- Hammarskjold Upper Elementary School
- Helpful Hints
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Some Helpful Hints for the First Days of School...
First Day Jitters...
- Opening Day Jitters are normal! Remember that ALL of our 5th graders are new to the school. We will assist you in finding your way to your first period class and help you with your locker on the first day and throughout the first week or so of school. Your teachers and staff members will help you find your way around the school. Our staff is looking forward to meeting our new students!
- If you have a combination lock at home, allow your child to practice with it. This will familiarize them with the necessity to turn the lock right and left and help to make them more comfortable using a locker at school.
Remember that your locker combination is a secret. If you are having a problem with a locker, we encourage you to ask a teacher in the hallways for help. Please don't share your combination with your friends or other students near your locker.
- Backpacks on wheels are NOT PERMITTED at Hammarskjold because they present a safety hazard in our halls and on our school grounds.
- It is recommended that you provide your child with a bagged lunch on the first day to avoid the long lines and confusion.- A number of teachers will hand out course requirements and expectations on your first day. When your child returns home from school, ask to see all papers and handouts.
- Your child will be given a Student Agenda. Please read through and discuss the agenda with your child. Your child is expected to carry their agenda each day, throughout the day. The student agenda is a primary source of communication between you and your child's teachers.
It is critical that students maintain responsibility for their agenda because it is their only pass to and from classes to assure security and safety within the building. The maintenance and use of the agenda is required. The proper use of the agenda will be explained to the student by their teachers. Please note: Parents are expected to monitor the student's use and maintenance of the agenda. If an agenda is lost or damaged, a new one may be purchased from the Hammarskjold main office.
- Our Lost & Found is located in the Cafeteria and at the Security Desk. Items are kept for about 4 months. If they are not claimed in that time, they are donated to one of our PTA clothing drives or to a local shelter. Students are strongly encouraged to check the Lost & Found whenever they feel that they are missing items.
- Be as involved throughout the school year with your child's day as you are during the first days. Think about joining the PTA. All school volunteers must be PTA members.
Transportation...
- Please remember that during the first few days of school, your child's bus may be as much as 30 minutes early or 30 minutes late for pick up or drop off. It generally takes about a week before the school buses fall into a regular pattern. Please be sure that the student is at the bus stop at least 30 minutes early to avoid missing the bus. If you are picking up your child at the bus stop after school, please allow ample time for your student's bus to arrive. During the first week or two, it may take extra time for your child to arrive home.
- If you are picking up your child from school or dropping them off in the morning, please arrange to drop off or pick up your child on the Rues Lane side of the building at our "Walkers Entrance/Exit". Enter the parking lot and line up on the Rues Lane side. Do not drop/pick up in other areas of the parking lot or on Rues Lane to ensure the safety of all of our students and staff members.- Questions specific to your child's transportation should be directed to the District Transportation Department at (732) 613-6740.
Security...
- Students will be issued a student ID during the first full week of school. To ensure their safety and security, all students are expected to keep their ID in good condition and to wear it upon arrival to school and throughout the day. Students who arrive at school without an ID will be directed to the school store to purchase one.- If you are picking up your child during the school day, you will be asked to provide a photo ID (preferably a valid driver's license). Please have it handy when you walk into school. If you have designated a person to pick up your child, the Attendance Office must be notified and they, too, will be asked for photo ID.
Stay Up to Date....
- Check the website for important announcements, dates, the virtual backpack, etc. Please go to the East Brunswick Public Schools main site (www.ebnet.org) and select Hammarskjold Upper Elementary School.
- Become familiar with Parent Access. All progress reports and report cards are visible only on Parent Access. We do not issue hard copies. If your child is still in elementary school, and you are unsure if your account is set up, you may contact your school's main office secretary to assist you. If your child is currently enrolled at Hammarskjold, you should e-mail Mrs. Gregory at cgregory@ebnet.org. You must provide her with an e-mail account that should be associated with Parent Access, as well as your child's full name.To download the Parent Access Manual, click here. You will be able to see the manual by looking in your "Downloads" folder.
- Become familiar with Community Pass. Community Pass is the payment system used for club payments, before and after care payments and all payments for 6th grade trips. You may access Community Pass by clicking here.Our procedure for dropping items off for your child:
Please be sure to drop items off before your child's scheduled lunch so we can announce for them to pick up their item at their lunchtime.
We do not call into classrooms and disrupt instruction at Hammarskjold, which is why your communication with your child is important to convey this message.
Thanks for working with us to make Hammarskjold as disruption free to your child's learning as possible.
Sign up for the trips!
The 6th Grade Dallenbach's trip comes up quickly in September. Shortly after that is the great Fairview Lake Experience trip. These trips are all part of the 6th Grade curriculum and we recommend that all students attend both of these trips. Sign ups for the first trip are usually available by the end of the first school day. Science teachers will provide the students with specific trip info on the first day of school.
There are also informational meetings about the Fairview Lake trip for parents sometime in the late fall. Please ask your child to let you know when they are occurring and keep your eyes on the website for more info!
You can view the Fairview Lake Trip Video by clicking here!
Sign up using Community Pass (click here). If you experience problems, or are unaware of your username or password, please call the Financial Services office at (732) 613-6720.
Contacting the School...
- If your child will be out for the day, please call the Attendance Office. They may be reached directly at (732) 613-6897. Click here to go to the Attendance Page.
- Questions and concerns about class schedules should be brought to the attention of the Student Services Counselors. Click on the "Student Services" icon on the banner above this section, or you may call their office at (732) 613-6845.
- If you would like to speak with a teacher, you may do so at any time during the school year. The best way for you to contact your child's teacher is through e-mail. Please see the green banner above this section and click on "Staff Directory". You will be able to access all of Hammarskjold's staff members through that link.
- If you feel that you need to address an issue regarding a staff member, please address it with the staff member first. If you are not satisfied, you may then contact either your child's counselor or the grade level administrator.