Dear Parents,

Welcome back to school! I hope you had a restful and enjoyable summer break. A special welcome to our new families who have joined our school community, as well as to our new faculty members.

We are excited to begin another wonderful school year together.

As we launch the 2026–2027 school year, I would like to share some important information and updates with you.

1. Communication Changes: We have made some changes to the way we communicate important information with our families.

The weekly family e-velope will be replaced by announcements on our website. All school communication will now be available through the school website. The website will be updated daily, and I ask that you make it a habit to check the website each day. A weekly email reminder will be sent to families letting you know that new information has been posted. You will find important items such as the school calendar, letters from the principal, HSA information, announcements, and other school updates on the website. The website is now open and includes important calendar dates and information. We will walk you through the new communication process at Back-to-School Night.

2. New Mission Statement:

We are pleased to introduce our new mission statement, which will be taught to our students at the beginning of the school year. This statement captures the vision and identity of St. Francis Cathedral School and reflects the values we strive to instill in every student. I would like to thank our faculty and Strategic Planning Team for the time, thought, and care they put into developing this vision for our school.

“The community of St. Francis Cathedral School builds a Catholic culture of faith, virtue, and academic excellence, inspiring students to become the men and women God has called them to be.”

We look forward to making this mission statement an integral part of our school community and allowing it to guide us throughout the coming year.

3. Grandparents’ Day: Pope Leo has designated Grandparents’ Day as a special occasion to honor and celebrate grandparents and the important role they play in the lives of their grandchildren. We will celebrate this special occasion with Mass on Sunday, September 13, at 12:00 noon, followed by refreshments. We warmly invite all of our grandparents and families to join us as we recognize and celebrate these very special members of our families.

4. Campus Renovations: Many renovations and improvements have taken place throughout the Cathedral Campus this summer. We are grateful for the continued commitment to making our school and campus a beautiful, welcoming, and inspiring place for our students and families.

A special thank you to Father Christy and Mike Florek for their dedication and hard work in helping to make these improvements possible.

5. Policy Changes: The Parent-Student Handbook is currently being updated and will be completed by the beginning of the school year. Please review the policy changes outlined below carefully. As part of our registration process, each family is required to sign an acknowledgment stating that you have read, understand, and agree to comply with the policies and procedures outlined in the Parent-Student Handbook.

The acknowledgment form is included in your registration packet. Please make sure it is signed and returned to the school.

6. Uniform Exchange: Our Uniform Exchange will be held on Thursday, September 3, from 6:00–8:00 p.m.

7. Important Reminders: Below you will find several important reminders and additional information to help you prepare for the new school year. Please take a few moments to review everything carefully.

We look forward to beginning a wonderful new school year with all of you. Thank you for your continued support, partnership, and commitment to St. Francis Cathedral School. Together, we can make 2026–2027 a successful, faith-filled, and memorable year for our students.

May God bless you and your families, and welcome back to St. Francis Cathedral School!

Sincerely,

Kathleen Dalton

Principal 

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Diagram Link: Click Here

Morning Arrival Procedures (7:35AM):

-School supervision and reception of students begins at 7:35AM in front of the school parking lot and in the breezeway for Grades 1-8. Students dropped off earlier will be sent to Before Care for a separate fee.

Students are allowed in the school at 7:35 am using either Door #4 or the breezeway.

Students who arrive after 7:50 AM will be marked late.

Grade 1-8: Park/Walk and Drop Off:

-Parents/Guardians may park in the parish center lot or the CYO lot, but not the school lot.

For grades 1-8, please do not walk your child through the school parking lot, where cars are moving for drop-off. Instead, please walk through the parish parking lot/walkway to get to the breezeway.

Grade 1-8: Car rider and Drop Off:

If you are dropping off by car, please pull into the school parking lot, enter the drop-off loop, and attend to a staff member directing traffic.

Please do not get out of your car unless you need to for a younger child. Have your child ready to get out and be greeted by a staff member. Once a staff member is present, your child may get out of the car and walk to the breezeway or Door #4.

PreK-Kindergarten: Drop Off at Early Childhood Center (in the Parish center) Please park in the parish center lot, the CYO lot, or on Library Place in front of the parish center.

For Pre-Kindergarten students, walk behind the parish center and towards the door next to the playground. A staff member will greet you and direct you accordingly.

For Kindergarten students, walk to the parish center driveway on the right side of the building on Library Place. A staff member will greet you and direct you accordingly.

Both doors will be open at 7:35AM.

Afternoon Dismissal Procedures (2:30PM):

-Please cross at the crosswalk with crossing guards as per the Metuchen Police Department

when arriving for dismissal or leaving to go home.

-Please do not allow your child to play on the lawn in front of the school or around the church or rectory.

Parking

-Parents may park behind the school, the CYO lot, the parish center lot, on Library Place where allowed, on Elm St. and Main St., but not in front of the school or church.

- Please do not park in areas with “No Parking” signs, yellow curbs, or driveways blocked by residents.

Pre-Kindergarten

-PreK students exit from the door by the playground.

-PreK After Care students will be brought to the CYO.

Kindergarten

-Kindergarten students will exit the driveway door for car line (Library Place)

-Kindergarten students will exit the PreK door for church line (Elm Avenue) Or be brought to the CYO for After Care.

Grades 1-8

-Students will be dismissed in the following order: car line(Library Place), church line (Elm Avenue), and then After Care and walkers