We've got Spirit, How bout you?

Every year, a program called Project 351 pulls one 8th grader from every Middle School in the state to join together in leadership and service. Project  351 celebrates students who are quiet leaders in their schools. The TPS teachers tried to select someone who leads with an open heart and is kind, compassionate, and humble.  They looked for someone who demonstrates respect for others, works as a team, and has a desire to help others. This year, the Middle School teachers nominated Nick Brady. Nick fits the bill on all of these characteristics and we recognized him at lunch this week. I know he will represent TPS well! You can learn more about the program here. 

Looking ahead, we are planning on having another "violent intruder" drill next week. I prefer to refer to

them as ALICE drills. We had one of these in the Spring last year and learned a lot through the process. Our goal in these drills is to create motor memory for students and empower staff to make responsible decisions. We are so fortunate to have a wonderful working relationship with the Princeton Police Department and the Fire Department. This was scheduled a few weeks ago, prior to the awful violence that occurred in Lewiston this week. My heart goes out to all of those affected. That incident stands as a reminder of why we unfortunately have to run these drills. It is better to be prepared and not need it than to be unprepared when something happens. 

This week, Spirit Week was a blast! Kids and staff seemed to have a blast dressing in different ways and the week culminated with an epic costume parade! Follow our Instagram account (@tpswarriors) to see pictures and videos from the week.  

Congratulations to our student-athletes! Our Cross Country teams beat out the other middle schools this week to capture the District Championship for both boys and girls cross country. This is the first time since 2019 that both groups shared the honor. Prior to that, it was 2007. Bring on states! 

And finally, I am very happy to announce we are officially fully staffed at TPS! Rachel Petith will be joining us to complete our Cafeteria team. We're excited to have her join the team! 

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The Week Ahead: 

• Monday (10/30) Day B
• 6th Grade Sleepy Hollow Trail Walk
• Tuesday (10/31) Day C
• Wednesday (11/1) Day D
• Half Day - 11:55 Dismissal 
• K-2 Conferences
• Thursday (11/2) Day A
• Friday (11/3) Day B
• ALICE Drill
• PTA Poinsettia orders due

Fall is in the air!

It was great to greet the students on Monday with a cleaned-up Bengrazi courtyard! Over last weekend, we had numerous waves of volunteers come through under the direction of Ms. Santello. It's amazing how the rain helped the weeds grow this summer. It is now mostly weed-free and is ready for the winter. We normally try to get a picture of all the volunteers but everyone came at different times we just weren't able to capture everyone. However, please know if you swung by on Saturday, it was noticed and appreciated. A big thank you to Ms. Santello, not only for organizing the day but also for giving up her entire Saturday to guide our work and get our hands dirty. 

A note from our 6th Grade: 

"As a culminating activity for our study of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", the students will be decorating pumpkins to resemble a character from the story. On Monday, October 30th, families are invited to attend a nature trail walk of “The Sleepy Hollow Woods”, where the pumpkins will be out on display throughout the Laurel Trail starting at 1:45 PM. In the event of inclement weather, the pumpkins will be on display in rooms 406 and 408. If you plan to dismiss your child after this event, please make sure to mark this in SDM for your sixth grader and any siblings you may be dismissing."

Next week is shaping up to be a fun week! Student Council has requested to have a Spirit Week and I thought it was a great week for it. There is an image below with specific day's themes and I'll include it in the "Look Ahead" portion as well. You'll notice that the week ends with a costume day. Given their request for this day, it seemed to make sense to adjust the parade to Friday morning. Apologies to anyone who may have planned ahead for a parade on the 31st. Students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade will be led around the building by our Middle School marching band starting at 9:00. 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. I know the band is working on some musical accompaniment so I can't wait to hear what they have in store for us!  

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 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! 

A note from our 8th-grade parents:

"It’s that time of year!! This year's 8th-grade graduating class is having a HUGE raffle with tons of prizes, gift cards to local restaurants, breweries, specialty gift baskets, and much much more!!  All proceeds go to eighth-grade fundraising for events like semi-formal, field trips, etc.

Don’t miss out on your chance to help the eighth grade and to WIN a HUGE prize!!!

Venmo at @TPS8thGrade-2024

1 ticket/chance to win $5.  

Or 5 tickets/chances to win $20.

Checks can be made out to Thomas Prince School "

A note from our awesome art teacher, Mrs. Finkler:

"Hi families

Your artists have been hard at work making beautiful art pieces.  We are doing the Square 1 fundraiser this year and you will be able to purchase your child's work on all different types of keepsakes.  We will have order forms going home in mid-November.  Please reach out if you have any questions." melissa_finkler@wrsd.net

  

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Look Ahead: 

• Monday (10/23) Day A
• Dress Up / Dress Down Day
• Monty Tech Tour 
• Tuesday (10/24) Day B
• Crazy Hat/Hair Day
• Wednesday (10/25) Day C
• Dress like a Celebrity
• Thursday (10/26) Day D
• Dress like a book character
• Friday (10/27) Day A
• Wear a costume to school (*see restrictions above) 
• Costume Parade at 9:00
• Monty Tech application Meet & Greet
• OT Appreciation Day

Long weekend = short week

Saturday will be our courtyard and trail clean-up from 8:00 to 2:00. Come help us weed, clean up, and winterize raised garden beds, install weed-blocking landscaping fabric, divide and replant our native plants, and do a few more little jobs that make a big difference all around campus! Our incredible spring volunteers accomplished wonders, come join us this Saturday! Sign up here or stop by to help out any time between 8 and 2!

I can't believe it has taken me until October to remind folks that we have a school Instagram account! We (mostly Mrs. DiFonso actually) work to regularly share the great work our staff and students are doing. It is a great way to start a dinner conversation too! "I saw on Instagram today that you were..." Follow us at @tpswarriors.

The PTA is seeking your input! They love to have families' voices involved in their decision-making and are already planning ahead to the '24-25 school year. Please take this BRIEF survey to provide your input regarding next year's major fall fundraising initiative. Your input is genuinely appreciated! 

A note from your PTA

So many things are happening in the PTA world right now! 

-If you're wanting to get FREE shipping on Spirit Wear, orders are due by midnight on Sunday, October 15th. Don't miss out on this deal and get new spirit wear that can be used for holiday gifts! Just send us an email at TPSprincetonPTA@gmail.com if you want us to keep your order a secret from your student.

-Wanting to spruce up your home or get ahead of the game with holiday gifting for friends and family? Our Poinsettia Sale is happening now. Head on over to our website to order yours today.

-We are still looking for two Class Captains for grades 6, 7, and 8. We are also looking to add one more Captain to grades K, 2, and 4. If you have any interest in helping us with this, please reach out. 

-Ready to start creating those holiday cards to send out? We have partnered with the company Minted to give you all a discount on your purchases. Use the code FUNDRAISETHOMASPRINCE to get 20% off of our order, PLUS 15% of that order comes back to the PTA to help us support enrichment, staff grants, and other initiatives.

-Finally, we are still accepting new members for the 2023-24 school year. Not sure that volunteering or running a committee is for you? Don't fret! Membership is whatever you choose to make it. But there are so many reasons to join. We love meeting new members of the TPS community, and a larger membership also gets us recognized by the State and National PTA. Did you know that last year our TPS PTA was recognized by the MA State PTA at their annual convention because we had so much growth in membership? Let's get our membership to be even more robust this year! Head on over to our website and become a member today. 

This has been a rough week around the world with sad and scary news coming from the Middle East. Our hearts go out to all those affected. If your child is hearing about these events, seeing the images on social media, and asking questions, Maria Letasz, our director of Student Services has created a list of resources for parents: 

• News and Children - Tips on minimizing the negative effects children may experience from watching the news (AACAP)
• How to Talk with Kids about Tragedies & Other Traumatic News Events - Tips for talking with kids (AAP)
• Help Kids Cope – This app helps parents and caregivers talk with children about disasters; know what to do before, during, and after 10 disaster types; and know what to say “in the moment” to support your kids of all ages. (NCTSN)
• Coping with Grief after Community Violence handout (SAMHSA)
• Terrorism and War: How to Talk to Children (AACAP)
• Helping Children Cope with Terrorism: Tips for Families and Educators (NASP)
• Talking to Children about War  - Factsheet (NCTSN)

A Note from Mrs. DiFonso

We need your help! 

The Lego League is off and running and the students are enjoying getting creative with legos, but also finding ways to apply their creativity to help solve/address real-world problems!  The group's focus is to create tutorials to help people learn how to ski safely!  This is where we need the TPS Community's help!  The Lego Coach was hoping to have a coach, ski instructor, or sports psychologist (but anyone who was or is considered an expert in skiing or snowboarding would also fit the bill) come in to talk with the group!  If you fit the description or know someone who would be willing, please reach out to Mrs. DiFonso (bethanne_difonso@wrsd.net) and let her know!   

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New: Kids Hike, PTA Flyers,

 The Week Ahead: 

• Saturday (10/14) 
• Courtyard clean-up! 
• Monday (10/16) Day D
• School Council
• Tuesday (10/17) Day A
  
• Picture Retakes
• Wednesday (10/18) Day B
• Cross Country Meet
• Thursday (10/19) Day C
• Friday (10/20) Day D

Much to celebrate!

I can't believe I am typing this, but we are now midway through the first quarter (how did that happen) and so much has already gone on. Middle School parents may want to review PowerSchool to gauge their student's performance at TPS so far this year. In this short period of time, routines have been created, expectations set, and a ton of learning has already occurred. The PTA has raised over $20,000 for our school and we've also had a ton of fun! To prove that Mrs. DiFonso and I are principals of our word, I include for you here photographic evidence of our duct taping and chicken dancing. 

I don't normally put too much stock in outside group's rating and ranking of schools, however, every once in a while, it is really nice to be recognized. This year, US News has once again ranked TPS as the #1 Middle School in the state. The rankings seem to be largely influenced by testing scores. But I view this as a testament to the work of all our teachers (K through 8), support staff, and of course the effort of our students. I feel lucky to work at such an exceptional place! 

I'd also like to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate our middle schoolers who, eager to take on leadership roles in our school, decided to run for Student Council. Many gave speeches to their peers during lunch, a nerve-wracking feat. We had a tremendous showing and unfortunately, could not take all of the students. Don't worry, we'll still find opportunities for them to lead. I was and continue to be proud of them for putting themselves out there. Congratulations to our new student leaders: 6th grade - Maddox, Brynn, Carrie, Chloe, and Ivan; 7th grade - Jude, Cam, Aurora, Aidan, and Braylon; 8th grade - Lindsey, Erik, Hero, Quinn, Aidan, and Kylie! 

A Message From the Health Office:

Height/Weight, Hearing, and Vision Screenings are scheduled for 10/10 and 10/11 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 for BMI
• 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 BMI screening. To opt out, please complete the opt-out form or communicate with the school nurse at

karina_abbascia@wrsd.net or (978)464-5507. Thank you!

Thomas Prince School PTA, in partnership with Hubbard’s Farm, wants to help you eliminate those holiday decorating and gift worries! Support Thomas Prince School by purchasing some beautiful, greenhouse-grown poinsettias this holiday season.

• 6” Pots $15
• 8” Pots $27
• 10” pots $40

Available in Red and White

To order, visit our online store here. There is a flyer in the electronic folder as well. 

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Looking Ahead: 

• Monday (10/9) 
• No School - Indigenous Peoples Day / Columbus Day
• Tuesday (10/10) Day D
• Election Day
• Day 1 of Screenings 
• Cross Country Meet
• Wednesday (10/11) Day A
• Day 2 of Screenings
• Thursday (10/12) Day B
• Friday (10/13) Day C
• Saturday (10/14) 
• Courtyard clean-up! 

Way Ahead: 

• Tuesday (10/31) We do anticipate having a costume parade led by the TPS marching band that morning. Spectators are welcome. More details to follow. 

Fun times!

It was so nice to see so many families at the Open House this week! It's a great reminder of how fortunate we are and the value we all place on education. As we move into next week, the PTA was able to meet and exceed their goal of $20,000. As a building, we had over 72% participation and on average raised approximately $102/student! All of this means we have to plan for a pajama day, I have to prepare myself to be duct taped, and Mrs. DiFonso has to find a chicken suit! We'll plan to do all three on Tuesday (10/3) and limit the zaniness to one day. 

"Third grade had an amazing trip this week visiting the Plimoth Patuxet Museum!  They were able to step back in time into a 17th-century English Village and Patuxet homesite.  Students saw the things they are learning about in their Massachusetts history books come off the page and into real life.  If you see them, be sure to ask them about their favorite parts of the trip."

- Mrs. Kristoff

As we approach cold and flu season it seems like a good time to remind people...we need subs! If you have some free time during your weeks or would like to learn more about subbing, please reach out. 

The PTA has opened up a new round of Spirit Wear! Check out the updated logo. We love showing our school spirit around here and will plan on some more TPS days in the near future! 

A Note from the PTA:

"We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the families who stopped by our PTA table during Curriculum Night. We truly appreciate your interest and engagement. 

Our Parent-Teacher Association plays a crucial role in supporting our school community, and we would love for you to become a part of it. By joining the PTA, you can actively participate in shaping all TPS students’ educational experiences and help us create a positive and enriching environment for all.

Signing up is easy! Just visit our website https://thomasprincepta.membershiptoolkit.com then log in and select “Become a Member Today”. Your support goes a long way in making TPS an even better place for our students and staff to thrive. You can also join our Facebook Group "TPS Princeton PTA".

Thank you for considering joining the PTA, and once again, thank you for visiting our table at Curriculum Night. We look forward to working together for the benefit of our amazing school community.

Our first Open Meeting of the school year will take place next Thursday, October 5th at 6:00PM in the TPS Library. Everybody is welcome whether or not you are a member. We hope to see you there!"

A School Dismissal Manager reminder: please remember to update any changes/exceptions as they occur. If you have a recurring exception i.e. Cross Country or Lego League etc., please be sure to update this if programs are cancelled. Additionally, with the exception of emergency situations, we kindly ask you not to make phone calls requesting changes after 1:00.  We really want to make sure we get everyone home the appropriate way, and with the DPW continuing to work on roads this adds a layer of complexity to the task. We appreciate your support. 

The district has asked me to share the following letter regarding our Early Literacy Screener with parents of students in K-3. It reviews information about our STAR Early Literacy Screener and steps for students who may have struggled with it. 

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New: Calling Crafters, October Day Schedule, Touch a Truck,

• The Week Ahead: 

  • Monday (10/2) Day C
  • Custodian Appreciation Day
  • Tuesday (10/3) Day D
  • Pajama Day
  • Wednesday (10/4) Day A
  • Walk to School Day
  • Cross Country Meet at Paxton
  • Thursday (10/5) Day B
  • PTA meeting in the library 6:00
  • Friday (10/6) Day C

Fun Run!

I'd like to introduce our newest staff member. This week, we were lucky to have Caitlyn Lafleche join our team as a paraprofessional. She mostly works in 5th and 6th grades but we all know our paraprofessionals jump in to help everywhere so you may hear her name. This means we are nearly fully staffed! We are, however, still looking for help in the kitchen. We have a great team down there in a newly updated kitchen. If you'd like to learn more about joining us, please don't hesitate to reach out with questions or even better, apply here. 

As we look ahead to next week I wanted to remind everyone that Wednesday is a half day with dismissal occurring at 11:55. Please make sure to update your School Dismissal Manager if your child's dismissal will be different on that day. If your child will be taking a different bus or getting off at a different stop, please send them in with a paper note as well to give to the driver. 

This is followed by our Open House on Thursday evening. This year, we are adjusting this from our typical Curriculum Night presentation to a more organic Open House. 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 their children spend many of their waking hours. 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. Explore the building but don't forget to stop by our library! Below you will find a schedule of grade availability. 

Also, the 7th and 8th grades 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. This is not, however, 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. If you would like to have conversations around concerns for your specific child we are happy to schedule a time to meet where there will be less interruption and more privacy for your student. 

• 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
• Specials/Special Education 5:45-6:45

In other big news this week, we are fortunate to be joined by two members of the Princeton Police Department this week. Officer Doyle has completed School Resource Officer training and the police department and district have entered into an agreement to have her serve as our TPS SRO. I had the opportunity to work with her last year and she is a wonderful addition. I love that we have a collaborative relationship with the department. Please know, she is not here to arrest or interrogate students. She's here to build relationships, help students understand the police are here to help and offer support around safety. If this wasn't good enough, Officer Doyle has a new partner your child may have come home talking about. Officer Cruiser is the most adorable chocolate lab comfort dog I have ever seen. He has yet to meet Lady but the building is absolutely buzzing about these two. 

For students in grades 3 through 8, the district will be completing the Panorama survey to determine how to best support our students emotionally. A letter explaining more about it can be found here. After learning about this, if for any reason you would not like your student(s) to participate, you can opt-out through the embedded link. This should be completed by Friday, September 29, 2023 at 5:00. 

We ended the week with some epic fun and color runs! The kids did a great job and had a blast. Thank you to the PTA and the volunteers who made this happen. Also, thank you to everyone who contributed to the cause. I'm currently looking and scheduling the pajama day and duct taping event! Stay tuned! 

Meanwhile, cross-country season is in full swing! They opened up the season with limited practice but participated in the Wachusett Invitational. TPS continues to be a running powerhouse with the boys capturing first place and the girls only missing it by one point. This was without all of our runners so we put the district on notice. I can't wait for the States. They continued their run (pun intended) with a dominant showing on Wednesday against Paxton. As I send this they are running against Holy Family. I'm proud of our student-athletes and their commitment to the sport. Thanks, too, to Coach! 

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The Week Ahead: 

• Monday (9/25) B Day
• Tuesday (9/26) C Day
• 3rd-grade field trip
• Track Meet at Mountview
• Wednesday (9/27) D Day
• Half Day for PD (11:55 Dismissal)
• Thursday (9/28) A Day
• Open House
• Friday (9/29) B Day
• Grades 7 and 8 Field Trip
• Kindergarten Nature Hike

Fun! And Running!

Bus riders! The DPW has been working overtime to get the roads back to where we need them to be. Starting on Monday most families can return to their typical bus stop. We will reach out specifically to those who need a new community stop. Thank you all for your patience on this!

Despite the rain, there were so many cool things going on in the building this week I just have to share. In the 4th grade, students enjoyed a lesson about the migration patterns of monarch butterflies with special guest Jessie Trowbridge. Students learned about their migratory journey to Mexico and read the story "Ghost Wings." Afterward, they tagged a monarch and sent it on its journey outside. Did you know TPS had a monarch waystation garden for butterflies to stop at on their journey south?  

The 6th grade started off the week with a challenge. Students were challenged to travel across "molten lava" (i.e. the outdoor basketball court) across "igneous rocks" (i.e. small dots). They had to work together, plan, and communicate clearly to get their whole group across the lava. This is one of my personal favorite activities. I love it because the group isn't successful if they leave anyone behind. Also, it takes communication and synchronized movement to be successful. The kids did a great job! They initially struggled but persevered and both groups found a way. 

This week, I joined the kindergarten outside in the Bangrazi Courtyard as they completed a volcano experiment. It is such a cool space but so difficult to maintain. It is predominantly maintained through the generous work of volunteers twice each year. Once again we will be opening our school on a Saturday for just this purpose. On Saturday, October 12th we will host our Fall Cleanup! We'll be open from 8:00-2:00. Anyone is welcome to come for the day or even just an hour. You can sign up here. If you have any questions, Elaine Santello is leading the work and can be reached at elaine_santello@wrsd.net. You can learn more about our outdoor spaces on our website. 

This week, the PTA also kicked off their Boosterthon fundraiser! You may have seen some young people dancing outside at drop-off and pick-up or hearing stories of their adventures. We are already off to a great start! If you haven't registered already, simply doing so gets our kids closer to a pajama day. And already, in the first 24 hours since the kickoff, the kids are a third of their way to getting to duct tape me to a wall. I'm starting to wonder if they really like me at all! This will all culminate in our Fun Run and Color Run next Friday afternoon. Keep up the great work! 

A quick reminder about bus changes. If you want your student to ride a different bus or get off at a different stop, along with noting this in School Dismissal Manager, the student needs a physical note to hand the driver. The drivers do not get the SDM reports and often times we do not want to rely on the students for this information. My concern is that eventually, the bus company will not let kids make these adjustments without a note and we'll have a bunch of kids getting off at "unexpected" locations or returning to the school. 

The town rec has asked me to share this survey around Trick or Treating this year: Attention Princeton Redisdents! When do you think our town should Trick or Treat?! Please fill out this survey to let us know! 

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The week ahead: 

• Monday (9/18) 
• Day A
• School Council Meeting
• Tuesday (9/19) 
• Day B
• Wednesday (9/20)
• Day C
• TPS Track Meet
• Thursday (9/21)
• Day D 
• Friday (9/22)
• Day A
• Fun Run and Color Run

And further ahead: 

• Thursday (9/28) 
• Curriculum Night/Open House
• 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
• Specials/Special Education 5:45-6:45