Leaves

by Elsie N. Brady

How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the ground

To lay a carpet, rich and rare,

Beneath the trees without a care,

Content to sleep, their work well done,

Color gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly

Until they nearly reach the sky.

Twisting, turning through the air

Till all the trees stand stark and bare.

To wait, like children, for the snow.

October

Monday, October 3rd~ BOE Meeting in the BOE Conference Room, 8:00 PM

Wednesday, October 5th~ School Closed for Yom Kippur

Friday, October 7th~ Marking Period 1 Mid-Point

Monday, October 10th~ 12:30 PM Dismissal for Staff Professional Development

Friday, October 14th~ Marking Period 1 Interim Reports released at 12:00 PM

Tuesday, October 18th~ School Picture Day

Monday, October 24th~ BOE Meeting in the BOE Conference Room, 8:00 PM

Monday, October 31st~ Halloween

The teachers will take the opportunity to enter comments about your child(ren) and how they are doing with the content in each class. These comments are compiled in a Mid-Marking Period Interim Report. This will continue for each marking period of the school year.

If you have any questions about any of the comments on the Interim Report and/or grades that you see in the Grading module, please feel free to contact the teacher(s) for more information.

The Mid-Marking Period Interim Reports will be available for parents to view on Friday, October 14th at 12:00 PM.

We are collecting plastic film in the three containers outside of CDW. Once a month, from October through April, our CDW students in the Environmental Justice classes will retrieve the collection bags, weigh the contents, and track our collections. Our custodians will then bring our recycling to the collection center. In April, we will find out how our school ranked in the collection of recyclable plastic film. If we collect the most in our school size category, we could win another Trex bench for our outdoor classroom! Last year we collected 1,796 lbs of plastic!

Please see the flyer below for more information!

On September 23, 2022, the May, 2022 NJSLA 5-8 ELA/Math and Grades 5 & 8 Science score reports were mailed home. If you did not receive your child(ren)'s NJSLA score report, please reach out to Ms. Santa at santaj@nvnet.org.

During the week, Mr. Fearon took his students to the outdoor classroom. The students enjoyed the beautiful weather and views while learning about the Civil War.

Ms. Osbahr's choir practices are not only about singing songs. At choir practice this week, the students participated in an exercise that allowed them to understand how to breathe correctly to produce the greatest sounds.

Reminders and Updates from CDW's Student Manager

The soccer team defeated Haworth on Wednesday with a score of 4-3. The goals were scored by Sean Mahler, Liam Agans, Chace Rosenfeld and Tim Mahler. The defense was once again solid shutting down a late rally from Haworth.

On Thursday, September 29th, the team fell short to Northvale with a score of 1-0. The Knight's new record is now 2 wins and 2 losses.

The Volleyball team won their second game on Wednesday, defeating Haworth in two sets. Every player played a big part in the win. Eighth grade leaders Alivia Badurina, Ava Esteves, and Finley Zimmerman led big charges and scored big points. Bailey West and Ava Richards held the front line and had big sets and spikes. Layla Dyer, Leah Savino, and Olivia Galow had big serves to help secure the win! Big thank you to book keeper Jillian Baffer. The girl's next game is today against Northvale at home.

Although it was a great match, the Knights fell short to Northvale by just 2 points in the last set on Thursday! Their record is now 2 wins and 2 losses.

When you deliver the items to the main office, please label them with "Art Room." Thank you in advance for your support and generosity!

The CDW Class of 2023 is selling Harvest Kits that will be delivered right to your door! Order directly with this LINK. When ordering, be sure to choose "OLD TAPPAN 8TH GRADE FUNDRAISER."

If you would like to purchase insurance for your child(ren)'s school issued Chromebook, please refer to the information below, or you may purchase directly from smarttechinsurance.com/old-tappan.

All students applying to Bergen Academies/Tech, Private or Catholic schools must email Ms. Adamo by October 3; she will then provide you with important information to assist with the application process. Her email is adamoj@nvnet.org.

Ms. Adamo also has a Google Classroom to assist with all aspects of the transition process to high school. Every 8th grader has been invited to join her classroom. If you would like to schedule an appointment to discuss the application process, please email Ms. Adamo at adamoj@nvnet.org.

As you know, safety is always a first priority for our students. Now that the school year is underway, it's a good time to be reminded of the guidance, which can be found in the CDW Student Handbook which states: "Parents are encouraged not to bring forgotten articles to the school. In the event that a student requires a forgotten essential (i.e. medication, eyeglasses, a dietary need etc.), the parent should contact/report to the main office to arrange to have the item(s) delivered to the student. The school will not disrupt the morning or afternoon session to deliver Chromebooks, chargers, or other non-essential items to students during the school day."

Although we want your child(ren) to be successful in school and to have what they need to succeed, we also want your child(ren) to learn independence. We will continually work with your child(ren) on organizational methods if necessary. Just reach out!

The CDW Picture Day will be on Tuesday, October 18th. The students will bring home a form in the beginning of October that will provide information about how to order pictures. All students will take an individual photo that day, whether a package is purchased or not. There will be retakes in November, and more information about that will be provided at another time.

*Grade 8 students: This will be the picture that is used for the 2023 Yearbook.

The PTO Grade 8 Committee will be hosting a Clothing Drive on Saturday, November 19th from 9:00 AM-2:00 PM. See below for specific information.

Start cleaning out your closets now!

Membership in the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) at Charles DeWolf Middle School is open to any seventh grade student who meets all the following membership requirements at the end of the third marking period in 2023:

• Has a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.70 in academic (social studies, language arts, math, science and Spanish) subjects, with no grade below a B- in any subject (including cycle classes) for ALL marking periods of the 2022-2023 school year.

• Demonstrates outstanding scholarship, leadership, service, character, and citizenship.
• Accumulates no more than six unexcused tardies. Tardies will only be considered excused if a doctor's note is submitted to the School Nurse.

• Accumulates no detentions related to behavior in violation of the CDW Code of Conduct.
• Performs eight hours of documented community service from a recognized nonprofit, community, or education organization from 9/1/2022-4/21/2023. Virtual service hours will no longer be accepted. Please note that there will be no extension of this date. Students should provide documentation on the organization’s letterhead when submitting their applications in April.

• Completes at least three marking periods of the 7th grade year at CDW (unless a student moves into district and has been inducted as a member in another district).

During the week of April 24, 2023, eligible students will be identified and invited to apply

for admission to the NJHS by email. An email will also be sent to parents of eligible

students. The induction ceremony will be held during the week of May 15, 2023 (subject to

change).

Students should either bring their lunch from home each day, or parents may order through one of the approved vendors for delivery to CDW. If you order lunch from an approved vendor for delivery, please make sure the vendor knows your child's first and last name and grade level. This will help to ensure your child receives their lunch on time. At times, we understand that a parent/guardian may need to drop off lunch at school. All lunches need to be placed on the table with the green tablecloth in the vestibule.

5th/6th Grade Lunch ~ 11:27AM-12:01 PM

7th/8th Grade Lunch ~ 12:10PM-12:44 PM

Drop-Off

• Drop-off is on Interschool Drive. As soon as you reach the cones, please have your child(ren) exit the vehicle.
• For the safety of all students, we ask that you stay in your vehicle at drop-off and dismissal.
• Please do not use the upper faculty parking lot for drop-off/pick-up/or exiting of school grounds during school hours. CDW faculty and BOE-approved bus companies are the only vehicles permitted in the upper lot.
• Please do not park in any staff parking spots when dropping off or picking up students.
• Please do not exit your vehicle and leave your vehicle unattended on Interschool Drive.
• There will be adult supervision starting at 8:10 AM, and the doors will open at 8:20 AM. If there is inclement weather, students will be ushered into the school gymnasiums at 8:00 AM.
• The students in Grades 5 & 6 will line up on the blacktop in the back of the school near the basketball courts.
• The students in Grades 7 & 8 will line up on the blacktop by the 7th and 8th Grade Wing Exterior Door.
• Once you pull up to the cones on Interschool Drive, please have your child(ren) exit the vehicle. This allows many students to be dropped off at the same time and allows the line to move quickly.
• Please do not park in any staff parking spots when dropping off or picking up students.
• Please do not block any parking spots along the front side of the building at Pick-Up.

Dismissal

• Please arrange a meeting area with your child(ren) so that you can locate them efficiently.
• Please do not park and/or exit your vehicle regardless of your child(ren) being at TBD or CDW.
• Please do not block designated emergency lanes that connect TBD and CDW.
• Please use both lanes on Interschool Drive for Pick-Up. A staff member will be available to cross your child(ren).

General Traffic Rules Regarding Parking

• Never park in a "No Parking, Fire Lane." These lanes are designated with yellow paint in diagonal lines on the pavement along with the words, "No Parking Fire Lane."
• Never park along a curb that is painted yellow and leave your vehicle unattended.
• Do not double park (park your vehicle beside another vehicle that is in a designated parking space).

The PTO is looking for volunteers throughout the school year!

Volunteers play a huge part in the PTO and what we are able to offer the students and teachers. Without volunteers, many of the programs that students, teachers, and families enjoy will not be able to happen. Volunteer descriptions can be found at: OTPTO.org under "More Info" and then "Flyers."

If you have interest in joining the PTO Board, joining or running a committee, or just want to learn more- please reach out to the PTO by visiting OTPTO.org and selecting "Contact Old Tappan PTO" under the Help tab.

Instagram: cdw_middle

Email: santaj@nvnet.org
Website: https://cdw.oldtappanschools.org/
Location: 275 Old Tappan Road, Old Tappan, NJ, USA
Phone: 201-664-1475
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OldTappanSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @OldTappanSD