Welcome to the CP PTO Newsletter. Please check your Konstella feed for the most recent updates. / Bienvenidos al boletín informativo de la PTO de CP. Mire por favor sus actualizaciones de noticias en Konstella para detalles más recientes.

CALENDAR

• CP Band Concert, Tues., May 14, 6:30 p.m.
• Bicibús, Fri. May 17, departs 7:50 a.m.
• Deadline to Order Autographed Books, Fri. May 17
• Final PTO Meeting of the Year, Mon., May 20, 7 p.m.
• School Board Meeting, Tues., May 21, 7:30 p.m.
• Food Systems Literacy Workshop, Wed., May 22, 12 p.m.
• Early Dismissal Day, Fri. May 24, 1 p.m.
• No School, Mon., May 27
• International Culture Show / Desfile Multicultural, Tues., May 28, 9 a.m.

IN THIS ISSUE

Around School

• Your PTO at Work: Teacher Appreciation Week & Author Visit
• Band Concert Tonight!
• Final PTO Meeting of the Year
• International Culture Show / Desfile Multicultural
• We Need YOU for Next Year's PTO!
• Sign Up for CP Summer Camps

Fundraising

• Stock Up on CP Gear! 

Around the District

• Update: PPS Expansion Referendum
• Food Systems Literacy Workshop: PPS Parent Potluck & Roundtable Discussion
• News from the PTOC
• "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" at PHS

Around Town

• Family Matinee Series: Kubo and the Two Strings

Your PTO at Work: Teacher Appreciation Week...

Thank you to everyone who helped celebrate CP's wonderful staff with special notes, chair messages, flowers, and a delicious luncheon from Las Marías!

Dear CP PTO, I wanted to thank you for the beautiful lunch you offered for the staff of CP last Friday. It was a real treat! Peter [Wagner] CP garden educator

Dear Amazing CP PTO Family,   Thank you so much for today's phenomenal, DELICIOUS lunch celebration and all the schoolwide PTO sponsored Teacher Appreciation Week treats to make teachers feel so special! Special thanks for providing so many gluten-free options at today's lunch and for going out of your way to make sure I received beautiful paper origami flowers because you heard I was allergic to pollen! I am truly grateful for the level of care and attention to detail you showed by going out of your way to make sure teachers know how much we are loved and appreciated. The sidewalk chalk art was also SO beautiful and the massage was such a special treat! The work that teachers do would not be possible without the PTO's collaboration and support! I appreciate YOU all so much as well! Wishing all the moms a wonderful and blessed Mother's Day weekend!   Warm regards, Lisa Lisa Tanikawa-Brown Kindergarten DLI Teacher

...& Author Visit

The PTO sponsored a visit with children's author Laurie Wallmark, Princeton Class of 1976, on Friday, May 10. Thank you, Ms. Jones, for arranging this wonderful program! If you'd like to order an autographed book, the deadline is this Friday, May 17.

Band Concert Tonight!

Our Bands will perform two spring concerts on Tuesday, May 14:

Morning Concert

• Time: 9:30 a.m.
• Audience: CP students
• Dress: Regular school attire

Evening Concert

• Time: 6:30 p.m. (performers arrive at 6:20 p.m.)
• Audience: Family and friends
• Dress: Musicians are allowed to dress up for this special event, but dress clothing is not required.

Please contact Ms. Farrell with questions or if your child will NOT be able to attend the performance: ColleenFarrell@princetonk12.org 

Final PTO Meeting of the Year

Please join us for the last PTO meeting of the school year. Per the bylaws, we'll be voting in next year's officers; if you're considering volunteering to be the third co-president, please sign up before this meeting!

• Date: Monday, May 20
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Meeting ID: 840 2204 9973
  Passcode: 908466
• Zoom Link

As always, all CP caregivers and teachers are welcome!

International Culture Show / Desfile Multicultural

From Nicaragua to Japan, Nigeria to Spain, South Korea to Sweden, India to Peru, Germany to Guatemala, and the USA, Community Park is proud to have students who represent more than 40 countries.

Tuesday, May 28th at 9 a.m., students will show off fashions from their favorite country: their home nation (US included), the country where their parents/grandparents are from, or a place they’ve lived, visited or read about. Students can wear traditional national clothing, modern  outfits, or carry something representative of their country (or state) of choice. It is a great opportunity to learn more about other cultures and appreciate them!

**If your student is interested in participating, please fill out the attached registration and return to school or email Mathilde Schindler at mschindler2106@gmail.com.

De Nicaragua a Japón, de Nigeria a España, de Corea del Sur a Suecia, de la India hasta Perú, de Alemania a Guatemala y los Estados Unidos, los alumnos de Community Park representan a más de 40 países del mundo.

El martes 28 de mayo a las 9 am, los estudiantes de CP lucirán el traje típico de su país favorito: su país natal, el país de sus padres/abuelos, o un lugar que hayan vivido, visitado, o sobre el que hayan leído. Los estudiantes pueden llevar ropa tradicional, trajes modernos, uniformes de
su equipo deportivo favorito, o llevar algo representativo de su país o estado. ¡Es una gran oportunidad para aprender más sobre otras culturas y apreciarlas!

**Si su estudiante está interesado en participar, complete el registro adjunto y regrese a la escuela o envíe un correo electrónico a Mathilde Schindler a mschindler2106@gmail.com.

We Need YOU for Next Year's PTO!

We're still seeking to fill critical board positions for the 2024-2025 school year:

• A third Co-President to help set the agenda for the year and represent CP at district-wide PTOC meetings. 
  • (If you're interested, please sign up before the May 20; per our bylaws, the PTO must vote in the officers at the final meeting of the year)
• A Special Education Liaison to represent CP families with children receiving special education services at the District level.
• A Spanish Language & Cultural Ambassador Team Leader to plan events or activities that celebrate the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries and peoples.
• Two Fall Fundraising Party Leads to help plan the annual fundraiser at the Ivy Inn.
• A POPs Coordinator to wrangle other parents into planning one-time fundraising events.
• Two Online Auction Coordinators to oversee the solicitation of auction items from local businesses and CP families; manage a user-friendly online platform.
• Luncheon coordinators to order food and solicit volunteers to help with one of three PTO-sponsored teacher appreciation meals.
• A Silvergraphics Fundraiser Coordinator to work with the art teacher on the timeline and distribution of kid-made projects that raise vital funds for art supplies.
• Grade Reps for PreK & 5th Grade to lead the other grade-level Room Parents and attend PTO board meetings.

Click here to sign up and for more details about the roles we must fill. All parents and caregivers are welcome to volunteer for any role!

Sign Up for CP Summer Camps!

CP is hosting a week of summer camp for rising first through fifth graders and one for incoming Kindergarteners (haga clic para español). Taught by CP teachers in Spanish, the camps include guided activities, water play, and story time.

Discounts are available for parent volunteers, and students who qualify for free and reduced lunch attend at no cost (please email scholarships@cppto.org or call the CP Office at 609-806-4230).

Stock Up on CP Gear!

Excerpts from the new PPS press release, Plans Advance for Referendum to Fund New Classrooms and Core Spaces

"The Princeton Board of Education has approved a motion to submit paperwork to the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) seeking approval for a referendum to fund new classrooms and core spaces at Community Park Elementary, Littlebrook Elementary, Princeton Middle School, and Princeton High School. The referendum vote is planned for December 2024 or January 2025, depending upon the timing of NJDOE approvals....

...At Community Park, the six new classrooms would allow each grade level to have two sections of DLI students (who learn in both Spanish and English) and two sections of traditional-track students. An addition at the back of the school would house the new classrooms, as well as a new gymnasium and multipurpose room. Renovated spaces would include the music room, the library, the kitchen, and the cafeteria. The soccer field behind the school, used for recess, would be slightly realigned but would retain its current size and be easily accessible at lunch and recess..."

The latest images of the plans are available here. An FAQ can be found here. 

Food Systems Literacy Workshop: PPS Parent Potluck & Roundtable Discussion

 

Date: Wednesday, May 22

Time: 12pm - 1:30pm

Location: Princeton Middle School - Food Lab/B101

Register here!

 

Join us for a parent potluck lunch and roundtable discussion with our PPS Food Systems Literacy Coordinator Tomia MacQueen and Food Service Director Monique Graber.

 

We ask that you bring a dish from home and its recipe to share. When choosing what dish to bring, consider: "Is this a dish we make at home all the time and what could make it scalable for the cafeterias?" The goal of our workshop will be to find easy culturally relevant recipes that are scalable and feasible so that all of our students have a reflection of themselves in their school lunches.

 

Over our shared meals, we'll discuss:

• Food Systems Literacy (FSL) initiatives at PPS
• New cafeteria lunch programs, such as cultural rotations on Tuesdays, Produce of the Month on Thursdays, salad bars, etc.
• How to partner to make lunches healthier, tastier and more consistent within the constraints of USDA rules. 

Those unable to attend will still have opportunity to share their recipes. A note requesting recipes will go out to our school community after this event. 

News from the PTOC

Are you interested in the latest news from the District and other PPS schools? Check out the notes from the latest Princeton Parent-Teacher Organization Council (PTOC) meeting (attached) and visit the website to see minutes from other recent meetings.  

 

 "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" at PHS

PHS Spectacle Theatre presents the Musical Theatre Class in

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

“Happiness is great musical theatre! With charm, wit, and heart, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown explores life through the eyes of Charlie Brown and his friends in the Peanuts gang. This revue of songs and vignettes, based on the beloved Charles Schulz comic strip, is guaranteed to please audiences of all ages!” (Concord Theatricals website)

Friday, May 17, 2024, at 7:30 PM

Saturday, May 18, 2024, at 7:30 PM

PHS Black Box Theatre

Tickets are available at our Ludus ticket website. Tickets are $10 each. General admission seating. Doors will open at 7:10 PM. If the cost of admission presents a financial challenge for your family, please contact us at patricklenihan@princetonk12.org.

Family Matinee Series: Kubo and the Two Strings

In this stop motion fantasy film, a boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armor worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past. PG. 1 hr 41 min. (2016)

Sunday, May 19, 10:00am - 12:00pm

Princeton Garden Theatre

FREE for library cardholders with pass from the Public Library Youth Services Desk (while supplies last), free for Garden Theatre members, or $5. Click for more information.

This ongoing series is made possible by the library and the Princeton Garden Theatre, jaZams, McCarter Theatre and the Princeton YWCA.

P.S. - We Hear You