The Wildcat Weekly
Volume 3 Issue 28
April 12, 2024
Calendar of Events
*Please note that additional events may be added each week.*
Tue, Apr 9-Mon, Apr 29 Muralist Residency @ DTS!
Saturday, April 13 DTS Spring Garden Cleanup 9am (see flyer below)
Monday, Apr 15 Spring Bus Evacuation Drill @ arrival
Wednesday, Apr 17 Teen Arts Festival
Friday, Apr 19 MS Ice Cream Social 6:30pm-8:30pm
Tuesday, Apr 23 Spring Walk to School @8:30am (see info below)
Wednesday, Apr 24 Community Members are invited to paint @ DTS! 4pm-6pm
Wednesday, Apr 24 BOE Meeting 7pm @ PAR (rescheduled); Earth Day Celebration 11:30-3:00pm
Thursday, Apr 25 Take Your Child to Work Day (see below for information); Parent/Staff Volleyball Game 6pm-8pm
Friday, Apr 26 Jr. Drama Club Performance @ 6pm
Take Your Child to Work Day
Thursday, April 25, 2024 is "Take Your Child to Work Day", which is considered an excused absence for student participants. In order for our district to maintain accurate attendance records and account for all students, we must know in advance
if your child will be participating in this day with you.
Please complete the form below by Wednesday, April 23 if you'd like your child to participate.
Spring Spirit Wear
Our Spring Spirit Wear store has been extended through April 19th! Check out the link below to start shopping. The store will be "live" until April 5th, with delivery in early May. Please note that some items come in various colors.
Mural
Our Mural project has begun! Below is just a glimpse of what our students, parent volunteers and our muralist in residence have completed in just one week! It's not too late to sign up!
Be a part of this memorable opportunity!
Archie Fagan
Our local hero and WWII veteran Archie Fagan sadly passed away on April 4th. He has spoken to our students for over 17 years about his time fighting at the Battle of the Bulge and liberating a concentration camp during the war. His inspiring story has been heard by hundreds of DTS graduates, and he truly will be missed.
DTS Garden Cleanup
Solar Eclipse
On Monday, our students came back from spring recess and were "over the moon" to see the solar eclipse! The students rotated around the school with other grade level buddies playing Space Games in the gym, making eclipse art near the Art room and reading with their peers in the library. Of course, the students went outside several times to see the progress of our solar eclipse! It truly was a memorable day and a great teachable moment for our students!
Middle School Ice Cream Social
Spring Walk to School
NJSLA
Delaware Township School, along with all other schools in New Jersey, will be administering the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA) to students in Grades 3-8 in the content areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics. Students in Grades 5 & 8 will also be assessed in the area of Science.
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Parents & Guardians, please make every effort to have your child at school on time on the days of these assessments. In addition, please read the following:
- Encourage your child to get a good night's rest and eat a healthy breakfast each morning.
- The school will provide headphones to any student who needs them. However, students may bring their own headphones to school. Wireless earbuds will not work for this assessment.
- All students should charge their chromebooks every night to prepare for the following day's assessment.
- If students are absent during their scheduled day of testing, they will be rescheduled during one of the make-up testing days.
- Smartphones and smart watches are not permitted in testing areas.
24-25 District Calendar
On Tuesday, March 19, the Board of Education approved the 2024-2025 District Calendar below.
Volunteers Needed
Arrival Procedures
- Please do not park in the elementary parking lot (near the playground);
- Please do not drop your child off on the side of the road near our crossing guard.
- Please wait until all school buses have passed before pulling up to the front of the school.
- If arriving late, all students must be signed in by a parent/guardian. Please park in the Middle School parking lot.
Thank you for your continued cooperation in ensuring our students arrive to school safely.
Athletic Schedules
Delaware Township School is proud to offer many athletic opportunities
for students in Grades 5-8.
Click here for more information and grade level eligibility.
Athletic Permission Slip
We have designed a parent permission slip to be used for students who wish to stay after
school and view after school athletic contests. This permission slip, once signed, will enable
students in grades 5-8 to view games or meets for the entire season. Please take the time to read
the permission slip and its requirements at the bottom of this letter and return it to the main office.
April is Middle Eastern Heritage Month
Click the picture below for a list of books to read this month.
April is Autism Awareness Month
click the picture below for a list of books to read with your students for Autism Awareness Month!
24-25 Kindergarten Information
We are now in the process of compiling a list of children who will be
eligible to start Kindergarten in September 2024.
If you have a child in your household who will be 5 years of age on or before October 1, 2024, please complete the survey below.
8th Grade News
8th Grade Parents and Guardians will have a lot of information shared with them throughout the rest of the year. To make it easier, this information will all be in one location below.
Click the photo above for registration information
Elementary Chorus
4th & 5th Gr Rehearsals are every Wednesday morning @ 8:10am.
Jazz Band
Tuesdays at 8:00am
5th Grade Band
Thursdays at 8:00am
Club Corner
Girl Scouts
April 2024 Monthly Slice of Pie
Upcoming Activities
Next PiE Meeting - 5/8/24 Hybrid
- Please join us for our next meeting of the school year on May 8th at 7 p.m. for our last meeting of the school year. We are back to hybrid meetings so you can join in person in the performing arts room or via zoom.
Updated PiE Calendar
We’ve added dates for a number of events to the second half of the school year – example Color Run, Paint Nights, Plant Sale! Check out the updated calendar attached!!
Muralist Residency
After a year of planning, PiE is happy to welcome Caren Frost Olmsted to DTS in April 2024 to transform the main hallways near the Main Office and Cafeteria into a work of art that will last for decades to come. Her past work at schools and elsewhere can be explored at www.olmstedmurals.com.
The theme is to celebrate DTS and its community! All students, teachers, and staff will have the opportunity to come help paint. Additionally, there are many adult-only sessions to help prep, paint higher spots, and finish up. Please consider volunteering as slots span April 9th to April 29th (with the 30th as a backup day only). Also, save April 24th as an adult-only PiE painting time from 4 to 6 p.m. to come out and leave your mark. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EAFA92AA3F85-47618801-dtsmuralist
The Ribbon Cutting to celebrate and unveil this project will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 16th.
Nominating Committee
We are seeking volunteers to serve on the PiE Executive Board for the 2024-25 school year.
Nominations are due by April 14th and can be for someone else or yourself. To learn more about the roles, please check out our website (https://dtspie.com/board-members-and-roles/)
If you are interested, email a Committee member at dtspie@gmail.com by April 14th.
Parents v. Teachers - Volleyball
PiE is bringing back a favorite activity which is a friendly volleyball match up between Parents and Teachers at the School gym on Thursday, April 25th from 6 to 8 p.m. Families are welcome to come out and cheer on their fellow parents or the teachers - no admission fee but bring cash as the Student Council will be selling snacks.
To warm up the court, Middle School students can sign up to play in the first game (starting at 6 p.m.): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EAFA92AA3F85-48696257-middle
If you are interested in playing on the Parent team with the game starting at 7 p.m., please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EAFA92AA3F85-48695964-parents
Teacher Appreciation Week
DTS PiE will be celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week May 6-10th this year. Your homeroom partners will be in touch in the next few weeks if you will be doing anything for your individual teacher.
As in years past, PiE is asking for parents' help in celebrating our amazing teachers & staff. We are asking if you are willing to sign-up using this link to provide a $10 gift card which will be given to each staff member.
Another way we'd like to celebrate our teachers & staff is having raffle baskets available for them to win. If you or a group of parents would like to provide a basket, please complete the sign-up here. We would like all gift cards & baskets to be received by May 1st. There is absolutely no obligation to participate.
If you have any questions or ideas, please contact the Teacher's Appreciation Week chairperson, Debbie Lubitz, at dlubitz319@gmail.com.
Plant Sale
May 10th is our annual plant sale (Go green! Send in a reusable bag with your child to help get the plants home!)
If you are able to help volunteer with the Sale, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EAFA92AA3F85-47591831-mothers
Third Annual Color Run
It's time for our Third Annual Color Run being held on Saturday, May 18th ( rain date 5/19)! Join us in coloring our community this Spring at our 5k Run / Walk event being held outdoors at DTS. This is a free event hosted by PiE. If you would like to be part of our Color Run committee, please email us as we are looking for assistance!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EAFA92AA3F85-47602654-dtspies
Paint Night Sign Ups
PiE is bringing back the Paint Party events at the School in the cafeteria. We have two dates set based on grade levels. If you are able to volunteer for the event, please email dtspie@gmail.com.
Please use the sign up below and make sure to specify what your child would like to paint as well as any relevant personalization.
Grades 4 to 8 - May 28th 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Grades PK to 3rd - June 4th 6 - 7:30 p.m. Feel free to stay with your young one, we would appreciate your support!
Ongoing Programs
Assemblies
- May 22nd and 23rd - Martin Jennings Architecture Workshops. History and Humanity Workshop. The presenter will lead students in teams and together create models of significant pieces of architecture or structures. Examples are Bronze Age/Saxon Roundhouse, Dome of the Rock, Egyptian Pyramid, Ely Cathedral, Empire Windrush, Greek Parthenon, Mayan Temple, Roman Villa, Stonehenge, Taj Mahal, Tudor Globe Theater, Victorian Crystal Temple, and WWII Andersen Shelters
- May 30th - Eyes of the Wild is a rescue facility. They will bring a variety of animals for the students to see. They will also discuss things such as: how we obtain our rescued animals; protecting wildlife and the environment; completing research before choosing a pet; and the habitats, survival techniques, communication skills, and unique behaviors of the amazing animals we are lucky enough to share the planet with! They will share many funny stories and anecdotes.
- 3rd grade classes have once again worked with children’s book author/illustrator Peter Catalanotto in this writing and illustration workshop, now in its 8th year. He has guided the students through the writing and illustration process to develop and produce their own stories.
- The students Publishing Party will be April 16th in the PAR starting at 6 p.m. Third grade parents will receive invitations via backpack.
- Check out Mr. Catalanotto’s books at https://www.petercatalanotto.com.
ShopRite Gift Card Program
- Looking for a way to help PiE raise money? Check out our new form that also is being sent home to sign up, but it costs you nothing other than the amount you would already spend at ShopRite!
PiE makes 5% on every gift card purchase so that same $100, earns PiE $5.
How it works - you register using the form, each month, you will receive the gift card increment (for example $100), and then you write a check to PiE for the $100. Super simple and if you shop at ShopRite, it doesn’t cost you anything more or less!!
Note To School
Tired of writing notes to the school when your child needs to stay after school or is being signed out early? PiE has just the answer - a notepad with the key data points the school needs already pre-printed and organized. Simply fill in your personal data and send it along with your child.
Reach out to dtspie@gmail.com to order yours. One pad is $3; two pads for $5.
Committees looking for help
Teacher Appreciation – PiE is looking for individuals who want to help plan and/or execute the details to celebrate our teachers the week of May 6th. Please email Debbie Lubitz, the chairperson, at dlubitz319@gmail.com
Nominating Committee – the PiE Board is voted on every year and is looking for those interested in helping with this process. Interested in helping? Please email dtspie@gmail.com for more details.
Community Service Committee – this is an award PiE does every year to an 8th grader at graduation through a nomination process that starts in early May. Interested in helping? Please email dtspie@gmail.com for more details.
About PiE
DTS Partners is Education was formed in 2010, when the DTS PTA and the DT Community Education Foundation merged to become a single group. It is an all-volunteer organization supporting the School's students. Learn more by visiting our website - www.dtspie.com. As a member of the PiE community, you will be part of our listserv and get these monthly newsletters as well as periodic emails reminding you of upcoming meetings and opportunities to volunteer for different activities. We look forward to a great year!
PiE Calendar
Check out the calendar of events for 2023-24!! We have worked hard to line up fun activities for the year and hope you are able to join. Some are family events, some are opportunities to meet other parents in your child’s community, so, please look to these newsletters and our social media for updates (including the website!)
We plan to post online sign ups a few months ahead so you can book a slot in advance. Please see the calendar for the events we will need volunteers for between now and December.
Volunteer
Want to volunteer some of your time for PiE events? Fill out the Google Form & be notified of any upcoming PiE events in need of volunteers.
Check out the attached list of Current Committees with the Chairperson’s contacts in case there is something that interests you and you’d like to reach out directly to get involved.
There are also some PiE committees in need of a chairperson. For more information or questions contact Debbie Lubitz at dlubitz319@gmail.com.
More detailed information on ALL of our events can be found on our website at www.dtspie.com, email us at dtspie@gmail.com or check out our social media pages (Instagram & Facebook)
SEPAG
To learn more about DTS SEPAG, click here.
Substitute Teachers Needed!
Attention, aspiring educators! Become a Substitute Teacher NOW with just 30 college credits - Certification Fee WAIVED by the State!
Great part-time opportunity for current college students, parents looking to get back into the workforce, or retirees anxious for some time away from home. Work when your schedule permits.
Contact Valerie Wheatley, our new Curriculum Supervisor, if you are interested in helping out DTS as a new Substitute Teacher. vwheatley@dtsk8nj.org
Before/After Care
YMCA Gym Membership-Free for 7th Graders!
YMCA
Click here for more information on a Food Allergy Management Program to create a "safe meal" for the 23-24 school year.
Click here for the:
What's Happening Around Town?
2024 Spring Harbinger
Summer Art Camp
Visit ArtSeedStudio.com for more information
and for early enrollment discounts before February 16th!
Delaware Township Rec Commission
Follow us on Instagram @dt_recreation
Hunterdon Athletics
DTAA
Follow us on Twitter!
Follow us on Facebook!
Follow PiE on Instagram!
Newsletter Submission
The Wildcat Weekly is published every Friday.
In cases where it is a shortened week, the publication date may be adjusted.
If you would like something published in the newsletter, please email your submission to slipson@dtsk8nj.org by each Tuesday at 3:30pm. Please include the length of time you'd like your information to be in the newsletter.
All submissions must be approved by the school administration
before being included in the newsletter.