Mid-November

November 15, 2024

The weather has been fluctuating lately and with that, we're seeing more hoodies and sweaters coming in during the morning, but not going out in the afternoons. This means our Lost and Found is FULL! We're actually out of hangers to put things on. And this is before we even start with the snowgear. We're going to plan on emptying out the Lost and Found and donating it to charity over the Thanksgiving break so please swing by and take a look or ask your student to do the same. It's all in the front lobby.

This week, our Kindergarten took their annual field trip to the town library. Access to great books is paramount to early literacy and we are fortunate to have a wonderful library here in Princeton. We are also fortunate to have a great relationship with them. The Library Trustees actually pay for the bus for the trip and every student leaves with a library card! What could be cooler to a kindergartener than that!

I wanted to let everyone know that we have found a new School Administrative Assistant! Mrs. Culberson will be joining us in December and we are very excited. This means that Mrs. Nourse's last official day will be November 22nd. Fear not! She will still be around and will spend some time in the building in December to train and support Mrs. Culberson. And she has promised to pick up the phone when I call in a panic to see how she did something.

A note from our Art teacher, Mrs. Finkler:

Hello TPS Families
Your young artist was hard at work this year to make beautiful art that can now be ordered on all different types of high-quality items. The flyers and stickers of each student's artwork went home this week. Our deadline to order for the Art Room fundraiser is NOVEMBER 29. All orders will be shipped home by winter break. These keepsakes make great gifts for loved ones and are something each student should be very proud of. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you
Melissa Finkler

Our Lego League is in full swing:

The FIRST Lego League Explore program is being run for children in grades 1 through 4 starting in early January. The meetings are held once a week after school at TPS. The season is 10 meetings. The program introduces kids to STEM using Legos and Lego robotics. It focuses on creativity, fun, and teamwork. Each year has a theme, this year's theme is SUBMERGED. This season, children will learn about how and why people explore the oceans. Our discoveries beneath the ocean surface teach us how this complex ecosystem supports a healthy future for the plants and animals that live there. In each of the early meetings, we will learn about the theme, draw and share ideas about what was learned, and build our ideas with Legos and Lego robots. Toward 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. The Explore program uses regular Lego blocks and students are grouped by age so that the experience can be tailored for their age group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkN08bDv9EI

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 engineering design courses. To help the students reach their goals, it is important to have additional volunteers to help at the meetings. Team assignments will start on December 6th. If you are interested in learning more, signing your child up, and/or helping out at meetings, email Jennifer at legofirst@js.mxpark.com before this date.