TPS Principal's Page: Big days ahead

Sunday to Monday represents a big couple of days for kids in town. The town will recognize Halloween on Sunday from 4:00-7:00 PM. The Parks and Rec Department will be hosting a simultaneous Trunk or Treat in front of the library. Parents of 8th graders will be fundraising there as well. Monday morning, TPS will host our annual costume parade. Kindergarteners through 3rd graders will participate in the parade that will begin around 9:00. Students in grades K-3 can wear their costumes to school that day but should bring a container to place their materials in after the parade to make sure nothing is lost. If your student has beliefs that inhibit participation in this event, please let me know and we will plan an alternate activity for them. We will leave the parking lot for parents to park and watch the parade. Swing by and grab a cup of coffee/refreshments by the flagpole where 8th-grade parents will be raising funds for end-of-the-year activities. The parade will begin at the bus lobby doors and take a right to circle the building before reentering at the same doors. I know the band is working on some musical accompaniment so I can't wait to hear what they have in store for us!

Beginning next week, we will also be tightening up our drop-off procedures. The school day does begin at 8:25 and we have become pretty loose around this time frame. On Monday, we will be closing the door at 8:25 and request that, if you arrive after this time, you come in and sign your student in. We will not buzz students in without an adult. We have experienced trouble with noting students as absent and calling home, frightening parents who know they dropped their students off. This will tighten up our process and ensure we know when everyone is here. In a similar vein, I would like to remind everyone that cars should wait by the turn to the playground, at the start of arrival and dismissal, until they are waved up.

You may have seen or heard of the boxes placed by the bus lobby entrance and the front door. The Student Council is beginning a pajama drive to support young children in the LUK Crisis Center in Fitchburg. The student council has teamed up with Scholastic for this drive. For every new set of pajamas (emphasis on NEW) that our school collects and donates, Scholastic will match it with a new book. The donation boxes will be out until Monday (11/21) so I'd encourage everyone to support the student council in this wonderful venture.

I'd like to take a second to thank the many volunteers who shared last weekend with us to clean up the Bangrazi Courtyard. Progress was definitely made and the area already looks more inviting. We are tentatively planning a spring clean-up as well. I hope you can join us!

A few notes from our library (both town and school):

"The town library will be hosting a free Bioblitz program after school on Wednesday, (November 2nd) the half day. Details are in the electronic folder- it starts at 3:00, and we'll have a reading of the book Bioblitz! by a local author, then Wachusett Meadows naturalists will help us do a critter count around the library."

"Read for the Record update! We read Nigel and the Moon, by Antwan Eady to 120 adults and kids in the TPS library today {Thursday}, and after we read, the kids did projects to explore themes of future career ideas and superheroes. Kindergartners designed superhero capes, and first and second graders made fortune tellers to help them choose future adventures. This event was part of a nationwide early literacy event that brings together millions of adults and children each year as they read the same book on the same day, building an intergenerational community through reading. Since 2006, over 24 million people have participated in Jumpstart's Read for the Record, and hundreds of thousands of high-quality books have been distributed to children in underserved communities across the United States."

And finally, congratulations to our Cross Country teams! The girl's team took first in this week's District meet and the boys took second. We're on to States! Keep on running!

Electronic Folder

New - Student Council PJ Drive, Talking to Children about Grief, Bioblitz!

The Week Ahead:

Monday (10/31)

Costume parade at 9:00

Tuesday (11/1)

Picture retakes (please use your original form or get a new one from the main office)
PBIS meeting after school
PTA meeting at 6:00 (I will discuss and answer questions about ALICE)