CDW Weekly Wrap-Up

On behalf of the CDW Staff, I wish all of the CDW families a healthy and memorable Holiday Recess. Whether you are celebrating traditions with family, enjoying a well-deserved break, or taking time to reflect, I hope this holiday season brings you peace, joy, and rest. Let us remember the importance of kindness, compassion, and community, not just during the holidays, but throughout the year.

We look forward to the new year with excitement to continue to create an environment of learning, compassion, and achievement! See you in 2025!

The Student Council completed the "Snowflakes for the Strays" fundraiser and collected $61 for Caring About the Strays (C.A.T.S., Inc.) organization based in Westwood. Thank you to all of the students who donated!

Thank you to the PTO for organizing the Pizza Parties for the CDW students, and thank you to all of the families who sent in additional goodies for the students to enjoy!

On Tuesday, the students shopped until they dropped! Thank you to the PTO for organizing another great Holiday Shop for the CDW students.

CDW homerooms worked tirelessly on decorating their door with the hope to be the first winner of the CDW Student Council Spirit Stick.

Congratulations to Mr. Ferrara's Class on winning the Spirit Stick for the first activity of the 2024-2025 school year. Mrs. Rodriguez's homeroom earned 2nd place while Mr. Gagliano's homeroom and Ms. Huster's homeroom tied for 3rd!

Mr. Ferrara's Homeroom: First Place

Here are pictures of the CDW Staff versus the boys and girls volleyball teams, which is a CDW tradition!

As always, the CDW students use creativity to make their own Holiday Cup and drink recipe! This year, the winners are as follows:

Lia Lim, Grade 5

Eva Shim, Grade 5

Reese Dobson, Grade 6

Sawyer Hilmo, Grade 6

Olivia Iacono, Grade 7

Thank you to all of the students who entered the contest!

Ms. Huster's 7th grade completed a holiday advertisement project to creatively apply persuasive writing techniques. After studying persuasive strategies, like emotional appeal, slogans, and imagery through informational texts and real-world examples, students created holiday advertisements for Target, Starbucks, Crumbl Cookies, and even original ideas like the "Save the Penguins Organization"! This fun, festive project showcased students’ ability to use critical thinking and creativity to craft convincing messages just in time for the holidays!

CDW 6th Grader, Timothy Yi, was published in "Young Writer's The Glitch: Stories of Disruption" with his poem titled, "The Glitch." Congratulations to Timothy!

Check out the new stories published for the CDW Knightly Chronicles by clicking HERE.

As we quickly approach the middle of the 2024-2025 school year, the teachers are preparing students for Mid-Year Benchmarks in all academic classes. Mid-Year Benchmarks have a variety of purposes for both the teachers and the students.

• Mid-Year Benchmarks assess students on their progress toward end-year goals.

• Mid-Year Benchmarks allow teachers to collect data on student progress and growth to use to prepare for future lessons.
• Mid-Year Benchmarks allow the students a chance to self-reflect on areas of improvement and create personal goals.
• Mid-Year Benchmarks will offer the teachers an opportunity to see what students have mastered and what will need to be re-taught.

How can your child(ren) prepare for Mid-Year Benchmarks?

• Ask questions in class.
• Review notes and previous assessment content.
• Stay positive!

Your child(ren)'s teachers will provide specific information about the benchmarks given in each class.

Students in Mr. Clark's Pre-Algebra and Algebra classes and students in Ms. Reiser's Geometry class are scheduled to take mid-year benchmark assessments on Wednesday, January 8th. These assessments will offer students an opportunity to show what they have learned in their courses thus far. They also will offer the teachers an opportunity to see what students have mastered and what will need to be re-taught. The Algebra I mid-year assessment results are used to assist with placement decisions in Grade 9 at NVOT, and all students in the Valley will take the same assessment. Please be sure your child(ren) gets a good night's rest prior to this assessment.

Grade 7 students will take a Science Assessment on Tuesday, January 21st. This assessment is administered throughout the Northern Valley schools, and it gives the teachers an overview of students' scientific understandings to date. The results from this mid-year Science Assessment will be used to assist with placement decisions next year, when we course plan for our eighth graders going into NVOT.

Today, Dr. Da Giau sent out the December District Newlsetter. You can also find it here: District Newsletter.

8th Grade Information

Ms. Adamo will continue to post information regarding NVOT on her Google Classroom. This way, students and families can locate the information easily. Please encourage your child(ren) to check her classroom regularly.

Reminders: During the days of January 28th-31st and February 4th-7th, guidance counselors from Northern Valley Regional High School, Old Tappan will join us at CDW in conducting individual conferences with parent(s)/guardian(s) and our eighth grade students. All eighth graders are required to attend a scheduling meeting, regardless of whether they will attend NVOT next year. These sessions allow parents/guardians, students, and counselors to discuss, plan, and schedule Grade 9 student programs. If your child has an IEP, Mrs. Flannery will contact you to schedule your child's conference.

Link to schedule your child’s high school conference:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F094CABAA23A5F58-53445055-high#/

All Grades

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s academic, social or emotional needs, please contact me at adamoj@nvnet.org or 201-664-1475 ext. 2203.

The boys basketball team picked up their 5th consecutive win on Monday against Closter. The team was able to all chip in on the defensive front to win by a score of 61-46. The highlight on the defensive front was the team holding Closter to only 3 points in the 3rd quarter. On offense, AJ Badurina had his best game of the year so far, with a couple of blocks and 18 points on 4 three pointers. Blake Yerman did his part in the paint with 16 total points.

The boys basketball team capped off their first half of the season with another gritty win against Haworth on Tuesday. The final score was 58-52. AJ Badurina led the offense with 20 total points, and Blake Yerman recorded his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Kosta Kouridis recorded 9 points with a clutch late game 3-pointer.

To wrap up the first half of the season, the team is 6-0 and have scored a total of 360 points, but have only let up 255 points.

The girls basketball team defeated Closter on Monday to continue their strong start to the season. Ella Candullo and Sydney Farrington both scored 9 points while Ava Kauffman finished with 6 points. On Tuesday, they continued the winning streak to defeat Haworth with every team member having a chance to help with the win.

The team defeated Harrington Park on Wednesday to improve to 6-0 on the season. Ella Candullo led the team with 15 points while Olivia Richards sealed off the game and ended with 14 points. A great all-around defensive effort from the CDW girls to complete the win.

Click HERE for the Northern Valley schedules and game locations on the CDW Website.

All games begin at 3:45 PM.

Home Boys and Girls Basketball games are played in the Rossi Gym at CDW.

Please see the information below if your child(ren) is interested in the NV Volleyball Clinics that begin on January 6th. Female athletes from Northern Valley towns in grades 4 through 8 are welcome to attend.

Please use this link to register: https://tinyurl.com/NVVBC25 BEFORE January 2nd.

When: Mondays & Wednesdays: January 6th through February 10th

Where: Monday nights at Old Tappan High School; Wednesday nights at Demarest High School

Times: 4th – 6th grades: 7:00 – 8:00 pm; 7th – 8th grades: 7:30 – 9:00 pm

*On the first night, January 6th, at Old Tappan High School, each athlete must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for registration and a brief informational meeting:

4th – 6th grades: 6:30 registration / parent meeting / clinic to follow
7th – 8th grades: 7:30 registration / parent meeting / clinic to follow

Please contact Coach Landeck and Coach DiGirolamo for more information.

Below is the link to sign up to serve pizza during your child's lunch period. These links are not to order pizza, just serve it to the students.

CDW Jan to June 2025

You're invited to the Old Tappan's PTO Parents' Night Out on February 27, 2025 from 7-11 PM at the Florentine Gardens! See specific information below!

If you would like to purchase a 2024-2025 Discount Card and Dicks Sporting Goods Coupon Book, visit the OT PTO website.

The discount card is $20.

The Dicks Sporting Goods Coupon Book is $15.

The schools truly value the partnership we have with the Old Tappan PTO! Please join the PTO and support their organization. Visit OTPTO.org, click "For Sale," and then "Membership."

The PTO Meetings for the 2024-2025 school year are listed below. Babysitting is offered at the night meetings.

Thursday, January 23, 2024 at 9:00 AM in the BOE Conference Room

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM in the CDW Media Center

Thursday, April 24, 2024 at 9:00 AM in the BOE Conference Room

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 7:30 PM in the CDW Media Center

Although auditions for this year's musical aren’t until January 6th and 7th, sign-ups open on Monday, December 16th due to the long break. Use the following link to sign up!

https://sites.google.com/nvnet.org/cdwmusical/home

The forecast is calling for a possibility snow soon. Since that means that there is a possibility of a delayed opening within the next month or so, here are some important reminders to prepare for a possible delayed opening in the future.

• Staff will be available for drop off beginning at 9:40 AM.

• Homeroom begins at 10:00 AM.

• After 10:00 AM, students need to enter through the front door. Please drive around to the front to drop them off since the other doors will be closed.
  

• Students will attend each class but for a shorter period of time.

• Students will still have their lunch period. The 5th and 6th grade lunch will start at 11:47 AM, and the 7th and 8th grade lunch will start at 12:18 PM.

If you or your child(ren) needs a refresher on how to use Google Classroom, he/she can access a variety of videos on Dr. Sullivan's Google Classroom under, "Tools for Organizing Assignments."

Here is a video on How to Use Google Classroom for you to review.

Have you purchased Chromebook Insurance for your child(ren)'s school-issued device yet?

We highly suggest that you purchase insurance! We have already had to submit many claims! Please refer to the information below, or you may purchase directly from smartechins.com/oldtappan.

Homework Club began on Wednesday, October 2nd. Please see the flyer below to sign up!

If your child is not going to attend school, please contact Mrs. McCarthy at 201-664-1475 ext. 2103 or McCarthy@nvnet.org.

In an effort to minimize the potential spread of illness at school, please keep your child home if he/she:

• has a fever. Students should be fever-free for 24 hours without medication prior to returning to school.
• is nauseous or is vomiting.
• has diarrhea.

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 his/her 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 ~ 11:27 AM-12:01 PM

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

You can find the Lunch Vendors on the Old Tappan School District Website.

December

Monday, December 23rd to Wednesday, January 1st~ Holiday Recess; school is closed.

January

Thursday, January 2nd~ School reopens.

Monday, January 6th~ The BOE Reorganization/Public Meeting will be at 7:00 PM in the BOE Conference Room.

Monday, January 6th and Tuesday, January 7th~ CDW Musical Auditions from 3:30 PM-5:30 PM

Wednesday, January 8th~ Accelerated Math Mid-Year Benchmark

Friday, January 9th~ 8th Grade Instrumental Day at NVOT

Monday, January 20th~ No school for students in observance of MLK, Jr. Day; Professional Development for staff

Tuesday, January 21st~ Grade 7 Science Mid-Year Assessment

Thursday, January 23rd~ AMC 8 Competition (for those who are registered only)

Wednesday, January 29th~ CDW Marking Period 2 Ends

2024-2025 Approved School Year Calendar

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