10/30/2026 Edition

• October 30th- SJG HSA Halloween Party 6-7:30pm
• November 5th and 6th- School Closed for NJEA Teacher's Convention
• November 10th- Picture Retake Day
• November 10th- Grade 3 Veteran's Day Concert 1:45pm and 7pm
• November 11th- Parent / Teacher Conferences 3-4:30pm
• November 11th- Grades K-1 Author Visit
• November 12th- 12:40 Dismissal for Students
• November 12th- Parent / Teacher Conferences 1:30-7:30pm
• November 13th- 12:40 Dismissal
• November 18th- Educator of the Year information due by 3pm to the main office
• November 19th- 4th Grade Volcano Day 9:30am in APR
• November 25th- 12:40 Dismissal
• November 26th and 27th- School Closed for Thanksgiving Break

October 30, 2026

Dear Parents and Guardians:

We have had a successful start to the school year and thank you for your support along the way. In an effort to keep open lines of communication, we are pleased to offer parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday November 11th, from 3:00-4:30 P.M. and Thursday, November 12th from 1:30-7:30 P.M. Teachers will schedule a one-hour dinner break, most likely in the 5pm-6pm area. Conferences will be held in-person at Stephen J. Gerace.

Please note that students will be dismissed on an early dismissal schedule on both November 13th and 14th. No lunch will be served on those days.

Each teacher, including special area teachers and interventionists, will be available to meet with you. The window to enter your conferences will begin on Monday, November 2nd at 9:00 A.M. and remain open until Monday, November 9th at 4:00 P.M. Please log onto the Parent Portal in Genesis and use these directions to help you schedule. You can only schedule one conference per teacher. Once a time slot has been selected, it is not available for any other parent to select. If you need to reschedule the conference after entering, you will need to call the school to change the conference time. This is done to ensure that last minute changes are conveyed to the teacher in a timely fashion. Please be sure to allow at least one open block in between meetings with multiple teachers. We need to adhere to the schedule closely to accommodate everyone. If you need further information or follow-up when your time is up, you may email the teacher to continue communication.

The following staff members are not in Genesis for conferences, so please click on the link for each staff member if you would like to sign up for a conference:

Mr. Im - School Counselor

Mrs. Griffith - School Nurse

Mrs. Helmrich - Speech Language Pathologist

Mrs. Capone - Occupational Therapist

We thank you for your cooperation and look forward to seeing you at conferences.

Sincerely,

Matthew Reiner

Matthew Reiner
Principal
Stephen J. Gerace Elementary School

We are currently looking for nominations for SJG Educator of the Year and Support Professional of the Year for this school year. If you would like to nominate a teacher or support professional, please review the criteria below that explains what makes a teacher or support professional eligible to be nominated and complete the form that is below by November 18th.

Requirements

Any educators nominated for this award must meet all of the following requirements:

• Be an exceptionally skilled and dedicated licensed classroom teacher (PreK to grade12 in a public or charter school) where teaching is the primary responsibility rather than administrative or supervisory responsibilities or an educational services professional (ESP) who is listed as one of the eligible enrollment areas
• Must have the latest summative rating of at least effective; if the teacher or the ESP has not received a summative rating at the time of application, then their most current practice rating should be at least effective or the equivalent
• Be an expert in the field who inspires students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn
• Actively collaborate with colleagues, students, and families to create a strong culture of respect and success
• Demonstrate leadership and innovation in educational activities at the school, district and/or state and national levels that take place both within and outside the school setting
• Have the respect and admiration of students, parents and colleagues
• Have not earned the title of school, county or state Teacher of the Year nor ESP of the Year for the past five (5) years

Note: There is no requirement for minimum number of years in the classroom, however as an ambassador for education, this is an award based on merit and leadership and not to be given out solely based on years of service, like a retirement award.

Educational Services Professional of the Year Enrollment Area

In order to compete for Educational Services Professional of the Year nominees must be classified as one of the following:

• Anti-Bullying Specialist
• Athletic Trainer
• Behavior Specialist
• Child Study Team
• Cooperative Education Coordinator/Hazardous Occupations
• Educational Interpreter (Cued Speech, Transliteration, Oral Interpreting, Sign Language Interpreting)
• Guidance / School Counselor
• Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant
• Library Media Specialist
• Mathematics Specialist / Mathematics Coach
• Nurse (Instructional & Non-instructional)
• Occupational Therapist
• Paraprofessional (Instructional only)
• Physical Therapist
• Psychologist
• Reading Specialist / Reading Coach
• Social Worker
• Speech Language Specialist
• Student Assistant Coordinator
• Technology Coach

.

Information regarding free and reduced lunch can be found by following this link.

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.

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 weekly highlight how these competencies and dispositions are being integrated and promoted at the elementary school level.

• Encourages thoughtful expression, growth, and continuous improvement

• Is open to and accepting of feedback

• Thinks about possible outcomes before making decisions and taking action

• Is committed to growing and learning in all situations and experiences

Students reflect on experiences by thinking about what went well, what was challenging, and what they might do differently next time. For example, after completing a writing assignment, a student identifies a strength in their work and sets a goal for improvement. Students learn from feedback by listening to suggestions from teachers and peers, considering different perspectives, and using feedback to improve their work. For example, a student revises a math explanation after a teacher asks a question that encourages deeper thinking. Students are able to recognize strengths and areas for growth by identifying what they do well and understanding that there are skills they are still developing. For example, a student recognizes that reading fluency is a strength but sets a goal to improve reading comprehension. Students are able to demonstrate a growth mindset through viewing mistakes and challenges as opportunities to learn rather than reasons to give up. For example, a student tries a different strategy when the first attempt at solving a problem does not work.

Anthony did an amazing job this week reciting The Pledge of Allegiance, as well as our kindness quote for the day. Thank you for being so awesome Anthony!

We continue to 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 still counts 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, at the beginning of each month, we notify parents of students who have been tardy or absent 5, 10, or more days thus far. At 10 or more days absent, we will often 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!

Click on the link below for our 2026-2027 Handbook.

If you are looking for future events, we update the SJG Calendar of Events as we solidify dates. You can find the calendar on our website but below is the link that we will keep in our newsletter going forward.

The HSA Board is excited to welcome all of our families to the 2026-2027 school year. We have a lot of fun activities planned. Follow our Instagram and Facebook for upcoming news and events!

Sincerely,

Kelley Acker, President

Dana Arrigo, Vice President

Alexa Lynch, Treasurer

Steph Naser, Corresponding Secretary

Cara Colombo, Recording Secretary

Follow our calendar to stay updated on upcoming events!

Join us for a spooktacular party!

Wear your costumes and bring your bags for treats!
Every ghoul and goblin must be accompanied by an adult.

Check in will begin at 6:00pm
$7.00 per person--each attendee (adult & child) must purchase a ticket before the event. Decorate a table and your ticket is free!
***Wristbands will be distributed prior to the event.
***Tickets WILL NOT be available for purchase at the door.
* Please note- in the event of inclement weather, this event will be moved indoors. This may require us to split the event into two time slots. More instructions to follow depending on weather.
*This event is open to SJG students and siblings age 6 and younger. NO OLDER SIBLINGS.
*Pizza, desserts and drinks will be served.

SIGN UP FOR THE HALLOWEEN PARTY HERE

Our 2026-2027 HSA Membership is officially open! Brand new this year, if you want to be a class parents, you have to be a member of the HSA. Use this link to complete our membership form: Join the HSA here!

Our committee for the inclusive playground worked hard 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.

We have a new Pequannock Township School District Promotional Video that was created by PTHS students as part of a passion project. This is amazing! Give it a view!

Email: Matthew.Reiner@pequannock.org
Website: sjg.pequannock.org
Location: 59 Boulevard, Pequannock Township, NJ, USA
Phone: (973) 3055615
Twitter: @SJGPride

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sjgpride/