Short week

It was nice just to get back into the building this week. For a while, I was getting flashbacks to THE ice storm from years back. I'm so sorry that so many of you were without power. It was really sweet though to hear students come in on our abbreviated Wednesday sharing stories of their week. Many smiled while they talked about pulling out board games, snuggling by the fireplace, or even some family generator adventures. While outages are scary, they can also remind us of simpler times and give us a moment to unplug and just be together. All that being said, thank goodness it didn't take long to get the power back up! 

In a similar vein, its difficult to roll out an electronic notification system while folks are without power. Now that everyone is back up and running, please take the time to login to SDM and set preferences. This supports all families and will be the primary communication venue for transportation changes, early dismissals, absences, and late arrivals. Once you have entered information into the program, there is no need to follow up with a welcome email as well. You are all set. If you haven't received anemail and it is not in your SPAM, please reach out to Tracy. 

Initially, STAR assessments were supposed to be completed today. However, due to the missed learning days we have extended it another week. Some scores may already be accessible through PowerSchool though. To access these scores, you can log into the PowerSchool Parent Portal. This must be done through a web browser and not the app. Once in, click on Test Scores in the left hand column. When reviewing these, please know your child’s Star Assessment results consist of a Unified Scale Score (Num Score) and Percentile Rank (% or Percentile).  There is no “Alpha Score” reported for STAR so that column will be blank.

• Num Score: Star Unified Scale Score

• The Unified Scale Score is the overall score that your child receives on Star assessment(s).  It is calculated based on both the difficulty of the questions and the number of correct responses.

• Star Early Literacy Range:  200 to 1100

• Star Reading Range:  600 to 1400

• Star Math Range: 600 to 1400

• % or Percentile: Percentile Rank (PR)

• The PR is a norm-referenced score that provides a measure of a student’s achievement compared to other students in the grade nationally.  PRs range from 1 to 99 and indicate the percentage of other students nationally who obtained scores equal to or lower than the score of a particular student.

A Note from Mrs. DiFonso

The PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) Team at TPS has been working hard to put the P back in PBIS here at TPS.  As you are aware, we started using the Tommy Tickets in November to reward students for positive behavior in the classrooms. The response from students and staff has been awesome.  We are excited to announce that we are finally able to open the "Prince Plaza", our very own PBIS store, where students can use their Tommy Tickets to purchase rewards!  Classes can begin visiting the Prince Plaza next week and will continue to visit once or twice a month. Students can use their Tommy Tickets to purchase little trinkets or coupons for experiences. I bet you are asking yourself, "What experiences?"  Well, the committee and the teachers have been awesome at coming up with some amazing ideas.  Students can purchase VIP lunch, wear sunglasses for the day, play games with a teacher, eat lunch with the principal, play basketball with the assistant principal and so many more!  This is all very exciting for everyone here at TPS.  I'd like to take the time to thank my PBIS committee who have dedicated their time and creativity to making this all happen! Thank you, Mrs. Zielinski, Mrs. Hacket, Mrs. Gibbons, Mrs. Kristoff, Mrs. Jensen-Fellows, Mrs. Chapalonis, Mrs. McClure, Ms. Shaveet, and Ms. Budrys!  

Electronic Folder

New: Winter Carnival

Look Ahead:

• 
  Tuesday (1/31) 
• Basketball vs PCS
• Wednesday (2/1) 
• Half Day for PD
• Dress as your favorite book character
• Friday (2/3) 
• Basketball vs Chocksett

Snowy Friday

As we focus on our dismissal process incorporating School Dismissal Manager, it seems like a good time to remind folks about a few procedures that have been getting loose. In the morning and in the afternoon, please don't pull up to the front doors until staff come out and wave you on. We need to leave this space available in the event emergency personnel need to get it. There is a fire lane there. Also, if you are bringing your students in after 8:25, please walk them in and sign them in. This includes times when you may have dismissed them for an appointment and are returning them. Thanks for helping us keep our systems running like clockwork!

A note from Mrs. DiFonso: The new TPS Lego League is up and running!  I am so excited about the response and interest in the program!  Our coach and instructor, Jennifer Stander, has settled in nicely and has made the TPS STEAM Lab her new home!  I've had the opportunity to poke my head into a few of the sessions and the ingenuity is bursting at the seams!  In week one the students learned what energy was and how it is used in the home. This week, their focus was on how energy is generated and distributed in our homes! Not only are the students having the opportunity to build and be creative with legos, but they are learning and applying this knowledge in their builds! I am excited to see what they learn and create in the weeks ahead! 

After School Programs/Courses: It has been awesome to see the kids getting excited about programs/courses being offered after school.  I will make a plug once again, encouraging any parent/family member/family friend to reach out to Jaime at Princeton Rec and organize an offering! There has to be an avid baker out there willing to take on the challenge of teaching kids to bake or decorate cookies/cupcakes!  What about an artist or someone passionate about arts and crafts that wants to inspire our Warrior artists?  There are so many options!  If you are willing to offer a course but you are stuck on an idea, I am more than willing to help you think of one! 

Three times each year our 3rd through 8th graders take a Panorama study to help us gauge social and emotional needs in the building. It provides a wealth of knowledge that we are still unpacking and learning. Our last staff meeting we reviewed much of this data and discussed ways to support our students. Our wonderful Adjustment Counselor, Alina Budrys, has been leading the charge. Our goal has been to find a way to incorporate her skills into a regular class rotation. This coming quarter, we are able to offer an SEL class in the middle school rotation and she has offered the following description. The class is intended to foster the development of social-emotional skills relevant to middle school students as part of our schoolwide curriculum. Her ultimate goal with this class is to support students in building the skills they need to be successful academically, personally, and interpersonally. The course will be experiential in nature and will cover topics like executive functioning, self-advocacy, stress management/self-care, conflict resolution, and community building. We can't wait for this to get started! Feel free to reach out to her with any questions at alina_budrys@wrsd.net.

Electronic folder

The week ahead: 

• Tuesday (1/24) 
• End of 2nd Quarter
• Boys basketball at Central Tree
• Friday (1/27)
• BraveHeart Baseball visiting at lunches
• Boys basketball at Mountview
• Saturday (1/28) 
• Princeton Winter Carnival

MLK Weekend

Our 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Dolat, has organized a building wide reading challenge this year. Our reading challenge is a great opportunity to expand horizons and broaden our knowledge. It allows students to delve into new worlds and explore different perspectives through the written word. Whether already an avid reader or an emerging one, this challenge is open to everyone. Participation can help improve reading skills, increase vocabulary, and stimulate minds. It can also be a fun and social activity, as they can discuss the books read with others as well. The reading challenge is a great way to enrich their lives through literature. You can learn more about the challenge and see staff recommendations here. 

The state has recently released additional supports for student mental health. A Behavioral Health Help Line that people can call or text is 833-773-2445. This resource is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in more than 200 languages. The helpline can help individuals and families navigate the behavioral health system and access treatment. More information can be found in this FAQ. Questions can be directed to the helpline director at Mio.Tamanaha@mass.gov. 

Having so many after school activities return to the building has been a wonderful thing! It is great to hear kids engaged and excited after 3:00. This does come with a new set of challenges though. Dismissal and dismissal changes have become more hectic. To help solve this problem, we will be instituting a new system. Keep an eye on your emails next week for something from School Dismissal Manager. This online program will eliminate the need for phone calls, paper notes that don't always make it out of the backpacks, or emails that can go unnoticed by teachers with a class full of students in front of them. The added bonus of the program is it should save parents a few steps in calling your child out. More information to follow.  

The new middle school basketball team had its first game in years, and the atmosphere was electric. Many of their friends and family came out to support them, filling the stands with cheering and excitement. The team, who had been working hard to get to this point, were thrilled to see such a supportive crowd. Their fans were loud and passionate, cheering the team on through every play and helping to create a fun and exciting environment. 

Keep an eye out for the upcoming PT newsletter to read about the tremendous work they have been doing in support of our school and our students. 

The Electronic Folder

New: Sterling Girls Softball Registration

The Week Ahead: 

• 
  Monday (1/16) 
• No School - Martin Luther King Day
• Tuesday (1/17) 
• Boys Basketball at Chocksett
• PTA Meeting at 6:00

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had an enjoyable break. The students sure seemed to. I'm happy to report they seemed to return mostly happy and mostly healthy! I'm happy to say that our absent list has dropped by a third in the new year which definitely starts us out on a happier and healthier new year! 

In the new year, we brought back one old tradition. The return of bus buddies! One of the joys of being

in a K-8 school is that our older students are able to interact with and support our younger ones. Bus buddies are a great example of this. We have several 8th grade volunteers who walk down to Kindergarten and 1st grade at the end of the day and help to make sure these young students make their way onto the bus. It's fun to watch the little ones follow eagerly behind our tallest students in admiration. It is a fun way to keep the community spirit up and it's great to see our 8th graders giving back. 

Another opportunity afforded us this new year was the ability to join in our neighbor's celebration. Rutland is celebrating its 300th anniversary. As a part of the celebration, they were able to procure a Smithsonian Museum on Main Street. This unique look back at how rural communities have shaped our nation. We'd like to thank the Rutland Tricentennial Committee for paying for transportation so that our 3rd graders could attend. If you have the opportunity, the exhibit extends until January 23rd, and I'd encourage everyone to check it out. 

A note from our district nurses: 

The Wachusett communities are currently seeing viral illnesses in the school community, including flu, COVID, and RSV. In order to keep our school community as healthy as possible, we would like to remind you of the following: 

A Flu-Guide for Parents RSV Information COVID Guidance WRSD Guidelines for When your Child is Sick Find Vaccination Locations

• Keep your child home from school if they have a fever >100, and/or if they are experiencing multiple symptoms (cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, headache, unusual fatigue, etc); they should remain at home until they are fever-free for 24 hours without medications that reduce fever and their symptoms are improved
• Report diagnosed FLU, COVID or RSV to the school nurse (this helps in tracking illness rates across the district); keep your child home as directed by your healthcare provider. 
• Remind your child to wash their hands frequently
• Vaccinate children who are eligible for FLU and COVID vaccines
• Avoid social gatherings if you or your child are ill
• Contact your healthcare provider if you believe your child needs medical care
• Masks remain optional at school; if you would like your child to wear a mask, please send them to school with a mask and a small supply of replacement masks
• If you would like at-home COVID tests please contact the School's Health Office

Respectfully, 

The WRSD Health Team

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The Look Ahead: 

It promises to be a quiet week where everyone gets back in the rhythm.