7/31/26

 🌞I hope you are enjoying every second of your summer!  I wanted to reach out and touch base with the latest TPS news and a few reminders!

👏First, a HUGE thanks to Mr. Westerlind  and Mr. Hall (and their high school assistant, Colin) for working so hard this summer to make TPS look beautiful and clean! They have done a tremendous job and I am so grateful. 

✎Just a reminder that the school district is purchasing supplies for all students this year and parents do not need to purchase school supplies for their students!

👍I'd like to congratulate Mr. Nichols on his new position as middle school social studies teacher!  Mr. Ruppert has left TPS and has moved into a history position at the the high school!

🍎Next, I'd like to welcome a few of our new staff.  I still have some hiring to do, but at least you have the opportunity to meet our newest Warrior staff! 

Meet Sherry Trainque, our new Assistant Principal!   Sherry comes to us from the Berlin-Boylston School District where she was the Special Education Coordinator for the Berlin Memorial School and Boylston Elementary School. Sherry joins TPS with a great deal of experience in special education. She has experience teaching in both middle and high school and has a depth of knowledge in supporting all students as learners.  I am very excited at the strengths she will bring to TPS!  

Meet Katie Blake, our new middle school 7/8 science teacher!  Katie joins us from Chocksett! Katie has years of experience teaching science and has a true passion for it!  

Meet William "Billy"  Helfrich, our new 7/8 ELA teacher! Billy comes to TPS with experience teaching both middle and high school English!  Once you talk with Billy, you'll realize how much he loves teaching and being an active part of a school community!

Meet Kaydi Barber, our new 6th grade special education teacher!  Kaydi brings with her experience teaching special education in both elementary and middle school. In her interview, it was apparent that Kaydi is dedicated to seeing her students grow and succeed. 

🛝We will be having Popsicles on the Playground on August 20th at 3:30-5:00!  Join us for a cool treat and to catch up with friends before school starts! Thank you to the PTA for sponsoring this event and donating the popsicles! I'll look forward to seeing you all there!

👉A Message to Kindergarten Families: 

Hello Kindergarten Families!

We're happy to share that an informal Kindergarten Meet Up has been scheduled at the TPS Playground on Thursday, August 13th at 5PM!

Come meet other incoming kindergarteners and their parents, and chat with seasoned TPS parents who can answer your questions. It's a great chance for the incoming class to meet and play together, and for you to get any questions answered.

Popsicles provided! Feel free to reach out to Janna Millette (janna.millette@gmail.com), parent of a TPS 1st and 4th grader, with any questions.

We hope to see you there!

😀 Enjoy the last month of summer! I'll be in touch in August with any updates and some reminders!

Looking Ahead: 

August 13th @ 5:00 - Kindergarten Meet Up at the TPS Playground 

August 20th @ 3:30-5:00 - Popsicles on the Playground - Thanks PTA!

August 25th - Staff Orientation

August 26th - First Day of School Grades 1-8

August 26th (time TBD) - Kindergarten Visit/Mini Orientation - details to come

August 27th - Kindergarten's First Day of School

6/19/26

🌞Field Day was a blast and the weather was just perfect! A huge thank you to Mrs. McDonald for all
of her efforts to organize such a fun-filled day! Thank you to the many parent volunteers who helped make the day go smoothly! And thank you to the PTA for their contributions to the fun!  Overall, field day was full of smiles and laughter. We ended the day as an entire school out on the basketball court for a PBIS Assembly challenge of Party Pantaloons!  There were 8 teams which consisted of a staff member and 6 Warriors who used their Tommy Tickets to enter for a chance to participate!  The team who was able to toss the beach balls into the Party Pantaloons the quickest was the winner!  Check on the reels on the TPS Instagram to see what I mean.  It was very entertaining!

🎓This week we celebrated the 8th grade.  On Tuesday night, we held their graduation at WRHS.  On
Wednesday night we danced the night away at Harrington Farm. On Thursday they walked the TPS  halls lined with the entire school for the last time as a class and celebrated together for their last TPS field trip at Six Flags. Somewhere else during the week they signed yearbooks and played on the TPS playground for the last time as TPS Warriors! This is always an emotional time of year. It truly is bittersweet to watch a group of kids you have watched grow up over the last 9 years spread their wings and fly. We wish every single graduate the very best as they head off to high school! We will surely miss them.

⚽I know it is only June, but we are already thinking ahead to the fall. I wanted to let the families of grades 6-8 know that we are planning on having two MS Soccer teams (boys and girls)! This is SO exciting!  More information will come late summer/early fall, but I wanted to let you know now so your middle school Warrior can plan ahead! If you are interested in coaching (or know someone who is), it is not to early to reach out to me! 

📕I'd like to take a moment to thank Jessie Trowbridge and Nicole Abady for their dedication to our TPS Library. Without them and their crew of volunteers (thank you, too, volunteers!), we would not have a fully functioning library for our Warriors to access each and every day.  They volunteer their time and efforts out of the goodness of their hearts and their love for books/reading.  We are so grateful!  Check out this amazing graphic (also in the Electronic Blue Folder)that captures just how impactful our library truly is!

🏈Wachusett Youth Football is trying to field a 12U football team!  Check out their website for more information and to register. I hear they only need 6 more players to the field the team! 

😊From the PTA:

 Hello from the TPS PTA and Happy Summer!

We can’t believe the school year is coming to an end! It’s been an incredible year, and we’re so grateful for the continued support from the TPS community.

As the year comes to a close, we’d like to celebrate all that the PTA was able to support:

• Popsicles on the Playground

• Bren Bataclan’s Cafeteria Mural

• Viking Challenge Fundraiser

• Fall Mini-Grants Cycle

• Holiday Shop

• Egyptian Presentation

• Winter Mini Grant Cycle

• Community Reading Day

• Spring Movie Night

• Spring Mini Grant Cycle

• Family Glow Dance

• Craft Night

• Teacher Appreciation Week

• Caterpillar Lab

• Kindergarten Orientation

• Field Day

We were honored to support multiple celebrations throughout the year including birthdays, going-aways, retirements, and more.

We purchased the new speaker system, sponsored buses for every field trip, and supported field trips, class supplies, enrichment opportunities, recess equipment, Field Day, and more.

Thank you to our community partners and sponsors:

• Princeton Cultural Council

• Princeton Library

• The Barn

• Community Readers

• Parent & Community PTA Volunteers

And a very special thank you to Mrs. DiFonso for being an incredible partner to the PTA. We appreciate you!

Looking Ahead: Our new fall fundraiser is already underway. And we’d love your help! Please reach out if you’d like to get involved in the early planning: tpsprincetonpta@gmail.com. Through your generosity, we’re able to enrich the lives of our students, teachers, staff, and community. We couldn’t do it without your help. Happy Summer!-The TPS PTA Board

👉Be sure to check the Electronic Blue Folder for more summer opportunities!

                                                                

Electronic Blue Folder

Looking Ahead:

• Monday (6/22) - E Day
• Tuesday (6/23) - F Day LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!
• Early Release at 11:55
• Happy Summer!

6/12/26

 😁This week was jam-packed with events! We had the Butterfly Garden visit grades k-2,  kindergarten held their end of the year celebration, the 4th Graders held their State Fair, 8th Grade hosted a Civics Fair, 5th Graders participated in a Kinex Challenge and STEAM Night/Art Show was last night! I even forgot to mention spirit week was happening!  I took SO many pictures over the last 4 days.  Please check them out on the TPS Instagram (@tpswarriors)!   I'd like to take a moment to thank the STEAM Committee for all of the hard work and organization that went into organizing last night's event.  It was so great to see so many families in the building and out on the playground enjoying the food trucks.  I'd also like to give a shout out to Mrs. Finkler for the beautiful art show displays that lined the hallways. 

🎰Like I mentioned above, the fifth graders held their Kinex Challenge on Thursday. They spent the morning with Thermo Fisher Scientific engineers from across the country who flew in to be a part of this event!  The fifth graders worked on designing and engineering an apparatus that could remove a relic from the bottom of the Quabbin Reservoir using Kinex.  Not only did they get judged on their designs, the success of their device, but also on teamwork and presentation.  The engineers love this event and seeing what the creativity the students have in their designs! I am really grateful for opportunities like this for our Warriors and to Thermo Fisher Scientific! I worked closely with this team of engineers when I taught fifth grade in Boylston and they are an amazing group!

😎A reminder that field day has been moved to Monday 6/15!  Please make sure to apply sunscreen at home and send your student with a refillable water bottle! It's looking like a perfect day! Wear those class colors!

👀Be sure to check out the Electronic Blue Folder with more summer fun experiences including events at the library, a literature experience and more!

🍴A note from the cafeteria!  Please note that Alternate Meals for the week of 6/15 will be different than what is on the menu! Also, lunch will not be served on the last day of school - just breakfast. 

June 15th - Bagel Meal

June 16th - Chicken Patty on Roll

June 17th - Hamburger on bun

June 18th - Cereal Meal

June 19th - No School

June 22nd- Cereal Meal

⭐A 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 the school nurse with any questions or concerns at 978-464-5507 or karina_abbascia@wrsd.net

                                                                

Electronic Blue Folder

Looking Ahead:

• Monday (6/15) - A Day
• Field Day
• Kindergarten's last day!
• Tuesday (6/16) - B Day
• 8th Grade Graduation at WRHS @ 5:30
• Wednesday (6/17) - C Day
• Kindergarten Orientation
  8th Grade Dance at Harrington Farm @ 5:30
• Thursday (6/18) - D Day
• 8th Grade Graduate Walk
• 8th Grade Field Trip to Six Flags
• Friday (6/19) -  NO SCHOOL
• Monday (6/22) - E Day
• Tuesday (6/23) - F Day LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!
•  Early Release at 11:55
• Happy Summer!

6/5/26

🎶BRAVO to the k-4 students on their musical performances today!  The k-2 performance was absolutely adorable and I really enjoyed hearing what the 3rd and 4th graders have learned in music class this year! A special shout out to Mrs. LeMay for all of her hard work in organizing both performances, but also throughout the year! 

😀Don't forget that next week is Student Council's Spirit Week!  Friday is Field Day and Class Colors Day! Colors are listed in the Electronic Blue Folder.  Want to volunteer at Field Day? Here is the sign up!  We need you!  

👉Reminder to send your k-5 student to school on 6/12 with a white t-shirt with their name on the collar or tag! 

🍴A note from the cafeteria!  Please note that Alternate Meals for the week of 6/15 will be different than what is on the menu!

June 15th - Bagel Meal

June 16th - Chicken Patty on Roll

June 17th - Hamburger on bun

June 18th - Cereal Meal

June 19th - No School

June 22nd- Cereal Meal

June 23rd - No Breakfast or Lunch served 

🏀Check out the Electronic Blue Folder for events this weekend, including the Worcester Majors, a semi-pro basketball team!

🪴Don't forget STEAM Night is this week (Thursday at 5:00)!  This is the last chance to check out the very full lost and found before we donate everything! 

🎊Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2026 who walked the halls of TPS this week in their caps and gowns!

👟Check out Clara Robinson's Summer Striders running program this summer at https://summerstriders.com/. A flyer is also in the Electronic Blue Folder. She plans to host the program on the following dates: 

Monday June 29th: 9am - 10am

Thursday July 2nd: 9am - 10am

Friday July 3rd: 9am - 10am

Have a great weekend!

                                                                

Electronic Blue Folder

Looking Ahead:

• Monday (6/8) - B Day
• Tie Dye Spirit Day 
• Track End of Season Celebration  @ 3:00-4:30
• Tuesday (6/9) - C Day
• World Cup Day 
• k-2 Butterfly Place Visit
• Wednesday (6/10) - D Day
• Party in the USA Day
• Kindergarten Celebration @ 12:30-2:00
• 4th Grade State Fair Museum @ 12:30-2:00
• 8th Grade Civics Fair @ 2:00-2:45
• Strings Concert @ Mt. View @ 5:30
• Thursday (6/11) - E Day
• Tacky Tourist Day
• STEAM Night @ 5:00-7:00
• Friday (6/12) - F Day
• Class Color Day
• Field Day
• Monday (6/15) - KINDERGARTEN'S LAST DAY

5/29/26

🚨This afternoon we held our final ALICE drill of the year. The staff and students did a tremendous job of making real time decisions and either evacuating or locking down and barricading. Staff were aware the drill was taking place and spent the week reminding students of the protocols.  As always, I am thankful for the support of the Princeton Police and Fire Departments, who were there to support the drill.   

🎵Music concert reminder from Mrs. LeMay (I will also send this message on Monday to remind families!):

A reminder that our end of year elementary music shows will be held Friday, June 5th. Grades K-2 will be held in the gymnasium at 9:30 am and grades 3-4 will be held in the cafeteria at 1:30. Grades K-2 will be performing a show entitled “Just Sing!”. 3rd graders will be putting on a bucket drumming performance, and 4th graders will be putting on a recorder performance. All students are encouraged to dress nicely.  Families are welcome to come watch!” 

👟Field Day is coming on June 12th!  Please, please, please help make the day a successful one and volunteer! You can sign up here!  The Student Council has planned a fun spirit week for the week of 6/8, ending with class colors on field day. Check out the flyers in the Electronic Blue Folder. 

📖A message from the library: 

It's time to return school library books!  All library books are due by Friday, June 5th.  This week, we will be sending out notices of overdue books on student accounts.  If your child has overdue books, you have options!

1. Return the book. (Preferred)

2. Send your student to the library with the replacement fee listed on their slip or purchase a new copy of the book and return with your child’s name on a note.

Please contact the school with any questions.  All students with a clear library account will receive a resin duck!

✬A message from Nurse Karina:

Dear Parents/Guardians,

TPS will be conducting the annual Postural Screening for grades 5-8 during gym classes the week of 6/1-6/5. 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 email the nurse asking for your child to be opted out of the screening at karina_abbascia@wrsd.net

👍From the PTA:

Hello from the TPS PTA! 

We can’t believe May is coming to an end! It’s been a busy month and we’re excited to share what we’ve been up to thanks to the support of our families & community:

Celebrating:

• Teacher Appreciation Week (5/18 - 5/22): We had an incredible week celebrating our teachers and staff! The theme was Inside Out and we celebrated big! If you’re not already following our TPS PTA Facebook, join us and check out photos from each day:

• Monday - Joy: A breakfast spread provided by TPS families - thank you to all those who donated!

• Tuesday - Calm: Relaxation pouches filled with tea, biscotti, lavender sprigs & more. And sorbets to help fight the heat!

• Wednesday - Grow: Teachers were gifted potted zinnias and plant cuttings. 

• Thursday - Gratitude: Handwritten notes from the students, gift cards for each teacher, and a delicious lunch spread.

• Friday - Celebration: Coffee deliveries for all staff thanks to our amazing sponsor Jackson Effie Coffee Cabin! Mrs. Difonso also hosted a homemade pie & cake bar in the afternoon with incredible homemade treats!

• Student Council - Recess Equipment: The PTA was delighted to support the request from the Student Council to purchase middle school recess equipment. Shoutout to Amelia Oles for attending the May PTA meeting and presenting on how the equipment was being utilized and taken care of.

As we head into the homestretch of the school year, here’s what’s coming up:

• Field Day (6/12): The PTA is excited to support this year’s field day - by renting or purchasing inflatables, tie-dye kits, bubbles, craft supplies, and more! 

• Kindergarten Orientation (6/17): We’re looking forward to welcoming a new batch of Warriors next fall! The PTA will host a welcome table on 6/17 during Kindergarten orientation. 

• Fall Fundraiser Planning: A new fall fundraiser is underway. Want to get involved in early planning? Reach out here. 

PTA Meetings

• We hosted our final PTA meeting on 5/27 - thank you to all who attended! 

• We look forward to coming back together in September to kick off the new school year.

PTA Elections

• We’d like to welcome back our PTA Board for the 2026-2027 School Year: 

• President: Athena Bierfeldt

• Vice Presidents: Courtney Acuto, Laura Fink, Janna Millette

• Secretary: Erica Saccoccio

• Treasurer: Tarin Patrikis 

As always, we’d love to hear from you. Have ideas or questions? Please reach out: tpsprincetonpta@gmail.com.  Together, we can make a meaningful difference for our school community. Thank you for your support! -The TPS PTA Board

Have a great weekend!

                                                                

Electronic Blue Folder

Looking Ahead:

• Monday (6/1) - C Day
• Tuesday (6/2) - D Day
• Senior/Graduate Walk 
• Wednesday (6/3) - E Day
• 3rd Grade Field Trip to Plimoth Patuxet
• Thursday (6/4) - F Day
• 6th Grade Field Trip to Christa McAuliffe Center
• Friday (6/5) - A Day
• k-2 Music Concert @ 9:30
• 3/4 Music Concert @ 1:30 

5/22/26

💗I'd like to thank the PTA for organizing such an amazing Staff Appreciation Week. We surely felt the love and appreciation!  Thank you, too, to all of the families who contributed so many delicious treats! 
We have an incredible staff here at TPS, but we also have an incredible community! We are so lucky and so appreciative!

😃This was a busy, but fun week! We finally finished MCAS! Wooohoooo! On Monday, fourth grade traveled to Tower Hill Botanical Garden - what a gorgeous week to be out learning about plants and their life cycle! Sixth graders held their Ancient Egypt Museum on Wednesday displaying their projects of artifacts and knowledge about Ancient Egyptian times.  It was incredibly impressive!  Over the last few weeks, the third graders have been watching the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly and  released their Painted Ladies into the Pollinator Garden! It
was such an exciting moment to watch all 18 take flight!  And today, first and second grade traveled to Davis Farmland where they spent this beautiful day learning about the farm, meeting baby animals and living their best lives!  SO much fun was had this week!

🌟News from the TPS STEAM Committee: Good news, TPS families! If you are looking to order your STEAM Night 2026 t-shirt, we were able to extend our ordering deadline to Monday, 5/25/26. Please see the flier in the Electronic Blue Folder for the ordering link! Thank you very much for your support! 

🤖Ms. Stander is already organizing Lego League for the fall!  See the message below
and the flyer in the Electronic Blue Folder!

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 BIOGLOW, which focuses on ecosystems and biodiversity. The program is multi-faceted and has three main components: the Robot Challenge, the Innovation Project and 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. 

First Lego League Introduction Video!

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 a $160 which includes registration, tournament fees, tee shirts, project materials, incentive prizes and snacks. If this poses a financial hardship let me know, the fee can be waived or reduced. 

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 starting at the end of June, if your child wishes to be considered for the team please let her know by June 14th.

Have a great long weekend!

                                                                

Electronic Blue Folder

Looking Ahead:

• Monday (5/25) - Memorial Day/No School
• Tuesday (5/26) - E Day
• K Field Trip
• Wednesday (5/27) - F Day
• PTA Meeting @ 6:00 (TPS Library or Zoom)
• Thursday (5/28) - A Day
• Friday (5/29) - B Day
• Talent Show @ 6:00 

 

5/15/26

I'd like to congratulate our 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders, as well as Mrs. Brais and Mrs. LeMay on their concert on Wednesday evening!  I was so impressed to see our Warriors step up to play solos and accompany the chorus! What talent! It's always so great to see our Warriors in their element sharing what they have learned and what they love! 

Eighth graders and girl scouts, Cheyenne and Annie, would like your help!

We need your support to fill the new food pantry in the First Congregational church of Princeton. You can help us by sending in donations! The collection box is in the front lobby and we will be taking donations until the 5th of June. We appreciate your support!

From Ms. Nowd and the STEAM Classroom: 

Kindergarten and 1st grade are learning about the needs of living things. This  week we took a nature walk to the gardens around school and found living things in our
natural environment. Ask your little warrior about the needs of plants and animals and what happens when their needs aren't met. 

The second graders have been learning about the properties of matter. We did an experiment to find out what materials make the best conductors and insulators. With this information they are creating prototypes that can keep an ice pop frozen for about 30 minutes.   

📆There are so many events coming up in the weeks ahead! Be sure to check out this list of "Save the Dates" on this doc, which is also in the Electronic Blue Folder!

Have a great weekend!

                                                                

Electronic Blue Folder

Looking Ahead:

• Monday (5/18) - F Day
• 4th grade field trip
• School Council Meeting @ 3:15
• Tuesday (5/19) - A Day
• 8th Grade Civics MCAS
• Wednesday (5/20) - B Day
• 8th Grade Civics MCAS
• Thursday (5/21) - C Day
• Friday (5/22) - D Day
• 1st & 2nd grade field trip
• Wear your TPS gear or red/white/black!