Uniforms, schedules, meals, safety, and all the essentials for families at PS5.
Optional red shirt.
Navy shorts permitted in September/June (possibly October/May depending on weather).
PS 5 PTA (Parent Teacher Association) is a member unit of NJ PTA. "The mission of the PTA is to make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children."
The PTA fundraises to provide enrichment programs for all students, including theater and dance programs, assemblies, multicultural celebrations, air conditioners, school carnival, awards, teacher support, scholarships, and family support.
Membership options: Individual $7, Family $12, Business $250. Register at https://ps5pta.givebacks.com/ .
Official Homepage: https://ps5.jcboe.org/ .
Address: 182 Merseles Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302.
Main Phone: 201-714-4300.
Main Office Email: Contactps5@jcboe.org .
Attendance Clerk (absences): ymedina@jcboe.org .
School Nurse: Maryann Moulton, mmoulton@jcboe.org .
Jersey City Board of Education: https://www.jcboe.org/
Doors open at 8:30am; any arrival after 8:40am is considered tardy.
8:30am — earliest drop-off.
8:40am — latest drop-off before tardy.
10:30am — latest arrival with an excuse (no drop-off after).
12:45pm — students must stay until this time to avoid an absence.
2:40-2:45pm — K-8 dismissal.
3:10pm — CASPER earliest pick-up.
6:00pm — CASPER latest pick-up.
See the Student Code of Conduct 2025-26, pages 31-35, for complete policy details.
In the event of inclement weather (heavy rain or snow), the school start is delayed to 10am. The district announces delays via robocall and email the evening before.
Email ymedina@jcboe.org, mmoulton@jcboe.org, and your child's teacher with the student's name and classroom information.
If you are late to pick up, please go to the auditorium to pick up your child. On holidays, parents should arrive on time.
Students can self-dismiss starting in 4th grade. A student needs to be at least in 5th grade if they need to pick up a younger sibling.
Walking is advised instead of driving. If driving, park on 4th or 5th Street past Newark Ave to reduce congestion.
Bike racks are available with a chain and lock at students' own risk. Unfortunately, there is no space for scooters in the school.
Morning Stars (before care) runs 7:00am-8:30am; students must arrive by 8:00am. Includes free breakfast.
CASPER (after care) runs 2:45pm-6:00pm and includes an afternoon snack around 3:00pm. Facilitator: Ms. Boodoosingh.
No programs on half days, teacher-parent conference days, or professional development days. No Morning Stars on delayed openings.
Payment is due monthly with a 5-day grace period; late charges apply after that. If not paid by the 10th day of the month, the child will no longer be allowed to attend. Urban League assistance: (201) 451-8888 or http://www.ulohc.org/programs/nj-cares-for-kids/ .
Email casper5@jcboe.org or stars5@jcboe.org .
Pre-K: assignments are sent via letter in late August; the school uses the Kaymbu app.
K-8: assignments are posted on Google Classroom (request access from the teacher). Grades are viewable on Infinite Campus at jerseycitynj.infinitecampus.org . Parent-teacher conferences happen three times a year.
The school does not offer electives. Art and music (vocal) are included in the curriculum, varying by grade and marking period.
Intramural sports available: flag football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and track.
The primary method is the teacher's district email (@jcboe.org), shared at Open House and available on Infinite Campus. Apps used at teacher discretion: Kaymbu, ClassTag, Class Dojo, Remind. Some classes have class parent assistants. There are three annual parent-teacher conferences (2 virtual, 1 in-person) — check the JCBOE calendar for dates and times.
Students in Kindergarten and up are required to wear uniforms except for Tag Days. Tag Days are dress-down days with a $1+ donation for student activities. Pre-K students do not require uniforms — keep extra labeled clothes in classroom cubbies.
Gym uniforms: order online at ken-u-print.myshopify.com . Students wear gym clothes to school on gym days (once or twice weekly).
School uniforms: available from Children's Place, H&M, Target, Old Navy, Gap, J Crew, French Toast, and Amazon.
Navy shorts are allowed in September, June, and possibly May/October depending on weather.
Breakfast is free and available to everyone; participation is not required. This year, all PS5 students are eligible for free lunch through the Community Eligibility Provision by the NJ Dept of Education. Regular lunch cost is $4 for full price if not eligible for free/reduced. Payment via the MySchoolBucks app (includes service charges). Pre-K3/4 families order lunch through the teacher via chat and are charged the same day. PS5 does not have a full kitchen — all meals are heated on premise using frozen ingredients. Menus are posted monthly on the JCBOE website under the lunch menu section.
Notify the school nurse during the first week of school. If there's a student with food allergies in a classroom, parents will be asked not to send food containing those allergens, especially in Pre-K, since children eat together.
All forms are sent home the first week of school — return them promptly to each teacher if you have multiple children enrolled. Reference forms: 4.files.edl.io (health form) and jcboe.org (immunization requirements). The annual flu vaccine is mandated until age 5 (submit proof to the nurse via the teacher). Middle school sports participation requires medical forms completed before summer.
Submit page 5 of the completed physical packet to Nurse Moulton, then register via the Infinite Campus parent portal.
Parents are not allowed in the building for security reasons. Every adult entering the school must sign in at the security desk. Front doors auto-lock after 9am, so every guest must be buzzed in. Middle school students pass through metal detectors and have their bags security-checked every day.
School-run: Lego Robotics Club, Student Council, Conti Culture Club, Drama/Glee Club, Strong Girls, Ignite Wellness, Fit Five Club, SCI 5 STEM Club, America's 250th Anniversary Club, Ted ED Club, and Financial Literacy/Entrepreneurship Club.
Parent-run: Garden Club, Chess Club, and Math Club (Noetic Math and Math Kangaroo).
The After School Program is run by PTA volunteers for PreK4-8 and has offered classes like breakdance, mandarin, ukulele, art, coding, and chess. It's entirely run by volunteers. Registration opens the first week of January; the program starts mid-January. It's first-come, first-served, though volunteers get early registration access. Info is shared in November/December. See ps5pta.org/after-school-programs or email ps5enrichment@gmail.com to volunteer.
Yes — scholarships are available for students on free/reduced lunch who demonstrate financial need.
Several local businesses offer pick-up enrichment programs: Key Element Learning, JC Taekwondo, Smart Start Academy, Chatham Tennis, Brighter Bee Academy, Basement Sports, and the Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County. Contact these organizations directly for details.
Children transitioning from pre-3 programs should have Child Study Team (CST) meetings, which include a speech language pathologist, school psychologist, and social worker.
Jersey City allows a "Speech only IEP" — services are free and incorporated into the school schedule via class pull-out. Children with IEPs may qualify for bussing if indicated on the IEP. There are annual progress meetings with the CST, and re-evaluation meetings every 3 years. Pre-K evaluations have three components; services are state-funded with separate providers.
Email your child's case manager. For meeting support, parent advocates can contact the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network. Guardians should email updated IEPs to the main teacher yearly or whenever changes occur. More resources: sites.google.com/jcboe.org/specialedparenthub/home