Welcome Letter 2023

Dear New C.A.R.E. Student & Family: 


We are really excited to have you join our program! I also hope that you are rested, revitalized, and prepared to begin a new academic endeavor with our C.A.R.E. Team.  As we plan for a safe and successful 2023-2024 school year, we want to wish you a warm welcome aboard. 


We’ve Expanded!  So What’s New?:

We are excited to announce the expansion of the C.A.R.E. Program over the summer months!  Students will be assigned to either Suite 1(original C.A.R.E. classroom) or Suite 2(the new classroom).  Both suites are located on the  3rd floor of the Wolverton Library at Camden County College.  Here are some additional changes that you will notice for those who are returning students or those who missed out on our Open House Event earlier this month.


Program Hours:

You will be given a list of your classes when they arive on the first day. The regular school day for C.A.R.E. Students is as follows:



Transportation

Transportation has been arranged for you if it was requested by the family upon acceptance into the program.  Additionally, you can locate transportation information in the Genesis Parent Portal.  This will make it much more convenient as we may need to update throughout the school year.  All students that ride a bus to the program will be picked up at their designated location which will be shared with you in a separate email.  Any changes to the normal transportation arrangements must be communicated with program administration by the Parent/Guardian. We are still adding students to our rosters as the year progresses so given pickup or drop off times are subject to change.


Our C.A.R.E. family has grown!  We are also excited to welcome our new staff to the program!  Everyone here is geared up for the new school year and have been planning some interactive activities and lessons to keep you engaged throughout the day as well spark your interest and ignite love for learning.  


New C.A.R.E. Staff

We would like to welcome the following new staff members to the C.A.R.E. Program.  We are so excited to see all of what they will bring to our students and instructional team.


Administration:

Mrs. Harper, C.A.R.E. Dean of Students


Lead Teacher:

Mrs. Ashley Chandler


Child Study Team & Related Services:

Mr. Corcoran, Child Study Team Case Manager & Program Counselor


2023 C.A.R.E. Instructional Team:

Mrs. Schiffer-Mathematics & Special Education

Mrs. Cuneo-English & Special Education

Mr. Kalfas- History

Mrs. Barna-Science


School Lunch Forms:

All families are asked to complete a lunch application, whether or not you believe your child will take advantage of school-sponsored lunch programs. A digital lunch form for this year is attached to this document or a hardcopy can be provided to you upon request. 



Student Chromebook Distribution & School Supplies: 

Each student will be issued a Chromebook at their homeschool and will bring it to the C.A.R.E. Program with them.  Students that do not yet have a Chromebook, must go to their home school’s website and follow the instructions on how to get one.  Students are expected to show up on opening day with their Chromebooks.   Our goal is to ensure that every student has a Chromebook prior to the start of the school year on September 6th. Students should bring pens and pencils with them to the program.  We will provide binders for students.  


Student Schedules & Instruction:

Students will receive a course list upon arrival on their first day of school. When students are working independently on the C.A.R.E. Floors, they will be using the APEX Digital Curriculum in all content areas on their student schedule.  For this reason, all students are required to use a district-issued Chromebook. Students may not bring their own device to the program to do content work or for any other reason.   All student internet activity during program hours will be monitored by instructional staff members through the digital internet monitoring systems.   


Beginning Each Day with Purpose:

Each day the C.A.R.E. staff will conduct a Restorative Morning Meeting  with students.  This is a time to reflect on what went well during the day prior as well as the Focus Corrections Areas for the group for that day.  The Morning Meetings will also provide students with social-emotional support and strategies to combat daily stressors that students encounter in the program in their home schools, their lives and in the community.  Students can also suggest topics of discussion.  Morning meeting attendance is mandatory however, participation in the discussions while voluntary are encouraged.  Students will also have the opportunity to request a time to meet with the Social Worker for a morning check-in as well if they feel it is necessary.


We look forward to working with you this school year!