Now that you have officially enrolled your child(ren) at The Elisabeth Morrow School, we want to ensure that you have access to all the information you need from now until the first day of school. We’ve prepared a timeline of what to expect and resources to answer many of the questions our new families have as they prepare to join our community. We’re delighted to welcome you to our community!
What to Expect
JUNE and July
Look for emails with instructions on how to access the following system and information:
- MyEMS: An email with an invitation link to create a Blackbaud ID to access myEMS will be sent to you via email in early June (or shortly after enrollment if accepted through rolling admissions). Families can find all the important information they’ll need — such as calendars, directories, and school policies — in myEMS. Just prior to each school year, you will also find your child’s classes, schedule, attendance records, and much more.
- Magnus Health: Families will receive access to the Magnus Health system, the system we use to protect and keep track of your child(ren)’s required health documents. Access Magnus Health directly through myEMS or through the Magnus Health mobile app.
- If there are any summer assignments for your child(ren)’s grade(s), you can expect to receive a notification before the middle of July.
August
Look for an email from SchoolPass with information about how to set up your account and manage your child(ren)’s attendance information.
September
Our registrar will post class schedules and rosters in myEMS. Please note we work hard to create balanced classroom communities therefore we cannot accommodate requests for specific teachers or classmates. Read more about classroom placement in the EMS Family Handbook (available in myEMS) under Designing Cohesive Classes.
New Families’ Checklist
Subscribe to the school calendar and review important dates.
You’ll find all upcoming events in our online calendar. You can also access them through your preferred calendar app by subscribing to the events feed using the button that appears below the calendar. (Note that you must subscribe to see events on your calendar app as they are added by EMS. Events that are exported from the online calendar and imported into an app will not update throughout the year.)
Grades 1–8: Request a final transcript for the 2024–25 school year.
Families of incoming first- through eighth-grade students should use this form to request their final transcript from their current school upon completion of the 2024–25 school year. The transcript must be sent to EMS by mail or email on or before Friday, July 18.
Grades 1–8: Complete summer homework.
Families of incoming first- through fourth-grade students will receive access to the summer homework located in the Little School resources section of MyEMS in early July.
By mid-July, new fifth- through eighth-grade students and their families will receive information about how to set up their EMS email and Google Classroom, which they will need to access their summer homework assignments. Please sit down with your child and have them log into their EMS email account to make sure they have access. If your student encounters challenges with logging in, please follow the guidance provided in the email to access support.
Grades 3–8: Make a selection for the instrumental music program.
Families of incoming third- through eighth-grade students will receive a communication regarding the instrumental music program from Associate Head of School and Director of the Arts Amelia Gold in the coming weeks and should select their choices of musical instrument by Monday, June 30. The selection form will be posted here once it becomes available.
Review and update your profile in myEMS.
After logging in to myEMS, access your profile by clicking the icon in the top right. To be eligible to receive SMS notifications from the school, note that you must enter a valid number in the “wireless” field.
Opt in to receive SMS (text) notifications from the school.
During the year, EMS may send families notifications about closings, delays, and other schedule changes. You can elect to receive these messages via text in addition to emails and automated calls.
To opt in, after you have gained access to myEMS, send a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to 67587. You should immediately receive an automated notification from this number confirming your opt-in status. Note that the number from which you text MUST match the “wireless” number listed in your myEMS profile. If you do not receive the automated confirmation after texting and need assistance, please reach out to support@elisabethmorrow.org.
Learn about school policies.
Read the latest version of the Family Handbook (to be provided in July) for information about the school day, attendance policies, dress code, health guidelines, closures and delays, our food policy, campus visitors, and much more. Before the academic year begins, all families will be required to confirm in myEMS that they have read and agree to abide by all school policies.
Set up SchoolPass to manage attendance.
Families use an app called SchoolPass to notify the school of their child(ren)’s absence or late arrival. Just before the school year begins, you will receive instructions from SchoolPass for downloading the app and indicating any daily changes in attendance. You may also access SchoolPass through the web. If you are unable to use SchoolPass, please email schoolpass@elisabethmorrow.org.
Sign up for the lunch program.
EMS families have to opportunity to order daily lunches from Blue Akai, an exceptional local vendor operated by one of our very own EMS parents. To order, visit ems.ahotlunch.com. You may create profiles for multiple students under one parent/guardian account. Please enter “ems” when prompted to provide a school code. Once registered, you may view menu items and place your lunch orders up to one month in advance. There are no order minimums required.
To reduce waste, meals will not arrive with utensils. Students should bring utensils in daily; however, EMS will have compostable backups available. Also, don’t forget to have your child bring a reusable water bottle to school each day. This small commitment can make a big impact!
Submit health forms and provide emergency contact information in Magnus Health.
Ensure that your child meets all New Jersey vaccination requirements and submit all vaccination information* to Magnus Health (accessible via the Health section of myEMS). Also, enter at least three emergency contacts into the Magnus Health system, and ensure that two of them live within an hour of travel time to campus.
*Including annual resubmissions of any relevant medical or religious exemption requests for vaccine requirements.
Complete the medical consent forms in Magnus Health.
No child is allowed to carry any medications (including cough drops or eye drops) without authorization from a physician.
- To allow the school nurse to administer non-prescription medications (Tylenol, ibuprofen, Benadryl, Tums, cough drops, saline solution, etc.) you must sign the consent form in Magnus Health (accessible via the Health section of myEMS).
- If you would like to have prescription or over-the-counter medications (e.g., Claritin, Xyzal, Lactaid) accessible to your child during the academic year, you and your physician must complete the prescription medication form to give our school nurses authorization to administer them.
Grades 6–8: Complete and submit the Pre-participation Physical Evaluation (PPE) form.
Complete and submit the Pre-participation Physical Evaluation (PPE) form. The clearance form (last page) requires two physician signatures. The second signature confirms that the physician has completed the NJ state-required Cardiac Assessment Professional Development Module. If your physician practices in NY or CT, you must have a different, NJ-based physician complete this section.
Optional: See if you are eligible for transportation reimbursement.
Some New Jersey families may qualify for reimbursement for transportation to school. Please contact your local Board of Education to find out if you qualify.
Qualifying New Jersey families should complete the B6T form (Application for Private School Transportation) and submit it annually to EMS via transportation@elisabethmorrow.org before March. EMS will send submissions to participating local school districts.
Join Us this Summer
Summer Explorations
Summer String Festival
Get Involved
As parents, you are an integral part of our EMS family. We encourage you to get involved, make connections, and get to know the warmth and vibrancy of the community experience here.
