Overbrook Newsletter

Principal's Message

Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year at Overbrook High School! We are excited to begin another year of learning, growth, and opportunity, and we look forward to partnering with you in your child’s education. We are especially pleased to welcome our families from Clementon and Berlin Township to the Pine Hill School District. We are thrilled to have you as part of our school community and look forward to a successful year together!

Our school and district administrative teams have been working hard to prepare for a successful and exciting school year. As we look ahead to the start of the year, we are pleased to share several updates and improvements designed to support our students and enhance their overall school experience.

In this newsletter, you’ll find important information about policy updates, new programs, support services, and what students and families can expect during the first days of school and throughout the year. We look forward to partnering with you to make this a positive, productive, and successful school year for all of our students.

At Overbrook, we believe in the potential of every student and are committed to providing the opportunities, support, and resources they need to grow and succeed.

High school is an exciting time filled with opportunities for learning, growth, and discovery. We encourage every student to take full advantage of the programs and resources available to them. We look forward to partnering with our students and families throughout the year and welcome you to reach out anytime with questions, concerns, or ideas.

John Carullo

Principal

Internet Enabled Devices

Last year, Overbrook introduced students to our expectation that cell phones be put away during instructional periods. This year, we will continue that practice while fully adhering to New Jersey’s new bell-to-bell cell phone law. Please review the letter from Dr. Williams below:

Internet Enabled Devices District Letter

Students will be expected to keep cell phones and other personal electronic devices off and away from the start of the school day until dismissal. Please review the Code of Conduct below to familiarize yourself with our expectations and consequences. Also, you can review Board of Education Regulation 5516 which reviews when students are permitted to use internet-enabled devices and what the consequences are for being caught with them. Section C of this regulation reviews High School expectations.

As part of our continued efforts to reinforce these expectations, beginning with a student’s third offense for having or using a cell phone in violation of the policy, a parent or guardian will be required to come to school to retrieve the device. This consequence is in line with recommendations from the State of New Jersey and is intended to provide a consistent response to repeated violations.

Our goal is to minimize distractions, increase student engagement, and create a safer, more focused learning environment. Families who need to reach their students during the school day may contact the main office at (856) 767-8000. Please also review our district infographic below for additional information.

Student Schedules

Access to Genesis, including student schedules, will be open on Monday, August 31. You must fill out all district forms on Genesis prior to gaining access to your students schedule. Please keep in mind that our counselors are still working out some of the conflicts with individual student schedules.

When wondering whether to request a schedule change, please refer to the infographic below.

Student Handbook and Student Code of Conduct

Our administration has spent the summer reviewing and updating the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct to ensure our expectations and procedures continue to support a safe, secure, and positive learning environment.

This year, we will continue our Student in Good Standing Program, which was introduced two years ago. We remain committed to providing students with the structure and support they need to grow academically, socially, and behaviorally.

Please take a few minutes to review the documents below and discuss the expectations and policies with your student(s). Your partnership is an important part of creating a successful school year.

Student Handbook

Code of Conduct

Student in Good Standing Program

Minga Year 2!

Overbrook High School is excited to continue our partnership with Minga for a second year. Minga is a campus management system used by many schools in our area and allows us to monitor hallways and other unsupervised areas more effectively.

At Overbrook, Minga serves as both a Digital ID and Hall Pass Monitoring System. The program continues to enhance the physical safety of our building while also supporting student well-being and accountability.

Please see the link below for additional information:

Minga Introduction to Families

Through the Digital ID feature, students can use the Minga app to access their school ID at school events, including dances and home and away athletic events, without needing to carry a physical ID card. The system also helps staff supervising our hallways quickly identify students who are out of class and monitor where students are throughout the building.

After a successful first year, we are looking forward to continuing and expanding our use of Minga throughout the 2026–2027 school year. Please see the flyer below for a refresher on the Digital ID and information about using Minga this year.

Minga Digital ID Flyer

Attendance

Did you know.... Research shows that most students with just 2 absences in the first month of school go on to miss more than 25 days total. Start the year off strong by making sure students are in school whenever they are not sick. We are making a strong push this year to encourage students to come to school. Not sure if you should send your student to school? Check out this infographic below:

No Credit Status

Students who accumulate more than 16 unexcused absences will be placed on No Credit Status and will become ineligible to participate in athletics and extracurricular activities.

Parents may excuse up to six (6) days of school using a parent note or a doctor's note. Any additional absences may count toward a student's unexcused absence total.

Credit Restoration

Once a student is placed on No Credit Status, they must participate in Credit Restoration to make up the required attendance days. There are two Credit Restoration options available during the 2026–2027 school year:

Option 1: After-School Credit Restoration

Students may attend After-School Credit Restoration from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the following dates. Each day attended will restore one (1) day of attendance.

April 2027: April 5–8 and April 19–22
May 2027: May 3–6 and May 17–20
June 2027: June 1–3 and June 7–10

Option 2: Summer Credit Restoration

Students may participate in Summer Credit Restoration, which will be offered during a two-week session in July. The program will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for eight (8) days.

Students may restore a maximum of twelve (12) attendance days through the Summer Credit Restoration program. Transportation may be available.

Lateness

This year, we are implementing a new model for addressing lateness to school.

If a student is late four (4) times after 8:00 a.m., those four late arrivals will count as one (1) absence for the purposes of Credit Restoration. This policy recognizes that repeated late arrivals result in students missing a significant portion of a class for which attendance and instructional time are required.

Students who arrive late to school but before 8:00 a.m. will not have the lateness counted as an absence for Credit Restoration. However, they may still face school disciplinary consequences through their Assistant Principal

Bus Passes

All bus passes have been mailed out by the Pine Hill transportation office recently to students in Pine Hill and Clementon. Please note that your address in our system is the address the pass was created from and will be mailed to. Any changes now will take time to process and change the route.

PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK GENESIS AS SOME TIMES HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED DUE TO ONGOING CONSTRUCTION

Please note that Berlin Township handles their own transportation

First Day of School and School Calendar 26-27

Overbrook High School and the Pine Hill School District will welcome students back to school on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Just a reminder that all students should be in Homeroom by 7:24AM.

For your reference, here is the Pine Hill School District Calendar:

Pine Hill School District 26-27 School Calendar

Please take note of the Early Dismissal Days for the High School on the School Calendar. There are some days in which the Elementary schools have early dismissal and the High School does not. Also, take note of our Staff Inservice Days.

Here is a list of all of our early dismissal days for the High School. High School dismissal time on early dismissal days is 11:30AM.

Wednesday, November 25

Wednesday, December 23

Friday, February 19

Friday, March 19

Friday, June 4

Friday, June 11

Monday, June 14

Tuesday, June 15

Wednesday, June 16*

Thursday June 17*

*Built in Snow Day that may be deducted in the event of no snow days.

Here is a list of all of our Staff Inservice Days. Please note that school is closed to students on these days.

Monday, August 31

Friday, October 9

Friday, January 15

Friday, February 12

Finally, please take note of the days that school will be closed in the school calendar for holiday observances, holiday breaks, and NJEA convention.

Summer Updates!

This summer, several spaces at Overbrook received exciting updates, and we are especially proud to announce the return of our Automotive Program!

Our automotive garage underwent a complete rehabilitation this summer, and the finished space looks incredible. We are currently stocking the garage with new equipment and supplies, including a few shop vehicles that students will be able to work on as part of their hands-on learning experience.

We are also excited to welcome Mr. Andy Cunard, who will be joining us as a part-time teacher and leading our Introduction to Automotive course this year.

This is just the beginning! Our goal is to continue building the program over the coming years and eventually expand it into a full-day Automotive Program with multiple levels of coursework.

We are thrilled to bring this opportunity back to Overbrook and can't wait to see our students get into the shop and start learning. If this is something you or your student may be interested in, please reach out to your school counselor. Check out our new automotive shop below!

Club Banner Refresh

In addition, thanks to the hard work of our Digital Arts teacher, Ms. Claudia Biddle, along with several of our club advisors and students, we have given our club banners a fresh new look!

We redesigned and digitized the logos for our many clubs and activities and had the new designs professionally mounted along the walls of the main hallway. After many years of proudly displaying our felt banners above the lockers, we will be retiring those banners at the end of this school year.

We are excited to showcase our new and updated club banners throughout Overbrook. Check them out below!

Back to School Night

Overbrook will be hosting our annual back to school night on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Our evening will begin at 6:00pm with a brief administrative presentation, after which parents will follow their student(s) schedules to meet their teachers. Our evening will conclude at 8:00pm. We look forward to seeing you there!

Save the Date!

Here are some important events during the course of this year for parents and guardians!

Thursday, September 10 - Back to School Night

Wednesday, November 18 - Virtual Parent Conferences

Thursday, February 18 - Virtual Parent Conferences

Wednesday, June 16 - HS Graduation

School Supplies

Each new student at OHS will be provided a district Chromebook, and all returning students should plan to bring their fully charged Chromebook to school beginning on Day 1.

Unlike the elementary schools, OHS does not have a formal supply list. Students should plan to bring their Chromebook each day, along with a binder or folder for paperwork, paper or a notebook, and something to write with.

Teachers will provide students with information about any additional supplies needed for specific courses during the first days of school.

Welcome New Staff!

We are excited to welcome several new staff members to Overbrook High School for the 2026–2027 school year! Each brings new experiences, talents, and energy to our school community. We look forward to the positive impact they will have on our students and staff. Please join us in giving our newest members of the Overbrook family a warm welcome!

Mr. Andy Cunard - Automotive

Ms. Kristina Esposito - CST

Ms. Madison Fyffe - Part Time District Nurse

Mr. Chris Gruda - Mathematics (Long Term Substitute)

Mr. Joseph Ivins - Achieve

Mr. John Maldonado - Business

Mr. Frank Medio - Woodshop

MS. Jeanette Walden - ASL

In addition, our former part-time district nurse, Mrs. Roxanne Sanger, is now the full time OHS Nurse!

We're Hiring!

We are looking for a few good teachers. If you know of anyone, please encourage them to apply or reach out to Mr. Carullo directly at jcarullo@pinehillschools.org

Freshman Orientation

We hosted Orientation for the Class of 2030 earlier this week! Please see our slideshow below that was presented to students and parents.

Class of 2030 Orientation Slideshow

SENIOR CLASS INFORMATION - Class of 2027

Attention Class of 2027! Welcome to SENIOR YEAR!

We will be kicking off Senior Year with Senior Sunrise, to take place on September 1 at 6:15am at the Football Field. All are welcome.

At the link provided below please see a letter from Mrs. Fisher and Mr. Burger regarding Senior Year Activities.

Senior Year General Information and Costs

Finally, the Senior Trip is May 20-May 22nd. Deposits are due September 18th to secure your spot.

Payments can be submitted to Mrs Fisher during homeroom in room A116. Cash, checks, or money orders only.

Make checks out to Overbrook High School
Include your student’s name in the memo section. Ex) C.Fisher- Senior Trip

Payment Schedule:

9/18- $350
11/20- $250
1/30- $200 (balance due)
Total cost is $800, and payments can be made in full.

We will take a Coach bus to Virginia and will have a very busy schedule visiting the attached venues. I have attached details and an itinerary.

3:30 PM Late Bus

Parents: We have a 3:30PM late bus that services Pine Hill and Clementon. Students must get a pass from the advisor or teacher that they are staying after with. The student will be dropped off at their regular school day bus stop. We can not drop students off at alternative locations. The 3:30 Late Bus will start on September 9.

Athletic Bus

We also offer an athletic bus for student-athletes who participate in after-school practices. This bus is available only to student-athletes who are in season and attending practice on the day they ride. The bus will also be available to students participating in performing arts programs when their scheduled rehearsals begin.

This bus service will begin on the first day of school, September 1, 2026.

Please note that students who are not participating in an athletic program or who are not currently in season are not permitted to ride the bus.

Bus Schedule for the Fall Season:

4:30 Bus - Pine Hill, Clementon, Berlin Township (provided by Berlin Township)

5:30 Bus - Pine Hill, Clementon

Broken and Lost Chromebook Fines

Please see the following list of fines for broken and/or lost Chromebooks. When a fine is issued for a Chromebook issue, a letter will be sent home to your address on file. All fines must be paid in order for students to participate in after school events including sports, dances, and graduation.

Broken Screen - $160

Palm Rest/Mouse Pad - $65

Keyboard - $17

Bottom Cover - $65

Battery - $30

Motherboard - $270

Complete Device - $360

Lost/Damaged Charger - $50

Free and Reduced Lunch Application

The Free and Reduced Lunch Application will be available on the district website and in the parent portal of Genesis along with the other forms required to be filled out at the beginning of the year. I have also included the link to the Cafeteria Resources page below.

Pine Hill School District Cafeteria Resources