Dear Cedar Mountain Families:
Yes, “The Sky is the Limit” at Cedar Mountain! Thank you to Miss Corbutt for making our school look so inviting and encouraging us to dream big as we begin a new school year. As school is just around the corner, I want to keep our families updated with important dates and reminders….
Mask Wearing per Governor Murphy’s Executive Order #251 All faculty, staff, and students are required to wear a mask while indoors. Students will not have to wear a mask while eating or playing outside. Mask breaks will be provided to students. Hand sanitizer will be available to all faculty, staff, and students. Hand washing is encouraged and physical distancing, where practicable will be encouraged.
Student Arrival and Dismissal Times: At last week’s Board of Education meeting, the Board of Education voted to change all district school times back to their original times, thus not beginning 15 minutes later. You will see your child’s adjusted bus stop pick-up time reflected in Genesis in the coming days. Students should arrive at their bus stop 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time in Genesis.
Students at CMPS will enter the building at 9:20 am daily and buses will depart the school at approximately 3:55 pm. Daily parent/guardian pick-up time will be at 3:40 pm if your child does not take the bus. Please note that buses tend to run late with drop-off times during the first week of school. Below are the arrival and dismissal times for a regular day, delayed openings, and early dismissal days that can also be found on the Schedules tab of the CM site.
Cedar Mountain Open House will take place on Thursday, August 26, and Monday, August 30, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Please bring your child to Cedar Mountain for a visit. Walk the hallways and help your child locate his or her classroom. Having your child find his or her classroom will ease first day of school transitions. I will also be available to say hello, meet you and your child, and take a photo with your child. Our families are always welcome at Cedar Mountain; however, we are requesting that you refrain from having your child tour the building on September 1-2 while our teachers are preparing for the opening of school.
Back to School Night will take place on Thursday, September 2nd for Kindergarten and First Grade, please note the times below…
3:30 Kindergarten Back to School Night with the following teachers (please bring your child):
Miss Buttel
Ms. Mariconda
Mrs. Czergovits/Mrs. Petti
Ms. Cummins
Mrs. Horn
Ms. Zaturoska
4:30 Kindergarten Back to School Night with the following teachers (please bring your child):
Ms. Shadruff
Mrs. Sweeney
Mrs. Schmick
Ms. Thomas (Mrs. Waller)
Mrs. Zinni/Mrs. Bicskei
First Grade Back to School Night will be held at 5:30 pm; this program is only for the parents and guardians- you are kindly requested to not bring your child to this program. Please remember you are always invited to have your first-grade child come to tour Cedar Mountain so your child can find his or her classroom.
Kindergarten Class of 2034 t-shirts: As a reminder to all kindergarten parents, please have your child wear his or her graduation year t-shirt on the first day of school. This will be a way to promote school spirit and feel welcome in a new school as a new student. Please contact the office if you did not receive a t-shirt. Your child will have opportunities to wear this shirt on many school spirit days this year. It will also serve as a nice memento for you for years to come.
Cedar Mountain is very fortunate to have several new teachers…here is a short bio of each teacher
Introducing….
Ms. Mariconda
My name is Ms. Jessica Mariconda and I am so excited to join the Cedar Mountain Primary School family! I graduated from William Paterson University with a degree in Elementary Education and Special Education. I have wanted to be a teacher ever since I was in kindergarten and now I have been a teacher for 3 and a half years in many different grade levels! I love to create fun and engaging lessons for my students. In my free time, I like to craft and make personalized gifts with my Cricut! I also like to spend time with my family and friends, especially outside or at the beach! I am so excited for the school year to start so I can help my students grow their love for learning!
Ms. Zaturoska
My Name is Ms. Kristina Zaturoska (aka Ms. Z) and I am so excited to be joining the Kindergarten team at Cedar Mountain Primary School for the 2021-2022 school year! I currently live in Lincoln Park, NJ with my family. I grew up in Lincoln Park where I attended Lincoln Park’s Elementary and Middle Schools for Kindergarten through 8th grade. I then attended Boonton High School in Boonton, NJ where I graduated in 2007. In May of 2014, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (K-6) and English from William Paterson University. I am also Level 1 Certified in the The Wilson Reading System®. I enjoy watching movies, painting, and being with my friends and family. I am so excited to meet all the wonderful students and parents at Cedar Mountain and making it the best school year yet!
Ms. Shadruff
My name is Ms. Nadine Shadruff, and I am very excited to be joining the incredible kindergarten team here at Cedar Mountain! I am looking forward to collaborating with my students and their families in order to help ensure that all of my students have a successful, safe, and memorable school year. I was born and raised here in New Jersey, and I have greatly enjoyed my experiences teaching Kindergarten, Inclusion Kindergarten, and First Grade in Northern New Jersey. I graduated magna cum laude from William Paterson University, receiving my Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education (K-6) and English Writing. I am a member of William Paterson University’s Master’s Program for Curriculum & Learning in Early Childhood Education.
Mrs. Petti
My name is Mrs. Ivory Petti. I currently live in Hamburg with my husband, Angelo, my dog, Belle, and my cat, Toby. I taught Kindergarten for four years in Newark and am excited to teach at Cedar Mountain this coming year. I received my Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education from William Paterson University and my Master’s in Special Education at New Jersey City University this past year. While this past year was challenging for all of us, I am eager to help support all my students, so that they can reach their goals, feel comfortable within our community, and succeed in all aspects of their learning.
Mrs. Dixon
My name is Angela Dixon and I am happy to say that this will be my 20th year teaching. I grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education from Penn State in 2001. After moving to New Jersey, I taught at The Academy for Children for eleven years and here in Vernon for the past eight years. I live in Vernon with my husband, Bob, and three children (Justin, Ryan, and Kelsey). My favorite season is summer when I get to camp, swim, and spend time outside with my family.
Miss Buttel
My name is Allie Buttel! I am a first-year teacher, and very excited to start this new school year with everyone. I recently graduated from William Paterson University where I got my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Working with children has been a passion of mine since I was young, and I cannot wait to learn and grow along with all of my students.
Miss Corbutt
My name is Maggie Corbutt, and I am so excited to be joining the first-grade team at Cedar Mountain! I am a graduate of Salve Regina University where I studied elementary education and theatre arts. During my time at Salve, I was involved in the music and theatre departments. My favorite show that I have been a part of is Into the Woods. I was also a member of the university chorus and acapella group! My favorite things to do when I am not on stage or teaching are beach days and exploring NYC.
I have a true passion for working at the elementary level. I strive to create a positive and fun classroom environment while challenging each student to their own ability. My goal is to instill a love of learning in each one of my students.
I can’t wait for a great year in first grade!
Mrs. Waller
My name is Paula Waller; I started my education at William Patterson University and earned a B.A. for Science of Psychology at Phoenix University in 2016. In 2017, I completed New Pathways for Education at County College of Morris. In 2011 I started working in the Vernon district as a paraprofessional and have since been substitute teaching mainly at Cedar Mountain School.
I have been a Vernon resident since 2004 and I’m a mother of three teenage children who have been educated through Vernon schools and are currently in Vernon High School. I am very excited to be teaching kindergarten this year.
Ordering a Complimentary Breakfast: All breakfast and lunch is of NO cost to all families of VTSD. If you would like your child to have a breakfast, please go to the CM page and click the Breakfast Order Form to order by the day, week, or the month. The breakfast will be delivered to your child’s classroom. Lunches DO NOT need to be ordered.
School and Community Association: The SCA is graciously hosting a luncheon for Cedar Mountain teachers on September 2nd. Thank you for considering donating a few items for our luncheon. Here is the Sign Up Genius to let us know what you’ll be contributing.
As a reminder, our first SCA meeting of the year will be held via Zoom on Monday, September 13, at 1:30 pm. Here is the Zoom link for the meeting. All are invited to join the meeting!
Water Fountains: Please send your child to school with a water bottle (label with your child’s first/last name and teacher’s name and/or room number); our fountains will not be in use. We have water filling stations in the building to replenish water bottles.
Reminder about Parking and Drop Off at Cedar Mountain School
Parents that drop off and pick up their child(ren) will be required to park in an available spot in the parking lot OR on Sammis Road and escort your child to either the ramp in the main parking lot or by the front playground. Please be aware that Cedar Mountain Primary School does not have the personnel to supervise students who are dropped off early; therefore, students will only be permitted to enter the building at 9:20 AM when students are dismissed from their bus. If you are picking up your child at the end of the school day, students will be dismissed at the front side door at 3:40 pm. As part of our required chain of custody, you must present proper ID to Mrs. Donovan who will bring your child(ren) to you. No child will be brought to a parent or a family delegate without proper identification. We appreciate your patience as we get to know all of our families that pick up children.
We are all very excited to see your children soon! Enjoy the remaining days of the summer. Please always reach out to Cedar Mountain at 973-764-2890 with any questions you may have.