CambridgeCommunicatorAugust 2019

Dear Cambridge Families: On behalf of our Cambridge Staff I would like to o�cially welcome you to the 2019-20 school year. Asa returning Cambridge family, you have experienced �rsthand that Cambridge Elementary School is aplace where your child can experience success and develop a love for learning. For those families whoare new to Cambridge, you are joining a school community that compares to none! This year, while you will be greeted with many returning faces, some have joined new grade levels.There will also be a few new friendly faces joining our wonderful team! While the summer is awonderful opportunity to rejuvenate, school is just not the same without your precious children here! Icannot wait to see everyone walking through the doors on September 5th! Over the course of thisschool year, I look forward to meeting our new members of the Cambridge community as well asreconnecting with our returning families. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you everhave questions, concerns, or just want to share some good news! This year’s theme, Ignite your passion and brighten the way... is a metaphoric representation of ourquest to marry our love for teaching and learning to our duty to inspire each child that comes throughCambridge Elementary School. Here at Cambridge we believe that together teachers, students, andparents/guardians make our school “A Special Place for Children.” It is that belief that drives us asstaff to foster positive relationships and maintain strong lines of communication with our studentsand parent community. Mrs. Fehte and I appreciate all that you do to support the work of ouresteemed and dedicated educators. Let us all commit to a positive, fun-�lled, and successful schoolyear. The Cambridge Communicator, which is attached, includes some important information that shouldsupport a smooth transition process into the new school year. Please continue to visit our district’swebsite (www.sbschools.org) for the most current and up to date information. Educationally Yours, Ms. Christi Pemberton Principal

STUDENT PLACEMENT FOR 2019 - 2020Student placement will be available on August 20th through Genesis. You will receive an email on thatday once the Genesis portal is re-opened. At Cambridge, we are very fortunate to have an exceptionalgroup of teachers and staff to work with our students and families. To that end, the placement teamsconsider all students’ strengths and needs with regard to academic pro�ciency across all contentarea, social competency, emotional maturity, leadership qualities, family support, learning style needs,behavioral dynamics, peer relationships and any services received. If you have a speci�c concern,please feel free to email me. However, please know that it is highly unlikely that I will change astudent’s placement at this point. We ask that you please trust us to make decisions that have everychild's best interests in mind.

STAFF UPDATESStaff not returning - Good Luck!

Mr. James Angelus, we wish him all the best in his retirement!Mrs. Michelle Cima has joined the staff at Brooks Crossing as a full time secretary. We wish hermuch success!Mrs. Robyn Cybulski, we wish her the best of luck in her new endeavors!Mrs. Courtney DeSandre will take time off to spend with her beautiful twin daughters!Congratulations!Ms. Maritza Macotela has joined the staff at Crossroads South. We wish her much success!Mrs. Donna McLean has joined the staff of Community Ed. Good luck in your new position!Mrs. Beth Olsson, we wish her all the best in her retirement!Ms. Aditi Patel, we wish her the best of luck in her new endeavors!Mrs. Donna Starker, we wish her all the best in her retirement!Mrs. Maryann Stearle has joined the district staff. Good luck in your new position!Mr. Gabriel Teixeira, we wish him all the best in his retirement!Mrs. Anna Tulipani-Lopez, we wish her the best of luck in her new endeavors!Mr. Ronald Ulshafer has joined the staff at Dayton. We wish him much success!Mrs. Sonia Valenti is on leave for a year.

New Staff - Welcome!

Mr. Shelton Bryant is joining as our new Head Custodian.Ms. Kelly Dibenedetto is joining our Preschool Team.Ms. Alexandra Makos and Ms. Emilee D'Angelo are joining our 2nd Grade Team.Ms. Melissa Hessel is joining our 5th Grade Team.Ms. Heidi Falanga is joining as our World Language Teacher.Ms. Stephanie Rosario is joining our 4th Grade Team.Mrs. Jill Kerwin is joining as our new Nurse.

We are still in the process of hiring a few additional staff members. Once board approved, thatinformation will be shared with you. Staff Changes

Ms. Amanda Toto, who taught Resource last year, will be teaching 3rd grade.

STUDENT/PARENT HANDBOOKPlease read the Student/Parent Handbook with your child(ren). It will be located on the school'swebsite by the �rst week of September. As we all know, consistent school and parent support is vital tokeeping Cambridge Elementary School "A Special Place for Students." Please read the handbookcarefully and stay in the know.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - SEPTEMBER 5THStudents may enter the building between 8:55am – 9:05am. School ends at 3:30pm. This is a FULLDAY of school! Parents dropping students off will be allowed to brie�y escort their children to class onthe FIRST DAY of school ONLY (if needed). Please be sure your child knows how they are going homeon the �rst day.

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL TIMESOur regular school day for students in Kindergarten through 5th Grade continues to be from 9:05am –3:30pm. Each morning, our “�rst” bell will ring at 8:55am. This is the time when students may enter thebuilding. Due to supervision and safety concerns, we ask that you do not bring your child to school anyearlier than 8:55am, unless they are enrolled in the Before School program. Arriving between 8:55amand 9:00am should allow ample time for children to walk to their classroom. The second bell (late bell)will ring at 9:05am, signaling the start of the academic day. Any child not arriving in his/her class by9:05am will be marked tardy by the classroom teacher and will need to sign in at the main o�ce. Kindergarten – 5th Grade8:55am – Students may begin to enter the building9:05am – All students must be in the building 3:25pm – K-1 st grade dismissal3:30pm – 2 nd grade – 5 th grade dismissal Pre-School Program8:40am – AM Program Arrival11:10am – AM Program Dismissal 12:10pm – PM Program Arrival2:40pm – PM Program Dismissal

DROP OFF & PICK UP PROCEDURESMorningBus Students

All busses will drop students off by the gymnasium on Leahy Road.Walkers

Students walking to school should enter the building either by the 4th & 5th grade “CambridgeRoad” wing or through the Main Entrance.

Vehicle Drop OffAll vehicles dropping students off must drive up to the “DROP OFF” sign on Cambridge Road.In order to make this drop-off line run smoothly, please…

1. Have your child ready to get out of the car when you stop at the sign.2. DO NOT LET YOUR CHILD OUT BEFORE YOU GET TO THE SIGN.3. Students must exit the car via the right passenger side door.

AfternoonBus Students

Bus students will be dismissed to the cafeteria and then called to board their respective busseson Leahy Road.

Walkers/Parent Pick-up Students K-1 Students will be dismissed at 3:25. Kindergarten and 2nd Grade will exit through the MainEntrance and 1st grade students will exit through the Art Room.3rd, 4th and 5th grade students will exit through the 4th & 5th grade “Cambridge Road” wing.

BREAKFAST, LUNCH & SNACKStudents may purchase breakfast when they arrive to school. Students may bring their lunch fromhome or purchase lunch at school. Chartwells will be ready to serve a hot lunch on the �rst day andevery day of the school year. Student lunch costs start at $2.55 and include milk. Additionalinformation regarding school lunch may be found on the school website (School Information Tab:Lunch Information). The online application instructions for Free & Reduced Lunch will be sent homethe �rst day of school. Monthly lunch menus may be found on the Cambridge website. Most classeswill also have a daily snack break during the morning. Parents are encouraged to provide a healthysnack (e.g., fruit, vegetables, cheese, or crackers) each day for the mid-morning break. While nut basedsnacks and high sugar content snacks are not prohibited, we encourage more healthy alternativesand ask for your understanding of the large number of students in our school who have nut allergies.

TRANSPORTATION - BUS PASSESThe transportation department will complete bus scheduling via Genesis. Parents will be able toaccess this information once it becomes available on August 21st. If you have any questionsregarding transportation, please contact the Transportation O�ce at 732-297-7800, ext. 5108.

BEFORE AND AFTER CAREFamilies needing extended care before or after the regular school day should contact CommunityEducation at 732-297-7800 ext. 3196.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND BACKPACKSSchool supply lists are on the school website under “School Supply Lists”. Any parents who orderedthe PTO sponsored Supply Kit for their children will not need to purchase anything additional. The kitswill be delivered to school and distributed to students on the �rst day of school. Finally, pleaseremember that backpacks with wheels are NOT permitted.

NEW STUDENT/FAMILY ICE-CREAM SOCIALSEPTEMBER 12th , 7:00 – 8:00 PM

Our PTO would like to invite incoming kindergartners and new students to an Ice Cream Social onWednesday, September 12th, from 7:00-8:00 pm. Come on out and meet the principal, staff, otherCambridge families, and PTO members. To be held in the cafeteria.*Note: This event is for new families only

CAMBRIDGE PTOOur PTO Executive Board and Committee Chairs are very enthusiastic about the upcoming schoolyear. They are eager to plan a variety of programs and activities to help develop a strong schoolcommunity. All families are encouraged to join. A PTO membership form will be sent home in the �rstday packet.

COMMUNICATIONThroughout the year you will be getting information sent home in your child’s Friday Folder. In addition,please sign-up for the Electronic Friday Folder option on the district website. This will allow us to govirtually paperless for most communications. We are now on Facebook and Twitter. Please see thelinks at the bottom of this communication.

Are you MOVING?If your family will be moving out of the Cambridge sending area before the start of the next schoolyear, it would be very helpful for you to contact our registrar, Mrs. Cicero in the Cambridge Main O�ce.She may be reached at 732-297-2941. This will enable us to assist you and your child in a smoothtransition to his/her new school for September.

Summer of STEAM Challenge 2019HOW MANY STEAM ACTIVITIES CAN YOU DO THIS SUMMER? - Look at the Summer Fun To-Do List and pick the activities you would like to try. - Complete activities and check them off the list. - Take a picture of yourself doing at least one of the activities. - On an index card, explain the activity you are doing in the picture and what you learned. - Bring your checked list, your printed picture(s), and the index card(s) to school by September 20th, 2019.

GRADE LEVEL TEAMS AND SPECIALISTSClassroom TeachersPreschool: Ms. Dibenedetto, Mrs. KlineKindergarten: Mrs. Canonico, Mr. Luca, Mrs. Ruina-Isaacs, TBDGrade 1: Mrs. Blackwell, Ms. Brady, Mrs. SchallerGrade 2: Ms. Antunes, Ms. D'Angelo, Ms. Makos, Mrs. McDonoughGrade 3: Ms. Heyer, Mrs. Levinson, Ms. Toto, Mrs. WalkerGrade 4: Mrs. Greco, Mrs. Matakonis, Ms. Rosario, Mrs. UpdegraffGrade 5: Mrs. Chulamanis, Ms. Hessel, Mrs. Plebani, Mrs. Weed SpecialistsInstructional Support: Mrs. Shadell & TBDResource Center: Mrs. Hopkins, Mrs. Reinknecht & Ms. Hershberger, TBDArt: Mrs. MallonMusic: Mrs. Garwood, Mr. Piszko & Mrs. StanekPhysical Education: Mrs. O’Brien & Mrs. BerkLibrary: Mrs. RavichandranWorld Language: Mrs. FalangaNurse: Mrs. KerwinChild Study Team:Mrs. Munn, Ms. Hoehe,School Counselor: Mrs. DolesSpeech: Mrs. Jorgensen

Upcoming Dates9/2 - No School - Labor Day9/3 & 4 - Staff Only9/5 - First Day of School for Students9/9 - Board of Education Meeting 7pm @Crossroads North9/12 - PTO Ice Cream Social @6:30pm

ChartwellsThe Chartwells lunch menu is located on our website at:http://sbschools.nutrislice.com/menu/cambridge-elementary/lunch/. Please discuss with your childthe night before what he/she will be choosing to eat for lunch the following day so that they areprepared when making their selection in the morning.

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