Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome to the 2007-2008 school year, a year that promises to be an especially exciting one. As a community we will celebrate the completion of the renovations and additions to Central and Lawrence Brook Elementary Schools and continue to watch the construction progress at Hammarskjold Middle School. In 2008, we can look forward to wishing East Brunswick High School a “Happy Birthday” as it turns 50 years old. And certainly, thanks to this community that supports education, we can anticipate another year in which we applaud our students and staff as they continue to bring local, state and national recognition to the district through their many and varied accomplishments.

When schools and families work together to support learning, everyone benefits. In fact, decades of research show that parental involvement is a powerful influence on student achievement. When parents are involved students have higher grades/test scores/graduation rates, better attendance, increased motivation and better self-esteem, lower suspension rates, decreased use of drugs and alcohol and fewer instances of violent behavior.

It is important that you:

• Partner with your child’s teachers.

• Engage your child in conversations about school, extracurricular interests and friends.

• Make sure that your child is well rested and encourage healthy eating habits and daily physical activity. A healthy body leads to a healthy active mind.

• Limit TV time and supervise your child when he/she is on the computer.

• Let your child know that you think homework is important by setting a time to complete homework that fits your family’s schedule.

Getting to know some of your child’s classmates and their parents not only shows that you are interested but it also provides a network of support. The following are some of the ways that you can develop such a network while at the same time supporting our schools:

• Be a Key Communicator and receive up to date school information about our schools via e-mail.

• Volunteer to participate on a Board of Education committee.

• Join the PTA.

• Participate in one of the booster clubs that support the various extracurricular activities at the secondary level.

• Support the East Brunswick Education Foundation by becoming a trustee or by contributing to their fundraisers.

Finally, due in large part to inadequate funding from the state, it becomes increasingly difficult for the administration and the Board of Education to craft a budget that ensures our current students the same quality education as our graduates, as well as one that the community can support. A major cause for the escalation of property taxes rests with the state legislature which has not implemented a school funding formula that properly funds education. I urge each and every member of this community to contact our state legislators (incumbent and non-incumbent) and ask that they develop and implement a new school funding formula that fairly distributes state aide to school districts and recognizes the need for categorical aide to fund special education. Contact information and sample letters can be found on our website or www.gscschools.org, (the website for the Garden State Coalition of Schools of which we are a member district.)

This Calendar and Information Guide will help you to be both informed and involved. In addition to the calendar of events and activities, become familiar with the information that is included with regard to district procedures. You will be amazed at the long list of 2006-2007 accomplishments of our students and staff that are also included. At Back-to-School Night every parent will receive a handbook of important Board of Education policies. Please take the time to read and discuss expectations with regards to rules and regulations with your child.

Our schools are our future. As a community, it is our mutual goal to provide each of our students with the best education possible, one that will ensure them a lifetime of success. I look forward to partnering with you.

Yours truly,

Jo Ann Magistro, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools