Big things happening!

 A Note from Mrs. DiFonso

This week I had the pleasure of eating lunch with some first graders who were our very first "Artists of the Month". We ate in the conference room where their art is displayed and boy did we have fun!  Each month, Mrs. Finkler will select some student artwork for me to display in our TPS conference room. The artists and I will celebrate by having lunch together and enjoying their impressive efforts!  Staff and families will have the opportunity to enjoy these pieces of art during meetings at the school!  This is surely something to be proud of and excited about!  I cannot wait to see what talents our Warriors have in art class! 

Every year, middle schools from across the commonwealth nominate an 8th grader to Project 351. Project 351 (the number of cities/towns in the state) is a non-profit organization that focuses on student leadership. As a school, we look for a quiet leader who works hard and is an "unsung hero." This year, we are thrilled to be represented by Jude H! Keep a look out for communications later this year to see how you can help her and this group achieve their goals in helping others. Congratulations Jude! 

I wanted to take a moment to recognize a very special person in our TPS community. Mrs. Nourse has been supporting the students, staff, and families of Princeton for nearly 18 years. Most recently, she has been the face you have seen when you enter the building and the voice you hear when you call. She has done a tremendous job. So good of a job actually that it has been recognized by the central office and she will be transitioning to a position in the technology office. To say she will be missed is an understatement. We have already posted her position and will begin the search immediately. We are fortunate to have her for some time to assist the new person, once they are identified, in the transition. Congratulations Tracy! 

I mentioned we are hiring in the front office but I also want to make sure you all know we are also hiring for a paraprofessional position. Come join our team and ensure you have the same snow days as your student! I actually began my career as a paraeducator and with the exception of my current role, it was one of my favorites. The job allows you to really help students learn and access the curriculum. You have the opportunity to get to know them and build relationships. We also try to have as much fun as physically possible. If you are interested or are interested in learning more, please don't hesitate to reach out.  

If you sent your child in for picture retakes on Thursday...just kidding. O'Connor's had a small snafu and a photographer was unavailable to come to TPS. This has already been rescheduled to 10/28. If you are having a retake, please bring in the original package to give to the photographer. If your student was absent the fist time, please use your original order form. If you no longer have it, we do have extra in the main office. 

Electronic Folder

8th grade Mega Raffle, 

The Week Ahead:

• Monday (10/21) Day A 
• Viking fundraiser kickoff during lunches
• Tuesday (10/22) Day B
• Celtics' opening day! I'm wearing green!
• Wednesday (10/23) Day C
• Cross Country District Championship @ WRHS
• Thursday (10/24) Day D
• Friday (10/25) Day A

Happy Long Weekend!

It has been so great to see parents coming in and meeting with staff about their children! The connection between home and school is critical in student learning. As is the students' awareness that we are all working in concert for them. Finally, when parents make time for conferences, it signals to students that the work they do here is important. These are all the messages we want our students to have. Thank you. It is great to be a partner in their learning. 

A Note from Mrs. DiFonso

This week, we welcomed a new addition to our TPS playground!  We now have a Buddy Bench! Last year, the TPS PBIS Committee was looking for ways to promote building relationships and friendships in school.  The addition of a Buddy Bench will allow students to make new friends, identify a classmate who may not have a peer to play with, and encourage empathy and belonging. The location of the bench is perfect, too, right near the play structure! A special thanks goes out to our PTA who funded this project, the Select Board that approved the work and the Princeton DPW who installed the bench! I'd also like to thank the staff on the PBIS Committee who are always looking out for our TPS Warriors. 

We will plan to have our annual costume parade on 10/31 again this year. Students in Kindergarten through 5th grade will be led around the building by our Middle School marching band starting at 9:00. The parade is brief, we are a small school, so no need to take the whole day off of work if you plan to attend. I hear the 8th-grade parents will be there raising money for their students at the end-of-the-year celebration selling coffee and treats. 

If your student has beliefs that inhibit participation in this event, please let me know and we will plan an alternate activity for them or excuse an absence. The parade will begin at the bus lobby doors and take a right to circle the building before reentering at the same doors. The band always does a nice job with their musical accompaniment so I can't wait to hear what they have in store for us this year!  

A reminder about costumes, we are a K to 8 school. To this end, what is cool in 8th grade may be scary in kindergarten. Students should not have costumes with excessive gore. Nor are simulated weapons allowed. We should also be able to recognize students so face masks are not allowed. Inflatable costumes will be a struggle in the classroom so we ask that these be left at home as well unless a student plans to only wear it for the parade. And finally, let's have some fun with this! 

The Electronic Folder

Bengrazi Courtyard Cleanup

The Week Ahead: 

• Monday (10/14) 
• No School - Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day
• Tuesday (10/15) Day A 
• Cross Country Meet @ Paxton
• Wednesday (10/16) Day B
• Thursday (10/17) Day C
• Picture Retakes
• PTA presents "Ivy and Bean" 
• K,1,2 - 12:00-1:00
• 3,4 - 1:00-2:00
• Friday (10/18) Day D
• Kindergarten Hike

October is here!

This week was an interesting one but also an important reminder of our focus on student safety. It started with our Wednesday fire alarm evacuations and it ended this week with our ALICE drill. This drill was planned in collaboration with the Princeton Police and Fire Departments over the summer. These drills are more dynamic than the traditional "lockdown drills" and fire drills. For these drills, I announce something is unsafe at a specific location in the building and the staff makes a decision based on this information, their location, and students' abilities, etc. to either lockdown or evacuate. Teachers have been gently preparing students for this drill since the start of the school year. The intent is to prepare students but never to scare them. There is confidence in preparation. However, it is always a somber discussion that these drills are necessary. If you ever have any questions about how or why we complete any of these drills, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

As we prepare for the week ahead please remember we have multiple early dismissal days at 11:55 for

Parent Teacher Conferences. Please update your School Dismissal Manager if this changes your child's default dismissal. For many grades, Parent Teacher Conferences are new and I did want to set the bar for expectations. Our focus is on building relationships and lines of communication between home and school. Teachers will discuss how your child(ren) is/are adjusting to their new environment, insights into their progress, celebrations, and possibly explore strategies to support learning. Please don't expect deep dives into MCAS or Star data. These will be released later this month and there is not enough time in the conferences to get into depth with this anyways.

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Electronic Folder

TPS Letter Days, Ways to support K-5 at Home, Pack 25 Fire House Visit

The week ahead: 

• Monday (10/6) Day D
• Tuesday (10/7) Day A
• Wear pink in support of the TPS Paxton Field Hockey team 
• Students and staff may donate a dollar for Breast Cancer Research
• Vision and Hearing Screenings
• Wednesday (10/8) Day B
• Vision and Hearing Screenings
• Cross Country Meet vs Central Tree
• Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Thursday (10/9) Day C
• Early Dismissal at 11:55 - Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Friday (10/10) Day D 
• Early Dismissal at 11:55

Upcoming events!

A note from our awesome Art Teacher, Mrs. Finkler: 

"Dear Families, Your talented child has been creating artwork for you that you will see in their personalized catalog coming home! Celebrate your child's artistic achievement! Money from this fundraiser goes directly back into the art room to buy more awesome supplies that are above and beyond what the district buys and the students have loved all the extras this has provided in the past. You'll be able to order timeless keepsakes to cherish for years to come. Check out www.square1art.com/shop for gift ideas! 

Also, I love having family volunteers in the art room. Please let me know if you are ever interested in volunteering during your child's class. You need to have a CORI on file in the office and then we can find a time that works." 

We've been getting requests for Cruiser (the Princeton Police Therapy Dog) gear. While the school does not sell these, the students have seen a good amount of staff walking around sporting t-shirts and hoodies with his likeness on them. If you or your student are interested, black hoodies can be purchased for $35 and t-shirts (pink, gray, and black) are $15. Requests can be made via email to Officer Doyle hdoyle@princetonpolice.org. All proceeds go towards Cruiser's care. 

Specifically for 5th through 8th graders: We are now well into the year. If your child is considering

changing out of band/chorus/strings I'd ask they do it now so the groups can settle in and prepare for their performances. Our process has been to have the student have a conversation with the teacher first. This gives us an understanding of what may not be working for the student but also is good practice in having conversations with adults. If, following the conversation, the student still wishes to withdraw a parent should notify the teacher and me via email. I'd ask that this be completed by October 4th this year. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out. 

A Message from the Thomas Prince PTA

We are so excited for the 2024-25 school year at TPS. We have a wonderful school year ahead of us, and we want you to be part of the excitement. We were thrilled to kick off the school year by bringing in the “Flying High Dogs” show for all students. We heard great feedback from families and staff alike. Over the past weekend the new TPS Gaga Pit was installed by some very handy Weblos (scouts). Big thanks to Jon, Cole, and Maxwell plus their grown-up helpers Adam, Sara, Jim, and Tim. Tomorrow, Hubbard’s Farm will be delivering the playground sand for the interior ground surface of the pit. They were even gracious enough to donate the entire load and waive the delivery fee. Thank you Hubbard’s Farm! There will be some very happy students on Monday!

Our first General Membership meeting will take place on Thursday, October 3rd at 6pm in the TPS Library. You can also attend the meeting via Zoom. The link will be posted in the PTA Facebook group the morning of the meeting along with the agenda. We would love to see many faces there to help us discuss and plan for more events this year. Be sure to sign up for your PTA membership so that you can be a voting member of our group to help guide decisions! Sign up HERE. Please note that you will need to sign in to the website in order to fill out the membership form.

Next week we will have our second in-school enrichment program. Little Spark Theater will be coming in over 2 days to do improv workshops with our 5-8 grade students. They’ll get to explore the basics of improvisation and acting through high-energy games. We hope they are ready for some antics, shenanigans, and a ridiculously fun time! 

In the coming weeks we will have another enrichment program for students in grades K-4. We are thrilled to announce that Theater at the Mount will be coming in to do a performance of “Ivy & Bean” for our younger learners. Did you know that studies show that watching a live performance can help enhance language and literary skills, tolerance, and empathy toward others? 

Finally, we are gearing up for our big fall fundraiser, which will be kicking off in mid-October. We are going in a new direction this year and have partnered with Viking Sports to bring all students the “Viking Ultimate Challenge”. While the format will be similar to fundraisers in the past, we have found that this program will offer the PTA a significantly larger donation percentage, while also ensuring that students are being encouraged to participate without all of the plastic prizes. 

Be sure to take a look in the Electronic Folder for more information about all of our programming we have scheduled so far!

Message From the Health Office:

Height/Weight, Hearing, and Vision Screenings are scheduled for 10/8 and 10/9 at TPS. Please note what screenings will be conducted for your child's grade level below:

•          Gr. K, 2, 3 - vision, hearing, and weight
•          Grades 1 - vision, hearing, height, and weight forBMI
•          Grade 4 - vision, height, and weight for BMI
•          Grade 5 -  vision, weight
•          Grade 7 - vision, hearing height, and weight for BMI

You have the right to opt-out of the screenings. To opt-out, please complete this opt-out form or communicate with the school nurse at karina_abbascia@wrsd.net or (978)464-5507. Thank you!

Electronic Folder

The Week Ahead: 

• Monday (9/30) Day C
• Tuesday (10/1) Day D 
• Wednesday (10/2) Day A
• Custodian Appreciation Day 
• Cross Country Meet (Home) 
• Thursday (10/3) Day B
• PTA Meeting (6:00 in the TPS Library) 
• Friday (10/4) Day C

 

All are welcome!

It was a fun-filled week of learning here at TPS! Of special note was the opportunity for our students and staff to show off all they are doing and learning. As a district, we started the practice of Administrative Learning Walks. Thursday was our turn to host and I couldn't have been prouder touring my fellow principals and the central office staff through our school. If your child came home talking about all the principals in their room at some point they were not exaggerating. The feedback we received was very positive. The group was focused on learning environments and clearly showed everyone our staff's love and care for our students. 

A reminder that we have our Open House scheduled for next Thursday with the schedule below.  Our

focus is to get parents into the building and show you where your students spend many of their waking hours. To this end, teachers may provide you a handout or information about the curriculum, but our goal is really to give families a chance to meet their teachers and see the spaces. Children are welcome to attend. However, of note is our parking situation and the need to rotate grade levels in and out to accommodate the small parking lots and narrow hallways. Below you will find a schedule of grade availability. Of special note is the 7th and 8th grades that will follow a slightly different plan, beginning in the cafeteria at 6:30 for a short group presentation. Specific expectations around grading and make-up work etc. will be shared at this time or in an accompanying handout.  Afterward, teachers will return to their classrooms, and families are encouraged to get around and see all the spaces in a more natural open house-type process. Activities will be varied in each room and this is an opportunity to ask questions of teachers. 

Please remember this is not an opportunity for parent-teacher conferences. We want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to meet the teachers and see the spaces where their students spend their days. Conferences are coming soon. 

• K/3 - 5:00-6:00
• 1st/2nd/6th - 5:30-6:30
• 4th/5th - 6:00-7:00
• 7th/8th - 6:30-7:30 (to start in the cafeteria) 
• Specials/Special Education 5:45-6:45

Come for the Open House but leave with lost clothing. Our Lost and Found is filling up quickly this year! When you are in the building, I suggest you spend a few minutes looking through the rack in the lobby. There are a good amount of hoodies and several expensive-looking water bottles already lost but not yet found. 

In other exciting news, the community is rededicating Lisa's pollinator garden next week. At 3:30 on Thursday (the same day as our Open House), a group of volunteers and community members will gather around the back of the building for a brief ceremony. All are welcome! 

Electronic Folder

Cub Scout Camp Out, Ticket to Read, Cub Scout Campout,

The Week Ahead: 

• Monday (9/23) Day B
• Tuesday (9/24) Day C
• Wednesday (9/25) Day D
• Cross Country at Mountview
• Thursday (9/26) Day A
• Lisa's Pollinator Garden Re-dedication 3:30
• Open House
• Friday (9/27) Day B
• Wear your TPS Warrior Gear! 

Full swing!

The beginning of the year has been dominated by new curricula. This past year, the district committed to investing in High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) across content areas and grade levels. I've spent much of the last two weeks getting into classrooms to see specifically how our new elementary reading program is going. Into Reading is a literacy program steeped in research and best practices. It is a robust program and all the classes have allocated 90 minutes daily for this instruction. Teachers have been trained and have begun the implementation. A new program like this is not an easy lift but I have been impressed by all our teachers as they work through it. The kids have been doing great with the adjustment and I can't wait to see what it looks like as everyone gets into the flow. It's a strong commitment by our district and our teachers to make sure we are giving all our students the best materials and instruction for success! 

An update on our beautiful garden behind the building. Come out back, outside of school hours, to see the updated and relocated Lisa's Pollinator Garden. The beautiful flowers and hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, bees, flower flies, and beetles are here to greet you! Ask your student how many flowers they know by name or how many pollinators they can name. Draw or write what they see and leave your work at the TPS Pollinator Posterboard by our front office. Volunteers are putting together a TPS Pollinator Book! 

I'd like to welcome Christine Rayner who will be joining our TPS team next week. She is our new Adjustment Counselor and will be popping in and out of classrooms. Christine joins us after several years as an adjustment counselor in Gardener. I'm not sure anyone is happier to have her here than me!

A shout out to our wonderful PTA that started our week off right with a visit from Flying High Dogs on Monday morning. The interactive program incorporated students and  staff but the dogs stole the show and our hearts. They zipped around the field catching frisbees and doing assorted tricks. Thank you TPS PTA! 

You should have received an email from the district today in regarding our 3rd through 5th grade SEL survey (Panorama). Starting in October, students in these grades will complete a short survey to inform our school about students' perceptions of their competencies, perceptions of SEL supports, and their environment. The survey is widely used across the nation.  If you'd like to review or learn more about this survey you can find the information here. If you'd like to opt your child out of this survey please do so by 5:00 pm on September 27th through this link. Any additional questions can be directed to Maria Letasz (Director of Student Support) at maria_letasz@wrsd.net or (508) 829-1670 ext. 253.  

The Electronic Folder

The Week Ahead: 

• Saturday (9/14) 
• Touch a Truck at Krashes Field
• Monday (9/16) Day A
• Tuesday (9/17) Day B
• Wednesday (9/18) Day C
• Cross Country Meet at Home
• Thursday (9/19) Day D
• Field Hockey at Chocksett
• Friday (9/20) Day A
• Cross Country Meet at Home

September has arrived!

The news this week coming out of Georgia has been somber. Hearing of this type of event always makes me reflect on our practices and whether we are doing enough to keep our building and our students safe. For those of you who are new to TPS, we have made several upgrades over the past few years. The town has graciously updated many of our classroom doors and also set aside enough money that we have new security (access control and cameras) throughout the building. Internally, we have updated our security practices and annually complete ALICE drills in conjunction with the Princeton Police and Fire Departments. This includes our School Resource Officer Doyle (AKA, Cruiser's handler). We are fortunate to have a strong working relationship with both groups and today we completed an onsite review with members of Homeland Security to address potential weaknesses in our systems. This was scheduled long before the most recent event. Safety is our top priority and we are constantly looking at practices and remaining vigilant. It's a shame that we have to, but it is something we do. If you have any questions or concerns, please never hesitate to reach out to me. 

I have been getting questions about Open House and was hesitant to share specifics until we coordinated our efforts as a district. We will host our annual Open House on Thursday, September 26th. This is an opportunity for you to come to see the building your child spends six and a half hours each day. Go by their classrooms, meet their teachers, introduce yourself to the specialists, and get a feel for the building. This is not a time for one-to-one conferences, those will be on October 9th and 10th with more information to come soon. Meanwhile, because of parking and families with students in different grade levels, we try to spread out the open house. Please see the schedule below for specific timings but know parking will still be at a premium so plan accordingly:  

• K/3 - 5:00-6:00
• 1st/2nd/6th - 5:30-6:30
• 4th/5th - 6:00-7:00
• 7th/8th - 6:30-7:30 (to start in the cafeteria) 
• Specials/Special Education 5:45-6:45

We need you! We are constantly looking for substitutes and substitute nurses. If you are interested in subbing or have questions, please shoot me an email. I've recently discovered that if you reply to this mass email it won't get to me. So you'll need to email me at ace_thompson@wrsd.net. If you are a trained nurse and would like to help out in the nurse's office, there is more information here. Don't be afraid to tell them you only want to work at TPS :) 

Electronic Folder

The Week Ahead: 

• Monday (9/9) Day D
• Dog Flying Assembly 
• Tuesday (9/10) Day A
• Wednesday (9/11) Day B
• Staff Meeting
• Thursday (9/12) Day C
• Friday (9/13) Day D 
• Saturday (9/14) 
• Touch a Truck at Krashes Field