With heartfelt gratitude
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. Your individual and collective efforts to prevent an in school spread of the COVID-19 virus have been outstanding.
We are immensely thankful for the joyful and heartwarming laughter of our much loved Tuscan children.
We are profoundly 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 environments that bolster and support our efforts to keep Tuscan’s children healthy, safe and well-educated.
We deeply appreciate the uplifting support that we receive from the awesome Tuscan parent community. Thank you to Tuscan Outdoor Lunch Parent Volunteers for providing extra support for students and staff. Thank you to Tuscan PTA President Ronni Schwartz 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.
We are immensely thankful for the Tuscan parent community’s amazing and long standing dedication to giving generously in support of Tuscan’s children and families.
Through the remarkable generosity of the Tuscan parent community, Tuscan’s PTA successfully raised $5,300 to purchase grocery gift cards to assist Tuscan families. The outpouring of support makes it possible for 42 Tuscan children and their families to enjoy a hearty Thanksgiving meal with dignity and grace.
Please know that we are deeply thankful for your steadfast support of our efforts to continuously cultivate a school environment that safeguards the emotional, mental and physical health, safety, and well-being of our students, teachers and staff. Always remember your voice and your insights contribute to our school improvement efforts. If you have any questions or concerns about any aspect of your child’s Tuscan experience, please continue to email your child’s teacher or Tuscan School Administration at ROARforTuscan@somsd.k12.nj.us.
With heartfelt gratitude wishing you and your family an enjoyable Thanksgiving Break!
Ms. Malikah Tamar Majeed, Tuscan School Principal
Mr. Brad Bertani, Tuscan School Assistant Principal
Ms. Angela Thompson, Tuscan School Nurse
Dear SOMSD Community,
As you are aware, the Thanksgiving Break is November 25 & 26, 2021. District schools and Central Office will be closed. Schools and District offices will reopen on Monday, November 29, 2021.
The District will collect information from parents/guardians of unvaccinated students who plan on traveling either domestically (outside of PA, NJ, NY, CT, DE) or outside of the United States during the Thanksgiving break. To keep our students, staff and community safe, unvaccinated students will need to quarantine before returning to school.
Note the following:
- UNVACCINATED students will be asked to quarantine for a full seven to ten days depending on testing.
- Quarantine may be seven full days if students test negative on days 3, 4, or 5 after returning from travel. If you choose not to test, quarantine is ten full days.
- This guidance is per our local SOMA Departments of Health as informed by NJDOH and CDC.
- If your child is fully vaccinated, they do NOT need to quarantine (unless they have symptoms).
- If you recently opted to have your child vaccinated in accordance with the new CDC endorsement and recommendation for children 5 to 11 years old against COVID-19 with the Pfizer pediatric vaccine, please note that your child will NOT be considered fully vaccinated until TWO WEEKS AFTER they receive their second dose of the vaccine (which is after we return from Thanksgiving Break).
Everyone's continued compliance is necessary to keep the members of our school community healthy and safe.
Please refer to the communication sent to parents on Friday, October 22 for a full description of the requirements which are still applicable. [https://bit.ly/3pqq8rk]
During a student’s quarantine period, they will receive virtual instruction. Please note that we strive to minimize the disruption to student learning during the quarantine period by having systems in place for students to receive virtual instructional support that is commensurate with their normal school day. Again, it is imperative that families of UNVACCINATED students who plan to travel during the Thanksgiving break, outside of the PA, NJ, NY, CT, and DE areas fill out the Thanksgiving Break Travel Survey by Monday, November 22.
South Orange & Maplewood School District
Tuscan Celebrates Native American Heritage Month!
Dear Tuscan Families,
Throughout the month of November, in all library classes (K-5), students will study Native American Heritage Month and honor Indigenous Peoples, specifically through the literature written by Native American authors.
There are a plethora of resources available to extend learning at home.
A few websites that stand out are:
● National Native American Heritage Month
● From PBS: How to Honor Indigenous Peoples with Your Kids, Today and Every Day
● From the Seattle Public Library - #ownvoices
There are many books about Native American history and specific tribes, but the following books are unique in that they are written by Native Americans themselves. This group of books is part of the #ownvoices movement.
Available on Epic! (Information on how to login to Ms. Popp’s Epic! Classroom):
○ Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness Into Light by Tim Tingle and Karen Clarkson
Available on MackinVIA (Information on how to login to MackinVIA):
○ We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell and Frané Lessac
Available at Maplewood Library (links provided to titles available as eBooks or audiobooks):
○ An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
(This is an excellent resource for history about Indiginous peoples of the United States.)
○ My Heart Fills With Happiness: Ni Sâkaskineh Mîyawâten Niteh Ohcih by Monique Gray Smith
○ Bowwow Powwow by Brenda J. Child, Gordon Jourdain, and Jonathan Thunder
○ When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson and Julie Flett
○ You Hold Me up by Monique Gray Smith
○ All Around Usby Xelena Gonzalez; illustrated by Adriana Garcia
○ The Good Luck Catby Joy Harjo; illustrated by Paul Lee (available through BCCLS)
○ Grandmother’s Pigeonby Louise Erdrich; illustrated by Jim Lamarche (available through BCCLS)
○ The Water Walker by Joanne Robertson (available from BCCLS)
○ Dragonfly Kites by Tomson Highway (available from BCCLS)
Some questions families may want to explore together:
- What Native American tribe lived in the Maplewood/South Orange area?
- Why is it important to celebrate Indigenous Peoples?
- How does our celebration of this culture relate to our commitment to always Respect Others Act Responsibly (ROAR)?
I hope you and your children enjoy these resources!
Ms. Popp
Library Media Specialist
Publisher's Description:
In an exuberant picture book, a glimpse of costumed mermaids leaves one boy flooded with wonder and ready to dazzle the world.
While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he's seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes -- and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love's author-illustrator debut is a jubilant picture of self-love and a radiant celebration of individuality.
Transgender Awareness Week | November 13 - 19, 2021!
"Each year between November 13 – 19, people and organizations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face.
The week before Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, people and organizations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face.
How to be a Better Ally and Support Transgender and Non-binary Students, Families, Friends and Coworkers:
Great Diverse Children's Books with Transgender, Non-Binary and Gender Expansive Children
A Beginner’s Guide Being an Ally to Trans-People
A Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Non-binary Youth
Transgender and Non-binary Children Books to Help Adults Understand
New York Public Library | Trans and Non-binary Centered Books
Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled times for teachers and parents to collaboratively work on our shared commitment to enhance the academic, social, emotional and behavioral growth of our students /your children.
Although parent/teacher conferences may be a brief ten to fifteen minutes, these essential conversations can be highly insightful and productive for discussing your child’s strengths and their opportunities for growth.
Online scheduling information for conferences was emailed by your child’s teacher on Tuesday, November 16th, 2021.
Your insights are important to us and we value and appreciate your positive partnership. Should you have a concern about any aspect of your child’s Tuscan experience, please continue to email your child’s classroom teacher and when needed school administration at RoarforTuscan@somsd.k12.nj.us.
NOTIFICATION OF SCHOOL COMMUNITY: PROCEDURE COVID-19 POSITIVE CASE INVESTIGATION & CONTACT TRACING
We want to once again share the process and procedures for notification that the school district follows for share communication on Covid-19 Positive Covid cases and for contact tracing.
When a SOMSD staff member or student tests positive for COVID-19, it is the responsibility of that staff member or the parent of the student to notify the principal who notifies the superintendent. The respective local Department of Health (DOH) – South Orange or Maplewood - will be notified immediately. The local DOH, who receives the actual lab report, conducts Contact Tracing. Based on the circumstances of each case, the local DOH provides the District with guidance as to the appropriate and timely notification of staff and families of a confirmed case while maintaining confidentiality.
TUSCAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
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