CDW Weekly Wrap-Up

November

Monday, November 2nd~ 12:30 PM Dismissal for Parent/Teacher Conferences 1:30-3:15 PM and 5:00-7:00 PM (invite only)

Tuesday, November 3rd~ 12:30 PM Dismissal for Parent/Teacher Conferences 1:30-3:15 PM (invite only)

Thursday, November 5th and Friday, November 6th~ School is closed.

Monday, November 9th~ Marking Period 1 Closes

Tuesday, November 10th~ Picture Make-Up Day

Wednesday, November 11th~ Wear Red, White, and Blue Day

Thursday, November 12th~ Evacuation Drill around 10:00 AM

Monday, November 16th~ BOE Meeting in the BOE Conference Room at 7:00 PM

Tuesday, November 17th~ PTO Meeting in the CDW Media Center at 7:30 PM

Wednesday, November 18th~ Let's Partner!: District Planning Meeting at 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM

Wednesday, November 25th~ 12:30 PM Dismissal

Thursday, November 26th and Friday, November 27th~ School is closed for Thanksgiving Recess.

December

Thursday, December 3rd~ Grade 8 Renaissance Testing

Tuesday, December 8th~ PTO Holiday Shop

Thursday, December 10th~ Grades 7 & 8 Visit NVOT for the Winter Concert

Monday, December 14th~ Marking Period 2 Mid-Point

BOE Meeting at 7:30PM in the Lynch Gym (Marking Period 1 High Honors students will be recognized.)

Tuesday, December 15th~ PTO Special Lunch

Wednesday, December 16th~ Grades 5 & 6 Band Winter Concert 7:30 PM

Thursday, December 17th~ Grades 7 & 8 Band and Chorus Winter Concert 7:30 PM

Monday, December 21st~ Spelling Bee Round 1 (snow date 12/22)

Wednesday, December 23rd~ 12:30 PM Dismissal; Holiday Party

Save the Future Dates

April 2nd and 3rd~ CDW Musical

May 19th and 20th~ CDW Spring Concerts

May 25th~ Knights' Fest

June 2nd-4th~ Grade 8 Trip

June 17th~ Grade 8 Graduation

CDW Calendar

Monday, November 2nd: 12:30 PM Dismissal for Parent/Teacher Conferences

Tuesday, November 3rd: 12:30 PM Dismissal for Parent/Teacher Conferences

Wednesday, November 4th: Regular Full School Day

Thursday, November 5th: School is closed for Staff and Students for NJEA Convention.

Friday, November 6th: School is closed for Staff and Students for NJEA Convention.

If you were unable to attend the NVOT Information Night, here is the presentation. Dr. Mezzina and Dr. Lima provided a plethora of information about the various programs that NVOT provides to high school students.

Congratulations to the boys' volleyball team on becoming the first boys' volleyball team in CDW history to win a championship! We are so proud of each and every player who made history together. Go Knights!

The girls' soccer team blew by Haworth in the first round of the playoffs on Monday to play Harrington Park in the semi-finals on Wednesday. Although their season ended there, Coach Hayward is so proud of how hard they worked all season.

The boys' soccer team competed in the season's semi-finals; however, their season ended on Tuesday with a loss against Haworth. Coach Soltys was proud of the boys for battling throughout the season against some competitive teams!

Please have your child(ren) return his/her soccer or volleyball uniform to the coach by Wednesday, November 4th. The uniform should be washed and folded and put into a Ziploc bag with your child's name on it.

Each month, we conduct a security drill to ensure staff and students know the necessary safety procedures. On Thursday, November 12, 2026, CDW staff and students will practice our evacuation procedures to St. Pius around 10:00 AM. This notification is to let you know that police will be present at CDW to assist us throughout the drill. You will receive a follow-up email after the drill is complete.

On Wednesday, October 28th, the Debate Team competed for the first time this season at Tenafly Middle School to argue cases for and against establishing national health insurance in the United States. Debaters Dylan Bernstein and Emma Podgorski won their Negative round verse Closter with 27 speaker points. They then went on to win their Affirmative round against Demarest with 19 speaker points. The next debate is November 18th at NVOT!

As part of their astronomy unit, students in Mr. Johnson's sixth grade science class researched a planet, planned a mission to present to NASA, and built a model to help visualize their mission.

Let's Partner!: Parent Series

District-Based Planning Team Meeting

When: 11/18/26 at 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM

Where: Board Conference Room

Who: Open to Parents of All Students

This week, Ms. Santa and Mr. Lee visited the 7th- and 8th-grade Language Arts classrooms to lead an engaging lesson on Digital Citizenship and the role technology plays in our everyday lives.

Digital citizenship is about making thoughtful, responsible choices when using technology and helping create digital spaces that are safer, kinder, and more respectful. Whether we use apps, browse websites, complete schoolwork, or play online games, our choices shape our digital experiences and influence others'.

But what makes a digital space a healthy place to spend our time? Is it how much time we spend online, the content we consume, or the algorithms that determine what we see?

As technology becomes an increasingly central part of our lives, it is important to recognize that digital platforms are designed to keep us engaged. Features such as endless scrolling, autoplay, and personalized recommendations can make it easy to spend more time online than we originally intended. Understanding how these features work empowers us to make more intentional choices about our digital habits.

During the lesson, students explored four key elements of good digital citizenship:

• Staying safe: Recognizing and protecting ourselves from online risks.

• Taking control: Setting healthy boundaries around screen time and online content

• Showing kindness and respect: Treating others thoughtfully in digital spaces, just as we would in person.

• Finding balance: Making time for technology while staying connected to the people, activities, and experiences that enrich our lives beyond the screen.

To bring these ideas into the real world, students worked in teams to consider a thought-provoking question: Which would make a greater difference to our well-being: limiting how long we use an app or changing what the app shows us?

Through lively, thoughtful discussions, students examined the difference between time limits and content limits, sharing insightful perspectives and challenging one another to think critically. Their conversations highlighted an important idea: digital well-being isn't simply about how much time we spend online, but also about how our online experiences shape how we think, feel, and interact with the world around us.

By helping students understand their digital choices, we hope to empower them to take greater ownership of their online experiences while making space for meaningful relationships, real-world connections, and the activities they love.

Being a good digital citizen means more than knowing how to use technology. It means knowing how to use it wisely, responsibly, and in balance with the world beyond the screen.

Grade 8 information

Catholic school “release of records” forms need to be submitted to Ms. Adamo by November 9th. The only school that does not require this form is Holy Angels Academy; parents submit transcripts themselves.

Students applying to any of the Bergen Tech Schools need to submit their applications by November 8th!

Please make sure your child(ren) complete and submit their “all about me” forms to their teachers. Students need to provide this form to any teacher or staff member who is filling out a recommendation for them.

Grades 5 and 6

On October 27th and 29th, Ms. Adamo taught the second lesson of the Energy Bus to the 5th and 6th grade students, respectively. This month’s lesson was “Fuel Your Ride with Positive Energy.” The discussion centered on behaviors or actions that “fuel” us positively versus negative behaviors or actions that “drain” our energy. Students spent time reflecting on a behavior that they need to stop “fueling,” what they need to think about before they react, and what alternative positive behavior or choice they can make instead. I encourage you to ask your child(ren) what their positive energy commitment is for the week.

Please complete the following forms under "Forms" and then "Forms Library" in the Genesis Parent Portal by November 1st! No exceptions!

• Sports-Related Concussion Acknowledgement Form
• Sudden Cardiac Death Pamphlet Sign-Off Sheet
• Opioid Use and Misuse Form
• CDW Sports and Intramurals Participation Form
• CDW Sports and Intramurals Participation Form for Spring Sports
• Health History Questionnaire (If physical is within a year, but after 90 days.)

Interscholastic sports for students are offered throughout the school year. Competition is among the neighboring schools of the Northern Valley Athletic Association. Announcements about tryouts, practices, and games are posted and distributed during the respective seasons. Students must present a physical form prior to the start of the season and maintain basic academic requirements. Student-athletes who earn a D or lower in any subject area may be placed on an academic intervention plan and have their playing time restricted.

The general schedule for the interscholastic sports program is as follows:

Sport, Season

B/G Basketball, Winter

Baseball/Softball, Spring

Intramurals: Fall/Winter/Spring

Winter Sport:

Submit before November 1, 2026

Spring Sport:

Submit before March 15, 2027

*All forms must be submitted to the school nurse (Alvesc@nvnet.org), and coaches will verify that all medical documents are on record before tryouts begin.

**Feel free to visit the CDW Athletics page on our website for more information.

Coach Brancatelli will begin girls' tryouts on Monday, November 9th.

Coach Ferrara will begin boys' tryouts on Tuesday, November 10th.

“Be a POSITIVE Role Model”

• Fans, coaches, and players are expected to treat the opponent, officials, and other fans with respect and courtesy. #CDWPRIDE

• Refrain from negative remarks and booing toward any fan, coach, or player.

• Respect all decisions made by the officials.

ENJOY THE GAME!

All families should have received an email from Image Art Studio containing a private access link to view your child(ren)'s online photo gallery. Please check your Spam or Junk Folders if you have not received the email. Even if you are not purchasing the photos, please have your child(ren) choose a photo for the 2027 CDW Yearbook.

If you have not received the email with your private access link, please contact the photographer directly at imageart411@gmail.com, and include the school name, your child's first and last name, and grade in your request.

You can purchase the photos, or you can have your child(ren) retake his/her photo on Tuesday, November 10th when Image Art Studios returns to CDW.

New this year, students will be completing the contest on his/her own Chromebook/laptop. Therefore, all students MUST bring his/her own Chromebook/Laptop to CDW on the day of the contest. Results will be posted directly into the portal you use to register for the contest.

Completing this form provides us with the information that your child will be taking part in the AMC 8; however, the registration link will be provided via email (that you provide below) 2-3 weeks before the contest.

The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple-choice examination of middle school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills. The competition will take place from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm at Charles DeWolf Middle School. This contest does not allow the use of a calculator, but does allow the use of a dual language dictionary for ELL students. Contest scores will be mailed to Charles DeWolf Middle School by mid/late-February. We will email your child’s results directly to you. For students looking to prepare for the contest, AMC offers The AMC Advantage which is an online, self-paced, skill-building program which includes full mock tests and solutions. Additional information about both the AMC 8 Test and The AMC Advantage can be found on their website: https://maa.org/student-programs/amc/.

Contest Questions? Please reach out to Mr. Clark at clarkj@nvnet.org.

We are excited to announce that the CDW Spelling Bee is coming soon! This year, students interested in participating can compete in Round 1. If a child chooses to participate and makes it to Round 2 (which will be on January 25th), he/she will be expected to be on stage for the School-Wide Spelling Bee with an audience of 5th/6th grade students or 7th/8th grade students, depending on his/her grade level.

The first round of the Spelling Bee will take place on Monday, December 21st (Snow Date is 12/22). If your child(ren) is interested in participating in this year's Round 1 Spelling Bee, please complete this form by Monday, December 14th. All students will receive the lists within the next week through their Language Arts teacher's Google Classroom.

Homework Club meets every Wednesday (September 16th through June 2nd) from 3:05 PM-3:45 PM in Room 417 (Ms. Huster’s room) for all students. The purpose of the Homework Club is for students to have a concentrated space to complete their homework with the support of teacher(s). Homework club will meet each Wednesday unless told otherwise through morning announcements. Ms. Huster and Mrs. Reiser will monitor the club, and we will be able to help your child with any questions he/she may have about his/her homework. If a student is interested, he/she should report to Room 417 (Ms. Huster’s room) after school on Wednesdays to sign in. Students are welcome to join for the whole time or until their work is done! Please keep communication in mind with you and your child, so you are aware that your child will be attending.

Please note that this is not a tutoring club so if your child does not have homework that needs to be completed, Ms. Huster and Mrs. Reiser will not provide other assignments.

Purchase tickets via the PTO Website by 11/13.

Support the Class of 2027 by ordering your Discount Card NOW! You can scan the QR Code below or order via the PTO Website. See the FAQs below!

The schools truly value the partnership we have with the Old Tappan PTO! Please join the PTO and support their organization. Visit OTPTO.org, click "For Sale," and then "Membership."

The PTO Meetings for the 2026-2027 school year are listed below.

Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 7:30 PM in the CDW Media Center

Wednesday, January 27, 2027 at 9:00 AM in the BOE Conference Room

Tuesday, March 23, 2027 at 7:30 PM in the CDW Media Center

Wednesday, April 28, 2027 at 9:00 AM in the BOE Conference Room

Monday, May 24, 2026 at 7:30 PM in the CDW Media Center

*Babysitting is offered at the night meetings.

The OTPTO App provides parents/guardians with the opportunity to message the school for absences, to receive a list of upcoming events, and to receive a directory that allows a search by class or by last name. To get the app, you should download from your app store, "Paperless PTO."

Label your child(ren)'s school and personal materials with Lovable Labels!

Email: santaj@nvnet.org
Website: https://cdw.oldtappanschools.org/
Location: 275 Old Tappan Road, Old Tappan, NJ, USA
Phone: 201-664-1475
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OldTappanSchoolDistrict