🎨Art Show & Music Recital This Wednesday!🎼

5/14/2025 2:02 pm

🎨Volunteers Still Needed!🎨
We need help matting, setting up, and taking down nearly 600 student artworks! Sign up HERE!

River Day Is Sunday, May 18!

4/27/2025 2:16 pm

Due to rain, River Day has been rescheduled to May 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Skate House by the pond off Mead Street in South Orange. All pre-registrations will remain valid for the new date. 

Student Council Fundraiser

4/27/2025 2:06 pm

Tetherball Fundraiser - Entry Dates: May 7 – May 28

$1 per ticket (Cash only)

The Student Council fundraiser for two brand-new tetherball poles started last week. Students can take part in a prize giveaway to support the cause. 

How It Works:

During PE class, students will have the chance to get tickets and place them into the drawing(s) for the prize(s) they’d most like to win!

🏆  AWESOME PRIZES 🏆 

Big School Drawing (12 Items)

·       Feed the fish for a week (4 winners)

·       PE teacher for the day (1 winner per grade)

·       Principal for a day (1 winner)

·       Your name on the school track (1 winner)

·       Your face on a PE token (2 winners)

·       Kick off School Spirit Day (1 winner)

·       Join the teacher water balloon toss (1 winner + a friend)

·       MAX Power “MeduSomething” shirt (2 winners)

·       Play your favorite song over the loudspeaker (1 winner)

·       Shoot during the South Mountain Minute halftime show (1 winner)

·       Lunch with Mr. Cicenia (winner brings 2 friends)

·       Front row seats to the South Mountain Minute (2 winners)

Annex Drawing (8 Items)

·       PE teacher for the day (1 winner per grade)

·       MAX Power “MeduSomething” shirt (2 winners)

·       Kick off School Spirit Day (1 winner)

·       Principal for a day (1 winner)

·       Teacher water balloon toss (1 winner + a friend)

·       Play your favorite song during lunch (2 winners)

·       Pick 10 Toe Tokens of your choice (2 winners)

·       Lunch with Mr. Cicenia (winner brings 2 friends)

Show Your Teacher Appreciation with an Achieve Tribute

5/16/2025 4:02 pm

Celebrate the End of the School Year with a Thoughtful Thank You!

It’s a busy and exciting time filled with year-end festivities and important milestones. Let Achieve help by taking teacher gifts off your “To Do” list!

Show Your Appreciation with an Achieve Tribute
Achieve tributes are a meaningful way to thank the incredible staff in our schools — teachers, aides, nurses, counselors, administrators, and more.

How It Works:

• For a suggested donation of $10 per tribute, Achieve will deliver your personal note of thanks in a customized card straight to your recipient(s).

• Sending thanks to five or more people? A $50 donation covers up to 20 tributes.

Your gift not only celebrates the people who support your child — it also fuels Achieve’s educator grant program. 

Spread the love, support our schools, and check one more thing off your list! Simply fill out this form by Monday, June 9 to ensure delivery by June 18.

🎉 SMS Spirit Days Are Coming! 🎉

5/16/2025 3:58 pm

Mr. K and Mr. Tait are planning another legendary 💙💛Spirit Day💙💛!!

Grades 2–5: Friday, May 30 @ Big School

Grades K–1: Wednesday, June 4 @ the Annex

Stay tuned for volunteer sign-ups and all the details on our spirit wear store—coming soon!  

Clothing Swap at the Spring Fair Starts May 19!

5/16/2025 2:42 pm

Calling all Eco Stars to participate in this year’s spring Clothing Swap! If you have kids' clothes that you don’t need or want anymore, please consider donating them to our school’s Eco Star Clothing Swap at the Spring Fair (June 6)! 

At the Swap, kids can donate outgrown clothes and pick out new favorites from others’ donations. It’s fun, eco-friendly, and completely FREE!

Kids often outgrow clothes long before they wear out. Choosing secondhand is a smart, sustainable option—it saves resources, cuts pollution, and reduces the carbon footprint of new clothing. For details and drop-off locations, check out the attached flyer.

The swap is organized by the South Mountain Elementary Green Team. Questions? Want to volunteer to help sort clothes before the swap, or keep things organized during the swap? Contact us! greenteamSMS@gmail.com.

SEPAC SOMA Meeting - May 19

5/13/2025 4:23 pm

SEPAC SOMA: Mental Health & Special Education 

Monday, May 19 @ 7:00-8:00pm

Click to join this Zoom meeting!

Let’s Talk Meds — A parent- and caregiver-only virtual gathering to talk about medications for mental health and other learning and thinking differences, with a discussion about safety, efficacy, and use for managing and preventing symptoms. Moderated by fellow SOMSD parents Dina Roskin, MA, EdS, LAC, and Dr. Rebecca Farnham, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician. More about the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC SOMA). 

New Student Open Enrollment for 2025-2026

5/13/2025 2:46 pm

New Student Registration for the 2025-2026 School Year

SOMSD is opening registration for all new students on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. You can find more information and instructions on the district's website.

Note that if you have a current student and/or have already registered a student, you do not need to re-register. This is only for new students who are not yet registered.

📚Annex Library📚

4/28/2025 3:49 pm

Volunteers Needed at the Annex!

Ms. Poutre needs assistance in reshelving books in the Annex library and is seeking parent/guardian volunteers.  Shifts are available on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for the remainder of the year.  Please consider helping out!

Sign up HERE.  

Green Team Update - Volunteers Needed

4/7/2025 11:17 am

Green Team Update

Spring is a wonderful time to connect with nature, and the Green Team has some exciting opportunities for you to get involved in supporting environmental initiatives at our school and in our community:

• River Day Cleanup: Join the Village of South Orange, the Environmental Committee, and Green Team for the annual River Day event on May 18 (rain date). This is a fantastic opportunity to educate our community about river stewardship by helping to remove trash and debris from our section of the Rahway River. Children are encouraged to participate with a parent! Sign up to join the SMS Team here.
• Lunchtime Composting Support at the Annex: We still need parent volunteers to assist with our lunchtime composting program at the Annex.  Your support is crucial to the success of this initiative.  Sign up here for slots through May. 

• Buy a scoop, support our program.  Our amazing K and 1st graders have diverted over 1700lbs of food waste from the landfill so far this school year!  That food waste has been converted to prepared compost, ready to give your gardens and potted plants a nutrient boost!  We will have compost available to bring home from the Spring Fair on June 6.  Bring your own container - we will be asking for a $5 suggested donation per half-gallon to support our school wide composting program.