Let's Talk TPS
February 7, 2024
The Year of the Dragon
Lunar New Year - also known as the Chinese New Year, Seollal in Korea, Tet in Vietnam and more - begins this Saturday, February 10th. The Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. This year, it’s the Year of the Dragon.
Now, if you are unfamiliar with the Chinese Zodiac (which is different than our Western version - Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc.), it repeats a 12-year cycle of animal signs, in order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
Dragons are considered the most powerful of all the signs, and are interestingly the only mythical creature in the Zodiac. According to Chinese folklore, the twelve participated in a great race to the Jade Emperor to determine the order of the zodiac signs. How is it possible that the dragon came in 5th? As the story goes, the dragon noticed that the rabbit was stuck in the middle of the river and stopped to help. There’s a lesson in that for all of us!
It’s important to note that different regions across Asia celebrate the Lunar New Year in many ways and may follow a modified timeframe or a different zodiac (with varying animals). Like many holidays, the Lunar New Year often includes cleaning and decorating the home, and celebrating a feast with family and friends. But other customs and traditions (e.g., the Lantern Festival in China) will vary. Through our district’s diversity, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to learn about and experience some of these differences firsthand.
For all who are celebrating, I wish you a very happy and healthy Lunar New Year. And if you are a “dragon,” well, this is YOUR year! Go do something great!
Yours in Education,
Michael Ben-David J.D./M.Ed.
Superintendent of Schools
TMS Valentine's Day Fundraiser for St. Jude's
TMS' 6th & 7th grade Peer Leadership groups (Ambassadors) have been holding a Valentine's Day fundraiser of colorful little teddy bears to raise funds for St. Jude's Children's Hospital for Cancer Research. Raising money for causes such as this encourages the students to give back to those who are less fortunate. Also, the Ambassadors get the opportunity to sell the items and practice leadership skills at the same time. What a cute and great way to help others - and they achieved their $800 goal!
Spelling Bees A-B-O-U-N-D
This year in Tenafly, the elementary schools embraced a thrilling new challenge - the inaugural Elementary Spelling Bee. In December, grades 3-5 engaged in a qualifying Google Form where the top wordsmiths from each school emerged. The top contenders from each school then faced each other in their school's gymnasium - in front of their peers and family members - in an effort to be named Spelling Bee Champion. The champions, including this year's winner from Tenafly Middle School, will now represent their respective school at the North Jersey Spelling Bee at Bergen Community College in March.
Here are the first and second place (if applicable) champions:
TMS
1st Place- Cailee Shin, grade 7
2nd Place- Ethan Choi, grade 6
Mackay:
1st Place - Skyler Lee, grade 4
Maugham (see top of newsletter):
1st Place - William Yoon, grade 5
2nd Place - Milla Mirosh, grade 4
Smith (pictured here above):
1st Place - Jiseong Kim, grade 5
2nd Place -Hudson Kang, grade 5
Stillman:
1st Place - Isabella Cho, grade 5
2nd Place - Christopher Thompson, grade 4
NOTE: The introduction of the spelling bee to our elementary schools set the stage for a thrilling journey of words, knowledge, and friendly competition that we hope to continue for years to come!
Mackay Hosts Black History Month Show
In celebration of Black History Month, Mackay School held an assembly for grades 2 through 5 presented by Pushcart Players. “Lift Every Voice - A Letter to the Editor" is a play that includes historical touchstones such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Little Rock Nine, the Greensboro sit-ins, and the Civil Rights Movement. The story celebrates the courage and resilience of everyday Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. This year's assembly was selected by the school's Cultural Arts Committee and funded by their HSA.
SOUPER Bowl at Stillman
The SOUPER BOWL OF CARING is a national movement that inspires people to tackle hunger in their local communities. By tying it to the BIG GAME on Super Bowl Sunday, over 300,000 groups have participated in this special event. At Stillman, the WITS (World Improvement by Tenafly Students) Club members (grades 3-5) are collecting canned and dry goods in the Stillman School Main Lobby. They have 2 final team boxes of collections to see who wins the Stillman School Souper Bowl. All donations will be going to the Englewood Center for Food Action after the Super Bowl this Sunday.
There's still time to contribute - even virtually - see the flyer for more details. The children like to see their efforts working so successfully to aid others in need.
Medals for the THS Science Olympiad Team
Tenafly High School Science Olympiad Group has been collecting lots of medals at various recent events! In fact, this season is the first time that THS has won a medal in the Ivy League Science Olympiad Invitationals. Below is a summary of their recent accomplishments which has helped THS gain recognition amongst the Science Olympiad circle:
Princeton University Science Olympiad (PUSO) Invitational on February 3. More than 50 high schools from the East Coast region participated.
Chem Lab: 6th place (Andrew Lee and Derek Cho, grade 12)
Fossils: 5th place (Kiran Muttiah, grade 10 and Edmund Hod, grade 11)
Optics : 5th place (Gangyun (Tony) Yoo, grade 11 and Derek Cho, grade 12)
Wind Power: 3rd place (Kai Song and Derek Cho, grade 12)
Columbia University Science Olympiad (CUSO) invitationals on January 27.
Wind Power: 1st Place (Derek Cho and Kai Song, grade 12)
Material Science: 3rd Place (Helen Yui and Andrew Lee, grade 12)
NJ Regionals held at Union College NJ on January 5. Twenty two teams participated -- THS placed 5th overall, qualifying to move onto the State finals to be held on March 14th at Middlesex College, NJ. The team medaled in the following events:
Air Trajectory: (Yuval Amitai, grade 10 and Noah Jackson, grade 10)
Chem Lab: (Derek Cho, grade 12 and Andrew Lee, grade 12)
Code Busters: (Dominic Miller, grade 11 and Insuh (Sarah) Baek, grade 11)
Fossils: (Kiran Muttaiah, grade 10 and Edmond Hod, grade 11)
Optics: (Yuanning (Helen) Hui, grade 12 and Derek Cho, grade 12)
Tower: (Ananjay Anchilla, grade 9 and Noah Jackson, grade 10)
Congrats to all and wishing you well in the State finals!
The 26th Annual Tenafly 5K Run & Dog Walk - Sunday, June 2nd
Registration is now open for the Tenafly 5K Run & Dog Walk which will be held on Sunday, June 2, 2024. FYI: Early bird discounted pricing is available through February 28!
This annual event is a town highlight every year, bringing families together for a day of health and fitness while raising funds to benefit Tenafly Public Schools! This day has something for all ages and all abilities! Whether you and your family want to run or walk the 5K or Dog 5K, participate in the 1-mile Fun Run or volunteer to help, we encourage you to participate! Our elementary schools compete for the TEF Cup while the Middle and High Schools vie for the TEF Master Cup, each awarded to the school with the most participation. More information and registration is available at www.tenafly5k.com.
