SOUTH AMBOY – As the South Amboy School District welcomed its students back to class on Sept. 6, officials highlighted changes for the new school year.
The district searched for a food service company to provide breakfast and lunch to students during the school year and came to an agreement with Maschio’s Food Service. In addition to the new food provider, the district upgraded food service equipment. Parents can look up the school’s menu and nutrition information on the district’s website.
A security window and vestibule has been added to the middle/high school. Visitors will be allowed in to the vestibule after ringing the outside bell and showing identification to the office staff and will be provided a temporary visitor’s badge if everything checks out.
The district conducted a pair of facility projects. The first was the replacement of a 90-Ton HVAC unit at the middle/high school that controls the HVAC to the gymnasium. Officials said the unit failed in January and was too old to be repaired. The second facility project was the installation of a new playground at the elementary school.
The elementary school will be implementing the new Ready Math program in grades 1-5.
The district is now offering full-day preschool classes due to the acceptance of a grant by adopting the “Tools of the Mind” curriculum.
The district purchased 250 Chromebooks to replace aging devices and 22 Chromebook charging stations to begin creating banks of Chromebooks in classrooms. The district now has about 1,000 Chromebooks used by students and staff.
The Board of Education adopted a new disciplinary policy over the summer that is included in the student handbook and on the district’s website. The policy includes a discipline chart which outlines the progressive discipline and interventions that will be administered for various infractions.
The South Amboy PTO is currently seeking new members for the upcoming school year to help with various activities such as a Fun Day Committee, box top counters, and monthly birthday ice cream coverage. Interested parents can email a letter of interest to sapto08879@gmail.com.
“The 2018-19 school year is upon us, and we urge your child to take advantage of the many programs, sports and club activities available to all students,” Superintendent of Schools Jorge Diaz said. “We have a strong tradition of excellence, in and out of the classroom, and our goal is for all students to find success in both. While bigger districts may offer a larger array of programs, it’s the individualized attention in a smaller learning community that makes our schools a great place to develop academically, socially and emotionally. Our schools offer a more intimate and personalized learning environment, and a cohesive vision among all stakeholders to build a strong community of learners.”
The district’s attendance decreased from 1,090 students at the end of the 2017-18 school year to 1,080 at the start of the 2018-19 school year.
Contact Peter Elacqua at pelacqua@newspapermediagroup.com.
