CDW Weekly Wrap-Up

I recently read an article called, "“Proper Rest for Teenagers Is a Real Challenge” by Catherine Pearson in The New York Times that is beneficial to share. About 6 out of 10 middle schoolers do not get the recommended 9 to 12 hours of sleep per night. Below are suggestions to help your child(ren) sleep better.

• Improving sleep hygiene – Examples of improving sleep hygiene would be not eating a large meal or consuming caffeine close to bedtime and darkening their bedrooms.

• Screen limits – Neither adolescents or adults should have a cellphone in their bedroom at night.

• Timing and content – It’s a good idea to limit exposure to blue-light screens an hour or two before sleep.

• Caution on melatonin – Doctors advise against adolescents using this sleep-inducing substance without consulting a health care provider.

• Weekends and napping – Some teens binge-sleep on weekends and then have difficulty getting to sleep on Sunday night.

• Stress-loop thinking – I still have so much work to do! If I don’t get enough sleep, I’ll fail the test tomorrow. I couldn’t get to sleep last night and tonight will be worse. Keeping a journal can be helpful, listing worries, what’s been accomplished, and what can wait until tomorrow. Parents and educators can also help kids get out of their own heads, reassuring them and putting day-to-day worries in perspective.

May

Monday, May 29th~ School is closed for Memorial Day. The CDW Band will be playing in the Old Tappan Memorial Day Parade.

Wednesday, May 31st to Friday, June 2nd~ Grade 8 Trip

Wednesday, May 31st~ Grades 5-7 Math Criterion-Referenced Tests

Wednesday, May 31st~ Grade 5 Grade Level PE Challenge

June

Thursday, June 1st~ Grades 5 and 6 Battle of the Books Competition

Thursday, June 1st~ Grade 6 and Grade 7 Grade Level PE Challenges

Thursday, June 1st~ The Transition Meeting for Grade 6 to Grade 7 parents will be in the Media Center at 7:00 PM.

Monday, June 5th~ Grade 8 NVOT Social 3:45 PM-5:30 PM

Monday, June 5th~ There will be a BOE Meeting in the BOE Conference Room at 8:00 PM.

Tuesday, June 6th~ Knights' Fest 6-9 PM

Wednesday, June 7th~ The Transition Meeting for Grade 7 to Grade 8 parents will be in the Media Center at 7:00 PM.

Thursday, June 8th~ Grade 5 LEAD Picnic

Thursday, June 8th~ Liberty Science Center visit to CDW for Grade 6

Friday, June 9th~ Liberty Science Center visit to CDW for Grade 5

Monday, June 19th~ 12:30 PM Dismissal; Grade 8 Graduation at 5:30 PM

Tuesday, June 20th~ Last Day of School; 12:30 PM Dismissal; MP 4 Report Cards will be released at noon.

The CDW band students will once again perform together during the Old Tappan Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 29th. The parade starts around 9:30 AM at NVOT and concludes at approximately 10:15 AM at Oakes Park.

If band students have any questions, they should contact Mr. Rosolanko at rosolanko@nvnet.org.

At the end of each school year, Mrs. Henriquez (Brock) conducts the Grade Level Challenges on the CDW Field. The students will compete against the other homerooms in their grade level. The events consist of an egg spoon race, limbo, soccer shootout, potato sack race, and basketball knockout. Below you will find the date of your child(ren)'s Grade Level Challenge and the color he/she should wear.

5th (May 31st) *The Grade 5 homeroom is the class you went to on the first day of school.

• Henriquez (BLUE)

• DiPisa & Hwang (WHITE)

• Osbahr + Franco (BLACK)

• Vetrero (RED/PINK)

6th (June 1st)

• Fearon & Franco (BLUE)

• Johnson & Woo (WHITE)

• Zuckerman (RED/PINK)

• Suriano & Woo (BLACK)

7th (June 1st)

• Clark & Fischer (WHITE)

• Cohen (BLUE)

• Escobar, Woo, Franco (BLACK)

• Westervelt (RED)

*Please make sure your child(ren) has enough water.

**If it rains, a rain date will be determined at that time.

The purpose of year-end assessments is to see what our students learned in their core

subjects and what learning they will carry with them to the next grade level. Students are exposed to Year-End Assessments that require them to think back on their learning and to share what they have learned. Teachers plan for these assessments to be meaningful and to assess the big ideas of their subject's content. Please see the schedule below.

Grade 7 Year-End Assessments:

• Tuesday, June 13th- Math
  
• Thursday, June 15th- Language Arts
• Friday, June 16th- Social Studies

*The Science and Spanish assessments will be an ongoing, project-based assessment.

Grade 8 Year-End Assessment

• Monday, June 12th- Math
• Tuesday, June 13th- Science and Spanish
• Wednesday, June 14th- Language Arts

*The Social Studies assessment will be an ongoing, project-based assessment.

*Teachers will continue to have class conversations that lead up to these assessments. The students will know what to expect in each of their classes.

Knights' Fest is Tuesday June 6th from 6-9PM. Get ready for a night with three main events: The Art Show, The Coffeehouse, & Knights' Kreations!

All students who attend will be given a Knights' Fest Punch Card at the door. If your child(ren) visits all three attractions, a teacher will "punch" your card. During the week, Ms. DiPisa will then turn your punch card into a homework pass your child(ren) can use before the end of the year!

Just a reminder that June 5th is the last Monday that the PTO will be serving pizza. Please make sure that your child brings his/her lunch to school on Monday, June 12th.

Reminders and Updates from CDW's Student Manager

On Monday, May 22nd, the Knights defeated Closter to earn a spot in the Championship game. Maximos Demaras pitched 5 shutout innings with 8 strikeouts. Gerard Fernino pitched the last two innings without allowing a run. Moose Etter led the offense with 3 big hits and 3 RBI’s, and Reese Yerman also contributed a couple of hits and RBIs. Cayden Yoon led off the game with a single and another hit in the 3rd inning, and Cole Sheridan had some more of his famous infield singles.

The Knights fell short to Northvale in the championship game, but they had an amazing season, and we are so proud of them. Congrats to 8th graders Hunter Hull, Stefan Wiklinkski, Cole Sheridan, Cayden Yoon, and Maximos Demaras on a great season. A very special shout-out to Nathan Kim for all his help this year with the team.

On Monday, May 22nd, the softball team defeated Northvale to earn a spot alongside Closter in the championship game.

On Wednesday, May 24th, the softball team defeated Closter to win back-to-back championships! Congratulations!

The CDW track team continued its winning ways with victories over Norwood and Northvale. Caroline Ognibene continued her domination on the track winning the 100, 400, anchoring the 4x200 relay and setting a school record in the long jump with a mighty leap of 15 feet, 2 inches. Lexie Caunedo won the shot and shattered the school record in the discuss with a prodigious toss of 77 feet 5 inches. Matt Kosmark doubled down again winning the 1600 and 800. Andreas Antonopolous won the 400, followed by Michael Kornett, Guy Geallat, and Peter Ognibene.

Other point scorers were Adam Mai, Lyla Murphy, Mila Klein, Tina D'Andrea, Noel Song, Zach Kim, Bailey West, Guybeen Noh, Omar Ahmad, Brooke Pearson, Maiumi Quiros, Leila Hilmo, Ava DeAngelo, Kyle Gagliano, Paul Alzapiedi, Hannah John, Lindsey Massaro, Josh Jin, Marie Tenebruso, Daniel Song, Megan Collins, Alina Sorokin, and Sal De Castro. Thanks to Mel Erkula, team manager Elizabeth Stavrou, and Ms. Henriquez.

There will be practice Tuesday after school.

Charles DeWolf Middle School - and all other Northern Valley middle schools - will have a boys' volleyball team starting September 2023. All rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders interested in playing are eligible once they submit their updated medical records to Mrs. McCarthy. Additional information, including pre-participation and medical forms, will be shared in June and July.

We are excited to offer the Summer Skill-Booster Program again this summer to all Old Tappan students currently enrolled in Kindergarten through Grade 8. Sessions have been set, and it is time to register! Click here to find more information about the program and links to register for a summer session. Space is limited so register early! Registration closes on June 30, 2023.

Keep in mind when signing up for a session, the AM sessions are designed to review the material presented to your child(ren) in his/her current grade level (If your child is in 5th grade, sign him/her up for a 5th grade session.). The PM sessions are designed to preview material for your child(ren)'s next grade level (If your child is in 5th grade, sign him/her up for a 6th grade session.).

Please reach out to Mr. Lauriello at lauriello@nvnet.org with any questions.

The book fair is still open to shop online using the link below.

CDW ends May 29th:

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/cdw

The CDW Lost and Found always has lots of items searching for owners! One way to help us locate the owner is by labeling your child's items with his/her name. The OT PTO is sponsoring a wonderful fundraiser where you can purchase labels to use to label your child(ren)'s items! Click here to purchase your Lovable Labels now!

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.

LONG TERM: Charles DeWolf Middle School

Each year, CDW offers transition meetings for parents to learn about their child(ren)'s next grade level. Topics that will be presented include academics, extracurricular activities, and other highlights for the upcoming grade level. Although we foster an environment of independence at the middle school level, home and school partnership is always a necessity. The remaining dates of the transition meetings are as follows:

• Grade 6 to Grade 7 Transition Meeting- Thursday, June 1st, 7:00-8:00 PM
  
• Grade 7 to Grade 8 Transition Meeting- Wednesday, June 7th, 7:00-8:00 PM

The meeting presentations will be posted to the school's website following the last meeting date.

The Northern Valley Criterion-Referenced Tests are developed by committees of teachers from schools in the Valley. The tests, which provide useful program planning information, are a viable measure of inter-district commitment and cooperation in order to achieve a sequential and articulated curriculum among the elementary and secondary schools in the region. The testing program is supported by the Northern Valley Schools Consortium and local boards of education in the region.

CDW students in grades 5-7 will take the Criterion-Referenced Test on Wednesday, May 31st, which will provide specific information about a student's understanding of math content according to their grade levels.

For Current Grade 5 Students:
All Grade 5 students will take the Grade 5 Criterion-Referenced Test, as explained above. This test offers us a gauge of student performance. For students who perform extraordinarily well on this test, earning a score of 95% or higher, they will be asked to sit for a secondary assessment. Families of these identified students will be notified by June 1st. The purpose of a secondary assessment would be to ascertain the selected students' potential success in skipping Grade 6 Math and moving directly into accelerated Pre-Algebra as a sixth grader. You will be notified by July 1st if your child is eligible to make this Grade 6 Math skip.

To be eligible for this Grade 6 course skip, the students would have to:

• Earn a score of 95% or higher on the Grade 5 Criterion-Referenced Test, as stated directly above
• Earn a score of 90% or higher on the secondary math placement test, as explained above
• Earn a minimum average of 95% or higher for each marking period in Grade 5 Math
• Earn teacher recommendation, based on class performance, work ethic, motivation, ability to work independently, and participation

• Earn a 796 or higher on the NJSLA-Math Grade 4 Assessment
  

For Current Grade 6 Students:
In Grade 7, we offer two courses of study: Pre-Algebra, which is an accelerated course, and Grade 7 Math, which is an average-level course. Prior to placing students into either Pre-Algebra or Grade 7 Math, the following criteria are considered:

• Teacher recommendation, based on class performance, work ethic, motivation, ability to work independently, and participation
• Criterion-Referenced Test Score (math placement test) of 85% or higher - see test explanation above
• Year-end math average of 93% or higher
• Earn a 775 or higher on the NJSLA-Math Grade 5 Assessment
  

Notification of course placement will be communicated to all families by July 1st.

For Current Grade 7 Students:

We use the Criterion-Referenced Test to assess students' current placement and to determine if movement into Algebra I is appropriate in Grade 8. Families of these identified students would be notified by June 1st. The purpose of a secondary assessment would be to ascertain the selected students' potential success in skipping accelerated Grade 7 Pre-Algebra and moving directly into Algebra I as an eighth grader. You will be notified by July 1st if your child is eligible to make this accelerated Grade 7 Pre-Algebra skip.

To be eligible for this accelerated Pre-algebra course skip, the students would have to:

• Earn a score of 95% or higher on the Grade 7 Criterion-Referenced Test
• Earn a score of 90% or higher on the secondary math placement test
• Earn a minimum average of 95% or higher for each marking period in Grade 7 Math
• Earn teacher recommendation, based on class performance, work ethic, motivation, ability to work independently, and participation
• Earn a 775 or higher on the NJSLA-Math Grade 6 Assessment

Any student that would like to perform at Knights' Fest on June 6th should see Mr. Rosolanko. Students may sing, dance, play an instrument, or demonstrate any talent they would like to share with the school. (This is the event previously called, "Coffee House," which will now be part of Knights' Fest!)

The way teens obtain working papers in New Jersey will be changing on June 1, 2023! The working papers process will be online and streamlined. Rather than going through local schools, younger workers will simply visit this site and be walked through a few easy steps.

IF YOU NEED PAPERS BEFORE JUNE 1: https://nj.gov/labor/youngworkers/find-a-job/working-papers/

MORE INFORMATION FOR YOUNG WORKERS: https://nj.gov/labor/youngworkers

The Old Tappan Environmental Commission (OTEC) will again host the Digital Photo Contest and Show for any CDW Old Tappan student. The photo must represent one ore more environmental themes. See the flyer below for more information.

One submission per student can be submitted now through June 9, 2023.

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.

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.

The School Year Calendar for the PK-8 Old Tappan Public Schools was approved at Monday evening's Board of Education Meeting. For your convenience, this calendar also will be posted on our District website.

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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/
Twitter: @OldTappanSD