May Newsletter
Be sure to join us at this Free Fun Family Community event!
Dear Families,
We have so many activities coming up during the month of May! Please read on, so you don’t miss anything!
We are so happy the weather is warming and we are enjoying the outdoors more and more– including our growing gardens! Take a look and see how they are coming along!
You are always welcome at Peppermint Tree!
Looking forward to enjoying this month together!
Warmly,
Miss Val
Valerie Frost-Lewis, MS Ed
Owner/Director
Exciting news: Our Chick Hatching Event started on April 28th and we expect hatching by May 5th!
On Monday, April 28th, the farmer left us with 12 eggs in an incubator…we are eagerly awaiting eggs hatching and the baby chicks entering the world -expected by Monday, May 5th! A most exciting experience! Stop in to visit. The incubator is in PreK Room D.
Our next Parent Group Meeting will be held Tuesday, May 6th, at 8:00 p.m. via Zoom. We will be planning our upcoming events, so please plan to join us!
All parents/guardians and staff are welcome to help us plan events and activities that benefit The Peppermint Tree children and families. Come and meet your fellow Peppermint Tree parents and help us continue to bring great experiences to our kids and families. This will be the final planning meeting for our Peppermint Tree Prom! We will be sending out the Zoom link via email.
Registration for Summer Camp 2025 and 2025-26 School Year are now in Full Swing - and we are full for some age groups. If you have not yet registered-please contact the office ASAP to see if we have room in your child’s age group.
If you have not yet registered your child, please call the office before registering, as space is limited, and we are filling up quickly. (Please call first if you are registering – as some groups are full with a waitlist already). When you are ready to register, go to: https://www.pepperminttree.com/registration/ or by filling out the paper application we sent home recently.
If you have any questions, just call us at 732-929-2500.
A quick reminder about Summer Camp tuition: The Session 1 payment for summer camp is due on June 1, as is your last payment for school tuition (unless you get your security deposit applied).
Some families choose to begin paying for Summer Camp in advance by making partial payments to offset the extra tuition due in June. As with the school payment, there is a grace period until the 15th of the month before a late fee is assessed. You may wish to pay the school payment on June 1st and the camp payment by June 15th – that is also acceptable.
We will gladly work out a payment plan that will work for you. Just call the office.
$25.00 Referral Tuition Credit – for each family you refer to Peppermint Tree (once they register)
Is your family enjoying all of The Peppermint Tree activities? Is your child benefiting from the loving care and enriching education we offer? If so, please spread the word about Peppermint Tree! We will reward you, if you do!
“Word of Mouth” is our best form of advertising! And, we truly appreciate your spreading the word about Peppermint Tree to your friends, family and neighbors. We offer all of our current families a tuition credit of $25.00 for each new family you refer to Peppermint Tree. Once they pay their registration fee, we credit your account $25.00. There is no limit to the number of credits you can earn!
Upcoming Family Events in May & June – Mark your calendars!
Budding Artists Gallery – at Toms River Library, exhibit runs through May 3rd (through the end of the Children’s Festival-see below). Peppermint Tree submitted a selection of our students’ artwork for the show.
Ocean County Children’s Festival “The Wonderful World of Art”: Saturday, May 3rd, 11:00 a.m.– 3:00 p.m., at Toms River Library (both indoors in Mancini Hall, and outdoors in the courtyard)– mark your calendars! This is a rain or shine event. This will be a fabulous free family event including children’s activities, crafts, a children’s art show, and much more! This event is in celebration of the National “Month of the Young Child”. We hope to see you there! Peppermint Tree students’ artwork will be on display in the Children’s Art Show that is on display in the Atrium (in TR Library), and Peppermint Tree will also be offering an art activity for community.
Toy Swap, Ice Cream Social and Mr. Scott the Music Man show, Monday May 12th, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Plan to bring a toy and get a toy at this fun end of the school year celebration!
Peppermint Tree Prom, Saturday, May 17th, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (rain date 5/18/25) Mark your calendar!! The parent group is planning this first ever fun event!! Watch for more details.
PreK End of Year Celebration, Tuesday, June 10th at 10:00 a.m. outdoors at Peppermint Tree (Rain date: Wednesday, June 11th) Families of our PreK students (Miss Kelly and Mrs. Hamilton’s classes will celebrate together) are invited to celebrate their progress and celebrate the end of the PreK year. (Bring your own folding chairs.)
Calendar Notes: The last day of school is Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Since we were closed for one snow day, the last day of school has been pushed back to June 18, 2025.
Session 1 of Summer Camp starts on Monday, June 23rd
Thursday, June 19 and Friday June 20 are not included in the school or camp tuition, however, we are offering a “mini-camp” for those who need childcare on those days. Tuition will be charged on a per day basis, for those who need those days. We will offer signups for mini-camp soon.
The last day of camp (last day of Session 3) is Friday, August 22nd.
We are closed (no camp, school or childcare) August 25th-September 2nd.
We will hold a drop in open house on the morning of September 2nd to help the children get ready for school. (More details to follow).
The first day of school will be Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025
Family Reminders:
If your child is here after 2:00 p.m., please be sure to pack an afternoon snack, and if your child is here after 5:00 p.m., pack a second afternoon snack. School Age After children also need to pack an afternoon snack.
Please do not send in candy – we do not serve candy to the children at Peppermint Tree. Please save that for home.
Please do not park at the front of our driveway, forward of the school. There is not enough room at the end of the driveway to allow others to safely pass. Pull in, go around the circle and pull up as far as the front edge of the building, to drop off at the front doors. Thank you!
As always, I want to thank you for spending this school year with us. If you ever have any questions about the school or camp, your schedule, etc., please feel free to call the office at 732-929-2500.
You can contact your child’s teacher directly with any classroom-related questions.
Enjoy the warm weather!
