January Newsletter
Dear Families,
Happy New Year to all of our families and staff! We hope you and your family had wonderful holidays together! We have a lot in store for your children and for the whole family in 2025.
I am so thankful and excited to let you know, that as a community, we raised $660.00 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through our Pajama Days in December. Thank you to all who participated!! You all also raised over $1,200.00 for our Chick Hatching and new Playground supplies for the Spring from the Miss Chocolate Fundraiser sale! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Announcing … ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR FALL 2025 WILL BE OPEN AS OF JANUARY 1ST for Current families only! We are offering in-house priority registration to our current students so you can save a spot for your child before we open the registration up to the public. You may complete the registration form and pay the registration fee on our website to save your child’s spot for the next school year.
Here is the link to register using our secure online form: https://www.pepperminttree.com/registration/
Click on the “Current and Returning Families” button.
Here is our registration schedule:
· In-House Priority Registration for School Year 2025-26 for current families only: Now through – January 14, 2025. As of January 15, 2025, Fall 2025 registration will be open to the public. Online registration is open now, and we are also sending home a paper registration.
· In-House Priority Registration for Summer Camp 2025 for current and returning families only: January 15, 2025 – January 31, 2025. As of February 1, 2025, Summer Camp registration will be open to the public. We are usually 100% sold out for camp (with a long waiting list), so please register during the in-house priority registration period to ensure you get a spot and the schedule you need! Like last summer – field trips are back! And, we will also have entertaining visitors, and of course we will have the Swimming Pools open and offer lots of on-site special activities and themes. If your child has not attended our summer camp in the past, you can learn more about it at: https://www.pepperminttree.com/summer-camp
You don’t have to wait for the 2025 camp activity calendar to be completed to save your child’s spot in camp, since we allow children to sign up for any trip or optional activity, even if it is not their regularly scheduled day. Trip & Activity sign ups will not occur until late Spring.
We will guarantee a spot for all currently enrolled children in the next school year and in camp, as long as each child is registered during the “In-House Priority Registration Period” for each program. Completed registration entails completing the one-page registration form on paper or online, and paying the registration fee. Once registration is open to the public, space is saved on a first come, first serve basis.
We are partnering with Monmouth University to provide free speech-language screening for all enrolled children (with permission from parents/guardians).
We are excited to share that a group of graduate students and licensed speech-language pathologists from Monmouth University will be offering speech-language screenings on January 13th , 15th , 16th , and 17th, 2025.
What is a speech-language screening?
A speech and language screening consists of a short assessment of your child’s speech (how they
pronounce sounds) and language (following directions, answering questions, processing information, naming vocabulary, etc.), observing play and social interactions, as well as reading and writing abilities, if appropriate for your child’s age. This allows the therapist to gather an initial impression of your child’s abilities and to make further recommendations for a full evaluation, if needed. Each family will get a report on your child’s results of the screening. If you would like your child to participate, please complete and return the permission slip, if you have not yet done so.
Mr. Scott the Music Man is back (after recovering from a planned surgery) and will visit each classroom on Tuesday, January 14th
The children absolutely love Mr. Scott! He wears tie dye head to toe, and shares his all original zany music and movement program with the children, while encouraging them to get exercise and enjoy life!
Our next Parent Meeting will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, January 14th at 8:00 p.m.
We hope you will join us, as we plan parent workshops and family events for our community. It’s a great chance to meet other families and get involved in our school activities. We will send the Zoom link out before the meeting.
Monday, January 20th is a Child Care Day- No Classes, as Toms River Schools are Closed (Child Care is provided for those following the Peppermint Tree calendar)
Just a reminder that we do not hold our regular classes when Toms River Schools are closed, however we do provide childcare for those who selected the Peppermint Tree Calendar. Those children who follow the Toms River Schools calendar with us are not expected to attend on these days. However, if you need care, you may arrange with the office to add 1/20 to your child’s schedule on a space available basis. Those children who follow our full Peppermint Tree Calendar will be on our list to attend on 1/20, if they normally attend on Mondays, so no need to arrange in advance for those families.
A FREE virtual Parent Workshop is being offered on Thursday, January 23rd, 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., via Zoom, entitled: “Fun Activities to do at Home to Promote Early Literacy Skills”, given by Peppermint Tree parent, Jessica Dunne.
I hope you will all attend! This topic was selected based on the results from the surveys sent out in the Fall and also from input at our Parent meetings. We will send out the Zoom link before the event. Please mark your calendars now!
2024 Tax Statements
You may print out a statement of your 2024 Child Care expenses, to use while preparing your tax return, from your account on our Parent Portal. Go to MyProcare.com on a web browser, where you can view all your payment and billing history. (NOT on the Procare app that we use for checking in and out of school).
Annual Flu Shots REMINDER (If not yet completed) Please send in updated immunization record. The Health Department requires the annual Flu shot for all children in Preschool, under the age of 5.
As per the State of New Jersey requirements, all children who attend Peppermint Tree who are under 5 years of age, must get an annual Flu shot, before December 31. (If you missed that deadline, please get your child the flu shot as soon as possible and send in the record.) Please send in proof of this vaccination for your child’s file. Please note, the Ocean County Health Department audits our student records for immunizations.
Save these Dates! Look at all these wonderful future activities the school and the Parent Group have planned:
Thursday, 2/20/25, 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Parent Workshop (via Zoom) “Working With Picky Eaters”, given by former Peppermint Tree Parent and Nutritionist, Colleen Delaney.
Thursday, 3/6/25, 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. - Parent Workshop (via Zoom), “Kindergarten Readiness”, given by Miss Val, Miss Caren, Mrs. Hamilton and Miss Kelly
Saturday, 4/12/25, 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. - Family Garden Planting Party
Saturday, 5/3/25, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Ocean County Children’s Festival (at Toms River Library)
Monday, 5/12/25, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. (in person at Peppermint Tree) - Family Toy Swap, Ice Cream Social, and Mr. Scott the Music Man
Tuesday, 6/10/25, 10:00 a.m. (outdoors at Peppermint Tree) - PreK End Of Year Ceremony (Rain date: Wednesday, 6/11/25)
Inclement Weather
In case of snowy or icy conditions, please look out for a message from us through the Procare app. That will be our primary communication in stormy weather. (It’s easiest and quickest to get an early morning message out.)
We will also make every effort to send an email for updates about school opening on these days. We also provide this information to WOBM radio “Storm Watch”, and change our outgoing phone message. We make every effort to be open, however the safety of our staff and families is our first concern. As a guideline, if The Toms River Public Schools have a delayed opening or are closed due to inclement weather, the earliest we will open is 8:30 a.m. This will give us time to get our driveway and walkways plowed, salted and sanded and determine if we will delay further or have to close for the day. There are no refunds or credits for inclement weather closings. We will be able to make up for up to three snow days at the end of the year, if we have them.
For safety on the playground: Please no scarves or hats with long scarves attached.
We do not allow scarves at all on the playground, as they are hazardous on playground equipment. (Can get caught in the swings, or wrapped around a child’s neck.) Thanks for your understanding. Note: We also prefer mittens over gloves, as it takes more time to get all the children into gloves! Thank you!
Parent Reminders:
· Label Everything. If an item is not labeled, we may label it for you. This includes lunch bags, jackets, sweaters, mittens, hats!
· Please – Mittens ONLY/no gloves, no scarves.
· No strings on jackets or hoodies.
· Dress your child in layers. We go outside every day that it is 32 degrees or higher, and not precipitating, as long as there is no snow or ice on the playground.
· All children must go outside with their group. If a child is too sick to play outside, then they should stay home from school to rest.
· Please drive SLOWLY in our driveway. Thanks!
· Please do not park your car at the end of our driveway, as it is too narrow to accommodate parked cars and two-way traffic. Park further back in our driveway.
· Please do not leave your car idling in our driveway. This is a safety concern.
· Please remember to download the “BoxTops for Education” App on your phone, sign up to raise funds for Peppermint Tree, and scan in your grocery receipts. This is a helpful and important fundraiser for us.
