It is both an honor and a joy to welcome you to the new school year! We hope your summer was filled with rest, fun, and family time. As the leadership team of New Albany School, we are proud to continue serving this incredible learning community and supporting every student who walks through our doors.
This year, we remain committed to our schoolwide positive behavior expectations: “Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe.” These guiding principles will continue to be at the heart of our work, shaping how we learn, grow, and care for one another. At New Albany, our mission is to pursue academic excellence while also nurturing the social and emotional well-being of all students, and we will work together to make this year one of growth and success for every Pirate.
We also want to extend a warm welcome to all of our new families—whether you are joining us from near or far away, we are thrilled you are here. We are confident you will soon discover, as we have, that New Albany School is a special place for children to learn and thrive. Our staff is eager to meet their students and begin this year’s journey.
Please take a moment to read through the Welcome Back Parent Letter, which contains important details about the start of the school year. We look forward to seeing our students on Tuesday, September 2nd!
With Pirate Pride,
Mrs. Jones & Mrs. Oliver
Mark Your Calendars
September 1: Labor Day - NO SCHOOL
September 2: First day of school for students
September 11: 9/11 Observance
September 12: CEHASA Welcome Back Family Gathering 5:30-7:00PM @ New Albany recess field
September 15: First Day of Hispanic Heritage Month
September 17: Back to School Night 6:00PM
September 23: STEM Night 5:00-6:30PM
September 24: BOE Meeting 7:00PM @ CMS
September 29: School Store Fundraiser begins
Looking ahead...
October 1: Yom Kippur
October 6-10: Week of Respect
October 7: Picture Day
October 10: Professional Development Day (No School for Students)
Mee Our New Staff!
We are so excited you are a part of the NAS family!
Lindsey Cramer
MD Special Education LTS
Tori Dixon
1st Grade LTS
Michelle Drangula
Cafeteria/Playground Assistant
Annabella Lee
Kindergarten
Rob McMillan
Health/PE
Missy Merla
2nd Grade LTS
Megan O'Hara
Emotional Support Special Education
Olivia Onal
MD Special Education
Jennifer Witlieb
2nd Grade Resource Special Education
Jonathan Niedermayer
MD LTS
September 11th Observance
On this day, we pay tribute to those lives lost, as well as the families that were affected from this tragedy. We also honor the survivors along with the first responders who made gallant efforts to protect and serve.
The people we lost that day are not just names or numbers. We remember them today for not only who they were, but for what they could have become. They were irreplaceable to their families, instrumental in their jobs, woven into the fabric of their community, full of life and potential.
Lives cut short – pain that can never be properly described in words. Suffering that will never fully heal. And no words that anyone else will ever say can fill the gaping hole.
But we the living, we have a solemn duty to honor their memory, their legacy. To honor and remember them – not just today but every day.
#NeverForget
CEHASA Picnic
Our home and school association invites NAS families to attend a welcome back gathering. Preschool families are invited to attend on Friday, September 12th from 5:30-7:00PM atNew Albany School recess fields.
We hope this event provides students with some fun playtime, as well as the opportunity to make new friends. There will be fun music to get your boogie on! We hope to see you there!
Hispanic Herritage Month
From September 15 to October 15, we proudly join the nation in celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month. This is a special time to honor the rich cultures, traditions, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans whose heritage is rooted in Latin American countries. Throughout this month—and all year long—we celebrate the history, achievements, and lasting impact of Hispanic and Latino communities, past and present. Their stories and contributions continue to inspire us and enrich the fabric of our school, community, and nation.
Back to School Night
Back to School Night will be held on Wednesday, September 17th from 6:00-8:00 PM.
This night provides a valuable opportunity to learn more about your child's classroom experience. You will have the opportunity to meet your child's teacher and learn about your child's daily schedule and classroom procedures. Any questions pertaining to your child's daily activities or teacher procedures can be addressed at Back to School Night.
We ask that you please refrain from "conferencing" with your child's teacher at this time. If you need to schedule a time to meet with a teacher, please send a quick email and they will be happy to speak with you one on one.
More detailed information will be provided prior to this open house.
STEAM Night @ NAS
A Message from the School Nurse
Should you need to send medication to school, please contact Mrs. Ormsby at (856) 786-2284 ext. 6832 or ormsbyk@cinnaminson.com.
If you need to submit immunization and/or physical forms, please send those into school with your child or you may drop them off
between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
For more information, you may visit the nurses' page on our website:
Students will be picked up 2 hours later than normal.
Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd - 11:06 - 3:34
Student Arrival & Dismissal
Our # 1 priority, at all times, is the safety of our students. Arrival and Dismissal times are a hectic time of day as we ensure that our 660+ students get to where they need to go. We are requesting your cooperation and assistance during this time so that each one of our students enters and exits the school building and returns safely home or to their afterschool care.
Please take note of these important procedures:
* ALL dismissal changes for the day must be communicated to the main office no later than 1:30 PM. Those changes should be emailed to nasmainoffice@cinnaminson.com and the office staff will note the change on the daily dismissal form. After 2:00 pm, call the office at (856) 786-2284.
*If you need to pick your child up from school at any time before dismissal, please let the main office know via phone or email. Any student getting picked up after 3:20, without prior notification to the office, will be dismissed as a walker.
Anyone picking up a student at the end of the school day (between 3:00 and 3:25 PM) must park on New Albany Road and walk up to the school via the footbridge and sidewalk. Students marked as "walkers" are dismissed to their designated locations and signed out to you from the kindergarten or library door. Please note that the kindergarten door is to the left when facing the building and the library door is to the right just past the main entrance.
STUDENT ARRIVAL/AM DROP OFF
The driveway and parking lot layout at New Albany School are not designed for cars and buses at the same time. Since the majority of students ride a school bus to and from school, during arrival and dismissal, cars must stay clear of the bus lanes and are NOT ALLOWED to enter the school parking lot.
Please do not bring children to school before 8:50 AM, as our staff does not report for bus duty until that time. Parents dropping off their students by car must adhere to the following:
Park along New Albany Road and walk children across the footbridge.
Students should NOT be let out of the vehicle alone. You are required to walk your child to the canopy area near the main entrance. There will be staff on duty to help your child enter school once you reach the canopy area of the school.
After 9:06 AM, parents may drive around the loop in front of the school and drop off to the main office.
Students arriving late must stop in the main office so attendance can be updated.
STUDENT DISMISSAL/PM PICK UP
Students who are picked-up by a parent or guardian on a regular basis will be dismissed before the buses leave. Kindergarten students will be dismissed at the Kindergarten exit, located to the left of the building. All 1st, and 2nd grade students will be dismissed from the library exit, located to the right of the main entrance doors.
Once students are checked in by our staff, they will be dismissed to parents/guardians. All designated daily walkers should have a yellow card that can be brought to school by the parent/guardian and shown to the staff at pickup. If you arrive by 3:25 PM, you may park along New Albany Road and walk up to the building and form a line at the side entrance to the library or by the kindergarten door to the left of the building. You may enter the parking lot with your vehicle only after the buses have departed.
Families are expected to adhere to one pick-up/drop-off schedule for the duration of the school year. Students who attend SAC on a part-time basis will be transported to their home or another predetermined location on the days they aren’t scheduled to attend SAC. To minimize safety concerns associated with last-minute transportation changes, all pick-up and drop-off schedule changes must be made within 30 days advance notice. Emergent situations (i.e. - change of job, illness, etc.) will be handled on a case-by-case basis as they arise. Parents will still be able to take advantage of SAC on half days.
Please arrange through the office staff if a child is to be picked-up every day or a certain day(s) of the week. If you plan to pick-up your child earlier by coming into the building, you must sign them out in the main office no later than 3:20 PM. After that time, “pick-ups” will be at the Library and Kindergarten exits. At no time are parents/guardians permitted to take a child out of a line or off the bus without first signing him or her out in the office.
We will not allow our students to leave school property without proper supervision. Students are dismissed to buses or must be picked-up by a parent/guardian, or a responsible person, age 18 or older, and approved by a parent/guardian.
A STUDENT WILL NOT BE RELEASED TO ANYONE OTHER THAN A DESIGNATED GUARDIAN UNLESS THE OFFICE HAS AN EMAIL OR WRITTEN NOTE STATING WHICH INDIVIDUAL WILL BE PICKING UP YOUR CHILD. THE PERSON PICKING UP YOUR CHILD MUST BE PREPARED TO SHOW PHOTO IDENTIFICATION.
The cost of a student lunch is $2.90 and milk is 0.50 cents. You may send in cash or a check, made payable to Cinnaminson Lunch Program. Please mark the envelope containing the cash or check with your child's full name and homeroom teacher OR you may use our online lunch system to make a credit card payment. You will be able to view your child's lunch purchases, account balance, and amount due on the Lunchtime School Payment Portal.
In order to create your child's Lunchtime School Payment Portal account, you will need their student ID #. You can locate the number on the Genesis Parent Portal or call the main office. For more information on the Lunchtime School Payment Portal, Click Here.
Breakfast will be offered to students who choose to participate in the breakfast program. Please note that the cost for breakfast will be $1.85. Those students receiving Free/Reduced Lunch will be eligible for free breakfast. To complete an application, please see the link here: Lunch Application.
Parents who choose for their child to receive breakfast must place their breakfast order through the Genesis Parent Portal. A menu will be posted on our website here: Menus for Breakfast/Lunch. Upon arriving at school each day, students will report to their homeroom and then to the cafeteria to receive their breakfast.
Be Respectful - I will use good manners and treat others in a way that I would like to be treated. I will be kind, express gratitude, forgive others, and help those in need.
Be Responsible - I will do what I am supposed to do and be accountable for my actions. I will try my best in all academic areas.
Be Safe - I will respect school property and make smart choices, doing my best to keep New Albany School a safe and clean place to learn.
Pirate Coins/Pirate of the Month/Golden Ticket Lunch
Students will have many chances to be recognized for doing the right thing and living up to our schoolwide expectations. When students show respect, responsibility, and safety, they can “get caught being good” and earn a Pirate Coin for being a positive member of our school community.
In addition, NAS staff may select students as the Pirate of the Month, celebrating those who consistently go above and beyond. Students may also earn a Golden Ticket Lunch, a special opportunity to enjoy lunch with the principals each month.
Remember—when you follow our schoolwide expectations every day, you are not only being an excellent student, you are also helping to make New Albany School the best place to learn and grow!
Attendance Matters! Every Student, Every Day!
Chronic absenteeism, missing 10 percent or more of school days due to absence for any reason (excused or unexcused absences), can translate into students having difficulty learning to read by the third-grade, achieving in middle school, and graduating from high school. Many students may miss a few days of school each year without long-term consequences. However, when students miss too many days, the effects are almost always negative. Every day a student is absent is a lost opportunity for learning.
We are continually working to make our school environment a place where everyone is safe, healthy, and ready to learn. Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school and themselves. Families can start building this habit in preschool so they learn right away that students go to school on time, every day. Good attendance will help children do well in high school, college, and in their careers. Unless your student is running a fever, vomiting, or has diarrhea, it is very important that they are at school each day.
Help Your Child Succeed in School: Build the Habit of Good Attendance Early.
School success goes hand in hand with good attendance!
Facts About School Attendance
Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.
The most recent federal data show that in the 2020-21 school year, at least 14.7 million students nationwide were chronically absent. This means that chronic absence has almost doubled from the more than 8 million students, pre-Covid-19, who were missing so many days of school that they were academically at risk.
Absenteeism and its ill effects start early.
Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back.
By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month and that’s known as chronic absence.
Students who live in communities with high levels of poverty are four times more likely to be chronically absent than others often for reasons beyond their control, such as unstable housing, unreliable transportation and a lack of access to health care.
When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.
Attendance improves when schools engage students and parents in positive ways and when schools provide mentors for chronically absent students.
Most school districts and states don’t look at all the right data to improve school attendance. They track how many students show up every day and how many are skipping school without an excuse, but not how many are missing so many days in excused and unexcused absence they are headed off track academically.
C.E.H.A.S.A
The Cinnaminson Elementary Home & School Association (CEHASA) is dedicated to enhancing the environment in our schools. Every parent/guardian is a member of the association. Getting involved benefits you, your children, our schools and our community. This is a opportunity to give back to our children through programs provided by Home & School during the school year. Volunteers are needed in order for these programs to run smoothly and efficiently. The success of the Home & School activities depend on the members who generously volunteer their time and talents. It doesn't matter how much time you have to commit. We are grateful for any amount of time that a parent can give. Think of all the good you can do by getting involved. You will help your children and our schools. You may even learn a little about yourself. You can use your talents to make a difference and make some new friends along the way. Any amount of time you can donate is appreciated and helpful. As events are formed, they will be added to the Sign Up Genius.
Join us for some food and fun! Let's start the school year off with a Pirate favorite!
Come drive on thru (or place a mobile thru order) at Chick-fil-A in CINNAMINSON on Tuesday, October 2nd from 5:00-8:00 PM and a portion of your sale will go back to support New Albany School!
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