Deanna G. Taylor Academy Home of Heroes - Hillside Public ...

Deanna G. Taylor Academy
                         Home of Heroes
     April Lowe, Principal                                                        October 2020
     Ralph Rotando, Vice Principal                                            (908) 352-7664 Ex. 2400
                                                                                  www.hillsidek12.org

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK:
Dear DGTA Parents and Guardians,

Thank you for a very successful start to the 2020-21 school year.
Along with a new school name we have new leadership and staff members. We will ensure that every scholar,
feels connected, and challenged by new learnings experiences. With support from both home and school, our
scholars will have a heroic year because Deanna Taylor Academy is the home of heroes.

 Virtual school begins at 8:30 a.m. Scholars will be considered tardy at 8:40 a.m. Scholars are expected to adhere
to his/her schedule in its entirety from 8:30 am until 2:35 pm. Scholar attendance and/or tardy will be recorded by
the classroom teacher based upon the scholar’s daily login time.

Communication between home and school is critical. As things change, we will be in constant contact with
families. Please make sure that all your numbers and emails addresses have been updated in our system. I also
encourage all families to sign up for the Deanna Taylor Academy Remind App. This is another tool we will
use to communicate important information.

Our first PTA meeting is Thursday October 15th at 6:30. Please become a PTA member. Check our website for more
information about the Remind App and PTA membership.
Stay well!
Ms. April Lowe,
Principal

Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying

                           The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights is the new anti-bullying law passed in New Jersey. Each school district has an
                           Anti-Bullying Coordinator and each school has an Anti-Bullying Specialist and School Safety Team. Hillside’s
            ting           Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying Policy 5512 is available on the district website at www.hillsidek12.org

District’s Anti-Bullying Coordinator:

Patricia Zuber
908 352-7664 ext. 6405
Board of Education
195 Virginia Street
Hillside, NJ 07205
pzuber@hillsidek12.org

Calvin Coolidge’s Anti-Bullying Specialists:
Jeanie Ruban
908 352-7664 ext. 2400
Calvin Coolidge School
614 Tillman Street
Hillside, NJ 07205 jruban@hillsidek12.org
Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying (HIB) Reporting Procedures the Hillside Board of Education prohibits acts of
harassment, intimidation or bullying of a pupil. To report an HIB incident, you should contact the school principal.

                                                              Report Cards

Genesis parent portal gives parents real-time access to view their child's class assignment grades. The web site,
parents.hillsidek12.org, will provide you with the information you need to access your child's attendance and academic records.
Information will continually be updated. In order to create user accounts and passwords, you must email:
    •    your first and last name
     •   your child/ren’s names
     •   your email address
Please email this information to pgallo@hillsidek12.org
Upon receipt of your information, you will electronically receive instructions to set up an account.

Report Cards will no longer be routinely mailed. If you do not have internet access, contact your child’s school. Arrangements will
be made for you to receive a hard copy of the report card.
Please direct any questions or concerns to your child's school.

REMINDER DATES:

                                     10/05/2020 – Staff Development
                                        Early Dismissal 12:35 pm

                                 No School – 10/12/2020 – Columbus Day

                                       Happy Halloween - 10/31/2020

School Hours:
8:35AM – Virtual classes begin, students considered tardy after 8:35 AM
2:35 PM – Virtual classes end

Deanna G. Taylor Academy has adopted a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY for TARDINESS in all classes. Our intention
is to promote the most efficient use of instructional time for all children. While occasional lateness is unavoidable
due to early doctor or dental appointments, we must enforce punctuality to utilize 100% of learning time for student
achievement. Students are considered tardy when they sign in for class after 8:35am. Virtual learning starts
promptly at 8:35AM.

Absences
On mornings when your child is ill or unable to attend virtual learning, please call the office by 9:00 am. Our
procedures require a contact with parents if a child has not attended virtual learning and we do not know the reason.

If your child is absence and has been to the doctor, please e-mail a doctor’s note to bbernard@hillsidek12.org.   We
appreciate your cooperation with this, as it ensures your child’s safety and helps us keep accurate records.

Regular class attendance is crucial for a child’s learning success.

                                                 A Note from Our Nurse
 Please be sure you NOTIFY THE NURSE if your child has any HEALTH ISSUES that the school should be aware
of.
-If your child is ill and unable to attend their virtual classes, please notify me by 9:00am either by e-mail at
rbainbridge@hillsidek12.org or you can call the Nurse’s office at (908) 352-7664 Ex. 2441.

Ways to promote a Healthy Environment:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds.
- Use hand sanitizer often.
-Follow social distancing guidelines, stay 6 ft. apart.
-When in public, always wear a face covering.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our children and staff at Deanna Taylor Academy Healthy!
Stay Well,
Roseann Bainbridge,
School Nurse

                         Spotlight on Mrs. Siegel’s and Ms. Ceaser’s 4th Grade Class:

Hello Families!

         Welcome Back to the 2020-2021 school year! We are off to a fabulous start in fourth grade! Our scholars
have done a wonderful job adjusting to our virtual classroom. We have been very busy!
In math we have been focusing on place value. Some of the skills we are working on are estimating, using
expanded form, written form, understanding place value relationships, and making comparisons. Our first science
topic is underway. We are very excited to be investigating Soils, Rocks, and Landforms. We are using the
scientific method and learning/applying many new vocabulary words. In social studies our focus will be on land
regions in the United States throughout Topic 1.
         As we continue to navigate through virtual learning, please encourage your children to check our Canvas
activities tab nightly to ensure that homework and classwork is being completed. All classwork assignments are
highlighted in green and homework is highlighted in yellow. Thank you for your continued support and
partnership!

Meals
Meal distributions are done every Tuesday and Thursday from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at each School in the District. On
Tuesdays we will be distributing 2 days’ worth of meals, breakfast and lunch and Thursdays we will be distributing 3
days’ worth of meals, breakfast, and lunch.

Special Education Child Find
If your child is between the ages of three and twenty-one, and exhibits physical, sensory, emotional, communication,
cognitive or social problems, the child may be eligible for interventions in the general education program, or an
evaluation to determine eligibility for special education program, or an evaluation to determine eligibility for special
education and related services. A referral is a written request for an evaluation that is given to the school district
when a child is suspected of having a disability and might need special education services. Parents, school personnel,
and agencies concerned with the welfare of a student can make a referral. If you believe that your child may have a
disability, you may refer to your child or an evaluation by submitting a written request to the Principal or to Dr.
Sandy Mercedes, Director of Special Services.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
The Hillside Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, ancestry,
national origin, or social or economic status. The Hillside Board of Education also does not discriminate on the basis
of disability with regard to admission, access to services, treatment or employment in its programs or activities. Any
questions with the scope of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 can be directed to: Dr. Sandy Mercedes, Director of Special Services.
Hillside High School
1085 Liberty Avenue
Hillside, NJ 07205
(909) 352-7664 Ex. 8448