CALENDAR

• K-1st Hybrid Learning Starts - Thursday, October 8 (COHORT B)
• Hybrid Learning Q&A for 2nd-5th Grades - Thursday, October 8, 9 a.m.
• 2nd-5th Hybrid Learning Starts - Monday, October 12 (COHORT A) & Thursday, October 15 (COHORT B)
• Elementary Speaker Series: Child Psychiatrist Dr. Eileen Kennedy Moore - October 22

IN THIS ISSUE

Around School

• Welcome Back Hybrid Learners!
• Reminders for Hybrid Learning Cohorts
• Video: Resiliency for Families During the Pandemic

Your Support 

• Direct Donations for Our School
• Nomad Pizza Night
• Volunteers Still Needed
• Thanks for Your Flower Power

Community Service

• Sharing CP Garden's Bounty
• Las Manos Amigas: Holiday Gift Drive

Around Town

• 411 on the Board of Education Candidates
• An Electric EVening

Welcome Back Hybrid Learners!

Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade students in the Hybrid Learning Cohorts masked up, lined up for temperature checks, and marched into CP for the first time in seven months. We wish them and all CP staff a healthy, fun start to this new phase of learning. 

Reminders for Hybrid Learning Cohorts

• How to Find Your Student's Learning Cohort
• Orientation Video for CP Students
• Hybrid Learning Procedures for Pre-K-1st Grades - See the list of procedures. View last week's Hybrid Learning Q&A for Pre-K-1st Grades.
• Hybrid Learning Q&A for 2nd-5th Grades
  When: Thursday, October 8, 9 a.m.
  Where: Zoom (details sent separately)
  Principal Dineen Gruchacz will discuss how hybrid learning will work for the upper grades, including answering questions on schedules, safety protocols, and more. For those unable to attend, the Zoom meeting will be recorded and posted to Konstella. To submit questions for Principal Gruchacz, email communityparkpto@gmail.com. 
  
  

Video: Resiliency for Families During the Pandemic

On Monday evening, local family therapist George Scott discussed how families can build resiliency during the pandemic. The event was the first in a series of social emotional learning webinars jointly sponsored by PPS's elementary school PTOs. Click here to watch Mr. Scott's October 5 talk. (Password: DyOZ3B$m)

Mark your calendars for our next speaker, Dr. Eileen Kennedy Moore, on October 22.

Thank you to everyone who has donated to our direct donations campaign. So far we've raised $6,154 toward our goal of $40,000 (almost $100 per child enrolled at CP).  The pandemic has made it impossible to organize large events such as the annual fall fundraiser at the Ivy Inn, which accounts for about half of our total proceeds each year. Now more than ever, direct donations from parents and caregivers are a key source of revenue for the PTO.

Your generosity is especially critical because we have already pledged significant support to teachers for their virtual and in-person classrooms, purchased "spirit" PPE for all CP students and staff, and organized a webinar series on social and emotional learning. In addition, we intend  to continue to address rising food insecurity in Princeton and advance the work of the Parker Bear Fund, which assists CP families in financial need. 

We know there are many worthy causes and campaigns competing for your attention right now, but we ask that every family consider giving as much or as little as they can. 

With gratitude,

Manishi Prasad and Georgette Stern
CP PTO Co-Presidents

***

How To Give:

• Zelle: Send Zelle payment to treasurer@cppto.org. 
  (Zelle is a free, secure service available via all banks and credit unions, including PNC, Bank of America, TD, and Wells Fargo.) 
• Credit Card: Via Konstella Donations page. (Grandparents, neighbors, and others can also donate via this public link.)
• Check: Payable to "CP PTO" mailed or dropped off to Community Park School, Attn: CP PTO, 372 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ, 08542.

NOTE: Donations to the CP PTO are tax deductible. If your employer matches charitable donations, please send your Matching Funds Application to treasurer@cppto.org.

The CP PTO board is currently operating with about half the number of usual volunteers. Many parents have moved on and, with the upheaval last spring, some fundamental roles, from community service coordinator to fundraising organizers, have not yet been filled. Click here to volunteer. Many of the jobs have a limited scope and can be done remotely.

Need an easy weeknight dinner? Mention Community Park School when you order Nomad Pizza this Thursday, October 8, and CP will receive a portion of the proceeds. You can order via phone (Call: 609-285-5187) for pick up or "dine in" on their covered patio--just remember to mention CP. NOTE: Online orders are NOT eligible. :(

We raised $597 from your generous purchases during our fall flower sale. Thank you and happy fall!

 

Did you know the CP Garden donates fresh vegetables to the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry all during the growing season? This week, CP Garden Educator Peter Wagner dropped off a bag of green beans and a bucket of tomatoes. Click here to volunteer with your student in the CP Garden.

Click here to request a gift for your student OR sign up to give a gift to a child in need. And, if you're giving a gift, let your student help you shop and experience how giving may benefit both the giver and receiver. Deadline for requesting a gift is Friday, November 13. Deadline for signing up to donate a gift is Friday, November 27.

Princeton voters have begun receiving their ballots for the November General Election. Eight candidates are running for three available seats on the Princeton Board of Education this year. Learn more about each of the candidates by watching the League of Women Voters forum or reading position statements from each of the candidates at www.Vote411.org/ballot.

To learn more about the role of the Board in our schools, see this FAQ from the NJ School Boards Association. And for information on Princeton's Board, visit https://www.princetonk12.org/board.

Princeton residents may return their ballot via mail or place in the secure drop box at the Municipal Building (400 Witherspoon Street). Voters can also deliver it to their polling place on election day, November 3.

An Electric EVening
When: Friday, October 9, 4-7 p.m.
Where: Princeton Shopping Center

Sustainable Princeton presents an electric “EVening” of fun. With plenty of space to social distance, you are cordially invited to bring your mask and test drive an electric vehicle, take an e-bike on a spin, and learn the benefits of going electric, before dining and enjoying live music. This event is FREE, but please register here to ensure adequate space for social distancing.

P.S. - We Hear You

If you have feedback or suggestions regarding the newsletter, please message Nicole Pezold Hancock on Konstella or email newsletter@cppto.org.  

For general thoughts regarding PTO activities or how parents can further help support CP, please contact Co-Presidents Manishi Prasad and Georgette Stern via Konstella or at manishi.prasad.1974@gmail.com and georgettestern@gmail.com. 

Thanks for reading!