Principal's Warrior Wrap-Up

Friday, January 3, 2025

Happy New Year!

The week was a short one so there isn't too much to share.

However, over the break, HR was hard at work and was able to get our new 7th/8th grade Social Studies teacher onboarded. Alex Ruppert joins us from Framingham where he was teaching, yes Middle School Social Studies. He and Mr. Nichols have been working together as he gets acclimated to TPS and Mr. Nichols transitions back to ELA. Alex is a Wachusett graduate! Who says you can't come home again. We were lucky to get him and he's already started building great relationships with the students.

The HR department was also able to get Katey Sweetser onboarded. She will start in the Kindergarten next week replacing Mrs. Syria. Katey is also local and has filled a similar role over in Paxton before. We are slowly getting to fully staffed!

The Electronic Folder

The Week Ahead:

Monday (1/6) Day C

School Council

Tuesday (1/7) Day D

Boys basketball at home vs Mountview

Wednesday (1/8) Day A
Thursday (1/9) Day B
Friday (1/10) Day C

Friday, December 20, 2024

Happy Winter Break!

As we begin the winter break, I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued partnership and support during this school year. Together, we have created a vibrant, caring community where our students thrive academically and socially. Your involvement in their education makes all the difference, and I am deeply grateful for all you do.

I hope this winter break provides you and your family with time to relax, connect, and enjoy the season’s joys. Whether you’re celebrating traditions, exploring new opportunities, or simply taking a well-deserved rest, I wish you peace, warmth, and happiness.

As we ring in the New Year, I look forward to continuing our shared mission of fostering growth, learning, and success for every student. 2025 promises to be another exciting chapter filled with opportunities to inspire and empower our young learners.

On behalf of all of us at Thomas Prince School, I wish you a safe, joyful winter break and a Happy New Year. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on January 2nd refreshed and ready for a wonderful second half of the school year!

Please take a look at our @TPSWarriors Instagram account to see all of the fun we had with Spirit Week and our special PBIS assembly this morning.

The Electronic Folder

The week we return:

Thursday (1/2) Day A
Friday (1/3) Day B

Friday, December 13, 2024

One More Week

As we approach the final school week of the calendar year, the TPS Student Council has decided to host a Spirit Week! The students determined the days together and they are below. It should be a fun way to finish out 2024.

Monday - Pajama Day
Tuesday - Unlike Your Age Day
Wednesday - Holiday Sweater Day
Thursday - Semi-formal Attire Day
Friday - Class Color Day

K - Orange
1st - Red
2nd - Yellow
3rd - Blue
4th - Purple
5th - Pink
6th - Green
7th - White
8th - Black

A few weeks ago I shared that we had found a replacement for Tracy up here in the office. Since that time, the candidate has rescinded the position. These things tend to work out though. We are very fortunate to have had Roger Cormier apply! Roger currently works at the Central Office in the HR department and is leaving the position to join us! Everyone who has had interactions with him notes his cheery demeanor, thoroughness, and communication skills. We will miss Tracy but we're happy to have Roger coming in.

A note from the Library:

"If you'd like to support the TPS Library as part of your holiday giving this year, we have an Amazon wish list with titles that we are looking to add to our collection! Visit here to check out our list! Please also reach out to the school if you have questions about how to resolve overdue library books!"

A note from the Cafeteria:

Tuesday's meal has changed. Lunch on 12/17 will now be Corn dogs, onion rings, and cole slaw. The alternative is a smoothie meal.

Electronic Folder

Spirit Week!, Winter Concert, Library Flyer,

The week ahead:

Monday (12/16) Day D

Monti Tech VIP
Pajama Day

Tuesday (12/17) Day A

Dress unlike your age day

Wednesday (12/18) Day B

Holiday Sweater Day

Thursday (12/19) Day C

New Year's Eve/Semi-formal Attire Day
7th and 8th grade Field Trip

Friday (12/20) Day D

Class Color Day
PBIS Assembly

Friday, December 6, 2024

Winter is here!

We are officially done with the first trimesters of the school year. I've had a few questions about term dates this year so this seems like a good time to clarify an updated process for families. This year the district moved the elementary schools (K-5) to trimester reporting. You will now receive three report cards each year for those grades. The middle school has remained on the quarter system. If you have a student in grades K-5, you should have access to your student report cards on PowerSchool today (12/6), 3/21, and on the last day of school (TBD). Middle School parents can access report cards on 1/31, 4/11, and the last day of school (TBD). While writing about report cards, I also wanted to let elementary school parents know that there had been some subtle changes to our grading practices. In communications regarding the elementary report card, the phrase "needs some support to access grade-level standards" has caused some confusion. The implication is not that the student is struggling significantly, but rather that they are progressing towards proficiency. If your student has a "2" on their report card they are indeed on track and progressing.

In such a small community, I suspect word has traveled but I wanted to let you all know that Mrs.

Holwell, our MS English Language Arts teacher has resigned effective the end of the month so that she can take care of family members. Our MS Social Studies teacher, Mr. Nichols, will be assuming her post in ELA, a position he has held in the past. This means there is a posting out there for a MS Social Studies teacher to start, hopefully, on January 2nd. We have already received some strong interest so we will be working on filling that post in the coming weeks. While discussing hiring, people may have noticed a posting for a School Adjustment Counselor. This is an additional counselor that the district has been able to account for through efficiencies within the district. It will be great to add some additional mental health resources to the building.

Get ready for the TPS Holiday Shop next week, running from Tuesday to Friday! This is a great opportunity for students to pick out thoughtful gifts for loved ones. This is also a great volunteer opportunity. The PTA is looking for helpers to set up the shop! if you're available, please join us on Monday at 5:30 pm at the school to lend a hand. Your support makes events like this possible - thank you!

The classroom schedules are below:

Tuesday: Roczniak, McClure, Hacket, Zielinski, Kristoff, Loughlin, Santello, St. Pierre, Chapalonis
Wednesday: Hawkridge, Dolat, Gibbons, Kurzanski, Andre, Keough
Thursday: Roczniak, McClure, Zielinski, Andre, Santello, Dolat
Friday: Hacket, Hawkridge, Zielinski, Kristoff

Students in grades 7 and 8 who have money for shopping will be able to visit the holiday shop during their lunch on Tuesday 12/10.

Bus Scout Pack 25 is hosting a Toys for Tots fundraiser in the lobby. The box is being picked up on Tuesday so please make sure any donations are in on Monday.

Electronic Folder

Polar Plunge, Lights in Common, Holiday Shop Flyer,

The Week Ahead:

Monday (12/9) Day C

School Council
Monty Tech VIP

Tuesday (12/10) Day D
Wednesday (12/11) Day A
Thursday (12/12) Day B
Friday (12/13) Day C

Friday, November 22, 2024

Thankful

Thanksgiving seems like an appropriate time to reflect on the year so far. I'd like to express my thankfulness and gratitude for being a part of the TPS community. It's wonderful to be in a place where parents are invested in the work we do. Where students are eager to learn and teachers care about kids. I hope you all enjoy the Thanksgiving break!

Now that we are deep into the school year, I wanted to take a few minutes to remind folks of the drop-

off process. Our goal is to keep traffic flowing safely. To that end, at this point in the year, your child should be able to get out of the car independently and when possible they should get out on the driver's side, directly onto the sidewalk. If your child has already disembarked please wait for the car in front of you and don't pass on the right. Sometimes students will exit on that side and we do not want any injuries. If your child does need a little help getting out of the car please pull into an open spot. If you want me to help just give me the nod and I'm happy to come over to you to help.

We love to share some of our wonderful student products and activities, but I realize many parents don't know the inner processes and systems we have in place. It seemed like a good idea to share some of these periodically through my weekly communication. This week, I thought I would talk about our Student Support Team (SST). This team of staff members supports other teachers in meeting individual students' needs. If a teacher has a concern about a student's behavior, social-emotional needs, or academic progress, they create an intervention plan in our system. They monitor progress through this plan and if the student continues to struggle they bring the child's case to SST. The SST makes suggestions and together a new goal is developed. The team reconvenes in six weeks to determine progress and make decisions around the next steps. If your child's case comes to SST the teacher has already had a conversation with you. This is just one system we have in place to ensure students are getting what they need.

This is the last call for Lost and Found before we make the big donation to make room for our winter clothes lost and found.

Remember this is an amazing fundraiser for the art room so get your order in as soon as possible. Orders close on 11/29. Thank you all so much! - Mrs. Finkler

A note from our PTA:

The TPS Holiday Shop is Back!

We are thrilled to announce that the beloved TPS Holiday Shop is returning the week of December 9th! This fun and festive shopping experience gives our students the opportunity to pick out special gifts for their loved ones while spreading holiday cheer.

To make this event a success, we need your help! We're looking for enthusiastic volunteers to assist with:

Keeping items organized
Helping students shop

If you’re interested, please sign up to volunteer at the link below:
Holiday Shop Volunteer Schedule

Important: All volunteers must have a current CORI form on file to assist in the building.

Thank you for your support in bringing this magical experience to our students. We can’t wait to see the joy and excitement it brings to our TPS community!

Warm regards,
The Thomas Prince PTA

On Tuesday, grades 5 through 8 will participate in a Turkey Trot in the morning. This fun tradition started last year. This year, we are asking for a fun twist. Students who would like to be eligible for stylish turkey prize metal should bring in one canned good. Mrs. McDonal will deliver all food donations to the Worcester Food Bank after the Turkey Trot. Let's help our neighbors and community to have a happy holiday season!

Electronic Folder

Lights on the Common,

The weeks ahead:

Monday (11/25) Day D

Monty Tech VIP program

Tuesday (11/26) Day A
Wednesday-Friday (No School)
Monday (12/2) Day B
Tuesday (12/3) Day C
Wednesday (12/4) Day D
Thursday (12/5) Day A
Friday (12/6) Day B

Friday, November 15, 2024

Mid-November

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.

The Electronic Folder

Girl Scout Babysitting, 5-8 Turkey Trot/Food Drive

The Week Ahead:

Monday (11/18) Day C
Tuesday (11/19) Day D
Wednesday (11/20) Day A

School Support Staff Appreciation Day

Thursday (11/21) Day B
Friday (11/22) Day C

Friday, November 8, 2024

Long weekend ahead!

This morning, our K through 2nd-grade students had the privilege of seeing "You Have Arrived!", a one-person show that used the mesmerizing medium of a dynamic large-scale pop-up book and simple yet visually captivating puppetry. The show invited students to experience the profound transformation of our landscapes, echoing the silent yet powerful stories of displacement and resilience happening throughout the globe. The program was provided in conjunction with the Princeton Town Library and through a generous donation from the Kathryn A. Bisk Enrichment Fund. Mr. Bisk has been working with the Town library to provide extension opportunities for young children in his late wife, Kathryn's name. This year we worked together to make sure the impact was that much greater! I'm so happy our students had the chance to have this fun learning experience.

It's hard to believe but winter sports is upon us! If you have a Middle School boy interested in

Basketball please sign up here by 11/20. We will not take players who register after the 20th. Tryouts will be on December 2nd, 3rd, and 4th from 3:00-5:00 PM. The roster will be posted Thursday morning on the 5th with rostered players reporting to practice that afternoon. Registration fees will be due at that time. We plan to have 13 players and 2 practice players/team managers. Tryouts will be closed to parents/guardians to avoid undue pressure on the student-athletes. The season will conclude on 2/14. Interested students should work on dribbling, shooting, and running over the next couple of weeks before tryouts.

Surveying students, there was not enough interest from girls to form a basketball team. However, there was interest in Cheerleading. I have been searching for a coach. If you are interested or know someone who may be interested please reach out. I would like to have this group up and running for December.