1. Activities
  2. Community Park PTO Newsletter - Issue 4
Community Park PTO Newsletter - Issue 4
Tue, Nov 3 7:37am

 

CALENDAR

  • Election Day (ALL REMOTE) - November 3
  • Cohort B In-Person Learning Day - November 4
  • NJEA Teachers Conference (SCHOOLS CLOSED) - November 5 & 6
  • Clubs Registration Ends - November 6, 8 p.m. 
  • Winter Clothing Drive - November 8-13
  • Picture Days - November 10 & 11
  • Webinar: Mindful of Race - November 16, 7:30 p.m.

IN THIS ISSUE

Around School

  • After School Clubs Registration Extended!
  • School Portraits Next Week
  • Webinar: Mindful of Race
  • Lunch Bunches
  • CP Garden Update

Your Support 

  • Passive Giving: An Easy Way to Help CP

Community Service

  • Children's Winter Clothing Drive
  • Las Manos Amigas: Holiday Gift Drive

Around Town

  • Divas for Democracy
  • You Haven't Voted?

After School Clubs Registration Extended!
Now ends Friday, November 6 at 8:00 p.m.

There are still a few slots available for this fall's all virtual after school clubs--including for the McCarter-led Heroes and Villains club, Debate Club, Dance Party, Yoga, D&D and more. Register via Homeroom. 

Scholarships are available for students based on financial need. To request a scholarship, please email the CP Parker Bear Fund at scholarships@cppto.org or call the CP main office at 609-806-4230 ASAP.

 

School Portraits Next Week
Tuesday, November 10 (Cohorts A & C)
Thursday, November 12 (Cohort B)

Students will have individual school portraits taken outdoors on Tuesday, November 10 (Cohort A) and Thursday, November 12 (Cohort B).

Cohort C is invited to sign up here for a time slot between 12:45-2 p.m. on Nov. 10, if they wish to have school pictures. 

 

Packages and payments can be made online with BNL School Pictures here (CP pre-pay code is 9H6P4Q4S). If you have any questions about the procedure for the day or safety protocols, contact Kim Byko at aquagirl228@yahoo.com or Georgette Stern at georgettestern@gmail.com. 

 

Webinar: Mindful of Race
Monday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Zoom (details to follow)

How do you discuss race with your child? We live in a time that is moving away from colorblindness or neutrality about racism toward anti-racism. Mindfulness can be a path to exploring our stories through the lens of race, learning our biases, and becoming better equipped to invite our children, friends, and families into these conversations in a compassionate way. Led by Dr. Nathalie Edmond, psychologist, yoga teacher, and anti-racism consultant.

  

The event is part of a series of social emotional learning webinars jointly sponsored by PPS's elementary school PTOs. View previous webinars online:

"Parenting During the Pandemic" with Dr. Eileen Kennedy Moore - October 22  

"Family Resiliency During the Pandemic" with George Scott, EdS, LMFT - October 5 (Password: DyOZ3B$m)

 

Lunch Bunches

CP Counselor Ms. Cameron will be hosting virtual Lunch Bunch Groups to help students foster friendships and socialize with children from other cohorts. The groups will take place twice a month and will be organized by grade. No registration or sign up required. For more info, including the Zoom link, click here. 

 

CP Garden Update

October was a busy month for CP garden educator Peter Wagner. Check out this video to see the new winterized garden beds. A group of PHS seniors have also been helping out in the CP garden on Saturdays. On Halloween, they started digging new beds for CP families to adopt in the spring! Check it out here.  

   

 
Passive Giving: An Easy Way to Help CP
 
You can raise money for CP through your regular purchases from Amazon.com, the McCaffrey's Food Market at the Princeton Shopping Center, and Box Top items from any store. It's easy, anonymous, costs you nothing extra--and you're supporting teacher and student supplies, residency programs with the McCarter Theater or author workshops, garden and health Education Programs, books for the CP Library, The Science Fair, STEM Day, The Music Recital, scholarships for after school clubs and summer camps, and much more.
 
Amazon Smile
How often do you find yourself on Amazon? Every time you shop on Amazon, the AmazonSmile Foundation will contribute 0.5 percent of eligible purchases to the CP PTO. No purchase data is shared with the PTO--only AmazonSmile's donation. Click here to get started.

You can also use AmazonSmile on your mobile app: Open the app and find "Settings" in the main menu (☰). Tap on "AmazonSmile" and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile on your phone.

  
 
McCaffrey's Receipts
  CP may collect 0.95% from every McCaffrey's receipt, which adds up quickly. Send them in with your hybrid-learning student or drop them off to the CP front entrance. But remember: They expire after two months so don't hold on to them too long.

 

Box Tops

Redeeming Box Tops clips is easier than ever. No clipping! Just a quick scan and done. Here's how:

  • Download the Box Tops app to your phone.
  • Shop as you normally do.
  • Scan your store receipts to find participating products.
  • The app will automatically credit CP’s Box Tops earnings.
  • But remember: Receipts expire after 14 days.
  
 
 
Children’s Winter Coat & Clothing Drive
Collection: November 8-13
Where: Princeton YMCA, 59 Paul Robeson Place, OR CP Front Door
 
Distribution Event: November 21
Where: Princeton YMCA Field, 59 Paul Robeson Place
 
CP is partnering with the YMCA this year to organize our annual winter clothing drive. The drive will be slightly different than years past because of COVID-19 precautions:
  • We will only collect gently used children's fall and winter clothing, winter coats and snow pants, shoes and boots, and gloves and mittens.
  • All items will be quarantined for one week before the sorting and distribution events.
  • To ensure CP student and staff safety, the sorting and distribution events will take place at the YMCA; however, items may be dropped off to the YMCA or CP front entrance for your convenience. 

We need more than a dozen volunteers to help sort and organize the the donations on November 20 and 21. Please sign up here.
 
Las Manos Amigas*: In Giving, We Receive
It's not yet Halloween, but Princeton is already planning how to spread the cheer with their annual Holiday Gift Drive.

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.
*Las Manos Amigas is a weekly community-oriented activity that parents may do with their student. 
 

 

 

Divas for Democracy: This Is Me

Check out this inspiring music video directed, produced, and choreographed by CP parent Monica Kapoor. The video features Broadway actress and singer Keala Settle and CP alumna Milania Kapoor. Enjoy! 

 

You Haven't Voted?

Then get thee to a polling place today! Just note: Princeton polling places have been consolidated for this election: Find your polling place here. 

And if you have voted, now is the time for deep breathing, chamomile tea, a weighted blanket, and some tranquil diversion till the results roll in.

 

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!