Tuscan Tidings

Dear Tuscan Family~

We are approaching the Thanksgiving Break with heartfelt gratitude.

We are thankful for the health, safety and well-being of our entire Tuscan School community of students, parents, teachers and staff.

We are thankful for our much-loved Tuscan children. A special shout out to Mrs. Van Tine for the wonderful Fall Sing-A-Long assemblies! Kudos to Tuscan’s Chorus for singing two beautiful selections that filled our hearts with gratitude. It was absolutely wonderful to hear the joyful and heartwarming singing voices of Tuscan’s Children.

We are immensely grateful for our amazing Tuscan teachers, paraprofessionals, building based substitutes, social work staff, office staff, custodial staff, school safety staff, lunch monitors, and student teachers. Thank you for continuing to do the hard work of creating and maintaining warm, welcoming and inclusive environments that keep Tuscan’s children engaged in joyful learning experiences.

We deeply appreciate the support and generosity that we receive from the amazing Tuscan parent community. Thank you to our Outdoor Recess Parent Volunteers for providing extra support for students and staff. Thank you to Tuscan PTA President Amanda Durett Cercone and all members of the PTA Executive Board for your positive partnership and outstanding work to enhance the Tuscan experience for all of our students, faculty and staff.

Always remember your voice and your insights are important factors for student success. As a reminder, Parent /Teacher Conferences are November 29 - December 1, 2023. Although your parent/teacher conference may be a brief fifteen minutes, these essential conversations provide opportunities for teachers and parents to collaboratively work together on our shared commitment to enhance the academic, social, emotional and behavioral growth of our students. Please immediately contact your child’s teacher should you need to reschedule your conference for a different day and/or time.

• November 22: Tuscan 12:53 pm Dismissal | Holiday Recess
• November 23: District Closed | Thanksgiving Break
• November 24: District Closed | Thanksgiving Break
• November 29: Tuscan 12:53 pm Dismissal | Evening Conferences
• November 30: Tuscan 12:53 pm Dismissal | Evening Conferences
• December 1: Tuscan 12:53 pm Dismissal | Afternoon Conferences
• December 5: Tuscan 12:53 pm Dismissal | PD for Staff
• December 22: Tuscan 12:53 pm Dismissal | Holiday Recess
• December 25, 26: District Closed | Holiday Recess
• December 27 - 28: Schools Closed | Holiday Recess
  
• December 29: District Closed | Holiday Recess
• January 1: District Closed | New Year's Day
• January 15: District Closed | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Opt-In For Text Messages

In order to participate in the text messaging service, you must indicate your willingness to receive text messages to your phone, even if you received text messages this year. You must do this whether you have a child in the school system or belong to a community organization that wants to keep up-to-date with our alerts.

To learn more about signing up for SMS text messaging visit: website: https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/headlines/district-news/2019/12/16/sms-text-message-communications-from-the-district/

REMINDER! Update Contact Information for All Parties Via School Messenger:

In order to communicate with you through School Messenger, it is important that we have the most up-to-date contact information available for all parties.

• Parents/Guardianss, if you have not yet completed the annual online parent portal forms, we are requesting you do so as soon as possible. More information for parents is found here.
• All staff members are asked to communicate any telephone number changes to the Human Resources department using the “Change staff contact information” form found on the Human Resources website.

As per Board policy the "Guide to Positive School Culture, Climate, & Code of Conduct" information is to be disseminated annually to all school staff, students, and parents.

The "Guide to Positive School Culture, Climate, & Code of Conduct" is presented to assist students, staff, and parents/guardians to understand the expectations for acceptable conduct while in school or attending school-sponsored activities, on school grounds, and while on the way to and from school.

All students are expected to follow the "Guide to Positive School Culture, Climate, & Code of Conduct". K-12 Principals will review core principles and key components of the "Guide to Positive School Culture, Climate, & Code of Conduct" with their staff. In developmentally appropriate ways, beginning on the first day of school of each school year and frequently throughout the year, teachers will create and cultivate a community of learners based on the importance of kindness and respect.

We ask families to do the same with their children. It is the collective responsibility of students, staff, and parents/guardians to ensure that the expectations set forth in the "Guide to Positive School Culture, Climate, & Code of Conduct" are practiced and reinforced in our school on a daily basis.

Click the link to view the 2023-2024 SY Guide to Positive School Culture, Climate, & Code of Conduct

While we appreciate the companionship pets can provide, it is important to note some individuals may have allergies or fears related to animals. To ensure the comfort of everyone, we must maintain a pet-free environment. Therefore, we kindly request everyone's cooperation in adhering to

District Policy 7490 – Animals on School Property.

This policy is designed to promote the well-being and safety of our students, staff, and visitors. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

South Orange Maplewood School District

Visit the Tuscan PTA website at https://tuscanpta.membershiptoolkit.com.

From there you will be able to opt-in to Tuscan PTA weekly newsletter, volunteer for events, purchase spirit wear and receive important communications.

We hope all Tuscan parents will become a member of the PTA. If cost is prohibiting your participation, please reach out confidentially to Principal Ms. Majeed (mmajeed@somsd.k12.nj.us) or Social Worker Ms. Buggy (ebuggy@somsd.k12.nj.us).

Chromebook Distribution (New Students):

• Grades K - 2 Chromebook distribution will occur near the end of September (if not sooner).
• Grade 3 - 12 families of new students and students that will need upgraded devices were notified via email that appointments are required for families to pick up Chromebooks from the Technology Office starting end of August 2023.
• Chromebook appointment sign up and pick up location can be found here: https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/district/information-technology/1to1/

Chromebook Information (Returning Students):

• Students who attended the district during the current school year and were assigned a Chromebook should continue to use that Chromebook during the next school year.
• The Technology Department will reach out to families to coordinate any device replacements for Chromebooks that are no longer compatible with current requirements.

Chromebook Repairs:

• Chromebook repairs will be coordinated through classroom teachers in the elementary schools.
• Elementary school students that have broken Chromebooks should bring their devices into the classroom and leave them in the class.
• Teachers will submit request for Chromebooks repairs to the school IT technicians.

Additional Chromebook info for families can be found here: https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/district/information-technology/1to1/

The School District of South Orange and Maplewood

Email: ROARforTuscan@somsd.k12.nj.us
Website: www.somsd.k12.nj.us/tuscan/
Location: 25 Harvard Avenue, Maplewood, NJ, USA
Phone: 973-378-5221