TPS District Newsletter

Dear TPS Community,

Happy New Year 2025!

I hope this message finds you warm, refreshed and ready to begin the second half of our school year. As we come back together, I want to take a moment to reflect on both the opportunities and challenges that the new year presents us.

First, New Englanders are no stranger to winter weather. Yet, the recent frigid temperatures have kept many of us indoors, making it more difficult for our students to play, explore, and release their natural energy, or even get exercise and fresh air. We hope you can all appropriately take advantage of the time indoors and as needed have some of the fun with the learning resources we have shared with you in the newsletter to keep our students’ minds engaged.

Meanwhile, our thoughts are with the communities in California enduring devastating wildfires. The stark contrast between these two extremes of nature underscores the shared need for resilience and compassion, whether on opposite sides of the classroom or across the country. It is a poignant reminder that our students are growing up in a world that demands empathy, adaptability, and a commitment to understanding and supporting one another. These are values we strive to cultivate in our classrooms every day.

As we step into this new year together, there is much work to do. So let us remain focused on our shared goals of growth, kindness, and connection and let’s make 2025 a year to remember for all the great reasons.

Sincerely,

Brenda Theriault-Regan

One Call Now, our emergency alert system, will notify parents of school closures, cancellations, early dismissals or delays via phone call or text.

Every student parents/guardians' first two phone numbers in our student database, Aspen, are automatically enrolled for One Call Now phone calls. For the fastest possible notification, we highly recommend opting into text messaging. Text the word ALERT to 22300 via a contact number listed in Aspen to receive text messages.

Please see a full breakdown of opt in and opt out procedures, plus additional information on when calls and texts are utilized here.

Do you love Wordle? Candy Crush? Connections? Did you know that when you play these games, you are growing your sequential problem solving skills and vocabulary at the same time?

If you love those type of challenges, take a look at the website First In Math!

Title I Massachusetts school districts have been provided access to First in Math until March 31, 2025. Through this access, districts in the state are competing against each other for bragging rights for improved creative problem solving and computational thinking skills. This software is available for use as an additional resource in classrooms and at home for every single person (students, families, staff, and friends). We are playing as the Tewksbury team (see below).

This is not your typical online skill practice site! The platform includes FUN activities and games that can extend math knowledge and practice for Kindergarten - early Algebra students. The site provides fun puzzles and games for fact fluency and automaticity, measurement, computational thinking, word problems, coding, and more.

Parents/Guardians: We are hoping you will allow your child(ren) at least 5 minutes a day (or whatever time you can in the week) to participate in this challenge. They can use the site on a computer or phone, and so can the rest of the family! Find your challenge and help Tewksbury win. Help our brains think better too! Let's beat Billerica, Wilmington, and all the towns around us in this friendly challenge!

There are no individual accounts, so we are playing as a district against other districts.

Website: http://www.FirstInMath.com

User ID: tewks

Password: lovemath

Team name: gleam42ma

Good luck! Let's bring home those bragging rights to Tewksbury!

Parents / guardians of incoming Kindergarten students are welcomed to select a registration meeting date and time, which begins January 13, 2025. Prior to the appointment, families must complete the online registration documents and upload the supporting documents.

Please click here to view the Kindergarten Parent Information presentation.

Please find our Kindergarten flyer here or via the button above. Also, take a look at a day in the life of a kindergartener via this slideshow!

Coming Soon... Join Us for a special "Behind the Books" event at the Dewing, Heath Brook, CES and Ryan elementary schools! Discover how our innovative EL Education program is revolutionizing literacy instruction and empowering your child’s learning journey. This engaging event will include a hands-on lesson demonstration, insights into the curriculum, and practical tips for supporting your student's success. More information will be emailed soon directly from your child's school.

SAVE THE DATES

Heath Brook: Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Ryan: Tuesday, January 28, 2025

CES: Thursday, January 30, 2025

The Tewksbury Special Education Parent Advisory Council (TSEPAC), in collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library, will be hosting a sensory-inclusive screening of the film OUT OF MY MIND in the Tewksbury Public Library on Saturday, January 11th at 11:00am.

Water and snacks will be provided, but guests are welcome to bring their own snacks and water, as well as blankets, pillows, devices, noise-cancelling headphones, or other comfort items. Find the full details via the button above.

Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth is hosting both a poster and PSA contest for students surrounding the theme of COMMUNITY!

The poster contest is open to elementary, middle, and high school students with a submission deadline of January 24, 2025.

The PSA contest is open to middle and high school students with a submission deadline of April 25, 2025.

Click here for the full informational flyer

Each participant must complete the student application form signed by a parent/guardian consenting to the student's involvement in the Poster/PSA Project. The form is available to download below and can also be found on MPY’s website, along with upload instructions for entries. Please return these permission slips to school staff to be kept on file. When uploading a student’s project, please check the box acknowledging receipt of the signed permission slip.

Are you looking for activities or available camps for your child(ren) during February Vacation? If so, check out the Macaroni Kid Winter Vacation Guide for up-to-date information on local events, activities, and camps.

Congratulations to TMHS Junior Julia Borushik, a winner of the prestigious 2025 YoungArts National Competition! From almost 11,000 applicants over 10 disciplines, Julia is the only winner in the Musical Theater division in the state of Massachusetts. Julia is also a member of the TMHS Concert Choir and Theater Company. We are incredibly proud of Julia’s achievement and look forward to celebrating her future successes!

Just before the winter break, Center Elementary and TMHS students teamed up for a monster art showcase! CES students drew their own monstrously creative creatures, then our TMHS students crafted clay sculptures or hand-sewn plush dolls based on those drawings. The results were whimsical, colorful, and lots of fun! Bravo to our very talented students!

The Office of Student and Family Support developed a comprehensive website designed to provide a wide range of resources aimed at supporting student and their families.

In addition, the Massachusetts Partnership for Youth (MPY) has curated an outstanding resource library offering valuable tools and information to families at no cost. These resources cover topics such as mental health, wellness, and more. We encourage you to visit both sites to explore the support and information available to help your family thrive!

Our English Language Education department is pleased to announce three upcoming ELE Parent Advisory Council meetings that will directly support the parents of English Language Learners!

TMHS has partnered with the Work Based Learning Alliance (WBLA,) which provides a limited amount of paid virtual internship opportunities for high school students ages 16 or older. Since this is a highly competitive opportunity, it is recommended that interested students apply early. For more information please review the WBLA informational flyer.

If you or someone you know would like to make a difference in our students' lives by providing exceptional transportation service, Tewksbury Transit is hiring. You can find out more information via their website or give them a call at 978-851-9863.

Website: https://www.tewksbury.k12.ma.us/
Location: 139 Pleasant Street, Tewksbury, MA, USA
Phone: (978) 640-7800