A Message from the Principal
Dear Arbor Families,
It has been a busy month here at Arbor School. Students and staff have been celebrating Black History Month with a variety of activities. In their classes, students participated in cross-curricular lessons that incorporated African American contributions to history, literature, music, science, art, and social justice. Students had the chance to collaborate with one another, explore new topics, and revisit topics that they have discussed throughout the year. Students also participated in the “Soup-er Bowl” Food Drive, bringing in items to donate to Replenish of Middlesex County. Please keep in mind that we intend on taking donations throughout the month, even though the main event has concluded. Feel free to drop off any canned foods that we can include in the donation to Replenish from Arbor School.
Friday February 21, Arbor PTO hosted an extremely successful Bingo Night. March will begin with Read Across America Week, which will include a Spirit Week. Students will also get the chance to discuss the historical and cultural contributions of notable women for Women’s History Month. Please also look for information forthcoming regarding the next Scholastic Book Fair and Breakfast with your Child Week.
Sincerely,
Heather O’Donnell
Birthday and Classroom Celebrations Guidelines
Birthday Celebrations:
• Recognitions are brief and are scheduled at a time of the day that is convenient for the teacher’s classroom schedule. Please make contact with your child’s teacher ahead of time to schedule the date/time.
• Recognitions are for students only (guests/family members may not attend).
• If you would like to send in a snack they must:
- Be store-bought
- Be individual servings (nothing to cut, etc.)
- Have the ingredients visible and nut-free
- Not be candy
• Please do not send in goodie bags or additional items for your child to distribute.
• Please let your child’s teacher know if your child is not permitted to participate in their peers’ birthday celebrations.
National School Counseling Week
The first week of February was National School Counseling Week. This is an opportunity to recognize the tremendous impact school counselors have on school communities. At Arbor, we are celebrating our counselor, Amy McLaughlin. Please join in showing your appreciation for her hard work and dedication in supporting our Arbor students.
Counselor's Corner
In the theme of Valentine’s Day, the fourth grade students participated in a lesson about kindness. Students listened to the story Each Kindness and created a Kindness fortune teller to remind them of simple acts they can complete to make the world a better place. We talked about the “kindness ripple” where one small act of kindness can create a chain reaction, spreading far beyond the initial action. Just like a pebble dropped in water creates ripples that expand outward, a single act can inspire others to do the same.
Within this month, we have reached the 100th day of school! Over the past 100 days, our students have gained new skills and built friendships. This is a great time to reflect on how far they have come and to set goals for the rest of the school year.
Families, take a moment to celebrate with your child! Ask them about their proudest achievement so far and what they hope to accomplish in the rest of the year. Let’s continue to encourage kindness, perseverance, and a love of learning as we move forward together!
Nurse's Corner
GUIDELINES WHEN A CHILD IS ILL
*If a child has a fever (temperature over 100.4) or had a fever yesterday or last night, the child should stay home. Often a temperature will be normal in the morning, but as the day progresses, the temperature rises. A child should remain home until the child is fever free for 24 hours.
*If a child has vomited or vomited yesterday or last night, the child should stay at home. Again, 24 hours without vomiting is the time frame to use.
*If a child has diarrhea or diarrhea yesterday or last night, the child should stay home. When a child is free of diarrhea for 24 hours and shows no other signs or symptoms, the child may return to school.
*If a child has a very runny nose or a persistent cough, the child should stay home until symptoms have lessened for 24 hours.
*If a child has any sores, "weeping" skin areas or rashes, a healthcare provider’s note stating that the child is not contagious is to be given to the nurse upon returning to school.
In the close environment of the classroom, other students and teachers are subject to the organisms of a sick child. Also, a child’s resistance is lowered as the child’s body is fighting a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, mucus drainage, cough, or broken skin. Therefore, the child may develop additional signs of illness.
These guidelines are in place in accordance with New Jersey Statutes, which allows for the exclusion of pupils who are ill and the recommendation of the school physicians.
Working together we can hope to have an ill child recover from the illness and return to school ready to pursue the educational experience.
Any questions can be directed to the nurse.
Chorus, Orchestra and Band Concerts
The band, chorus and orchestra students performed their winter concerts at Schor Middle School. The chorus is directed by Mrs. Bollaro and the orchestra director is Mr. Mejias. The Arbor school band is directed by Ms. Torres. As the students performed, their musical passion resonated throughout the auditorium. These talented students entertained the audience with a true celebration of music. Congrats to all!
5th Grade Art G&T Kindness Poster Project
We are a part of the 5th grade Arbor Art G&T. We have noticed that some students are not being kind to their classmates. This gave us the idea to create kindness posters. We were inspired by many artists and quotes for our kindness posters. A goal for these kindness posters is to catch the eye of other students and to teach them to be kind. Kindness is important in many ways, and not just in school. Kindness can be important at home, work, and anywhere else! With these posters, we are teaching everyone to be kind! Kindness is an important part of being in a school community. You can be kind in the cafeteria by cleaning up, you can be kind by giving someone a compliment, and you can even be kind by helping someone with their work! There are many ways that you can be kind, how can YOU be kind?
Writen By:
Tanishka Patel and Isha Bandwar
Both are 5th Grade Students from Mr. Erickson's Class
ARBOR PTO
Dear Arbor Families,
We hope you're having a fantastic February! Here’s what’s coming up at Arbor Intermediate:
🎉 Family Fun Night – Thank You!
A huge thank you to everyone who attended Family Fun Night last Friday! We had a blast and appreciate your support. A special shoutout to Mrs. Karabinos, Mrs. Lepski and Mrs. Doherty for their help with the candy stand!
📚 Scholastic Book Fair – March 3rd-7th
Our Spring Scholastic Book Fair is just around the corner! Join us in the school library from Monday, March 3rd to Friday, March 7th for an exciting selection of books. Flyers are coming home this week!
✨ Bonus: Every purchase earns a raffle ticket for a chance to win a prize!
📖 Hours: Opens daily at 7:45 AM
🌯 Dine-to-Donate: Chipotle Fundraiser
📅 Date: Wednesday, March 19, 2025
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Location: Chipotle
6850 Hadley Rd,
South Plainfield, NJ 07080
📢 25% of sales go directly to Arbor PTO—come enjoy a meal while supporting our school!
🙌 Volunteers Needed!
We rely on our amazing Arbor families to make these events successful. See links below for volunteer sign up form.
📅 Upcoming Events
✔️ PTO Meeting #3 – Wednesday, March 5, 2025
✔️ Scholastic Book Fair – March 3rd-7th
✔️ Dine-to-Donate @ Chipotle – March 19, 2025 (4:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
📌 Important Information
📚 Scholastic Book Fair Volunteers: Sign Up Here
💙 Online Donations: Link
👥 Join the PTO: Link
📧 Email: arborintermediatepto@gmail.com
📲 Follow us: Facebook | Instagram
We’re excited for all the events to come in the spring and look forward to sharing them with all of you! Thank you for being part of our wonderful community and for your continued support.
Arbor PTO Board
Tania Valenzuela, President
Dipali Patel - Treasurer
Harshita Patel - Co-Treasurer
Dominique Jones - Corresponding Secretary
Arbor Awesomeness- Staff Recognition
Arbor Awesomeness is a way to share your appreciation for the wonderful staff at Arbor School. We encourage families to take some time to recognize staff throughout the school year. Please click on Arbor Awesomeness- Staff Recognition to complete a recognition. We will share your responses at staff meetings.
