Welcome back, and Happy New Year!! I hope your holidays were filled with much happiness, relaxation, and the joy of spending time with family and friends. It hardly seems possible that we are approaching the mid point of our school year! The students and teachers have been working so hard, and there still remains so much to accomplish before June is upon us.

January has some cold days, and that means your children should come to school dressed for the weather with warm coats, hats, and gloves. We plan on being outside during the lunch period for at least a little while as long as the weather permits. Please remind your child to bring their coats home every night. Strange as it may seem, our Lost and Found box is filled with some beautiful unclaimed coats that were left outside because the children removed them while playing. To make returns easier, please consider putting your child’s first name and grade on the inside tag.

Traffic continues to be a challenge, especially in the mornings, especially on Yantacaw Place. I try to be out there as often as possible to aid the children in getting out of the cars. Please look for me to help you, and pull to the curb to avoid having anyone run between cars or cross in the middle of the block. The protocol is as always STOP, DROP, and GO.

Again, thank you for the gift of your child. It is truly a pleasure for each of us to have the opportunity to work with you and your family for the education of your child.

Yantacaw

Homecoming Sept 23, 2011

Document(s)

homecoming Flier-2.pdf

Yantacaw

Principal's Message - Welcome Back

NUTLEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

YANTACAW SCHOOL

20 YANTACAW PLACE

NUTLEY, NEW JERSEY 07110

DAVID SORENSEN Tel: 973-661-8892

Principal

September 7, 2011

Dear Parents/Guardians:

I would like to extend a warm, “Welcome back,” to you and to your children. I hope you had an enjoyable summer and are ready to meet the challenges that a new school year brings. A special welcome is extended to parents and students who are new to Yantacaw.

We have had several changes in the staff at Yantacaw School. Mrs. Balitsos and

Ms. Pavlecka will join our sixth grade staff, Mrs. Lynch and Ms. Shertel will join our fifth grade staff, Ms. Alfaro will join our third grade staff, Ms. Maggiano will join our second grade staff, Ms. West is Basic Skills and Mrs. Kearney will be Special Services. We look forward to working with everyone.

We hope you will take the time to note important dates on the monthly calendars that are sent home. Our PTO Open House is scheduled for Tuesday, September 20^th. Please try to attend. More information will be forthcoming. In remembrance of the

10 year anniversary of September 11^th, Friday, September 9^th will be red, white and blue day.

Our PTO, led by Kerry Schilp and Kathy Cugliari, has many activities planned for this year. The first meeting of the PTO is on September 13^th. Please join this wonderful group and support their efforts to serve the students of our school. Parental involvement is the key to success.

I would like to highlight several school procedures:

¨ Please note that the Kindergarten classes enter through the center doors, grades one through three enter on the south playground and grades four through six enter on the north playground. The door your child enters may not be the door he/she exits. If you are not sure which door your child exits, please ask his/her teacher or check in the main office.

¨ If your child needs to be given any over the counter medication or a prescription drug, a note from you and your physician must be submitted to our school nurse, Mrs. Flannery. If your child has been hospitalized, had surgery, or has been injured and has a cast or crutches, please notify Mrs. Flannery immediately. Also, please notify Mrs. Flannery if there are any changes in your child’s health status during the school year.

¨ Children will be permitted to distribute party invitations in school only if all class members or all boys/girls are to receive one.

¨ Proper attire is needed to participate in physical education. If your child needs to be excused from this class for the day please send in a note.

¨ Students are encouraged to dress appropriately to season and school activities. Any attire that is deemed inappropriate or unsafe to a child or that child’s classmates will be considered unsuitable and unacceptable for school. The building administration reserves the right to interpret what is appropriate dress or attire.

¨ Students will leave the classroom to participate in the instrumental music program.

¨ The lunch menu will be listed on the back of the monthly calendar. Also, the District is going to be changing the procedure for ordering lunch. Information will be sent home later in September introducing the new procedure and process. Due to the number of lunch choices, please make certain your child knows what he/she is ordering prior to entering school. There will be no supervision on the playground

at lunchtime on days of inclement weather. Students who leave the building

on these days are encouraged not to return any earlier than 12:20pm.

¨ Due to increased enrollment and to ensure the safety of our children, when bringing them to school and picking them up, please do not enter the building, but remain outside the assigned entrance/exit doors. If it is necessary for you to visit the school, you must sign in at the main office, stating the nature of your visit. We must know who is in the building and where they are at all times. All doors will remain locked during the entire school day.

¨ With the excessive traffic on Yantacaw Place, it is extremely dangerous for children to exit cars in the middle of the street. Please make certain that you drop your child off at the curb. Stop, drop & go signs are designated in this area. In order to enable cars to pull to the curb we ask that you not park your car at the yellow curb. If your car is left unattended in this area, the police will ticket the car. We also ask that you not park your car in the teachers’ parking lot, and under no circumstances should you drop your children off in that lot.

¨ Please do not send your child to school prior to 8:25 AM nor 12:25 PM. There is no supervision prior to that time.

¨ Please do not bring pets on school property.

¨ When bringing your child to school, please have him/her line up with his/her class and enter at the designated door.

¨ If you pick your child up after school, please remind him/her to come to the office if he/she cannot find you.

¨ Our attendance policy remains the same. Parents must call the main office,

661-8892, before 9:00 AM, if your child will be absent from school. If your child is dismissed early, please report to the main office to meet your child. Any changes in addresses or phone numbers are to be reported to the office immediately. This is of the utmost importance for the safety of all our students.

¨ If your child is being dismissed for CCD, please wait outside his/her regular exit. Please send a notification to your child’s teacher, indicating what day he/she attends CCD and when it begins.

¨ Since we do not wish to interrupt classroom instruction, please call the office for an appointment if you wish to speak to your child’s teacher.

¨ Please make all homework requests, for children who are absent, through the school office before lunchtime. Assignments may be picked up at the office no earlier than 3:15 PM. If an older sibling or friend is picking up the homework, please advise him/her to report to the office after dismissal from school.

It is important for your child to derive maximum benefits from the educational program at Yantacaw School. Cooperation between the home and school is essential if this goal is to be attained. Communication between you and your child’s teacher is a necessary ingredient for success. There is truly no limit to what we can accomplish together.

I wish you a healthy and happy school year. I look forward to working with you in continuing Yantacaw School’s fine tradition of excellence.

Sincerely,

David Sorensen

Principal