Dear SOMSD Pre-K Parents/Guardians:

We hope that you and your family are well.  Please allow us to provide an update of the District’s Preschool Education program and registration for the 2020-2021 school year.

As you may be aware, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) through the Division of Early Childhood and Family Engagement Office, awarded the South Orange and Maplewood School District, Pre-School Education Expansion Aid (PEEA) funding to expand our preschool program that was launched in the 2018-2019 school year. The primary goal of the PEEA is to increase access to high-quality full-day preschool for three- and four-year-olds.

As a District, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to have access to quality Pre-K programs.  The funding received through the PEEA supports the Board’s commitment to expanding access to a free high-quality preschool education program in 2020-2021 for children in our community.  As such, this expansion will be accomplished through the placement of students at the District’s Montrose Early Childhood Center and includes our partners: Applecore Learning, La Petite, Zadie’s of the Oranges, Iris Family Early Childhood Education Center and KinderGan.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a major shift in our normal operations. Some of the early effects of this disruption are being felt, as a couple of our previously anticipated preschool partner sites now cannot commit to partnering in September 2020; thereby, lowering the number of seats we are able to offer for the 2020-2021 Preschool program.  In addition, the pandemic may also affect the funding amount that we were awarded; in the coming weeks, we will learn of the state’s revised budget allocation to our District.  If PEAA funding is reduced, this may also affect the number of new preschool placements that we are able to provide.

Currently, for the 2020-2021 school year, we anticipate providing a placement to 314 three- and four-year-olds who will continue or who will be new to the program.   Based on the number of online registrations submitted (only based on enrollments received by the preregistration deadline), we have an overage and there will be approximately 84 families/students who will be placed on a waiting list.   The preschool program lottery will be held during the week of May 18^th.   While we are unable to accommodate all placements at this time, we are optimistic that we may be able to expand partnerships with other local child-care providers to meet the needs of pre-registered students by January 2021.

In the next couple of weeks, we will be sending out additional correspondence to all families who pre-registered and completed their online enrollment process (by the deadline).   The additional communications will include:

• Parent notification and child placement dates (please note, all placements are contingent pending full compliance of District registration requirements/processes)
• FAQs
• Revised in-person registration procedures

We thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time.  Please email us at prekregistration@nullsomsd.k12.nj.us with any questions. Be safe and well.

Sincerely,

Melody Alegria, Ed.D

cc:  Leroy Johnson III, Supervisor, Preschool Education Program

“Hell is empty And all the devils are here” The Tempest

Virtual Edition- “But now I am cabin’d, cribb’d, confined, bound in To saucy doubts and fears” Macbeth

The festival has faced many obstacles over the past two decades–budget issues, building repairs, scheduling conflicts–but we’ve never had to deal with a situation like this.  But as they say, the show must go on! We are attempting to put together a virtual Shakespeare Festival. Students should create scenes from their homes while observing social distancing rules.  

Here are some ideas:

• Create stop motion or claymation scenes
• Do a scene with action figures or stuffed animals.
• Do a scene on FaceTime, Zoom or other video conferencing platform
• Do a narrated comic book or graphic novel version of a scene
• Put a sonnet or soliloquy to music and sing it.
• Do a scene with a neighbor from across the street
• Involve family and pets in a scene.
• An Instagram or SnapChat feed of a character as their play unfolds
• How about a TikTok video?
• Or any other way you can bring Shakespeare’s words to life.

Students can reach out to their English teachers for scene suggestions.

Students should submit their scenes to their teachers (ask about extra credit!) and then we’ll take a couple days to mash it all together, add some emcees, and have a premier. 

And since we’re doing things differently this year, we’ve decided to take scenes from alumni and community members as well!

For more information, contact Mr. MacPherson at smacpher@nullsomsd.k12.nj.us 

Deadline for submissions:  Friday, May 22, 2020

Premier Date: TBD

Follow us on Instagram @chs_shakespeare_club