H & M Potter School News Sept. 2015
Dr. Zito, Principal, Ms. Cimino, Assist. Principal
Welcome Home Potter Families
There are many wonderful changes and upgrades that have happened in Berkeley Township. Hopefully by now you have logged into the Parent Portal. On the Parent Portal you will be able to enter your medical information, emergency contacts, and insurance information. Please make sure that you keep your information up to date and continue to keep up to date as the year progresses.
Having your child take the bus every day is the best way to ensure that you child arrives home safely. We recommend that all parents utilize bussing for their children. If you plan on driving your child to the school, please make sure that you sign the walker waiver and opt out for busing. Please know that parents who pick up their child every day at the school will be asked to pick up their child on Deal Avenue from the gym. Kindergarten and first grade parents will still need to sign out the students every day if they are walkers.
Parents who are dropping off or picking up students should use Deal Avenue and avoid the parking lot in the front of the school where the buses pull in and out.
Each morning I will be telling all students that I believe in them. I will get to know all of your children's names right away and I am happy to meet with all parents. The greatest saying that I can tell your children is, “I Believe In You!” These four simple words are among the most powerful you can say to a child, a parent, a colleague, or a friend. This message lets you know that you see something special in someone else and that special something is worth believing in, worth supporting, worth encouraging. Indeed, these four words create a strong, invisible bond between you and the person to whom you are delivering the message. That bond is one that says, "That which I believe is the best of me identifies with and finds a commonality in that which you believe is the best in you. My strength is now your strength. Lean on it, use it, and grow with it. I am in your corner."
Teachers will be utilizing the Remind 101 app. Please consider downloading this free app as it will help you know what is going on in the classroom. Also Ms. Cimino and I will be using Remind 101 and Twitter to send you upcoming events and things that are happening daily around the school. We will be using the hashtag #WEAREHMP. Follow us on Twitter at @berkeleypotter. We also have a district wide Facebook Page. Search for Berkeley Township School District or look below for the link to our page.
As always, the number one rule at the Potter School is to keep our hands, bodies, and objects to ourselves. Student to student touching, whether it is inappropriate touching, shoving, pushing, or hitting is not acceptable and appropriate actions will be taken to ensure the safety of all students.
Potter School Welcomes New Staff!
Ms. Kayla Crick
Ms. Michele Merlo
Mrs. Emily Rodriguez
Mrs. Claudine Parga
Ms. Linda Casagrand
Free and Reduced Lunch
Back to School Night
Back to school night for Preschool through 4th grade will be held on Tuesday September 15, 2015. Please see the schedule linked below.
Update Parent Portal
The safety of all students at the H & M Potter School is our number one priority. Please go to the parent portal and update information, as soon as possible if any changes to the following has occurred.
Home phone number
Work phone number
Emergency contact number
The district maintains strict policies regarding who is able to pick up the children from school. Please contact the main office with any questions or concerns.
Please go to the Parent Portal. Click on view/update contacts. Then on the bottom left corner click add contact information. If you have not done so already please update your information. IMPORTANT: please check off whether you do or do not want your emergency contacts to receive text messages and please let them know that you are using them for a contact. Anyone who checks off yes to receive texts will gets text messages about all of the wonderful things that are happening in the school. If this person can pick up your child please make sure to check this off on this page.
Please make sure to review
Documents-In this section is the bus contract, the internet use contract, the KI fact sheet, and the press release.
Surveys-Click on the picture of the piece of paper, in this section you have to type answers even if the answer is “none”. You also have to click the drop down menu on some answers.
Parent Questions-This gives us permission to take pictures of your child and provides important emergency contact information.
Health Questions- Is a state mandated form that tells us if your child has health insurance or not.
Transportation-This section tells you your child’s bus number, and drop off and pick up times.
Food Services- Lets you know your child’s cafeteria account information, the menu, and allows you to make an online payment.
Daily Attendance-Lets you know if your child was late, or absent from school. You can also e-mail Mrs. Olsen from this page.
School Calendar Information
Thank you New Potter PTA!!
Lisa Vargas, Second Vice President:
This is Lisa Vargas' first term on the Potter PTA, she was a tremendous help last year with Potter's Auction and is very excited to be a part of this new board.
Michelle Delaney, President:
This is Michelle Delaney's second time holding the office of president. She loves spending time with her two sons and we appreciate all that she has done for Potter School.
Jocelyn Nasr, Treasurer:
Jocelyn Nasr is a returning member of the PTA. She continues to provide us with the knowledge of what it takes to manage the money. This is Mrs. Nasr's last year on Potter's PTA.
Jennifer Spinoso, Recording Secretary:
Jennifer Spinoso is a veteran member of the PTA Executive Board. She is also a Potter Teacher and mother of two wonderful daughters. She works hard on both the parent and teacher side of the PTA.
Lisa Walstrom, Corresponding Secretary:
Lisa Walstrom is a veteran member of the PTA Executive Board. She leads the charge each year in the PTA Auction which is Potters Strongest fundraiser. She is also a kindergarten teacher at Potter.
Meghan Caravano, First Vice President:
This is Meghan Caravano's first term in the Potter PTA, but she has been a member of the PTA for many years and raised funds for many events. We welcome her on the board.
Walkers
Transportation Requests
There are times during the school year when a parents request for their child to be placed on a different bus. Unfortunately, children cannot automatically take a different bus home. If it becomes necessary for a child to be transported home on a different bus, parents are to call the transportation department first (732-269-1302), then notify the main office to confirm that the change was approved. There are times when it is impossible to place another child on a bus due to the capacity of the vehicle. Permanent bus changes require filling out a form that allows forty-eight hour notification to the Transportation Office prior to the change. With the new Potter School times, it has increased the number of students on each bus. Please note that most buses are running at capacity and will not be able to accommodate extra students on the bus.
Bus Conduct
Y KIDS
Reporting an Absence
We will be using a computerized program to inform parents when a child is absent from school. The program will send out mass phone calls, emails, and text messages once attendance has been taken and will call all families when a child is marked absent. It is important that with our Child Safe Program, parents still call in an absence. We have voice mail to allow 24 hour calling. Please call the school at 732-269-5700 between the hours of 7:30 - 8:30 A.M. to notify the nurse’s office (ext. 5005) of the reason for the absence.
Please remember that a note is always required when a child returns to school after being absent even if the office was previously notified.Attendance and Health
Good attendance is expected of our students. However, parents are asked to follow the standing orders from the child’s physician and keep students home for a full 24 hours fever free following a temperature.
We ask that every effort be made to have children get to school by 8:50 am. Students who enter the class late disrupt the rest of the class and the teacher causing loss of instructional time for all.
School Meal Program
Student Council
I am pleased to announce this is the fourth year for the Potter School Student
Council. The council is run by Mrs. Melanson, the advisor, and our wonderful guidance counselor.
Each year the Potter School Student Council raises money for the school, makes important decisions such as what is served at lunch, and helps needy families by coordinating baskets at Thanksgiving and gathering presents for families in need for the winter holidays.
The student council meets each month and takes suggestions from the student body to bring change to the school. After each meeting they disseminate the information to the students so they know what is happening at the school.
Recording Secretary, President, Director of Special Projects, Treasurer, Vice President, and Corresponding Secretary.
We wish our student council a successful 2015-2016 school year!
H & M Potter School
Email: jzito@btboe.org
Website: www.btboe.org
Location: 60 Veeder Lane, Bayville, NJ, United States
Phone: 7322695700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Berkeley-Township-School-District/180358508765847?fref=ts
Twitter: @berkeleypotter