November Newsletter

November:

• 2-4th- 1:10 pm dismissal; Parent Teacher Conferences; Pat's Select Student Council Dine & Donate
• 2nd- HASA General Meeting
• 5th-6th- School Closed NJEA Convention
• 11th- Veterans Day Celebration
• 13th - Student Council Pretzel Sale
• 16-20th- NEA American Education Week (dress up days to come)
• 18th- 6th Grade Trip to Gateway Play
• 19th- Picture Re-takes; Board Meeting 7pm
• 25th- 1:10 pm dismissal
• 26th-27th- School Closed Thanksgiving
• 30th- End of 1st Marking Period.

December:

• 4th- Report Cards published

• As of November 9, 2026, we will be moving to ParentSquare for all communication.
• School Hours: 8:25 am - 3:15 pm.
• Early dismissal days at 1:10 pm. Lunch will be served.
• Students are to report to school each day AFTER 8:25 am. Please note that there are no staff members on duty before 8:25 am.
• Students arriving at school after 8:35 am will be considered tardy and must enter through the Main Entrance to be signed in by an adult.
• Students must be in school for 4 hours for it to count as a full day.
• We encourage all families to complete the Free & Reduced Lunch Application.

• Student Picture Day Make-Ups are scheduled for November 19th.

We are excited to share that our school is transitioning to a new all-in-one communication tool called ParentSquare! It will replace ClassDojo and SchoolMessenger, making it even easier to receive teacher updates, monthly newsletters, and important school alerts all in one place.

Next Steps:

• Check your email for an invitation link directly from ParentSquare.

• Follow the prompt to download the app and complete your account setup.

We look forward to meeting with you during the first week of November. Please click the link below to schedule your conference:

Nominate an Amazing Educator!

Help us celebrate our dedicated teachers and support staff at National Park School by submitting a nomination for the 2026–2027 Governor’s Educator of the Year award.

Deadline: Friday, November 13, 2026

We will be honoring our veterans with an indoor parade and bulletin board. Please see the letter and Google Form linked below for more information.

Please click on the image below for Mrs. Graziano's letter.

Please be reminded any questions regarding your child's lunch account and chargers are to be directed to Sodexo@npelem.com.

Nutrislice

November Menu

Please click on the image to view the Nurtislice website with the November menu.

November Menu

Please click on the link below to view this month's menus.

• Chocolate and regular milk are the only beverages covered by the meal price, unless there is a milk allergy.
• Students may get seconds on fruits and vegetables during lunch
• Students MUST purchase their lunch first
• An announcement will be made when the snack stand is open
• Students CANNOT charge snacks to their account if their balance is at zero or in the negative. The students can either bring in money just for that day's snack or put money on their account to cover several days worth of snacks
• After 9:30 AM hot lunches can not be ordered. Students may select a cold lunch option

The 2026-2027 student meal application is now available for families to complete. Note that with shared services, we fall under the Gateway Regional School District. All families are encouraged to complete this application regardless of prior year status. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need any assistance with this process.

Online Application Link: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application

Paper Applications & More Info: If you prefer to fill out a hard copy, or if you'd like to review the program guidelines, please see the documents posted to our website with this link: https://www.npelem.com/family-information/lunch-information. You can print the paper application, fill it out, and return it directly to the school main office.

Please click on the image for the HASA packet.

Please click on the link: https://forms.gle/T7ipaHVtkZGj2aFA6

Birthday Lunch for November is on the 20th. We will celebrate all of our November birthdays in grades 1-6. Students will be invited to have lunch with Mrs. Thompson and will receive a special treat! Invitations will be distributed and will continue on a monthly basis. Summer birthdays will be celebrated at the end of the school year!

Please be reminded that students in grades 1-6 are not permitted to bring in birthday treats. This is mandated by the state, and I appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

Program runs on Wednesdays after school; 3:15-4:15 from 10/7/26 - 12/16/26 and returns on 2/3/27 - 3/17/27. For further information, please click on the image.

** Note, there will not be Good News Club on Wednesday, 11/4, and Wednesday, 11/25, due to early dismissals.**

What to expect on picture day

1. Any student who wishes to have a retake must bring their original picture package to exchange for the retake image.
2. When an order is placed online, the parent/guardian will receive a camera pass via email. This can be printed. The photographer will photograph the printed camera pass along with the student.
3. If a student is not able to print their camera pass, that is not a problem. Barksdale will manually match the student to their order in the production process.
4. A parent may place an online order up until 24 hours after picture day. After 24 hours, the online ordering access will close.