Friday, May 26, 2023

We Remember

A reminder that we have a long weekend starting today. Monday is Memorial Day, a day we spend remembering those in the military who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. If you are in town, there will be a parade and observances on Sunday starting at 1:00. All of the particulars can be found in the flyer in the electronic folder. 


Our wonderful student council has been busy! Last night they hosted a Talent Show that blew the doors off the building. TPS truly does have talent. Now our StuCo has moved onto a spirit week when we return on Tuesday. It promises to be a fun shortened week with Pajama Day Tuesday, Wacky Hat/Hair Day Wednesday, Throwback Thursday (Pick any decade), and Croc Day Friday leading to the middle school Croc Hop that evening! 



Field Day is coming and we need your help! Mrs. McDonals is looking for fun-loving adults to help manage stations at TPS Field Day (June 14/Rain Date: June 15). What do you need to do? 1. Watch our kids having a blast! 2. Have a blast yourself! 3. Help oversee our 7th graders that are supporting many of these activities. Any volunteer should have an up-to-date CORI. If you are unsure if your CORI is up to date, Mrs. Nourse will know. If you are interested in helping out please reach out to Mrs. McDonald (rachel_mcdonald@wrsd.net). 

Thank you for everyone's diligence with School Dismissal Manager! This has really streamlined our
processes here and has been a great help. One issue that we do see popping up is that if students are riding another bus or getting off at another stop, parents still need to send a note in with them. This practice has waned. Unfortunately, without a note, the drivers do not know the students are supposed to be on the bus. Starting on Tuesday (5/30), drivers will not be allowing students on alternate buses or off at alternate stops without a physical note. Please send your student into school with this note if applicable. Thanks for your support in keeping our dismissal smooth and orderly. 

This week we had a fun multigrade event you may have heard about. Our 6th grade spent some STEAM time planning out different yard game activities. Once they planned these activities, they went on to create them before further refining them. The students then spent time writing out the directions. They piloted these directions with their peers before refining them. The whole activity culminated Thursday morning when students from multiple grade levels joined the 6th grade out on the field to play. It was so nice to see the patience our 6th graders showed with our 1st graders and the joy and excitement on the little ones' faces as they played. This was another reminder of the fun and community available in a K to 8 building. 


A note from the Nurses office:

Dear Parents/Guardians of 5th through 8th graders, 

TPS will be conducting the annual Postural Screening for grades 5-8 during gym classes the week of 6/5-6/9. If a make-up day is required on any screening day, the postural screening will be held in gym class the following week. 

The purpose of this screening is to detect early signs of possible spinal problems in children. It is not a diagnostic service but a program to identify young people who should have a further medical evaluation. If your child has any unusual findings, a notice will be sent home asking you to bring your child to a physician as a precaution. If nothing unusual is found, you will not be contacted.
Preparation: Students may wear a two-piece swimsuit or halter top/sports bra underneath their regular clothing on the day of the screening. This type of clothing permits more accurate observation of the back. 
Opt-Out of the Screening Program: If you wish to exclude your child from the postural screening, please provide documentation that your child was screened by their physician and either complete the note below stating you wish to have your child opt out of the screening or email karina_abbascia@wrsd.net
Sincerely,
Karina Abbascia

The 5th graders have been super busy and asked me to share some of their activities with all of you!  

This week, fifth-grade students were introduced to the newest STEAM challenge adopted by Grade 5 at TPS. Using K’NEX, students will be solving the problem of cleaning up an oil spill and presenting their solution to a team of engineers from Thermo Fisher Scientific later in June. This week introduced students to the science, social studies, and engineering process that this problem presents. 


Fifth Grade also had a presentation from Ray Gouley and the Princeton Municipal Light Department this Friday morning. Students reviewed bike safety and learned more about electrical safety in their everyday lives. This program (and the PMLD, specifically!) was recently recognized by District Attorney Joe Early for its education with fifth-grade students.


Ten fifth-grade boys received Arrow of Light in Cubs Scouts. It’s the highest honor in Cub Scouts, and we are so proud of them. Congratulations! 




New: Memorial Day flyer, District Summer Art Program

WRHS Basketball Camp, Summer Striders Running Clinic 


The Week Ahead: 
  • Monday (5/29) 
    • No School Memorial Day
  • Tuesday (5/30) 
    • Pajama Day
    • Track meet at Lunenburg
  • Wednesday (5/31) 
    • Wacky Hair/Hat Day
    • Grade 3 Field Trip
    • Band Concert at WRHS
  • Thursday (6/1) 
    • Throwback Day
    • Track meet at home
  • Friday (6/2) 
    • Croc's Day
    • TPS Dance
Upcoming Dates: 
Tuesday (6/6) Grade 4 Field Trip
Wednesday (6/7) Track meet at home 
Thursday (6/8) STEAM Night 
Friday (6/9) Kindergarten Celebration
Saturday (6/10) State Track Meet
Wednesday (6/14) Field Day
Thursday (6/15) Field Day Rain Date
Thursday (6/15) 8th Grade Dance
Friday (6/16) Last Day of Kindergarten
Friday (6/16) 8th Grade Graduation
Monday (6/19) No School Juneteenth
Tuesday (6/20) Incoming K Open House
Wednesday (6/21) K Screening
Wednesday (6/21) 8th grade Field Trip
Thursday (6/22) K Screening 
Friday (6/23) Last Day of School even after snow days

Friday, May 19, 2023

Warrior Wrap Up

This week, the Special Education Parent Advisory Council recognized educators across the district that have made significant contributions to our students with special education needs. Several of our wonderful TPS educators were recognized in Wednesday's ceremony. Congratulations to Karina Abbascia, Megan Foley, Elizabeth Budness, Ariyet Gurbuz, Elaine Santello, Kerry Hackett, Jessica Syria, Jennifer Dolat, and Amy Holwell. This award, submitted by TPS families reminds, us how lucky we are to have an amazing staff here at TPS! 
 
We are excitedly planning our Field Day for June 14th (you may have noticed on the list of upcoming events) and the PTA has agreed to help support and fund many of our activities! I get the sense that the Field Day planned is above and beyond what has been done here in the past and I'm really excited for it! Thank you to Mrs. McDonald who has been doing the planning! One of the activities planned is a tie-dye t-shirt station and we are trying to plan for t-shirt sizes. If you could please complete this quick survey, it will help us plan appropriately. 
In a similar vein, Mrs. Finkler is looking for empty cereal boxes. If you have any they will be very much appreciated! 

This week the 5th graders spent a bunch of time in our STEAM lab. Here is a summary from our 5th grade.
"Fifth grade students were placed in cooperative teams and presented with a PLTW problem where they needed to assemble and create a test robot. From there, students then used their knowledge to apply their new robot-building skills in order to create a robot of their own creation that could perform a particular task."



As a STEAM school, I am particularly happy that we have had the benefit of Mrs. Stander bringing Lego League to TPS! Below is information regarding our next Lego League Team opportunities!: 

The FIRST Lego League Challenge program is being run for students entering grades 5th

through 8th this coming fall. 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 MASTERPIECE, which is arts-focused. It will explore how to use STEM to better create and communicate art and experiences.  The program is multi-faceted and has three main components: the Robot Challenge, the Innovation Project, and the demonstration of FIRST Core values.

In the FIRST Lego League Challenge program, the kids will
  • Build and program Lego Spike Prime robots to complete autonomous missions.
  • Select a real-world problem related to the yearly theme, do research on it, design a solution to the problem, prototype the solution, and create a presentation. 
  • At the end of the program, they will attend a local tournament, where they will present the research project and compete with other teams on the robot missions. 
Below is a great video that shows a sampling of the robots, projects, and core values of the program. 
If you have a student entering 5th grade, they can choose to participate in the Explore program in the winter or the Challenge program in the fall. If you are uncertain which program is better suited for your child, shoot Jennifer an email at legofirst@js.mxpark.com. 

The program is not just about building and programming robots although it is a significant part. The team benefits when the members have a diverse set of skills and interests. The project component draws heavily on being creative and artistic. Teamwork relies on good communication and leadership. The team needs a variety of talents to be successful. 

The program runs two days a week from after school to 5:00 starting the first week in September to mid-December. The program cost is $150 which includes registration, tournament fees, tee shirts, project materials, incentive prizes, and snacks. If this poses a financial hardship let me know and I could look into scholarship opportunities or small-scale fundraising activities over the summer. 

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 registering your child for the program and/or volunteering, feel free to email Jennifer at legofirst@js.mxpark.com

Team selection will be done at the end of June, if your child wishes to participate please let her know by June 16th.

 


 Electronic Folder

New: EVO Academy, Field Day T-Shirt Flyer, Wachusett Art Academy

The Look Ahead: 

  • Monday (5/22) 
    • Track meet at Lunenburg
  • Wednesday (5/24) 
    • Track meet: District Championship at WRHS
  • Thursday (5/25) 
    • Talent Show now open to 5th graders
  • Friday (5/26) 
    • Grade 2 Field Trip
    • PTA Bravehearts Game

Upcoming Dates: 

Monday (5/29) No School Memorial Day
Tuesday (5/30) Track meet at home
Wednesday (5/31) Grade 3 Field Trip
Wednesday (5/31) Band Concert at WRHS
Thursday (6/1) Track meet at home
Friday (6/2) TPS Dance
Tuesday (6/6) Grade 4 Field Trip
Wednesday (6/7) Track meet at home 
Thursday (6/8) STEAM Night 
Friday (6/9) Kindergarten Celebration
Saturday (6/10) State Track Meet
Wednesday (6/14) Field Day
Thursday (6/15) Field Day Rain Date
Thursday (6/15) 8th Grade Dance
Friday (6/16) Last Day of Kindergarten
Friday (6/16) 8th Grade Graduation
Monday (6/19) No School Juneteenth
Tuesday (6/20) Incoming K Open House
Wednesday (6/21) K Screening
Wednesday (6/21) 8th grade Field Trip
Thursday (6/22) K Screening 
Friday (6/23) Last Day of School even after snow days


Friday, May 12, 2023

Appreciation

This was a wonderful week filled with so much love from our PTA and parents. I've been doing this a loooong time and worked through two decades of teacher appreciation weeks but I can't recall one like this before. From breakfast to kona ice trucks, presents, and hand-delivered flowers, it was a special week. I want to thank the PTA and all who have supported their efforts. I also want to thank the families that sent in acknowledgment in all shapes and sizes. I think I can speak for all the staff when I say we are heading into the weekend feeling loved and appreciated. 



I am also excited to share with you that we were able to hold our first drama performance in several years. The "Wizard of Oz" was a smashing success in their Wednesday performance. This afternoon, our elementary students had the opportunity to see a condensed version. Be sure to ask them about it! The show is so well done and all of the parts were cast so perfectly. We really have some gifted thespians. It's not too late to come and see their final performance tonight at 6:00. The cast and crew put in so much work and their efforts shone through. I'm so proud of all of them! 

Electronic Folder

New: June and July EVO Baseball fundraiser

The Week Ahead: 
  • Monday (5/15) 
    • Track meet at Overlook
  • Tuesday (5/16) 
    • Science MCAS 5th and 8th
  • Wednesday (5/17) 
    • Half Day of School for PD
  • Thursday (5/18) 
    • Track meet at Hale/Nashoba Regional HS
    • Science MCAS 5th and 8th
  • Friday (5/26) 
    • PTA Bravehearts Opening Day
  • Friday (5/26) 
    • Grade 2 Field Trip
Upcoming Dates: 

Monday (5/22) Track meet at Lunenburg
Wednesday (5/24) Track meet District Championship
Thursday (5/25) Talent Show 
Friday (5/26) Grade 2 Field Trip
Monday (5/29) No School Memorial Day
Tuesday (5/30) Track meet at home
Wednesday (5/31) Grade 3 Field Trip
Wednesday (5/31) Band Concert at WRHS
Thursday (6/1) Track meet at home
Friday (6/2) TPS Dance
Tuesday (6/6) Grade 4 Field Trip
Wednesday (6/7) Track meet at home 
Thursday (6/8) STEAM Night 
Friday (6/9) Kindergarten Celebration
Saturday (6/10) State Track Meet
Wednesday (6/14) Field Day
Thursday (6/15) Field Day Rain Date
Thursday (6/15) 8th Grade Dance
Friday (6/16) Last Day of Kindergarten
Friday (6/16) 8th Grade Graduation
Monday (6/19) No School Juneteenth
Tuesday (6/20) Incoming K Open House
Wednesday (6/21) K Screening
Wednesday (6/21) 8th grade Field Trip
Thursday (6/22) K Screening 
Friday (6/23) Last Day of School even after snow days

Friday, May 5, 2023

May Days!

How did it get to be May so quickly! A new month also means a new reading challenge from Mrs. Dolat. You can find all the materials you need in the electronic folder. An update on participation: 

  • A total of 45 students participated in April!
  • That's a total of 182 books read in April!
  • There were 36 participants in K-5  and 9 MS readers!
  • Here's how it breaks out:
    • Kindy:  8
    • Gr 1:    7
    • Gr 2:    7
    • Gr 3:    3
    • Gr 4:    10
    • Gr 5:    1
    • Gr 6:    9


Thank you to those that attended last Friday's presentation by Peg Dawson. I thought she had a great perspective and great things to share. She also shared with me a copy of her presentation. They can be found here. Thanks again to the PTA for arranging for her presentation! 

The SEPAC has asked to share the following: "Holden Youth Soccer announced that it's expanding its Unified Program to include students 14 and under, in a program that kicks off this weekend May 8th. We are reaching out to you as this is a new program they are starting up based on seeing the need in the past few weeks. This program supports athletes with and without learning or communication differences and fosters meaningful, inclusive opportunities.
It's no cost, and to register they can reach out to Jon-Paul St. Germain  at jonpaulstgermain1@gmail.com
While it's sponsored through Holden Youth Soccer, it's open to any child in our area.
Here's a quick breakdown of opportunities.
Saturdays: 4:30p - 5:15p - Unified Team Training - 14 and under - Davis Hill Fields
Saturdays: 5:30-6:30 - Unified Team Training 14 and up - Davis Hill Fields
Sundays: 12-1p TOP Soccer - all ages - Mountview Middle School field"

As we approach the end of the year, it's also a great time to get some feedback from all of you. I'd ask you to take a few minutes to complete this 
survey on how we're doing. My intention is to share the results with the school council on May 15th, so please complete this by Friday, May 12th. 



A note from a few of our WRHS students: "Hello Wachusett Families!! Currently a district wide school supplies donation is being run by four high school students. It will begin the week of 05/07 and will continue until 05/21. We ask that supplies such as pencils, pens, markers and other writing materials still be in their original containers, as well as any notebooks and folders to be clean and unused. All donations will be split throughout the district to support your children’s teachers. If you would like to give a monetary donation you can donate to the Gofundme located Here. Your teachers thank you for any support you are able to give!"
New: The Wizard of Oz performance
Don't forget to buy your tickets to Braveheart's Opening Day!

The Week Ahead: 
  • Monday (5/8) 
    • Town Election at TPS
  • Wednesday (5/10) 
    • Wizard Of Oz
    • Nurse Appreciation Day
  • Thursday (5/11)
    • Track meet at Tyngsboro
  • Friday (5/12) 
    • Wizard of Oz
Upcoming Dates: 
Tuesday (5/16) Science MCAS 5th and 8th
Wednesday (5/17) Half Day of School for PD
Thursday (5/18) Science MCAS 5th and 8th
Friday (5/26) PTA Bravehearts Opening Day
Friday (5/26) Grade 2 Field Trip
Monday (5/29) No School Memorial Day
Wednesday (5/31) Grade 3 Field Trip
Wednesday (5/31) Band Concert at WRHS
Friday (6/2) TPS Dance
Tuesday (6/6) Grade 4 Field Trip
Thursday (6/8) STEAM Night 
Friday (6/9) Kindergarten Celebration
Saturday (6/10) State Track Meet
Wednesday (6/14) Field Day
Thursday (6/15) Field Day Rain Date
Thursday (6/15) 8th Grade Dance
Friday (6/16) Last Day of Kindergarten
Friday (6/16) 8th Grade Graduation
Monday (6/19) No School Juneteenth
Tuesday (6/20) Incoming K Open House
Wednesday (6/21) K Screening
Wednesday (6/21) 8th grade Field Trip
Thursday (6/22) K Screening 
Friday (6/23) Last Day of School even after snow days

It's Almost Time!

😎Can you believe it's almost the first day of school? Man, this summer has flown by.  I sure hope that you have found the time to relax...