Toll Gate Tidbits

Dear Toll Gate Families,

I am so excited to return to Toll Gate this week! Thank you for your support as Ms. M&M and I transition through the end of the week. Thank you to Ms. M&M for taking such great care of our school community in our absence. We have been off to a great start at Toll Gate. This past month our students have been busy getting to work after the first few weeks of establishing relationships and learning the routines of the classroom.

Last week we celebrated the week of respect, reviewing ways that we can show respect to one another throughout the school day. Last week we were also fortunate enough to have the Hopewell Valley Fire Department as well as the Pennington Fire department come to Toll Gate to teach us about the fire trucks and the safety gear. The students in grades K-3 also enjoyed the viewing of Safety Smart with Timon & Pumbaa. Our 4th & 5th grade students viewed the video, Fire is Black, and engaged in conversation about fire safety.

We will round out the month with a review of ALICE safety procedures during the week of October 21st. Our safety officer, Mr. Caloiaro, and I will be speaking with each classroom to review our protocols and discuss the importance of remaining quiet and following the directions of the adults during drills or emergency situations.

Finally, we will celebrate Halloween to end the month of October! More information on Halloween can be found below.

Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Melissa Lauri

While we know that technology is an important tool and is often used as a means to communicate changes in pick up or after school plans with your child, it is important for all technology to be off & away during the school day. This includes both cell phones and smart watches. The cell phones should be kept in the students lockers throughout the entire school day. In the event that a student's smart watch becomes a distraction during class time, teachers may ask students to take them off. If this becomes a recurrent problem, the teachers will communicate home and we may ask that a parent comes to pick the smart watch up from home. Please know that if at any point during the school day you need to communicate with your child, you can contact the main office.

This year the Halloween Parade will be in the morning at 9:15 am. Please send your child to school in their costume. The students will march from Curlis Avenue to the corner of Main Street and around the front loop of the school. We ask that families stay out of the front loop so we can maintain the safety of our students as they march through. Parents, guardians and family members are welcome to join us at the end of the parade in the back of the school on the blacktop to take pictures before the students go back into the building. Thank you to all of our class parents who will be volunteering their time to coordinate class parties with our teachers. We are looking forward to a fun day!

Some things to consider when choosing a costume for school:

• Fake weapons or items that may be construed as weapons (including plastic swords, guns, knives,etc.) may not be brought to school

• Costumes showing blood are not permitted

• Children should not wear costumes related to R-rated movies

For safety purposes:

• Please make sure children can walk in their costume

• Masks are not to be worn

Please be reminded that, parents will be required to show photo identification when picking students up from school early. It is also required that all visitors have an appointment prior to arriving to the school to meet with school personnel. All visitors must sign in to the main office and obtain a visitors badge. In the event you need to pick your child up from school early or you have a change in pick up, please email TGMainoffice@hvrsd.org.

As we bring awareness to bullying through National Bullying Prevention Month this October, I wanted to take the time to share some resources that help clarify the difference between bullying, as defined by the state of NJ, and conflict. In the event that your child is experiencing difficulty with another student and inappropriate use of words or actions takes place, please know that we have protocols for addressing student behavior both though the elementary code of conduct and through the HIB process set forth by the state of NJ. Please take some time to review the resources provided on the district anti-bullying page, which includes a video created to describe the HIB process, the definition of HIB and the criteria that must be met in order for a report to be confirmed as an HIB case. If you have any additional questions or concerns upon reviewing the resources, please reach out to me directly or to Ms. Courtney Schafer, our school counselor and anti-bullying specialist.

Parents are a crucial component to student academic success. As a means to ensure parent voices are heard and taken into consideration when making decisions for the school community, I would like to create a Parent Council. I am looking for 10-12 parent volunteers to meet with me monthly to discuss school curriculum, student social emotional well being, and upcoming school events. I would like to make sure that there is equal representation between all grade levels on this committee. If you are interested in serving on a parent council, please sign up here. If you are selected for parent council, you will hear from me directly by the end of the month. The first parent council meeting will take place in November.

Each year, the Hopewell Valley Regional School District participates in the Governor's Educator of the Year (GEOY) program, which recognizes exceptional teachers and educational services professionals for their hard work. Below are links to the nomination form and the eligibility criteria for nominating a teacher or educational services professional.

Please print the form and send it to Mrs. Lauri via mail or email by Friday, November 15, 2024. Each principal will form a committee to review nominations and select a winner for their building before Thanksgiving break. This is a great opportunity to celebrate the dedication and hard work of our teachers and educational services professionals who make a difference for our students, parents, caregivers, and community!

GEOY Nomination Form (pdf)

If you are familiar with Google Forms, feel free to click on the link below. You will be prompted to make a copy. Simply complete the form, save it, and then “share” with or email the link with Mrs. Lauri.

Governor’s Educator of the Year Nomination (Google form)

We will once again be recognizing support staff professionals from Hopewell Valley, for their hard work and dedication to the district. These individuals will be selected by a committee facilitated by Ms. Tana Smith and recognized by the Board of Education. If you know of a paraprofessional, secretary, custodian, maintenance worker, bus driver, van attendant, or technology specialist who is dedicated, inspiring, and making a difference in the lives of staff, parents, and students, please take the time to nominate this person. This can be done by clicking on the link below, completing the nomination form, and returning it to Tana Smith via email or interoffice mail by Friday, November 15, 2024. Administrators, staff members, parents, students, and community members are encouraged to participate.

Support Professional Nomination (pdf)

If you are familiar with Google Forms, feel free to click on the link below. You will be prompted to make a copy. Simply complete the form, save it, and then “share” with or email Tana Smith (tanasmith@hvrsd.org)

Support Professional Nomination (Google form)

October 16- Student Assemblies K-5, Storyteller Queen Nur & Dwight James

October 18- TG Quilt Assemblies grades K-5

October 21- Lifetouch Picture Day

October 24- Bus Evacuation Drills will be conducted in the morning

October 31- Halloween Parade at 9:15am

November 1- School Closed for Diwali

November 4-6- Early Dismissal for students- Parent Teacher Conferences

November 15- Educator of the Year Nominations Due

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