Welcome New Tigers! Kindergarten Placements Are Here!

7/16/2021 4:44 pm

Welcome Tuscan Class of 2027!

Kindergarten placement letters were emailed to families Friday June 25. We are excited to host a few playdates for our new Tigers over the summer, and to welcome these kindergartners to school when we go back on Thursday September 9.

Until then, please share these links with any Tuscan K families! We don't do all communication via Facebook... but it is a fast and fun tool for most!

Tuscan PTA. Follow Us! Like Us!
Tuscan Families. A private group run by Tuscan parents.
Tuscan Rising K 2021 - 2022. Just for families starting kindergarten in Fall 2022 at Tuscan, plus a few PTA volunteer mentors/reps.

Didn't get your letter??!!
Current Tuscan families coming up from a SOMSD preschool, but didn't receive an e-letter, first check your spam folder. If not there, then please email your SOMSD preschool administrator AND Mr. Leroy Johnson, head of the preK programs ljohnso3@somsd.k12.nj.us AND the registrar's office (Ms. Tiffani Barnes) registration@somsd.k12.nj.us. You could also cc: our principal Mrs. Majeed (mmajeed@somsd.k12.nj.us AND roarfortuscan@somsd.k12.nj.us)

Current Tuscan families with a now rising 1st - 5th grader AND a rising K placed somewhere other than Tuscan (unless the placement is linked to your child's IEP): Technically decisions are final, BUT our understanding is that the littles - for this one year at least - should have been grandfathered in. Email Mrs. Majeed and Ms. Barnes, as above.

6/21/2021 4:47 pm

Busy, exciting week! We have school Monday through Wednesday. Each day will be the typical pandemic schedule: 8:45 am - 12:45 pm. A few calendar notes.

1. We need CHALK. If you have some handy, please deliver to your child's teacher tomorrow, Tuesday, for some chalk-the-walk all little Tigers will do on Wednesday.

2. You need SPIRIT. Another sale tomorrow, Tuesday. 8 - 9am and 5:30 - 7pm in front of 663 Prospect. Cash or PayPal.

3. Get FREE BOOKS. SOMA Shares is hosting another book giveaway for ALL children Tuesday from 1 - 3pm. Yes, they need more volunteers.

4. Love the RAINBOW. Wednesday is the day for all Tigers to wear their grade's color. The big picture (literally) will be at 9am. Virtual families welcome (look for an email!) Purple - K; Blue - 1st; Green - 2nd; Yellow - 3rd; Orange - 4th; Red - 5th. If you have a shirt to pass onto a younger kiddo, leave it at the SPIRIT sale (see #2).

5. Celebrate our FIFTH GRADERS. Check this weekend's Tuscan Tidings - details on how to click and watch their virtual moving up ceremony are included. Available from 2pm Tuesday.

6. Hold tight for YEARBOOK distribution info. They're coming, they're amazing!

3/25/2021 8:35 pm

Today, March 25, is the final opportunity for families to opt into hybrid schooling for this school year. Opting-in may give your child(ren) the ability to attend Tuscan in person from April 19, depending on space capacity.

To Opt-In, complete the Google form linked here. A copy of the form will be emailed to you at your chosen email account as part of the process. Each SOMSD school's opt in process is different.

Unsure if you've already opted in?
Log into PowerSchool and you should see a yellow bar with brown text right at the top, under Grades and Attendance. If you completed the opt-in form by Feb. 22 or sooner, it might say "B - Hybrid Wednesday Thursday In Person". Other hybrid options that may be listed are "A - Hybrid Monday Tuesday In Person" or "C - ELL/Special Services Monday - Thursday In Person"

If you are not yet opted in, you will see "D - All Virtual" as the stated choice. Example attached. Note that each SOMSD child in your household has a different PowerSchool 'tab' - and possibly a different opt-in status. Make sure to check all tabs (top left within the navy blue bar).

We do not know exactly when the PowerSchool status bar will update after you submit the Opt In form. Check regularly, but presume that the online system may take a week or more to be updated.

More questions?
Mrs. Majeed and Mr. Bertani can be reached via email at ROARforTuscan@somsd.k12.nj.us.

Additional detail can also be found within the Tuscan Reopening Guide.

3/21/2021 10:54 am

What does your PTA stand for? What should your PTA stand for?
For many, we're about t-shirts and smencils and class gifts. But can we do more? Must we do more?

Advocacy takes many forms, and can be amplified by organizations like ours. How the Tuscan PTA supports this in the long term will be decided by YOU, our members and community. As a start we can - must - listen, learn, share. PTA board member Tracy Sham co-signed an important letter about SOMA standing up against anti-Asian racism and violence. You can read the letter here.

We also want to thank and highlight Tuscan parents Kay Puthaaroon, John Hung, and Anna Tolosa Irving, who helped research and found this very helpful article about "How to Talk to Kids About Anti-Asian Violence". We understand it may not be an easy topic to discuss for some, and we thought this would be a helpful resource for parents.

Also, if you haven't seen it yet, the Board of Trustees of Memorial Maplewood Library has issued a statement on Anti-Asian violence. Thank you to Tuscan parent, Fan Winston, who is one of the members on the library board.

Finally, another article about speaking to kids about anti-Asian violence shared by our sibling school Clinton, can be read here.

#stopasianhate #stopAAPIhate #HateIsAVirus #blacklivesmatter

3/18/2021 8:44 pm

Join us at Tuscan, this Saturday 3/20 from 11:30am - 1:30pm to pick up free leveled books from SOMSD, along with other free books donated by Tuscan families and SOMA Shares. There are dedicated books for each and every Tiger, from grades Kindergarten through 5th!

**This event can only happen with your support.** Just 5 of 20 volunteer slots are filled, and though we are able to ask for volunteers from across SOMA, this is a great opportunity for Tiger adults to spend an hour together on the blacktop supporting Tiger kids and our school.

Click here to volunteer on Saturday.

You can bring gently used children's books for exchange on the day, too. We'll also take clean Fresh Direct bags or other reusable bags for sorting/storing donated books.

Masks required, and backpacks or similar are encouraged. A successful morning will mean VERY few books to put back into the school - so come early and take all you can carry!