Torey J. Sabatini
School
October 2010 second edition
October
26
Board of Ed Meeting – 7:30 pm
27
Grade 1 Ed Enrich – “Musical Instruments Around the World”
29
Halloween Parades/Parties
29
Theatresports “Improve your Mind”
November
1, 2, 3
1, 2
4,5
11
15
16
17
17
19
24
25,26
Single Session – 12:45 dismissal
Book Fair
Teacher Convention - School Closed
Grade 3 Ed Enrich – “Colonial Life” 10 am
PTO Mtg - 8:45 am
Board of Ed Meeting - 7:30 pm
TJS Walk to School
Grade 5 Ed Enrich – “Lewis & Clark” – 9:30
1st Marking Period Report Cards Issued
Single Session – 12:45 dismissal
Thanksgiving Recess
December
1
Grade 3 Ed Enrich – “Lenapes”
2
Grade 4 Ed Enrich – “Glob, Goo, Guts”
4
Holiday Workshop - 9-12
14
Board of Ed Meeting - 7:30 pm
17
Holiday Concert - 1:30 pm
21
Board of Ed Mtg. - 7:30 pm
23
Single Session – 12:45 dismissal
23
Holiday Sing-a-Long - 11:30 am
24
Holiday Recess
January
3
Classes Resume
Week of November 1st
Next week is a week loaded with meaning
and activity at TJS. A lot is packed into
three short days.
Firstly, all of the three school days are
early dismissal days. Students will be dismissed at 12:45 (with the exception of AM
kindergartners).
The TJS Book Fair is being run on the first
two days and it is a great experience for
our students. What better fundraiser could
we have than one promoting reading? The
PTO has sent home a number of announcements regarding the book fair. Please keep
your eyes open for them. Also, you may
check the website for information.
We are also holding parent/teacher conferences throughout the week. This is a great
opportunity for parents to gain a clear understanding of their child’s current status
and areas of growth from their teacher.
We are looking forward to a great week of
conferences, book fair and learning!
TJS Safety Week
The week of October 25th through 29th is
safety week at TJS. In addition to a general
emphasis on safety in the school, we have several guest presentations scheduled.
On Wednesday, October 27th, the Madison Police Department will be meeting with our students to review Halloween safety precaustions
in addition to several other topics related to
safety.
On Thursday, October 28th, the Madison Fire
Department will be presenting fire safety program to our students. The kindergartners will
even see the fire engine!
Additionally, we are planning other safety oriented programs run by Mr. Gerenstein and Mrs.
Crescas.
Of course, safety is always on our minds at
Torey J. and we work to maintain a safe and secure school. This week symbolizes efforts we
make throughout the year.
Madison Public School District Mission Statement
The Madison School District will inspire
and challenge all students to be life-long
learners, empowered with the knowledge,
skills, and character to shape their futures, realize their dreams, and contribute
positively to the world.
Early Dismissal Schedule
The Torey J. Sabatini School’s
early dismissal time is always 12:45
PM. Kindergarten times are as follows:
•
•
AM Kindergarten—8:40 to 10:30
PM Kindergarten—10:40 to 12:30
Halloween
Halloween is being celebrated this
Friday afternoon with a parade,
parties and a fantastic PTO sponsored presentation. Please see
the back two pages of this newsletter for details.
Parenting Education Coffee
The TJS PTO is sponsoring a series of discussions entitled, “Finding Balance in Parenting—The Middle Ground Between Too
Much and Too Little”. Gary Myers, the director of Grace Counseling Center, will be
leading the discussions.
The first coffee will be taking place at
Karen O’Keeffe’s home on Friday, November
12th at 9:00 AM.
Look for a formal announcement in the next
Jaguar Tales. This is a great way for parents to share concerns and experiences with
each other in a supportive setting. Thanks
to the PTO and Mrs. O’Keeffe for arranging this project.
Dismissal Issues
Classroom Systems
Whenever your child is altering their dismissal
pattern, please send a note into the teacher
and the main office. In fact, an e-mail to the
office is often the best measure to take.
At Torey J., we are constantly working to
make our learning environment more responsive to the students’ needs. Our hope is that
our learning environments are optimal for our
students to thrive in, academically and socially.
We account for each of our students and how
they are getting home. Your help in keeping us
“in the loop” is much appreciated. If a child
does not have a note from a parent informing
us of a change, they will either be held at the
office or be sent on their typically prescribed
mode of transportation.
Dismissal at TJS can be a frenetic experience.
We have more than one exit and parents can
have their children go home in a number of
ways. We are trying our best to make that
process safe by insisting that we are made
aware of your family’s dismissal intentions.
We can then help out accordingly.
Thank you!
Parking Lot
Torey J. has its physical idiosyncrasies. One of
them is a parking lot that is very inviting to walk
through.
Please help us to set a safe example for your child
and walk on our sidewalks. Even once you have left
the official property, please adhere to safety rules
and stay out of the street until crossing.
When crossing the street, please only cross at the
crosswalk. Our crossing guard in that area, Tony,
is a strong advocate for our school and for a safe
environment. Please follow his lead and cross with
him in the appointed area.
Thank you!
One system we have put into place as a school
this year is the “take a break chair”. Every
classroom has a chair designated as the “take
a break chair”. This is not a disciplinary measure, but instead, a method for helping students to monitor their own behavior and take a
sensory break until they are prepared to rejoin the group.
This is a system that is used in many, many
other schools throughout the country and it is
intended to help students better understand
their behavior and how it affects their ability
to function effectively in the classroom.
Staff directs the student to the chair using
language that has been universalized throughout the school. It is largely the student’s own
decision when to return to the group. This
way, students are encouraged to be aware of
themselves and the demeanor they need to
maintain to be most productive.
Common uses for the take a break chair are a
stimulus break. Sometimes children need to
take a break from being overly stimulated.
Another use is to give the student a chance to
sit and focus without the distraction of the
group. Our intention is to provide each classroom with another tool in helping students be
their best, most effective selves.
If you have any further questions, please feel
free to contact your child’s teacher or Mr.
Post.
Thank you!
E-Alerts
How to register for the Madison Public Schools Website, and sign up to
receive E-alerts.
1. Go to our website:
www.madisonpublicschools.org
2. Click on the Register button at the top
right of the page.
3. Enter your birth date and click Submit.
(You must be older than 18 to do this.)
4. Please fill out the form that displays.
Note that there are required fields: First
Name, Last Name, Email Address, Sign-In
Name, Password and Confirming Password.
Tip: We recommend that you at least add
your zip code, as this will enable you to take
advantage of the distance calculation feature on this website.
5. Make sure that the box that says “Please
send me email about Events and Activities”
is selected, and click Submit.
6. You will now see a message that your registration has been accepted.
7. Please sign into the website now using the
Sign-In Name and password that you just
assigned yourself. This can be done by either clicking on the Sign In button at the
top right of the site, or by clicking on the
hyperlink below the Acceptance Message.
8. Once signed in, you will need to click on
the Access My Info button that appears at
the top right of the page.
options for each school.
9. You will now see your profile displayed
and available to edit if necessary. Please
scroll down until you see My E-Alerts &
Subscriptions.
10. Click on Edit Subscriptions.
11. At this point, you will be able to select
any sections on our website to
which you would like to subscribe. This
subscription will enable you to
receive email messages from the editors
of these sections, if they decide to
announce a significant update on their
pages.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please check the
box next to the DISTRICT Homepage
AND next
to EACH SCHOOL Homepage that applies
to you or your child/children (e.g. TJS,
CAS, KRS, MJS, MHS). Click the drop
down box to access the subscription
12. Please select any additional pages that
may apply to you or your child/children,
for example: teacher page(s), athletic
page(s), etc.
13. Scroll to the very bottom and click on
Subscribe. You will now be set to receive
important alerts from our website.
NJ ASK
Please be aware, when making plans, that
the testing week for the NJ ASK in
grades 3, 4 and 5 is the week of May 9th
through May 13th.
It is crucial that students, if healthy, are
present during the testing weeks. Your
help in ensuring their presence is much
appreciated. Thank you!
Halloween Celebrations
TJS Green Team
As Halloween approaches, it is necessary to
remind parents of the potentially life threaten- TJS has an exciting group named the Green
ing danger of food allergies to certain students Team. This is a group focused on 4th graders
in our school.
who spend a recess/lunch period each month
engaging in TJS projects to raise awareness
The issue of food allergies can be incredibly seri- regarding the three Rs...reuse, reduce and
ous for many students. Peanut and tree nut prod- recycle.
ucts are particularly problematic, but other foods
such as dairy, eggs and wheat can also cause stu- The group is headed by Mrs. Niper, one of our
dents health problems. The extreme end of the
second grade teachers, and Mrs. Tom, one of
spectrum in terms of a health risk is anaphylaxis, our parents. The students are very excited to
when the bodily systems experience a shut down be part of the Green Team. They are anxious
due to exposure to the substance in question.
to learn more about the three Rs and to help
educate their peers at TJS.
This danger is particularly acute during holiday
celebrations, when consuming goodies is the order Thanks in advance to Mrs. Niper and Mrs. Tom
of the day. If you are a child whose safety defor heading this project!
pends upon never consuming the wrong food, a
party is a true obstacle course. With certain children, even bodily contact with the wrong subTJS Enrichment
stance can be disastrous.
As we approach Halloween and the holiday parties, Each of the schools in Madison is developing an
enrichment committee comprised of parents
please keep the following in mind:
and staff to plan the direction of whole school
* Nut products are forbidden in “nut-free class- enrichment activities.
rooms”. Please carefully adhere to classroom
guidelines.
* Students must consume all goodies within the
class during the party. Goody bags and other
treats designed to leave the class with the
students are forbidden.
* Crafts and activities involving nut products are
forbidden.
If you have any question pertaining to holiday
celebrations, please consult your child’s
teacher.
By working together, we can try to ensure the
safety of all our children during this exciting
time. Thanks!
This committee will meet several times a year
to review the opportunities that exist for the
entire student body that enrich and supplement the curriculum. Present examples of
these opportunities are educational enrichment, cultural arts and the drama club.
Parents who are interested should contact
Mrs. Empson via e-mail
(empsonj@madisonpublicschools.org).
The first two interested parents to contact
the school will be the parent representatives
of the committee.
Happy Halloween!!!
The Torey J. Sabatini School Halloween celebration promises to be lots of
fun for all!! We are looking forward to a parade, class parties and an assembly for our whole school. Halloween will be celebrated at TJS on Friday,
October 29th. The Halloween Parade will start promptly at 12:50 PM.
Please note the following guidelines regarding Halloween:
Kindergarten students may not wear masks.
Students may not bring toy weapons of any kind to school, even if it is
part of their costumes.
Students may go home to change into their costumes during lunch. They
must be picked up by a parent or guardian to go home for lunch (11:45
to 12:35). On Monday, October 25th, teachers will be making a list of
students who will be going home for lunch on Halloween. Please make
these arrangements by Monday so we can have an accurate list. Students who stay in school may change into their costumes after they eat
lunch.
Please make sure your child(ren) is back to school and in their classroom
by 12:35 if they go home to change. It is crucial that they be on
time, since we will not start the parade until everyone returns.
Our Halloween Parade will begin promptly at 12:50 PM and will proceed
around the playground, out to Woodland Road, and back to school by
way of the path off of Woodland Road. Classroom parties and the assembly will take place following the parade.
Please make sure to review any after-school plans you have made with your
children thoroughly. Make sure they know
precisely where you want them to go, and with whom, at 3:15. This is a
very exciting day for our students and taking extra effort to ensure
that plans are clear to them will be extremely worthwhile for everyone.
11:45 to 12:35 – lunch / recess
12:50 to 1:20 – Halloween Parade
The general schedule for the day is:
11:45 to 12:35 – lunch / recess
12:50 to 1:20 – Halloween Parade
1:20 to 1:50 – classroom parties
1:50 – PTO Cultural Arts Assembly
3:15 – dismissal
Thank you for your cooperation!!! Halloween at TJS will be great fun and by
working together, we can ensure that the children are safe and secure while
they have their holiday fun.
Important Note:
If your child is going home for lunch and not returning for the Halloween Parade and party, you must send a note to their teacher to excuse them from
school, regardless of their grade. Thank you for your help!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------——————
*****Please Return to Your Child’s Teacher *****
My child _____________________________
_____ WILL LEAVE AT LUNCH TIME to change into
a costume and will return for the Parade.
_________________________
Parent Signature