"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."—Albert Einstein
Week Eleven:
Even though it was a short week with Thursday and Friday closed for the NJEA Teacher's Convention, the three days here were busy and filled with learning and fun. This week we had our PTO sponsored Book Fair. On Monday, students had the opportunity to do a book preview with their classmates. In the afternoon hours, students were able to come back with their families during parent teacher conferences and shop for their favorites. Thank you to all the PTO volunteers who helped run the event. A special shout out goes to Toni Sturzebecker and Jackie Armstrong for making this year's event such a hit! We appreciate all that you did to make this year stand out from the rest.
A heartfelt thank you to the Veterans of AVAWT Post 1776 for joining us on Tuesday for a special flag-raising ceremony in honor of Veterans Day. We were also joined by School Board Member Jessica DeCicco, Mayor Matt Murello, and several members of the Washington Township Police Department.
During the ceremony, Mr. Perruso and Post Leader Tom McBride spoke to the students about the significance of Veterans Day and the importance of honoring our Veterans and our Country. After the flag-raising, the Veterans spent meaningful time with our 5th-grade students, sharing stories of their service, sacrifice, and patriotism. They described experiences from their time in the armed forces, from moments of courage and resilience to the pride they feel in serving our country. Many spoke of the values they learned—loyalty, honor, and respect for others—and how these lessons shaped their lives both in and out of uniform.
This interaction gave our students an unforgettable opportunity to hear firsthand about the commitment and bravery it takes to serve. It was inspiring to see the connection between our students and these remarkable individuals as they asked questions and listened with pride and respect.
Following these conversations, the Veterans were treated to a breakfast hosted by our staff as a token of our gratitude. We are always honored by their visits, and we thank them for their dedication and service.
Lastly, we are happy to announce the successful completion of our Parent-Teacher Conferences held last Monday through Wednesday! We are grateful for the parents and guardians who joined us to discuss your child’s progress, strengths, and areas for growth. These conversations play a crucial role in fostering your child’s academic performance and personal development, as they help us work together to set meaningful goals, share insights on effective strategies, and ensure the best possible support both at school and at home.
If you missed your scheduled meeting or weren’t able to set one up, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher to arrange a virtual or in-person conference. Maintaining this partnership is key to your child’s continued success, and we look forward to connecting with you!
Exciting news! Our PTO-Sponsored Theatre Week kicks off this week with practices scheduled Monday through Thursday, leading up to performances for students on Friday during school hours and a Friday night show for families and friends.
Important reminder: If your child is participating in Theatre Week, please update their dismissal plans in PickUp Patrol. We’ve created a special "Theatre Week" category for dismissal. If a participating student is listed as an afternoon bus rider, they will be sent home on the bus and will miss practice, so please make sure their dismissal is set correctly. For help with PickUp Patrol, Click here and/or here.
For more details about Theatre Week, feel free to reach out to our PTO at CONTACT@CUCINELLAPTO.COM.
This Monday, November 11th, we take time to honor Veterans Day and recognize the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces. Their dedication, courage, and sacrifices have helped protect the freedoms we enjoy today, and we are deeply grateful for their service. As we pause to reflect on this important day, let’s remember the deep commitment shown by our Veterans and the lasting impact of their service to our country.
In recognition of our Veterans, we invite students and staff to wear patriotic clothing, Cucinella spirit gear, or red, white, and blue. Let’s come together to show our appreciation and pride as a school community. Thank you to all Veterans within our community and beyond for your invaluable contributions and sacrifices.
Let’s make this week amazing,
Christopher Perruso
Principal
Monday starts our SPECIALS on Day 3
Upcoming Events:
11/11 Veterans Day- Wear Patriotic Clothing, Cucinella Gear, or Red, White, and Blue!
11/11 PTO General Membership Meeting 7:00PM BAC Media Center
11/11 - 11/15 PTO Sponsored Theater Week
11/21- Picture Day Retakes
11/27- Early Dismissal Day- Start of Thanksgiving Break
11/28- SCHOOLS CLOSED- Thanksgiving Break
11/29- SCHOOLS CLOSED- Thanksgiving Break
12/3- SEPAG Meeting
12/10-12/13 PTO Holiday Gift Shoppe
Pictures from the Week
Flag
Raising
Ceremony
with AVAWT
Post 1776
Students
giving
thanks to
our Veterans!
Veterans
speaking to
5th Graders
Thank You
Veterans!
Lost and Found
Friendly reminder to our Cucinella community to check out our lost and found! The collection includes items left behind in the lunchroom, on the playground, on buses, or in classrooms. Teachers have done their best to reunite these belongings with the proper students, but these items remain unclaimed.
We’d like to thank all of you who took time during parent-teacher conferences to look through the lost and found. A special thank you goes out to Mrs. Inskeep for organizing the collection and posting images to the Cucinella Lost and Found Facebook page. With over 100 photos posted, this is a great resource to help identify any lost items!
Please remember, any items not claimed by this Thursday, November 14th, will be donated to a local clothing collection.
JUST AN UPDATE: Monday, November 11th is the last day to donate Halloween Candy. Our collection will be weighed to see if we broke the 100 pound goal.
All candy donations will be delivered to our patients at the local Lyons Veterans Hospital and to active-duty military personnel. To avoid exposure for students with food allergies, candy donations must be wrapped and placed in a sealed bag. Donations can be delivered to the main office.
In addition to candy, students can donate spare change to help with shipping costs. Please deliver spare change to the main office in a sealed envelope labeled “Pennies for Postage.”
PTO Memberships for the 2024-2025 School Year are still available! Follow the MemberHub link below to pay for a Family or Staff Membership. We are looking forward to another fantastic year!
This message was originally posted on October 27th. We are pleased to announce that Penny has been making her rounds through the building and at recess. Below is the original text describing the goals for our program. If you have not filled out the opt-out waiver yet, please do so as soon as possible.
ORIGINAL MESSAGE: We are pleased to announce that certified therapy dogs will be visiting Cucinella Elementary School beginning this week! The program will provide students with opportunities to read with dogs in their classrooms as well as have recess visits where they can interact with the dogs. A trained handler will accompany the dog at all times. We are aware that some students have allergies, and we are working with our school nurse to take measures to minimize risks and exposure. Also, we realize that some students do not feel comfortable around dogs. Please be aware that no student is obligated to interact with the dogs when they visit.
Should you have concerns and would prefer that your child not have any contact with our therapy dogs, please complete the opt-out form below by Wednesday, November 6th.
Working with animals has been shown to benefit students in many ways including:
● Increasing levels of motivation ● Improved academic skills, including but not limited to reading fluency ● Helping to build trust and provide a sense of security ● The provision of unconditional acceptance ● Promoting character traits that include: caring, cooperation, empathy, gratitude, humanity, nurturance, patience, perseverance, respect, responsibility, self-control, self-esteem, and service.
We are very excited to provide our students with the opportunity throughout the school year. Should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact either Ms. Erbe or Mr. Perruso.
ONLY FILL OUT THIS FORM IF YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR CHILD TO INTERACT WITH OUR THERAPY DOGS.
To ensure the continued safety of our students and staff, we are making a few updates to our morning drop-off procedures. We kindly ask for your cooperation with the following guidelines:
Please remain in your car: Parents and guardians should stay inside their vehicles during drop-off to help keep the process moving smoothly.
Be prepared ahead of time: Have all items (backpacks, lunch bags, etc.) ready and accessible before arriving at the drop-off area.
Independent exit: If possible, encourage your child to open the door on their own and exit the vehicle from the passenger side, closest to the school, once you’ve pulled up to the furthest spot available.
Patience is appreciated: We understand mornings can be busy, but please wait for the cars in front of you to move rather than driving around. Our top priority is the safety of our students and staff, which is worth more than a few seconds saved.
Respect the Handicapped spaces: Please avoid parking in the Handicapped spots to drop off children. We want to ensure that all students enter the building safely, and we do not have a crosswalk or staff member to assist them across the drop-off lane.
We truly appreciate your understanding and support in following these procedures. Together, we can create a safer and smoother drop-off experience for everyone.
Student Dress Code
As we move into the school year, please take a moment to review the board approved dress code for students. It can be found here. Our dress code is enforced to ensure the safety and security of all students and staff. If you have any questions after reviewing please do not hesitate to reach out.
Items of Note:
No hats/bandanas/hoods
No bare midriffs
No sunglasses indoors
No indecent material
Pick Up Patrol
PickUp Patrol - USED FOR RECORDING ABSENCES and DISMISSAL Preferences
Our secretaries are no longer checking phone messages for absences or changes in dismissal procedures. This information is now handled exclusively through the PickUp Patrol app.
All of our parents and guardians should have received a "Welcome" email with details on how to download the app and set up your account. If you have not received an email, please check your SPAM folder. If you can not find the Welcome email, please contact our school secretaries and ask for a new one to be resent.
If you have not downloaded the app or set up your account yet, please do so as soon as possible.
