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***Please note: Given the current uncertainty regarding COVID-19, all dates are tentative in the newsletter. Please check on events closer to the date with the organizers.***
| Oct 15 |
Back to School Night
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Roosevelt's first virtual student council meeting for returning members and any 7th
or 8th grader interested in joining will be held on Wednesday, October 7 at 2 pm using this link:
Information regarding applications for executive board positions, speeches, and fundraising ideas will be discussed. If you are interested in running for an executive board position, you must attend this meeting. This meeting is for 7th and 8th graders only. Future student council meetings will be held using the same link at the same time - Wednesdays at 2 pm. All members please join our new google classroom for the 2020-2021 school year by using the code: 4blntvf. Sixth graders will be invited to join our student council in the beginning of November.
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RIS YEARBOOK - Important Updates
New Picture Request!
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This is an interesting year to say the least so over here at RIS the yearbook staff is going to roll with it! Something that we have never done before, but seems relevant now, is pictures of your RIS children with their PETS!! The teachers have all been commenting on how many adorable pets we have been able to "meet" over our virtual class sessions, so we figured, let's put it in the yearbook! Please use the link below to share with us for our yearbook spread, pictures of your RIS children with their beloved pets. All pets are welcome!
Please tell your friends and use the link below so we can have a great book for the kids this year!
Thank You - Your Yearbook Advisors
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Welcome Back from the RIS PTO
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Dear Parents and Guardians,
An early welcome back during these uncertain and very different times.
This year the RIS PTSO is moving to a new platform for the directory, fundraisers and collecting dues - Membership Toolkit. We want to make sure that you have access to Membership Toolkit and that you are staying informed of our activities and sales. Roosevelt School Masks sales continue. We flew through inventory and are ordering more. Masks will be available for pick up soon. More information to come. Please take a few moments to activate your account by clicking the link and following the instructions listed below.
Once you are logged in you will have access to the mask sale. The masks are made by sport-stitch and are 3 ply cotton with adjustable ear straps. You will also be able to pay your dues and access the directory. Dues are an important part of the PTSO here at RIS. This year Roosevelt will be using the dues towards teacher appreciation gifts (in lieu of luncheons), support staff appreciation gifts and teacher wish lists. Later int he year, we will be asking for your help by contributing to our direct appeal. With these funds, we will continue to keep up the landscaping around the building and buy new picnic tables. It is still unclear what our schools and students will need most during this coming year, but the PTSO is here to help support the students and the staff. Please help us support Roosevelt School.
Thank you!
Roosevelt PTSO
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How to Activate Your Membership Toolkit Account
- Click https://rooseveltptso.membershiptoolkit.com and then click "Create Account".
- Complete the "Create Account" form.
Important: Use the same email that you use to logon to Genesis (the address that this email was sent to). Do not use a different email. You will be able to change your email or add additional emails to your account once it is activated.
- Once completed you will receive an email from Membership Toolkit. Click the link in the email message to verify your email address and complete the process.
- Be sure to download the Membership Toolkit App on your mobile device so you always have your directory with you! App Store OR Google Play.
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Westfield Municipal Alliance Meeting - October 7th
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Please accept our invitation to attend a Virtual Community Connections meeting, hosted by the Westfield Municipal Alliance Wednesday, October 7th, 7-8 PM. We hope this note finds you and your families safe, healthy and well in these very unique times. The Municipal Alliance has remained active in coordination with the State, County, Town of Westfield, and our schools during this time. If you are able to attend, please RSVP to westfieldalliance@gmail.com and we will send the link for the Zoom meeting. We remain fully committed to our mission of alcohol and substance use prevention education for our community and schools. We look forward to sharing information and discussing new ideas for achieving our mission. We would love for you to join us in collaborating together.
Stay safe and well,
Louise DeDea, Municipal Alliance Coordinator
Lauren Hauser, Municipal Alliance Chairperson
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Westfield Seeking Substitute Teachers
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The Westfield Public School District is seeking Substitute Teachers and School Nurses who hold appropriate credentials. The district accepts candidates with a Standard Certificate, CEAS, CE, or a current County Substitute Certificate. The district also is seeking substitute paraprofessionals and secretaries. Please contact Jill Kelly in the Human Resources Department at jkelly@westfieldnjk12.org or (908) 789-4400 x4425. Thank you.
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WHS Track Fundraiser for Tamaques Park
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The Westfield Public Works Department has partnered with the Rutgers Green Infrastructure staff to bring a rain garden to Tamaques Park this fall. Rain gardens not only provide an aesthetically pleasing site for park visitors but serve as an effective way for stormwater to be filtered in order to protect the health of the natural environment.
The Westfield High School Cross Country and Track & Field teams have the privilege of using Tamaques Park to hold both meets and practices. On behalf of Westfield XCTF, teammates Gianna Davis and Katie Hamilton are fundraising to give back to the community and help with the establishment of a rain garden in Tamaques Park. All proceeds will go towards the purchase of flowers to complete the garden.
Click here to support the Tamaques Park Rain Garden. |
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Odyssey of the Mind Information Session - September 30th
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Odyssey of the Mind Information Session
Wednesday, September 30 at 7 PM
Zoom Meeting
What is Odyssey of the Mind:
Odyssey of the Mind is an international creative problem solving competition for students. Teams of 5 to 7 students collaborate together over 4-5 months to solve a predefined long-term problem and present their solution at a competition. They must also participate in a spontaneous portion of the competition by generating solutions to a problem they have not seen before. Participants use knowledge of STEAM fields, independent thought, time and budget management, imagination, and public presentation abilities. In recent years many Westfield teams advanced to World Finals and some have placed in the top 10.
Who Should Attend the Information Session:
Parents, elementary school students, middle school students, high school students, or anyone interested in learning more about Odyssey of the Mind including
- understanding what it means to be part of an Odyssey team
- understanding schedule and time commitments
- understanding how the program might work in-person or virtual
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PTC Meet the Candidates Night - October 8th
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Meet the candidates running for the Westfield Board of Education as the Parent Teacher Council (PTC) holds a virtual Candidates Night on Thursday, October 8 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. A link to the virtual forum will be shared with the community in early October. The evening will be moderated, with candidates asked a variety of questions to be gathered from the public prior to the forum. Questions may be submitted to ptc@westfieldnjk12.org by October 6. More information on the virtual forum and the candidates can be found under the Board tab on the district website.
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PTC Fundraiser for Families in Need
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Dear Westfield Community,
We hope this finds you healthy and comfortable.
Prior to COVID-19, buying food and household items presented a challenge to some of our Westfield Public School Families. This pandemic continues to magnify these challenges. To assist our local families, the Westfield PTC has set up a fundraiser. All money raised will be distributed to our Westfield Public School families in the form of gift cards to local grocery stores. To protect anonymity the school district will make these distributions.
Thank you to everyone who has generously supported this effort. To date we have raised over $22,000 for Westfield Public School families in need. These funds were distributed throughout the spring and summer in the form of gift cards to local grocery stores. These families still need our support, now more than ever. Please consider a donation to continue assisting these families. See below for additional information regarding this fundraiser. If you are a family with children in the public schools who does not qualify for free lunch, yet could still use some help, please reach out to Director of Guidance Maureen Mazzarese at mmazzarese@westfieldnjk12.org.
Click HERE to donate. If you have issues with payment, please email ptc@westfieldnjk12.org. We know these are tough times for everyone. Be safe. Be well and take care of each other.
Warmly,
The Westfield PTC
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PTC Special Education Committee
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The Special Education Committee, nicknamed "Special Ed Parents," is a sub-committee of the Westfield Parent-Teacher Council (PTC). The subcommittee is dedicated to bridging the gap between special and general education, acting as an information resource, a support network, and a watchdog on local issues for parents of classified children and other concerned individuals. For more information and to make a tax-deductible donation to the Katherine E. Cuthbertson Achievement Award Scholarship, click HERE.
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Support the WHS Helping Hands Fund
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Westfield High School Helping Hands (WHSHH) fund was established in 2012 to help ease the financial burden on families during stressful and difficult times. Since its founding, WHSHH has distributed almost $50,000 to 45 families in the Westfield High School community. Direct donations are critical to this fund's existence. More information, including how to make a donation to WHSHH, can be found HERE. Email ingridmcki@gmail.com with questions.
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The mission of the Westfield Coalition for the Arts is to act as an advocate for the arts in our schools, including music, fine art, theatre, visual art and dance. We speak out on behalf of the arts and their importance in our schools by raising public awareness of the arts' programs currently in our schools, supporting the schools when there is no room left in the budget, and encouraging our students' artistic endeavors. For more information, including how to support the Westfield Coalition for the Arts, click HERE.
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The New Jersey School-Age Tuition Assistance Program can help families pay for care for school-age children in need of child care as a result of COVID-19 remote learning school schedules. To be eligible for this assistance, you must be:
· A New Jersey resident;
· Your child must be attending school remotely, either part-time or full-time; and
· Your annual gross household income must be $75,000 or less.
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The Rotary Club of Westfield is asking families to continue to contribute to the Rotary-sponsored Second Lunch Program. The collected food is so important to the families experiencing devastating hardships due to pandemic-caused unemployment in our neighboring community of Elizabeth. Instead of students bringing lunches to school, we have designated two drop-off locations on Wednesday mornings before 11 a.m., on the south side, at the home of Rotarian Ray Kostyack, 438 Poe Avenue and, on the north side, at the home of Ellen & Kevin Windorf, 529 Hanford Place. The Rotary Club requests sandwiches be labeled, and non-perishable groceries are also greatly appreciated. A list of items most needed and appreciated, provided by Saint Joseph's Social Service Center, can be found HERE.
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The Westfield Mental Health Council has created a website with important resources that may help families navigate their child's return to school. The website, which includes COVID-related information, can be accessed at www.westfieldnj.gov/mentalhealthcouncil. A link to the Westfield Mental Health Council website also is posted on the district's School Reopening/COVID-19 Information page at www.westfieldnjk12.org.
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Thank you to the Westfield Education Fund for its support of an important new educational initiative on racial literacy. The initiative will provide books and other materials to help teachers improve discussions of race in their classrooms. The funding provided by the Ed Fund also will allow for professional development for teachers, including a November visit by historian David Schwartz of New York University's "Facing History" program, who will also provide forums for the community. Thank you also to K-12 Supervisor of Social Studies Andrea Brennan and Dr. Tiffany Jacobson, then K-12 Supervisor of English Languages Arts, who researched and presented the proposal to expand and deepen the district's commitment to racial literacy.
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