Welcome Back!

NB Families,

It was great to see so many parents at Back-to-School Night last evening. From familiar faces to new faces, we love to have parents involved in our school!

Today we had our first Blue and Gold Assembly of the school year. We discussed our school rules, the character pillars, and talked about the patriotism and kindness that we show on 9/11 and every day.

Please take a look at the newsletter for information about Picture Day, today's HSA Fun Fair, and more.

We will see you next week for a full, 5-day week!

Elissa Scillieri

Important Dates - Website Link

• What do I send with my child for Picture Day at NB?

• How do I pay for pictures?

• Why do we have a rain date for Picture Day?

• When does my child's class take pictures?

• Can we take sibling pictures?

Our school district is partnering with local businesses and community partners in a statewide initiative to promote the national World Day of Bullying Prevention on October 5th. All staff and students are encouraged to wear blue to show their support for the cause, and we welcome everyone from our Pequannock Township community to join us in wearing a specially designed Pequannock-themed shirt for the day.

The Pequannock Profile of a Graduate outlines the skills and qualities that our community expects students to develop in order to succeed in their future endeavors, whether in higher education, the workforce, military service, or other career paths. In this section of the newsletter, I will highlight how these competencies and dispositions are being integrated and promoted at the elementary school level.

Communication

Graduates communicate clearly and purposefully.

• Listen Actively - Asking clarifying questions, paraphrasing, and giving nonverbal signals to demonstrate understanding.
• Express Ideas Effectively - Using domain appropriate vocabulary to articulate a clear claim or vision in a concise, direct manner.
• Adapt Messages Across Audiences, Media, and Contexts - Understanding the needs of an audience, as well as identifying various communication methods. and their strengths and weaknesses.

What does this look like at NB?

Students will develop active listening skills through collaborative activities and explicit instruction on effective listening strategies across all classes. They will articulate their ideas using grade-level and subject-specific vocabulary, while also learning to distinguish between facts and opinions. A variety of communication methods will be utilized, including verbal strategies such as discussions, group work, and projects, as well as written formats like essays and Google Slides presentations. Additionally, students will receive instruction on different media platforms and best practices for safe and responsible communication online.

At the end of the second day of school, Friday, 9/11, the HSA will be hosting a Fun Fair for all NB students. See this poster for more information about the event. Click here to register your child for the Fun Fair and please consider volunteering to help.

If you are interested in volunteering to be a class parent this year, please fill out this form after you know your child's teacher.

Click on the picture below for the link to the Sock Sale.

We are so pleased to announce our HSA apparel sale! Click on the picture below for the link.

The HSA currently has a Co-President position open. While only one position is open, see below for an additional nomination option should there be no interest in the president position

The President(s) shall preside at all meetings, speak on behalf of the Executive Board, and perform the customary duties of the office. There may be 2 Co-Presidents on the Board at one time to share duties. The President(s) and Treasurer must co- sign all checks. The President(s) shall appoint all chairpersons of the committees. In the event of the resignation of a chairperson, the President(s) shall appoint a replacement for the remainder of the term. The President(s) will periodically meet with the Principal and/or the Superintendent of Schools, per request. Currently 1 vacancy for 2026-2027 year.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiV6z4ohMgu9p2ZBR8d3BmZQpVDoemXVUKuS3mMT-I8U4OWg/viewform?usp=header

Join the NB HSA and check out our upcoming activities on the NB HSA website: https://nbshsa.org/

Please see the letter below from Mrs. Competiello, our ELA Supervisor, for more information about the new ELA program as well as the inclusion of cursive handwriting in Grades 3-5.

Please see the letter attached below from Mrs. VanSickle, our Director of Curriculum and Instruction, for changes to the G&T program this year.

The elementary handbook outlines general procedures for the three elementary schools. Information regarding specific policies and regulations can be found on the district website.

Students are expected to maintain regular attendance at school. We ask for your partnership in bringing students to school each day when they are well, and scheduling vacations around school days. Please note that the state tracks all absences, even those with doctor's notes or a parent phone call (even ones that we mark as "excused"). To help keep you aware of your child's totals, families will be notified at 5, 10, 13 and 16 absences. At 10 or more days absent, we may request a conference or a phone call where we can help develop personalized strategies to improve your child's attendance. Please reach out if you notice any signs of school avoidance, or if you have questions about whether to keep your child home. As always, thank you for your support!

Pomptonian is our lunch service provider. You can view menus and obtain allergy information by following this link. All elementary students must pre-order lunch. Lunches are made at the high school and transported to the elementary schools.

Any families that might benefit from free and reduced lunch are encouraged to check out the district’s website and consider applying. If you qualified last year, please be sure to apply again this year as the program requires annual updates. Students will receive lunches identical to those of their peers and their information remains confidential.

The State of New Jersey has enacted a cell phone ban in all public schools. This applies to all smart devices, including watches, glasses, etc. If your child has a smart device, it should be turned off or silenced and kept in the backpack for the duration of the day. This includes any type of smart watch, even if it is on school mode. It may not be worn during school hours. Please refer to 5516R for more information.

Our committee for the inclusive playground has been working over the summer to secure donations and organize with vendors and contractors on an optimistic timeline that would ideally have an operational playground in place before the end of the year. While the playground will be at NB, it really is intended as a community play space that will be open to all families not only in our town, but also surrounding towns as well. Our website has more information about the project and how to donate to this great effort.

Please note that the courtyard that held the prior playground structure will be under construction while the playground installation is in progress. Currently, all structures have been removed and there is now a grassy area inside the fence. As this construction continues, please keep your children safe and out of that area.

Photo credit goes to Maureen Brain for her beautiful pictures of North Boulevard School.