Newsletter may 2008

Torey J. Sabatini
Dates to Remember
Teacher of the Year
5/8 – 2nd grade Poetry Workshop ( 9:00 & 10:15) Mrs. Carol Starke has been selected the TJS 5/8 – Kindergarten Field Trip to Fosterfields Farm teacher of the year! Mrs. Starke has been a first 5/12 – 1st Grade – Mother’s Day Celebration (9:00ish) grade teacher at TJS for 28.5 years. She has nur- 5/12-15 - Grades 5 & 6 Make-up NJ ASK Testing tured countless children through one of the most 5/14 – 6th Grade Orientation @ Junior School - challenging times of their school experiences.first grade! First grade is the year in which children 5/15 - Poetry Workshop (4, 5, 6th grade) journey through the reading process. It is their first full day experience at TJS. It takes a very 5/16 - Poetry Workshop (4 & 6th grade) special, dedicated person to ensure that the first 5/19 – Spring Concert Rehearsal at MJS until 10:15 5/19 – 2nd grade Butterfly Educational Enrichment Mrs. Starke has also been a mentor to our new 5/20 – Grade 5 – Lewis & Clark Expedition (10:00) teachers and has served as the primary level liter- 5/21 – 5th Grade Orientation @ Junior School - acy curriculum associate. She has been a major help in developing a balanced literacy program in the primary grades. Having earned a masters’ de- 5/21 – Spring Concert @ Junior School (7:30) gree from St. Elizabeth’s with a concentration in 5/22 - Poetry Workshop (4, 5, 6th grade) early literacy, Mrs. Starke has helped the school 5/23 - Poetry Workshop (4 & 6th grade) immeasurably with her expertise. She has also been a trailblazer at TJS by being half of one of 5/27 – Kindergarten Orientation (1:45) our original collaborative teams. Once again, Mrs. 6/3-5 – District Art Show at Drew University Starke has led by example and worked with col- leagues to develop a better learning environment Thanks, Mrs. Starke and congratulations! The TJS faculty, which is a group of potential teachers of 6/13 – Last Day of School – Single Session Madison Public School District - Mission Statement
The Madison School District will inspire and challenge all students to be life-long learn-ers, empowered with the knowledge, skills, and character to shape their futures, realize their dreams, and contribute positively to the world. Thanks PTO!!
Construction Update
The TJS PTO has funded several very exciting pro- The construction project at TJS continues to go ac- cording to plan. We are very fortunate and very ex- Just in time for the musical production, the PTO funded a new sound system for the all-purpose room. By the end of June, the new wing (now known as the This is great for dramatic and musical productions, Jaguar Wing) will be cleared for classes to move in since the system is designed specifically for the to it. Grades two through five will be housed in the room and includes “stage’ microphones. It is also As soon as the students leave in June, the temporary In the rear of the school, on the back playground, classrooms that currently contain our final sixth the PTO has funded four new basketball poles, back- grade class will be removed to make way for the ex- boards and hoops. As some may recall, what existed tension of our all-purpose room. The main office will was decrepit and not particularly “kid friendly” for be relocated to where the current kindergarten the age of our students. We now have two with ad- room is and the kindergarten will move up to the sec- justable height rims for our younger and older stu- ond floor. The kindergarten will be placed where the dents and two of stationary height. This is a tre- current first grades are located and the first grades mendous improvement and will guarantee that the will be sliding over to accommodate them. playground will be fully utilized. The PTO also pur- chased two moveable baskets for indoor use. Additionally, the music program will finally have a permanent home. What is now the art room will be As soon as school is over in June, a climbing wall is expanded and the music room will settle in that being installed in the new portion of the all-purpose space. room. This wall will be ten feet high and thirty feet long. Mats will be installed beneath it and the stu- Autumn and winter of the 2008-09 will be our big dents will have a great time climbing it. This is an challenge. Renovations on the second floor of our exercise that will work wonderfully for all of our stu- round building will be going on then. A new art room dents and not just our traditionally successful ath- is being created and the current main office suite is letes. The wall will be magnetic, so signs can be in- being turned into small group instructional space. stalled articulating routes and incorporating learning This is very exciting and also comes with a de- Lastly, once construction nears completion, PTO gree of anxiety and lots of hard work. Thank funds will be directed toward the playground. This is you all as you support us during this transition. an endeavor that will wait until we see what the space looks and feels like with the new additions in NOTE’S FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE
Colette Crescas, RN, CSN
973-593-3184
Reminders: Several field trips are scheduled for May and June. Please remember that snacks
and lunches MUST be nut free. Also, if your child’s field trip is primarily out of doors, please be
sure that they apply sunscreen and/or insect repellent prior to coming to school that day.
Absences/Tardies: Please remember to call the Health Office at 973-593-3184 if your child is
going to be out of school for the day or coming to school after 8:45 a.m. I often do not get the
notes from teachers about vacations or time off, so please let me know directly.
What’s Happening: This week, I will be continuing health screening for students in kindergarten
and 1st grade. I will be checking their height, weight, blood pressure, vision, and hearing. The
children are having fun using the vision and hearing tester and I’m having fun chatting with them!
The 2nd and 3rd graders will be screened during the weeks of May 13th and 20th. My goal is to have
all of the children screened by the end of May. PLEASE remember that if you (have) receive(s) a
health referral letter, ask your child’s doctor to complete it the form and return it to before the
end of the school year.
Seasonal Allergies: ‘Tis the season for allergies….aaachooo! Spring seasonal allergies are in full
bloom here in Madison. Many children suffer from itchy, watery eyes, stuffy nose, headaches,
and stomach aches. Often, pollen can easily be removed from eyelashes and lids with a wet paper
towel. Washing hands will also prevent pollen from spreading to the person’s face. In the mean-
time, when a child comes to the Health Office with allergic symptoms, I use a Bausch and Lomb
saline solution to rinse out eyes and warm water with salt to gargle. Of note is that Zyrtec is now
available OTC and can be given in liquid form once in the morning and once at bedtime. If your
child requires medication for allergies, please read the medication section.

Tick Bites: It’s also the season f or tick bites. Prevention is definitely key, in this case! Wear
light colored long pants tucked into socks when walking or playing in grassy or wooded areas. It’s
easier to see a tick with light colored clothing and tucking the pants in helps to prevent ticks
from attaching to the skin and crawling up the legs. I am enclosing a pamphlet that reviews tick
removal and facts about Lyme disease.
Medication Administration: Per district policy, I can not administer any medication without a doc-
tor’s order. This includes Over the Counter (OTC) medication such as Claritin, nasal sprays, and
eye drops. If you would like your child to receive either a prescription or OTC medication while at
school, please ask your physician to FAX an order to me at 973-966-1925. You can then bring the
medication in the original container to the Health Office, complete a form, and I will be able to
administer it.
Websites: Detailed information about seasonal allergies can be found at www.nlm.nih.gov/
medlineplus .
Arbor Day
Teacher Appreciation Week
On Saturday, May 3rd at 9:00 AM, the town of Our staff at TJS is what makes it such a special Madison and its schools celebrated Arbor Day on place for students to learn. Day in and day out, our the steps of the Dodge Building. Under the lead- teachers and staff work to give parents the ut-ership of Nancy Bruce, the Arbor Day coordina- most confidence that their children are safe, se- tor, students from the TJS and CAS orchestras cure and nurtured as they learn and strive to excel. One would be hard pressed to find a faculty so uni- played string selections under the direction of formly effective, as caring and enthusiastic as the Kathleen Derbyshire and Cynthia Longley, Mem- faculty at TJS. bers of the CAS chorus sang with its leader Kiera Casper. Fifth grade Students from KRS in Mrs. Each day your children walk or are driven to school Nicolette’s class recited poetry they composed in enthusiastic, anxious to get here. That says a lot honor of Arbor Day. Students from St. Vincent’s about social ties, but it also says a tremendous Academy performed the Maypole dance, actually amount for the level of pride and excitement our circling around a Maypole. Students from TJS staff has engendered. One cannot imagine the created the cover art for the programs. The hard work that goes into creating a school that is mayor of Madison, Mary Anna Holden, state sena- academically excellent while encouraging students to develop socially/emotionally as well. tor Thomas Kean and our superintendent of schools, Dr. Richard Noonan, all spoke. It was a I’m sure I speak for everyone in thanking the TJS wonderful celebration. It may have been chilly staff for a job well done, for making school a joy- ous place to be and for making learning seem like a Thanks to everyone who contributed to this won-derful ceremony. Curriculum Night
On Saturday, May 3rd, a swarm of busy volunteers covered the town of Madison. The town was Curriculum Night on the evening of May 1st was a huge cleaned up, planted, mulched and left in better success at TJS. The evening started out with an ice shape for the efforts. At TJS, a mighty group of cream social,. Everyone relaxed in the all-purpose enthusiastic volunteers beautified our school. room and enjoyed visiting neighbors Then the cast from this year’s musical performed two song and Under the leadership of Alice Wade, and her fam- dance numbers. They brought the house down!! ily (Altiers) and many others, adult and child alike who brought their rakes and shovels and elbow Eventually, everyone drifted up to the classrooms grease, the school property took on a different where they enjoyed chatting with teachers and being look. Mulch was spread around the base of trees led by their children to see the many displays and pro- and along the parking lot. Shrubs were planted jects lining the hallways and classrooms. Students vis- along the walk from the main door down to the ited with former teachers and future teachers. Par- sidewalk leading out to Glenwild. Debris was picked ents were able to see firsthand what we do every day up. A tremendous amount was accomplished. at TJS. Thanks go to everyone who gave their Saturday Thank yous go to our wonderful staff and students. morning to help beautify Torey J. Your help is val- Great job! Thanks also to the many parents who at-

Source: http://www.madisonpublicschools.org/51434101014818/lib/51434101014818/_files/Newsletter_May_2008.pdf