Dear Families,

Our school year is off to a fabulous start: the children are making new friends, learning their new routines, and enjoying the lessons and classroom activities.  We’ve had some beautiful weather, so they are loving the playground, too!

I am excited to announce that the Department of Health has relaxed some of our restrictions, and we are now allowed to have an occasional visitor to enhance our program.  Any visitor must wear a mask, and stay 6 feet from the staff and children, and preferably stay out of doors.  Here are some of the exciting plans coming up, now that we can have visitors:

• Mr. Scott the Music Man will be here, performing on the playground for the children on the morning of Thursday, October 1st!  Each class will have their own performance time, so they will not mix with children and staff from the other classes.
• School Portraits are now scheduled for Monday and Tuesday morning, October 5th & 6th.  The photographer will wear a mask, stay 6 feet from our staff and children, and the photos will be taken outdoors.  If the weather is not good, we will have a make up day.    If your child does not attend on a Monday or Tuesday, and you would like to have their picture taken, please call the office to set this up.  The photo sitting is free and there is no obligation to purchase photos.  The proofs will be available within 2 weeks of the photo shoot, and you will be provided information to place your order online if you would like to purchase any photos.

We are excited that we can add these activities to our program at this time.  Please read the rest of the Newsletter to find out about more of our plans for the month.  Let’s have a great October together.

Valerie Frost-Lewis, MS Ed. (“Miss Val”)

Owner/Director

More October Activities:

• Monday, October 19th, at  7:00 p.m. we invite all parents/guardians to attend our Parent Group Meeting via Zoom.  (Zoom link to be sent later.) This is your opportunity to meet with Miss Val every month, and to meet other parents to work together to create the community we want for our children and families.  We plan activities, parent workshops, and provide valuable feedback to the school director to assure we are meeting your needs.
• Halloween Plans: Each classroom will be holding their own Halloween party.  On Friday, October 30th, children attending that day are welcome to wear a Halloween costume to school over their clothes.  Please be sure they have a full set of clothes to wear, preferably under their costume, as we will help them change out of their costume before lunch.   The teachers will plan Halloween fun such as crafts, songs, and Halloween books to read.  The school will provide treats for the children to enjoy.  Please do not send any treats from home – even if store bought – to share with friends.  We have been advised that the school can provide pre-wrapped items, but as a precaution we are not to share items from families with the class.  
• Pumpkin Picking: Families who have been with us in the past know we normally have a “Pumpkin Picking Hayride” event in October.  While there will be no hayride this year,  we are planning to purchase small pumpkins, and turn our driveway circle into a pumpkin patch.  The children will go out to the “Pumpkin Patch” with their class to pick pumpkins.   This will occur sometime this month – dates TBD.  All children will have a chance to pick a pumpkin – no matter what days of the week they attend.

Daily Health Screening Questions are now online

I want to thank parent Tracy Taylor who created the Google Form and the formatting acceptable to our Office of Licensing, so we can have families complete the daily health questions online.   I am so happy I don’t have to ask each of you those questions every morning any more!  Thank you to each family for completing the online questions each day before you arrive at school.  It really is making our drop off go much more smoothly!

Class Contact List

During our September Parents Group Meeting, we discussed ways of making connections – especially now when we are not able to have the family events like we normally sponsor.  One way to help families connect with one another is to create a Class Contact List.  I want to thank parent Tami Boettger, who volunteered to create the Google Form for you to complete and to collect the names to create class lists.    As you know, we do not share your personal contact information.  Participation is voluntary, and meant to help families be able to connect with one another. We emailed a link to families to add their contact information, and will email it again as a reminder.  The lists will be distributed later this month.

Toms River Schools- Closed on Monday, October 12th:  There is no school at Peppermint Tree for those following the Toms River Schools calendar.

On the days Toms River Schools are closed, for those of you who are registered for our Peppermint Tree calendar, we are open and we will be expecting your child to attend.

If you follow the Toms River calendar or attend 9:00 – 11:30 (quarter day) we will not be expecting your child on these days. But, if you need child care on these days, and your child is in Mrs. Hamilton’s class or Miss Liz’s class)  please call the office and we can arrange to care for your child, on a space available basis. You will be billed for the care on a per day basis.  (Please note: School Holiday care is not available for Mrs. Diver’s class or Mrs. Sullivan’s class.)

Accident Report Procedure

Please note that if your child gets a bump, bruise, or scrape, etc., we will note it on an accident report, and ask the parent to sign it at the end of the day. Parents only should sign this report, unless the parent has provided alternate permission. If there is any bump to the head or face we will call or text you at the time of the accident, as well.

Reminders:

• Please return all paperwork, including medical forms, etc.
• Please check your child’s backpack each day and remove papers and art work sent home from school.
• Please send your child to school wearing sneakers on their feet…these are the safest on the playground.
• Every child under the age of five MUST have a flu shot between September 1st and December 31 each school year. Please send in your child’s immunization update when this is completed.
• Please stay in your car at pick up and drop off – except to take your child out of the car after temperature screening at drop off, and to get your child into the car at pick up.
• Please drive SLOWLY in our driveway and parking lot.
• Label everything: backpacks (on the OUTSIDE – in LARGE PRINT), lunch bags (on the OUTSIDE), jackets, sweaters, all clothes, etc.
• Send in an extra set of clothes, including socks.