Dear Students, Parents and Guardians,

The faculty, staff and I welcome you to our Kelly Elementary School family. We are committed to providing your children with an exciting, challenging academic experience in a safe nurturing environment. Since parents are our first teachers, and the most important people in a child’s life, we welcome and applaud your commitment and involvement in your child’s education!

We, as educators work to foster a community of lifelong learners. Education for the 21st century must encourage collaboration and relationship building as well as creativity and critical thinking skills in every child. We believe that all children can succeed. With your help and that of an extraordinary faculty our children can accomplish greatness!

The Kelly Elementary School faculty strives to cultivate a safe and secure environment where we celebrate diversity, and foster mutual respect and citizenship. Throughout the school year, our teachers implement the lessons from the New Jersey Bar Foundation’s Anti-Bullying Curriculum.

We are a “Bucket Filling” School. After reading books by Carol McCloud, we all think about each of us having an invisible bucket. When our bucket is full, we feel great, but when it is empty, we feel awful. When we are kind to someone or help someone, we fill their bucket- and at the same time, fill our own. Our invisible buckets are filled with all of our good thoughts and feelings! We don’t ever want to dip into the bucket of another by being mean. As family, school and community members with character, we are striving to show kindness and caring through our words and actions. We are always thinking of ways to “Fill each other’s invisible bucket.” Please join us in making Kelly Elementary School’s children not only the best IN the world, but also the best FOR the world!

On behalf of all of us at Kelly Elementary, we wish you and your children a successful, joyful school year!

Dr. Joanne Pollara
Principal Leader and Lifelong Learner