August 13, 2021
Dear Parents/Guardians of the Early Childhood Center South, As the new Assistant Superintendent of the South/ West School Leadership Team and the Principal of the
Early Childhood Center (ECC) South, I am excited to welcome you! My team and I are honored to serve
your family. Working very closely with me this year will be Vice-Principal Mireya Gutierrez who has been
with the school now for two years and has done an exceptional job to ensure students were appropriately
served even during challenging times as we navigated through the pandemic. In addition, ECC South’s
office, security, custodial and classroom staff are eagerly waiting to open the doors to let your beautiful
children in for a wonderful experience. All staff members and administrators are ready and prepared to provide a high-quality education to our
prekindergarten students. Ensuring your child is safe is our first priority. As a result, all of our district
schools have been thoroughly cleaned and health and safety protocols are in alignment with the Center
for Disease Control (CDC), State requirements and Newark Health Department requirements. As you
visit, please abide by all safety regulations and school signage. In partnership with you, we have every
belief that our students will have an exceptional school year. We have high expectations for every student to attend school every day and on time. Every day counts in
helping your child succeed. Our expectation for attendance is 100%. Students are expected to put
forth 100% effort in each classroom and respect the rights of everyone in our schools. Our school
community will help provide the foundation for individual and school success. Throughout the year we will send news of school events and activities via our monthly calendar. Until
then, below are some important notes and dates that you may want to mark in your calendar now.
The First Day of School is Tuesday, September 7, 2021. School starts promptly at 8:25a.m and students are
dismissed at 2:55pm. Safe Return to School Plan
Please access the District’s Safe Return to School Plan to learn more about the protocols the District has
put in place to ensure all students enter safe learning environments. Part of the District’s Safe Return to
School Plan is the Four-Step Procedure for ingress. This ingress procedure is intended to determine if an
individual has COVID-19 related symptoms. Prior to entering any of our facilities or district grounds
everyone must wear a mask and undergo a four-step process which includes the following: Step 1: Symptoms Screening – Employees and students will be asked a series of questions regarding their
health. Step 2: Temperature Check – Employees and students will have their temperature checked using a non
contact thermometer. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher will not be permitted into
the building. Step 3: Footwear Sanitizing – Employees and students will stand in a rubber tub with disinfectant
solution to sanitize their shoes. (Everyone must wear closed shoes.) Step 4: Hand Washing/Sanitizing – Employees and students will be provided foaming hand sanitizer or
will wash their hands with soap and water before entering the building. School Supply Lists will be provided during the first day of school by your child’s teacher. At minimum please
ensure your child comes to the first day of school with a book bag, change of clothes, a crib size sheet and blanket
for rest time and wearing a mask. School Uniform Requirements include Navy Blue Shirt, Khaki Pants/Skirt, Navy Blue Socks/Stockings/Knee Highs
and Blue or Black footwear. We prefer sneakers for footwear as students will engage in gross motor play on a daily
basis. Enrollment and Registration Verification
If you are in receipt of this letter, it is because you have enrolled your child at the Early Childhood Center South.
New student registration continues throughout the month of August. All new students’ registration must be
verified by August 31st or before their first day of school, to ensure a seat. Please access this link to SchoolMint to
finalize your child’s registration documents as needed. All families, new and returning, should access SchoolMint to
ensure all required documents, requested to support your child’s learning, are completed. Your partnership here is
greatly appreciated. Parent Orientation, Back to School Night and Classroom Assignments
A mandatory Parent Orientation will be held on Tuesday August 31, 2021 from 6:00-8:00pm. As the new
Assistant Superintendent of the South/West School Leadership Team, I look forward to meeting all of you during
this Orientation. This will be a virtual event and will provide an opportunity for my administrative team and I to
answer any questions you may have related to the content in this letter. You will receive the link to this meeting
August 27th or once your child’s enrollment and registration is verified in SchoolMint whichever is later. A mandatory Back to School Night will be held on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
This will be a virtual event. During this event, you will have the opportunity to meet your child’s teacher
online and hear more about our District’s prekindergarten program and the classroom experience
inclusive of curriculum, assessment, instructional practices and extended learning opportunities. Please
save the date to join us virtually for this important event. More information and details will be
forthcoming. Your child’s classroom assignment will be shared prior to the first day of school. You will be
informed of your child’s classroom teachers, the classroom room number and where your child will line
up to enter and exit the school building. On the first day of school classroom placements will be visible
and placed outside of each building. During the months of September and October, families will be
provided the opportunity to schedule visits to their child’s classrooms after students are dismissed from
the school. Lunch Applications
All students must have a completed online lunch application, which can be found on the Newark Board of
Education’s website https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/departments/sba/operations/food-services/lunch-application/.
In addition to ensuring your child has healthy meals, for every completed lunch application, the District
receives funding to support our educational program. It is critical that you complete a lunch application.
If you need your child’s ID # one of our amazing office staff members is ready to assist you. Please call
our school at 973-705-3860 Monday thru Friday from 9am to 3pm. In closing, I would like to remind you to take a moment to visit our school’s website:
www.nps.k12.nj.us/ecs-south/. The website will be updated throughout the school year with the most
current school information. Again, we look forward to working with you and your child. Enjoy the final days of summer and we look
forward to welcoming your children to school in September!
Warm Regards, Samantha Lott-Velez
Assistant Superintendent
South/West School Leadership Team