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District News
Registration is now open for fifth grade students who are interested in joining the Music After School program, which provides supplemental instruction for our instrumental music students.
Drop in Job Fair October 11th 10 am to 2 PM at Valley Road
PPS is Now Hiring Substitute Teachers
School Year Calendars from 2023-2025
Before and After School Programs in Princeton Public Schools
The Board of Education recently approved two new policies to support sustainable actions across the district.
May 17 was a beautiful day for the official dedication of the revitalized courtyard space at Princeton High School.Thank you to the Princeton Education Foundation, Mr. Bryan Hoffman, Mr. Joe Gargione, Ms. Bridget Schmid, RS Land Design and the many Princeton High School students who conceived, funded, created and developed the elegant and lovely new courtyard space at Princeton High School. Princeton Mayor Mark Freda officiated at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
All schools will have an early dismissal on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, May 26. Enjoy the long weekend!
In early May, Princeton High School welcomed Eva Wiener to speak about her experience as a Holocaust survivor. The 9th, 11th, and 12th graders watched her speaking via live stream in their homerooms and in the auditorium, the 10th graders listened intently in person.
The Princeton Board of Education meeting will hold a special meeting on May 15, 6 PM, at the Princeton Middle School cafeteria. The meeting will be live-streamed.
The RoboCupJunior USA competition challenges students up to 19 years old to work collaboratively as a team to design, create, and code robots to solve problems. The competition is divided into three leagues: Soccer, Rescue, and OnStage.
The competition is open to students with any level of experience, and teams can use any tool or technology they want, from modifying preexisting robotics kits to building everything from scratch.
There will be an early dismissal on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. Princeton High School will dismiss at 12:33 and all other schools will dismiss at 1 PM. Enjoy the long weekend!
Princeton High School Student Research Symposium
Tomia MacQueen recently joined PPS as the Food Systems Literacy Coordinator, a pilot position that the district hopes to establish permanently.
These highlights are an unofficial summary of actions taken and topics discussed during the public session of the Board of Education meeting on April 25, 2023. They are intended to provide timely information to the community, but they do not represent an official accounting of the meeting. Official minutes will be approved by the Board at its next meeting.
Jenna Peluso, Quest Coordinator & Instructor for the district, joined PPS at the end of March. Within a few weeks of starting her new job, she has had the opportunity to Zoom with elementary school parents as well as more than 100 elementary school teachers. She works in all four elementary schools and will soon be starting preliminary assessments for the new QUEST program for Kindergarten through Grade 5. We caught up with Mrs. Peluso last week to discuss her new role at Princeton Public Schools. Ms. Peluso will be conducting CogAT testing at elementary schools starting in late April and early May.
These highlights are an unofficial summary of actions taken and topics discussed during the public session of the Board of Education meeting on March 28, 2023.They are intended to provide timely information to our community, but they do not represent an official accounting of the meeting. Official minutes will be approved by the Board at its next meeting.
Johnson Park Elementary, Riverside Elementary, and Princeton High School were each awarded a $2,000 Sustainable Jersey for Schools grant funded by the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA).
Last summer, roof work was started at two elementary schools: Littlebrook and Community Park, with the plan to continue this effort at other school buildings in the upcoming summers. As part of the roof upgrades, insulation was increased. At Community Park and Littlebrook, the upgrades resulted in average R-values between 45 and 52 for the new roofs. These upgrades are important for a conducive learning and working environment, but an early peak at the data shows signs of another benefit: energy savings.
Thank you to everyone who attended the March 21 meeting on Long-Term Planning. The meeting included presentations which are under consideration. No final decisions have been made. The district administration will continue to look at options.
The Princeton Board of Education will meet Tuesday, March 28, at 7:30 PM at the Princeton Middle School Cafeteria. The meeting will also be live streamed on YouTube, PPS Live Events and also on Facebook Live.
Board Highlights are an unofficial summary of actions taken and topics discussed during the public session of the PPS Board of Education on March 14, 2023.
They are intended to provide timely information to our community, but they do not represent an official accounting of the meeting. Official minutes will be approved by the Board at its next meeting.
On Tuesday, Princeton University announced that it will provide more than $14 million in support to Princeton Public Schools over the next five years. Princeton University will provide the district with an unrestricted payment of $2,250,000 in the first year, an amount that will increase by 4% in each subsequent year.
PHS Research Program students learned valuable lessons recently, while also introducing new garden beds and a shed to campus.
These highlights are an unofficial summary of actions taken and topics discussed during the public session of the PPS Board of Education on February 21, 2023. They are intended to provide timely information to our community, but they do not represent an official accounting of the meeting. Official minutes will be approved by the Board at its next meeting. To see the video of the February 21 meeting, please click here.
To subscribe to Board Highlights please email communications@princetonk12.org.
The Paul Robeson House of Princeton will soon be distributing Paul Robeson Tomato seeds to students in schools and interested families in our community. The goal of the project is to create Freedom Gardens across our town in honor of Paul Robeson.
These highlights are an unofficial summary of actions taken and topics discussed during the public session of the PPS Board of Education on January 24, 2023. They are intended to provide timely information to our community, but they do not represent an official accounting of the meeting. Official minutes will be approved by the Board at its next meeting.
To learn more about the New Jersey Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) procedures, Dana Karas, Director of School Counseling, asked HIB expert Alicia D'Anella, attorney at Parker McCay. To see the session, please click here.
Si su hijo está comenzando kindergarten o primer grado en las Escuelas Públicas de Princeton, lo invitamos a asistir a una sesión informativa de inmersión bilingüe el miércoles 18 de enero a las 6:30 p. m. o el jueves 19 de enero a las 9 a. m. Las sesiones de información se llevarán a cabo en persona en Community Park School, 372 Witherspoon Street. Todos los estudiantes que ingresen a kindergarten y primer grado serán elegibles para solicitar el Programa de Inmersión Dual de Lenguas (DLI) de PPS, donde a los estudiantes se les enseña tanto en inglés como en español. Para los grados 2do a 8to, los estudiantes que demuestren un dominio adecuado del español pueden inscribirse en el programa DLI. La asistencia a una de varias sesiones informativas que se ofrecerán es un requisito previo para la inscripción en el programa DLI. Llame al 609.806.4230 si tiene preguntas.
Dr. Carol Kelley's regularly scheduled office hours on January 9 at the Princeton Public Library have Monday, January 9, have been postponed.
The CP Dual Language Immersion program is open to all PPS incoming Kindergarten and 1st grade students. Families who are registering a child for Kindergarten or 1st grade for the Spring 2023 or Fall 2023 and are interested in the DLI program should indicate their interest on the online registration “Form H, Home Language Survey” page.
Community Park will be holding two Parent Information Sessions in January 2023. Attendance at a parent information session is required for entry to the program - DLI applications will be provided to families who attend these information sessions.
Please call the Community Park Main Office (609-806-4230) if you have questions.
Princeton Public Schools has received Orton-Gillingham accreditation from the Institute for Multisensory Education. The Orton-Gillingham Approach is a multisensory, structured, sequential way to teach literacy. Fewer than a dozen districts in the country receive this accreditation.
Princeton High School's EcoLab is being restored to allow for regeneration and to encourage native species to flourish. At the same time, PPS has created a new stormwater basin near the football field where grass will be replaced with a native meadow.
The Lunch & Learn presentation about how to use Canvas (Learning Management System) and PowerSchool (Student Information System) was a big success. Parents in middle school and high school found it very helpful. Thank you to the PTOC and to Ms. Krista Galyon, PPS Supervisor of Technology & Innovation. If you missed the Lunch & Learn session, please check the PTOC website to see the recording.
Two schools in the Princeton Public School District, Johnson Park and Littlebrook Elementary, have met the requirements to achieve Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification, bringing the total number of certified schools across New Jersey to 352.
As part of a presentation to the Board of Education on October 18, Princeton Public Schools administrators said that recently released standardized testing data indicated that PPS students continued to outperform state averages by substantial margins.
There have been fantastic events district-wide during Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 - Oct. 15. But it's not over yet! At Princeton High School, the second annual Hispanic Heritage Assembly was a huge hit with students. Music, dancing and songs were just part of the fun on assembly day. After the assembly the students participated in a series of activities organized by fellow students. Activities included learning how to dance, karaoke, temporary tattoos, a photo booth, Latin-American trivia, soccer and more.
On Tuesday evening, the Princeton Board of Education had the opportunity to welcome (via Zoom) the new PPS therapy dog who will be working at all four elementary schools on a rotating basis once he is fully trained.
Princeton Public School embraces sustainability. Here are some terrific tips from Sustainable Princeton, one of our esteemed community partners.
Riverside News
Families of rising Pre-K through 2nd grade students are invited to a special information session to learn about Princeton Public School’s Dual Language Immersion program in English and Spanish at Community Park Elementary School. Community Park is now accepting applications for students in Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2. The program is open to all PPS families.
Johnson Park News
Families of rising Pre-K through 2nd grade students are invited to a special information session to learn about Princeton Public School’s Dual Language Immersion program in English and Spanish at Community Park Elementary School. Community Park is now accepting applications for students in preK, Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2. The program is open to all PPS families.
The event will take place Sunday, May 21, from 3-4 PM, at Community Park School, 372 Witherspoon Street, and is free and open to the whole family (childcare will be provided).
This month, JP students and staff will be busy with many academic and extra-curricular endeavors. To name a few:
- Grade-level residence that are sponsored by our PTO will begin in grade 5.
- The Winter Band Concert will take place at Jp on Wednesday, January 25, at 6:30 PM
- The Winter Choir Concert will take place at JP on Thursday, January 26, at 6:30 PM.
- Photo Re-Take Day will take place on Tuesday, January 10. If you have any questions, please call the main office and speak with Michele Cowell.
- Winter Club Sign-Ups are coming soon! Be on the look-out for information in the next week or two.
Please join us in welcoming our new PPS therapy dog, Tiger, who will be working at all four elementary schools on a rotating basis once he is fully trained.To select the right dog for the elementary schools, Ms. Sarah Moore, PPS Supervisor of Elementary Education, worked with a Golden Doodle breeder that has experience in training and placing dogs in therapeutic settings. Once Tiger completes his full course of training, which may take the remainder of this school year, he will join Ms. Moore at the elementary schools as an official therapy dog, rotating through the schools on a weekly basis.
The Arts News
The Princeton Public Schools Visual and Performing Arts Department is pleased to share its May/June edition of “News from the Arts,” a quarterly electronic newsletter about recent and upcoming arts events.
The Princeton Public Schools Visual and Performing Arts Department is pleased to share its April edition of “News from the Arts,” a quarterly electronic newsletter about recent and upcoming arts events.
The Princeton Public Schools Visual and Performing Arts Department is pleased to share its winter edition of “News from the Arts,” a quarterly electronic newsletter about recent and upcoming arts events.
High School News
Back to school letter from Princeton High School
The first-ever Princeton High School Peace Fair, with projects spanning diverse fields relating to peace, a healthy and sustainable environment, and to student wellness, drew a large crowd of students during Tiger Time on Thursday, May 25. The Peace Fair included 35 student groups who presented their peace projects in the New Gym and outside near the tennis courts.
Congratulations to the PHS Varsity Boys Lacrosse Team on their May 13 win against Robbinsville High School. The team will advance to the Mercer County Tournament Semi-Finals.
Congratulations to the Princeton High School Drama Department and the cast and crew of The Play That Goes Wrong for winning four Foxy Awards in a statewide competition.
Congratulations to the PHS Varsity Boys Tennis Team who placed 1st in the Mercer County Tournament which was held on Wednesday, April 26 at Mercer County Park.
Congratulations to Elizabeth van der Schaar, who has been selected to participate in this summer’s Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology hosted by Rutgers University School of Engineering. She was selected from a very elite pool of candidates and will serve as a Governor’s School Scholar.
Congratulations to the Princeton High School students who received awards from the Mercer County Science and Engineering program. PHS students received a total of 12 awards. Many of the students receiving awards participate in the PHS Research Program, where the develop experiments, collect data, and report on their results under the guidance of Jennifer Smolyn, James Smirk, and Mark Eastburn
The applications for Fund 101 scholarships, (provided by a local school need-based scholarship group) are due March 31.
Congratulations to the Princeton High School students who earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs! There were 42 PHS students who students excelled in College Board assessments and schoolwork to earn the awards, which colleges use to identify academically competitive underrepresented students.
New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment
The versatile Janelle Wilkinson took her PHS dance students to Johnson Park recently to teach elementary students some hip-hop dance moves as part of Black History Month/Black History 365 celebrations.
Congratulations to our 15 PHS National Merit Scholarship finalists.
Congratulations to the PHS Varsity Girls Swim Team who defeated Chatham High School Saturday to clinch the NJSIAA Group B Girls Swimming State Championship!
Congratulations to the PHS students who participated and were recognized in the North American Invitational Model United Nations (NAIMUN 2023) in Washington, D.C.
Congratulations to the PHS Boys Hockey Team! PHS defeated Hopewell Valley in the Mercer County Tournament Final on Wednesday. Ethan Garlock was awarded MVP after scoring the game-winning goal in over time.
This week the Theatre Department welcomed Broadway actress Kara Lindsay to PHS to work with our Newies cast!
The Princeton High School swim teams, both boys and girls, are now Mercer County Champions for the second year in a row after a wonderful showing over the weekend.
More than 70 professionals recently participated the first-ever Princeton High School Career Festival which included panels, question-and-answer sessions, and informal career discussions.
PHS student Hanqi Ma has been named a top 300 Scholar in the 82nd Regeneron Science Talent Search, a science and math competition. Each Regeneron Scholar will receive $2,000, and their schools will also receive $2,000 to use toward STEM-related activities. Congratulations to Hanqi Ma and his mentor, PHS Economics teacher Ms.Katelyn Wagner!
Chinese New Year 2023 will fall on Sunday, January 22, kicking off the year of the rabbit. On Tuesday January 24, Mandarin students will perform a dragon and lion dance parade at 12:15 in school. The parade will bring good luck and prosperity to the everybody in PHS and the drums will ward off bad luck
Princeton High School had a great day at the STANJ Governor's Awards Competition.Princeton High School had a great day at the STANJ Governor's Awards Competition. PHS won First Place for Best Actor, Musical Ensemble, and Improvisation Pairs!
Do you have a career or a passion you would like to share with Princeton High School students? Please sign up to be part of the Princeton High School Career Festival that will take place on Monday, January 23. We have some great presenters but we would love to include more parents and community members.
Princeton Middle School News
The Princeton Middle School Student Leadership Committee hosted their 3rd annual Mental Health Fair in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month on May 26th! To close out the month students proposed as a committee what was important to them and how they could increase wellness, this included: visiting certified therapy dogs, mindful coloring, chalk-it-out station, inviting local community members and student clubs providing resources, and more!
Princeton Middle School competed in 20 total competitions with a 1st finish in 8 of them and 3rd place in 4 for a total of 12 trophies! This year saw the most participants in the club that we have ever had, as well as the best final result that we have had as well.
Welcome to Princeton Middle School! This is an exciting time for your current fifth grade student as we plan for their transition to sixth grade in the fall.
The PMS Boys Basketball team recently volunteered to serve meals in the community at the Princeton Cornerstone Community Kitchen. Twelve members of the “A team” walked from PMS after practice to the United Methodist Church where they prepared trays of food and catered to families in a restaurant-style service.
Princeton Middle School will be celebrating Lunar New Year beginning January 23 and ending on February 5. Thank you to our parent volunteers who were at PMS this week working in the Mandarin classroom to make paper lanterns, stuffing red envelopes, and organizing of the displays for the Commons area.
Princeton Middle School parents are invited to an Open House to see the New Wing at Princeton High School on Thursday, January 19, from 6 PM to 7 PM prior to the Program of Studies presentation. Please meet upstairs in the collaborative space of the 210 wing. Light refreshments will be provided. As part of the Open House, parents will have the opportunity to visit the ROARE (Resource Office for Access, Renewal and Equity) Center. Hope to see you Thursday!
Community Park News
Community Park School is very excited to announce the successful completion of the year-long Outdoor Mural Collaboration project.
The CP 3rd Grade Residency project culiminated in an event for parents to visit to view the papier mache Alebrijes with their students and to learn more about the history and significance of these amazing works of art. Thank you to resident artist Veronica Olivares-Weber, Sra. Figueroa, Ms. McDaniel, Sra. Clemens and the parent volunteers who helped make the event such a treat for families.
At Community Park, third, fourth, and fifth graders participated in a “Coping Skills Café” facilitated by Mrs. Marmo, the School Psychologist and Mrs. Troxell, the Speech and Language Therapist.
Families of rising Pre-K through 2nd grade students are invited to a special information session to learn about Princeton Public School’s Dual Language Immersion program in English and Spanish at Community Park Elementary School. Community Park is accepting applications for students in preK, Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2. The program is open to all PPS families.
Community Park School held its annual STEAM Expo on Friday, April 28 and it was a huge success!
Sponsored by the CP PTO and coordinated by parent Chris Santarpio, CP students circulated through 20-minute presentations on 19 different STEAM topics, from Fusion v. Fission to Making Bubbles, Bacteria, Yum or Bum to Creepy Crawly Critters, Making Music to Meet Your Brain, and many more!
Congratulations to all the fourth and fifth grade students who participated in Continental Math League!
Community Park students recently honored the tradition of many Central American cultures by creating sand art "alfombras."
Kudos to the fifth graders at Community Park for their amazing performance of William Shakespeare's The Tempest. The CP students worked with professionals from McCarter Theater to create a magical performance. The experience was enhanced by beautiful Tempest-themed art work (in Spanish and English) decorating the hallway. The students did character studies, drawings of costumes with annotations in Spanish, letters in character, and clever dioramas that added richness to the theater experience.
El programa de Inmersión Dual de Lenguas de Community Park está abierto a todos los estudiantes que ingresen a kindergarten y primer grado de PPS.
The CP Dual Language Immersion program is open to all PPS incoming Kindergarten and 1st grade students. Families who are registering a child for Kindergarten for Fall 2023 and are interested in the DLI program should indicate their interest on the online registration “Form H, Home Language Survey” page.
It is the perfect week for students and staff to enjoy the Winter Lights at Community Park!
Littlebrook News
Families of rising Pre-K through 2nd grade students are invited to a special information session to learn about Princeton Public School’s Dual Language Immersion program in English and Spanish at Community Park Elementary School. Community Park is now accepting applications for students in preK, Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2. The program is open to all PPS families.
The event will take place Sunday, May 21, from 3-4 PM, at Community Park School, 372 Witherspoon Street, and is free and open to the whole family (childcare will be provided).
Students at Johnson Park, Littlebrook and Riverside had the opportunity to participate in an interactive anti-bullying performance and workshop facilitated by McCarter Theatre and funded by the NJ Council on the Arts.
Larry Abrams from BookSmiles recently visited Mrs. Carlone’s 2nd-grade class at Littlebrook. Mr. Abrams spoke to the students about his organization, which collects used books and redistributes them to “book deserts” in New Jersey and Philadelphia.
Congratulations to Paakhi Hota, a student in Mrs. Gargione's class, who has been named the champion of the Littlebrook Spelling bee! Nirvaan Geedipalli was the runner-up! Thank you to all the amazing participants.