the very first day will help the bus driver get to know your child and begin to associate your child with their bus stop and family members who have permission to receive them.
We can't wait to see you. Enjoy the end of summer, and we will see you soon!
Mrs. Maccarone
Important Upcoming Dates and Events
To stay informed and not miss an opportunity you or your child may be interested in, please also read the District Friday Folder weekly for many items that are not included in our BC/DE weekly online Friday Folder and this monthly newsletter.
Tues, Sept 4 - Optional Open House (more information below)
Thurs. Sept. 5 - First day of school for students. This is a regular full day
Mon. Sept. 9 - Board of Education Meeting, Crossroads North, 7:00pm
Fri. Sept. 20 - PTO Ice Cream Social, BC Main Campus, 5:30-7:30pm
Mon. Sept. 23 - Board of Education Meeting, Crossroads North, 7:00pm
Mon. Sept. 30 - Schools Closed. Rosh Hashanah
Tues. Oct. 1 - Schools Closed. Rosh Hashanah
Tues. Oct. 8 - School Picture Day
Wed. Oct. 9 - Schools Closed. Yom Kippur
Thurs. Oct. 10 - Back-to-School Night. Evening event for parents only. Details to follow.
Ways to Stay Connected
Brooks Crossing Website - https://bcde.sbschools.org/
Facebook – Brooks Crossing’s Facebook page is www.facebook.com/SBSDBC
Twitter – Brooks Crossing’s Twitter page is @SBSDBC - we will be posting relevant information and pictures. This is a great way for you to be informed about what is happening in our school on a daily basis.
The CROSSING newsletter - The Crossing is our school newsletter that will contain important information to keep our BC/DE families informed. Issues will be sent to our BC/DE families via email through our parent notification system. Links to our newsletter will also be posted in our Online Friday Folder.
Welcome to Brooks Crossing and Deans Newcomers!
Wednesday, Sep 4, 2019, 02:30 PM
Brooks Crossing or Deans Elementary Schools
Optional Open House
Wednesday, Sep 4, 2019, 03:30 PM
Brooks Crossing OR Brooks Crossing at Deans
School Supplies for the 2019-2020 School Year
If you've purchased School Supplies through the PTO:
If you ordered online with 1st Day School Supplies, they will be waiting in your child's classroom for the first day of school!
Still In Need of School Supplies? - If you still need to purchase school supplies, refer to the School Supply List on our website, at https://bcde.sbschools.org/ or click this link BROOKS CROSSING AND DEANS 2019-2020 SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST For those that ordered school supplies in June through our PTO’s 1st Day School Supply Kit ordering program, the PTO will deliver those kits to your child’s classroom on the first day of school. All questions concerning school supply kit orders should be directed to the PTO. Contact the PTO by email at BrooksCrossingPTO@gmail.com.
Bus Passes
Your bus assignment can be located in the Genesis Parent Portal. Should you not see your bus assignment prior to August 31st, please contact our Transportation Office directly at
(732) 297-7800.
Lunch and Snack at Brooks Crossing
Lunch:
Students may either bring lunch from home or purchase lunch at school. Students may also purchase milk if they bring their own lunch. Breakfast is available every day, as well. Menus are posted on the district website, www.sbschools.org.
Lunch - $2.40 (if eligible, reduced .40 or free)
Breakfast - $2.15 (if eligible, reduced .30 or free)
Each child has a debit card to use for purchasing lunch or breakfast. Chartwells, SBSD's food service provider, has information on this process available on our website (Schools Tab: Program and Services: Dining Services).
The South Brunswick School District provides parents a convenient, easy, and secure online prepayment service to deposit money into your child’s school meal account at any time. This service also provides parents the ability to view your child’s account balance through
a Web site called, www.myschoolbucks.com.
An application for free or reduced lunch pricing can be found in the Genesis Parent Portal.
Snack:
Please send our child to school with a healthy snack (fruit, vegetables, cheese, crackers, yogurt, pretzels, etc.) Snacks should be quick and easy so that students can maximize their learning time. Students should drink only water during snack time.
South Brunswick School Calendar
ARRIVAL PROCEDURES
For the safety and security of your child(ren), no student should ever be dropped off and left unattended without an adult present, who you know will accept responsibility for your child’s safe entrance into school.
BEFORE SCHOOL STUDENTS - Our Before School Program is held at the Brooks Crossing Main Campus. Please walk your child to the Community Education Entrance and ring the bell. You will be expected to escort your child into the building and sign them in. Deans students will be transported to Deans by bus.
WALKERS - Parents walking their children to school should bring them to the main entrance no earlier than 8:05 AM at Deans and 8:10 AM at Brooks Crossing Main Campus. Children in grades 2-5 who are not assigned to ride a school bus may ride their bicycles or scooters to Brooks Crossing, and should follow the arrival procedures for walkers.
CAR DROP OFF -
Deans: Parents driving their children to school are to drive to the rear of the school and form a single file line in the drop off lane. Once you have pulled up to the back door drop off, starting at 8:05 AM a staff member will greet your child when they exit the car and allow entry into the building. All parents pulling up into the drop off lane should remain inside their car, as children should be able to exit the car on their own. Once your child leaves the car, parents are asked to continue on so others behind can drop off their children in a timely manner. If you need to get out of your car to assist your child after pulling around back, park your car facing the woods and wait at the crosswalk with your child. A staff member will cross your child for you, while you return to your car to depart. Please be very cautious when backing up and departing the parking lot.
Brooks Crossing NEW FOR 2019-2020, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:
When entering the Brooks Crossing driveway, make your first left into the parking lot. No families may enter the bus loop until after 8:20, even if there are no buses in sight.
Families who wish to park and walk their students in, will immediately turn left after entering the parking lot, and park in the back row. Families may then walk to the crosswalk and proceed to the main entrance with their student. For your own safety, all families must use the crosswalks.
Families who will be dropping their students without getting out of their cars will immediately turn right after entering the parking lot, and join the drop off line, overseen by our custodians at the crosswalk. If you choose to drop your student, they should be able to exit the car independently, close the door, and proceed into school. Drivers in the drop-off line should continue forward as soon as their child is on the crosswalk to ensure a timely process for all. Custodians will oversee this process and expedite as necessary.
All but a very small number of students at Brooks Crossing receive a bus assignment. We encourage all families to utilize bus transportation, as it prevents congestion in our parking lot and ensures that no students are marked late for arrival.
LATE DROP OFF PROCEDURE - Parents dropping off their children after the bell must:
- Park the car and escort your child to the main office.
- Sign the student in and give the reason for the tardiness.
DEPARTURE PROCEDURES
DEANS
Walkers
A staff member will escort students who are walkers to our crossing guard. The crossing guard will assist our walkers who need to cross Georges Road to meet their parents/guardians.
Car Pickup
Park in the rear of the building and wait for your child to be dismissed from the rear door. Please do not park against the building.
BROOKS CROSSING
Walkers
Students in 3rd grade and older may walk home without a parent (with permission). All walkers are dismissed by a staff member from the front door.
Car Pickup
Parents picking up children by car are to park their cars in the parking lot and meet students under the front portico.
AFTER SCHOOL STUDENTS (Brooks Crossing and Deans)- Registered students will be sent to the After School Program (ASP) on every reserved day, unless classroom teacher is notified otherwise. Students must be signed out at pickup.
NOTE: BC @ DEANS students will board a bus that will take them to the Brooks Crossing Main Campus. Upon arriving at the BC Main Campus, staff will greet the bus and escort the children to the After School Program.
BROOKS CROSSING MAIN CAMPUS OFFICIAL START/END TIMES
IMPORTANT NOTE: Each day Deans School starts and ends 5 minutes earlier than the Brooks Crossing Main Campus. This allows parents time should they need to travel between the two campuses.
BROOKS CROSSING (BC) Campus
REGULAR DAY OF SCHOOL
7:00 AM Before School Program begins
8:10 AM Students may enter Brooks Crossing
8:20 AM Start Time – Students should be in class
2:45 PM Ending time for Brooks
6:00 PM After School Program concludes
EARLY RELEASE DAY OF SCHOOL
12:50 PM Ending Time
DELAYED OPENING (90 Minute Delay)
8:30 AM Before School Program Begins
9:40 AM Students may enter Brooks Crossing
9:50 AM Start Time - Students should be in class
DEANS CAMPUS OFFICIAL START/END TIMES
REGULAR DAY OF SCHOOL
7:00 AM Before School Program begins at the BC Main Campus
8:05 AM Students may enter Deans
8:15 AM Start Time – Students should be in class
2:40 PM Ending time for Deans
6:00 PM After School Program concludes at the BC Main Campus
EARLY RELEASE DAY OF SCHOOL
12:45 PM Ending Time
DELAYED OPENING (90 Minute Delay)
8:30 AM Before School Program Begins at the BC Main Campus
9:35 AM Students may enter Brooks Crossing
SENDING NOTES TO SCHOOL
Please place all notes and communication to school inside the Parent/Teacher Communication Folder that your child will receive on the first day of school. This folder should be checked and emptied daily.
For your convenience, you can access our Parent Note - Dismissal Change Form on our school’s website. This form has an easy check-off list to make it very convenient to inform the school of changes to your child’s dismissal routine. Use the “Other Instructions” section at the bottom of this form to include more information if necessary.
Message from our Health Office
If you have medication/treatment requests, or activity restrictions that are a change to your child’s daily participation in school, you must speak with the nurse directly. For your child’s safety and well-being, do not email this information. Any change to your child’s daily participation in recess or gym must be reported directly to the nurse. A child may be excused from physical activity for three consecutive days with a note from a parent/guardian. If the restriction is beyond three days, a note from the family physician is required.
Unless notified otherwise, it is anticipated that your child will be able to participate in gym, recess and physical activities coordinated by their teacher daily. Due to this fact, sneakers or rubber soled shoes with closed toes should be worn daily. For your child’s safety, no open toed shoes should be worn to school.
Medications/Treatment Requests
The school MD has given standing orders for basic medications that can be given at the discretion of the nurse, unless otherwise stated by parents. These include, but are not exclusive of, Tums, Visine, Chloraseptic Spray, Orajel, Cough Drops, Benadryl Cream, and Hydrocortisone Cream. Children are not allowed to carry ANY type of medicine with them throughout the day unless special permission has been granted by the Health Office.
Whenever a student requires medication at school, the medication must be brought in by the parent directly to the nurse at the beginning of the day. Only medication in its original pharmacy container will be accepted. Prescription medication also requires written permission from the parent. If your child suffers from asthma or allergies that require medications to be kept in school, please contact the health office for further instructions.
The School Nurse may administer any form of medication that is accompanied by the District’s Medication Form completed and signed by the child’s doctor and parent/guardian. Forms can be obtained by visiting the District’s website at www.sbschools.org, or contact the nurse in the health office at (732) 821-7478 ext. 3782 or 3709.
Questions may be directed to our school nurses at:
Susan Kneis, R.N. - Brooks Crossing (732) 821-7478 ext. 3709 Susan.Kneis@sbschools.org
Katie Brady, R.N. - Deans (732) 821-7478 ext. 3782 Kathleen.Brady@sbschools.org