September 2026 Newsletter

Welcome back to the 2026-2027 school year!! The school year is off to a great start. We were excited to welcome all staff back to school on September 1, 2026 and students on September 8, 2026. The opening week of school was a huge success! Our Back to School Nights were well-attended. Families were happy to meet our amazing staff and see their students' classrooms. The school year has already been filled with learning and fun! We look forward to another great school year!

As we prepared for the start of the school year, we worked on a number of new and exciting projects for our district. One of those projects was related to communication with families. We updated our website and our mass broadcast system. Along with this, we are rolling out a district-wide parent communication app connected to our student information system. This means that families will no longer need to download and learn a new communication app each year or have different apps for different classrooms. Once you download the district app, you will be connected with your student’s teachers. We hoped to rollout the app to families prior to our Back to School Nights though the process to get approval of the app has been long. We look forward to sharing more information with families soon. In the meantime, feel free to take a look at our new website. As well, you are always welcome to contact your child's teacher and our school staff by telephone or email.

As a reminder, construction will continue at JFK Elementary School this fall. If you are a family that has a preschool student, please be mindful of staying away from physical education classes and other programs on the blacktop or playground after preschool dismissal and during the last period of the day for our students in kindergarten through grade 5. Everyone is working hard to keep our students safe during this transition period. Please see below for more information about the construction project.

I hope that our students and their families as well as our staff have a fun and exciting school year!

Our schools are always busy with activities and events! Please note some of the events taking place in the next few weeks.

• PTA Meeting: JFK School – September 29, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.
• Parent Meeting: Title III – September 30, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.; JFK School
• Parent Meeting: Title I – September 30, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.; JFK School
• Parent Meeting: Grading – September 30, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.; JFK School
• PTA Fall Picture Day at JFK – October 8, 2026
• PTA Pretzel Day – October 9, 2026
• Professional Day: Schools Closed for Students – October 12, 2026
• PTA Book Fair – October 13-16, 2026
• PTA Fall Picture Day at GMB – October 15, 2026
• Board Meeting – October 15, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.; JFK School
• PTA Trunk or Treat – October 27, 2026; JFK School
• Halloween Parade – October 30, 2026; JFK School
• PTA Fright Night – October 30, 2026; GMB School

Additional information can be found on the district website. I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.

Our district technology staff worked throughout the summer to make improvements to the district website and enhance how we communicate with families. This year, we are excited to introduce a district-wide parent communication app, along with updates to our mass communication system. These new tools will make it easier for families to stay informed, connected, and up-to-date with important school and district information. Additional information will follow in the coming days. Please also see the September Updates section above for more information. We are excited about these improved ways of communicating with our families!

Work on the construction project at JFK School has continued throughout the summer. It was an exciting summer with a lot of progress towards the completion of the addition. The exterior doors and most of the windows have been installed. The installation of the brick façade is almost complete. The interior portion that will become the preschool wing has been sheet rocked and painting continues. The individual classroom bathrooms have been tiled and the floors have been installed. The electrical supply to the building was also installed this summer.

At JFK School along Front Street, the emergency entrance is almost complete. This driveway will be blocked from vehicular traffic and will only be used by emergency vehicles as the need arises. The new staircase leading to the playground area is complete. Also along Front Street is the addition of 15-minute parking spaces. These spaces are intended to be used for quick visits to the school. If families need to pick up a child mid-day or drop something off at the school, they can use the short-term parking spots. These spots are not intended for long visits or all-day parking. In those cases, visitors should continue to park on the street. If you are utilizing these spaces, please park appropriately in designated spaces and in a manner that supports the flow of traffic. As a reminder, Front Street will continue to be blocked from through access during arrival and dismissal. If a car is in short-term parking and the cones are blocking the road, they will need to wait until the cones are removed to exit.

Related to the construction project, school vehicular and foot traffic will follow the same patterns as last school year. JFK School families should note the information below. Mr. Tozzi will send home additional information as needed regarding movement around campus.

• Construction is in progress on the southwest side of the building between the soccer field and blacktop area.
• Families do not have access from the parking lot to the blacktop by walking between the Mods and JFK School.
• The blacktop area is only accessible from Front Street.
• All students will be dismissed from the blacktop.
• For dismissal, families must go to the blacktop from Front Street. This is the only way to access the blacktop area during construction.
• Families who pick up preschool students and remain on campus for the dismissal of students in kindergarten through grade five are kindly asked to stay away from students who are outside as part of their classroom instruction.

• No one should enter the fenced area.
• As the school year continues, we will continue to update families on any changes.

Below are recent pictures of the construction progress.

Understanding How We Grade

This year, Jamesburg Public Schools is continuing to strengthen how we use grades to communicate student learning. Our goal is simple: grades should give families a clear picture of what their child knows, understands, and can do.

Our students complete many different types of work throughout the school day. Some assignments are opportunities to practice new skills and receive feedback. Other assignments help teachers check how well students are understanding the learning so they can provide additional support or adjust instruction. Students also have opportunities to independently demonstrate what they have learned through assessments, writing, projects, problem-solving, performances, and other meaningful tasks.

Given the fact that our district includes preschool to grade eight, not every assignment has the same purpose. Not every assignment should have the same impact on a student's grade. Practice is an important part of learning, but a grade should primarily reflect meaningful evidence of academic learning.

There have been conversations happening throughout the district related to grading. We wanted to share some of the common misconceptions that are being circulated and clarify the information.

Myth: Homework is no longer assigned.

Fact: Homework will be assigned to students at the teacher's discretion as it has been. Teachers will place homework assignments in the gradebook as appropriate. Homework may receive a grade depending on the purpose of the activity.

Myth: Tests are no longer given.

Fact: Assessments have not changed this year. Students will be given projects. quizzes, and/or tests that align with the classroom instruction.

Myth: The district changed the entire grading system.

Fact: The grading system has not changed. The weights of certain categories of grades has been updated to reflect student practice, application of skills, and mastery of standards and/or learning objectives.

As a district, we are working toward greater consistency across classrooms while recognizing that grading and demonstrating learning will look different depending on a student's grade level and subject area. Our goal is to make grades more meaningful and helpful for students and families and to ensure that grades reflect growth and learning rather than simply completing work.

Families are invited to attend the Parent Information Session on grading which is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at JFK School. Information was sent to families. Please see the flyer below.

As we begin the new school year, I want to share an important update regarding student use of internet-enabled devices. In accordance with New Jersey Department of Education requirements, schools are implementing a “bell-to-bell” approach to limit the use of devices such as cell phones during the school day. This change is designed to help students stay focused on learning, build stronger connections with their peers, and create a positive school environment. We know that any change can take some getting used to, and we appreciate our families’ support and partnership as we work together to make this transition smooth and successful for our students! Please see the correspondence below regarding the bell-to-bell ban on internet-enabled devices.

• In most cases, the first contact should be with the teacher.
• If the teacher is not able to assist you, they will help direct you to someone who can.
• In the event of a preschool concern, families may contact the Preschool Coordinator, Ms. Jennifer Vanderburg, after contact with the teacher though before contacting the building principal.
• In the event of a High 5 need, families should contact Ms. Rebecca Pinho, Director of High 5.
• If a situation is not resolved to a satisfactory level, the parent or guardian should then contact the appropriate administrator. This may be the Principal, Director of Student Services, or the Director of Curriculum and Instruction.
• If those avenues do not produce satisfactory results, the parent or guardian may contact the Superintendent.
• If all options are exhausted and the parent or guardian does not believe the situation has been resolved, they may share their concern with the Board of Education.

As the school year begins, your child may struggle with the transition back to school. This may cause a need for support. Many reasons exist as to why students may need support. In the event your student is struggling in some way or if you believe there is information we should be aware of in order to support your student, please contact us. There are a number of ways we can help support your child whether you are concerned about academics, social-emotional support, or some other area. We are happy to share with you ways in which we can support your child.

Contact Information:

JFK School

Telephone Number (732) 521-0400

Principal - Mr. Michael Tozzi, mtozzi@jamesburg.org

School Secretary - Ms. Mary Lucas, mlucas@jamesburg.org

School Secretary (Bilingual) - Ms. Brianda Azcona, bazcona@jamesburg.org

School Counselor - Ms. Jennifer Jordan, jjordan@jamesburg.org

School Counselor - Ms. Amanda Pavlis, apavlis@jamesburg.org

School Nurse - Ms. Bernadine Czekaj, bczekaj@jamesburg.org

GMB School

Telephone Number (732) 521-0303

Principal - Mr. Chad Donahue, cdonahue@jamesburg.org

School Secretary - Ms. Michelle Birk, mbirk@jamesburg.org

School Secretary (Bilingual) - Ms. Brianda Azcona, bazcona@jamesburg.org

School Counselor - Ms. Nada Soto, nsoto@jamesburg.org

School Nurse - TBD