Principal Garcia's Newsletter
Friday, January 13, 2023
Torey J. Sabatini School
Important Dates
- January 16 - Schools Closed for MLK Jr. Day
- January 16 - Incoming Kindergarten and First Grade Student Registration Opens
- January 31 - PTO Sponsored Assembly, Dance China New York
- February 1 - World Read Aloud Day
- February 1 - Second Grade Breakfast with the Principal
- February 3 - TJS Spirit Wear Day!
- February 10 - Third Grade Awesome Art
- February 14 - Valentine's Day Celebrations
- February 20 - School Closed for President's Day
- February 21 - Schools Closed for Staff In-Service Day
- February 28 - Troy Cummings Author Visit!
Important Message Regarding Student Usage of Smartwatches at School
Incoming Kindergarten and First Grade Student Registration Opens
Important News from the TJS Health Office
Illness:
Please be aware of the viruses and bacterial infections that are currently circulating within the community, including the stomach virus, strep throat, Covid-19 and Flu A. It is highly recommended that you visit with the pediatrician for an accurate diagnosis as many of these illnesses have overlapping symptoms and can sometimes be mistaken for one another. For example,strep throat, which is generally remedied within 24-48 hours on antibiotics, often presents with gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting in children and is not always accompanied by the expected sore throat or fever. With any illness, please continue to keep your child home until they are fever-free and symptom-free for a full 24 hours before returning to school. Also, please reiterate the importance of good handwashing to prevent the spread of infection to others, both in the school setting and at home.
Health Screenings:
Your child may have mentioned to you in your discussions about school that they recently visited the health office to have a test done (vision, hearing, height, weight, BP). I am currently in the process of conducting these screenings on all grades as mandated by the Department of Health. Please note that these are simply screenings and are not considered diagnostic. If your child does not pass a given screening, I will send a letter out to you via email with a recommendation to follow up with the pediatrician or specialist. Please feel free to reach out directly to me if you have any particular concerns about your child and I am always happy to repeat a screening and/or discuss a necessary referral. I am very proud of the kindergarten and first grade students who recently completed their vision and hearing screenings. The hearing screening can be a bit tricky for these children in particular, and they have unanimously done an amazing job of following directions and remaining quiet while waiting for their peers.
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 link for the necessary form and return it to the TJS health office upon completion.
Weekly Reading Tips from Mrs. LoBrace
All About Building Comprehension Through Retell
Retelling is when you tell the big important parts of a story or a portion of a story in a way that is structured and makes sense. When finished reading we expect students to be able to retell the following components before moving into higher-order comprehension skills:
*Characters - the names of both the main and sometimes secondary (supporting) characters in the text
*Setting - where and when the story takes place
*A clear beginning, middle, and end
which includes the following:
-structure (the retell she be organized in order of events)
-any important key findings, defining characteristics of the main characters, feelings, main ideas, themes
-problem and solution
-transition words
(i.e. in the beginning, in the middle, in the end or first, next, then, last)
*When your child is finished reading a story, chapter, a few pages, or even a paragraph at home, ask them to retell or journal about what they have read in the form of a retell/summary. This shows their literal comprehension as they acknowledge the written text (the surface level content) directly on the page.
*Adjusting the length of what they are reading to break it up into smaller chunks, and going back to reread to be able to fully comprehend are important parts of the reading process.
*If they are reading chunks of text and having difficulty remembering or understanding the big important parts of what they read, the content and vocabulary may be too hard for them.
Attached are resources to guide them through the process of retelling, roll & retell games, and reader’s response organizers for both fiction and nonfiction to use at home!
Staff Spotlight
Special Education Teacher, Mrs. Teresa Townsend
Hi, my name is Teresa Townsend. I am a Special Education teacher at Torey J. This is my 16th year teaching in the Madison School District. I started out teaching in the Preschool Program and have since taught besides some wonderful teachers in every grade in elementary school.
I am originally from New York, where I received both my Undergraduate and Graduate degrees and taught for several years before moving to New Jersey. I am currently taking classes to further my education.
I have two children. My daughter Kathleen is a freshman in college and my son Nathaniel is a freshman in high school.
My weekends are spent catching up on housework, reading, playing with my dog, walking, and attending my kids sporting events!
Teacher's Assistant, Mrs. Patty Borzner
Hi. I’m Patty Borzner, a Teacher Assistant. This is my ninth year in the district. I started as a leave replacement at Kings Road School and then spent seven years at the high school. This is my first year at Torey J. and I really enjoy being here!
I grew up in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ, and majored in French at the College of the Holy Cross. After graduation, I worked in Advertising and Marketing for 8 years at Ogilvy & Mather in NYC and then spent time raising my family and working part-time in Marketing at The Connection in Summit. I also taught yoga for a number of years.
My husband Scott and I live in Summit where we raised our three daughters. Claire, our oldest, lives in Washington, DC, and works on nutrition policy in the Senate; Emily, our middle daughter, lives in NJ and coordinates fundraising events for Autism Speaks; and our youngest, Anne, lives in Astoria and is pursuing a career in the theater.
I love reading and doing any kind of word puzzle. And I love traveling and spending time with my family, especially at the Jersey Shore.
News from the MEF
MEF funded $55,000 in grants last fall, including several assemblies, field trips, and overnight adventures that are giving Madison students learning experiences that stretch far beyond their classrooms. Check out the Madison Eagle article on our Fall Grant Cycle here: https://www.newjerseyhills.com/madison_eagle/news/madison-education-foundation-funds-55k-in-new-enrichment-grants-to-support-local-schools/article_4368cf54-8d31-11ed-acbe-1bfae848aa08.html
If you think this is awesome and want to be a part of the fundraising events and campaigns that make these grants possible, join us at the MEF Volunteer Recruitment Happy Hour on January 26th. We'll match you up with the perfect volunteer job. We can't wait to meet you! Learn more at www.mefnj.org.
News from the PTO
11th Annual TJS Science Fair - Registration opens Jan. 17th
We are thrilled to announce that the 11th Annual Science Fair at TJS will take place on March 8, 2023, from 6:00 pm- 8:00 pm in the Jaguar Jungle.
For those who aren’t familiar with the Science Fair, please allow this to serve as a brief overview of what this experience is all about.
· This is a voluntary activity sponsored by the PTO
· The Science Fair is open to Grades 1 – 5
· Students may participate individually or in a group. Groups are generally kept to 2 or 3 students and can be across grades.
· Students decide on a project/experiment and work on it during off-school hours
· Students are provided with a board to present their projects.
· The projects are displayed in the Jaguar Jungle on the evening of the Science Fair wherein parents, siblings, and other students can view the hard work of the participants!
Please be on the lookout for further communication in the coming weeks with details regarding the registration process, overall event, and ways you can get involved.
Please reach out to Jen Standig and Dr. Laura Venuto at tjssciencefair@gmail.com with any questions.