14 / matters magazine / school 2017 her hands. The gift was a brand new red backpack, personalized with the school’s name. Maeve sped upstairs to show her siblings. This gave Frye a chance to talk with Catherine and Michael, explaining in detail the plans for the first day: rid- ing the bus, the fifth-grade escort that each kindergartner will have to the classroom and the first-day welcoming party for parents. He was able to learn about Maeve’s interests as well as her older brother, Richard, who also would be attending Seth Boyden for the first time. The conversation allowed him to point out the programs that might be of interest to the children, mentioning a robot operated by a tablet that sounded perfect for Rich- ard to explore. For this family, a visit from the principal was a first. “This is really great,” Catherine acknowledged. “I’m so glad we had this chance to get all of our questions answered, being that this is a new school for us.” Since much of a principal’s job is administrative, the home visits, for Frye, stand out as a favorite activity and reminder of why he loves work- ing in a school. He hopes that home visits will inspire parents to become part of the Seth Boyden community. Since the student body is made up of those who are zoned for the school – 53 percent – as well as those who opt Supporting the individual & creative growth of each child within a Jewish setting REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR PRESCHOOL. Call for a tour. Toddler Time • Preschool • Extended Day • Summer Camp Please contact Carol Paster, Director, at the Preschool Office 973-763-4600 • cpaster@tstinj.org www.tsti.org • 432 Scotland Road, South Orange 19 South Orange Avenue, South Orange 973 821 5145 “A toy store for grown-ups.” New Jersey Monthly BEST of NJ 3 YEARS RUNNING South Orange’s Destination for Great Gifts We don’t think like other stores. There’s a reason we were named Retail All- Star of the Year by Gourmet Insider Magazine. Need Back-to-School luNch coNtaiNerS? thermoses bento boxes snack boxes yogurt containers lunch bags sandwich wraps our popular Sporks We focus on value and clean designs.We search for vendors who put their money into their product, not into licensing and characters to slap onto their wares.