Hello TSMS Families,
Welcome to Module 3. Just a quick heads-up reminder that the eponymous February Family Conferences are coming later this month-- Wednesday the 24th (evening) and Thursday the 25th (afternoon). It's the week after break. Letters will be backpacked home sometime soon for you to pick your best 3 time slots. Also, I had the pleasure of going on the 6th grade overnight last week and, while I did need a bunch of sleep this weekend to recover, it was really great to see our kids out there exploring the forest in the snow. And dancing, and tracking deer, and sledding. Thanks to all for making it happen and to Ms. Maginnis for exceptional organizing.
Here's the news of the week:
SLT...
Next Tuesday, February 9 at 5:30pm is the next School Leadership Team meeting. All members of the school community are welcome.
MORNING WITH SONHANDO...
Next Wednesday, February 10 from 8am to 9am, we will be hosting a Principal's Breakfast for families to ask questions, discuss ideas, or just chat. Email me if you think you will attend, so we can be sure to have enough snacks and coffee. Coffee AND Sonhando??? Don't miss out.
EARLY DISMISSAL...
Next Wednesday, February 10 is also the next early dismissal day. Students will be dismissed after lunch at 1:45pm and there will be NO After School activities. If you would like your children to stay through the end of regular school day (3:25pm), you can sign up with Shirley via email at slee at tsmsonline.
ICE SKATING...
This Friday, February 5 is the 8th Grade ice skating trip to Wollman Rink in Prospect Park (not to be confused with Wollman Rink in Central Park!). Next Friday, Feb 12 is the 6th grade's turn. Both trips will be leaving school at 11 am and will be returning no later than 3:30 pm. Students should come to school with a bag lunch on the day of their trip and dressed appropriately to spend time outdoors. Gloves and hats please.
NYC PREDICTIVE EXAMS...
This Thursday and Friday, February 4 and 5, our students will be taking short standardized tests-- one for ELA and one for Math. While we are able to exempt ourselves from a vast swath of other exams due to our Design-Your-Own Assesment work, we cannot get out of these. The data generated from these two citywide tests will not be passed on to other schools and it can be helpful for both the students and for us to have a run-through of standardized test protocols before the actual State Exams that come later this year. Each of these two Predictive Exams is less than an hour, one each day.
MID-WINTER BREAK...
Monday through Friday, February 15 through 19 is Mid-Winter Break. All schools will be closed citywide.
GOLDWATER TO THE FOREST...
Our ESL teacher, Ethan Goldwater, will be heading to the Dominican Republic for Mid-Winter Break and the week following it as part of a project called "Tres Bosques, Un Mundo" (Three Forests, One World). The project's goal is to have students in DR, New York, and Washington State communicate with each other around the theme of forests. Ethan will be escorting NYC high school students on the trip, but our own ESL class has already been collecting data in Tompkins Square Park about our trees and are writing letters that he will bring. He will also be coming back with a presentation for the Spanish classes.
FESTIVAL TIME...
TSMS is participating in the New York International Children's Film Festival as a fundraiser again this year. Film tickets are $12 and for every ticket bought by our community, our school will receive $4. All you have to do is select TSMS from a dropdown list on the festival website, www.gkids.com, before you buy. Festival brochures (with instructions) will be given out to kids in homeroom tomorrow for you to look through.
TALENT SHOW...
Here's a brief message from one of our parents who is helping to organize this event: "Parents, don't forget to encourage your budding singers, dancers, actors, rockers, rappers, jugglers, mimes, magicians and poets to sign up for the TSMS Cabaret Night Talent Show on Friday, March 19. (They will have ample opportunity to hone their acts at lunchtime rehearsals with teacher help.) This event, which will include an international buffet dinner, will be a great opportunity to celebrate student talent, socialize with all members of the TSMS community, and raise badly needed funds for our school. TSMS GOT TALENT!" Wow, indeed.
B-BALL...
Wednesday, Feb 3, doubleheader at 140. Girls' at 4pm and boys' at 5pm.
Thursday, Feb 4, doubleheader at 34. Girls' at 4pm and boys' at 5pm.
That's it for now.
Happy Groundhog Day,
Devan
