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Dear KDM Family,

Thank you to all of the families who joined us for Back to School Night. It was wonderful seeing so many of you throughout the evening, connecting with families, and beginning the year with such a strong sense of community. We truly appreciate your partnership and the enthusiasm you bring to KDM.

Our teachers also spent time this week working together during grade-level meetings. These conversations are helping us better understand our students' strengths and areas for growth while identifying ways to adjust instruction to meet their individual needs. We are excited to continue using this information to help every student grow and make meaningful progress.

WALK-A-THON FUNDRAISING UPDATE

We are already looking forward to the KDM PTA Walk-a-Thon on Friday, October 9! KDM families, you continue to impress us! We have officially reached $7500 in fundraising, and that number continues to climb! Thank you for the incredible participation, generosity, and enthusiasm you have shown throughout this campaign.

Thank you for another wonderful week and for everything you do to make KDM such a special place for our students. We hope you have a relaxing weekend and look forward to another great week together!

Sincerely,
Brian Rawlins
Principal

"Success is not about being better than the other person. Success is about being a better person than I was the day before." --Anonymous

Check out Mrs. Bodnar's September Character Strong Newsletter. Feel free to discuss this month's theme with your students at home.

Tune in for the District's Listening Sessions. The next session is focused on Mental Health and is slated for October 1st at 6 pm at the Copeland Middle School Library.

Join us for a fun week of daily themes surrounding Respect and Kindness!

District Superintendent, Dr. Richard Corbett, will be hosting Coffee Chats throughout the school year. Save the date for October 13th at 6:30 pm. Please RSVP at this link.

Our girl scout troop is forming now! Interested KDM Daisies can reach out to rockawaygirlscouts@gmail.com.

Rockaway Borough and Rockaway Township are cohosting a Scarecrow Showdown and the residents from both towns are eligible to partake in the fun and first time ever competition. Check out the Township and Borough websites for more information.

Thank you to all the families who came out to Back to School Night. We had a great time and look forward to a fantastic school year. Thank you to Dr. Corbett for opening the evening and welcoming the families. Check out more photos here.

• Genesis Parent Portal: The portal is open. HERE you will find vital information regarding your child’s schedule, teacher’s name, and bus assignments.
• School Day Hours: Doors open at 8:30 am. Instruction begins at 8:45 am and ends at 3:10 pm. I kindly ask that you ensure your children arrive at school on time and make regular attendance a priority. Consistent attendance is crucial for your child’s social, emotional and academic growth. Please see the bell schedule HERE.
• Attendance: Your child’s well-being and attendance are important to us. Please familiarize yourself with the district attendance Policy 5200 on the Rockaway Township School District’s site at www.rocktwp.net.
• If a student is going to be absent, parents/guardians are expected to contact the school.
• Phone: Call 973- 627-7512 to report the absence. Please leave a message if the call is not answered.
• Email: Please send all related attendance correspondence to your child's teacher and kdmattendance@rocktwp.net.
• Bus Transportation Expectations: Please acknowledge receipt of this document on Genesis. These “Expectations” will be thoroughly enforced. Click HERE for the document.
• We ask that students be at their designated bus stop five minutes in advance to ensure that they have a smooth and timely transition onto the bus.
• Parent Drop-Off Procedures: Please enter the driveway next to transportation and come down the hill. Follow the cones in the parking lot, and weave your way to the side entrance of the building. Staff will help direct parents and greet students.
• Parent Pick-Up Procedures: On the days that parents pick their child up from school, we ask that they email their child's teacher and kdmattendance@rocktwp.net by 12pm . This ensures that your child is in the appropriate place for dismissal and eliminates confusion. Please use the visitor's spots in the front lot or the parking lot across the street.
• Supply Lists: Click HERE.
• Water Bottles (refillable): Please send labeled water bottles so the students can use and refill them.
• Lunch: Please see the links below to learn more about ordering lunch. KDM is happy to be providing a Grab-and-Go breakfast (for a fee) this year as well.
• For Maschio’s Payment Registration, click HERE
• Eligible students may apply for free and reduced lunch HERE
• Assessments Schedule: Please review the link for this year’s assessment schedule HERE.
• Back to School Night (9/22) and Conferences: Back to School night is slated for Tuesday, September 22nd and conferences are set for November 19th - 24th. Please mark your calendars. More information is forthcoming.
• KDM Website: Click HERE
• Communication Framework: Click HERE. In order to ensure that all communications are directed to the right person, please use this framework with regard to all school-related inquiries.
• The YMCA will continue before and after care at the designated schools.

"This week, first grade classes read The Dot, a story that shows that we can grow, and we don't have to be perfect! First graders were then challenged to build the tallest tower that could hold a dot!"--Mrs. Jacobson

Mrs. Ronay's class enjoyed Sadie's first visit of the year!

Thank you to Lauren Farrand of the KDM PTA for hosting another fantastic Candy Bar Bingo! We're grateful to Mr. Ferrucci, Mr. DiGiacomo, Mr. Fraysier, and Mr. Libby mastered the call numbers, announcing, confirmed winners, and handed out Candy Bars. They kept the event lively and fun!

A great time was had by all!

• September 22nd (Tuesday) - 28th (Monday): iReady ELA Inform, Grades 1-5
• October 5th (Monday) - 9th (Friday): KDM Week of Respect
• October 9th (Friday): KDM PTA Walk-a-Thon
• October 12th (Monday): Columbus Day - Schools Closed /Staff In-Service
• October 13th (Tuesday): KDM Spirit Day
• October 15th (Thursday): KDM PTA Meeting
• October 16th (Friday): KDM PTA Walk-a-Thon Assembly
• October 21st (Wednesday): Rockaway Township Fire Department Assembly