Thankful!

This week and this time of year are all about being thankful. It's a time of reflection. I am thankful to be here at TPS. Thankful for the excellent staff I get to work with every day. For the children that make me smile. For the supportive families who clearly value the work being done in the building. I think we are all thankful for the PTA  and all they do. They recently reopened the mini-grant process for staff. And who can forget the first assemblies we've had in a few years. The Wingmaster assembly was a great opportunity to have a shared experience in grades K through 8. Obviously, the presentation was tailored a little for different age groups. Please continue to support the PTA however you can. 

Speaking of the PTA, please remember that the poinsettia orders are due the Monday we return from Thanksgiving break (11/28). Feel free to share this with family and friends at your holiday gatherings.

We wrapped up our week with our first maybe annual TPS Macy's day parade STEAM challenge (I'm working on the name)! Our middle school spent time today creating floats that showed examples of learning in different content areas. The balloons were required to "stay afloat" for a full orbit around the building without touching them. Floats had to roll smoothly through the hallways and the materials used were limited. It was a great exercise in the engineering process as well as a way to recap the lessons learned so far this year! 

For families of students in grades 6 through 8 interested in signing their students up for basketball. Please find the information to do so on the website here. 

And finally, before I let you begin your break, I give to you our 6th-grade recipes! Our 6th-graders have created this slideshow of family recipes. Some may come in handy this week. I'm definitely making the After Thanksgiving sandwich! 

A note from Mrs. DiFonso: 

The FIRST Lego League Explore program is being run for children in grades K through 5. It introduces kids to STEM using legos and lego robotics. The program focuses on creativity, fun and teamwork. Each year there is a theme. This year's theme is SUPERPOWERED. Children will learn about different types of energy sources, storage and distribution methods and ways in which energy is consumed. In each of the early meetings, we will learn about the energy journey, draw and share our ideas about what was learned and finally build our ideas with legos and lego robots. Towards the end of the program, the children will work on a single team build and will present their build to their friends and family at the last meeting. 

This video is a nice overview of the FIRST programs. 

Jennifer Stander will be coaching the Lego League teams. She is an Electrical Engineer working in the field of Robotics and also an Adjunct Professor at WPI teaching electrical and computer design courses. To help the students reach their goals, it is important to have additional volunteers to help at the meetings. If you are interested in helping out or coaching, feel free to email Jennifer at legofirst@js.mxpark.com. 

The week ahead: 

• 
  Wednesday (11/22) 
• No School
• Thursday (11/23) 
• Thanksgiving
• Friday (11/24) 
• No School
• Monday (11/28) 
• School Council
• Friday (12/2)
• Pajama Day! Student Council met their goal! 
• Saturday (12/3) 
• Poinsettia pick up at TPS (12:00-3:00)

Looking way ahead: 

• Friday (12/16) 
• Middle School Dance! 6:00-8:00