Dear TMS Families,
As we welcome November and approach the season of thankfulness, we reflect on the kindness, dedication, and achievements within our school community. Each student, staff member, and family works to contribute to a positive and enriching environment that fosters growth and resilience. In this spirit, we’re looking forward to honoring our Veterans at our annual Veterans Day Assembly on November 11th. This meaningful event is an opportunity for our school to express gratitude to those who have served and sacrificed for our nation.
This month, we continue our commitment to building a respectful, inclusive, and supportive school climate through our Character Strong program, which we incorporate into weekly instruction across grades 5-8. These lessons foster important conversations and activities that focus on bullying prevention and character development. Over the past few weeks students have focused on themes of respect, advocacy, personal values, responsibility and community. In addition to these lessons, we’re proud to share that 20 students received positive referrals through the PAW Print program for the month of October! This referral system allows teachers and staff to recognize students who make positive contributions to the school community by demonstrating qualities like leadership, kindness, creativity, and responsibility. Each student’s efforts are celebrated with a certificate and a PAW Print displayed in the main hallway, reminding everyone of the positive impact they can make in our school community.
Congratulations to our fall sports teams on a successful season! Our athletes have shown dedication, teamwork, and school spirit throughout the season, making us proud both on and off the field. Thank you to the coaches, families, and fans who have supported them every step of the way.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support in making our school a place where students can thrive, learn, and grow. Let’s carry this spirit of gratitude and community throughout the season and beyond.
Warm regards,
Ms. Cipollini
Principal
A Message from the TMS School Counselors:
With the school year well under way, now is a good time to remind students the importance of advocating for themselves. Teaching students to express their needs, seek help when necessary, and actively participate in their learning fosters confidence and independence. By encouraging open communication with teachers and peers, now, we can teach students essential skills that they will carry with them into high school and throughout their life.
Here are three tips to encourage your child to advocate for themselves:
Open Communication: Create a safe space at home where your child feels comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings. Encourage them to share their concerns about school, friendships, or any challenges they face. Practice active listening and validate their emotions to help them feel heard.
Role-Playing Scenarios: Engage in role-playing activities where your child can practice advocating for themselves in different situations, such as asking a teacher for help or expressing their needs to a peer. This can build their confidence and prepare them for real-life interactions.
Set Goals Together: Help your child set specific, achievable goals related to self-advocacy, such as speaking up in class or approaching a teacher about a question. Celebrate their progress and achievements, no matter how small, to reinforce their efforts and build their self-esteem.
Important Upcoming Dates:
Upcoming High School Parent Information Session:
November 6th, 2024 (10am-zoom)
Upcoming High School Application Deadlines:
All BCTS applications close November 10, 2024 (Except the Paramus campus, which closes January 31, 2025)
Many other schools have deadlines in early December!
Help us make a difference for families in our Closter community this holiday season! We’re collecting essential items like stuffing, canned cranberry, gravy, peas, carrots, corn, mixed vegetables, mashed potato mix, and boxed mac and cheese to bring warmth and comfort to local families in need. Food will be collected at school. There are two days that the food will be brought to the pantry.
November 6: Mr. Rota and Mrs. Palmeri will deliver the first round of donations.
November 22: Final day for drop-offs. Let’s fill the shelves for Thanksgiving!
Every item counts, and your support makes all the difference. Let’s show our Closter spirit and come together for this wonderful cause!
The Closter Education Association is very excited to launch our program of "Gather For Good", an ongoing community-wide, community service initiative in which we will bring together members of the Closter Community to build relationships through an annual high-impact, hands-on initiative. For our inaugural event, we will be hosting an event through Rise Against Hunger, an organization that provides meals to global communities impacted by extreme hunger. The organization provides meals through the local schools to promote school attendance so children can learn. In partnership with Rise Against Hunger, we will provide a meal packaging experience that will bring together students, parents, teachers, and community partners to prepare hundreds of meals for distribution across the globe. The event will combine an assembly-line process with an educational experience that will make a worldwide impact.
On the day of the event, March 2, 2025, one hundred fifty parents, teachers, and students will be educated about world hunger and participate in a fun, high-energy, and high-impact team-building experience. This particular project is geared for Middle Schoolers. The volunteers combine rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables, and a packet of 18 essential vitamins and minerals into small meal packages. These meal packages are shipped around the world to support school feeding programs and crisis relief. The food stores easily, transports quickly, and has a shelf-life of two years. To further our local impact, participants will bring items to donate to the Closter Food Pantry as the cost of admission for participation in the event.
Take a look: It Starts With A Meal
Mark your calendars and stay tuned for upcoming updates!
