Dear Plainfield Public Schools Families,

As we enjoy these final days of summer and look ahead to the start of a new school year, we are filled with excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead. On September 8, 2026, we will welcome our students back to Plainfield Public Schools, and TeamPPSD is ready for them.

Our team has been working throughout the summer with one goal in mind: to be ready for your children. Our classrooms are prepared, our schools are clean, safe, and welcoming, and we are opening the year with a full team of dedicated educators and staff. Our teachers will be ready with engaging lessons, supported by current technology and curriculum designed to challenge our students, meet their individual needs, and help every child learn and succeed.

Most importantly, our teachers and staff are ready to reconnect with your children. We know that a great deal can happen between the last day of school in June and the first day back in September. Children grow. Families experience changes. Students return with new interests, new strengths, new questions, and sometimes new challenges. That is why the connection between home and school is so important. We want to know your children, understand what they need, celebrate who they are becoming, and work alongside you throughout the year.

Phones Down, Minds Up

An important change this year is our Phones Down, Minds Up initiative. In accordance with New Jersey’s requirements for phone-free schools, student cell phone use will be restricted during the school day. When our children are in school, we want them present, engaged, learning, and connecting with one another and with their teachers.

Our staff will model that same commitment to being present with students. Families will receive a complete brochure explaining the expectations, procedures, and ways to communicate with your child during the school day before school begins.

One Place to Stay Connected

This year, we are making it even easier for families to stay connected to Plainfield Public Schools. ParentSquare remains our primary communication platform. District announcements, school messages, important reminders, emergency notifications, and other relevant communications are delivered through ParentSquare. We are also transitioning our school and district website communications so that information is increasingly connected through this platform.

Your most important responsibility is simple: make sure your child’s school has your current cell phone number and email address. Accurate contact information is your ticket to staying connected to everything happening in Plainfield Public Schools.

To support our Phones Down, Minds Up initiative, we will also be using StudentSquare, giving our students another safe, district-supported way to receive school communications on their district-issued devices. This will help students and families stay connected regarding school activities, clubs, after-school programs, and other important information. All students will receive school announcements through StudentSquare as well.

For academic information, families will continue to use the Genesis Parent Portal. Schedules, grades, progress reports, and other important student information will be available there. Together, ParentSquare and Genesis will provide families with clear and consistent access to the information they need.

Your Child Is Part of Our Family

Above everything else in this letter, there is one message I hope every parent and caregiver remembers, your child is in good hands.

When you send your child through our doors on September 8, you are entrusting us with someone precious to you and we understand that responsibility. From our teachers and administrators to our counselors, paraprofessionals, secretaries, security officers, nurses, food service staff, custodians, bus drivers, and every person who serves our schools, TeamPPSD is here for your child.

We also know that supporting students means supporting families. Every school has a team of dedicated support professionals including a Social Worker and Family Liaison who can help connect you with information, resources, and support. Please reach out and ask questions. Tell us when something has changed. Let us know when your child needs additional support and share the good news with us, too. The stronger the connection between home and school, the stronger we can be for our children.

The beginning of a school year is always a new opportunity. New teachers. New classrooms. New friendships. New goals. And for every child, another opportunity to discover just how much they are capable of achieving.

The entire PPSD Team will continue working behind the scenes, preparing every classroom, every building, and every detail we can so that when the doors open on September 8, our children know immediately that we can’t wait to have them back in school!

With warmth and anticipation,

Dr. Elizabeth Filippatos
Acting Superintendent