"TELL ME AND I FORGET. TEACH ME AND I REMEMBER. INVOLVE ME AND I LEARN." –Benjamin Franklin
Week Nine:
This week was full of exciting and meaningful activities here at Cucinella! We wrapped up our "Stuff the Bus" food drive with amazing participation, filling the bus with essential goods to support the Long Valley Interfaith Community Food Pantry. (more info to follow)
Our students also took part in a successful bus evacuation drill led by our transportation department and Mr. Don Todd. During the drill, they practiced essential safety protocols for emergency situations on the bus. Afterwards, Mrs. Radossich guided students through important lessons on proper behavior expectations and bus etiquette, emphasizing respect for drivers and fellow passengers to create a safe and positive environment on each ride. This hands-on experience ensures our students are well-prepared and aware of how to stay safe on their daily commutes. Thank you, Mrs. Radossich, Mr. Todd, and the rest of our Transportation department for making this important training both engaging and informative!
To top it off, students and staff enjoyed a week of themed dress-up days to recognize School Violence Awareness Week, adding fun, creativity, and spirit to our days while emphasizing the importance of kindness and safety. Thank you to everyone for making this week such a success!
We’re looking forward to an exciting lineup of events this week! All homerooms will participate in mindfulness lessons led by Mrs. Sue Murphy, providing students with valuable tools for focus and relaxation. Additionally, our top Fun Run fundraisers from each grade level will have the chance to silly string the both Mr. Perruso and Mr. O'Connor—a well-earned and fun reward for their hard work! On Thursday, we’ll celebrate Halloween with our annual parade and class festivities (more info to follow), bringing plenty of school spirit and seasonal cheer. It’s sure to be a week full of memorable experiences for all our students!
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead,
Christopher Perruso
Principal
Monday starts our SPECIALS on Day 5
Upcoming Events:
10/31 BAC Halloween Parade 12:15PM
11/4 - 11/6 Parent Teacher Conference Early Dismissal Schedule for Students
11/4 - 11/6 PTO Sponsored Scholastic Book Fair
11/7 - SCHOOLS CLOSED- NJEA Teacher's Convention
11/8 - SCHOOLS CLOSED- NJEA Teacher's Convention
11/11 PTO General Membership Meeting 7:00PM BAC Media Center
11/11 - 11/15 PTO Sponsored Theater Week
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
Bucket Fillers of the Week
Each week students earn slips for their good deeds and are entered into a raffle to win prizes and acknowledgments from the school community. These students demonstrate our core values and were recognized for their actions during our Friday Morning Announcements.
PreK- Ishaani Bhatnagar
Kindergarten- Sebastian Martinez
1st Grade- Reagan Jardim
2nd Grade- Nicholas Ribeiro
3rd Grade- Noah Davies
4th Grade- James Jupin
5th Grade- Sylas Dornfeld
Pictures from the Week
🐄🐄🐄 Cows on the loose! 🐄🐄🐄
🐄🐄🐄 Moooooo-ve over here! 🐄🐄🐄
Ms. Abbett's
Homeroom
Story Time!
Sensory time in Mrs. Ryan's
Sensory time in Mrs. Ryan's
3rd Grade and Kindergarten Buddies
Ms. Hille and Mrs. Snyder's homeroom had an exciting afternoon pairing up with their Kindergarten Buddies from Mrs. Morrison's class for an autumn scavenger hunt! The older students took on leadership roles, guiding their younger buddies through the outdoor adventure. Together, they explored the school grounds, spotting and identifying seasonal items on their list like colorful leaves, acorns, pinecones, and even a squirrel or two!
The buddies helped each other read the list, with the older students patiently sounding out words and encouraging their younger partners as they checked off each discovery. This activity not only allowed the students to enjoy the beautiful fall weather but also strengthened their bond as buddies, fostering teamwork and building confidence in reading and observation skills. The scavenger hunt was a memorable experience, bringing smiles to everyone involved and adding a little seasonal joy to the school day! 🍁
Fall Scavenger Hunt!
This Thursday, Halloween Parade at BAC!
Students should come to school in costume on the 31st. Keep in mind that costumes should be able to be managed by the children and be appropriate for school. The students will be wearing their costumes all day, and therefore, please keep in mind the comfort level of your child’s costume. There are several guidelines that must be followed to ensure the safety and security of all students:
No masks or accessories can be worn to school. (Students can wear a mask for the parade. The mask should be brought to school in a labeled bag.)
No realistic weapon accessories are allowed in the building (for example – guns, knives, swords, light sabers, etc.)
Excessive make-up or face paint is prohibited. The school must be able to identify the students for safety and security reasons. (Keep in mind, students will be in costume all day and excessive make-up becomes itchy and irritating over time.)
Costumes that prohibit normal school routines are not allowed (Blow up costumes, stuffed costumes, anything that will not allow the students to sit in a seat or use the bathroom independently).
We’re thrilled to invite all our parents and guardians to our annual Halloween Parade! Join us on Thursday at 12:15 p.m. to see our students in their fantastic costumes as they parade around the school! The parade will last about 15-20 minutes, with a special viewing area marked by cones along the sidewalks just for our guests. We ask that you stay behind the cones to keep everything running smoothly.
While classes won’t pause for group photos, feel free to capture those special moments as your child’s class walks down the sidewalk!
For parking, the bus loop will be open for visitor parking, with staff on hand to help guide you to the angled bus slots. Other parking lots will also be available, and all cars parked in the bus loop need to be moved by 1:00 p.m. If you’re a room parent staying for class parties, please use one of the other lots.
We’re excited to share this festive day with you—come ready to celebrate and enjoy the Halloween spirit with our school community! Class parties will not be open for parents to attend (except for PTO Volunteers).
Stuff the Bus Food Drive 2024!
Thank you to everyone who participated in our “Stuff the Bus” food drive for the Long Valley Interfaith Community Food Pantry! Your generosity and support made the drive a resounding success, and thanks to your contributions, we’ll be able to provide essential goods to our less fortunate community members during the holiday season. Your kindness will make a difference for so many families—thank you for helping make this possible!
I'd also like to acknowledge the work of our amazing teachers, Mrs. Christine Bissell, Mrs. Bridget Brown, and Mrs. Tara Postigo, for spearheading this great cause! Their dedication and hard work made our “Stuff the Bus” food drive a tremendous success, allowing us to provide vital support to our local community. Thank you for inspiring us all to give back and make a difference!
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!
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.
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- Our Student Absence and Dismissal System
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.
