Cambridge Communicator
August 2021
First we UNIFY...then REBUILD...ultimately, we THRIVE!
Principal's Message
Dear Cambridge Families:
On behalf of our Cambridge Staff, I would like to officially welcome you to the 2021-2022 school year. To say that we are excited to welcome everyone back is an understatement! While we know that transitioning back may be a place of uneasiness for some, please know that our first mission is to provide your child with a safe, clean, and caring environment. We have learned a lot about ourselves as educators, your children’s needs, and the benefit of parent partnership over the past eighteen months. We are excited to continue growing with you and your children as we re-enter the building with a sense of normalcy, and an even greater sense of confidence in delivering forward thinking instruction, building a stronger school and parent community, and supporting the social and emotional needs of our students.
If you are new to Cambridge School, WELCOME!!!! Our school mascot is the Cougar and in no time you will be beaming with Cougar Pride! When your child returns home from school on the first day, you will understand why I say our school is “A Special Place for Children”. Ask any parent of a returning child and they will tell you we have the most caring staff you could want for or need. To our returning parents, thank you again for the partnership, commitment, and support you have provided to us over the years and especially these past eighteen months. We could not have done this work without you!
As in every year, the district chooses a theme that reminds us of the “why” we are here. This year’s theme is: First we UNIFY...then REBUILD...ultimately, we THRIVE! Last year’s challenges brought us together and this theme is a reminder that together we are stronger. So let’s keep that energy going and commit to providing the best opportunities that we can for our students/your children...together.
Please continue to visit our district’s website (www.sbschools.org) for the most current and up-to-date information.
Educationally Yours,
Ms. Christi Pemberton, Principal
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IS SEPTEMBER 9TH
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL TIMES
Kindergarten – 5th Grade
8:55am – Students may begin to enter the building
9:05am – All students must be in the building
3:25pm – K-1st grade dismissal
3:30pm – 2nd grade – 5th grade dismissal
Pre-School Program
8:40am – AM Program Arrival
11:10am – AM Program Dismissal
12:10pm – PM Program Arrival
2:40pm – PM Program Dismissal
DROP OFF AND PICK UP PROCEDURES
Bus Students
- All busses will drop students off by the gymnasium on Leahy Road.
Walkers
- Students walking to school should enter the building either by the 5th grade “Cambridge Road” wing or through the Main Entrance.
Vehicle Drop Off
- All vehicles dropping students off must drive up to the “DROP OFF” sign on Cambridge Road.
- In order to make this drop-off line run smoothly, please…
- Have your child ready to get out of the car when you stop at the sign.
- DO NOT LET YOUR CHILD OUT BEFORE YOU GET TO THE SIGN.
- Students must exit the car via the right passenger side door.
Afternoon
Bus Students
- Bus students will be called to their buses at the end of the school day.
- K-1 Students will be dismissed at 3:25. Kindergarten and 2nd Grade will exit through the Main Entrance and 1st grade students will exit through the Art Room.
- 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students will exit through the 5th grade “Cambridge Road” wing.
BUS TRANSPORTATION
CHAMPIONS BEFORE AND AFTERCARE
Champions will offer both before and aftercare at each of our elementary schools. Please see the Champions South Brunswick 21-22 Enrollment (2).pdf for Before and Aftercare for the 2021-2022 school year. If you have any questions, please contact Area Manager, Thea Pace tpace@discoverchampions.com or call Champions Customer Care: 1-800-246-2154.
STUDENT PLACEMENT FOR 2021-2022
Staff Updates
Goodbye and Good Luck!!!
We wish the following staff all the best in their retirement:
Sheree Berk
Maureen Canonico
Jeanette Garcia
Lisa Garwood
We wish the following staff best of luck in their new endeavors:
Diego Badilla
Kimm Gourdine
Katie Munn
Congratulations and best wishes to the following staff as they embark on a new journey within our district:
Jenn Greco
Kristi-Ann Hunt
Megan Klimowicz
Jennifer Plebani
Shilpa Shah
New Staff - Welcome!
The following staff is joining the Cambridge family:
Gareth Dennis - Physical Education Teacher
Prajakta Deshpande - Paraprofessional
Kaitlyn Dunn - Music
Jesseca Gonzalez - Instructional Support Teacher
Elizabeth Marano - School Psychologist
Lauren Matthews - 4th Grade Teacher (Anticipated)
Lindsey Russo - 5th Grade Teacher (Anticipated)
Ariel Sollena - 4th Grade Teacher
Grade Level Teams and Specialists
Preschool - Ms. DiBenedetto, Mrs. Kline
K - Mrs. Isaacs, Mr. Luca, Ms. Pron
1st - Mrs. Blackwell, Ms. Brady, Mrs. Schaller
2nd - Ms. Antunes, Mrs. DeSandre, Ms. Hillen, Mrs. McCabe
3rd - Mrs. Levinson, Mrs. McDonough, Mrs. Walker
4th - Mrs. Matakonis, Mrs. Matthews, Mrs. Rosario, Ms. Sollena
5th - Mrs. Chulamanis, Mrs. Frink, Ms. Russo, Mrs. Weed
Specialists:
Art - Mrs. Mallon
Library - Mrs. Ravichandran
Music - Ms. Dunn, Mr. Piszko, Mrs. Stanek
P.E. - Mr. Dennis, Mrs. O'Brien
World Language - Mrs. Falanga
Instructional Support - Mrs. Gonzalez and Mrs. Shadell
Resource Center - Mrs. Hershberger, Mrs. Hopkins, and Mrs. Reinknecht
Nurse - Mrs. Kerwin
Child Study Team - Mrs. Hoehe, Ms. Marano, Ms. Messana
School Counselor - Mrs. Doles
Speech - Mrs. Jorgensen
OT - Sonali Wadhwa
School Supplies
If you need assistance with getting supplies, please let your child's teacher know. We have received plenty of school supply donations and would be happy to share them with you.
Any parents who ordered the PTO sponsored Supply Kit for their children will not need to purchase anything additional. The kits will be delivered to school and distributed to students on the first day of school. Finally, please remember that backpacks with wheels are NOT permitted.
Tech Devices
Grades K & 1: The school will provide any technology needed during the school day. Please do not not send technology to school with your child.
Grades 2 - 5: Students will be expected to bring a fully charged device to school each day to use in class. Please know that you will have the option to borrow a district Chromebook for the year, if needed. If this is the case, please contact Mrs. Eileen Cicero in the main office for information on how to obtain a Chromebook. An annual $35 Chromebook insurance fee will need to be paid prior to receiving the device, though the fee is automatically waived for those receiving free/reduced lunch.
If you have a DISTRICT DEVICE there is a YEARLY TECHNOLOGY INSURANCE FEE.
The yearly non refundable $35 technology insurance fee can now be paid online using the link below! You will need to provide proof of payment prior to receiving the Chromebook. Free and reduced lunch recipients are automatically waived. Requests for non free/reduced student waivers due to financial hardship can be sent to Rachel.Kolibas@sbschools.org.
https://sbschools.shopsite.com/COM-ED//technology.html
If you need a device, please contact the main office to arrange for device pick up. You'll need to pay the insurance fee noted above and sign an agreement form, here: Chromebook Agreement Form. Please keep a copy for your records.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bX7h54CaS-WL-UMpjiHNoWcCVMOryh9qyXbInDGdoYg/edit
Staying connected to Cambridge
- District web page: www.sbschools.org and school web page: www.sbschools.org/ca (this will have a link to our school supplies, school hours, phone information, calendar and more!)
- You are reading the Cambridge Communicator via S'more. This contains valuable information to help you prepare your child for this school year and plan for upcoming important events. This newsletter is sent every two weeks or so via School Messenger.
- Follow us at facebook.com/sbsdca.
- Follow us on Twitter @sbsdca.
GENESIS
- Complete all required forms.
- Review all contact information and update as needed.
Sneak Peek! - August 31, 2021; 4:30-6pm
Are you MOVING?
Chartwells Information
Dear Parent/Guardian,
We are thrilled to be back serving your child for the 2021-2022 school year! After adapting our service last year by providing meals that were delivered directly to your homes and pick up locations, we also provided our in person learners with meals in the cafeteria, hallways and classrooms. We are excited to be back serving all students and grade levels in the cafeteria. To kick off the new year, we wanted to share a few things you and your child can look forward to when it comes to mealtime and get an inside look at the new recipes, concepts, and programs we’ll be introducing this fall.
Lunch is FREE for ALL Students in the 2021-2022 School Year!
Thanks to flexibilities provided by the USDA’s National School Lunch Program, students will have the opportunity to enjoy breakfast and lunch at no cost throughout the academic year. It is important to note that no application is required because this year free meals are available to all students. This is a unique opportunity for everyone to eat together and will hopefully make it easier for students and families to confidently check breakfast lunch off their list.
Student ID cards will be required. Elementary school students will have cards that stay at school. MS and HS students will use their district ID cards.
A la carte items will also be returning giving students an option to purchase approved snacks and drinks. Funds must be in students accounts. Deposits can be made via myschoolbucks or you may send a check or cash labeled with your child’s name, school, and ID number for our cashiers to deposit. Prices will be listed on our nutrislice site https://sbschools.nutrislice.com/
Programs that Encourage Fun and Discovery
Chartwells continues to inspire healthy eating habits and spark a culinary curiosity to last a lifetime through fun and engaging programs.
Mood Boost: This innovative program helps elementary and middle school students connect what they eat with how they feel. It features recipes and characters that focus on six moods: Smart, Happy, Confident, Alert, Strong and Calm.
Student Choice: Giving middle and high school students a voice in deciding what food concepts are featured and new menu items that will be available, Student Choice brings the latest food trends to school menus.
Inviting Environments & Happy Cafeterias
Students need a place to eat where they can connect with others, recharge, and enjoy a sense of happiness, especially following a year where kids weren’t able to always sit and enjoy a meal with their classmates.
Menus, Nutrition Facts, at Your Fingertips
Through Nutrislice, an innovative app, students, parents and faculty have access to school menus, including nutrition information, allergens and photos. Nutrislice can be downloaded for free from the App store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) and is available on desktop and mobile devices. Menus are also available at https://sbschools.nutrislice.com/
Through sharing our passion for great tasting food, instilling a desire for food discovery, and most importantly, providing nourishing meals, we're excited to continue serving up happy and healthy to your children in the year ahead.
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Thank you,
Michele Armstrong- Michele.Armstrong@sbschools.org
Upcoming Dates
9/1 & 9/2 - Staff Only
9/3 & 9/6 - No School/Labor Day
9/7 & 9/8- No School/Rosh Hashanah
9/9 - First Day of School for students; Board of Education Meeting @ 7 pm
9/21- Back to School Night (Virtual) More information to Come
9/23 - Board of Education Meeting @ 7 pm