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Dear Students and Parents/Guardians:

Welcome to the 2025-2026 School Year!  It will be a year of continued growth for our students and development for our educational community.

Full-time students will report to school as follows:

• Wednesday, September 3, 2025 -  6th Grade ONLY (Early Dismissal)

• Thursday, September 4, 2025 -  ALL Students (Early Dismissal)

• Friday, September 5, 2025 -  ALL Students (Early Dismissal)

• Monday, September 8, 2025 - Students will follow a Regular Day Schedule

Please ensure that your child attends school as indicated.  These initial days permit the student to obtain his/her new class schedule.

Absences & Late Arrivals

• Remember that any absence from school is to be reported each day.  Click here for instructions on how to report an absence.  Missing the regularly scheduled bus may constitute an unexcused tardy or absence.

• Please avoid scheduling appointments for your child during the school day; schedule all appointments after school or on non-school days.  If an appointment is absolutely necessary, you must contact 201-631-6396.  This procedure will enable us to prepare the necessary forms so that your child can be signed out during the school day.  Please direct your child to meet you at the Main Office at the designated time.

• Tardiness will not be tolerated.  Continued lateness will result in a parental conference to determine the next course of action.

• If a student becomes ill at school and needs to go home, the procedure is as follows: The parent/guardian goes to the Security Desk and is escorted to the Nurse's office to get the student.

Annual Notifications

• HCST/Explore Middle School is not responsible for lost items including school books, cell phones and all electronic devices.

• In addition, we are required to notify you that the principal or designee may conduct a search of a student’s person or belongings if the search is necessary to maintain discipline and order in the school, and the school official has a reasonable suspicion that the student is concealing contraband. (N.J.A.C.6:3-6:1-6:6).

• According to Public Law 2005, Chapter 266 (C.18A:35-4.24 & C.18A:35-4.25), students have the right to decline to dissect, vivisect, incubate, capture or otherwise harm or destroy animals or any parts thereof as part of a course of instruction.  Within two weeks of receipt of this notice, the law requires parents or guardians to notify the school of their desire to have their child exempt from participation and provided with an alternative education project.  If you wish to have your child exempt from participation, please notify us in writing by September 12, 2025.

• All students must have begun the Hepatitis B Vaccination process prior to the beginning of school.  All physical examination and vaccination forms must be submitted to our staff on the first day of attendance.  Students will not be allowed to begin school without the proper paperwork on file.