School One Elementary Newsletter
Vol. 2 October 2026
What an amazing first month of school!!! It has been such a pleasure getting to know your children (and all of you) throughout September. The energy and excitement coming from the students is contagious to us all. Our teachers have been doing such a nice job of establishing the routines of school and learning a little about your children each and every day. As the calendar changes to October and the weather begins to get a little cooler, we are excited about the year ahead. We know that working in collaboration with you, each and every one of your children is going to have an outstanding school year!
Our Soaring with School One P.R.I.D.E. character initiative was kicked off in September! Our core values, Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Diversity, and Empathy touch upon what we believe will help make our school and community full of well-rounded and accountable people. We are looking forward to the assemblies presented by our staff and students throughout the year to model our core values. Please take time to talk to your children about what each letter stands for and how they are showing P.R.I.D.E. each day at school and home.
Thank you for joining us at Back to School Night. I was very happy to see so many of our families take advantage of visiting classrooms and getting a glimpse of a day in the life of a student here at School One. Our teachers prepared for this special evening and I am happy to say it was successful for all.
The month of October promises to be full of enjoyable and meaningful experiences for our students, and parents.
The week of October 5th is Fire Prevention Week. As part of our fire safety instruction, teachers will share and discuss simple and important things students can do to keep themselves safe from fire in their home.
In addition, the Scotch Plains Fire Department will visit our kindergarten and first-grade students for a fire safety presentation and a tour of the fire truck.
Each year, International Walk to School Day is held on the first Wednesday of October. We will be celebrating on Wednesday, October 7th. We look forward to our student and community involvement this year.
Please remember to wear School One attire, or red and white clothing, to show your school spirit.
During the Week of Respect, October 5-9, we’ll put some extra focus on kindness, inclusion, and how to handle tricky peer situations. Click here for our daily themes and dress-up days! We’ll also introduce our new Peace Path this week, which gives students an independent way to talk through a conflict, listen to each other, and find a solution together.
Hearing your child say, “I’m being bullied,” can bring up a lot of your own emotions. It’s hard to hear that your child may be hurting, and your first instinct is often to jump in and protect them. Try to stay calm and get curious before reacting. Your calm helps your child feel safe and models how we want them to approach difficult situations. Start with: “Tell me what happened,” “Has this happened before?” and “What happened next?”
Kids may use the word “bullying” to describe conflict or mean behavior, but in New Jersey, HIB (harassment, intimidation, or bullying) has a specific legal definition. It involves behavior connected to a characteristic or something that makes them different, and that causes harm, is insulting or demeaning, and interferes with a student’s education or rights. Most of the time, what our kids are experiencing is meanness or conflict, and those situations matter too. They can be worked through with support from you at home and from us here at school.
At home, help your child practice what they can say or do:
“Stop. I don’t like that.”
“That’s not okay with me.”
“Do you want to go to the Peace Path and work this out together?”
Ask for help: “I tried to handle it, but I need an adult.”
The goal is to help them feel like they can handle the problems, use their voice, and know when it’s time to ask an adult for help. Whether it’s meanness, conflict, or bullying, you can always reach out to Dr. Fiory or me if your child needs some extra support.
According to State law, NO medication may be given by the school nurse without the following:
(1) a written order from the physician;
(2) medication in a correctly labeled prescription bottle;
(3) a completed Administration of Medication Form.
All medications are to be brought to the school by a parent or a responsible adult. Parents must know that they will be legally accountable if they send in medication with their child and an injury results to another child because of their action.
Attendance at school is imperative for student learning and will be taken daily. Students must be on time for their respective class calls each day that school is in session to ensure continuity of instruction unless illness or an emergency prevents their attendance. Please remember to call the School One Attendance Line when your child is going to be absent. If you do not call to report your child’s absence, we will call you. Should we be unable to contact you, the police may be called for assistance.
There are a few options to notify the school of your child’s absence. When you call the attendance line, please state your child’s name, grade, your child’s teacher’s name, and a detailed reason for your child’s absence. Please speak slowly and clearly.
SCHOOL ONE ATTENDANCE LINE
(908) 322-7731, PRESS 1
POWERSCHOOL PORTAL
Forms > Absence/Tardy/Dismissal Change