School is out for the summer!

The school year has come to a close! It's been a great year from the Principal's office. I came in with a number of ideas based on the conversations I had this summer with families and staff members. I was able to support many of them but not 100% of them. Still, I love that I saw field trips back in the milieu. We already have some grade levels planning trips for next year! We saw the return of dances (thank you Student Council), and plenty of new academic challenges. The staff led the revival of STEAM night, which may have been one of my favorite evenings of the school year. And we were fortunate to have tremendous community involvement. Thanks to our volunteers, we were able to reopen the library. Families supported the reclamation of our outdoor spaces with plans to continue and expand. Our new PTA board recreated itself and was tremendously successful in supporting our building's efforts! On top of all this, we saw a resurgence in after-school activities, many in partnership with Princeton Rec, including Lego League, Woodworking, The Wizard of OZ, and too many more to mention. Middle School was new to me and so having sports teams was wonderful. I loved watching the kids learn and grow in Cross Country (the banner is coming!), Basketball, and Track & Field. One goal Mrs. DiFonso and I shared this year was in creating more opportunities to share the great work happening in the building each day. It's not too late to follow us on Instagram (@tpswarriors). But really, overall, my hope was to make TPS a fun and enjoyable place to grow and learn. I hope your children feel like that was a success! I'm looking forward to next year! Enjoy the summer break and the opportunity to spend time with your children. I will reach out mid-summer with updates and plans for Popsicles on the Playground and the return to school! 

As you ride off into the sunset or summer vacation, I wanted to bring it to your attention that the website has been updated with grade-level supply lists and summer reading recommendations. It's important for the kids to have summers off and rest but it is also important that they keep reading. If supplies become a financial issue for anyone, please don't hesitate to reach out. We have structures in place to support you and your child. 

Attention parents of rising 5th through 8th graders: We will be adjusting our specials schedule next year to try and maximize opportunities for our musicians in Band, Chorus, and Strings. To this end, I ask that families with students rising into 5th through 8th grade take a few minutes to talk to their student(s) and complete this survey once for each child. The intention is to have access to band and chorus twice every four days. Strings will be able to be seen weekly! 

The Electronic Folder

The Months Ahead: 

• Hopefully filled with blue skies and smiles! 

Celebrations!

This week was about celebrations! We celebrated our 8th graders' TPS careers with a Semi Formal dance on Thursday. Thank you to the parents that fundraised to offset the costs and who decorated for the evening. The kids danced the night away at Harrington Farms. Tonight, we will host our 8th-grade Commencement Ceremony at WRHS. And next week, these students will finish off the year with a Field Trip to 6 Flags! They have been amazing ambassadors this year and I know they will make us proud in the next steps of their academic careers.   

Another year's culminating year-end celebration was Wednesday's Field Day. The weather looked questionable but couldn't have been better. And the kids had a BLAST! I want to give a big thank you to our PE teacher, Mrs. McDonald, who planned and organized the whole thing. We couldn't have done it without the support of our generous PTA or the help of our volunteers. I can't forget to thank the Princeton Fire Department for coming out. Thanks, too, to the 7th graders that supported many of the events and to the teachers who brought their "A" game. Kids had the opportunity to jump in the bounce house, throw at the dunk tank, use the fire hose, and so much more. It was fantastic! 

This week, the 5th graders had an opportunity to have a special guest join us on Monday, June 12th! Mr. Terry Ingano, retired superintendent in Clinton and member of the town's Historical Society shared photos and stories about the building of the Wachusett Reservoir and Dam. This was a great piece of our K'Nex challenge, as it help students make a connection between the river and the dam in their challenge with a local historical connection! Friday, they shared their work with scientists from Thermo Fisher Scientific. 

On Wednesday, June 14, fifth-grade students celebrated our country and Flag Day with a flag retirement ceremony led by Tim Kelly and the Princeton Fire Department. Students were active participants in the ceremony and experienced the respectful way to retire the American flag by burning. It was a memorable experience for all who participated. 

A note from the nurse's office: 

Message from the School Nurse:

With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, here are some reminders from the Health Office:

• All medications must be picked up by an adult at the end of the school year. If possible, please let me know if you will be coming prior to picking up the medication(s) so that I can have everything prepared.

• All medication orders must be renewed each school year. New medication orders and medication should be brought in the day before or on the first day of school. Students are not allowed to transport medications to school with the exception of EpiPens or rescue inhalers that a student carries in their backpack.  Nurses must be notified of any self-carry medications. Medication order forms can be downloaded off the school website using the Health Services tab.

• ALL medications administered at school must have a physician's order and parent permission. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medications. Please see the medication policy on the school website.        

• All students must be fully immunized by the first day of school.  The only exceptions are written documentation from a doctor for medical exemptions or a written document stating that, due to religious beliefs, your child has not been vaccinated. The exemption forms must be renewed at the beginning of each school year. 

• Students entering the 4th grade and 7th grade must have an updated physical and immunization record on file in the health office.  Please send these updated documents in as soon as they become available to you.

Please call or e-mail me with any questions or concerns at 978-464-5507 or karina_abbascia@wrsd.net

A final reminder from one of our 8th graders: 

Dear TPS families,

Summer is just around the corner, and we would love for you to join us for our 2nd annual, 4-week running clinic from June 27th through July 20th. It will occur on the back field at TPS 1-2 times a week. There is no charge, and children of all abilities that are rising 1st through 6th graders are welcome, even if you can't make it to all of our sessions.

https://sites.google.com/view/summerstriders/home

We hope you can join us!

Clara TPS '23, Kate TPS '21, and Tommy TPS '20 Robinson 

The Electronic Folder

The Week Ahead: 

• Monday (6/19) 
• No School - Juneteenth
• Tuesday (6/20) 
• Incoming K Open House
• Wednesday (6/21) 
• K Screening
• 8th grade Field Trip
• Thursday (6/22) 
• K Screening 
• Friday (6/23) 
• Last Day of School Early Dismissal / Step up day

Fri- yay!

After numerous staff training opportunities and in cooperation with the Princeton Police and Fire Departments, this morning we conducted our Violent Intruder Drill (ALICE). This is a somber topic and a difficult drill to consider. The staff did an amazing job modeling calm decision making and the majority of the building evacuated. I was also proud of the children who did a great job! This was our first drill and I was looking at it as a Formative Assessment to see what direction we need to go moving forward. It was a great start to a difficult concept. I'd like to thank the Police and Fire Departments who were on hand to support us through the drill. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

This week was chock full of fun, engaging events! Thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Chappalonis and Ms. St. Pierre, Community Reader Day returned to TPS! This wonderful tradition, where we are graced by community members, allowed us to model the importance of literacy and make deeper connections with our community. The kids were ecstatic to have these local celebrities in their rooms and the readers seemed pleased as well. Thank you to the PTA for supplying the coffee and muffins for our guests! It was a fun day that led us right into...

STEAM Night was back! After an extended hiatus throughout the pandemic, Mrs. Roczniak and Mrs. Hacket engaged the students and staff in a celebration of STEAM. Grade levels chose a fairy tale to recreate solutions using the engineering method. The building hummed with engagement and excitement as each grade collaboratively tackled their challenge, collected data, created/refined solutions, and truthfully had a blast. And to make it even better, we had a tremendous showing of families that evening to celebrate our students' efforts. What I loved most was that this was all student and staff led! This is a model of instruction that is sound pedagogically and was such a draw to me when I applied here. I have been given the sense that it is a draw for many families as well. It was great to have an opportunity to celebrate together! 

This morning, Ms. St. Pierre drew the winners of the basket raffle. The winners are below: 

• Kindergarten basket - Bottomley Family
• 1st grade basket - Cheyenne Kilgus
• 2nd grade basket - Coutu Family
• 3rd grade basket - Sheila Lynch
• 4th grade basket - Colleen McMullin
• 5th grade basket - Aaden Lothrop
• 7/8th grade basket - Mrs. St. Pierre

I was hoping the Lost and Found might be cleaned out after such a wonderful turnout but some items still remain. We will maintain the lost and found until the last day of school at which point we will donate everything. If you get a chance to come down and take a look, I'd encourage you to do so. 

A note for Middle Schoolers: 

Anyone interested in trying out for Field Hockey in the fall is invited to a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, June 13th, at 6:00pm. The link can be found here. Additionally, information can also be gathered by emailing Kerry Berry at klberry12@gmail.com or texting at 774-535-1575.

Don't forget Wednesday is Field Day! If you ordered a white t-shirt for your student to tie-dye, please bring your $5 to Ms. McDonald by Tuesday. Otherwise, bring your own plain white t-shirt for the tie-dye station. Don't forget sunblock and a change of clothes if your student wants to participate in water-related activities! Looks like it is going to be an awesome day! 

Good luck to all our athletes participating in the State Track Meet this weekend! 

The electronic folder

The Week Ahead: 

• Monday (6/12) 
• 6th grade Birding Program
• Tuesday (6/13) 
• Incoming 6th grade Compacted Math Discussion
• Wednesday (6/14) 
• Field Day Full Day of School
• Thursday (6/15) 
• Field Day Rain Date
• 8th Grade Dance
• Friday (6/16) 
• Last Day of Kindergarten
• 5th Grade Kinex Challenge
• 8th Grade Graduation

Upcoming Dates: 

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 / Step up day

June is here!

This is it! It's really happening! Thanks to the guidance of Mrs. Hacket and Mrs. Roczniak, as well as the support of all our teachers, we are having a STEAM Day/Night next Thursday. Students will work throughout the day on their STEAM challenges and we will open the building that evening (6:00-7:30) to share their efforts with all of you. Additionally, we will have community groups present and the teachers will be raffling off some wonderful baskets! I hope to see many folks come out and help us celebrate our students and teachers' efforts. The flyer with details can also be found here in the electronic folder. 

Also, next week, we will have our culminating safety drill (ALICE). The staff has been working towards this all year with various training and in collaboration with the Princeton Police and Fire Departments. We will have a "soft" drill on Friday after all the classes have had the opportunity to read "Prepared not Scared." Here is Mrs. Thompson (no relation) reading it aloud if you wanted to hear it for yourself. This is likely the first of many in future years. I find it unfortunate that we have to do these drills, but I do think it is better to be prepared and not need it than to ignore the potential dangers. 

A note to our 8th graders: 

We will be collecting student Chromebooks and charger cords on Tuesday the 20th. They will not be able to attend the field trip on Wednesday the 21st without turning them in before they leave. Please have your student bring these to school on the 20th that morning. I would recommend having them look for them now. New Chromebooks will be issued to students when they enter the 9th grade at WRHS. 

A note from one of our track stars! The full version of the flyer can be found in the electronic folder here. 

Dear TPS families,

Summer is just around the corner, and we would love for you to join us for our 2nd annual, 4-week running clinic from June 27th through July 20th. It will occur in the backfield at TPS 1-2 times a week. There is no charge, and children of all abilities that are rising from 1st through 6th grades are welcome, even if you can't make it to all of our sessions.

I would be remiss if I didn't congratulate all our musicians who performed on Wednesday evening! The concert, held at WRHS, was phenomenal! Kudos too, to our teachers, Mrs. Haynes (Orchestra), Mrs. LeMay (Chorus), and Mrs. Brais (Band). 

The electronic folder 

The Week Ahead: 

• Tuesday (6/6) 
• Grade 4 Field Trip
• 2nd Grade Pedestrian Safety Program
• Wednesday (6/7) 
• Community Readers
• Track meet at home 
• Thursday (6/8) 
• STEAM Night
• Friday (6/9) 
• ALICE drill
• Kindergarten Celebration
• Saturday (6/10) 
• State Track Meet

Upcoming Dates: 

Wednesday (6/14) Field Day Full Day of School

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 / Step up day