4/17/26

🌞Happy Vacation TPS Families! It was a fun-filled week this week between Earth Day Clean Up, Earth Day, the first track meet and Spirit Week!  Let's not forget about the amazing weather - what a treat! 

💭The District has partnered with the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission to understand the district's strengths and opportunities. We are aiming for 100% parent response rates to the survey so we can get as much information as possible to help us improve the district. Please take this survey and share your thoughts/experiences of the district. The survey will be left open through April 30th.

🍃A message from the STEAM Committee (check the Electronic Blue Folder for the design form): 

TPS Families- it's the time of year again where we are diligently planning our Annual TPS STEAM Night! We are looking forward to welcoming families to celebrate all things STEAM on Thursday, June 11th between 5:00-7:00p.m. As part of our annual tradition, we are seeking out the assistance of our TPS students to help design a logo for this year's event. Your student is invited to create an original design to help represent this year's theme of "Summer Camp". Directions are included on the t-shirt contest paperwork and submissions will be accepted until Tuesday, April 28th, 2026. Be on the lookout for future information regarding our STEAM Night merch in the coming weeks! Thank you so much for your support and we look forward to your student's submissions! 

👍Be sure to check out the Electronic Blue Folder for summer opportunities! We receive so many things to share and I am constantly updating it!

🌄Trails Update:  There is a team of WPI students who are working on the trails on the TPS grounds. The team would really appreciate your feedback  about the trails on THIS GOOGLE FORM.

A message from the PTA:

Hello from the TPS PTA! 

We had a very busy April and are excited to share what we’ve been up to thanks to the support of our families & community:

Celebrating:

• Community Reading Day (3/27): 19 community members joined us for a morning of reading and celebration. The event was fantastic and enjoyed by all. Check out the TPS Instagram for photos from the event!

• Craft Night (4/16): We had a fun and festive craft night in the TPS Library. Guided by Mrs. Leftwich, whose grandchildren attend TPS. Members of the PTA and attendees of the event made fabric garlands, which will be on offer at next year’s Holiday Shop. 

• Glow Dance (4/10): The TPS gym was hopping! We had a fantastic turnout of students and their grown ups for a night of dance and special activities. Special thanks to DJ Milheezy for providing the tunes!

• A Special Visit (4/10): Senator Durant visited the 8th grade for a special civics lesson. They learned more about how our government works and were able to ask questions to get real-time insights. 

• Spring Mini Grant Cycle: We had a tremendous amount of interest in our spring mini grant! The committee was delighted to approve all 15 requests! Items will begin arriving in classrooms in early May. 

As we head into the homestretch of the school year, here’s what’s coming up:

• Teacher Appreciation Week: May 18th - May 22th. Want to help? Email us to sign up!

• Fall Fundraiser Planning: A new fall fundraiser is underway. Want to get involved in early planning? Reach out here. 

Upcoming Meetings: TPS Library & via Zoom

• May: Wednesday, 5/27 at 6PM - Final meeting of the ‘25-’26 school year

• PTA elections will take place at this meeting. If you are interested in running for a Board position, please reach out to: tpsprincetonpta@gmail.com.  Together, we can make a meaningful difference for our school community. Thank you for your support!

                                                                

Electronic Blue Folder

Looking Ahead:

• Monday (4/27) - C Day
• Tuesday (4/28) - D Day
• Wednesday (4/29) - E Day
• Track & Field Meet @ Littleton 3:30
• Thursday (4/30) - F Day
• Friday (5/1) - A Day
• TPS Spirit Day - Wear your TPS spirit wear or red/white/black!

4/10/26

🏴Today the middle school had the opportunity to meet with Senator Peter Durant.  Senator Durant was unable to attend Community Reading Day, but was able to stop by TPS today to talk to the middle schoolers about his role as Senator, make connections to what they are learning in Civics, and answer their questions.  It's always a cool experience to hear from a speaker like Senator Durant and to get an "insider" perspective on the day to day job of a local elected official.  The middle schoolers asked some great questions! Thank you to the PTA for helping to coordinate his visit!

A note from Mrs. LeMay for k-4 families: As you may have heard from your children, they have been working on performances in music class in preparation for our big end of year show! Grades K-2 will be putting on the show "Just Sing!", 3rd graders will be putting on a bucket drumming performance, and 4th graders will be holding their annual recorder concert. Both performances will be held in the TPS gymnasium Friday, June 5th: K-2 at 9:30 and 3-4 at 1:30. Families are encouraged to attend! Packets will be going home with your children next week with more details. Please reach out to Mrs. LeMay with any questions at brenda_lemay@wrsd.net! 

📅As promised, I have compiled the list of "Save the Date" events for the remainder of the school year.  I will add this to the Electronic Blue Folder and will update this list as things get scheduled and will continue to reference it over the course of the next 10 weeks.  Please note that events could change based on weather or for a variety of other reasons - but at least you have an idea of what is happening for the rest of the year! You can also check out the TPS calendar for event dates and information.  Here is a snapshot of the list for you to see here as well. 

4/16  PTA Meeting @ TPS - 6:00PM

4/20-4/24 April Vacation

5/5 & 5/6  Grades 3-8 Math MCAS

5/11 Early Release@ 11:55AM

5/12 & 5/13 Grades 5 & 8 STE MCAS

5/13 Middle School Music (Band & Chorus) Concert @ WRHS - 6:30PM

5/19 & 5/20 Grade 8 Civics MCAS

5/25 Memorial Day - No School

5/27 PTA Meeting @ TPS - 6:00PM

6/5 Music Performance Grades k-2 - 9:30AM

6/5 Music Performance Grades 3-4 - 1:30PM

6/11 STEAM Night  - 5:00-7:00PM

6/12 Field Day!

6/15 Kindergarten’s Last Day (it will change if there is another snow day)

6/16 8th Grade Graduation @ WRHS - 5:30  (it will be moved if there’s another snow day)

6/17 8th Grade Dance/Celebration - 5:30-8:00 (it will be moved if there’s another snow day)

6/19 Junteenth - No School

6/23 Last Day of School Grades 1-12 @ 11:55 AM (unless there is another snow day)

🌞The Student Council planned a Spirit Week for us for next week! Personally, I cannot wait for Adam Sandler day!

💬An update (and an invite) from the PTA!

The PTA invites you to Create & Connect with us on Thursday, April 16th at 6PM. Adults are invited to join the PTA in the TPS Library for craft night! Crafts will be guided by Mrs. Leftwich, whose grandchildren attend TPS. She graciously provides handmade goods for our Holiday Shop each year.

Drop in to craft, enjoy a snack, and say hello. Our monthly PTA meeting will follow for those who would like to stay. All are welcome!

🚑From the Nurse's Office: 

Dear 7th Grade Families,

During the week of April 27th, as required by state law, TPS is conducting a screening program related to the use of alcohol, marijuana, and other substances. The Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) process will screen all 7th graders. All screenings will be conducted confidentially by our school nurse in private one-on-one sessions. We will utilize the CRAFFT screening tool, the most commonly used substance use screening tool for adolescents in Massachusetts. The goal of this program is to let the students know that we are available to reinforce healthy decisions and to assist them in obtaining support if needed for substance use-related problems.

If you would like to opt your student out of the screening, please fill out the form in this link and send it to the school nurse before 4/28/2026. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to Karina at (978)464-5507 or email at Karina_Abbascia@wrsd.net. 

🌄Trails Update:  There is a team of WPI students who are working on the trails on the TPS grounds. Please read their message below. 

\Our team is a group of four undergraduate students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) completing a community-based research project through the Worcester Community Project Center. The team consists of Evonne Pham, Isaac DeMartino, Delia Jasper, and Joseph Aiello, and the project is advised by Laura Roberts. As part of this project, we are working with the Princeton Open Space Committee and local stakeholders to evaluate the existing Thomas Prince School trail system and develop recommendations for improving accessibility. Our work focuses on assessing trail conditions, researching trail material, and proposing improvements to make the trails more accessible. We are looking for data from those in the TPS community to inform our recommendations going forward. If you have questions, you may reach out to us at gr-d26.accessibletrails@wpi.edu or our faculty advisor Laura Roberts at lroberts@wpi.edu. 

They will be popping in to talk with 8th graders during their Library/MyCap class  to discuss and ask questions about the trails project, to talk about their roles in the project and their future careers. If you are a parent of an 8th grader and would like your child to not participate in this conversations/visit, please reach out to me via email.  

The team would really appreciate your feedback  about the trails on THIS GOOGLE FORM.

                                                                 

Electronic Blue Folder

Looking Ahead:

• Monday (4/13) - D Day
• Cozy Day
• Tuesday (4/14) - E Day
• ELA MCAS  Make Ups
• Spring Sports Day
• Wednesday (4/15) - F Day
• Monochrome Day
• Thursday (4/16) - A Day
• Dress like Adam Sandler Day
• Friday (4/17) - B Day
• Blue or Green Day
• Earth Day Clean Up

4/3/26

 

👏First, a big BRAVO to the cast, crew and directors of "Crumpled Classics"!  Last night's opening night performance was amazing!  I always love watching our Warriors shine in their element - whether it is through sports, music or theater!  This group should be so proud of themselves!  A shout out to Mr. Nichols and Mr. Cormier, the directors, for all of their hard work in making this happen for our theater-loving middle schoolers!  Tonight's performance starts at 6:00 - maybe I'll see you there?

💃Don't forget that next Friday the PTA is hosting the Glow Dance for students and families grades k to fifth grade. A photo of the flyer is here  to the right, but it can also be found in the Electronic Blue Folder.  This will be a fun event for all! Thank you to the PTA for organizing this event for our TPS families! 

💮April's special rotation calendar has been added to the Electronic Blue Folder!

😊As we enter the spring-like weather, we are starting to plan for end of year activities.  As we finalize dates, I will be sharing more information about events like concerts, STEAM Night and field day. Stay tuned!  We are planning (barring there are no more snow days) on holding the TPS 8th Grade Graduation on 6/16 @ WRHS.  Details to be shared soon. 

                                                               

Electronic Blue Folder

Looking Ahead:

• Monday (4/6) - E Day
• Tuesday (4/7) - F Day
• ELA MCAS  gr. 3-8
• Wednesday (4/8) - A Day
• ELA MCAS  gr. 3-8
• Thursday (4/9) - B Day
• Friday (4/10) - C Day
• TPS Spirit Day - wear your TPS gear!
• Glow Dance  (k-5) @ 6:00

3/27/26

📕Today was Community Reading Day!  We welcomed nineteen members of our community to read to our TPS Warriors in their classrooms!  It was truly a special occasion to welcome these special visitors and to show them what makes TPS so special! Check out our TPS Instagram (@tpswarriors) for photos of this fun-filled morning!  Be sure to ask your Warriors about their readers! The list is below!  I'd like to thank the PTA and the work of Janna Millette in organizing this event! Thank you, too, to our community readers!

🗪 This week, the  Office Worcester County District Attorney's visited TPS as part of their community outreach school programs.  Students in grades 6-8 met with Julia, the presenter, and learned about cyber safety and bullying.  Julia visited TPS my first year here and it was time to invite her back!  Her
presentation was great and very relevant to the experiences of our pre-teens and teens. Our middle schoolers asked some good questions and made some thoughtful connections to the discussion. Having this resource for our schools is really an awesome thing.  

🎭Don't forget that "Crumpled Classics" will be performed next week on 4/2 and 4/3!  The middle schoolers have been working really hard! I can't wait to see it!

⭐For Families 6-8 from Tia Marola,  MyCAP Committee Coordinator: 

SchooLinks Parent Access Coming Soon!

Families will soon receive an email from me with information about how to access SchooLinks, our district’s college and career readiness platform for students in grades 6–12. SchooLinks is part of our MyCAP (My Career and Academic Plan) work and helps students explore their interests, strengths, and future goals. As a parent or guardian, you’ll be able to login and see what your child is interested in, including potential careers, colleges, and their personal strengths and interests.  This is a great opportunity to better understand your child’s thinking and start meaningful conversations about their future. Please keep an eye out for the upcoming email with instructions on how to access your account.

                                                                

Electronic Blue Folder

Looking Ahead:

• Monday (3/30) - F Day
• Tuesday (3/31) - A Day
• Wednesday (4/1) - B Day
• Thursday (4/2) - C Day
• TPS Play "Crumpled Classics" @ 6:00
• Friday (4/3) - D Day
• Red Sox Spirit Day! It's opening day at Fenway! Wear your Red Sox gear, your favorite baseball team or red/white/blue!
• TPS Play "Crumpled Classics" @ 6:00

Save the date for the Glow Dance on 4/10!  Details will be added to the Electronic Blue Folder soon!

3/20/26

📘I'd like to thank Jessie Trowbridge and all of the volunteers for making the book fair happen this week! I loved seeing the kids get so excited about visiting the fair and purchasing books! 

👟Track & Field sign ups (for grades 5-8) will begin next week. Look for my email on Monday with the link!

👤This week the 8th graders had a guest speaker visit their Civics class. Mr. Ruppert shares a blurb!

This week, our 8th graders welcomed The Honorable Stuart Hurowitz for an engaging look into the legal world. Judge Hurowitz shared his unique perspective on the justice system, drawing from his experience as both a former lawyer and a sitting Judge. Our students were eager to learn, and we are incredibly grateful for the time he spent answering their many thoughtful questions. It was a great connection to the Civics curriculum!

🚗From the STEAM Lab & Ms. Nowd:

This week, the middle schoolers  put their accuracy and measurement skills to the test with some friendly competition! Everyone built and raced identical paper skimmers down the hallway. The more accurate their measurements were, the further their skimmer would glide across the floor. The current record is 18.5 meters which is longer than the length of a school bus! It was amazing getting to see the excitement on their faces and their commitment to the races!  Check out the TPS Instagram for some more photos and videos!

🍀March News from the PTA

Hello from the TPS PTA! 

Spring is here! We’re excited for a great lineup of events as the weather turns warmer. Here’s what we’ve been up to thanks to the support of our families & community:

Celebrating:

• Movie Night: We had a very fun - and popular - movie night on 3/13! 150+ students attended and the movie, snacks, and company were all 5 stars. Big thank you to the National Honor Society Wachusett High School volunteers who helped chaperone and to The Barn for being our event sponsor!

• Theater Program: The Afterschool Acting Program launched on 3/13 for grades 2-5. Big thank you to Rachel Wiese for running the program. We’re looking forward to the performance on 4/17!

Here’s what’s cookin’:

• Spring Mini Grant Cycle - launches 3/23: Our spring mini grant cycle launches on 3/23, with teachers receiving their requested items in early May. Teachers are encouraged to submit applications for classroom supplies, enrichment curriculums, and more to support their classrooms. This will be the third and final cycle for the year. Community Reading Day - 3/27: Due to the weather, Community Reading Day was rescheduled to Friday, 3/27. We’re excited to welcome 19 members of our community to join us for a morning of reading and celebration.

• Glow Dance - 4/10: Get your tickets for the Glow Dance! Grades K-5 and their grownups are welcome to join us for an evening of great music, activities, and fun. Bring your dancing shoes and see you there!

• Create & Connect - 4/16: Adults are invited to join us for a special craft night in the TPS Library on 4/16 at 6PM. Crafts will be guided by Mrs. Leftwich, whose grandchildren attend TPS. She graciously provides handmade goods for our Holiday Shop each year. Drop in to craft, enjoy a snack, and say hello. Our monthly PTA meeting will follow for those who would like to stay. All are welcome!

Want to get involved or learn more? Fill out this form or join one of our monthly meetings - either in person or via Zoom. Membership isn’t required to attend.

Upcoming Meetings: TPS Library & via Zoom 

• April: Thursday, 4/16 at 6PM - Create & Connect Craft Night

• May: Wednesday, 5/27 at 6PM

Together, we can make a meaningful difference for our school community. Thank you for your support!

-The TPS PTA Board

                                                                 

Electronic Blue Folder

Looking Ahead:

• Monday (3/23) - A Day
• Tuesday (3/24) - B Day
• Wednesday (3/25) - C Day
• Thursday (3/26) - D Day
• Friday (3/27) - E Day
• Wear your TPS gear or red/white/black!
• Community Reading Day!

3/13/26

 🎥I'd like to thank the PTA for organizing the movie night!  You should see the number of happy Warriors in the cafe enjoying "The Wild Robot" - over 150!   A lot of work goes into organizing such a big event.  I know I speak for us all when I say thanks - especially to Courtney Acuto and Laura Fink! 

🎭The middle school play is coming up soon! The cast and crew have been working hard for weeks! I cannot wait to see it! For more details see the flyer version of this graphic to the left in the Electronic Blue Folder! Ticket purchases will be available at the door!  

📆The WRSD calendar for the 26-27 school year has been approved by the School Committee. You can find a copy of it in the Electronic Blue Folder!

⭐A reminder that Thursday 3/19 is an early release day. Dismissal begins at 11:55. 

🎨Congratulations to our TPS Warriors who had their artwork on display at the District Art Show this week!  Check out the photos of them on the TPS Instagram!  Thank you to Mrs. Finkler for selecting our Warrior artists and for setting up such a beautiful display!

👟Middle School Families, please read the message below from Melissa DuBois regarding Track and Field! 

My name is Melissa DuBois. As many of you know, I stepped in as the middle school cross country coach this past fall after Larry Pistrang’s long tenure. While I loved working with the athletes, my current work and graduate school schedule won’t allow me to serve as head coach for track & field this spring. However, I am committed to helping Principal DiFonso find a great replacement and help set up the season so that the coach can be successful. 

Therefore, if your 5th-8th grader is at all interested in potentially participating in track & field this season, please READ and FILL OUT the following Google Form ASAP:  FORM

The form contains important information about how track & field works so please, 

READ IT FULLY before filling it out!

Clothing & Shoe Drive!

Introduction:

Hi, I'm Taryn and I represent Princeton with Project 351! I am in 8th grade and I am looking for some clothes that will go to Cradles to Crayons, a non-profit organization that gives to struggling families.

 

The Why:

For spring service, Project 351 is working with Cradle To Crayons to get clothes and shoes for kids who may be struggling. Every item donated helps kids feel more confident. Some kids are not able to go to school because they do not have the right type of clothing. Any clothes help our cause. 

( https://www.cradlestocrayons.org/our-impact/ for more info)

What they are looking for:

If you are thinking about donating, we are looking for gently used or new clothing or shoes of any size. We especially need baby or infant clothes but any clothes or shoes help. The clothing drive is happening from the 10th until April 10th. There are 2 boxes, 1 TPS and 1 at the public library. 

👀Please be sure to check the Electronic Blue Folder for more information and flyers about the Environment Club, Pollinator Club and other town/local events/programming. 

                                                                

Electronic Blue Folder

Looking Ahead:

• Monday (3/16) - B Day
• Tuesday (3/17) - C Day
• Wear green day!  
• Book Fair 
• Wednesday (3/18) - D Day
• Book Fair 
• Family Shopping Night @ the Book Fair  4:30-7:00
• Thursday (3/19) - E Day
• Book Fair
• Early Release @ 11:55
• Friday (3/20) - F Day
• Wear your TPS gear or red/white/black!
• Grades k-5 report cards issued