Let It Snow

It is officially winter and snow is on the ground! I'm a believer in you better find joy in snow or you'll have just as much snow but not as much joy. With that being said, the kids (all of them) seem to like to run around and play in it as much as possible. We are requiring snow gear to play in it (boots, snow pants, gloves) or are limiting students to the hard top for recess. It also seems like the right time to tell you we get out as frequently as possible. As a general rule, if the temperature with windchill is 20 or above, we go out. That being said, you may want to fight the good fight at home about making students bring a coat or wear pants. If that is a battle you chose not to fight, we completely understand (I am a parent too) and we will not enforce it here. Just know that they will still have to go outside with their class. Also, with the snow, comes cancellations and delays. The superintendent has shared that he plans on making decisions as early as possible to allow parents to plan accordingly. When we do have a delay, the cafeteria does not serve breakfast as they will already be starting to prepare lunch. 

Last call for lost and found! Our new lost and found system has already resulted in more clothing-to-student reunifications than I would have expected. However, we still have a pretty full rack of items. The plan is to clear these during the winter break in preparation for what will likely be an onslaught of snow gear in the new year. I'd encourage you to ask your child to look through or swing by yourself before we donate everything. 

I've had some conversations this week around CORIs and I wanted to address some misunderstandings. Anytime we have adults interacting or possibly interacting with students, I feel the responsibility to ensure that these are safe interactions. Volunteers are always required to be CORI checked, as are field trip monitors and obviously all staff. When we have school events during the day, it becomes a murky area. When it is a concert or a presentation where parents and students are clearly separated, it is less of a concern. However, if the event is more like a celebration of learning, a science fair-style event, or anything where there are too many adults to closely monitor while they intermingle with students, it is better to be safe than sorry and make sure everyone is safe to enter the school. My apologies for any inconvenience this additional step may cause, but I do count the safety of our students as my number 1 concern.  

I'd like to thank the PTA and all the volunteers for their efforts around the Holiday Shop this week! It was a staggering success and demand clearly outweighed supply at points. The shop volunteers took several trips out to restock shelves. The PTA has offered to open the shop one last time on Monday afternoon for anyone who was absent the first time around.  

A Note from Mrs. DiFonso

Digital Delivery - As the Team Chair here at TPS, I wanted to point out that the district shared some information with families earlier this week about the roll out of the PowerSchool Digital Delivery for Special Education paperwork.  Please check out the flyer, as well as this informational slideshow to gain a better understanding of what the Digital Delivery will look like for documents such as evaluation consents and IEPs.  As we roll out this process in the weeks ahead, I will be here to answer any questions/concerns and to help troubleshoot! We are all new to this together! 

Electronic Folder

New: Middle School Basketball Schedule, Digital Document Signing

The Week Ahead: 

• 
  Monday (12/19) 
• School Council
• Tuesday (12/20)
• Grade 6 field trip to Hanover theater
• Wednesday (12/21)
• 3rd grade STEAM Boat building
• 4th grade PLTW Celebration of Learning
• Thursday (12/22) 
• Festive Holiday Attire (Who can be the most festive!) 
• Monty Tech VIP
• Friday (12/23) 
• No School - Winter Break

The PTA!

Our PTA is a hard-working group that has already been a tremendous support to us this year. We spent much of the fall talking about our Fun Run and Boosterthon. I wanted to let you know what those funds go towards. This week, the PTA announced its first round of mini-grant requests. They awarded about a dozen grants amounting to over $2,400. All of these grants went directly into the classrooms across the grade levels, supplementing materials and/or providing resources for science experiments. There were many smiling teacher faces in the building as these grants were announced. In the vein of grant discussions, the PTA has been awarded a $1,500 grant from the Princeton Cultural Council for our Library rejuvenation project! Their poinsettia sale was a great success with the added bonus of donations being made to brighten up our entryway. Thanks to all who donated! If you'd like to know more about what they are doing you can become a member and get their regular communication. The last newsletter can be found here. 

And finally, you should be hearing about the Holiday Shop. Each class will take some time to go down and shop for gifts for whatever holiday they celebrate. Items are fairly inexpensive, ranging from $2 to $6, and the whole idea behind the shop is to give students an opportunity to think of others. If you have any financial difficulties that we can help with please don't hesitate to reach out. We would like to give every student the opportunity to purchase something if so desired. 

As we enter cold/flu/stomach bug season, absences are creeping up again. We encourage you to keep your student home if they are sick. We are also encouraging staff to stay home and not spread illnesses. With this comes the need for substitutes. Have your days started becoming mundane, boring, or too quiet? Looking to pick and choose some days to add some fun and excitement to your schedule? Would you like to help support your local school with the gift of time? If you answered any of these questions with "maybe" we should talk! You do not need to be a certified educator or have the experience to be a substitute. We can work with you to match you to positions you feel comfortable with and can train you if you feel the need. Consider substituting at TPS. You can learn more and apply here, or reach out to me and I am happy to answer any questions you may have. 

Electronic Folder

Look Ahead: 

• 
  Monday (12/12) 
• PTA Holiday Shop
• Library Meeting (6:00)
• Tuesday (12/13) 
• PTA Holiday Shop
• 8th Grade Dance Committee Meeting
• Thursday (12/15) 
• Monty Tech VIP
• Friday (12/16) 
• Middle School Dance

Looking Way Ahead: 

• Wednesday (2/1) 
• TPS Band and String Concert

5 Day Week

If you have been in the building this week, you may have noticed our newest boutique in the main lobby. There are some nice brand names in there. This is actually our new lost and found display. The old box system was piling up and truthfully, was hard to manage for kids looking for lost items. This new display also shows the students that we value their belongings, hopefully instilling that value in them as well. The current lost and found will remain until we leave for the winter break before being donated to families in need. Please stop by before then if you know your child is missing something. I anticipate it filling back up pretty quickly once the snow comes. 

A note from our Student Council: 

Thank you to everyone who participated in Student Council's pajama drive! Because of the generosity of our community, we were able to donate 70 pairs of children's pajamas to LUK in Fitchburg. As part of this drive, Scholastic will match each pair of pajamas donated with the donation of a new book to a family in need. We deeply appreciate all of your help in making this initiative a success!  

Specifically for 7th and 8th-grade parents: As we head into winter, we found ourselves with an opportunity to reflect. One of the things we hear from our students is that they don't get to see their peers often enough because of the groupings. We heard that and have "shuffled the deck" and will be moving kids around in Homeroom/Advisory. Hopefully, this change in venue is seen as a positive by the majority of our students. At least they should know we were listening. 

Mrs. Finkler has asked me to share with you: 

The deadline to order a keepsake with your children's art has been extended to December 5th.  Support your child's art room with this awesome fundraiser that makes a great gift for anyone.

Shop Online square1art.com/shop
Need to find your child's art?
Use the online Art Search.
Do you know you can upload additional art and make an order?
Use the online Art Upload

The FIRST Lego League Explore program is being run for children in grades K through 5. 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 SUPERPOWERED. Children will learn about different types of energy sources, storage and distribution methods and ways in which energy is consumed. In each of the early meetings, we will learn about the energy journey, draw and share our ideas about what was learned and finally build our ideas with legos and lego robots. Towards 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. 
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 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 helping out or coaching, feel free to email Jennifer at legofirst@js.mxpark.com. 

Electronic Folder

New - Middle School Dance Flyer, Square 1 Art, Lights on the Common, 

SEPAC Meeting Notice, Crossroads 

The Week Ahead: 

• Friday (12/2)
• Princeton Lights on the Common at 6:30
• Saturday (12/3) 
• Poinsettia pick up at TPS from 12:00-3:00
• Thursday (12/8) 
• MontiTech VIP
• PTA Meeting

Thankful!

This week and this time of year are all about being thankful. It's a time of reflection. I am thankful to be here at TPS. Thankful for the excellent staff I get to work with every day. For the children that make me smile. For the supportive families who clearly value the work being done in the building. I think we are all thankful for the PTA  and all they do. They recently reopened the mini-grant process for staff. And who can forget the first assemblies we've had in a few years. The Wingmaster assembly was a great opportunity to have a shared experience in grades K through 8. Obviously, the presentation was tailored a little for different age groups. Please continue to support the PTA however you can. 

Speaking of the PTA, please remember that the poinsettia orders are due the Monday we return from Thanksgiving break (11/28). Feel free to share this with family and friends at your holiday gatherings.

We wrapped up our week with our first maybe annual TPS Macy's day parade STEAM challenge (I'm working on the name)! Our middle school spent time today creating floats that showed examples of learning in different content areas. The balloons were required to "stay afloat" for a full orbit around the building without touching them. Floats had to roll smoothly through the hallways and the materials used were limited. It was a great exercise in the engineering process as well as a way to recap the lessons learned so far this year! 

For families of students in grades 6 through 8 interested in signing their students up for basketball. Please find the information to do so on the website here. 

And finally, before I let you begin your break, I give to you our 6th-grade recipes! Our 6th-graders have created this slideshow of family recipes. Some may come in handy this week. I'm definitely making the After Thanksgiving sandwich! 

A note from Mrs. DiFonso: 

The FIRST Lego League Explore program is being run for children in grades K through 5. 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 SUPERPOWERED. Children will learn about different types of energy sources, storage and distribution methods and ways in which energy is consumed. In each of the early meetings, we will learn about the energy journey, draw and share our ideas about what was learned and finally build our ideas with legos and lego robots. Towards 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. 

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 helping out or coaching, feel free to email Jennifer at legofirst@js.mxpark.com. 

The week ahead: 

• 
  Wednesday (11/22) 
• No School
• Thursday (11/23) 
• Thanksgiving
• Friday (11/24) 
• No School
• Monday (11/28) 
• School Council
• Friday (12/2)
• Pajama Day! Student Council met their goal! 
• Saturday (12/3) 
• Poinsettia pick up at TPS (12:00-3:00)

Looking way ahead: 

• Friday (12/16) 
• Middle School Dance! 6:00-8:00

Brought to you by Mrs. DiFonso

This week's blog is brought to you by Mrs. DiFonso, our Assistant Principal.

We wanted to let you know that there was an injury on the playground today and an ambulance was called. In case your student comes home telling you about it, we want you to know that everyone is okay! We are very appreciative of our new nurse, Karina Sanchez, and the Princeton First Responders!

Project 351

This week at TPS we were excited to announce the Thomas Prince Project 351 Ambassador, Pemberley Mongeau! Every middle school across the state selects one eighth grader to represent their middle school in this impressive organization that promotes leadership and values such as kindness, compassion, humility and gratitude.  As a Project 351 Ambassador, we all here at TPS feel that Pem demonstrates these values and the potential to be an amazing leader. We are confident she will do amazing things in her role! Congratulations Pem! Your TPS community is SO proud of you!

Putting the “P” back in PBIS

At this week’s staff meeting, the teachers met to discuss PBIS and how we plan to reimplement it here at TPS. You may be asking yourself, “What is PBIS?”  PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Intervention System.  While portions of PBIS have been a part of the daily routine here at TPS, our focus is to now bring back the Positive. A committee of teachers met and reorganized the TPS behavior matrix, using pillars of character and behavioral expectations that we expect to see in all areas of the school day (bus, cafeteria, hallway, bathroom, classroom, etc.). Our first focus this year is going to be classroom expectations and how students are demonstrating positive behaviors in the areas of the following pillars of character: trustworthy, respectful, responsible, caring, fair, good citizen. When a student demonstrates a positive behavior in one of these areas, they will receive a Tommy Ticket!  Tommy Tickets are like TPS’ version of cash. Students can choose to save up their Tommy Tickets to participate in a school-wide activity, a whole class reward, or use them to purchase items or experiences in the “Prince Plaza”, our soon to be PBIS School Store.  Your student will be coming home and hopefully telling you all about how we are celebrating the positives at school and how they are earning Tommy Tickets!

MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS' BASKETBALL UPDATE

Great news! TPS will be able to have it's very own middle school boys' basketball team this year! Here's the catch...we need a coach! Are you intersted in coaching our middle school boys' basketball team!?! If so, please contact BethAnne DiFonso at bethanne_difonso@wrsd.net for details. We can't have a team with no coach!

SKI CLUB!

Princeton Parks & Recreation will again work with Wachusett Mountain to provide students grades three through eight the opportunity to sign up for Ski / Snowboard Club, discounted family ski passes at Wachusett Mountain, and ski lessons. This program will run for 6-weeks beginning January 4, 2023, on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 7:00!

Please understand that children are not directly supervised during this program. Parks and recreation can assist in getting students set up with passes and rentals in the first week or two. After that, there will be limited direct supervision. There will be adult chaperons on the mountain and in the lodge for assistance, not supervising or babysitting. Additionally, It is the PARENTS/GUARDIANS' responsibility to coordinate a meeting spot for you to meet your student and coordinate your transportation. If you are interested in chaperoning, the need will be based on enrollment size. Please email the Parks and Recreation Director if you are interested in this opportunity.

This great and affordable program provides options for students to be exposed to skiing and snowboarding. Please come with your student for the first two weeks to make sure you and they are comfortable with the process and being at the mountain. 

Your family can purchase your student (grades 3 thru 8 and family members) a six-week pass, or seasons pass through this program. Please see attached flyer (in the electronic folder). To register, go to Wachusett.com/school groups and type in our code: PRNC. Please contact Princeton Parks and Recreation Director Jaime Greenland at recreation@town.princeton.ma.us with questions.

The WRSD recently received a number of iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Tests. These tests are being made available to TPS families for use over the upcoming holiday season. If you are interested in getting a kit, they will be available for pick up on Monday, November 22nd, from 3-6pm in the TPS lobby. It is important to note that the test kits we are distributing list the expiration date as June or July of 2022. The US Food and Drug Administration extended the expiration dates of these kits by 9 months so the kits you receive will still be viable.

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram: @tpswarriors! 

You can also follow me at @mrsdifonso on Twitter!

Electronic Folder 

New - Elementary Lego League, Early Childhood Disability Services, Parks and Rec Ski Club

The Week Ahead: 

• Monday (11/21) 
• Vision and Hearing Rescreening
• Tuesday (11/22) 
• TPS Middle School STEAM parade
• Wednesday (11/23) 
• No School
• Thursday (11/24) 
• Thanksgiving
• Friday (11/25) 
• No School

Short week, long weekend

The weekly communication is out today because we will not have school tomorrow in honor of Veteran's day. We would like to thank all the veterans, especially those in our community, who have offered their service to our country. The PTA has continued what I think is a really nice tradition, of hanging images of our heroes in the cafeteria. To the right is an image of these. Please remember them tomorrow.   

Even though we were only in school for 3 days there is still learning to celebrate. The 6th grade has completed a unit on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Below is their sharing of the unit.  

"The sixth graders have been enjoying their short story unit in ELA. Recently, we wrapped up our study of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. At the beginning of our study of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the students used the map skills learned in geography to draw illustrated maps of Sleepy Hollow.  They did a fabulous job!

One of the major areas of focus for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was characterization. The sixth graders learned about the different methods authors use to develop the personalities of their characters, and applied that learning to analyze the ways in which Washington Irving characterized the major characters in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. As part of this learning, the students participated in a Life-Size Character group project and an independent Character Pumpkin Project. Check it out!"

A note from Mrs. Finkler in the art room: 

Hello Families,

Coming home to you soon will be your child's custom catalog for the Square 1 Art fundraiser. Get a head start, and start ordering keepsakes and gifts featuring your child's art online NOW, if you like! Simply search for your child's art using Art Search, and enter the state, school name, and your student's name. Your student's art and code will appear, and you may order!

Order by:  12/1/2022

Upload additional art if you like, using Art Upload!

If you have questions or need anything at all, contact customer care online.

Thank you for supporting our school!

Melissa Finkler

Congratulations to all of our runners on a successful season. A special congratulations to our girl's cross-country team who won the state championship on Saturday! Outstanding! 

Electronic Folder

The Week Ahead: 

• Friday (11/18) 
• Wingmaster presentation courtesy of the PTA

November!

It was a wonderful week here at TPS! We kicked it off with celebrations and learning throughout the building on Monday. I don't know anyone who left Monday's costume parade without a smile on their face. From the TPS marching band leading us around the building to our littlest students learning how to "parade wave," it was a blast. I think my favorite part, though, was seeing the older kids supporting our younger ones, giving high fives, and complimenting costumes. It was a great community event. Throughout the building, there were fun happenings. In 5th grade they disected owl pellets - they told me they were disinfected pellets but I still encouraged everyone to wash their hands! 4th grade was another great example where they were scientists rotating through 5 stations exploring density, weight, measurement, comparison, and observation of physical properties. The hands on learning with an assortment of pumpkins were enjoyed by all! 

A note from Mrs. DiFonso: 

Keepin' Up with the Warriors! We have created a TPS Instagram account to share what is happening in the classroom and at Thomas Prince! Follow us: @tpswarriors ! You can also follow me at @mrsdifonso on Twitter or Ace at @ace_thompson on Twitter! We will eventually be creating a Facebook page to share the wonderful learning our students are doing, but for now, enjoy our #WeAreTPS posts on Insta! 

The PTA corner: 

With Veteran's Day coming up soon, we would like to celebrate all of the veteran service members that have connections to the TPS community. If you have a photo that you would like included on the bulletin board, please print one out and send it to school. Please note that photos will not be able to be returned and plan accordingly. Send in a COPY. 

While I'm mentioning the PTA, I would like to thank them for the luncheon on our half day! The staff were full and happy heading to PD or conferences. Check out this spread! Did I mention Olive Garden bread sticks? It meant more than you may ever know.  

And finally, PTA flyers for their Poinsettia drive will be coming home but can also be found in the electronic folder. 

Electronic Folder

New: Poinsettia flyer, Interface Flyer

The week ahead: 

• 
  Monday (11/7) 
• Kindergarten conferences
• Tuesday (11/8) 
  
• No School - Election Day
• Wednesday (11/9) 
• SEPAC Meeting
• 1st grade conferences
• Thursday (11/10) 
• 2nd grade conferences
• Friday (11/11) 
• No School - Veteran's Day