CDW Weekly Wrap-Up

On April 8th, the Moon will pass between the Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow over parts of the Earth. This is a solar eclipse and is not expected to occur again until 2045! As we prepare for the eclipse, teachers are planning lessons and/or discussions to help them understand this once-in-a-generation event.

During the solar eclipse, the Sun will appear partially covered from here in New Jersey. The time the sun will be the most dim will be about 3:25 pm. Even though the Sun will get darker, it is really important NOT to stare at the Sun. This can cause serious damage to your eyes, even if you look at it through a camera!

Below are some safe ways to view the solar eclipse without hurting your eyes:

Solar Eclipse Glasses: These special glasses are equipped with solar filters that block harmful rays. They allow you to look directly at the Sun without damaging your eyes. The school will be providing each student with a pair of solar eclipse glasses.

Pinhole Projector: Create a simple projector by poking a small hole in a piece of cardboard and holding it up to the Sun. A projection of the eclipse will be visible on another surface, such as a piece of paper, placed a short distance away. (See page 2 or page 4 for directions.)

Telescopes with Solar Filters: If you have access to a telescope, make sure it's fitted with a solar filter specifically designed for viewing the Sun. Never look through an unfiltered telescope directly at the Sun.

View via Livestream/Live Blog: Visit timeanddate.com or NASA to view the total solar eclipse from start to finish with their livestream and live blog.

If your family is interested, here are related science activities to do at home with your child(ren):

• NASA

• Exploratorium

• Scholastic

• NASA Scope

Remember, never look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection, because even if you don’t feel pain, the damage can be serious to your eyes. Please, remember to be safe!

• Marking Period 3 closed today, April 5, 2024.
• Reports cards will be available via the Genesis Parent Portal on Friday, April 12, 2024.
• Here is the link to the Genesis Parent Portal.

April is School Library Month! Mrs. Melillo will be hosting Language Arts classes in the library for independent reading selection throughout the month, and she is also hosting the CDW Annual Bookmark Contest. Four winners will be selected, and those winners' submissions will be professionally printed and distributed to the entire grade level of the winner.

Students can see Mrs. Melillo, or you can print out the template attached below. Here is the link to the Student Resources Tab of the Media Center Website.

Congratulations to our two Grade 5 students who each had a special day this week. Xavier de Cordova was the CDW Principal for the Day on Wednesday. Xavier surprised his peers with the Ultimate Grade 5 Hot Potato Game in the Lynch Gym, and in Science classes all day, the Grade 5 students each created an element of the Periodic Table to be displayed in the 5th grade hallway (see picture below). To end the week, Robert Wanat, and friends, came to school on a FIRE TRUCK! It was certainly a cool way to pull up to the front door of CDW!

All throughout March, students in sixth grade science class have been competing in March Mammal Madness, a contest of 64 animals squaring off. The Great White Shark wound up being the winning animal. There were 106 CDW students who competed, and the top 3 winners are::

3rd Place~ with 101 points...Archer Ring

2nd Place~ with 101 points...Katie Jung

1st Place~ with 110 points...Katelyn Pulickal

Congratulations to the winners, and we hope everyone had fun participating.

The championship matchup will be happening next week! The Grade 5 students have completed the Literary March Madness bracket, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid will take on the Harry Potter Series in the finals. Stay tuned to next week's Wrap-Up to find out who wins!

One of the NJHS Changemaker Projects is a Book Drive! Donate to those in need now until April 14th! There are boxes for the books in the CDW and TBD lobbies.

Please donate pajamas for the pediatrics at Hackensack Meridian Health from now until April 26th! There will be a bin in the CDW Main Lobby.

Reminders for all grades

Wellness Wednesday lunches:

Grades 5 and 6 lunch with Ms. Adamo is in room 414.

Grades 7 and 8 lunch with Dr. Polizotto is in room 308.

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.

Please click HERE for the baseball, softball, and track schedules.

Mrs. Henriquez will continue to run Intramurals on Fridays at 3:00 PM. The current sport is basketball! If your child(ren) is interested, he/she can see Mrs. Henriquez with any questions. Inter-Scholastic Sports and Intramurals Information can be found HERE. If your child(ren) plans on doing intramurals at all throughout the year, please make sure that his/her paperwork has been handed in to Mrs. McCarthy, the school nurse.

Please see the flyer below if your child(ren) is interested in the Spring Training Baseball and/or Softball Camps at NVOT from April 15th-17th. The forms are also attached.

Go to OTPTO.org to order your flowers by April 12th!

Please use these links to sign up to serve pizza at TBD and CDW from now to June 2024:

TBD Pizza

CDW Pizza

Every first Friday of the month, the Class of 2024 will be selling candy and ice pops at dismissal for an afternoon treat. Students in Grades 5-8 can go to the Lynch Gym to purchase their treat of choice! Treats will be between $1-3 and will include, but will not be limited to: lollipops, M&M's, Twizzlers, Gummy Bears, Sour Patch Kids, etc. See the flyer below for more information.

Dates of Sales: May 3rd, June 7th

ATTENTION: 8th grade parents, please sign up HERE to volunteer for future Candy and Ice Pop Sales!

The CDW Spirit Wear store is available on OTPTO.org! The Long Term Store is open year round and orders are shipped directly to the purchaser. The Short Term Store will reopen in the spring.

Both stores offer different merchandise. Links are on OTPTO.org or see below:

LONG TERM: Charles DeWolf Middle School

The PTO is always looking for volunteers for the events during the school year!

Volunteers play a huge part in the PTO and what we are able to offer our 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.

The New Jersey Clean Communities Council and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announced the launch of the 2024 video PSA contest. The contest theme is “Reduce Single Use” and is meant to highlight the importance of NJ’s single use plastics law and encourage the creativity of NJ’s students.

This contest challenges middle and high school students throughout NJ to create an original 60-second public service announcement (PSA) video, in English or in Spanish, to promote awareness of how single-use plastics contribute to litter and marine debris, harm the environment/wildlife, or provide alternatives to single use plastics.

The contest is open to students in 7th through 12th grades, and students may enter on their own or as a group. A maximum of five students can collaborate and students may only participate in one entry. There will be two (2) categories broken down by age group. Category I will consist of 7th-9th graders, and Category II will consist of 10th-12 graders. The top three videos in each category will be awarded cash prizes (gift cards). First prize gets $1,000, second place receives $750, and third place earns $500.

Read more at Reduce Single Use Video Contest (litterfreenj.com). Learn more here.

Questions? Send E-mail the NJCCC at njccc@njclean.org.

Deadline: Monday, April 22, 2024

We are so lucky to be a neighborhood school where many students are able to walk to and from every day; however, it also means there are many intersections where students must cross the street without the assistance of a crossing guard. Drivers must be vigilant to ensure the safety of all pedestrians. Please be mindful that if a vehicle in front of you stops, they may be stopped to allow individuals to cross the street. Refrain from pulling around the vehicle, as this may be dangerous.

Arrival

• There will be adult supervision starting at 8:00 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.

• If your child walks to school:

• Please utilize crosswalks to cross the streets.

• All students should go to their grade level’s designated area for entrance into the building.

• If your child rides a bike to school:

• Please walk the bike on the sidewalk.

• After securing the bike on a bike rake behind the building, students should go to their grade level’s designated area for entrance into the building.

• If your child rides in a vehicle to school:

• Drop-off is a continuously moving line on Interschool Drive.

• 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.

• 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.

Dismissal

• Please arrange a meeting area with your child(ren) so that you can locate him/her 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).

Peace Islands Institute has released the theme for the 14th Annual Art and Essay Contest! The theme is The Sound of Peace! You can visit artandessay.org for more information. The deadline for submissions is May 15th! There are 5 honorable mentions for each category, as well as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place! Below are the details for those interested. Please see Ms. Santa for more information.

The link to the online newspaper can be found HERE. If any writers want to join the club, please see Mr. Johnson for more information!

The CDW Homework Club is offered to all students in Grades 5-8 and is FREE! Please sign your child up each week that you are interested!

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.

New to our insurance policy this year is that all Chromebooks must be in cases or the insurance will not cover any claims.

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.

April

Monday, April 8th~ The BOE Meeting will be in the BOE Conference Room at 8:00 PM.

Tuesday, April 9th and Wednesday, April 10th~ Grade 5 Author Visit

Friday, April 12th~ Access to Marking Period 3 Reports Cards at 12:00 PM via the Genesis Parent Portal

Monday, April 15th-Friday, April 19th~ Spring Break: No school for teachers or students

Tuesday, April 23rd~ PTO Meeting in the BOE Conference Room at 9:00 AM

Thursday, April 25th~ NVOT Heroes and Cool Kids Club with Grade 6

Saturday, April 27th~ The TBD Play, Willie Wonka, Jr., will be at CDW at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM.

Monday, April 29th~ The BOE Meeting will be in the BOE Conference Room at 8:00 PM.

​​​​​​​OT 2023-2024 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/