St. Bartholomew School 470 Ryders Lane

East Brunswick, NJ 08816 Tel. 732-254-7105 Fax. 732-254-6352

www.stbartseb.com Very Reverend Thomas J. Walsh, M.Div. Mrs. Ann Wierzbicki, R.N., M.A.E./Ed.S.

Pastor Principal _____________________________________________________________________________________________

August 20, 2016

Dear Parents and Guardians,

What a joy it is to begin the new school year! I look forward to the excitement as we welcome

our returning and new students and guide them to experience the wonders of a St.

Bartholomew School education. By joining the St. Bartholomew School family, you are

enrolling your child in a community that is rich in Catholic tradition, strong in academics, and

committed to serving others. Our highly qualified faculty and staff are dedicated to providing

an outstanding Catholic education as we continue to live our mission: To love, educate, and

inspire our children to live the teachings of Jesus Christ. We are grateful to have the support of

a wonderful Pastor and Parish, and I look forward to working with you this year as we build on

the many blessings God has given us.

School opens for students in grades 1 through 8 on September 6. Please see the calendar on

the school website for further information for all grades. Students in Pre-Kindergarten and

Kindergarten have received letters from their teachers regarding Orientation.

Our school theme this year is: Blessed are the peacemakers, and we will learn the Beatitudes as

we work to introduce components of prayer, peace, and gratitude into our daily lives. Our

students will also celebrate a Saint’s Feast Day as they learn about their classroom Saint’s life.

Our maintenance crew, Mr. Cardona, Mr. Branson, and Mr. Ortega, have been working all

summer to prepare for the upcoming year and have built a new storage shed. Mr. Brisson has

supervised the installation of a new intercom system throughout the entire facility. Dell

Latitude 15 Ruggedized Laptops for the school’s One-to-One initiative, providing the full suite of

Microsoft Windows 10 Office 2016 applications in addition to Google Classroom, have been

purchased for our middle school students. New books have been purchased for Reading and

Language Arts in grades K through 4 along with a reading program called Achieve 3000 for our

middle school students. We will introduce IXL this year to complement our Math and Language

Arts curriculum. Also, a new program has been purchased to add to our Social Studies and

Science curriculum. Our school library, under the leadership of Mrs. Phillips, continues to be

updated. Please see her report on our website. Pre-K 3 has received a new floor and the

exterior of the Gym has been painted. Also, please see Bishop Checchio’s message about the

value of Catholic education on our website.

We welcome Ms. Ashley DeAngelis, who will join Mrs. Perdoni, as our Pre-K 4 teacher, Ms.

Amanda Valente, who will join Mrs. Bellafronte, as our fourth grade teacher, and Mrs. DePalma,

who will join Ms. Andreacchio, as our fifth grade teacher. Ms. DeAngelis has taught

Kindergarten and has a Masters degree in early childhood and special education. Ms. Valente is

certified to teach grades K through 6 and has a reading endorsement for grades K through 12.

She has taught five years at St. Ann School in Lawrenceville. Mrs. DePalma is certified to teach

grades N through 8 and has completed all coursework for reading specialization. She also has

nine years teaching experience. We are blessed to welcome such outstanding teachers to our

wonderful faculty.

Please be mindful of the following: Continue summer reading assignments and summer reading challenge. Reading logs are

due September 16. Volunteers must complete the volunteer application and must also attend Virtus

Protecting God’s Children and have had electronic fingerprinting. Mrs. McAndrew will be presenting the Virtus class at St. Bartholomew School on Thursday, September 22, from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. You must pre-register on the Diocese of Metuchen website. Please inquire at the School Office for details or questions.

Family/Student Emergency Information Forms must be completed and returned prior to the start of school. All immunization records are required.

Notify me of any changes in the custodial status of your child. We are a peanut and tree nut-free facility. Please read all ingredient labels carefully.

Any item with the warning may contain traces of nuts or manufactured on equipment that also processes peanuts or tree nuts is not permitted in school.

The school year for students in Grades 1-8 begins on September 6. September 6 and 7 are 11:30 a.m. dismissals and After School Care is available. September 8 and 9 are full days.

The Kindergarten teachers have sent letters stating which day, September 6 or 7, your child should report for orientation. Pre-K teachers have also sent a letter informing parents/guardians of Pre-K orientation days, either September 6 or 7.

Back-to-School Night for Pre-K and Kindergarten parents/guardians is September 7 at 7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.

Back-to-School Night for Grades 1-8 parents/guardians is September 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria then 7 p.m. in the Church.

Hot lunch begins September 8. Please read and sign the form on pages 49-50 of the Parent/Guardian/Student

Handbook and return to the school office by September 8. The Handbook may be found on the website and a copy of this form is attached to this letter for your convenience.

Please sign on to the Honeywell Instant Alert System and update your information. The directions may be found on the website.

Please notify your child’s homeroom teacher in writing about the way your child will travel home from school. If the situation changes on any given day, the homeroom teacher must be notified in writing. Students in Grades K-3 should have the attached

travel tag completed and pinned to the backpack. Please limit calls to the School Office about change in dismissal. After School Care students will report to the cafeteria at dismissal. Bus students will be escorted to the appropriate bus at dismissal. After buses have left, car riders will be escorted down the path to meet parents/guardians. For the safety of all our students, please do not leave the parking lot until directed to do so. Please avoid putting cars in reverse when students are present. Thank you for your cooperation.

Please pack a nutritious snack daily. Please complete attached Emergency Dismissal Form and return on the first day of

school. Students should not arrive at school until 6:45 a.m. The school’s responsibility for

supervision begins at 6:45 a.m. in the school cafeteria and ends at dismissal. As a courtesy, our door opens at 6:45 a.m. Students should report to the cafeteria by 7:30 a.m. and remain there until dismissed to classrooms. Under no circumstances shall students be in the building or on the grounds in an unsupervised capacity. If a student has a specific appointment with a staff member, the student must notify the teacher who is the cafeteria mentor. Students in Grades K-8 enter the school through the parking lot entrance across from the Gym. Parents/guardians who drive their children should drive to the path and let the children exit on the passenger side. Drivers should stay in the flow of traffic and proceed out of the parking lot with caution. (Please see the parking lot diagram attached to this letter.) Students should follow the directions of the teacher and safety patrol students. Please do not allow your child to walk unattended through the parking lot. All bus students will enter the school through the parking lot entrance across from the Gym.

Pre-K students must be walked to the Pre-K doors where the student will be greeted by a staff member. Pre-K classes begin at 8:30 a.m. Pre-K students will only be dismissed to a parent/guardian or person designated in writing by the parent/guardian.

Please note that cell phones are not permitted to be used during school, including in the cafeteria prior to the start of school and at dismissal.

I would like to express my gratitude to Deacon Jack and Karen Gibbons for all that they do as we prepare for the upcoming year, and to Father Thomas for his support and dedication as we work to shape our future leaders and carry out the work of educating students and living the mission. May you be blessed with the “beauty of holiness” as you enjoy the remainder of the summer. God bless you, Mrs. Ann Wierzbicki, R.N., M.A.E./Ed.S. School Principal

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St. Bartholomew School

Parent/Guardian/Student Handbook Signature Form 2016-2017 (two pages, one for each family)

Student 1: _____________________Grade: ___ Student 3: ________________________Grade: ___ Student 2: _____________________Grade: ___ Student 4: ________________________Grade: ___

Please sign for each of the following forms:

1. I have completed the Family/Student Emergency Information Form in its entirety, including all emergency contacts.

Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________ Date: ___________

2. We have reviewed the Parent/Guardian/Student Handbook containing the policies, rules, and regulations for St. Bartholomew School. I have read the handbook and I understand that it is binding on the students and parents/guardians during the current academic year. I understand and agree that the administration of the school will have the authority set forth in the handbook. I understand that the policies, rules, and regulations in the handbook are established for the welfare and benefit of all students. I accept responsibility to support the school in policies it has established and to see that my child adheres to the rules and regulations set forth in the handbook. I acknowledge receipt of the handbook. (Student signature not required for Pre-K or Kindergarten.)

Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________ Date: __________ Student 1 Signature: _______________________________________ Date: __________ Student 2 Signature: _______________________________________ Date: __________ Student 3 Signature: _______________________________________ Date: __________ Student 4 Signature: _______________________________________ Date: __________

3. Acceptable Use of Technology Agreement: We have reviewed, read, and understand and will abide by the Diocesan Ethical Use of Technology Policy outlined in St. Bartholomew School Parent/Guardian/Student Handbook. I further understand that any violation of the policy is unethical and may constitute criminal offense. Should I commit any violation, my privileges may be revoked, and behavior or legal action may ensue. (Student signature not required for Pre-K or Kindergarten.)

Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________ Date: __________ Student 1 Signature: _______________________________________ Date: __________ Student 2 Signature: _______________________________________ Date: __________ Student 3 Signature: _______________________________________ Date: __________ Student 4 Signature: _______________________________________ Date: __________

4. I have reviewed the school’s Integrated Pest Management Policy contained in St. Bartholomew School Parent/Guardian/Student Handbook.

Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________ Date: __________ (continued on next page)

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5. Permission to Photograph/Videorecord For Classroom Use/Yearbook/In-School Video Monitors (no names are published), Weekly School Newsletter (no names are published) and School Newspaper

I do I do not wish to have my child photographed/ videorecorded/audiotaped for classroom use, in-school video monitors, school newspaper and newsletter, and school yearbook. Please note that your child/children will be removed from the group when group photos are taken if you decline.

Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________ Date: ___________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 6. Permission to Photograph/Videorecord for Publication Purposes Outside the

Classroom [Examples include outside newspapers and the School Facebook page (only photos will be used; no names are published)]

I do I do not wish my child to be photographed/ videorecorded/audiotaped for outside school use. Please note that your child/children will be removed from the group when group photos are taken if you decline.

Parent/Guardian Signature: ______________________________ Date: ___________

7. Proof of Custody If applicable, I have provided documentation for proof of custody from legal divorce, separation, single parent/guardianship. (Please check one.) Not Applicable Applicable (Please sign and date below.)

Parent/Guardian Signature: ______________________________ Date: ___________ ______________________________________________________________________________

8. Google Classroom (Grades 3-8) I acknowledge that I have read the school policy on Google Classroom. I grant permission for my child to have a school email address to be used for Google Classroom and my child agrees to abide by the school guidelines.

Parent/Guardian Signature: _____________________________ Date: __________ Student 1 Signature: ____________________________________ Date: __________ Student 2 Signature: ____________________________________ Date: __________ Student 3 Signature: ____________________________________ Date: __________ Student 4 Signature: ____________________________________ Date: __________

9. Plagiarism Policy I acknowledge that I have read the school policy on plagiarism.

Parent/Guardian Signature: _____________________________ Date: __________ Student 1 Signature: ____________________________________ Date: __________ Student 2 Signature: ____________________________________ Date: __________ Student 3 Signature: ____________________________________ Date: __________ Student 4 Signature: ____________________________________ Date: __________

ST. BARTHOLOMEW SCHOOL

Family Last Name:__________________________ Student(s) First Name (s):________________________________

Emergency Dismissal Arrangements (ONE FORM PER FAMILY)

In the event of an Emergency Dismissal for any reason, such as inclement weather and/or an emergency situation, please make one choice from the list below as to how your child/children will go home from school. Please remember this information will only be used in the case of an Emergency Dismissal. Please choose only one mode of transportation for emergency dismissal. ________ BUS RIDER My child/children will ride the bus. Bus number: ____________ Town: _______________________ ________ CAR RIDER

My child/children should be sent to the cafeteria or another location as directed by the school. They will remain there with a teacher and/or staff member until the adult listed below comes to pick them up.

Name/Home Number/Cell Number of person(s) with permission to pick up:

________ AFTER SCHOOL CARE

My child/children should be sent to After School Care. Please note that After School Care will close ONE hour after the school dismisses. For example, if school closes at 12:00 Noon, After School Care will close at 1:00 PM.

Parent/Guardian Signature:_________________________ Date:___________________ SBS 8/3/16

Student Travel Tag

* For Students in Kindergarten– Third Grade My first name is _____________________________________________ I am in grade ________________ My full address is _____________________________________ ____________________________________________________ My phone number is _____________________________ If I go home by bus, my bus number is _____________________ Or else I go home by car with _____________________________ Or I go to After School Care on the following days: _______________________________________________

Student Travel Tag

* For Students in Kindergarten-Third Grade My first name is _____________________________________________ I am in grade ________________ My full address is ______________________________________ _____________________________________________________ My phone number is _____________________________ If I go home by bus, my bus number is _____________________ Or else I go home by car with _____________________________ Or I go to After School Care on the following days:

_______________________________________________

Parents/Guardians of Students in Grades Kindergarten-Third, On this page are two tags for your child/children to assist us at dismissal time. Please PRINT all of the information clearly. Each student must have one tag, so please print additional tags if you have more than two students. Please cut out the tag and attach it to your child’s backpack by safety pin. Thank you!