New year, same great experience!

For everyone: Popsicles On the Playground!Or as I've decided to call it, POP is scheduled for this Friday (8/25) from 4:00-6:00. Enjoy some community and popsicles while your kids reacquaint themselves with our playground and each other. I am monitoring the weather closely and will make a decision on Friday if the event needs to be moved inside. Following the event, the Princeton Police Department will be hosting an event on-site, showing a movie and selling refreshments. 

For everyone (Middle School take notice): The district has opened up PowerSchool so you should be able to see your child's teacher/schedule. I know this is an exciting time for kids! It is for us, too! I'm asking that you don't look too deeply into the special classes as these typically take us a few weeks to iron out. Don't worry, your students will be in specials but how they are input into PowerSchool over the summer and how they look in the building don't always align perfectly. Also, for parents of Middle Schoolers, your student(s)' homeroom may come up as a specialist. You are reading this correctly. We are transitioning to an Advisory model where our middle schoolers meet in small groups with a teacher each day. This is taking the place of the traditional "homeroom" block.  

Families in grades 5 through 8: Music in grades 5 through 8 will look a little different this year as we try to balance band, strings, and chorus. I am asking families of students in those grades to please complete this form and let us know your students' preferences if you haven't done so already. If kids haven't made their selection by the first day of their music section, they may not have a special to attend.

For families in grades 5 through 8: Cross Country signups are still open and we seem to be short some athletes. We are looking forward to another great season! TPS is traditionally a Cross Country powerhouse. Sign-ups can be found here and there is a hard deadline of August 29th. We will not accept registrations after this date as we require the time to make sure physicals are all up to date. I know students have been disappointed to miss the deadline in the past, so I'd encourage everyone to sign up sooner rather than later and risk missing out.

For Everyone: The Library Needs You! The TPS Library is seeking volunteers for the 2023-24 school year!  We will have volunteer times throughout the school day, so if you think you might have interest and availability, please email Jessie at jessie.trowbridge@gmail.com for more information.

For Everyone: We have a few new faces joining us in the building this year. 

Susan Robichaud is a town member and a highly regarded math teacher. She will be taking over 7th and 8th-grade math instruction this year. She joins us from Grafton schools and is a welcome new addition! 

Destiny Keough, our new 1st-grade teacher, is a Wachusett High graduate and comes to us fresh off a half-year stint at Boylston Elementary School. She is extremely student-focused and is a welcome addition to the team.  

Carrie Califano will be joining our team as a part-time ELE teacher this year. She is a resident of Holden/Jefferson. Carrie comes to us with a master's in applied linguistics and has taught ELE at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston as well as an elementary school in South Korea. 

For Everyone but Elementary take notice: One of the interesting things about being a K-8 building is trying to share our wonderful specialists between 9 levels while making sure everyone gets equal time in each special and while still accounting for band/chorus/PLTW in the middle school. The logistics are an interesting math problem to solve. With that said, we are going to try something different this year and have the whole school on a 4-day rotation (yes, even you, elementary). That will likely mean a student who has PE on Monday gets it again on Friday that week but will double dip in a different special the next week. Your child's teacher will let you know which day of the rotation your child has which special and I will include the rotation in my weekly blog for the following week. Also, we are experimenting with adding Library into the elementary specials rotation with the support of our Specials teachers and our wonderful parent volunteers!

Everyone: Arrival and Dismissal- Drop off and pick up are always tricky at every school the first week back from the summer. We will be continuing the process from years past. The school day starts at 8:25 and ends at 2:55. Buses will continue to drop off and pick up at the front of the building. Parent drop-off (starting at 8:05) will occur along the side (near the main office entrance). Before the doors open, we ask that cars stop by the fence before turning to pull up against the building. Once we open the doors, cars will loop around the "island" and can start dropping off at the crosswalk. If you are stopped at any point along the sidewalk, please ask your child to exit the vehicle so we can keep the line moving. After a group of cars pull away, the next car with children should pull up all the way to the crosswalk. Children should be able to open the door, grab their things, and exit the car quickly. I know many parents have their kids start to prepare their belongings ahead of time and strategically place backpacks where they are easily accessible. If they cannot do this independently or they have things in the trunk, parents should pull up to an empty spot along the "island" after the crosswalk and park to help their little ones. This is a great area to pull into also if they (or you) need that last squeeze after a hectic morning. We leave those spots open just for you and there is no rush there. Using these also shows respect for other people who are trying to get places and may be running late. I also appreciate everyone's patience, especially during these first few days, while everyone is getting back in the flow.

The end of the day will follow a similar procedure with the only difference being, cars will form two lines side by side. A staff member will signal the drivers when each group is loaded and can go. 

Everyone: School Dismissal Manager - After our inaugural year with School Dismissal Manager we are moving forward with it as veteran users. You will receive an email from the program inviting you to set your student(s)' default dismissal. Please remember that despite the name of the program, this is one-stop shopping. In addition to dismissal changes, you should enter all attendance-related notifications here. This includes tardies, absences, and early dismissals. 

Everyone: Buses- Routes have been published on PowerSchool under "Forms". 

Go here if you want to do any of the following you can do that here: 

• Add to your list of people approved to get your student off the bus. 
• Give permission for the driver to let your student off the bus without an adult if you want them to and they are under 4th grade. 
• Request a different bus route than the one that corresponds with your home address.   

Everyone: 1st Day Goals- On the first day of school we will jump right into the day. We will help all students off the bus or out of cars to get right down to their classroom. This is a great time to start building routines from day 1. I generally have 4 goals for the first day of school. 1: Get all the kids in the building. 2: Make sure they all eat. 3: Get them all home safely. 4: Have as much fun as possible. 

Kindergarten: Come meet the teachers! While the rest of the building starts on the 30th, Kindergarten
will start on the 31st. However, we invite all kindergarteners to come in on the 30th for Orientation and to meet their teacher. 

On August 30th from 9:30-10:15, we invite you to come and see the classroom! Caregivers and kindergarten students may come (we will gather in the cafeteria), and walk together to the kindergarten classroom. Once there, we will have a quick scavenger hunt to complete together, and then access table toys while the teachers go over a few last-minute things for the school year! Afterward, students are invited to go outside and enjoy the playground with their new friends. We ask that all families head to their cars by 10:15 so the playground can be used for recess. 

Everyone: Lunch- I think many of you have already heard that lunches are once again free to all those who would like them. What people might not realize is that filling out the free and reduced lunch paperwork supports the district in recouping the costs of meals. You can find the necessary paperwork here. Everything you need to know about the meal program should be found in this letter from the kitchen. Milk costs $0.75 and additional breakfasts ($2.50), additional lunch $4.50. We are still looking for help in the kitchen for anyone interested!  

And speaking of job openings...We have found ourselves looking to fill a paraprofessional role here late into the summer. If you're interested or would like to learn more about the position, please reach out. 

Everyone - Substitutes wanted: We need you...to substitute teach! That is right. We are anticipating a continued shortage of substitute teachers. These people help keep the school running smoothly and it could be you. The work isn't glamorous nor well paid, but you get to work with amazing children and some of the best teaching staff in the state. Never taught before? That is ok, we'll work with you. Must love kids! Added bonus: tell Central Office you only want to sub at TPS and I'll buy you lunch on your first day :) Get your application here. 

Everyone: The Thomas Prince PTA Fun/Color Run fundraiser is kicking off soon! Look out for more information in the coming weeks. For now, mark your calendars with these key dates! 

• Registration opens 8/25 Mybooster.com 
  
• Fun/Color Run Kickoff 9/13
• Event Day 9/22

The Electronic Folder

Looking ahead: 

• Wednesday (8/30) 
• Day A
• First day for 1-8! 
• Kindergarten Orientation
• Thursday (8/31) 
• Day B
• First day of K!
• Friday (9/1) 
• Day C
• Let's celebrate our return with a TPS pride day! Wear your TPS gear or Red! 

Mid-Summer Family Check-In

Even while the students aren't here, there is plenty of work being done in the building. The custodians are hard at work waxing, washing, and cleaning. We have also had some room changes, so that always adds to the summer work. We are fortunate to be having a facelift completed in the cafeteria kitchen Painters have covered the institutional blue and we've had some new equipment already installed. It should make for a nice surprise for the kids and I know the kitchen staff are excited. Additionally, we are seeing progress made toward new building locks and the water tank replacement project. Little by little, we will be ready for the kids to return at the end of August. 

Speaking of the kitchen, we are hiring a kitchen staff member this fall. It is a part-time position in a great kitchen. They have a lot of fun and really love interacting/feeding the children. If you are interested or would like to learn more, the posting can be found here or you can reach out directly to the district  Supervisor of School Nutrition at margaret_barton@wrsd.net. If TPS is a little too close to home, there are numerous other openings across the district as well. 

Families in all grades: Extended day sign-ups are here! Please check this link if you want to access the program this year. We do not intend to set a cap for attendance but will look to add staff if the number of students requiring the program outpaces the staffing currently in place. You are required to pick specific days, though so that we can plan appropriately. 

Families in all grades: If you need to make any changes to your students' transportation please complete the linked form and send it to Tracy as soon as possible to ensure we have enough time to explore the request. 

Families in grades 5 through 8: Music in grades 5 through 8 will look a little different this year as we try to balance band, strings, and chorus. I am asking families of students in those grades to please complete this form and let us know your students' preferences if you haven't done so already.

For families in grades 5 through 8: It's hard to believe but Cross Country season is nearly upon us. We are looking forward to another great season! Sign-ups can be found here and there is a hard deadline of August 29th. We will not accept registrations after this date as we require the time to make sure physicals are all up to date. I know students have been disappointed to miss the deadline in the past so I'd encourage everyone to signup sooner rather than later and risk missing out.

Attention 8th-grade families: Last summer, a group of 8th-grade parents grouped together to raise money to offset the cost of our students' celebrations. These celebrations can take many forms, and I do seek feedback from the students themselves. This past year's 8th-grade class chose to have a semi-formal dance and go on a trip to Six Flags. If you are interested in fundraising, please reach out to me and I will help facilitate the creation of a committee.

SAVE THE DATE: Popsicles on the Playground is scheduled for 8/25 from 4:00-6:00. Enjoy some community and popsicles while your kids reacquaint themselves with our playground. Following the event, the Princeton Police Department will be hosting an event on-site, showing a movie and selling refreshments. Fingers crossed for better weather this year! 

In the event some people need the PTA update, I am linking their update here. Incoming K students will likely still need to be added to their communication list. You can log in to the PTA toolkit and join us through this link.

The Library Needs You! The TPS Library is seeking volunteers for the 2023-24 school year!  We will have volunteer times throughout the school day, so if you think you might have interest and availability, please email Jessie at jessie.trowbridge@gmail.com for more information.

Looking ahead:

• Friday (8/25)
• Popsicles on the Playground
• Wednesday (8/30)
• First day of school
• Thursday (8/31)
• First day of Kindergarten

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