Old Tappan Public Schools
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The Core is the monthly newsletter for families of the
Old Tappan Public School District.
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Community | Curiosity | Courage | Creativity | Commitmentt
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Message from the Superintendent
Dear Parents/Guardians:
As preparations for the upcoming school year are being finalized at TBD and CDW, we look forward to having our students back in school for the 2026-2027 school year!
We hope that your child(ren) and your family found a way to blend discovery and relaxation during the summer months. The summer stages of our school maintenance projects are winding down, as staff energy levels are winding up.
I am confident that the 2026-2027 school year will be filled with rewarding experiences for all, as our Blue Ribbon School District values of community, curiosity, courage, creativity, and commitment drive us forward.
- Community: We are all whole people, each with challenges and each powerful.
- Curiosity: The world opens to us if only we sincerely question.
- Courage: Greatness requires that first we step.
- Creativity: All challenges are only solutions in waiting.
- Commitment: We owe it to ourselves and each other to strive toward excellence and to encourage the same in others.
Together, with the participation of our Board of Education; our administrators, faculty, and staff; and our families, we will foster a learning environment in which all students have opportunities to reach their greatest potential.
I look forward to seeing many of you at our schools’ hallmark events and celebrations this coming year.
Respectfully,
Danielle M. Da Giau, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Old Tappan Public School District
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Working Together!
Student safety is our priority. Please exercise extreme caution during arrival and dismissal times. Click here to read the Traffic Safety message from the Old Tappan Police.
Traffic Safety
Drop-off and pick-up should be only at the curb or marked areas. The parking lots are for staff only.
Please do not drop off or pick up pupils in these parking lots. Additionally, there is no parking or standing in the bus sections.
Students should use the guarded crosswalks and walkways when arriving at and leaving from school.
The Old Tappan Police Department assigns Crossing Guards, and they are located at:
- Old Tappan Road and CDW
- Old Tappan Road and Washington Ave.
- Washington Ave. and Herrick Drive
- Deberg Drive (behind TBD)
- Deberg Drive and Irving Street
- Charles Place and School Street
- TBD School Parking Lot and Interschool Drive
Should you have to use a school’s parking lot, please park in a space marked for visitors. When parking on neighborhood streets, please obey posted signage.
Morning Supervision
Beginning at 8:00 AM daily, there is supervision for students provided by a combination of the principals and assigned staff. There is no supervision before 8:00 AM. For safety reasons, please do not send students to school before 8:00 AM.
Helpful Hint!: If you would like to avoid the morning congestion, take advantage of this early morning drop-off time!
Other Drop-Off Tips - Click here for Our Top 5 Tips!
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Celebrations of Learning
Back-to-School Nights
Back-to-School Nights are the most celebrated evenings for schools! They offer faculty members evenings to share the learning that the children will be engaging in this school year. Although a short period of time together, families have the chance to see where and with whom their children are spending large portions of their days.
Families are offered the opportunity to learn about the year’s instructional overviews and to consider ways of supporting their learners at home. For your reference, here are our Parents' Guides to the Curriculum for the 2026-2027 school year.
We look forward to celebrating the 2026-2027 school year with you:
- CDW - Thursday, 10 September 2026, at 7:00 PM
- TBD - Thursday, 17 September 2026, start times vary by grade level
On these evenings, we are reminded of our strong partnership for students! When we work in tandem, students thrive!
State Standardized Testing Update
This past spring 2026, students in Grades 3 -8 took the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment - Adaptive (NJSLA-A) in Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics, and students in Grades 5 and 8 took the NJSLA Science test. Because New Jersey moved to these new adaptive assessments, new cut scores must be established. A new baseline is needed because these assessments measure the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in a new way.
Due to this standard setting and quality control, the NJSLA-A Score Reports are delayed. Once the District receives this information, we will send the Individual Score Reports to your home in a timely manner. At this point, there is no anticipated date for Old Tappan to receive this information from the State.
Score Comparisons
After we receive the Score Reports, a District Testing Report will be presented at a Board of Education Meeting, and the report will be posted to our District website for your perusal. It is important to note that due to the newly established cut scores, results may not be directly comparable to prior assessment years. For your reference, the 2026-2027 testing calendar has been posted to our District website for your review.
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School Safety and Awareness
Our Class III Officer Program
The Old Tappan School District is grateful for the strong partnership we share with the Old Tappan Police Department and the Borough of Old Tappan. Because of our partnership, our schools benefit from multiple police walk-throughs per day, in addition to oversight during arrival and dismissal times. Our Board of Education is continuing the Class III Officer Program for our District. This program is paid for by the District and is managed by the Borough.
The Class III Officer’s sole responsibility is to provide greater occupant safety and building and grounds security for our schools. The Class III Officer is an armed, retired law enforcement official who is hired by the Borough and under the jurisdiction and supervision of the Old Tappan Police Department. The Class III Old Tappan Officers assigned to our District will be casually uniformed and marked as an Old Tappan Police Officer. The Class III Old Tappan Officers will work in conjunction with our on-duty Old Tappan Police Officers to augment our already-existing building and grounds walk-throughs.
All Old Tappan Police Officers survey our schools and grounds for security protocols and do not get involved in the regular business of the schools. Administrators, teachers, and support staff continue to be responsible for handling the daily operations of the schools and students. Thank you to the Old Tappan Police for their efforts!
Reporting Concerning Behaviors
Every New Jersey school district is required to establish procedures to assess concerning behaviors in an effort to keep our schools and communities safe. School personnel cannot shoulder this important work without your parental assistance and helpful information. To assist us, we have created a reporting form, modeled after the resources from the Sandy Hook Promise Organization. The Old Tappan Schools’ “Hear | See | Say Something” Reporting Form is linked to our website and is available for you and/or your child to complete anonymously or with identifying information. If you submit a Reporting Form, the District is alerted of the submission, with Dr. Da Giau and the principals receiving it directly, reviewing the information, and investigating. They will involve the necessary school personnel and outside agencies as deemed appropriate.
By “hearing or seeing something and then saying something," you can help us and potentially protect and better lives. Reporting observed concerning behaviors can be helpful to our whole school community.
Expectations
The Old Tappan Board of Education prohibits acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying. A safe and civil environment in school is necessary for pupils to learn and achieve high academic standards. Harassment, intimidation, or bullying is conduct that disrupts both a pupil’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to educate in a safe environment. Since pupils learn by example, school personnel will demonstrate appropriate behavior, treat others with civility and respect, and refuse to tolerate harassment, intimidation, or bullying. Consistent with their levels of development, maturity, and demonstrated capabilities, pupils are expected to conduct themselves with a proper regard for the rights and welfare of other pupils and school staff, the educational purpose underlying all school activities and the care of the school facilities.
Throughout the school year, please encourage your child to discuss concerns with appropriate school personnel - their teachers, guidance counselor, if appropriate, assistant principal, or the principal. Please refer to the District Policy, which is in the Summer Packet and posted to our website, along with the required reporting form. During this school year, we will focus on building programs and experiences that highlight positive peer interactions and relationships and positive adult role models. This ongoing work requires that we collaborate and support each other!
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Let's Partner!: Parent Series
This year's Let's Partner!: Parent Series begins with two sessions during the month of October. On Wednesday, 10/7, at 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM, Dr. Da Giau and Dr. Polizotto will be offering "Fifteen Ways to Help Children Do Well in School" for all interested parents. Some children appear to be natural students, while others, although creative and bright, need more encouragement and motivation as they engage in the process of learning in school. This session will share strategies for you to help your child do well – as a student – in school. Read more here.
On Wednesday, 10/21, at 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM, Dr. Da Giau will be hosting a book club around the text, Eight Setbacks That Can Make a Child A Success, by Michalle Icard (2023). The discussion will help parents turn common childhood mistakes into character-building opportunities, offering specific advice on what to say and do in difficult situations, such as rebellions or online and offline relationship blunders. Whether you read all, some, or none of the book, join us for the conversation. Social Worker Brian Greco, from Old Tappan, will be contributing to the conversation. Read more here.
Detailed session information will be shared in the TBD and CDW Weekly Wrap-Ups!
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Addition Project at TBD
As a means of providing you with regular communication about the TBD Addition Project, this section of The Core will include a monthly update.
TBD Addition Project Details
Due to the increase in enrollment over the years, there is a need to add additional instructional space at TBD.
The TBD Addition Project will add four (4) full-size classrooms and two (2) small-group classrooms. Weaving together the existing interior and exterior aesthetic and architectural elements, this Addition Project will run parallel to the current first-grade wing; however, it will not run the full length of the existing wing.
Click to see the renderings and the aerial view of the addition project.
In addition to this Addition Project, two sets of student restrooms were renovated this summer, and the school boilers are in their final stages of being replaced inside TBD.
Click to see the nearly-completed, renovated student bathrooms.
Project Timeline
The TBD Addition Project was shared with the Old Tappan Planning Board in February, 2026 and was approved by the Department of Education in March, 2026. The bid was awarded to the lowest, responsible bidder, Vanas Construction Co., Inc., in May, 2026. The Board approved a construction management company, Epic Management, to work with us for the duration of this project, which began in late June, 2026.
Vanas Construction successfully renovated two sets of student bathrooms this summer and is in the final stage of completing the boiler room replacement.
A construction fence has been erected around the Addition Project's construction site. Click to see the aerial view of the fence outline. Construction within the fenced-in area will continue throughout the 2026-2027 school year and through the summer of 2027. Completion is anticipated for Back-to-School in September of 2027.
Project Impact
Starting in September and for the full 2026-2027 school year, certain classrooms will be assigned different dismissal doors other than their classroom exterior doors due to the construction area. If your child’s dismissal door will be affected, Ms. Boyce and the classroom teacher will let you know.
On behalf of the Board of Education, faculty, staff, and students, thank you to our supportive community for your commitment to our schools!
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Calendar
September 2
First Day of School
12:30PM Dismissal
(PK/K - 11:45 AM)
September 7
No School
September 10
CDW Back to School Night
September 14
BOE Meeting
September 17
TBD Back to School Night
September 21
No School
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Links to Important Information & Reminders
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