OTS Updates

Dear Parent(s) and/or Guardian(s),

Please know that this newsletter and previous newsletters will be archived on this website. Please click the tab at the top of the page called Archived Letters.

This week our Board of Education approved a series of clubs for our OTS students. Please click here or the link below to register your child for clubs. Please note that the Homework Helper/Tutoring club is a drop-in club. A student does not need to come weekly to be a member. They come when they need help in a class, with homework, or a project.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScPfSdg3RzgBFG9MrstDdgZZ2QrHmeerdvm9z04QwDbt45_HA/viewform

Please scroll down to view the various club offerings at OTS or use the Table of Contents on the left sidebar.

We have updated our website to include some more information on sports. Click here to access our OTS sports page. Below this letter, I will post this link permanently so you can always access OTS sports information from OTS Updates!

This week our Board of Education also approved Caroline Wernicki to be the Library Clerk at OTS for four days and one day at TES. We are very excited to have this former OTS student working with us. Caroline will allow us to maximize the use of our library/media center. Teachers will now be able to use this space for research, taking out books, and other unique learning opportunities. Caroline will be assisting students and teachers with using this space.

Please know that at OTS we take the social and emotional well-being of our students very seriously. We have our Advisory program where students have a teacher Advisor to help them navigate the challenging times students may have in middle school. It also is a time for building relationships through play, check-ins, discussions, games, and various contests. Students at OTS also have the opportunity to seek out guidance from our School Counselor Mary Cutri-French and our School Social Worker Sara Femiano. In the end, I am very thankful for the caring community of teachers and staff we have here at OTS that are committed to helping our students grow into the people we want them to become academically, socially, and emotionally.

Lastly, this week we elected our Student Government who will be serving our school and community in various ways.

President - Cooper Puppe

Vice President - Deanna Pentz

Secretary - Emily Scala

Treasurer - Julliette Glommeau

Thanks to all the students who ran for office and did not get elected. It takes courage to put one's self out there. We also selected our 8th grade Peer Leaders this week who will be helping out OTS students through tutoring services and other endeavors. Providing middle schoolers opportunities to lead is one of the most important things we value in this community and can be expressed in countless other ways beyond just Student Government and Peer Leaders.

Have a nice weekend!!

Dr. Mitchell

October 2-5 Week of Respect

October 4 8th Grade Parent Meeting (10am and 6pm)

October 6 Picture Day (forms being sent home October 3)

October 9 School Closed for Students

Clubs starting dates and times will be placed under their flyers. Please know that all clubs end at 3:30pm unless otherwise noted by the club advisor.

OTS offers 13 sports throughout the school year. Physicals and Health Forms are due prior to the start of all seasons. Contact the school nurse kcullen@tewksburyschools.org for the sports physical forms.

Fall Sports

Open to students in Grades 5-8 - Girls and Boys Soccer, Cross Country (coed)

Open to students in Grades 6-8 - Field Hockey and Girls Volleyball

Winter Sports

Open to grades 5-8 - Spirit Squad

Open to Grades 6-8 - Girls and Boys Basketball

Spring Sports

Open to grades 5-8 - Girls and Boys Lacrosse, Track and Field (coed), and Softball

Open to grades 6-8 - Baseball

Practices run until 4:15pm unless designated by a coach

All home games/meets start at 4:00pm unless otherwise stated

All winter physicals must be returned to the OTS school nurse by November 1, 2023

One of the ways Mrs. Cutri-French, the school counselor, connects with our students is through "Guidance Lunches". These are one time, small group lunches organized by homerooms which are casual, low-key "getting to know each other" experiences for every student. Students may talk about their school year, outside activities, offer opinions, explore objects in the guidance office or even play a game of (magnetic) darts!

A few students may initially be reluctant to participate, typically 1) because they don't want to be away from the social scene in the cafeteria, 2) because they won’t be with their best friends or 3) because it is unfamiliar.

Most students, though, come away telling others that it was fun! We encourage you to help your child push through any initial discomfort because of the overall benefits they get when they are comfortable accessing this school resource. If you have any questions, or want to discuss this further, feel free to call Mrs. Cutri-French at (908) 439-2010 ext 4230.

THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS OPENED THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE 2023-2024 GOVERNOR'S EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR PROGRAM. PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME TO NOMINATE A TEACHER AND/OR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES PROFESSIONAL THAT HAS MADE AN IMPACT ON YOUR FAMILY OR THE SCHOOL.

A selection committee will select one teacher and one educational services professional from Tewksbury Elementary School and one teacher and one educational services professional from Old Turnpike School.

Please see the link below for the nomination form.

Nomination Form

To nominate a teacher and/or an educational services professional, please complete the nomination form and return it to the building Principal by November 8, 2023.

Our school management software program is called Realtime. The data contained in Realtime is used as the preferred method of communication for mass emails from the district, text messages, and voice messages. This information is used for emergency situations like weather delays, school closing, etc. Please keep this information updated. You will be requested to review and update your contact information and to whom and how you want information sent.

Please know you cannot access your child’s schedule without having completed all necessary forms. If you are having trouble accessing the portal, please contact our front office; dkrowl@tewksburyschools.org

To create or make change to your Maschios account, please go to the main OTS website.

The school lunch menus have been completed for OTS and are published on our district's website.

They may be viewed here: https://tewksburyschools.nutrislice.com/

Dress Code

I want parents to be aware of our updated Board of Education policy 5511. Please review the following examples of unacceptable attire with your children and cooperate with our staff in helping enforce this policy. Parents may be contacted to make the required changes for dress code violations:

1. Clothing that is too revealing;

2. Clothing that may damage school property including, but not limited to, cleats, shoes, or boots that leave black marks;

3. Clothing that may be unsafe such as flip-flops, thong sandals, untied sneakers or boots, un-strapped straps or suspenders;

4. Clothing that has designs, wording, or patches that are offensive, including, but not limited to, alcohol/drug advertising and obscenities or sayings that are offensive to certain groups;

5. Clothing that is too short;

6. For health and safety reasons, students are to refrain from marking on themselves or each other with pens, pencils, etc.; and

7. Jewelry must be removed prior to entering the gymnasium for physical education class. This includes earrings, stud earrings, watches, necklaces, rings, bracelets, and anything else that the teacher feels could be considered a potential safety hazard.

FOR THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR, HOMEWORK WILL NOT BE ASSIGNED TO STUDENTS DURING THE FOLLOWING DATES AND NO ASSESSMENT WILL BE GIVEN ON THE DAY THEY RETURN TO SCHOOL

• Rosh Hashanah (September 15 through September 17)

• Yom Kippur (September 22 through September 25)

• Thanksgiving Recess (November 22 through November 26)

• Winter Recess (December 22 through January 1)

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 12 through January 15)

• Presidents’ Day weekend (February 16 through February 19)

• Spring Recess (March 28 through April 5)

• Memorial Day Weekend (May 24 through May 28)

As a reminder, Tewksbury Township Schools uses our Virtual Backpack to share things happening in and around our community. Click here to see what's going on!

Every OTS student will have a locker this year. We expect students to keep their lockers locked with their own lock or a school provided lock.

Students should not leave any food or water overnight in their lockers.

Students will not be getting changed for Physical Education (PE) and should wear comfortable clothes they can run around in as well as sneakers on the days they have PE. PE is three days a week for each student at OTS.

All students taking home devices must purchase insurance. The cost of insurance for your child’s Chromebook for the year is $25. Please bring a check made out to Tewksbury Township Board of Education or TTBOE. For more information about the insurance policy, please click here.

Please go through the Handbook and Code of Conduct with your children and pay special attention to:

Social Media, Cell Phones, and ECRD (Electronic Recording Device) Technology

According to the most recent research, Old Turnpike School encourages parents to delay use of social media apps for their children. Many of the social media apps middle schoolers like to use can not be monitored effectively and messages and photos can be easily hidden or deleted. Furthermore, according to the United States Surgeon General, who issued an advisory warning in the Spring 2023, social media can carry “a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.” For these reasons, we ask parents to be careful what students download on their cell phones.

Cell phones, cameras, smart watches, and/or any other ECRDs may only be used on school grounds with the permission of the student’s teacher and/or school administration and used for curricular and/or school-sponsored co-curricular activities. Each teacher and/or administrator shall determine if the use of these devices may be used by students under their supervision. At all other times, the following devices:

• Cameras

• Tablets

• Smart watches (Apple Watch and other wearable technologies and other ECRDs) should be turned off and stored in their lockers or phone cubbies.

Student cell phones will be placed in phone cubbies in student classrooms for the entire day of school so they can’t be distracted by them while learning. If a student is seen using their cell phone in school, the staff member will ask the student to either put their cell phone in their respective cubbie or give it to the teacher or Principal who will return it at the end of the day. Students who continue to violate the cell phone procedures will receive disciplinary action and parents may be contacted.

Additionally, the use of any camera for recording video or taking pictures during school hours, including on a school bus, without teacher and/or administrative permission is a violation of privacy and is not permitted pursuant to Policy 5516- Use of Electronic Communication and Recording Devices. School teachers and/or administrators reserve the right to confiscate any such device. Any student who inappropriately uses these devices will be subject to disciplinary actions.