March 1, 2023
Dear Cedar Mountain Families,
Spring is in the air and so is the love of reading! Read Across America week continues with…
Wednesday, March 1st – Wear a crazy hat or hair…Wacky Wednesday!
Thursday, March 2nd – Wear a readable shirt…words close to your heart.
Friday, March 3rd – Dress like your favorite book character!
We will also have guest readers visiting us throughout the month to read our Tournament of Books, which include pre-selected Social and Emotional Learning, Picture, Award Winning, and Non-Fiction Books!
SCA Pounds of Pennies Campaign begins Monday, March 6th and runs through Monday, March 20th. Send in your pennies (and other change)! The Kindergarten and First Grade classrooms with the most money collected will have a pizza party!
Kindergarten Registration for the 2023-2024 school year is now open on our website @ www.vtsd.com. Please spread the word to Vernon friends, family, and neighbors who have children turning 5 years old by October 1, 2023. There is also an in-person registration at Cedar Mountain Primary School on Tuesday, March 7th from 9:30am-11:30pm and on Wednesday, March 8th from 4:30pm to 7:30pm in the gym.
Trimester two ends on Friday, March 10th. Report cards will be available to view in Genesis on Tuesday, March 21st.
On Wednesday morning, March 15th Kindergarteners and First Graders will be walking over to Glen Meadow Middle School to see their Spring Musical!
Cedar Mountain Primary School classrooms will be visiting with Author Kira Willey virtually on Wednesday, March 22nd (Snowdate: Thursday, March 23rd).
Please join us on Wednesday, March 22nd for Family Literacy Night at 6:00pm-7:00pm!
Reminders:
Taking a look at Fabulous February…
Retired teacher, Fran Boltz, reads to Mrs. Casper’s class.
Cedar Mountain celebrates the 100th day of school on February 14th!
Thank you to VTHS CFM students for constructing the 100!
Officer Kuzicki and Officer Russo visit Cedar Mountain students
during Kindergarten and First Grade lunches
Mrs. Sweeney’s Kindergarten class celebrated Kindness Week Pajama Day!
Mrs. Hartman and Ms. Ollert’s students during library time
Kids Heart Challenge during PE Classes!
Sincerely,
Kristin Gudenkauf
Principal
February 1, 2023
Dear Cedar Mountain Families,
There are so many great things about this month that make it special. February is the month of LOVE with Kindness Week, Valentine’s Day, and Love of Reading/Read Across America Week. We will celebrate the 100th day of school on February 14th! (as long as we don’t have any snow days between now and then). It is also starting to stay lighter a little bit longer. Is Spring right around the corner? Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow or not?! February is a time for magical learning in the classrooms when our students begin to hit their stride and “get it.” Teachers and students are starting to see that their hard work is paying off!
Cedar Mountain Primary School is participating in the American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge this month. Mr. Hernandez will have an assembly for students on Friday, February 10th to kick it off! Flyers/Donation forms will be sent home that day as well.
The Cedar Mountain SCA is hosting a Candy Bar Bingo on Friday, February 10th from 6:00pm – 7:30pm (Snowdate: Friday, February 17th).
There will be an early dismissal on Wednesday, February 15th for an afternoon teacher in-service. Our school district will be closed on Monday, February 20th in observance of President’s Day.
Author Kira Willey will join our classrooms “virtually” on Thursday, February 16th @ 1:30pm. Kira brings moves, music, and mindfulness to our students and teachers!
Kindness Week is the week of February 13th. Cedar Mountain will celebrate as follows…
Monday, February 13th – Wear bright colors…let your kindness shine!
Tuesday, February 14th – Wear RED…show your love & kindness!
Wednesday, February 15th…Wear a sweater…warm up with kindness!
Thursday, February 16th…Wear team apparel…be a part of team kindness!
Friday, February 17th…Wear pajamas…dream of kindness!
The Vernon High School Key Club is hosting a Winter Wonderland at Cedar Mountain Primary School on Saturday, February 18th from 10:00am – 12:00pm. (Snowdate: Saturday, February 25th). Please join us for winter crafts and games! There will also be a hot chocolate bar and cookies!
There will be a dental assembly on Friday, February 24th during school hours for Dental Health Month! They will focus on dental hygiene and healthy dental habits.
Read Across America Week is the week of February 27th. Cedar Mountain will celebrate as follows…
Monday, February 27th – Wear comfy clothes & silly socks…get cozy with a good book!
Tuesday, February 28th – Wear tie-dye or bright clothes…books are fun!
Wednesday, March 1st – Wear a crazy hat or hair…Wacky Wednesday!
Thursday, March 2nd – Wear a readable shirt…words close to your heart.
Friday, March 3rd – Dress like your favorite book character!
Taking a look at January…
The CM SCA hosted a movie night!
Mrs. Waller’s class was awarded the Cedar Mountain trophy from Physical Education teacher, Mr. Hernandez, for the “fastest” Kindergarten class competition! Congratulations!
Looking forward to a Fabulous February!
Sincerely,
Kristin Gudenkauf
Principal
January 3, 2023
Dear Cedar Mountain Families,
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and was able to relax and spend some quality time with your families! It is a pleasure to have all of the children, teachers and staff back at school after a long, well deserved break. We are also excited to welcome some new families into our school community.
Just a reminder that as the snow flies and the temperatures dip, children need to be dressed appropriately to come to school and to play at recess time. Coats, hats, and mittens/gloves are a must this time of year.
A reminder from Kim Forrest, our school nurse…
If your child has a fever, coughing, shortness of breath, vomiting/diarrhea, unknown rash or displays any other signs or symptoms of illness, please keep them home and consider a medical evaluation if necessary. Please do not medicate your child with fever-reducing medication and send them to school-remember a child with a fever that is controlled by medicine is still ill and can spread illness to others. Please reference illness criteria located on the Vernon Township School District website. Adherence to exclusion guidelines will continue in order to prevent Covid-19 or other disease outbreaks in our community. Thank you for doing your part to help keep everyone healthy and to curb the spread of illness in school.
Our school district will be closed on Monday, January 16th in observance of Martin Luther King Day. There is also an early dismissal day on Wednesday, January 25th for an afternoon teacher in-service/wellness day. Student pick-up is at 1:10. Buses depart at 1:30.
Cedar Mountain First Grade Girls! It’s time to try Field Hockey!! – Join Coach Killeen, Vernon’s head coach, Monday, January 9th through Thursday, January 12th, 2023 in the Cedar Mountain Gym from 4:00 – 5:00 pm. Free four-day clinic with equipment provided! Please Click this link https://forms.gle/LvXQTEdzif9sLqUU9 for the google form to sign up.
The SCA is hosting a Movie Night at Cedar Mountain on Friday, January 20th at 6pm (Snowdate: Friday, January 27th).
A look at December…
Many blessings in the new year to all our Cedar Mountain families!
Dear Cedar Mountain Families:
November flew by with many events at Cedar Mountain!
Our students learned about Veterans Day and the importance of this national holiday. They learned how to give thanks to the many Veterans and the work they do to keep our country free and all of us safe. Thank you to all our Veterans and thank you for participating in our Veteran’s Day Parade!
We had many visitors on International Night and Math Night!
Father/Daughter/Special Person Dance was amazing! Again, thank you to all our SCA ladies and parent volunteers who helped to make this event as special as it was.
We had many happy visitors on Grandparents’ Visitation Day. Students were excited to show their families around Cedar Mountain. Thank you to the many who came to visit, and to our wonderful SCA and parent volunteers for helping with this event!
Exemplary Elementary Educators!
Mrs. Maureen Sweeney and Mrs. Lois Battista
Teacher and Educational Services Professional of the Year!
Ms. Mary Ollert and Mrs. Sherry Polhemus
And let’s not forget our therapy dogs who visited us at Cedar Mountain this month!
Project Self-Sufficiency Toy Drive is underway! If you would like your child to donate a new unopened gift and/or gift card for children of all ages, please do so by December 12th. The toys will be distributed to local families in need through the Season of Hope Toy Shop.
Come to Cedar Mountain on Saturday, December 10th to have Breakfast with Santa! Pre-Registration is required via cheddar up at https://breakfastsanta.cheddarup.com
Please see the parent letter from the Vernon Coalition by clicking the LINK
Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season!
Dear Cedar Mountain Families:
Welcome to Fall! I would like to welcome Mrs. Kristin Gudenkauf, who will be serving as Cedar Mountain’s Acting Principal, as I move to the Vernon Board of Education office to serve in the role of Acting Assistant Superintendent. Mrs. Gudenkauf is a Vernon graduate and has been an elementary teacher at Walnut Ridge and Cedar Mountain. In addition, she has served as a Math Coach, Assistant Principal at Lounsberry Hollow, Glen Meadow, and VTHS, and Supervisor of School Counseling. Mrs. Gudenkauf will begin her transition from her current role as Assistant Principal at VTHS to Cedar Mountain Acting Principal during the week of September 26th. Mrs. Gudenkauf’s email address is kgudenkauf@vtsd.com. As always, please call the main office at 973-764-2890 if you would like to speak with Mrs. Gudenkauf.
A few reminders of upcoming dates:
School will be closed in observance of Yom Kippur on Wednesday, October 5th
School will be closed for students on Monday, October 10th for our Teacher In-Service
Early Dismissal Days will be on Tuesday through Friday, October 11-14th. Parent pick up is at 1:10 pm. Buses will leave the driveway at approximately 1:25 pm
Zoom Parent Conferences are listed below, you will soon be invited by your child’s teacher to select a conference date and time:
Tuesday, October 11th: 4:00 to 7:00 pm
Wednesday, October 12th: 2:15-4:00 pm
Thursday, October 13th: 2:15-4:00 pm
Friday, October 14th: 2:15-4:00 pm
Fall Harvest Open House: We had a very successful Fall Harvest Open House! Below are some pictures from this event. Thank you to the Glen Meadow National Junior Honor Society and the VTHS Key Club students that volunteered at this program.
Principal’s Forum: Thank you to Mrs. Battista, Math Interventionist, Mrs. Gibson, Speech Therapist, Ms. Green, School Counselor, and Mrs. Krops, Reading Specialist, for presenting at this year’s program that described our academic programs at Cedar Mountain. PLEASE CLICK HERE to access the slides that were presented.
Teacher of the Year Program: You are invited to nominate a teacher for the annual NJ Department of Education Governor’s Teacher of the Year and Governor’s Educational Services Professional of the Year. Please use THIS FORM to nominate a teacher at Cedar Mountain. Our building selection will be made in early November. There are so many outstanding professionals in Cedar Mountain for you to consider! Last year’s recipients were Mrs. Diana Czergovits, kindergarten teacher, and Mrs. Ashley Karlewicz, Speech/Language Specialist.
Each candidate should:
Amira- Our first-grade students are taking their fall baseline reading assessment using Amira. Amira is an Artificial Intelligence online tool that assesses oral reading fluency and analyzes errors to pinpoint strengths and areas in which a student needs growth. Amira generates diagnostic reports that help teachers understand each student’s reading needs to place students in appropriate reading groups. Our first-graders will use Amira three times this year to continue to measure students’ reading growth including comprehension. Below are pictures of Mrs. Krops, Reading Specialist, and Ms. LaBar, teacher, administering Amira to students. Kindergarten students will be using Amira later this year. Please ask your child’s first-grade teacher more about this assessment. If you would like to read more about Amira, PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK.
Fundations: Fundations is our Word Study/Phonics program used in grades K-3. Please access the DIGITAL BACKPACK, scroll down to Cedar Mountain and click on the Fundations Parent Support Pack. You can follow along unit-by-unit with your child’s class. There are multiple activities you can do with your child at home to support this program.
Morning Meeting: Every day our students begin the day with a Morning Meeting. During this special time of the day, students greet one another in unique ways to learn each other’s names through games and chants, receive a peek of the day’s learning, practice math using Calendar Math, and develop important social skills to learn how to be a good citizen in the classroom and throughout Cedar Mountain. Morning Meeting helps students prepare for the day to become a ready learner and develop their self-regulation skills. Below are some pictures during Morning Meeting time.
Artists of the Day: Our art teacher, Mrs. Patchell, has so many talented art students! This year Mrs. Patchell is selecting Artists of the Day. Please enjoy these photographs of our proud students as they pose for their pictures.
What Makes You Happy? Annually, The Center for Prevention and Counseling sponsors the “What Makes You Happy?” campaign. Mr. Hernandez, our Physical Education teacher, will be working with students on this project. Mr. Hernandez will be having students draw pictures of some of the favorite things our students like to do and the hobbies we are developing as youngsters. Students’ pictures will be entered into this contest. ATTACHED HERE IS THE INFORMATION on this campaign if you would like your child to work on this at home as well. Our Vernon Schools always has many winners in this contest that will be published in The NJ Herald.
Field Trip to Pennings in Warwick: Thank you to our generous Cedar Mountain SCA, which has funded the buses for our fall trip to Pennings to have a fall experience. Our kindergarten students will be attending this trip on Tuesday, October 18th and our first-graders will be attending on Wednesday, October 19th. There are two rain dates, if needed, on Thursday and/or Friday, October 20th and 21st. The cost of the trip is $10.00 per student. Permission slips will be sent home the week of September 26th. If you would like to sponsor a student whose family may not have the funds for this trip, you will be receiving a special envelope for your generous donation.
Week of Respect: The week of October 3rd is our annual Week of Respect- it is a week that we focus on how we can show kindness to each other in many ways. Our classroom teachers will be conducting short activities with their students in commemoration of this week. Each day during this week we will celebrate The Week of Respect in a special way. We will also have a concert by Kira Willey a children’s songwriter, author, and yoga instructor who writes stories for children and how they can develop their self-regulation skills and ways to stay calm in challenging times.
Monday, October 3: “Stomp Out Bullying”-Wear a Blue Shirt for World Day of Bullying Prevention
Tuesday, October 4: Wear your pajama pants- to “put bullying to bed”
Wednesday, October: No School
Thursday, October 6: Vikings Stand United Against Bullying Day- “Team Vernon” wear your favorite Vernon gear
Friday, October 7: Dare to be Different Day-Wear a crazy hairstyle or a hat
Vernon VFW 1st Grade Coloring Contest: All first-graders are invited to participate in the annual VFW Patriotic Coloring Contest. Your child will receive a choice of coloring pages. Each student should place his/her name on the back. First, second, and third-place winners will be announced by Mrs. Auberger from the VFW Ladies Auxiliary at the Veteran’s Day Parade in November.
Online Safety for Your Children: It has come to the attention of our teachers that some students have developed a curiosity about a social media character called “Huggy Wuggy”. After doing some research, which you can read below, Cedar Mountain teachers are requesting that you speak to your child to reinforce to them that we will not be encouraging conversations or any activities that include “Huggy Wuggy” or “Poppy’s Playtime”. PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT LINK. Thank you for your assistance and support with this matter. Here is a helpful PARENT NEWSLETTER regarding online safety for your children.
HELP YOUR CHILD IN SCHOOL – BUILD THE HABIT OF GOOD ATTENDANCE!
Did you know?
What You Can Do
SCA Meetings
I would like to thank our 22-23 SCA officers for serving our school this year, their dedication to our school is greatly appreciated! They are…
President: Megan Kapusta
Vice President: Rose Ahearn
Recording Secretary: Ericka Petrucci
Treasurer: Rachel Cawley
Corresponding Secretary: Viviana Quiros
Our next SCA meeting will be held on October 6th, at 9:45 am, in the cafeteria. The meeting will also have a Zoom link open for anyone who cannot attend the in-person meeting. HERE IS THE ZOOM LINK. Those online are encouraged to be active participants with our parents and guardians who are in person. If you would like to read the minutes of September’s meeting. Please go to the Cedar Mountain website and click on PARENT GROUPS/SCA. This will take you to the district SCA page where you can read our minutes and access other Cedar Mountain information. Please note the following upcoming SCA events:
DIGITAL BACKPACK– this page contains many district letters, scroll down to read Cedar Mountain-specific letters. Remember, this is where the Fundations Parent Support Pack can be found as well.
September 2022
Dear Cedar Mountain Families:
We have had a great opening at the home of Vernon’s kindergarten and first-grade students. Under rainy skies, we began the day by greeting each student as they came off their buses and lined up by teacher. Ms. Mariconda’s class led our school in the flag salute and rang our school bell to begin the new school year. This has become a very special annual tradition!
Thank you for following The Cedar Mountain Blog to stay informed of our school and our district events! As a reminder, you will receive a Friday School Messenger email that provides upcoming information and school reminders. You can link more than one email address to this weekly email so all parents and guardians can stay informed. Please call the Cedar Mountain Main office if we can assist you with anything with Genesis or any other questions you may have. Our number is 973-764-2890.
First days of School
As our students are settling into school routines, enjoy some pictures of our students in their classroom learning.
Thank you to our Cedar Mountain Administrative Assistants! Please join me in thanking our office staff at Cedar Mountain- Mrs. O’Keefe, Mrs. Donovan, and Ms. Speight, who worked tirelessly this summer to make sure our school was ready to be opened, that our classrooms were stocked with materials and supplies, and that all students were registered. Look closely at their t-shirts that say it all… “I’ll be there for you”!! We couldn’t run our school without them!
Bus Safety Program: Thank you to our bus drivers Mrs. Anthony and Mrs. Blackburn along with our School Counselor, Ms. Green, who taught our students about bus safety during our first week of school. Thank you for reinforcing our bus rules with your children to keep your child and every passenger safe on our buses.
Please join us for our annual…
Cedar Mountain Fall Harvest Open House -Saturday, September 17th, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Come enjoy some refreshments, tour our building, explore our curriculum in demonstrations throughout various classrooms, experience the computer lab as your child would in computer class, visit our library and stop at stations from different community organizations, and learn about our music program. There will be crafts, food, and games. We will also have various community organizations with us such as the Vernon Police Vernon PAL, the Vernon Coalition, The Center for Prevention and Counseling, Project Self Sufficiency, Girls Scouts, and UMAC Karate school. This program has been made available through a generous NJEA Pride grant organized by Mrs. Lombardi one of our preschool teachers at Walnut Ridge. We are very excited to collaborate with the VTEA and NJEA for this special activity.
School Picture Day
As a reminder, School Picture Day is Tuesday, September 20! Retakes will be held on October 27th. 2022.
Principal’s Forum
Please join me along with other building experts for the Cedar Mountain Principal’s Forum on Wednesday, September 21, at 6:00 pm, held in the cafeteria. At the Principal’s Forum, you will hear about ways to stay involved in and support your child’s education as well as the academic programs at Cedar Mountain. You will be hearing from the following building experts, Mrs. Gibson, Speech/Language Therapist, Ms. Green, Professional School Counselor, and Mrs. Krops, Reading Specialist, and Mrs. Battista, Math Interventionist.
News from the Art Room: For those families whose children are in currently in art this marking period. Please CLICK HERE for an informative newsletter from Mrs. Patchell, our art teacher. You will learn how to access your child’s artwork in Artsonia. Artsonia is a digital portfolio of all the artworks your child is creating in art. The best part is you can now share your child’s creative accomplishments with friends and family both near and far. As your child grows, so will their art portfolio as many other art teachers in Vernon also use Artsonia and their student account transfers year to year!
SCA Meetings
I would like to thank our 22-23 SCA officers for serving our school this year, their dedication to our school is greatly appreciated! They are…
President: Megan Kapusta
Vice President: Rose Ahearn
Recording Secretary: Ericka Petrucci
Treasurer: Rachel Cawley
Corresponding Secretary: Viviana Quiros
Our first SCA meeting was held on September 8th. If you would like to read the minutes of this meeting. Please go to the Cedar Mountain website and click on PARENT GROUPS/SCA. This will take you to the district SCA page where you can read our minutes and access other Cedar Mountain information. Our meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month at 9:45 am. We also will be opening a Zoom link so you can join us live wherever you are, HERE IS THE ZOOM LINK. Those online are encouraged to be active participants with our parents and guardians who are in person. All parents and guardians are always invited to attend. Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, October 6th. Please note the following upcoming SCA events:
Heggerty Kindergarten Assessment: Our kindergarten students will be receiving a Heggerty baseline screening from their teacher this month. This screening will identify each student’s phonological and phonemic awareness skills, the results will be used to plan for instruction when using our Heggerty and Fundations instruction.
Fountas & Pinnell Baseline Assessment System: Our Reading Test
At the end of this month, each student in first-grade is will be receiving a one-on-one reading assessment, called The Baseline Assessment System, to determine each student’s reading level, areas of reading strength, as well as where a student may require additional reading/literacy support. The Baseline Assessment System is used in the classroom to level reading instruction and teach the student at his or her level. Our kindergarten students will receive their first Baseline Assessment System screening in January 2023. Thank you for continuing to read to and with your child on a daily basis. There will be many opportunities this year for you to learn ways that you can support literacy at home beginning with The Principal’s Forum that will be held on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, at 6:00 pm, in the cafeteria.
Teacher of the Year Program
You are invited to nominate a teacher for the annual NJ Department of Education Governor’s Teacher of the Year and Governor’s Educational Services Professional of the Year. Please use THIS FORM to nominate a teacher at Cedar Mountain. Our building selection will be made in early November. There are so many outstanding professionals in Cedar Mountain for you to consider! Last year’s recipients were Mrs. Diana Czergovits, kindergarten teacher, and Mrs. Ashley Karlewicz, Speech/Language Specialist.
Each candidate should:
Some information on communication and the proper channels… As school begins, it is very important that we promote communication with you via this blog, emails, phone calls, our calendar, Friday School Messenger emails, and the occasional memos that will be sent home with students. With this in mind, below are the steps to use as reference if you need to reach someone at school to discuss an educational matter. These steps support direct, open, and respectful interactions so that problems and concerns can be worked out quickly and efficiently. Any question or concern should always start with the person listed in Step 1, as that person will usually have the most information on the topic. If you have a question or concern, please follow the steps listed below for the relevant topic.
Classroom Issues Involving an Individual Child (Classroom procedures, behavior, grades, schedule, etc.) OR Curriculum and Instruction (Subject matter being taught, teaching strategies, textbooks and materials used, etc.)
STEP 1: Classroom Teacher; if not resolved…
STEP 2: School Counselor, Ms. Ingrid Green, 973-764-4509; if not resolved…
STEP 3: Principal
STEP 4: Supervisor of ELA/Humanities, Dr. Cris Slotoroff, or Director of Math, Science and STEM, Dr. Hollyce Schoepp
STEP 5: Building Principal; if not resolved…
STEP 6: Director for Curriculum, Mr. Vincent Gagliostro if not resolved…
STEP 7: Acting Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Russ Rogers
Special Education, 504 Plans, and IEPs
STEP 1: Teacher, Specialist, or Child Study Team Member (Psychologist, School Counselor, Social Worker, Speech and Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist); if not resolved…
STEP 2: Case Manager; if not resolved…
STEP 3: Building Principal; if not resolved…
STEP 4: Supervisor of Special Services – Mrs. Suzanne MacDougall; if not resolved…
STEP 5: Director of Special Services- Mr. Russel Fay
STEP 6: Acting Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Russ Rogers
Medical Concerns
STEP 1: School Nurse; if not resolved…
STEP 2: Building Principal; if not resolved…
STEP 3: Acting Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Russ Roges
School Counseling and Related Services
STEP 1: School Counselor, Social Worker, School Psychologist; if not resolved…
STEP 2: Supervisor of School Counseling- Mrs. Susan Matteson; if not resolved…
STEP 3: Building Principal; if not resolved…
STEP 4: Director of Curriculum, Mr. Vincent Gagliostro; if not resolved…
STEP 5: Acting Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Russ Rogers
Transportation Concerns
(Behavior on school buses, etc.)
STEP 1: Building Principal; if not resolved…
STEP 2: Supervisor of Transportation, Mrs. Marisa Broesder; if not resolved…
STEP 3: Acting Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Russ Rogers
General Housekeeping Information
School Calendar: Please note our school will be closed on Wednesday, October 5th for Yom Kippur and on Monday, October 10th for our Teacher In-Service Day. We will have Early Dismissal Days from Tuesday, October 11th through Friday, October 14th. CLICK HERE for our 22-23 calendar.
Parent Handbook: A lot of school and district information can be found the Cedar Mountain Parent Handbook. The handbook can be found on the Digital Backpack for Cedar Mountain. HERE IS THE LINK FOR THE HANDBOOK.
Digital Backpack: Please see the Cedar Mountain DIGITAL BACKPACK for other important school information and the many district letters and forms that live on the Digital Backpack.
School Closings: It’s never too early to prepare for school closings! Please CLICK HERE for our district school closing information. Always start by looking at our district’s main page vtsd.com. We post our closing, delayed openings, and early dismissals here in addition to you receiving an automated call on the phone that you connected in Genesis.
Mrs. Gebhardt
Principal
Welcome to the 2022-2023 School Year that is just around the corner! The Cedar Mountain faculty, staff, and I are very excited to begin a new year with your child!
Our highly-skilled and devoted teachers have been planning and preparing for your child to enter Cedar Mountain School. Our very talented office staff, Mrs. O’Keefe, Mrs. Donovan, and Ms. Speight are registering many new families, ordering needed materials, and updating student information in Genesis. Our hard-working and conscientious custodians have spent the entire summer thoroughly cleaning our school. I would like to take a moment to welcome our new Coordinating Custodian, Mrs. Natalia Sandoval, who is eager to get to know our students while ensuring our school is safe, clean, and well cared for. Our much-appreciated School and Community Association (the SCA) is gearing up to welcome families, provide volunteer opportunities, and offer other exciting events and programs throughout the school year. Cedar Mountain is a caring community with the common goals of nurturing responsible, caring students and promoting high-level learning.
At Cedar Mountain, we will continue with our Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Support System model to help students at all learning levels. We will be using data to track students’ progress. Our first-graders will be taking benchmark assessments in the fall, winter, and spring, and our kindergarteners will be taking one assessment at the end of the year so that Cedar Mountain teachers can monitor the progress of each student as he/she develops specific academic skills in the areas of literacy and math. These benchmark assessments will not be used as a grading instrument; our goal with these benchmarks will be to carefully use the assessment data as a tool for us to determine how we can adjust our instructional practices to meet the needs of our students. We will continue using the Fountas and Pinnell Baseline Assessment reading test three times throughout the year for first graders and two times a year for kindergarteners. These assessments, as well as our daily teaching and anecdotal notes, checklists, and assessments help guide our teachers when completing the rubric on the Standard-Based Report Card. Please CLICK HERE to access our report card so you will know what your child is expected to know by the trimester. We are also introducing a brand new Language Art series to all K-5 students this year called Into Reading. This program was carefully selected by multiple teachers in the district and it is based on the most current research on how children learn to read; this research is called The Science of Reading. You will be learning more about this throughout the year and the Principal’s Forum as well as various SCA meetings.
| Daily | Delayed Opening | Early Dismissal |
| 9:20 am Students Enter | 11:20 am Students Enter | 9:20 am Students Enter |
| 3:40 Parent Pick Up | 3:40 Parent Pick Up | 1:10 Parent Pick Up |
| 4:00 Students Dismissed | 4:00 Students Dismissed | 1:20 Students Dismissed |
| 4:05 Buses Depart | 4:05 Buses Depart | 1:25 Buses Depart |
INFORMATION ON PARKING AND DROP OFF AT CEDAR MOUNTAIN PRIMARY 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 their child to either the ramp in the main parking lot or by the front playground. For ease of parking, you are encouraged to park on Sammis Road. 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 a 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.
INTRODUCING OUR NEW FACULTY AT CEDAR MOUNTAIN SCHOOL
Each year we are very fortunate to bring on new teachers to our building. Below are the bios of our new faculty members. We welcome Mr. Christopher Cook, Ms. Jamilee Holly, Mrs. Kielty (who will be covering for Mrs. Megnin), Mrs. Courtney Rose, Mrs. Christine Taylor-Eccles, and Mrs. Cara Zimnik
Jamilee Holly:
Ms. Holly graduated from Vernon schools in 2005 and is returning to the community with her daughter this fall. She attended Rider University, graduating in 2009 with Bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education and Dance, and again in 2012 with a Master’s degree in Special Education. Ms. Holly has worked in a variety of educational settings, including as a preschool director and as a classroom teacher for K-2 students in Howell, NJ. She enjoys the beach, dancing, and spending time with her family. Ms. Holly cannot wait to join the Cedar Mountain team and work closely with students and families! Ms. Holly will be teaching first grade in room 215 this year.
Christopher Cook:
Chris Cook is excited to get to know the students and families this year as well as to join the Cedar Mountain Primary School family. This is Mr. Cook’s fourth year teaching first grade. Mr. Cook graduated from William Paterson University with a degree in Elementary Education as well as Special Education. Mr. Cook’s passion is making learning fun through hands-on exploration and projects. He enjoys challenging students and meeting them where they’re at, and helping his students persevere through difficult tasks to ensure that they can achieve their goals! Mr. Cook will be teaching first grade in room 211 this year.
Courtney Rose:
Mrs. Rose grew up in Vernon and graduated from Vernon High School in 2004. She attended Sacred Heart University, graduating in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Mrs. Rose later obtained her teaching certifications in Elementary Education and Teacher of Students with Disabilities, as well as a Master’s in Elementary Education in 2014 from Felician University. Since then she has been working in Paterson Public Schools with special education students in grades 1-6. Mrs. Rose is ecstatic to be a part of the Cedar Mountain Family and can’t wait to instill a love for learning in her students. Mrs. Rose currently lives in Vernon with her husband and two-year-old daughter. She enjoys being outside, reading a good book, and spending time with her family. Mrs. Rose will be co-teaching kindergarten this year with Ms. Thomas in room 103.
Christine Taylor-Eccles:
Christine Taylor-Eccles is a lifelong resident of Vernon Township and Alumni of Vernon Township High School, She is very excited to join the Cedar Mountain team as a Kindergarten and First Grade Special Education Teacher. Mrs. Taylor-Eccles attended Ramapo College of New Jersey, where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and Information Technology. Mrs. Taylor-Eccles has two children who currently attend the Vernon Township School District. Mrs. Taylor-Eccles’ passion for teaching developed in 2014, when she became an aide. In 2018, she began her education track through Liberty University where she completed a dual Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and Special Education and a Master’s Certificate in Autism Education. Mrs. Taylor-Eccles looks forward to her first year as a classroom teacher where she will plan meaningful activities, and create a classroom setting that is both inviting and conducive to each student’s learning style while increasing academic, social, and emotional learning. Mrs. Taylor-Eccles will be teaching K-1 special education in room 201 this year.
Eleanor Kielty:
Mrs. Eleanor attended Kutztown University, where she received her BA in elementary education. She started her teaching career at Hamburg Elementary School. In her thirteen years there she spent the majority of those teaching first grade and the remainder teaching middle school social studies. Mrs. Kielty stepped out of teaching for a bit to raise her twins, one of the most important jobs she has ever done. When Mrs. Kielty returned to the classroom she had a new respect and understanding of what it means to send your child to school and entrust someone else to their care. Mrs. Kielty has had the unique opportunity to teach in England, as well as, Barnaul Siberia. She returned with a number of life experiences that have certainly affected her and enriched her teaching. As a result, she has received several awards to celebrate her work in the classroom. She recently returned from five memorable weeks of service work with high school students in Hawaii. Mrs. Kielty loves to travel, backpack in the mountains, and spend time outside with her dogs and her family. Mrs. Kielty will be teaching first-grade in room 209 this fall, filling in for Mrs. Megnin.
Cara Zimnik:
Mrs. Cara Zimnik, our new Speech/Language Pathologist, is looking forward to this upcoming school year and working with all of the wonderful families and students at Cedar Mountain. Mrs. Zimnik received a bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Zimnik has worked with students of varying ages and within multiple school settings and is passionate about the field of Speech-Language Pathology. Mrs. Zimnik is dedicated to providing a supportive environment and fostering meaningful interactions to encourage the growth of new skills and enhance overall communication for students. Mrs. Zimnik spent the majority of her childhood and young adult life in Randolph, New Jersey. After getting married last year, Mrs. Zimnik moved to Vernon. Mrs. Zimnik and her husband have loved exploring all that Vernon has to offer! She is very excited to meet the students at Cedar Mountain and learn all about their goals and hobbies too! Mrs. Zimnik will be one of two Speech and Language Therapists working in room 202 this year.
Natalia Sandoval:
Ms. Natalia Sandoval is Cedar Mountain’s new Coordinating Custodian. Ms. Sandoval was born and raised in Columbia, South America. Ms. Sandoval has a degree in early childhood that she earned in Columbia before coming to the United States. Ms. Sandoval has experience as a Head Custodian in other districts in NJ. Ms. Sandoval is a hardworking individual. She is a very positive and eager to always transmit joy and calm to her working environment. As a Vernon resident, Ms. Sandoval is very proud to call Cedar Mountain her new home where she leads and collaborates with her fellow custodians implementing best practice techniques of deep cleaning a school of approximately 420 students. Ms. Sandoval is very excited to greet the students of Cedar Mountain and get to know each one! You will see Ms. Sandoval everywhere in our school!
Rhiannon Lubas:
Miss Rhiannon Lubas is currently attending William Paterson University pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. She is very excited to be a student teacher at Cedar Mountain in Mrs. Sweeney’s class this school year! In her free time, Miss Lubas enjoys going to the gym, playing with her five bunnies, or spending time with my family and friends. Miss Lubas am looking forward to meeting everyone, learning about the “art of teaching”, and having an awesome school year! Miss Lubas will be working closely and learning from Mrs. Sweeney in room 102 this year.
Erica Meichsner:
Miss Erica Meichsner is a Senior at Ramapo College of New Jersey earning a Bachelor’s degree in their Social Work program. In addition to being a student at Ramapo College, Miss Meichsner is also the Co-vice President of the Social Work Club where she and her club mates are able to host social events for different causes and connect with peers. Miss Meichsner’s work experience includes lifeguarding at the Highland Lakes Country Club in the summer for the last seven years. This year, Miss Meichsner is serving as Assistant Supervisor at the Highland Lakes Country Club where she leads 50 employees with schedules and day-to-day tasks. In addition to this work, Miss Meichsner teaches swimming lessons where she uses her aquatic training to analyze children’s swimming capabilities and teach them different skills. Miss Meischsner also serves as a Vernon Township School district substitute; she is looking forward to her internship this fall where she will be shadowing Mrs. Polhemus our MSW on the Child Study Team.
Francesca Amati:
Miss Francesca Amati is a Vernon resident and proud alumni of the Vernon Township School District. She graduated from Centenary University in 2021 with a BA in Elementary Education, earned in conjunction with a CEAS in Elementary Education (K-6) and a Teacher of Students With Disabilities (TOSD) certification. She completed her Practicum and Student Teaching at Hardyston Elementary School in a 3rd-grade classroom, after which she taught 2nd grade as a full-time long-term substitute from January – June 2022. She enjoys reading, coffee, and spending time with her family. Miss Amati will be working with Ms. Jamilee Holly as she covers for Mrs. Erin Brady from October 2022 – February 2023. She is honored and excited to have the opportunity to work in Cedar Mountain, one of the schools where her love of education began!
Important Reminders for August and September:
As school approaches, below are a few important dates for the month of August and early September to mark on your family calendar. Please note, if you do not have everything satisfied for your child’s registration in Genesis, you will not be able to see your child’s bus number/bus stop and pick up time, or your child’s teacher.
3:30 pm Kindergarten Back to School Night- Please bring your kindergarten child with you
5:00 pm First Grade Back to School Night- This program is only for parents and guardians- you are kindly requested to please not bring your child
Kindergarten Class of 2035 t-shirts: As a reminder to all kindergarten parents, please have your child where his or her Class of 2035 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 and your child for years to come.
Please reference the Digital Backpack for important district notices as well as information related to Cedar Mountain. You can also access our Parent Handbook for a lot of other important school information. You can also find a list of suggested school supplies for each grade. The Cedar Mountain website contains all of our school information. The links on the left side of the page have many helpful topics. Many activities for the year are on the Cedar Mountain Calendar, check them out!
I look forward to seeing you for visits in the coming weeks as you prepare for the new school year. If I can help you with any questions about the new year, please do not hesitate to call Cedar Mountain at 973-764-2890 or email me directly at rgebhardt@vtsd.com Enjoy the end of the summer!
Dear Cedar Mountain Parents and Guardians:
I hope you are enjoying the summer with your family…as the beginning of the new school year approaches; I am looking forward to opening the doors of Cedar Mountain Primary School to our kindergarten and first-graders on Tuesday, September 6th! Below is the information you will need for the beginning of the year. Please mark your calendar for our Open House, Back to School Night, and more! For parents and guardians of entering kindergarten students, there are still open appointments for a Meet and Greet with me. HERE IS THE LINK to the Sign Up Genius website to select a date and time. Here also is a great article for parents and guardians about summer reading that you might like to review.
Summer Academic Camp: Students had a fun month of July in our Summer Academic Camp where they practiced many math and literacy skills, helping our students to transition to kindergarten and first-grade. Thanks to the wonderful teachers Mrs. Sweeney, Mrs. Yarosz, Mrs. Giangrande, Mrs. Start, and Mrs. Nygren, who served in this program working so hard with our students…
Looking for Summer Reading? Here are a few links that you might be interested in when looking for summer reading books for your children
Summer Math Reinforcement: Here are two documents for you to reference if you would like to keep your child’s math skills up during the summer months to avoid “the summer slide”.
END OF KINDERGARTEN MATH REINFORCEMENT SKILLS
END OF FIRST-GRADE MATH REINFORCEMENT SKILLS
Cultivate Creativity in Your Child: Creativity helps students navigate the increasingly collaborative and information-rich world that awaits them. It boosts students’ academic performance, perseverance, social-emotional skills, self-confidence, and more. Click on the image below to see the ways that families can use these strategies to cultivate their child’s creativity.
2022-2023 VTSD School Calendar: For planning purposes, Click HERE for the 2022-2023 school calendar. Please note: The VTSD calendar is subject to change by the Board of Education.
Throughout the summer, teachers, administrative assistants, custodians, and maintenance staff have been very busy preparing, cleaning, “polishing”, and preparing the building for the 2022-2023 school year. Here are a few important dates for the month of August and September to mark on your family calendar:
Kindergarten Class of 2035 t-shirts: As a reminder to all kindergarten parents, please have your child where his or her Class of 2035 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.
Please reference the Digital Backpack for important district notices as well as information related to Cedar Mountain. You can also access our Parent Handbook for a lot of other important school information. You can also find a list of suggested school supplies for each grade. The Cedar Mountain website contains all of our school information. The links on the left side of the page have many helpful topics.
Supply Lists for 2022-2023: For planning purposes, here are our supply lists for next year, if you would like to gather these items through the summer months. Please do not purchase too many school supplies without looking at this list.
2022-2023 KINDERGARTEN Supply List
2022-2023 FIRST-GRADE Supply List
2022-2023 SCA: For our new families, the purpose of the School and Community Association (SCA) is to serve Cedar Mountain by encouraging a close relationship with parents, administrators, and faculty in order to enhance cooperation between home and the school so that parents and teachers can work together effectively to ensure a well-rounded quality education for all students. Our SCA meets once a month on the first Thursday of every month at 9:45 am, in the cafeteria. Our first meeting will be on Thursday, September 8th. All parents and guardians are welcome to attend our meetings. HERE IS THE LINK to the Cedar Mountain SCA page. If you would like to become a volunteer with the SCA please email: cm.vernonsca@gmail.com
President: Megan Kapusta
VP: Rose Ahearn
Recording Secretary: Mrs. Ericka Petrucci
Treasurer: Rachel Cawley
Corresponding Secretary: Viviana Quiros
Continue enjoying the summer, please reach out to Cedar Mountain with any questions you may have, the number to the main office is 973-764-2890
Happy Summer! Welcome to the summer edition of the Cedar Mountain Blog! A special welcome to all of our new families of entering kindergarten students and the new families moving to Vernon with first-graders! This edition will give information to our families that may have missed the Kindergarten Orientation or are still registering this summer. You will find many useful links that will be helpful to you this summer. So while you’re poolside or lakeside, take a few minutes to check out the Cedar Mountain website as well as the information contained here.
Kindergarten Orientation Information: CLICK HERE to view the Kindergarten Orientation slide deck for general information on what you need to know for the new school year.
Phonological Awareness Resources (from Heggerty.org)- You will be hearing a lot about phonological awareness from your child’s teacher. Using Fundations and Heggerty materials, along with other multisensory instruction, a student’s understanding of our language begins. Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate the spoken parts of sentences and words. Examples include being able to identify words that rhyme, recognizing alliteration, segmenting a sentence into words, identifying the syllables in a word, and blending and segmenting parts of a word (like its beginning sound like the /c/ in cat). I would also like to recommend THIS LIST of books that can develop a love of words in young children.
The resources below have been compiled by our Reading Specialist, Mrs. Kristina Krops, and include activities that help students develop phonological and phonemic awareness. Click on the links to take you to the site.
Florida Center for Reading Research– Printable activities for Kindergarten and 1st grade to reinforce and practice rhyme, alliteration, phoneme isolation, blending, segmenting, and manipulating sounds in words
Sounder & Friends– Phonemic awareness training videos for children
The Literacy Nest– Ideas and resources for teaching phonological awareness
PreKinders – Literacy printables for Pre-K parents
Más Fonoaudiología – Un sitio con actividades para practicar la conciencia fonológica y la fonética.
Nursery Rhymes: To build a child’s phonemic awareness, you can read nursery rhymes with your child. CLICK HERE for common nursery rhymes to have fun with your child.
Summer Math Reinforcement: Here are two documents for you to reference if you would like to keep your child’s math skills up during the summer months to avoid “the summer slide”.
END OF KINDERGARTEN MATH REINFORCEMENT SKILLS
END OF FIRST-GRADE MATH REINFORCEMENT SKILLS
Make Summer Learning a Family Affair: Below are some ideas for you to do at home with your children while at home or when you are traveling to special destinations this summer. Click on the image to enlarge.
DIAL4: Parents often ask what the DIAL4 (Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning, 4th edition) tells us about an entering kindergarten student. Parents and guardians should know that the results of this screening are one of the measures used to help sort the students into appropriate classrooms and helps us know the potential needs of each student. Here are questions that are often asked by our families.
My child has a summer birthday and I am concerned that they are not ready for Kindergarten. Will this screening tell me if my child is ready for Kindergarten?
No. This is a screening, not a readiness assessment. The best person to discuss your child’s readiness for Kindergarten is your child’s pre-school teacher and your pediatrician.
What screening tool is used?
The Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning™, Fourth Edition, or DIAL-4, is the developmental screening tool used by the Vernon Township School District. It is designed to measure the most fundamental or basic concepts that are acquired by young children.
What areas does the screening examine?
The DIAL -4 examines three major areas as follows:
Motor: Catching, jumping hopping, skipping, building, thumb and finger motor skills, cutting, copying and name writing.
Concepts: Identification of body parts, colors, rapid color naming, counting, positions, concepts (big/little), and shapes
Language: Personal data, articulation, objects and actions, letters and sounds, rhyming and I spy, problem solving, and intelligibility.
Does the screening examine any other areas?
Yes. The screening operators take behavioral notes; for example, how willing the child is to separate from the parent/caregiver. These observations may be used to explain individual variations in the way children approach the tasks given in the screening. Operators also note if the child has English as a second language or if they exhibit speech patterns that may need to be examined more closely.
Sign Up Genius for Entering Kindergarten Families: CLICK HERE to sign up for a time to bring your entering kindergarten child in for a Meet and Greet this summer.
Counselor’s Corner: Our School Counselor, Ms. Ingrid Green, encourages you to READ HER S’MORE to learn about her and for information on her program at Cedar Mountain.
Looking for Summer Reading? Here are a few links that you might be interested in when looking for summer reading books for your children
From the American Library Association
Sussex County Library Summer Reading Program: This summer’s theme is “Oceans of Possibilities”. CLICK HERE to learn more how your child can participate in person at the library or online.
2022-2023 VTSD School Calendar: For planning purposes, Click HERE for the 2022-2023 school calendar. The Cedar Mountain Back to School Night is scheduled for Thursday, September 1, 2022. The first day of school is on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. Please note that the school calendar is subject to change by the Board of Education.
Supply Lists for 2022-2023: For planning purposes, here are our supply lists for next year, if you would like to gather these items through the summer months. Please do not over purchase school supplies without looking at this list.
2022-2023 KINDERGARTEN Supply List
2022-2023 FIRST-GRADE Supply List
2022-2023 SCA: For our new families, the purpose of the School and Community Association (SCA) is to serve Cedar Mountain by encouraging a close relationship with parents, administrators, and faculty in order to enhance cooperation between home and the school so that parents and teachers can work together effectively to ensure a well-rounded quality education for all students. Our SCA meets once a month on the first Monday of every month at 9:45 am, in the cafeteria. All parents and guardians are welcome to attend our meetings. If you would like to become a volunteer with the SCA please email cm.vernonsca@gmail.com.
HERE IS THE SCA LINK for all schools.
…Welcome to the 2022-2023 Board:
President: Megan Kapusta
VP: Rose Ahearn
Recording Secretary: Ericka Petrucci
Treasurer: Rachel Cawley
Corresponding Secretary: Viviana Quiros
In case you missed our farewell video for the retiring Dr. McKay…check out the video Cedar Mountain made to wish him well in his retirement…
Please feel free to contact Cedar Mountain if you have any questions about your child entering Cedar Mountain. Please call Cedar Mountain at 973-764-2890 or email me at: rgebhardt@vtsd.com
Wishing all of you a wonderful and safe summer!
Rosemary Gebhardt
Principal