Cedar Grove Elementary School
Parent Patriot Post: 6/6/22
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HOME OF THE "PROUD PATRIOTS"
The mission of Cedar Grove Elementary is to grow our students into respectful, curious and productive citizens.
THOUGHTS FROM YOUR SCHOOL COUNSELOR, MISS DiNARDO
As we head into summer vacation….
Hard to believe it, but the 2021-22 school year is coming to a close! For most, it was a time of returning to a sense of “normalcy." Our children were excited about being back to scheduled, structured days of learning and interacting with friends.
Perhaps you would be able to incorporate a relaxed routine into their summer vacation days. Of course, fun and play are the main focus! Try eking out some time each day for reading, math practice, family chats/meals, creative activities, writing opportunities. (A journal to record how they spent their days might prove enjoyable. They could add pictures, postcards, mementos - almost like a scrapbook.)
These sorts of endeavors would help keep your children’s skills sharp so they will be ready to start back in September with confidence and enthusiasm.
I hope you have discovered some tidbits of useful information within my newsletter contributions.
Have a fun, safe Summer!
Signing off,
Miss DiNardo
Important Dates to Remember...
- Tuesday, June 7th -- Election Day (*Voting will no longer take place in the gym when students are in session. Voting will occur in the West Cafeteria so voters can access the voting location without walking through any part of the building. Students who typically eat lunch in the West Cafeteria will be relocated for Election Day. While this represents a small inconvenience for our students and staff, it is a small price to pay for increased safety. Our armed School Officer will be on site, as is our normal procedure.)
- Wednesday, June 8th -- Spring concert for Grade Four parents 6:30pm
- Thursday, June 9th -- Daytime spring concert for PK-5 students; Spring concert for Grade Five parents 6:30pm
- Friday, June 10th -- Grade Two end-of-year picnic
- Friday, June 10th -- School Spirit (Wear school spirit wear or red, white & blue)
- Monday, June 13th -- PTO Social
- Tuesday, June 14th -- Flag Day Show for Grade Three parents
- Tuesday, June 14th -- Grade Three and Grade One end-of-year picnics
- Wednesday, June 15th -- Save the date! Duct tape Mr. Lanza! (Lol!)
- Thursday, June 16th -- Kindergarten end-of-year picnic
- Thursday, June 16th -- Project Fair -- Open house 6:30pm - 8:00pm
- Friday, June 17th -- School Spirit (Wear school spirit wear or red, white & blue)
- Monday, June 20th -- Grade Five picnic
- Monday, June 20th through Thursday, June 23rd -- Early dismissal 1:25pm
- Thursday, June 23rd -- Ocean County Library assemblies PK-5
- Thursday, June 23rd -- Aloha Day -- Wear your tropical best!!
- Friday, June 24th -- NO SCHOOL; First day of summer recess
This year, every student is eligible to receive breakfast and lunch at no charge. A cold breakfast meal kit (cereal and milk) will be available to any student who would like one. Lunches will be served in the cafeteria. Visit Food Services, and click on "Menu" for detailed information for the week of 6/6 - 6/10. If you have a student with a food allergy or do not want your child to receive free breakfast and/or lunch, please call the main office.
(**Please note that School Spirit Days are all optional. These days are designed around students' interests and certain theme days may not appeal to all students.)
INTERNET SAFETY
We can help keep our kids safe...
As parents, one of the major challenges we face today (and there are many!) is social media. Full access to social media apps provides our children exposure to a vast (and sometimes dark) online space. There is emerging research on the effects of social media on children, and the results are unsettling. (The following represents a small fraction of research available):
- Social media can cause irritability, low self-esteem and increased anxiety (Cleveland Clinic).
- Negative effects of media use may include interference with normal socialization, excessive inactivity which may lead to obesity and adverse effects of family values (Paediatrics & Child Health/Professional Journal).
- Daily overuse of media and technology has a negative effect on the health of all children, by making them more prone to anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders, as well as by making them more susceptible to future health problems (American Psychological Association).
So what are we to do?
- Learn how to limit and/or reduce access to social media apps. As parents, we have the ability to control what apps our children have access to, and how many hours in a day our kids can access those apps. To learn more about setting parental controls on phones, click on the live links -- Using parental controls on iPhones or How to set up parental controls for Android/Google Play. (Since the quality of sleep is correlated to academic achievement and overall health, consider shutting down apps at a certain time each night.)
- Start talking about appropriate technology use early -- What is "okay" and "not okay" to consume on social media.
- Build trust so kids will come to us when they experience a problem.
- Monitor your children's social media usage, posts and online friends.
- Pay attention to the online trends and the latest technologies, websites and applications children are using. Before approving apps, check out the app and ask your child why they want to start using it.
- Be clear about your family values - both in words and actions. Our kids' values are constantly being tested on social media and we need to ensure we insulate them by establishing and reinforcing prosocial, positive character education.
- Lastly, take heed of the advice of the American Psychological Association, "Communication is the crux of parenting. You need to talk to your kids, or rather, listen to them. The ratio of parent-listen to parent-talk should be at least five-to-one. Talk one minute and listen for five."
Parenting is tough, but so are we. I have faith that by working together, we can successfully support our students as they navigate our digital world.
~Mrs. Monetti
(P.S. Thank you to Gianna, Arabella, Megan, Makenzie, Riley, and Isabel in Mrs. Strevens' class for providing the internet safety graphic above! )
DUCT TAPE MR. LANZA!
THE CONCERT IS THIS WEEK! YAY!
Band, Orchestra & Chorus Students
This week is our Spring Concert for Chorus, Band and Orchestra. There will be four performances:
- Wednesday, June 8th -- 6:30pm for Grade Four Parents Only (*Student report time is 5:30pm)
- Thursday, June 9th -- 10:00am for Students in Grades PK, K, 2, 5
- Thursday, June 9th -- 11:00 for Students in Grades 1, 3, 4
- Thursday, June 9th -- 6:30pm for Grade Five Parents Only (*Student report time is 5:30pm)
Tickets for the evening performances will go home on Monday. Each student will receive three tickets for their applicable grade level night. Siblings do not need a ticket to enter. Please be sure to bring your ticket on the night of the event. Seating is limited. We are excited to welcome families to this event!
(*On the night of each performance, "goodie bag grams" will be on sale in the media center. The cost is $3. Interested parents may write a note of congratulations to be attached to the goodie bag for their child. Goodie bags will be delivered to classrooms on Friday, June 10th.)
Please have your child bring their instrument to school on the following days:
- Wednesday, June 8th (Concert) and
- Thursday, June 9th (Concert)
A SMALL REQUEST...
We are in need of gently used school spirit wear for our "Care Closet."
We THANK YOU for your support!!
CAFETERIA/PLAYGROUND AIDES
Help Wanted!
If you are interested in learning more about how to be a cafeteria/playground aide, either contact Linda Matthews, Secretary/Community School Office at lmatthews@trschools.com OR complete THIS CAFETERIA AIDE INTEREST FORM and our head secretary will reach out to to help you.
Feel free to share this "Help Wanted Ad" with friends and family!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow
separately without growing apart.”
— Elisabeth Foley
Our Amazing PTO
Click Here to access our PTO's website where you can learn everything you need to know about our PTO including their mission, the PTO board, fundraising and how you can help!
Available to "Sub" In Our Schools?
Click Here if you would like more information on how you can support our schools by working as a substitute teacher.
District Calendar
Cedar Grove Elementary
Location: 173 Cedar Grove Road, Toms River, NJ, USA
Phone: 732-505-5830
Twitter: @TRProudPatriots