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The Collegiate Connection
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From Our Head of School
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Dear Parents and Friends,
We have scheduled a special Open Forum for
Thursday, April 16 at 6:00 p.m.
Board President John Dietrick and I will begin
with a presentation on plans for next year,
including details on staffing. We will also
report
the latest on the Head of School Search
Committee's progress and on efforts to improve
technology for teachers and students. After
that, we will invite your questions.
Have a wonderful weekend with your family!
With warm regards,
Dick Patterson
Acting Head of School
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Calendar Highlights -- April |
Friday, April 10 --
Mrs. Hubbell and Ms. Frost-Cook's
pre-kindergarten class assembly,
8:35 a.m.; roller skating party
cancelled
Thursday, April
16 -- Open
Forum, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Friday, April 17
-- Mrs. Van Aalst's and
Mrs. Berryman's 1st
grade class assembly;
teacher in-service day -
half day of school -
noon dismissal; child
care will be available;
7th graders to Heifer
Ranch; Poker Party to
benefit TCS Computer Lab
Saturday, April
18 -- Family
Character Day at the
Topeka Zoo
Monday, April 20
-- No school;
New! child
care will be available
Wednesday, April
22 -- Earth
Day; Middle School art
show 5:30 p.m.; 7th and
8th grade poetry and
coffee
Friday, April 24
-- Ms. Wilch's 5th grade
class assembly; Earth
Day celebration and
contest
Saturday April
25 -- State
History Day competition,
Washburn University
Monday, April 27
-- Wildernessclass.com's
Dave Freeman visit
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Open Forum -- Thursday, April 16 |
We have scheduled a special
Open Forum for Thursday, April 16 at 6:00 p.m. We
invite you to ask any questions you have about the
2009-2010 school year. In the meantime, if you have
questions, please feel free to talk to Mr.
Patterson. Make an appointment or send him an e-mail
at
dpatterson@topekacollegiate.org
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Poker Party to Benefit TCS Computer Lab -- Friday,
April 17th |
 Last
year's Poker Night at Topeka Collegiate was so much fun,
we're going to do it again! This time around, the
proceeds will go toward the purchase of flat screen
monitors to replace outdated equipment in the Computer
Lab.
Mark your calendars now for
Friday, April 17 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. For $25
per person you'll receive $5,000 in chips. 8 adults per
table. Refreshments and snacks will be available.
Reserve your seats now by contact Debra Ricks-Copley at
357-1910 or
ricks_df@hotmail.com. |
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Family Character Fair at the Zoo -- Saturday, April
18 |
 On
Saturday, April 18th Topeka City of Character Coalition
is hosting its annual Family Character Fair at the Zoo.
Between 10:00 a.m.and 4:00 p.m.
they are featuring a buy one get one free admission to
the zoo when you know the character word of the month
for April, 2009, which is Virtue.
The first 500 families through
the gate will receive complimentary copies of the
book "Achieving True Success: How to Build Character
as a Family", which lists 49 character words,
defines them, and uses a particular animal to
illustrate each concept.
Zoo admission includes pony rides, an inflatable
slide, carnival games, face painting, hourly prize
drawings, and Earth Day activities.
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Grades 5 through 8 Art Show and 8th Grade Poetry
Night and Coffee House -- Wednesday, April 22 |
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Please plan to attend the Middle School Art Show and
Reception on Wednesday, April 22 featuring art
work by students in grades 5 through 8. The Art Show
will be open from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in the Assembly
Hall.
Immediately following the Art Show, 8th grade
students will host a poetry reading and coffee
house.
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Earth Day Celebration and Contest -- Friday, April 24 |
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A message from our third grade classes:
Are you sad that
you have not been recycling?
Well don't be... just start NOW!!!!
Our
school is having a contest.
We want you to build an art/craft project out of
garbage.
Competing Categories:
Class project, grade level project, individual
project,
and/or small groups/teams
Guidelines:
Use only items that you would recycle or throw away.
Due Date:
Our school Earth Day, Friday, April 24, 2009.
Judges:
Media and Earth Day visitors
If you have a dirty habit of throwing your garbage
away,
now is the time to make recycling your habit.
Turn your trash into treasure!!
Any questions? Please contact third grade
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Cookies! 7th Grade SeaCamp Fundraiser -- Monday, May
4 |
 Immediately
following the Middle School choir concert on May
4th, 7th grade students will be selling home-baked
cookies as a fundraiser for next fall's trip to
SeaCamp.
Cookies will be sold by the bag - $3 for one bag,
or two bags for $5.
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STUCO Talent Show -- Monday and Tuesday, May 11 and
12 |
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 Calling
all talent!
 The
TCS Student Council annual Talent Show will take place
on Monday afternoon, May 11 and Tuesday morning,
May 12!
Any TCS student may
participate, and groups are welcome.
Each act has a three-minute
time limit, and each student may participate in only
one act (unless you have received prior permission
from STUCO advisors).
All acts must sign up for an
audition in the Assembly Hall the week before the
talent show so that we may preview your act.
Auditions are scheduled in the
Assembly Hall for:
Monday, May 4th from 7:30
a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
Tuesday, May 5th from 7:30
a.m. to 8:15 a.m.
Thursday, May 7th from
3:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sign-up sheets will be posted
in the foyer outside the Assembly Hall. We will
provide microphones, a CD/cassette tape player, and
a piano. If you need other equipment, please
indicate it on the sign-up sheet.
If you have any questions,
please see Carl Tillona or Kim Baker.
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Mrs. Thiessen to Retire After 21 Years at TCS;
Reception May 12 |
 When
Anita Thiessen began teaching kindergarten
at Shawnee Country Day School (now Topeka
Collegiate), Ronald Reagan was in the White House.
Mrs. Thiessen taught kindergarten for all but three
of her 21 years at Topeka Collegiate. The past three
years, she has used her special skills in the
library and the tutoring program.
When she retired from
the classroom, colleagues and former students
praised Mrs. Thiessen:
"Mrs. Thiessen is a
pioneer in early literacy for children. Her work
with her kindergartners has laid the groundwork
for hundreds of children to live a life of
learning through books."
- Mary
O'Shea (former TCS teacher)
"I remember when I was
in Mrs. Fisher's pre-k class thinking how
cool Mrs. Thiessen was and how much I wanted
to have her when I graduated to
kindergarten. My little five-year-old wish
was granted!"
-
Cassidy Carpenter '04
Now it's time to say
farewell, as Mrs. Thiessen will retire at
the end of this year. She plans a move to
Oklahoma City to spend more time with her
four grandchildren in that city, and also
plans to travel to Minnesota to visit her
two granchildren there.
Please join us
for a retirement reception for Mrs. Thiessen
Tuesday, May 12, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the
library.
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Camp Invention: The Discover Program |
 Camp
Invention is returning to Topeka Collegiate June
1-5, 2009!
Camp Invention is a nonprofit enrichment
experience that develops creativity, teamwork,
and problem-solving skills through hands-on
exploration. It promotes a passion for learning
science and focuses on making learning fun. Your
child will experiment with physics, engineering
and creative problem-solving while practicing
critical thinking skills that they will continue
to use throughout their lives.
This program is open to children who are
currently in Kindergarten through 5th grade.
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Summer Adventures 2009 Catalog is Now Online! |
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Whether you have preschoolers who love to "do"
things, children who thrive on academic challenges,
or middle schoolers who want to get a jump on
History Day, you will find an activity to their
liking at Topeka Collegiate Summer Adventures. All
children are welcome regardless of the school
they attend. Children can spend the entire
summer, a few weeks, or just part of the day at
Topeka Collegiate.
You may view this year's classes by going to the TCS
web site and clicking on "Summer Programs" or by
clicking here.
Please print out, complete, and return the two
registration forms ("Camp Registration" and "Summer
Adventures Registration Form") for each child and
return it to school with your deposit. Enroll
early; camps fill quickly!
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2009 - 2010 Tentative Academic Calendar Now Online |
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The tentative calendar for the
2009-2010 academic year is now online. You may view it
on the web site by clicking on the Calendar button or by
clicking
here. |
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Mr. Martinez' and Mr. Tillona's 7th Grade Assembly |
Our combined 7th grade classes put on a Star
Wars-themed assembly March 27. The script was an
updated version of a Star Wars script written
in 1997 by TCS alum (then 8th grader) Ben
Bammes '97.
We're sure Ben would be proud of the job our 7th
graders did with his original work!
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Mrs. Shinn's 2nd Grade Assembly |
Jeff Foxworthy's children's book "Silly Street" was
the inspiration behind Mrs. Shinn's class assembly
on April 3. The students memorized silly poems from
the book and went through a rapid succession
of costume changes to complement their scenes.
Special thanks go to the
Cheep Chicks for the elaborate set design and
for providing all the hats, props, costumes, and
other elements that made the play a success.
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SUMday 2009 Results |
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Six students from each grade level in grades 4
through 8 participated in SUMday competitions on
March 28, 2009. Congratulations to those qualified
and those who won ribbons and medals:
4th Grade
Mira R. - Top Ten Number Sense; 2nd
Place Geometry
Leonardo P. - Top Ten Number Sense
5th Grade
Laura N. - 1st Place Number Sense;
2nd Place Geometry
Anjum S. - Top Ten Number Sense
6th Grade
Lang P. - Top Ten Number Sense and
Geometry
Courtney B. - Top Ten Number Sense and
Geometry
Grayson M. - Top Ten Number Sense
Skyler D. - Top Ten Number Sense
Max H. - Top Ten Geometry
7th Grade
Irene N. - 1st Place (tie) Number
Sense; 2nd Place Geometry
Josh G. - 1st Place (tie) Number Sense;
1st Place Geometry
Alec B. - 3rd Place Number Sense; Top
Ten Geometry
Sahil R. - Top Ten Number Sense and
Geometry
8th Grade
Alix W. - Top Ten Number Sense; 2nd
Place Geometry
Cain M. - Top Ten Number Sense; 3rd
Place Geometry
Eddie L. - Top Ten Number Sense and
Geometry
Joe V. - Top Ten Number Sense and
Geometry
Cooper S. - Top Ten Number Sense
Cody J. - Top Ten Geometry |
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State Science Olympiad Competition |
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We'd like to acknowledge and
congratulate those Middle School students who qualified
to compete at the state level of the Science Olympiad at
Wichita State University on April 4th. Although Topeka
Collegiate did not win any medals, two of our teams
placed in the top ten: the team of Eddie L.
and Max H. took 7th place in "Compute
This" and Christine E. and Lang
P. placed 6th in "Environmental Chemistry."
TCS Science Olympiad
competitors included Gabriel B., Christine
E., Mike E., Josh G., Max H., Cody J., Eddie L.,
Luke M., Lang P., Carter P., Sahil R., Meredith R.,
Chris S., Natalie S., and Joe V..
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Extended Day Care Reminders |
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Parents, please keep in mind that our Extended Day
Program hours are 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
to 5:30 p.m. Although school staff may be present
before and after these hours, they may not be authorized
or equipped to supervise students.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. |
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Third Quarter Honor Roll |
6th Grade - High Honors
Sky D.
Mariella K.
Savia P.
Michael P.
Shay R.
Tyler V.
6th Grade - Honors
Kyle B.
Courtney B.
Emma B.
Dakota B.
Noah C.
Cheyenne K.
Marisol K.
Matt M.
Mollie M.
Sophie O.
Lauren S.
Ariel S.
7th Grade - High Honors
Megan A.
Nick B.
Alec B.
Irene N.
Federico P.
Carter P.
Sahil R.
Ashley S.
7th Grade - Honors
Bailey B.
Connor B.
Thomas C.
Julia G.
Jessie J.
Maria K.
Alex M.
8th Grade - High
Honors
Bailey E.
Eddie L.
Cain M.
Riley M.
Luke M.
Mackenzie M.
Cooper S.
Natalie S.
Joe Vosburgh
Alix Welch
8th Grade -
Honors
Alex B.
Megan B.
Ryan B.
Cody J.
Meredith R.
Devin R.
Marshall S.
Chris S.
Sam T.
Hannah W.
Anne W.
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Longtime First Grade Teacher Susan Wilson Dies |
We are sorry to report that
longtime first grade teacher Susan Wilson (far
right), died of breast cancer late last
month at her home in Texas. Mrs. Wilson was a
founding teacher at Shawnee Country Day School,
which became Topeka Collegiate. Mrs. Wilson was
reunited with former students and colleagues at the
25th Anniversary Reunion celebration last spring
(l to r: former Head of School Jim Wright,
Samantha Miller Coulter '90, former teacher
Elaine Wright, former board president Bob Ihrie,
former teacher Debra Pakaluk, Bridget Elmer
'91, Mrs. Wilson).
Mrs. Wilson is remembered fondly by her former
students:
"A quick refresher for those who don't remember
her - Mrs. Wilson was the one who would yell at
the top of her lungs, 'Hey, you guys,' when
recess was over and punished us by threatening
(and occasionally giving) big, sloppy kisses,
and yes, they really were very sloppy!"
- Elizabeth Jackle '97
"Mrs. Wilson remains one of my favorite
teachers, including professors from my BS and MA
programs. Some of my strongest memories from my
early days at SCDS (Shawnee Country Day
School) are of her -- in fact, just last week I
was telling a friend about the rabbit and
canaries (I think they were canaries?) that she
had roaming freely in our classroom. She was so
good at what she did, and was one of those
amazing teachers that you still find yourself
thinking of and smiling about 23 years later."
- Brooke Borel '94
"We would do these drawings and Mrs. Wilson
would ask what kind of paper we wanted. I
remember one week I was a smart aleck and said
'clear' and she found a piece of clear plastic!
She lived outside of Topeka and we would go on
fossil hunts on her land."
- Matt Garlinghouse '90
"A memorable teacher with a big personality. She
will be missed."
- Brooke Tourtellot Goc '91
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Last Day of School; End of Year Parties |
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The last day of school for students in
pre-Kindergarten through 7th grade is Wednesday, May
20, which is a half day (noon dismissal). The last
day of school for students in 8th grade is Thursday,
May 21 with a morning graduation ceremony.
Attendance at the graduation
ceremonies is optional for students in grades 5
through 7.
Many homerooms will commemorate the end of the
school year with a class party. Your child's
homeroom teacher or volunteer room parent will
communicate with you the dates and times of
those parties.
We request that all off-campus
end-of-the-year parties do not affect regular
school hours of operation. TCS asks that
year-end parties held off of the Topeka
Collegiate campus take place after noon
dismissal on Wednesday. In keeping with the
school's philosophy of encouraging our students
to develop strategies of acceptance and
inclusion for all members of their learning
community please include all members of your
student's class when planning end of the year
off-campus parties.
Volunteer room parents should always get final
approval of the homeroom teacher when helping or
making arrangements for classroom parties.
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Josh G. Comes Face-to-Face with History |
 Max
Schmeling was the Nazi era boxer who became known as
Hitler's Aryan Superman. While it is true that Schmeling
knew Hitler, he refused to join the Nazi party and, in a
secret act of defiance, agreed to hide the two teenaged
sons of a Jewish friend, David Lewin, during
Krystallnacht, the period in November of 1938 when Nazi
pogroms against the Jews reached new heights.
Fast forward 70 years. Topeka Collegiate seventh grader
Josh G. is researching Max Schmeling
for his History Day project and comes across the story
of Schmeling's act of heroism. He learns the boys whose
lives Schmeling saved eventually found their way to
America. One is dead, the other lives in San Francisco.
Josh looks in an online directory, finds Werner Lewin,
dials the number, and asks the woman who answers, "Is
this the home of the Werner Lewin who Max Schmeling
hid?" "Yes," she replies.
The rest, as they say, is history, or History Day.
Josh's months of research culminated in a face-to-face
interview with Werner Lewin in San Francisco on March
23. History came alive for Josh on that day as he heard
first-hand about one man's bravery in the face of evil.
Josh incorporated a 40-second video clip of his
conversation with Werner Lewin into his History Day web
site, "A Hit Below Hitler's Belt: The Max Schmeling
Story."
Josh and six other TCS students will compete at State
History Day at Washburn University on Saturday, April 25
at Washburn University. This year's History Day topic is
"The Individual in History."
Josh was recently interviewed by the Topeka
Capital-Journal. The article is scheduled
to run Monday, April 13.
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Auction 2010 Co-Chairs Announced |
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We are thrilled to announce that TCS parents Erin Bess
P. (Satchel, 4th grade and
Rose, 1st grade) and Amy H. (Chase,
4th grade and Cooper, 1st grade) have
agreed to take on the sizeable task of co-chairing the
annual Topeka Collegiate auction next winter.
We look forward to their leadership and creativity
as they work towards making Auction 2010 a fun,
festive, and fruitful event.
Thank you, Bess and Amy!
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The Learning Continues Over Spring Break
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from left Kody D. (1st),
Alexandra C. (1st), Annabel
C. (3rd) Brooklyn A.
(3rd), Austin V. (1st),
Dalton V. (4th)
TCS teachers Ashlie Wilk and
Katrina Van Aalst and several TCS students visited
the K.U. Natural History Museum over spring break to
take in their exhibit "Body Science: Blood, Boogers,
and Bones."
Says Mrs. Van Aalst "
While we were there we
went on a scavenger hunt, and learned about how much
sweat, mucus, and urine we get rid of every
day. The kids were able to shoot pom pom balls into
a large nose to see how nose hairs stop 'yucky'
things from getting into our system. There was so
much to see and do and most of it was gross!"
If your kids think disgusting stuff is cool, check
out the Grossology camp offered for 3rd through 6th
graders this summer in our Summer Adventures camp.
For more information on this camp and our other
offerings, click
here to see our online catalog. |
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A Note From the Health Room |
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Parents, if your child has come home wearing "loaner"
clothes, please launder and return them as quickly as
possible so that we're ready for the next unforeseen
emergency! Thank you for your cooperation. |
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This $500 Could Be Yours! |
By simply referring a family
to Topeka Collegiate School, you can earn $500!
Do you know a family who might be
interested in enrolling their child at Topeka Collegiate
School? For every child who enrolls based on your referral,
we will give you a $500 rebate on your tuition!
To refer a student or for more
information, contact Admissions Director Kristen Tillona at
228-0490 or
ktillona@topekacollegiate.org.
*Rebate applies only to enrolling
families not already in the school's system. Enrolling
family must name referring family on application.
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Earn Money for Collegiate Through Everyday Activities! |
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You can earn money for Topeka Collegiate through everyday
activities like going to the grocery store, searching and
shopping online, and recycling useful products. Click on the
links for more information on participating brands and special
promotions.
 www.goodsearch.com
-- Each time you use GoodSearch, a Yahoo!-powered search engine,
for your online searches, Topeka Collegiate receives a cash
donation. Be sure to designate Topeka Collegiate as your
designated cause.
 Box
Tops for Education -- For each Box Tops 4 Education coupon
you clip and turn in to the office, TCS receives 10 cents. The
Box Tops logo can be found on hundreds of participating brands
from diapers to frozen vegetables to disposable bags. And if
you shop online at the Box Tops marketplace, a portion of every
qualifying purchase (up to 22%) is donated to our school at no
extra cost to you. Participating online stores include GapKids,
Pottery Barn, Hotels.com, and Lands' End. Your box tops have
earned our school $235 since August 1, 2008!
 Best
Choice Labels -- New this school year. When you purchase
Best Choice brand products, clip out and return the UPC
portion (the proof of purchase) to the office. For
each bundle of 1,000 UPCs, our school will earn $30.
Topeka-area stores that carry Best Choice products are Apple
Market, Tilton's Westside, Price Chopper, Perry Lecompton and
Oskaloosa Thriftways, and Checkers.
Campbell's Labels for Education -- You no longer need to
save the entire label - just the UPC code as
shown above is needed for redemption. Other brand names besides
Campbell's in this program include Pepperidge Farm, Prego,
Swanson, V8, Market Day, Franco-American, and SpaghettiO's.
 Nestlé
Pure Life Water Labels -- As part of Nestlé's Go Play!
program, TCS can redeem any size or flavor Nestlé water bottle
labels for sports gear or towards transportation costs for
school field trips. The entire label from individual
bottles should be turned in; no multi-pack wrappers or
case labels.
  Tyson
Project A+ Labels -- Labels from boxes and bags of
Tyson frozen chicken products are worth 24˘ to Topeka
Collegiate. Clip the end flap from boxes (top
left) or the top edge from bags (bottom right).
 Office
Depot 5% Back to Schools Program -- 5% of your purchase
comes directly to the school in the form of free
supplies. School supplies qualify for the program, while
computers, technology items, and other items do not. Simply
identify TCS as your school choice at the checkout and/or
supply the school ID number: 70039209. Past purchases can
be credited to the school as long as they were made within
the last quarter.
 Target
Take Charge of Education Program -- Apply and get approved
for a Target REDCard. When you enroll, designate TCS as your
school of choice and Target will send our school a
no-strings-attached check worth up to 1% of your REDCard
purchases at Target and Target.Com.
New! Thank you for
earning $209.43 for our school so far this school year!
Recycle your old cell phones, printer
and toner cartridges, plastic containers
marked with a 1 or 2 within a triangle, paper,
corrugated cardboard, and newspapers --
all of these items are collected and redeemed for cash. Please
place old cell phones and printer cartridges in the collection
boxes across from the main office in the teachers' workroom.
Plastic, cardboard, paper, and newspaper may be placed in the
marked Dumpsters on the east side of the campus. Last year your
recycled materials earned the school $105.07! |
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