WES- Family Newsletter 9/11/26

September 11, 2026

Dear Whiton Families,

Thank you for joining us Wednesday for our Back-to-School night. It is always a great way to meet our families and for our teachers to share about all of the exciting things that will occur in class this year. Here is the opening slideshow from the night!

Consistent daily attendance is a key part of your student’s academic success. When students are present each day, they are better able to keep up with classroom learning, build strong relationships with peers and teachers, and develop positive habits that support long-term success.

Even occasional absences can add up and make it harder for students to stay on track. We understand that illnesses and emergencies happen, but we encourage families to prioritize regular attendance whenever possible.

Thank you for your partnership in helping your student build strong routines and make the most of every school day!  EVERY DAY MATTERS!

We are excited to share that yesterday, our 3rd grade students were officially inducted into the Safety Patrol program!

This is a proud moment for our school, as Safety Patrol is one of the first opportunities for our students to step into a leadership role within our school community. These students will help promote safety, support school routines, and serve as positive role models for their peers—especially our younger students.

At our school, we believe that student leadership helps foster a sense of responsibility, builds confidence, and encourages teamwork and respect. Through Safety Patrol, our 3rd graders will begin to see themselves as capable leaders who contribute meaningfully to their school environment.

Please join us in congratulating our new Safety Patrol members! We are proud of their commitment and look forward to seeing them grow in their leadership throughout the year.

All parents/guardians are required to use Genesis to report student tardy/absences. More information is in our handbook (In the Genesis Parent Portal → Attendance → Notify Office → Fill out the attendance code, date, and leave a reason for the tardy/absence in the comment area.  If your student will be absent due to illness or a family trip, you will need to mark your student as absent.

All visitors must sign in using our iPad located in the entryway. Please bring your driver’s license for scanning. After signing in, you will be buzzed into the main office to receive your visitor badge. 

We can only accommodate a limited number of people in the entryway at one time. You may need to wait outside the main door while we clear the lobby of visitors. Please plan accordingly and allow extra time to complete the sign-in process and visit our building. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Please use the "visitor" spaces in our main parking lot to park when dropping off or picking up students. At no time can you park in the bus lanes.

Please make sure to email the office wesoffice@branchburg.k12.nj.us and your student's teacher(s) should there be a change in your student's dismissal. Please advise our office by 2:00 p.m. of these changes. Please note that parent pick up does not carry over each year, you must let the office and the teacher know every year if your student will be parent pick up. If your child's dismissal will be changing and they normally attend Jointure after care, please make sure to include Mr. Diana on the email advising of dismissal changes as well. 

Please see our Guidance Newsletter from Ms. Stewart here. 

Please find information here about when your student is sick and please do not send your student with a fever. If you have any questions, please contact Nicole Bonaduce (nbonaduce@branchburg.k12.nj.us).

In the near future, Ms. Sam Gale, our school librarian, will be sharing information for volunteer opportunities in the library.  Please find her newsletter here. 

Please remember to label all of your students’ belongings. This will make it much easier to identify and return items quickly if they are lost or misplaced.

PTO Membership information can be found here. 

If you are interested in joining Whiton as a lunch volunteer, please find the link here. Please make sure to read the information at the top of the link. Lunch volunteers will start on Tuesday, September 22nd. 

Please find information on the upcoming Scarecrow Stroll and Showdown on September 26th here. 

If you are interested in Whiton spirit wear, please find the link here. Orders will be delivered to the school and sent home. Please make sure to select Whiton and include your student's name and teacher at checkout! 

The 4-H program is for youth ages kindergarten- grade 13; designed to help them explore their passions, grow as leaders, and contribute to their communities.

 

Student portraits are scheduled for Tuesday, September 22nd and Wednesday, September 23rd. All students will have their individual photo taken with their homeroom class. Teachers will let you know which day your student’s class is scheduled.

Parents/guardians are encouraged to place online orders before Picture Day. Please note that all students will have their photo taken, regardless of whether an order has been placed. If you’re unable to order online ahead of time, students may bring a completed order envelope on Picture Day.

For those who do not place an order in advance, there will be a limited window after Picture Day to order photos online.

Here is the link from the photographer with more information. Flyers were sent home this week as well.