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To Our Thomas Jefferson School Families,
March has been an outstanding month at Thomas Jefferson School. With the winter weather behind us, students have benefited from consistent, uninterrupted learning, embraced the start of the spring sports season, and engaged in a variety of enriching school activities.
The Wizard of Oz Musical - The TJ School Musical, The Wizard of Oz Junior, was performed Friday, March 13th-Sunday, March 15th. The students worked for months on acting, stage setup, costumes, lighting, music, etc. We are proud of all of their efforts and grateful for the direction and expertise of Ms. Barbosa and Mr. Bova. The shows were truly amazing!
Blue Titan - This self-defense class was an excellent addition to our middle school science curriculum. On March 9th, 8th grade students explored how forces such as push and pull, momentum, and leverage are used in real-world scenarios to enhance safety and self-protection. Students practicing staying calm and using body positioning, balance, and energy transfer can make movements more effective. Coach Cheryl was amazing. She talked to the students about fighting being the last resort, but also gave us valuable insight about scenarios where we need to protect ourselves. Dr. Glen Katz (owner) trained the students and gave them a flyer for a complimentary class. Overall, this was a fantastic trip, giving students skills they can take with them beyond life at TJ.
We were thrilled to welcome Jen Calonita, a New York Times bestselling author of more than forty books, to our school for an inspiring author visit to kick-off Read Across America Week. Students enjoyed hearing how she transformed from a reluctant reader into a successful writer and learned about the creative process behind her popular fairy-tale retellings. During her engaging presentation, she encouraged students to turn their own ideas into stories and demonstrated how books come to life. The students even helped her create a new reimagined story utilizing her "formula" and who knew that Moana would be in a story with Lebron and come across Thanos in Las Vegas (according to our 5th and 6th graders)! The visit sparked excitement for reading and writing across our school community. We can't wait to continue to add more books by Jen Calonita to our school library with her future releases in the middle grade world!
Students participated in a collaborative field trip with Morris Hills to the Montclair Art Museum. The experience was especially insightful and rewarding for the 8th graders, who had the opportunity to reflect and learn about abstract art while engaging in an interactive art piece inspired by abstract reflective mobiles. This hands-on activity encouraged creativity and deeper understanding through collaboration. Thank you to Morris Hills for organizing such a meaningful and enriching trip!
New Music Teacher - We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Connor Strapp to the Rockaway Borough learning community! He comes to us with great enthusiasm, ability, and experience. He will begin teaching our students music and preparing them for the Spring Concerts when the fourth marking period begins on Tuesday, April 14th. Welcome, Mr. Strapp!
Upcoming Events
- March 30-April 6th No School - Spring Break Students return Tuesday, April 7th.
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The third marking period ends on Monday, April 13th. Grades will be available to families at 4:00 PM on April 20th. A communication blast will be sent at that time as a reminder.
Future Dates to Consider
- April 10th School Wide Student Government Organization Dances
- Grades 4-5 - 3:00-4:30
- Grades 6-8 - 6:00-8:00
- May 4-12 NJSLA Testing
- TJ Spring Concerts
- May 19 - Grades 6-8 Evening Concert @ 7:00pm
- May 21 - Grades 4 and 5 Concert @ 9:00 am
- June 17th Tentative 8th Grade Graduation @ 5:00 pm at the MHHS auditorium
- June 18th - Tentative last day of school - Early Dismissal (12:45)
Thank you all for partnering with our school and staff to benefit each child!
Leon Samuels
Principal
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