Sunday Newsletter

WE’RE ALMOST THERE!

The end of the school year is in sight and I think our kids, teachers and staff deserve a huge round of applause! With only a few weeks of the school year left, we hope you enjoy the last few fun things we have planned before Memorial Day arrives and summer (un)officially begins.

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK 

Thank you, thank you to all who gave their time and donated to make Teacher Appreciation Week happen.  Our volunteers rerouted due to safety restrictions and STILL went above and beyond.  This is what we mean when we say without the help of our volunteers we couldn’t meet our mission as a PTO.  We look forward to celebrating our teachers and staff again next spring!

BOOK FAIR 

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming back to SGES May 23-25…IN PERSON! Our kids will have the opportunity to explore all that Scholastic has to offer, just as in years past.  It will be held outside and distancing measures will be observed, so that each student will be able to shop safely. Thank you to all volunteers who have signed up to act as cashiers, for set up, breakdown and as floor help. And of course, a huge thank you again to Claire Beggens for chairing the Book Fair again this school year.  ***Please look to your email for information from your class parents with more details about shopping times***

PIZZA NIGHT

The LAST Spring Lake Pizza event of the school year is TOMORROW! ***Thursday May 20, ALL DAY!!***   11:00am-9:00pm, take out, dine in or delivery, a percentage of the profits will benefit the PTO. Remember to say SGES or Sea Girt Elementary School when you order.  Let’s make it our best pizza night of the year!

PTO MEETING

Please join us for our last PTO meeting of the year, June 10 @8:30 at the picnic tables.  Come have some coffee, chat about the school year or even the upcoming school year!  This will be your opportunity to sign up for all chair and volunteer positions for the 2021-2022 school year, including class parent sign up.  Hope to see you all there!

PTO WEBSITE

Our website is current and up to date!! Please refer to seagirtpto.com to read past newsletters, meeting minutes, as well as find the latest calendar info, order forms and PTO updates.  Along with our website, our Instagram page, @sgpatriotpride, is always a great place to find out about sales, meeting reminders and other PTO goings on.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Date reminders:

Event Date
Spring Lake Pizza Night May 20
Memorial Day May 31
PTO Meeting June 10

The PTO thanks all of our incredible volunteers and our SGES families for their continued support. Without the support of the administration and families we could not meet our mission!

With Patriot Pride,

SGES PTO

HAPPY SPRING!

I can’t believe we have passed the 1 year mark from the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Certain restrictions have started to lift and I think many of us feel that with the coming of the warm weather, a sense of positivity is in the air.  We are continuing to adapt to the restrictions that are still in place. The board is hard at work trying to do everything we can to finish up the school year on a good note, while keeping the safety of our community as our priority.  Wishing everyone happiness and continued health this spring!

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK – MAY 3 – 7

With Ally Stevens leading a large group of volunteers, our teachers are in for an exciting week ahead! Big thanks go out to Ally, all of our volunteers and class parents for helping put together a week filled with different ways to let our teachers and staff know just how much we truly appreciate all that they do for us.  Please stay tuned to your email with any info from your class parents throughout the week.

BOOK FAIR 

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming back to SGES this May…IN PERSON! Our kids will have the opportunity to explore all that Scholastic has to offer, just as in years past.  It will be held outside and distancing measures will be observed, so that each student will be able to shop safely. Stay tuned to Wednesday flyers and the PTO instagram for dates and details. 

FATHER / DAUGHTER DANCE

It is with great sadness that we must inform you that the PTO will not be hosting the annual Father/Daughter Dance this year.  After weeks and weeks of hard work and troubleshooting, there is simply no way to guarantee the health and safety of all of our daughters and dads.  For the board, this is paramount. We are hopeful for 2022 and appreciate the community’s understanding on this.

PIZZA NIGHT

Mark your calendars for the LAST Spring Lake Pizza event of the school year! ***Thursday May 20, ALL DAY!!*** Let’s make it our best night in Spring Lake yet!

PTO WEBSITE

Our website is current and up to date!! Please refer to seagirtpto.com to read past newsletters, meeting minutes, as well as find the latest calendar info, order forms and PTO updates.  Along with our website, our Instagram page, @sgpatriotpride, is always a great place to find out about sales, meeting reminders and other PTO goings on.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Date reminders for this month:

Event                                    Date
Teacher Appreciation Week  May 3-7
PTO Meeting                         May 6
Memorial Day                       May 31

The PTO thanks all of our incredible volunteers and our SGES families for their continued support. Without the support of the administration and families we could not meet our mission!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year and welcome back! I hope you all enjoyed a healthy and relaxing holiday break. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we’re excited to see what 2021 has in store for us. What’s so great about our community is our ability to adapt to change, as it comes. I’m so wowed by our committee chairs and volunteers who are ALREADY creating Plan Bs and even Cs, should we not be able to hold events, in 2021, in the same way we have in years past. Cancel is NOT in our vocabulary; postpone and rethink ARE. We are taking what our teachers and kids taught us, in 2020, about adaptability and putting that knowledge to creative use. Good things are ahead for SGES. Welcome 2021!!

TEACHER CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST

For those that don’t know, our hospitality team crushed it again with a warm and festive surprise Christmas breakfast for our teachers to enjoy on Friday December 18th. Debbie Lajewski and Kelly Jarmon welcomed our teachers to school that morning with hot coffee, different types of scones and a PTO calendar, for each to take home with them. The teacher’s lounge was decorated with garland and a sign that read “thank you for making our school merry and bright.” It couldn’t have been more perfect. Thank you Debbie and Kelly. We are so grateful for all you do!

PIZZA NIGHT

Pizza night with Spring Lake Pizzeria IS BACK!! We are so excited to be able to have this fun (and delicious) opportunity again. Thursday, January 28 from 11:00am – 9:00pm will be SGES day/night in Spring Lake. Same deal as last time. Dine in, pick up or delivery… just remember to say the magic words, Sea Girt Elementary School or SGES, when placing your orders. Tell your friends, tell your family!! Let’s make it a great (day) night in Spring Lake!

FATHER / DAUGHTER DANCE

This year’s February Father/ Daughter Dance will be postponed until Spring. We are so fortunate to have Jen Perry and Kerri Walsifer leading the effort. Our dad’s and daughter’s will be in for a treat! Stay tuned for more info as we get further into the school year.

PTO MEETING

Please join us TOMORROW, Thursday January 14th @8:30 on the picnic benches at school for our first meeting of 2021! Dress warmly and come have a cup of coffee and a breakfast treat, fresh from our friends at The Shore Pour. Bring your ideas for the new year and any questions you may have. We’re looking forward to seeing you all!

PTO WEBSITE

Our website is current and up to date!! Please refer to seagirtpto.com to read past newsletters, meeting minutes, as well as find the latest calendar info, order forms and PTO updates. Along with our website, our Instagram page, @sgpatriotpride, is always a great place to find out about sales, meeting reminders and other PTO goings on.

PTO MEMBER UPDATE

We are VERY excited to announce that Lauren Leibler has joined the board as Sara’s co-corresponding secretary, for the duration of the school year! And please continue to keep the O’Connor family in your thoughts and prayers, as Sara continues to recover from a brain surgery she had in August. She grows stronger every day and we are so excited for the day we can welcome Sara and her family back to SGES in person!!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Date reminders for this month:

Event Date
BOE Meeting January 7
PTO Meeting January 14
MLK Day – faculty/staff only January 18
The PTO thanks all of our incredible volunteers and our SGES families for their continued support. Without the support of the administration and families we could not meet our mission!

With Patriot Pride,

SGES PTO

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

And here we are, it’s the holiday season! The most wonderful time of the year! A time to look around, be grateful and find those silver linings, especially now. I look at my kids’ little faces smiling underneath their Christmas masks, as they race towards the school doors, to get inside with their teachers and friends and I see that lining shining bright. We saw how seamlessly our teachers pulled off virtually teaching for those 8 days while Mr. Papera recovered. How lucky are we?! (I know I speak for everyone when I say that we are all so happy to have Mr. Papera back and healthy!) Our SGES community continues to prove its strength through our phenomenal teachers and staff. They are able to switch gears on a dime, if COVID-19 says so, all for the benefit of our kids. Our volunteers continue to come up with new and creative ways to pull off SGES events, so that our kids don’t have to miss out on their favorite things because COVID-19 says they can’t gather as a group. I truly see the strength of our community within our children. Wearing masks to school, classrooms being swapped, desks being separated, no class parties, lunch and recess modified, are all reasons for any kid to wake up every morning and not want to go to school. Yet, every morning, our kids are masked up (if in person), smiling and ready to get into that classroom, in person or remotely. They’ve proved throughout the year that happiness simply will not be cancelled! Let’s all take a tip from our kids this holiday season and not let the “different” get in the way of the happiness. Wishing you all a healthy, happy and safe holiday season!

BREAKFAST DRIVE BY WITH SANTA

Santa Claus is comin to town…and he’ll be here THIS WEEKEND!!! Thank you to our annual Breakfast with Santa volunteers and coordinators, Jen Kunz and Lora Mulligan. They always do a fantastic job and give our kids such a fun morning with Santa, that really gets everyone into the Christmas spirit! For those who have signed up for this year’s version of the SGES tradition, stay tuned to your email with weather and time updates for the drive by. A text will also be sent to your phone when Santa is in route to your homes. Although, Jen and Lora are certain, when you hear those firetruck sirens, you’ll know Santa is on his way! Santa will start arriving at our homes at 9:30 and your child(ren) will be able to take a picture in front of the truck. For those of our SGES families who are not residents of Sea Girt, Santa’s last stop will be at The Plaza around 11:30. Please remember to social distance. If you are ok with your child being on the PTO Instagram, please send your photos to cateleonardis@gmail.com or text to 908.433.7098, as we would like to include pictures of our Patriots smiling big with Santa in a post or on our story.

SCHOLASTIC ONLINE BOOK FAIR

Our Scholastic Online Book Fair is well underway, but with only a few days left to place orders! All purchases benefit our school and connect kids with new books, favorite characters, complete series and more. Class parents sent out more detailed information about ordering, as well as the book lists our teachers chose for their classrooms, to your email. Our chair, Claire Beggans, deserves a huge thank you for jumping on this kid favorite event and making it happen so quickly. Thank you, Claire!! The final day to place orders is Tuesday December, 15.

SCARECROW RAFFLE WINNER

Congratulations to the Kilduff family! Their scarecrow “Jason” was randomly chosen as our winner this year. We hope you enjoy your bag of goodies!! Thank you to everyone who purchased a scarecrow and decorated it. They were all so creative and fun to see everyday!

2020-2021 CALENDAR

Calendars can still be purchased through a PTO board member. They are $30 each. The calendar includes a directory of each SGES family’s address, which may come in very handy as the Christmas and holiday card season is upon us!

PTO WEBSITE

Our website is current and up to date!! Please refer to seagirtpto.com to read past newsletters, meeting minutes, as well as find the latest calendar info, order forms and PTO updates. Along with our website, our Instagram page, @sgpatriotpride, is always a great place to find out about sales, meeting reminders and other PTO goings on.

PTO MEMBER UPDATE

Please keep the O’Connor family in your thoughts and prayers, as Sara, our Corresponding Secretary, continues to recover from a brain surgery she had in August. She grows stronger every day and we are so excited for the day we can welcome Sara and her family back to SGES in person!!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Date reminders for this month:

Event Date
Spelling Bee December 11
BOE Meeting December 17
Early Dismissal December 23
Christmas Break Dec. 24 – Jan. 3
The PTO thanks all of our incredible volunteers and our SGES families for their continued support. Without the support of the administration and families we could not meet our mission!

With Patriot Pride,

SGES PTO

THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE!

Indian summer has arrived (in full effect) and it’s hard to believe the holidays are actually here. BUT THEY ARE! We hope you are enjoying the smaller fundraisers we’ve been having throughout the fall. Pizza night was a great success, the new SGES gear everyone is rocking looks awesome and the Scarecrows haven’t failed to deliver creativity, smiles and laughs. Reminding us all, especially in the spirit of the upcoming holidays, that this little SGES community we have is truly one to be grateful for and appreciative of. We really do have so much to be thankful for!

PTO WEBSITE

We are excited to announce that our website is current and up to date!! Please refer to seagirtpto.com to read past newsletters, meeting minutes, as well as find the latest calendar info, order forms and PTO updates. Along with our website, our Instagram page, @sgpatriotpride, is always a great place to find out about sales, meeting reminders and other PTO goings on.

SCARECROWS

We still have a handful of Scarecrows left. It’s not too late to buy one, decorate it and attach it to the fence along Bell Place. We are REALLY enjoying seeing what all of our families have been coming up with! Scarecrows are $25 and can be purchased through a PTO board member. They are no longer available through myfooddays.com. All participants will be entered into a raffle and the winner will be chosen before Thanksgiving break. ***Please include your name somewhere on your scarecrow.***

THANKSGIVING PIE SALE

Many thanks go to Dana Reid for organizing our Thanksgiving Pie Sale with Delicious Orchards! There are 5 pies to choose from and are $17 each, with a portion of the each pie going directly to the PTO. Order forms can be found on the PTO website, seagirtpto.com. Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 10th, is the final day order forms may be submitted. Please drop your order form and check, made payable to Sea Girt PTO, into the locked drop box at 706 New York Blvd. Pies will be available to pick up from that same location on Tuesday, November 24th, between 4:00 – 6:00pm. Unclaimed pies will be donated to the St. Denis Food Pantry.

HOLIDAY PLANT SALE

We have had the good fortune to pair up with Barlow’s this holiday season, thanks to the efforts of Alison Soltis! Shop online at Barlow’s for locally grown poinsettias and fresh-cut greens. Again, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the PTO. Deadline for ordering is Friday, November 13th at 6:00pm. Head to the PTO website or @sgpatriotpride on Instagram to find the link and password to start shopping! All purchases will be available for pickup at 622 Chicago Blvd, Monday, November 30th between 3:45-5:30pm.

2020-2021 CALENDAR

Calendars can still be purchased through a PTO board member. They are $30 each. The calendar includes a directory of each SGES family’s address, which may come in very handy as we enter the Christmas and holiday card season!

PTO MEETING

Thursday, November 12th’s PTO meeting has been cancelled. We look forward to seeing you all again in the new year!

UPCOMING EVENTS
Date reminders for this month:

Event Date
BOE Meeting November 19
Parent/Teacher Conferences November 23-25
Pie Sale Pick Up November 24
Plant Sale Pick Up November 30
Thanksgiving Recess November 28-29

The PTO thanks all of our incredible volunteers and our SGES families for their continued support. Without the support of the administration and families we could not meet our mission!

With Patriot Pride,

SGES PTO

HAPPY FALL SGES!

The crisp morning temperatures and cool afternoon breezes, have the board so excited for the fall season and what lies ahead. With the cancelation of our Artisan Market, we are looking towards smaller fundraising events for this season. Some new, some you’ve seen before; all guaranteed to remind you that, although the school year looks different, we are all in this together and we are better together!

PTO WEBSITE

We are excited to announce that our website is currently under construction and will be fully updated soon! Please refer to seagirtpto.com to read past newsletters, meeting minutes, as well as the latest calendar info and PTO updates. Along with our website, our Instagram page, @sgpatriotpride, is a great place to find out about sales, meeting reminders and other PTO goings on.

SCARECROWS

Get in the Halloween spirit! You will see some familiar faces again this year, as the PTO will be selling scarecrows again. Purchase a scarecrow ($25) and dress him or her up however you’d like. All scarecrows, will be tied to the fence along Bell Place for our community to enjoy. All participants will be entered into a raffle and the winner will be chosen before Thanksgiving break. ***Please include your name somewhere on your scarecrow.*** Scarecrows will be available for purchase through myfooddays.com or via a PTO member starting this week.

PIZZA PIZZA!

Thursday October 15 will be SGES Day/Night at Spring Lake Pizzeria! From 11:00am – 9:00pm, dine in, take out or delivery, 20% of all orders placed, will go to support the PTO. Remember to say the magic words: SGES or Sea Girt Elementary School when ordering. Let’s show our Patriot Pride and make it a great event in Spring Lake!!

PTO MEETING

Once again, enjoy a cup of coffee and join us for our 2nd PTO meeting of the year! Thursday Ocotober 8 @8:45am on the basketball courts, same place as our first meeting. ***Coffee and breakfast pastries will be provided by our friends at The Shore Pour! :)*** Thank you SO much to everyone who came out for our first meeting. We are SO appreciative of you sharing your time and ideas with us! We look forward to seeing you and enjoying a beautiful fall morning together!

2020-2021 CALENDAR

Ordering for the annual PTO calendar has now closed on myfooddays.com. However, calendars can still be purchased through a PTO board member. They are $30 each. We will have calendars available to purchase at our 2nd PTO meeting Thursday, 10/8 @8:45am.

WALK/BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY

Although it was a cold and wet one, we’d like to thank all of you who rode and walked in between the rain drops this past Friday, Oct.2. As 2020 continues to throw curve balls at us, we will continue to prove that we are #seagirtstrong!

UPCOMING EVENTS
Date reminders for this month:

Event Date
Week of Respect October 5-9
PTO Meeting October 8
Faculty/Staff Only October 12
SGES Day/Night October 15
BOE Meeting October 22
Red Ribbon Week Oct. 26-30

The PTO thanks all of our SGES families for their continued support. Without the support of the administration and families we could not meet our mission!

With Patriot Pride,

SGES PTO

WELCOME AND WELCOME BACK TO SGES!

It’s been a wild 6 months and I think we can all agree it’s great to be back with our SGES family! Whether going virtual or being physically in the classroom, it’s clear our kids are thrilled to finally be back together with their friends and teachers! A big thank you to our Hospitality team, Debbie Lajewski and Kelly Jarmon, for putting together a beautiful Welcome Back breakfast for our teachers. No doubt it helped start the year off with positivity! Please know that although the road ahead still looks a little uncertain, the PTO is working hard to make the school year one to look forward to; for students, parents and teachers. As Mr. Papera has reminded us since March: We are better together and we are Sea Girt Strong!

2020-2021 PTO CALENDAR

The annual PTO calendar is available to order via myfooddays.com. This year, the PTO will either drop your calendar off at your house or will hand deliver it to you at school. Ordering online will be open until 10/3. After that, please reach out to a member of the PTO to purchase your copy.

Please thank Beth O’Reilly, when you see her, for her hard work and a job really well done!

PTO INSTAGRAM

The PTO’s Instagram page, @sgpatriotpride, is a great way to stay informed about PTO meetings, happenings and volunteer opportunities. Please follow us, if you haven’t already! You’ll find a post featuring our new 2020-2022 board members, along with their photos. While we work to get our website, seagirtpto.com, updated, please use our Instagram page as a way to keep informed.

SGES APPAREL

We are very excited to announce that we will have an SGES pop up store with all NEW SGES apparel for the whole family!! Stay tuned for more info.

PTO MEETING

Enjoy a cup of coffee and join us for our first PTO meeting of the year! Thursday September 10 @8:45am on the south side of school, at the picnic tables. ***Coffee and breakfast pastries will be provided by our friends at The Shore Pour! :)*** For everyone’s comfort level and to aid in the efforts to move forward into Phase 2, we will social distance. We look forward to seeing you!

VOLUNTEERS

We still have volunteer opportunities open for this upcoming school year. Please contact a PTO member or join us at our meeting on Thursday to find out where you can help!

UPCOMING EVENTS
Date reminders for this month:

Event Date
PTO Meeting September 10
BOE Meeting September 24

The PTO thanks all of our SGES families for their continued support. Without the support of the administration and families we could not meet our mission!

With Patriot Pride,

SGES PTO

THAT’S A WRAP! 

SGES PTO End of Year Letter

As my term as President of the Sea Girt Elementary School PTO comes to a close when I reflect on my time spent, not only in a leadership role but also as a volunteer, I SMILE!  I SMILE because of the people I have met and with whom I have been privileged to collaborate. I SMILE because I know that the SGES PTO makes a difference.  I SMILE because I know that I have made a difference over the years.  I SMILE because the students have been the benefactor of great enrichment’s and programs sponsored by the SGES PTO.  I SMILE because the PTO has been able to provide scholarships to deserving students.  I SMILE because the PTO has been able to provide supplies for teachers and support staff.  I SMILE because the PTO continues to support art, art appreciation, school trips, plays, assemblies, field day, game night, dances, and other activities for the students beyond the classroom.  I SMILE because the PTO had exceptional fundraisers which allowed us to support both interior and exterior school improvements at a greater level.   I SMILE because the PTO has continued to forge relationships with the Boosters, the SGES, the parents, the BOE and the Council. I SMILE because the SGES PTO continues to work together for a common goal that benefits the students.   I SMILE because the students make me SMILE!

When I began my term as PTO Co-President I was lucky enough to work with Marjorie Kane.  Working together we were able to take the PTO to the next level.  With the help and support of the executive board the 2018-2020 the PTO was able to create an online presence and allow easier payments and access to information.  The 2018-2020 PTO was also able to establish a social presence which resonated with the parents and beyond.  The 2018-2020 SGES PTO continued the great work of the prior PTO Boards.  I am confident with the new slate of PTO Executive Board Members for 2020-2022 they will take it even further. 

Lastly, I am PROUD!  I am a PROUD parent of a graduating 8^th grade student who had the wonderful opportunity to attend Sea Girt Elementary School where everyone knows your name!  I am PROUD to have been supported by my family and friends during these past 2 years.  I am PROUD of the work that the 2018-2020 PTO Board has accomplished.   I am PROUD that that I have been a volunteer for the PTO. I am PROUD that the PTO entrusted me with the position of President. I am PROUD that we continue to support staff, teachers and students during difficult times.  I am PROUD that the PTO is a collaboration of so many that work behind the scenes to support so much.  I am PROUD of the Executive Board, Aimee Geyer-Mihalic, Carey Begley, Ally Stevens, Kerri Walsifer, Alice Hayes Keefe, and Marjorie Kane.

To the new PTO Executive Board of the Sea Girt Elementary School 2020-2022, always do things that make you and others SMILE and that continue to make you PROUD!

 

Thank you…Hoffmann out!

 

With Patriot Pride

Leanne R. Hoffmann

#seagirtstrong