Thomas Jefferson School Newsletter March 2026

Thomas Jefferson School

April 2026

To Our Thomas Jefferson School Families,

April has been both a great and busy month at Thomas Jefferson School! Students began the fourth and final marking period, spring sports are in full swing, and there have been many interesting learning opportunities!

As part of the Force and Motion Unit for 8th grade, students took a field trip to iFLY in Paramus. While at iFly, highly trained STEM educators guide students through an immersive, hands-on experience that consists of: An interactive presentation on real-world STEM applications, Physics demonstrations in the wind tunnel, lab activity and immersive experiments, measure and record data and interpret results, and one-on-one flying with a certified world-class iFLY flight instructor.

On April 9th, our 8th graders enjoyed a wonderful trip to NYC. Students took a Circle Line Cruise along Manhattan, ate lunch on the boat, and then saw a Broadway performance of The Outsiders, which they read earlier in the school year. We received extremely positive feedback from students!

April 13th marked the end of Marking Period 3. Ms. Isenberg returned to Lincoln School and Mr. Strapp began music instruction and concert preparation for all TJ students.

Take your child to work day - We welcomed numerous children to the building for a fun filled day on April 23rd. It was an overwhelmingly positive experience for all.

We are proud to share that several of our students were recognized in the Denville/Rockaway Area Woman’s Club poetry contest. The committee carefully reviewed many submissions and selected winners based on creativity, originality, and strong development of the theme. Congratulations to Sadie Smircich (1st place), Emerson Baker (2nd place), and Isabella Hernandez (3rd place) for their outstanding work!

Carnival Dances -On April 10th TJ hosted a grades 4-5 dance from after school until 4:30 pm. Grades 6-8 had a dance from 6:00-8:00pm. We are appreciative of a large donation by the RBHSA and students provided lots of positive feedback that they had a great time!

The family of 4th-grade student Natalia Marter Gonzalez reached out on the morning of April 7th. Mom, who just returned from her deployment in the Middle East, wanted to surprise her daughter, who did not know she had returned. Along with some of her Girl Scout friends, Natalie came into the office, and both mom and daughter were brought to tears as they embraced. Given the long period of time away and all that is currently going on in the Middle East, Natalia and her family are beyond happy to see Mom home safe and sound. We appreciate the efforts of all of our service members and were happy to see such a warm moment.

Leadership Summit - On April 17th our students attended a leadership conference here at TJ. It was an incredible day at Thomas Jefferson School! Dr. Lazzara and the Championship Culture Team worked with our students on themes of decision making, communication, perseverance, and leadership. Our 7th grade peer leaders and our 8th graders were fully engaged throughout. A huge highlight was hearing from Super Bowl champion Stephen Baker, "The Touchdown Maker", for an inspiring keynote address. It was a great experience for our students and school community!

April was Autism Acceptance Month, and several teachers collaborated to plan meaningful activities, led by Mrs. Zangara. The month was recognized in a variety of ways, including a lemonade sale hosted by Mrs. Zangara’s class during recess to raise donations. In addition, staff members contributed through donations tied to Wednesday dress-down days.

Upcoming Events

NJSLA Testing will be administered on the following dates: (Please make sure Chromebooks are charged!!)
4th-8th Grade ELA: May 4th-5th
4th-8th Grade Math: May 7th
5th and 8th Grade Science: May 11th and 12th.

Future dates to consider

TJ Spring Concerts
May 19 - Grades 6-8 Evening Concert @ 7:00pm
May 21 - Grades 4 and 5 Concert @ 9:00 am
June 17th - 8th Grade Graduation @ 5:00 pm at the MHHS auditorium
June 18th - Last day of school - Early Dismissal (12:45)

Memorial Day is Monday, May 25th - No School
Homework Help Club - Ends for the school year on Thursday, April 30th

Thank you all for partnering with our school and staff to benefit each child!

Leon Samuels

Principal

Nurses Corner

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, please have your child eat breakfast prior to coming to school.

All parents of students in 5th (going into 6th grade for the 26-27 school year.) There will be paperwork going home both in English/Spanish for the required 6th Grade Immunizations.

Please make sure your child has the required 6th grade Immunizations prior to September 2026 and the paperwork is sent back to the nurse.

Reminder to all parents.

If your child needs to take medication during the school day, whether it be prescription or over the counter a signed medical form must be signed by the prescribing healthcare provider. These forms are found on the District website, or you can request one be sent home with your student. All medications must be brought in by an adult and in its original packaging.

Any students who need Inhalers must have a signed Asthma Action Plan by the prescribing healthcare provider. The inhaler must be brought into and kept in the Health Office unless the prescribing healthcare provider states the student is capable of self carrying and self administering the Inhaler.

EpiPens must have a signed healthcare provider order and the EpiPen must be brought to the Health Office.

If your child needs cough drops a note from the parent can be sent in with the cough drops and kept in the Health Office.

Remember breakfast is the most important meal of the day, please make sure your child eats breakfast prior to coming to school and they also should have a refillable water bottle.

Last but not least if your child is not feeling well, please do not send them to school. If they have a temperature of 100.4 they MUST be kept home for 24 hours and must be fever free for 24 hours. If your child vomits during the night they must be kept home for 24 hours with no vomiting.

If you need to reach me - the best way is through email: lsavercool@rockboro.org or by leaving a message on my office phone # 973-625-8603 x 305.

Thank you,

Mrs. Savercool

NEW STAFF WELCOME-Music

Hello! My name is Mr. Connor Strapp. I am the new General/Vocal Music teacher here at Thomas Jefferson Middle and Lincoln Elementary Schools in Rockaway Borough. While I am very excited to be working with all of the students in Rockaway Borough, I’d like to take some time to share a bit about myself.

I attended Community College of Morris where I received a degree in Music Performance. My primary instrument is the guitar. After CCM, I went on to study Music Education/Secondary Education at Seton Hall University. While studying, I taught private music lessons on a variety of instruments to all age levels. Upon graduating, I began my career as a full time teacher by accepting a position at a small private Catholic school where I taught for five years. Outside of teaching, I love to perform live music. I try to get out and gig as a solo musician about four times a month!

My educational philosophy places a large emphasis on meeting students’ social and emotional needs, making relevant connections to their cultural backgrounds, and creating an environment that is safe and professional in which the students can laugh in while they are learning. I look forward to creating beautiful music with the talented students of Rockaway Borough!

From Miss Selikoff...

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAi3OCMPpjmomxntQmU_u84t_iaCFZ4Zd0xOHuwRvZCo9mxA/viewform?usp=publish-editor

From Mr. Bova...

Musical Notes...

Band students are working toward their performances in May and should be practicing regularly.

The Spring Concerts will be held this month at the Rockaway Assembly church:

The Tues. May 19th, 7 pm performance will include:

6th, 7th and 8th Grade Concert & Select Choirs

Concert Band

Jazz Band

The Wed. May 21, 9:00 am performance will include:

4th Grade Chorus

5th grade Chorus

Beginner Band

Junior Band

The Night of the Arts on May 21st will feature some performers from our music dept.

The High Note Festival will be held Thur. May 28th for eligible concert band and select chorus students.

Now is the time to look for summer playing opportunities as well. Please reach out to Mr. Bova for ideas and suggestions.

7th & 8th Graders Take Note

You are eligible and invited to join the Morris Hills High School Marching Band for their next season.

Please see below info and share it with anyone you think might be interested! (This includes students who have never played an instrument before or those interested in Color Guard with no prior experience.)

Hey Everyone,

I hope this message finds you well!

If you are interested and/or planning on joining the 2025 MH Marching Scarlet Knights Marching Band, here’s some information for you:

THE SHOW:

The marching band staff and I are working on our 2025 show selection, and will make an official announcement as soon as we've confirmed everything! Our membership (as in who plays certain instruments or signs up for the color guard) dictates what type of show that we program, so please sign up to partake in a positively life-changing experience!

THE SCHEDULE:

While I'm waiting on information from the school and our competition organization to will help finalize the schedule, here's what I can share:

Summer Practices - one evening a week starting in July (color guard members may have some additional practices as scheduled by Mrs. Moreno, our color guard director)
Band Camp - August 4th through 8th at Morris Hills
Two evening practices a week (we have to practice in the evening due to facility limitations) starting at the end of August, wrapping up at the end of October/first week of November. These practices are typically on Tuesdays and Thursdays, although adjustments may need to be made based on the master school calendar.
Occasional Friday evening football games
Saturday competitions and football games in September and October (possibly the first weekend in November)
Possibly ONE Sunday competition (for a championships performance)

*For note: high school sports teams typically operate, between practices and games/matches/meets, over 6 or 7 days a week throughout the fall. (I know this firsthand, as my oldest son was an athlete at MH!) The marching band meets 3 or 4 times a week!

HOW TO JOIN:

Here is the link to sign-up, and feel free to share this link with anyone you think would be interested: 2025-2026 MHMB Sign-Up Form

There is no experience necessary, and we can use members in all sections! Anyone in 8th through 12th grades is able to join, keeping in mind that any 8th grader interested must live in Wharton, Rockaway Township and/or Borough, or Denville.

BEHIND THE SCENES:

Here is a link to a GREAT video put together by one of our outstanding band parents, showing past season highlights and “behind the scenes”: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g84r78sgfeeaz45/Final.mov?dl=0

Lastly, I’d like to share with potential new members (and their parents/guardians) a great article: 10 Lessons Your Child Will Learn in Marching Band. It’s a quick and informative read!

As we're coming off one of our most successful seasons in about a decade, as well as our largest group in at least 15 years, it goes without saying that this is an INCREDIBLY EXCITING time to be part of one of the most successful and storied programs in the state!!!!!!

Please reach out with any questions you may have!

Take care,

Mr. H.

RICHARD HARTSUIKER

Director of Bands

Morris Hills High School

973-664-2300

rhartsuiker@mhrd.org

https://morrishillsbands.com/