Mid-Summer Check In

Hello TPS families, 

My name is Alfred "Ace" Thompson and I am very excited to be the new Principal at TPS. As I close out my 3rd week in the WRSD, I realize I have let too much time pass without reaching out to you. My apologies. I have spent the last few weeks learning the building and community. At this point I have met the majority of the staff and have been elated to see the level of talent and the commitment in the building. I have had a few opportunities to meet some families and students as well. I can tell TPS is a very special place!

I will have a follow up communication before the start of school with some logistical reminders and staffing updates but also wanted to share the following with you for your planning purposes: 

It was so great to connect with families at the Concert on the Commons last week and I wanted to provide another opportunity for this, especially if anyone was experiencing anxiety over the change in leadership. In conjunction with our newly forming PTO, we would like to offer Popsicles on the Playground with the Principal, because who doesn't love an alliteration...or popsicles. We will plan to be out there on 8/26 from 5:30-7:00. Come by with the kids, play on the playground, enjoy a popsicle and come together as a community! I wanted to give you a chance to "Save the Date" if you so desired. 

Cross Country Sign ups are up and we have a two week window for registration. You can find all you need to register here. Payment can be completed here. We are excited to start off the school year defending our state championship! In discussion with Coach Pistrang, we have jointly decided to hold off on 5th grade's participation this year. The program has grown so large that it can be a bit of a logistical problem to manage. Once we have registration set for 6 through 8 we can assess if we can add 5th grade. My apologies to those incoming 5th graders who I know must have been excited for the opportunity. Coach and I decided we wanted to make sure we could focus on the quality of the program over quantity so will revisit the decision after the registration period closes. 

As I alluded to above, our PTA has begun the transition to a PTO. What does that mean? I am linking an article here for those that want to understand more but know it comes from "PTO Today" so there is a natural leaning towards the PTO. Ultimately, my understanding is that this allows the group to not have to pay dues to the national organization and gives them more freedom in terms of by-laws etc. The group is already hard at work planning the first Fundraiser so please keep your eyes and ears out for more information to come. The first meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 6th at 6:00 here at TPS. I'd encourage anyone interested to come by and get involved. The group is committed to being inclusive and would love to grow thier membership. To that end, they have created this google form to gather input around meetings, times, and ideas. 

The school nurse has asked me to direct you to this form of reminders for the upcoming year. I'd ask that you please take a few minutes to review it and make sure we have the important medical information we need to keep all our kids healthy and safe. 

Save the dates: 

  • Friday (8/26) PPP 
    • Popsicles on the Playground with The Principal 5:30-7:00
  • Wednesday (8/31) 
    • First Day of School (except Kindergarten)
  • Thursday (9/1) 
    • First Day of Kindergarten
  • Monday (9/5) 
    • No School - Labor day
  • Tuesday (9/6) 
    • PTO meeting 6:00

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