
The TES Times
November 2022
Dear TES Families,
It was wonderful to see all of you during parent-teacher conferences earlier this month. We value your partnership in your child's education and look forward to working with you to make their experience at TES a truly positive and productive one. We have so much to be thankful for here at TES! Please read below about upcoming activities and about what your children have been up to during the month of November.
Wishing you all a very happy holiday season!
Sincerely,
Lisa Moore
Principal
TES November Gobblings
Parent Night Presentation - Please Fill Out the Survey
The Wellness Team (Mrs. Donovan, Mrs. Cutri-french, Mrs. Cullen, Mrs. Morogiello and Mrs. Verderamo) would like to co-host a parent night with the PTA and TEF on a topic of the community's choice. When you have a minute please click here and let us know what you would like us to present.
Pre-K Corner
So Much to Be Thankful For!
Happy Thanksgiving! Pre K has been learning about the holiday, and discussing all things thankful! So much to be thankful for! Students have been expressing their thanks for choo choo train toys, tractors, family, school buses, friends and stuffed animals-just to name a few. The little ones have also been practicing counting to 10 using ten frames! You may hear them practicing on their own, "One like my nose, two like my eyes...." In Fundations, students have learned the letter Ll and demonstrated success writing it! They are very proud and so are we! Gobble! Gobble!
- Mrs. Kovalsky
Kindergarten Happenings
A Month of Gratitude in Kindergarten
November is a month to reflect on the things we are thankful for. Kindergarten has been learning about the character trait of "Gratitude" this month. The children are learning that there are so many things, both big and small, to be grateful for. Several studies published on gratitude support an association between gratitute and an individual's happiness.
The children have also been learning about the first Thanksgiving. We have been comparing and contrasting the lives of the Pilgrims, Native Americans, and present day Americans. The children have been amazed at how many conveniences we now have to make life easier.
- Mrs. Gentile and Mrs. Perticari
Art Appeal
Trees by Kindergarten Artists
A flying fantasy in fourth grade...
Wild Things in Second Grade
Check Us Out!
Our TES hallways are filled with wonderful artwork from our talented students. We were very proud that each student had at least one piece of work displayed during Parent/Teacher Conferences. Our Kindergarten display features colorful autumn tree collages. They are now learning the ancient art of weaving and that weaving is a form of Functional Art. First grade scarecrows are on display and they are now working on an abstract artwork based on the style of artist Jean Miro. Second grade “Wild Things” look great in our hallways and they have just began their clay unit learning to make Native American style coil pots. They are also learning that pottery is a Functional Art. 3rd grade Mondrian style fish designs are on display and they are now learning about the Native American art of totem poles. Fourth grade surrealistic collages are on display and in class they are working on mythical creature sculptures. This is a great exercise for imagination while learning more advanced clay building techniques. All projects, as always, will be displayed throughout our hallways when completed.
- Mrs. Wadler
First Grade Chronicles
First grade has been busy this month! We had our first field trip of the year! We went to Centenary College to see “A Year with Frog and Toad!” In math, we have been learning about subtraction. We also learned that addition and subtraction are opposites. Did you know that if you know 1 fact you actually know 4 related facts in all! In writing, we are wrapping up our Opinion writing unit. We have been writing our opinions and supporting them with reasons! In Social Studies class we have been talking about our families. We created family trees! We learned that our families are made up of people who love us and help us. We also talked about some of our family traditions. What is your favorite family tradition? Finally, we created a thankful turkey and wrote about things we are thankful for. The first grade is thankful for so many things… our families, our friends, our toys, and our teachers! Happy Thanksgiving!
- Mrs. Chapman, Ms. Picardo, Ms. Piesla, and Mrs. Saksa
Second Grade Scoop
Financial Fun!
Second Graders Learn about SAVING!
Second grade students ended their Social Studies unit entitled “Meeting our Needs and Wants” by decorating a savings container and discussing ways to earn as well as save money in order to buy something special. Students came up with creative ways to both earn and save such as raking leaves, setting the table, and even putting away money given from the tooth fairy!! The teachers were pleased with how the students embraced this very important idea! More practice with this concept will be worked on as second grade classrooms begin their “Money Market” program where students will earn “play” money over the course of a month and then purchase items at the classroom store! Not only will the students continue to learn to save for what they want to buy, they will also get a lot of practice counting money and understanding money values! Here’s to our future Financial Wizards!!
- Mrs. Bristow, Mr. Frankosky, Ms. Piesla, Mrs. Nugent, and Mr. Strange
Math in Focus Online Access
Did you know?
Just a reminder that you and your child have access to the Math in Focus e-materials via Clever. Take a minute and check out these resources:
https://clever.com/in/tewksbury/district-admin/portal
Third Grade Buzz
Connecting to the World
Third Graders are Global Citizens! In social studies we learned about our connection to the world through map studies, exploring the labels on our foods and products, and following the journey of raw materials such as cocoa. We explored the concept of culture while learning about other countries.
In science we continued to use maps to help us understand weather and climate. Do you know what factors impact climate? We do! We also learned about extreme weather, and its connection to climate. Our final project was an experiment to create weatherproof homes.
- Mrs. Emge, Ms. Kouzis, Mrs. Fuentes, Mrs. Pill, and Mrs. Nichols
The Library Review
Learning About Folktales
In the Library Media Center this month, we started our study of traditional literature, focusing on folktales. Our younger students learned about story variation by exploring a variety of versions of The Three Little Pigs. One lesson our older students enjoyed was the reading of the Native American story, The Great Ball Game. Ask them which animals would play on their ultimate animal sports team! It makes for a very exciting debate!
- Ms. Rose-Mason
Fabulous Fourth Grade
What Can You Tell Us About Resources?
The 4th graders have been busy this month as they learned about renewable and non-renewable resources and how we can minimize our impact on the earth’s natural resources. Students also dove into division learning multiple strategies to solve long division problems. At the end of the month students will participate in the second of five sessions that are part of the Wellness Program sponsored by TEF. The goal of this year-long program is to teach students the importance of healthy eating and regular exercise.
- Mrs. DelGrande, Mrs. Forsythe, Mrs. Fuentes, Mrs. Palmer, and Ms. Wade-Taffera
TES Club News
Garden Club
Chess Club
Yearbook Survey - We Need Your Input!
Yearbook club got off to a good start! We have 30 students involved and will be doing everything from taking photos, editing and helping create the pages, organizing and promoting the sales of our 2022-23 OTS/TES yearbook. If you are interested in submitting school photos for the yearbook please use the community link here:
Website: https://community.lifetouch.com/invite?code=TEWKSBURY-23
Yearbook Invite Code: TEWKSBURY-23
Also, we are asking families to fill out the Yearbook survey:
https://forms.gle/ZudM8GVwD7JRRnzw5
This will help us bring you a great yearbook!
Any questions please reach out to Mrs. Rinehart
The Musical Express
Getting to Know You!
It's been a wonderful first few weeks getting to know the students in K through Grade 3! Kindergarten and First Grade students have been learning Jingle Bell Rock and Deck the Halls in anticipation of our school sing-along in December and our Winter Concert on January 19th. First Grade students have also been exploring sounds from around the world and learning about how our voices produce high and low vibrations. Grade Two students have been learning about solfege. Syllables are assigned to the notes of the scale and enables the musician to meantally hear the pitches of a piece of music being seen and then to sing them out loud. Grade Three students have been learning about the classical period in music history. The composers they are learning about include Mozart, Haydn, and DeBussey.
- Mr. Shaffer
From Ms. Morogiello, School Nurse
The Flu Has Started Early This Year
Flu vaccines are NJ state mandated for children under the age of 60 months who attend preschool or daycare. So, if your child is coming to Pre-K at TES, please send your flu vaccine information to Nancy Morogiello, School Nurse. Proof of vaccination needs to be received by December 31, 2022. Students who are not in compliance risk exclusion from school in January. Flu vaccines are not required if a student has a religious exemption or a documented medical exemption for the vaccine.
Flu season has arrived earlier than usual this year. Influenza activity is elevated across the country and is high statewide. Between October 8, 2022 and November 12, 2022, there have been 16,122 cases confirmed by testing in NJ. This does not account for those who did not seek medical care.
The Flu, COVID and the common cold share similar symptoms. Although the Flu is common, it can cause serious illness. The chart from the Cleveland Clinic compares symptoms of the Flu vs COVID vs Cold.
If your child has any symptoms, please keep him/ her home to prevent the spread of illness at school.
- Mrs. Morogiello, School Nurse
If you have any student health-related questions, please contact Nancy Morogiello at nmorogiello@tewksburyschools.org or 908-832-2594 x2011. Report student absences prior to 9:00 AM by inputting to Pick Up Patrol.
Counselor's Corner
"My family", "My friends", "My teachers", "My classmates", "The internet", "A roof over my head", "Happiness", "Food", "The earth", "Dogs", "Sports", "Trees", "The Sun", "My pets", "The Oceans", "Vacations", "Thanksgiving", " Video Games", "My stuffed llama", and "TES because everyone is very kind and helpful."
These are just some of the words written on the leaves of our GRATITUDE TREE in the main hallway at TES. Here at TES, November and Thanksgiving is the perfect time for us all to be mindful of all of the many things and people were are grateful for.
- Mrs. Donovan, School Counselor
Español Express
Monstruos y Mascotas!
In grades K-1 students are learning family members in Spanish, using some songs and games. Grade 2 is also practicing family vocabulary with family portraits by the Colombian artist Fernando Botero. 3rd graders finished up practicing body parts by creating unique monsters and writing about them. Now they are delving into the world of mascotas (which is the fun word for "pet" in Spanish) and will be graphing the most common pets in their grade. 4th graders are continuing to develop some basic writing skills in Spanish and also getting a turn to play teacher by taking turns leading our daily calendar routine!
- Mrs. Obercian
Technology
Coding is Cool
Third and fourth grade students have been enjoying the Ozobot Robots. They have been coding the Ozobot to reach the Gratitude Tree and they've learned about all the things they are thankful for. Third grade students read Balloons over Broadway and learned the history behind the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Then students created their own Balloons and we will be using the Ozobot to watch them parade around the room! In the younger grades students have been using the program, CodeMonkey, to be introduced to sequencing and loops. Coding will continue into December as we prepare for the Hour of Code!
- Ms. Rinehart
Health & Physical Education Update
Do the Locomotion!
Kindergarten and first grade classes have been learning and refining locomotor skills (skipping and galloping). They are also practicing how to move their bodies safely in space with others, in self-space and within levels through lead up games and activities. Grades 2, 3 and 4 have been honing their football skills by continuing to practice throwing and catching with proper form, working on offensive and defensive play, demonstrating sportsmanship and teamwork all the while. All grade levels continue to work on their fitness through various fitness games and activities.
- Mr. Wooby and Ms. Mukherjee
November is So Beautiful at TES
Lunch at TES
https://tewksburyschools.nutrislice.com/menu/tewksbury-elementary/lunch/2022-11-01
TEF Information
Join Us for a Free Family STEM Night!
Members of the Tewksbury Education Foundation have been busy planning the Family STEM Night! On Thursday, December 1st, from 6:30-8:30 PM, the STEM experience comes to life at TES.
We will fill the school with exciting STEM-based fun designed to capture the imagination through hands-on participation. There will be telescopes in the parking lot and snakes and turtles in the cafetorium. This all age event includes everything from coding, personal fitness, veterinary and human medicine, archaeology, rocket launches, ozobots, chemistry, composting, gummy bear catapulting, architecture and more! This is an opportunity to experience just some of the STEM-based programs we bring directly into your students classrooms.
Activities include a mix of drop-in and sign-up stations and live demonstrations. So be sure to come early so as not to miss the Scrappy Circuits Performances or the Raritan Headwaters Microplastics Demonstrations or our Star Lab... the list goes on!
- Hope Kaufman