Dear Parents,

We have been involved with Crayola Create Ed project for the last year. It is a teacher professional development program aimed at increasing the use of the arts and multi-literacies to build student insight and creativity. It is directly tied to our building based STEAM initiative. We have had great results and the staff has embraced the training and methods! I am very proud of their hard work and enthusiasm.

I am so pleased to announce that we are finalists for a school grant through this program. This grant will help fund additional opportunities for the teachers to bring exciting educational experiences to their classroom and for us to add a family arts night to our repertoire.

We must have parent permission for our students to be photographed if we should win before we enter the next phase.  We are sending home the slips today-please send back the slips on Monday.

I truly appreciate your help in this area!

Thank you in advance. 

We are celebrating our 90th birthday this year! Please save the date -Harrison’s 90th Birthday Party will take place on November 12th ! We will have activities for the students as well as a parent presentation! More info to follow.

Also please follow us on Twitter!

HarrisonHawks90.

Don’t forget we have two Muffins and More meetings scheduled for next week on Sept 17th!

One in the morning at 10:00 and another at 6:00 before our PTA meeting. We hope this accommodates our communities’ varying family schedules! Please RSVP to Mrs. Fernandez at pfernandez@livingston.org or 973-535-8000, ext. 8111.

Warmly,

Mrs. Healy 

Dear Parents and Guardians,
We had a fantastic first few days of school! Our hallways are once again filled with little voices laughing and singing !

Today we had our first mandated monthly security drill! Officer Mullaney from the Livingston Police Department joined us and everything went smoothly. The children were in lockdown for less than five minutes and easily transitioned back to their classroom activities.

September will be a very busy month for both our students and their families. Please see the list of important dates at the end of this message. Please note that our first Muffins and More Meeting with take place on September 17, 2019 in our Media Center.  There will be one meeting during the school day from 10:00 AM – 11:00  AM and one before the PTA meeting from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM in order to meet the varying needs of our parent community. These meetings are for parents/guardians only. The sessions are informal, open conversations with me regarding procedures and life at Harrison! We do ask that parents RSVP to Mrs. Fernandez at pfernandez@livingston.org or 973-535-8000, ext. 8111 if they will be attending the daytime session. Please be on the look-out for more information.

Warmly,

Mrs. Healy

September Dates:

Sept 17 – Muffins and More
Sept 17 – PTA Meeting
Sept 19 – Family Picnic
Sept 26 - Picnic Raindate
Sept 27 – Pep Rally         
Sept 30 –Oct 1   No School Rosh Hashanah

October Dates:

Oct  1 – No School Rosh Hashanah
Oct  3 - Back to School Night
Oct  4 - Hero Groups
Oct  4 – World Smile Day 
Oct  8 - 5^th Grade Leaders
Oct  9 - No School Yom Kippur
Oct 10 - SEPAC Meeting, 7:00
Oct 14 - Professional Day No Students
Oct 15 - 4th Grade Leaders
Oct 15 - Game Night
Oct 22 - 3^rd Grade Leaders
Oct 22 - PTA Meeting-Book Fair Preview
Oct 23-24 PTA Book Fair
Oct 24 - Author Visit
Oct 24 - 2^nd Grade leaders
Oct 29 - 1^st Grade Leaders
Oct 31 - Halloween Parade, 1:00 PM

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we embark on another school year, our excitement is growing as both students and staff look forward to this new beginning. Each grade level provides unique opportunities for our children to learn, create, contribute and grow. The first week will be filled with new materials, new friendships and new routines!

The district will continue to follow a Six Day Rotation Schedule. Homeroom teachers will send home their specific special schedules on the first day of school.  To assist you with planning, we will also post the schedules on our website. Please note that our first day of school (September 4^th) is Day 1 of the rotation. 

School begins promptly at 8:05 AM and ends at 2:40 PM.  Please be cognizant of the length of our drop-off line and plan to arrive early. Please do not arrive before 7:35. Parking is at a premium so many parents find it easier to walk in or use the drop-off line.

• We will line-up outside for the first week. This will allow families time and space for that last picture, kiss or hug.
•  Kindergarten and fifth grade students will line up on the blacktop nearest the Media Center.
• First, second, third and fourth grade classes will line up on the middle blacktop.
• Class lines will be identified by signs with each homeroom teacher’s name.
• If the weather does not cooperate we will send a detailed email regarding rainy day procedures.

Aramark will continue to be our lunch program provider. During homeroom each day, the children will order lunch. Parents will be able to pay through an online account or by sending the exact amount in an envelope to school each day. We are hoping that many parents choose to use the online program as it will be easier for the children. We will send and post a September menu along with directions on how to use the online option. As in the past, students are always welcome to bring lunch from home.

There is much to be joyful about this year, beginning with some exciting additions to our outstanding staff.  Please join me in extending a warm welcome to the following professionals:

Third Grade Teacher - Julie Becker

Third Grade Teacher - Sara Calabrese

Fourth Grade Teacher - Lauren Daugherty

School Psychologist - Alexis Finley

Behaviorist - Hazel Fraiter

Gifted and Talented Teacher – Kelley Miller

I look forward to introducing our entire faculty to you at our Back to School Night, which will be held on October 3, 2019.   

We have attached the following information to ensure a smooth transition to the 2019-2020 school year.

School Dismissal Form -- Please fill out the attached form and send it to school with your child on the first day. We find that this added form helps with dismissal during the first busy days of a new year.

2019-2020 Academic Calendar -- Please note that this year's calendar includes delayed opening for students on January 21, 2020 and March 10, 2020 for professional development. 

6 Day Rotation Calendar -- Please remember to complete the acknowledgement form on Genesis when you go into the portal.

Also attached (see below) are the following:

• Free & Reduced Lunch Application and Instructions
• Student Voluntary Insurance
• Aramark Parent Letter /Lunch Information
• Harrison Celebrations Information  

Please don't hesitate to call if you have any questions. 

We look forward to a wonderful year!

Mrs. Healy

Click on the links below for additional information/needed forms:

• 6 Day Rotation Calendar
• Free & Reduced Lunch Application
• Free & Reduced Lunch Instructions
• Student Voluntary Insurance
• Aramark Parent Letter
• Lunch Information
• September Menu
• Harrison Celebrations Information  
• Academic Calendar
• Dismissal Form

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Happy Back to School!  It is hard to believe that another year is upon us.  I could not be more excited.  I have loved this time of year since I was a school girl.  It is marked by new beginnings – new clothes, school supplies, teachers, and friends!  However, some things remain the same, like our commitment to providing your children with the best experience and education possible.

This begins by cultivating an environment of kindness.  We believe in the moral of Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse fable, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”  We will continue to value and promote kind words and kind deeds.

To help your children reach their full potential, we will also be teaching and stressing the importance of flexible thinking.  We want your children to know that there are many ways to approach life, to respond to circumstances, and to figure their way through a problem. Korean novelist, Kazuki-Kaneshiro, said it best, “A tree that is unbending is easily broken in a powerful storm.  But not grass.”  We want your children to be prepared to grow in the sunshine and to withstand the storms.

Here's to a wonderful 2019-2020 school year!

Warmly,

Mrs. Healy