PTA & SEPAC meetings this Wednesday 12/8
12/6/2021 8:51 pm
More meetings?! We know, this is such a busy time of year!
If you can make it, there are 2 meetings this Wednesday 12/8:
1. SEPAC @ 7:30pm. You'll get to e-meet the new Assistant Superintendent for Special Services, Susie Budine. You can join the conversation here and add feedback on your experience with Special Education in SOMSD here.
2. PTA meeting @ 7:30pm. Join here to discuss all things Tuscan PTA. We apologize that our Tuscan PTA meeting had already been scheduled for the same night/time. If you attend the SEPAC meeting and miss the PTA Zoom, you can absolutely catch up by reviewing the minutes that will come out a few days after the meeting.
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Construction Alert!
12/5/2021 7:05 pm
ICYMI: There will be road work done to repair Harvard Avenue this week. Please make every effort to walk to and from school next week. If you are driving, give yourself extra time (we know, you don’t have any) and hopefully it will be over by Friday. And no, it can’t wait because soon it will be too cold. We asked.
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Teacher conferences this week!
11/29/2021 12:49 pm
Welcome back! Here’s to hoping that you had a restful Thanksgiving. Can you believe we are in the home stretch to the end of the calendar year?
Teacher conferences are this week. By now, you should have all signed up to meet (virtually) with your teacher and to find out what the first three months of the school year have been like for your Tuscan Tiger(s). Please reach out to your teacher if you haven't received a SignUp Genius link.
And because of conferences, Wednesday 12/1 through Friday 12/3 are half days with dismissal at 12:45pm. No lunch, pack a hearty snack!
Read MoreTuscan Show Meeting
11/21/2021 3:20 pm
Just a reminder that the first parent (virtual) meeting about the Tuscan Show is happening on Monday, November 22 at 7pm.
Thinking of dipping your toe in the director pool? JOIN US! Want to support in another way? LOG ON! Go to www.tuscanshow.com for the meeting zoom link and all show info this year! Can’t make it? Check the site for more details after the meeting or email tuscanshow@gmail.com.
Read MoreThanksgiving Dinner Donation Drive Update
11/16/2021 10:28 am
UPDATE: As of Tuesday 11/16, we now have 101 donations totaling $5,300!! We will be able to assist all of the families as we were hoping to do with grocery gift cards, so we are going to close this fundraiser.
Our community is incredible - thank you!!
One of the many wonderful ways that the Tuscan PTA helps to support the community is through fundraising initiatives. With this in mind, there are 35 families we hope to help this year at Thanksgiving. Our goal is to raise at least $3,500 dedicated to this purpose by Friday, November 19. Any donations will be used by the PTA to purchase grocery store gift cards.
As of Monday evening, 11/15 we have received 35 donations totaling $2,510. Our goal is $3,500 and we need to buy the gift cards by this Saturday.
If you are able to help, there are three ways to give (we strongly prefer online donations if possible):
- by donating online here
- by sending a check to your child’s classroom made payable to the Tuscan PTA - please write ‘Thanksgiving Drive’ in the memo line
- by sending cash to your child’s classroom in an envelope marked ‘Thanksgiving’
Thank you for helping make our community stronger!
Read MorePTA and SEPAC meetings this week
11/8/2021 6:00 am
Welcome back Tigers! We hope everyone enjoyed the Fall Break.
A reminder that we have a few upcoming events (and that these are also listed in our PTA Calendar that you can subscribe to here).
PTA Meeting, Wednesday, 11/10 @ 7:30pm via Zoom
Find out what we're working on and see how you can get involved!
SEPAC SOMA Meeting, Thursday, 11/11 @ 7:45pm via Zoom
The ABCs of IEPs in Pre-K. Learn more about Special Education during the preschool years, led by Beth Cosentino, SEPAC VP of Policy (and Tuscan Parent!) They'll also have a breakout room for general discussion, questions and support for all grades.
Tuscan Show Parent Interest Meeting, Monday, 11/22 @ 7:30pm via Zoom
The Tuscan Show - the most highly anticipated Tuscan event - is on for the 21/22 school year! Come join the show directors to get all your questions answered. Find out how you can be part of the magic that is The Tuscan Show. Go to www.tuscanshow.com for the meeting zoom link and all show info this year! Can’t make it? Check the site for more details after the meeting or email tuscanshow@gmail.com.
Read MoreICYMI: The annual Tuscan Thanksgiving Drive is now open for donations!
11/2/2021 2:32 pm
Your generous donations will be used to purchase grocery store gift cards to help the Tuscan families whose finances are tenuous to help them with their Thanksgiving celebrations.
Our goal this year is to raise at least $3,500. Find out more on how to donate here.
Read MoreAutumn is here (finally)!
10/17/2021 5:22 pm
We now return you to your regularly scheduled autumn, already in progress
Pumpkin spice, red-gold leaves, a hint of chill in the air, and most pleasant of all -- our kids heading off to full days at school with their friends almost like in the Before Times. A parent could get used to this!
We met… we zoomed… we laughed… we talked
On October 13, we kicked off the year with our first PTA meeting. It was great to see so many faces and to start the year. We heard from PTA President, Ronni Schwartz, Ms. Majeed, Mr. Bertani, our SEPAC representative Kay Puthaaroon and more. The meetings are open to all, so please join us next time around. The next meeting is slated for Wednesday, November 10 - add the Zoom link to your calendar!
Oh, snap… lose your picture QR code? Read on
It’s very possible that the form with the QR code to access your kids’ photos may have gotten lost in the stack of art and drawings coming home in their backpacks. This comms person nearly threw hers out! If you’ve lost it, no problem! Just email Hi@iamacamera.net and the photo team will help. A quick note to say that they will also be circulating new coupon codes once the photos are ready. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Parent lunch volunteers should be… parents (or primary guardians)
It is SO MUCH FUN volunteering at lunch but volunteers should be Tuscan Tiger parents/primary guardians and not anyone else. So, have a keen grandmother visiting from Biloxi? An eager grandad making a trip from Grand Rapids? Sorry, they can’t take a lunch volunteering slot. It must be parents/primary guardians only.
BOO! Made you look
The Tuscan PTA is hoping to add some scare back into the fun of Halloween with an event on October 29 from 5-7pm at the school. Info can be found here. Want to scare… I mean… help? Please email jennifer@melonearchitects.com to volunteer.
Make a difference at CHS
Have a few spare hours and looking to help make a positive impact on SOMA? The Columbia High School Scholarship Fund (CHSS) is expanding its board of trustees. The CHSS is a need-based fund that helps CHS students to pursue their dreams of post-secondary education, including two- or four-year colleges, trade or technical schools, and graduate schools. Interested? Email chssf@chssf.org.
November 2 is voting day
There. I said it. November 2 will see NJ take to the polls to decide on everything from the Governor all the way to representatives in the community, including Sheriff, Township Committee, Board of Education and the Maplewood Capital Improvement Proposal. Away? You have until October 26 to vote by mail. Download the form here.
Join us! Meet us!
Please join the PTA - we’d love to have you. We’ve upgraded our platform designed for PTAs, which will make it easier for you to use and us to operate. Instructions for how to sign up can be found here, but even if you don’t join the PTA (please, please join!), it’s still important to sign up for an account on our new site so that you can have access to information you’ll need.
And finally…
Have a story idea? Know someone who is doing something wonderful? Want to talk about your own initiatives helping people in the area? Get in touch! TuscanSchoolPTA@gmail.com
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