• December 10, 2024 - Winter Concert for Parent Audience 1:30 PM
• December 12, 2024 - PTO Sponsored Assemblies
• December 14, 2024 - PTO Gingerbread Event
• December 17, 2024 - TJS Sing-Along Grades K-2 at 9:15 AM / Grades 3-5 at 10:00 AM
• December 17, 2024 - MPS BOE Meeting
• December 20, 2024 - Report Cards Available in Genesis for Parents at 3:00 PM
• December 23-31, 2024 - Schools Closed - Winter Break
• January 1, 2025 - Schools Closed - New Year's Day
• January 2, 2025 - Schools Resume

As we look ahead to 2025, all students and staff will participate in a day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior’s legacy. In order to prepare for this day, we are asking students at all grade levels to donate a variety of travel-size hygiene items. All students will have the opportunity to package these items and the kits will be donated to BRIDGES, a non-profit organization based in Summit, NJ. To learn more about hygiene kits and BRIDGES, check out, https://www.bridgesoutreach.org/hygiene-kits.

We are requesting donations from Monday, December 9th until Friday, December 20th. Please check the list below and send the following item(s) into school with your child. All donations are completely voluntary. If you are not able to donate, your child will still be able to participate in creating a hygiene kit. Thank you for supporting this schoolwide service-learning project!

TJS HYGIENE KIT DONATION LIST

Please join us on Tuesday, December 17, 2024 in the Jaguar Jungle for our annual TJS Sing-Alongs. If your child is in kindergarten, first, or second grade, the Sing-Along time will be from 9:15-9:45 AM. For anyone with a third, fourth, or fifth grader, the Sing-Along time will be from 10:00-10:30 AM. For anyone with children in both Sing-Alongs, please feel free to stay for both sessions. The Sing-Alongs are not performances. They are designed to be special times when we may all come together to sing holiday songs! We hope to see you there!

**Parents/guardians are encouraged to please check the LOST and FOUND items when you are in the building for the sing-alongs. The items often accumulate during the winter months.

For TJS families with children in band, chorus, and orchestra there will be a Winter Concert on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at 1:30 PM in the Jaguar Jungle. There will also be a separate concert for the students, teachers, and staff on the same day. We are VERY excited to hear our extremely talented TJS band, chorus, and orchestra, musicians!

First trimester report cards will be available for viewing in Genesis beginning on Friday, December 20, 2024 at 3 PM. Please email or call the TJS main office if you have any problems viewing your child's report card.

Our students have enjoyed learning Spanish this fall with Senora Dearborn. Below please find some of the major themes and skills they have been working on in the first trimester!

¡Hola Familias!

As we approach the end of the year, I would like to share all the wonderful things your child has been learning in Spanish class since September! We have been working hard to build foundational language skills while exploring the rich and diverse cultures of the Spanish speaking world. Throughout the semester, students have learned new vocabulary and engaged in fun and interactive activities to reinforce their learning.

We've also celebrated cultural traditions and holidays, providing students with a deeper understanding of the customs and values in Spanish speaking countries. Each lesson is designed to inspire curiosity and encourage students to use Spanish in meaningful ways. Thank you for supporting your child's learning journey. I look forward to continuing to grow our language skills in the new year.

Tis the Season for Respiratory Infections

If your child has a fever and/or any of the symptoms of Covid-19, flu, bronchitis or pneumonia, please keep them home from school and take them to the pediatrician to be evaluated. Your doctor will determine if a test for Covid-19 or the flu is needed. Mycoplasma pneumoniae (walking pneumonia) has been on the rise in New Jersey and several cases have been reported in the TJS community. Although most cases are mild, infection can be serious in vulnerable populations including students with asthma and those who are immunocompromised. If your child is diagnosed with pneumonia, please ensure that they have been on antibiotics for a full 24 hours and fever-free (without the use of fever-reducing medications) prior to returning to school. If your child is diagnosed with Covid-19 or the flu, please contact me directly to discuss return to school procedures and timeline. The CDC continues to highly recommend vaccination against both Covid-19 and the flu. Please see the attached link for CDC guidance and recommendations: https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/getting-your-immunizations-for-the-2024-2025-fall-and-winter-virus-season.htmlI I have also linked the NJDOH school exclusion list which provides a detailed description of communicable diseases and the required school exclusion time period (not limited to Covid-19 and the flu): https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/outbreaks/School_Exclusion_List.pdf.

Help Encourage Healthy Habits:

Handwashing on a regular basis with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and coughing or sneezing into a tissue or your elbow has been proven to prevent the spread of germs and protect you from getting sick. In fact, educating others on handwashing has demonstrated up to a 21 % reduction in respiratory illnesses such as the common cold or the flu. Furthermore, handwashing alone has been proven to have a positive effect on attendance, with up to a 57% reduction in the number of missed days from school due to gastrointestinal illness. Please visit the CDC site to learn more about the importance of handwashing and helpful ways to encourage proper hand hygiene for your children: https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/prevention/index.html

Attention 5th Grade Parents/Guardians: Mandatory 5th Grade Immunizations

As a reminder, when your child turns 11 years old they are required to have 2 additional vaccinations, Meningococcal and TDAP, in order to enter grade 6 in the fall. As you begin to schedule your child’s well visit around their birthday, please remember to follow up with the necessary immunizations and documentation that is required for entry into school. Please see the attached document for the necessary form and return it to the TJS health office upon completion. Should your child’s appointment be scheduled over the summer months, please send the form to the MJS nurse, Pauline Bliss, RN at blissp@madisonnjps.org.

Even during cold winter days, we will be going outside for recess throughout the school year. Indoor recess occurs only if the temperature (including the wind chill factor) and/or the playground area is unsafe because of the weather conditions. The wind forecast is also considered. Please make sure that your child is prepared to play in cold weather and remind them of the importance of knowing how to zip up their coats to stay warm. Labeling hats, gloves, scarves with your child's name is also helpful as our LOST and FOUND tends to grow during the winter months of school.

Click here for more info and to learn how you can be a part of Madison Reads.

Hello Everyone!

It’s December and we’re happy to celebrate the upcoming holiday events at TJS. The holiday events will kick off with the Winter Concert on Tuesday. Our Gingerbread Committee has been working hard to make Candy Cane Lane a magical holiday event while our Learning Garden Committee has put new seasonal planters outside so make sure to take a look. The students will enjoy a PTO sponsored assembly by storyteller David Gonzalez focusing on positive social lessons and standing up for yourself in the face of adversity and bullying.

Character SignUp

Sat. Dec. 14th

We need character volunteers for the Candy Cane Gingerbread decorating event. This year we have a gingerbread blow-up character and a snowman blow-up character. Please click here to volunteer for a time slot.

Do you have a half hour to spare? The library is still in need of volunteers to re-shelve books. Please click on the link HERE to help out!

Our next General PTO Meeting is on January 16th from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the TJS Art Room. Join us to learn about the PTO, our work so far, and upcoming volunteering opportunities. Principal Ileana Garcia and Superintendent Danielle Shanley will attend.

• Fri. Dec. 6th - TJS Spirit Wear Day

• Tues. Dec. 10th - Winter Music Concert 1:30 pm Jaguar Jungle

• Thurs. Dec. 12th - PTO Sponsored David Gonzalez Aesop Bops and Mad Dog & Me: Bullying and the Power of Kindness

• Sat. Dec. 14th - Candy Cane Lane, Gingerbread Decorating Event Jaguar Jungle 9:00 am; 10:00 am; 11:00 am

• Tues. Dec. 17th - Sing-A-Long K-2 Grades 9:15 am - 9:45 am Jaguar Jungle; 3-5 Grades 10:00 am - 10:30 am

• Thurs. Jan. 16th - General PTO Meeting from 7:00 - 8:00 pm in the TJS Art Room.

Click to submit PTO membership dues of $35/family!

Stay up to date on anything PTO by visiting our TJSPTO.org Website

See what we’re offering at our TJS PTO Square Shop

To share your ideas or any questions or to volunteer, contact us at presidents.tjspto@gmail.com.

Patricia Alvarez & Anna Italiano

TJS PTO Co-Presidents

Don't forget to follow Torey J. on Instagram @toreyjsabatini to see all of the wonderful things happening in our school community.