Principal Garcia's Newsletter
Friday, October 21, 2022
Torey J. Sabatini School
Important Dates
- October 28 - PTO Sponsored Assembly, Hip Hop Fundamentals
- October 31 - Halloween Parade at 2:10 PM
- November 3 - ESL Back to School Night at MJS @ 6:30 PM
- November 4 - TJS Spirit Wear Day
- November 4 - First Grade Awesome Art
- November 9 - Veteran's Day Assembly
- November 10-11 - Schools Closed for NJEA Teacher's Convention
- November 17 - TJS Family Trivia Night
- November 19 - PTO Turkey Trot/Book Fair
- November 21-22 - Single Session Early Dismissal Day for Parent/Teacher Conferences
- November 23 - Single Session Early Dismissal Day for Thanksgiving
- November 24-25 - Schools Closed for Thanksgiving
- November 30 - PTO Sponsored Assembly, Ball in the House
Elementary In-Service Day
Staff Professional Development Opportunity
Veterans Day at TJS
Torey J. will be honoring Veterans Day this year on Wednesday, November 9. Veterans of immediate family members (parents or grandparents) are invited to attend. Immediate and extended family members of students will be recognized at the ceremony. Please click here to complete the Veterans Day Recognition Google Form. Please complete this Veterans Day Pendant for each Veteran. You can glue a photograph of the Veteran in the star. Please return the pendant to your child’s teacher by Wednesday, November 2. Thank you so much and we are looking forward to a wonderful Veterans Day ceremony!
School Safety Week
TransOptions Assembly
Madison Fire Department
Captain Nunn
Madison Fire Department
SRO Officer Downs and Officer Frank spoke to students about Halloween Safety and Internet Safety!
Square One Art....News from Mr. Thompson
Mr. Thompson and the PTO have worked together on our very first square one art project. Coming home this week is your child's original artwork and a catalog that you may order from. On the back of your catalog are four stickers that have your child's artwork on them. This year's project was to decorate your family's last name initial. Everyone had such a fun time creating their artwork and they have been very eager to share their creations with you. All the instructions for ordering are on the packet but if you have any questions please reach out to me directly; thompsong@madisonnjps.org
News from Ms. Thomas in the Library
Enjoy this weekend’s poem from, Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year.
“Rain Sizes”
John Ciardi
Rain comes in various sizes.
Some rain is as small as a mist.
It tickles your face with surprises,
And tingles as if you’d been kissed.
Some rain is the size of a sprinkle
And doesn’t put out all the sun.
You can see the drops sparkle and twinkle,
And a rainbow comes out when it’s done.
Some rain is as big as a nickel
And comes with a crash and hiss.
It comes down too heavy to tickle.
It’s more like a splash than a kiss.
When it rains the right size and you’re wrapped in
Your rainclothes, it’s fun out of doors.
But run home before you get trapped in
The big rain that rattles and roars.
UPDATE! The 2022-23 Jaguar Reading Challenge-UPDATE!
This reading challenge is completely optional and a fun way to get our students reading at home! It is also in addition to the Jaguar Read-A-Thon, but you should absolutely count those minutes!
Each month, students should keep track of how many minutes they are reading. The October Calendar and challenges are here. Those minutes can include reading you are doing for reading logs, homework, minutes spent listening to an audiobook or read aloud on the computer (such as bookflix), or minutes spent being read to by an adult. This is not an extra assignment- If you are reading for homework, include that reading here too!
Each month, there are different challenges to complete that can earn you an extra 100 minutes to add to your total! See the link above.
At the end of the month, add up all of your minutes!
The school will be broken up into three teams, and the team that reads the most minutes by June will win a personalized collectible keychain!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: thomasm@madisonnjps.org.
Where ya at?!
Trombone Shorty is coming to MPAC (Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown), Friday, November 4!
We shared a story about Trombone Shorty in library last year; and I, for one, am so excited to hear him play and see the legend in person! In case you missed the story or want to be reminded, check out Angela Bassett reading Trombone Shorty’s biographical picture book here.
When is my child’s library day?
It can be hard to remember when Library Day is. Hopefully this will help.
Staff Spotlight
Reading Specialist, Mrs. Ashley LoBrace
Hi! My name is Ashley LoBrace. I am the K-5 Reading Specialist at Torey J. This is my 12th year of teaching at TJS! I started out as a first-grade teacher for my first 6 years and then moved to reading specialization. Teaching reading has been an absolute joy and I am so lucky to be surrounded by such an amazing community of learners and colleagues in the Madison School District! I am so proud of my growing readers and how hard they work day in and day out to meet their reading goals!
I went to James Madison University in Virginia where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and later entered the Master’s program for Reading Specialization at Caldwell College. I also received my +30 through TCNJ while working in Madison. Before teaching in Madison I took on positions as a literacy coach, third-grade leave teacher, and kindergarten leave teacher for my first months at TJS.
I grew up in Scotch Plains-Fanwood and continue to live there with my husband, who teaches high school finance/marketing. We have three adorable children! Miles is six and in 1st grade and my twins, Eden and Joey, are four and in preschool. I also have an 11-year-old yellow Labrador retriever named Charlie. Needless to say, the kids keep us busy and there is never a dull moment! Currently, they are extremely excited about Halloween, want to wear their costumes/eat candy every day, and have taken it upon themselves to decorate our house so it’s the spookiest on our street. J We just recently went apple & pumpkin picking and we can’t wait to carve our jack o’ lanterns this weekend!
Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with our very large extended families (most of whom are teachers!), getting outside with the kids, cooking/baking, interior decorating, and of course, reading!
I look forward to continuing to help students grow in their reading as they move through their elementary years and I am so happy to be a part of the TJS family!
Third Grade Teacher, Ms. Jenna Madden
I grew up in New Providence, NJ and after graduating from high school there, I went on to attend Penn State University. I studied Early Childhood Education, specifically focused on grades Pre-K - Fourth, and minored in Deafness and Hearing Studies. After college, I started my teaching career at Central Avenue School while coaching the New Providence High School Girls Soccer team. I coached there for 5 years! During this time, I earned my Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the American College of Education. Currently, I am enrolled in Fairleigh Dickinson University's Orton Gillingham Teacher Certification Program.
When I’m not teaching, I love to travel! This past summer, I visited Europe for the first time and explored different cities in Italy! Playing soccer, vacationing at the beach, and spending time with family and friends are some of my favorite hobbies. You will always find me smiling while I am trying new restaurants!
I am looking forward to another wonderful school year at TJS!
Fifth Graders in the TJS Learning Garden!
TJS Halloween Information
News from the PTO
Pumpkin Patch is Today!
We look forward to seeing so many of our TJS families at the Pumpkin Patch this afternoon. Thanks so much to Jill Sabol, Anna Fields, and Joanna Maulbeck for organizing this family fall activity!
Square 1 Art Fundraiser:
We are so excited to launch the Square 1 Art Fundraiser! Mr. Thompson helped your child create a custom art piece in school. A catalog was sent home this week with lots of creative options to order that artwork on custom keepsakes.
Or, simply search for your child's art using Art Search, and enter state, school name, and your student's name. Your student's art and code will appear, and you may order!
Order by: 11/2/2022
All orders will arrive early December - with plenty of time for holiday gift giving!
Upload additional art if you like, using Art Upload!
If you have questions, or need anything at all, contact customer care online or contact us at presidents.tjspto@gmail.com.
Read-a-Thon:
The Read-a-Thon completed its first week! One more week to go! We hope you continue to encourage your children to read, read, read, and reach out to family and friends to support them with donations!
Library Help Needed!
Mrs. Thomas needs our assistance to keep the TJS library organized between classes. Volunteers are needed for short periods to help reshelve books. Please check out the times on the SignUp Genius if you are interested!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4DACAD2EA3F58-tjslibrary
News from the MEF
In honor of the last two weeks of the MEF Giving Pump fundraising campaign, we're kicking off a selfie contest with a $50 gift card to Bottle Hill Tavern as the prize! We can't wait to see your photos! Good luck!
How to Enter:
(1) Take a selfie while filling up at The Giving Pump (Pump 6) at the Shell gas station on the corner of Prospect and Main in Madison.
(2) Post your photo on Instagram or Facebook and include the hashtag #MEFPump6Pic
(3) Follow/like MEF on Instagram and Facebook.
Contest Rules:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Winners must live in the United States. Contest begins on October 17, 2022, at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time ("ET"), ends on October 31, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Winner will be announced on or about November 2, 2022. Contest is not sponsored by or affiliated with Instagram or Facebook. Terms and Conditions apply.