Happy New Year!

Teacher assignments and Specials: Today, the district opened up PowerSchool so you should be able to see your child's classroom/schedule. I know this is an exciting time for kids! It is for us too! I'm asking that you don't look too deeply into the specials classes as these typically take us a few weeks to iron out. Don't worry, your student will be in specials but how they are input into PowerSchool over the summer and how they look in the building don't always align perfectly.

Thank yous: While I am giving thanks, I would like to recognize the work of the staff this summer. So many teachers, and some parents too, came in this summer to serve on hiring committees. Many staff worked on curriculum, attended PD, and even came in to meet with me to help get a feel for the school. Thanks to all of them. Also, Matt Westerlind and the custodial crew Jeff Padilla, and James Hall, worked hard throughout an extremely hot/humid summer to get the building ready for kids to return. I hope they know their efforts are noticed and appreciated. And finally, I want to recognize our wonderful Administrative Assistant, Tracy Nourse, who has already proved herself invaluable! Thanks to all who have helped get us to the point where we are ready to bring the children back to school!

Staffing: I mentioned hiring committees above. Our little school experienced some turnover this summer much like many schools throughout the commonwealth and across the country. Together, teams helped replace our Assistant Principal, Art Teacher, Middle School Math Teacher, and a Special Educator. I have short introductions for each below:

BethAnne DiFonso has accepted the position of Assistant Principal. She comes to us after 21 years of classroom teaching. She spent 19 years of those years at Boylston Elementary School teaching fifth grade. While at Boylston, Mrs. DiFonso was the lead teacher/principal designee for the last 12 years. BethAnne is a graduate of Assumption (Bachelors), Fitchburg State (Masters in Elementary Education), and Worcester State (Masters in Leadership/Administration). She will be joining us for Friday's Popsicles on the Playground as well.

Bob Pack is joining us from Narragansett Middle School as our 7th/8th grade math teacher. He comes with 11 years of great teaching experience and has a history of supporting extra curricular activities. He is a graduate of SUNY Cortland and received his Master's degree from Wake Forest University.

Melissa Finkler has turned her Long Term Substitute experience into a full time Art teaching position here at TPS. I'm sure many of you already know her. Her Bachelor's of Fine Arts with a major in Creative Arts Therapy was earned from Endicott College and her Master's of Education from Boston University. She has two children attending TPS and is also a Yoga instructor.

Cara Cammuso is joining us as our new 3rd through 5th grade special educator. She joins us from Gardner and has a degree from Westfield State University. She has deep roots in the district having attended school and graduated from the Wachusett Regional High School. She is engaged to be married next Fall so I'm already practicing her name change in my head, "Mrs. Moore."

A new old face is Alina Budrys. For the last few years, she has served as an intern to our adjustment counselor, with Amanda Hagerty. With Mrs. Hagerty out on leave we were lucky to procure the services of Ms. Budrys for the year. Recently graduating from Assumption College with a Masters in Arts in the area of School Adjustment Counseling, the timing could not have been better. Additionally, she has a background workign in mental health and has training in yoga, mindfulness, and expressive arts therapies.

Arrival and Dismissal: Drop off and pick up are always tricky at every school the first week back from the summer. We will be continuing the process as I understand it from last year. The school day starts at 8:25 and ends at 2:55. Buses will continue to drop off and pick up at the front of the building. Parent drop off will occur along the side (near the main office entrance). Cars will loop around the "island" and can start dropping off at the crosswalk. If you are stopped at any point along the sidewalk, please ask your child to exit the vehicle so we can keep the line moving. After a group of cars pull away, the next car with children should pull up all the way to the crosswalk. Children should be able to open the door, grab their things and exit the car quickly. I know many parents have their kids start to prepare their belongings ahead of time and strategically place backpacks where they are easily accessible. If they cannot do this independently or they have things in the trunk, parents should pull up to an empty spot along the "island" and park to help their little ones. This is a great area to pull into also if they (or you) need that last squeeze after a hectic morning. We leave those spots open just for you and there is no rush there. Using these also shows respect for other people who are trying to get places and may be running late. I also appreciate everyone's patience, especially during these first few days, while everyone is getting back in the flow.

The end of the day will follow a similar procedure with the only difference being, cars will form two lines side by side. A staff member will signal the drivers when each group is loaded and can go.

Buses: Routes have been published on PowerSchool under "Forms".

Want to:

Add to your list of people approved to get your student off the bus.
Give permission for the driver to let your student off the bus without an adult if you want them to and they are under 4th grade.
Request a different bus route than the one that corresponds with your home address.

You can do these things here!

1st Day Goals: The first day of school we will jump right into the day. We will help all students off the bus or out of cars to get right down to their classroom. This is a great time to start building routines from day 1. I generally have 4 goals for the first day of school. 1: Get all the kids in the building. 2: Make sure they all eat. 3: Get them all home safely. 4: Have as much fun between 1 and 4 as possible.

Kindergarten: Come meet the teachers! While the rest of the building starts on the 31st, Kindergarten
will start on September 1st. However, we invite all kindergarteners to come in on the 31st for Orientation and to meet their teacher.

On August 31st from 9:30-10:15, we invite you to come and see the classroom! Caregivers and kindergarten students may come (we will gather in the cafeteria), and walk together to the kindergarten classroom. Once there, we will have a quick scavenger hunt to complete together, and then table toys while the teachers go over a few last minute things for the school year! Afterwards, students are invited to go outside and enjoy the playground with their new friends. We ask that all families head to their cars by 10:15 so the playground can be used for recess.

Nursing: A few reminders from our wonderful Nurse can be found here! Please take a few moments to review them and complete anything necessary.

Lunch: I think many of you have already heard that lunches are once again free to all those who would like them. What people might not realize is that filling out the free and reduced lunch paperwork supports the district in recouping the costs of meals. You can find the necessary paperwork here. Everything you need to know about the meal program should be found on the website.

Substitutes wanted: We need you...to substitute teach! That is right. We are anticipating a continued shortage in substitute teachers. These people help keep the school running smoothly and it could be you. The work isn't glamorous nor well paid but you get to work with amazing children and some of the best teaching staff in the state. Never taught before? That is ok, we'll work with you. Must love kids! Added bonus: tell Central Office you only want to sub at TPS and I'll buy you lunch on your first day :) Get your application here.

Library: One of our goals this year is to get the library back to being a library. The last few years it has been a gym and has fallen out of use. Thanks to some wonderful volunteers, it should once again be used to further the love of literacy and connect kids with books on topics they love. If you'd like to help please take a few seconds to fill out this form and help us bring the library back!