Ashbrook News

The Gingerbread Man Adventure!

Our Preschool Stars had quite an adventure with our Gingerbread Man! After spending the week hiding in different places around Ashbrook, our sneaky little cookie kept everyone guessing about where he might turn up next. The big question was: Where is the Gingerbread Man? The adventure finally came to an end when our Gingerbread Man was discovered hiding in my office, where all of our preschool classes came to find him! The squeals of delight, wide eyes, and excitement as our little ones spotted him were absolutely priceless. It was the perfect ending to a very sweet adventure, and I think our students are already wondering what kind of adventure we will have next!

School Custodian Day

We celebrated School Custodian Day by recognizing our wonderful day custodian, Mel! We all love and appreciate Mel so much and are lucky to have her as part of our Ashbrook family.

Week of Respect

This week is Week of Respect! We are all enjoying special themes, activities, and conversations focused on kindness, inclusion, friendship, and treating others with respect. We are talking about what respect looks like, sounds like, and feels like throughout our school.

Coming Up: Our First STAR Assembly!

Next week, we will hold our very first STAR Assembly of the school year! We are excited to celebrate students who are Staying Safe, Taking Responsibility, Always Being Kind, and Respecting Everyone.

Then, on Friday, October 23, we will have a special Omega Man Assembly all about the superhero within each of us! Students will also be invited to wear a superhero shirt or dress up as a superhero that day.

Good attendance is essential to student achievement and graduation. Nationwide, as many as one out of 10 students are chronically absent, meaning they miss 10 percent or more of school days for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences. This translates to about 18 missed days a year or about a month of school. Sporadic, not just consecutive, absences matter! Based on research, chronic absenteeism marks the point where students start to fall behind academically. Therefore, we as a district continue to be committed to focusing on reducing chronic absenteeism to give all our students an equitable opportunity to learn, grow and thrive academically, emotionally and socially.

The district has specific policy, regulations and procedures in place to record, monitor and track absences over time. Each child’s school will communicate with parents when absences begin to accumulate. The schools are committed to working with families in these instances to develop strategies for improving attendance to ensure minimal impact on educational programming.

We recognize that some absences are unavoidable. Occasionally children get sick and need to stay home. What is important is getting children to school as often as possible and avoiding any unnecessary absences. Together we can make a difference!

Some Attendance Tips to Promote Student Learning:

• Make sure your child keeps a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine so they are rested and alert when they get to school.
• Turn off all electronics including TVs, phones and tablets at bedtime.
• Pack backpacks and make sure clothes are ready the night before.
• Check with the school nurse if you are not sure about when to keep your child at home due to illness.
• Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.
• Talk to your child’s teacher and school counselor for advice if your child feels anxious about going to school.
• Develop back up plans for getting to school if something comes up or the bus is missed. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your child to school, if needed.

Please communicate regularly with your child’s school staff and let them know how we can best support you and your child for a successful school year where students attend school on time every day, whenever possible.

October

Focuses on autumn leaves, transitions, managing nervous thoughts, and learning to give yourself grace.

https://sites.google.com/lumberton.k12.nj.us/aeslearningportal/home - Counseling website

https://sites.google.com/lumberton.k12.nj.us/virtualcalmingroom/home - Virtual Calm Room

Tips for a Successful School Year:

• Establish a bedtime/morning routine

• Homework/reading space

• Communicate with the school

• Make attendance a priority

• Coming to school on time

• Get involved

• Attend school events

• Read together

• Positive reinforcement

• Limit screen time

• Get homework help/tutoring if needed

We are excited to announce that the Lumberton School District tradition will continue this year with our annual Harvest parade and class parties.

🎃 WHEN: Friday, October 30

🎃 Preschool Parade & Party: 9:40 am with party right after at 10am

🎃 Kindergarten & 1st Grade Parade: 2:00 pm

Families will have an opportunity to line up outside our schools and watch their students parade by in costumes. Immediately following the parade, students will have a Harvest class party hosted by our PTA volunteers. We look forward to seeing you at the parade!

A few reminders for families:

🎃 We are requesting that preschool students only come to school in their costumes. Costumes should be worn over student’s clothes.

🎃 K-1 students should bring their costumes to school in a bag with all items clearly labeled with their names. Please do not have your students wear their costumes to school. Please have your child wear comfortable clothing that their costume can fit on top of.

🎃 Costumes should not be violent or include masks that would obscure student vision, or weapons. If you do not want your child to participate in the costume parade, please let your child’s homeroom teacher know and we will have an alternate activity for your child.

🎃 Only room parents who are on the list provided by the PTA will be permitted to enter the building following the parade.

🎃 AES Parade Route: Up until 1:55, families can park in the school parking lot. After that time, our parking lot will be closed for student safety. Families will be directed to park at the municipal building. Our parade loop will start at the school and extend to the municipal building. Families should line up on the blacktop and grass to have the best views of the parade. There will be school staff on site to direct you when you arrive. The preschool students will parade around the front of the building and their parties are immediately after their very short parade.

WHEN TO STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL

· Fever over 100 orally within 24hr without fever reducing medications

· Has thrown up in the past 24 hours

· Has had diarrhea two or more times in the past 24 hours

· Seems ill

· Is not able to comfortably participate in school activities

· Coughs or sneezes more than usual

· Has pain in ears, throat, head or chest

· Young students: continual yellow or green drainage from the nose that is unable to be contained or cared for by the student themselves.

· Injury or illness which requires further immediate treatment. Antibiotic treatment of less than 24 hours and the possibility that a student may be communicable to others.

· Suspected contagious diseases (until treatment for 24 - 48hrs)

· chicken pox

· Flu or viral symptoms

· conjunctivitis (pink eye) with drainage

· pediculosis (head lice)

· scabies

· undiagnosed rashes

· untreated and uncovered ringworm

One approach we use to increase self-regulation skills in the classroom is the Zones of Regulation. The Zones is a framework that teaches students to identify feelings and use appropriate coping tools. Feelings and state of alertness are sorted into four colored zones. Students who are well regulated are able to be in the appropriate zone at the appropriate time. We encourage you to try using some of the "Zones" language at home with your child.

Blue Zone: Your body is running slowly. You may feel sad, bored, tired or sick.

Green Zone: Your body is ready to learn! You may feel happy, calm or focused. This is the Zone we expect students to be in for most of the day.

Yellow Zone: This is the caution zone, and your body starts to lose control. You may feel worried, stressed, annoyed, frustrated, silly or excited.

Red Zone: Your body is out of control. You may feel anger, aggression, or terror. This may look like a child having a tantrum or a meltdown.

It’s important to note that there is not a “bad” Zone as all of the Zones are expected at one time or another. More information on the Zones of Regulation can be found here. Kids Like Me also has tips and suggestions for using Zones of Regulation at home.

November 12th, 2026 - 7:30 p.m.

Ashbrook Elementary School

Board of Education Conference Room

33 Municipal Drive

Lumberton, NJ 08048

The EDC Program is now in its 36th year; program offers a safe, affordable and convenient (on-site) before and after-school childcare for Lumberton students in PreK-3 through 8th grade.

• Hours: open at 6:35am; close at 6pm (open most school days, with exception of a few half day afternoons)

• Program fully funded by parent tuition; discounted tuition offered to income eligible families

• Children are offered a fun, safe and relaxed atmosphere with opportunities for both indoor and outdoor activities

• All activities conducted/monitored by professional and caring staff

For more information, contact Mrs. Diane Solan, Coordinator, or Mrs. Jennifer Grimm, Secretary, by email or phone at 609-267-1406, Ext. 2004

Email: jkilgore@lumberton.k12.nj.us
Website: lumberton.k12.nj.us
Location: 33 Municipal Drive, Lumberton, NJ, USA
Phone: 609-518-0030