• After School Activities Safety
• A Note From the Nurse
• MLK Day of Service
• Citadel "Heart of Learning" Award
• Author Visit - 1/29
• Welcome Committee Coffee - 2/6
• Community News

Several clubs and athletic teams meet at TEMS after the school day, which can lead to increased traffic in the parking lot. Much of this congestion occurs when vehicles wait in the driving lane to pick up students from practices or club meetings.

If you are picking up your child, please park in an available parking space rather than waiting in the lane. This will help keep traffic moving and allow families attending the 3:30 and 4:30 athletic events to park and enter the building in a timely manner.

Additional parking is available at the Network Operations Center (NOC), located directly across the street from TEMS.

Thank you for your cooperation and flexibility!

There has been a staffing update in the Nurse's Office.  Lara Napoli is now the Certified School Nurse at VFMS, and is no longer at TEMS. The new Health Room Nurse is Caroline Silvetti & her email address is silvettic@tems.net.   Leigh Ann Coary remains at TEMS as the Certified School Nurse at TEMS & can be reached at coaryl@tesd.net. 

MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. It is a defining moment each year when Americans across the country step up to make communities more equitable and take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. 

On Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, and the days surrounding, the TEMS PTO invites families to:

• engage with your community and create constructive action.
• act on Dr. King’s legacy of social justice and equity; and
• recommit by volunteering to serve others.

We’ve curated some local volunteer opportunities for you and your family to consider this MLK weekend. Please plan to confirm the dates, times and all relevant details, including the need to pre-register, before participating in any of the below listed events as specifics may have changed and some events require pre-registration. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Opportunities across the Main Line and Philly area:

• 1/19/26 from 10-12 pm at the Upper Main Line YMCA: participate in a family service project in recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Pre-registration is required. All children must be accompanied by an adult at this event which is geared for ages 2-12.  Details are available here: https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/ymcagreaterbrandywine/activity/search/detail/161865?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true
• 1/19/26 from 11 am to 1 pm at Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia: join the church community to make toiletry care packages and write encouraging notes to accompany them following the morning worship service. See this website for further details and contact info: https://volunteer.globalcitizen365.org/opportunity/a0CVV00006gUPKt2AO/mlk-day-of-service-toiletry-drive
• 1/19/26 from 10 am to 12:30 am at the Upper Merion Township Building (Freedom Hall): the Upper Merion MLK Community Day of Service includes family community service activities as well as a volunteer fair for teens and adults and information on the legacy of Dr. MLK Jr. See event details here: https://umtlibrary.libcal.com/event/14401379
• 1/19/26 from 10 am to 5 pm at the National Constitution Center: admission to the museum on MLK Day is free with various special activities available including a Family concert, a school supply drive, arts and crafts tables, speeches, presentations and more. Full details can be found here: https://constitutioncenter.org/calendar/martin-luther-king-jr-day-2026 
• 1/19/26 from 10:00-11:15 am or 2-3:30 pm at the Media-Upper Providence Free Library: all ages are welcome to stop in to make kindness cards to take home and distribute or leave for the library to disburse. Details can be found here: https://delcolibraries.libcal.com/event/16084281
• Cradles to Crayons MLK Day Weekend of Service: service opportunities include donation drives, card-making for the organization's backpack campaign, and more with further details available here: https://www.cradlestocrayons.org/philadelphia/mlk/

Looking for something different? Visit Global Citizen 365 for additional opportunities in the greater Philadelphia area or visit this webpage for MLK Day activity suggestions for kids: https://www.twinkl.ie/blog/martin-luther-king-day-activities-usa

An Award for Caring Teachers…  The Citadel “Heart Of Learning Award”

A local bank, the Citadel Credit Union, wants to know about our outstanding teachers! If your child has a favorite teacher who has gone “Above and Beyond” at TEMS, please consider nominating them.

A great teacher deserves recognition, please click the following link to nominate : Heart of Learning. 

We are thrilled to welcome TE graduate and middle-grade author Dana Kramaroff to TEMS for an all-school visit on January 29. Grades 5–8 will have its own dedicated assembly, during which Dana will share her journey to becoming a writer and discuss her novel, The Do More Club, and its central themes of kindness, identity, acceptance, and service to others.

The Do More Club follows Josh, a young Jewish boy navigating the aftermath of an antisemitic incident at his school. Rather than allowing fear and shame to silence him, Josh creates a “Do More” club to spread kindness and make a positive impact in his community.

During the assemblies, Kramaroff will encourage students to embrace their own differences while recognizing, respecting, and welcoming the differences of others. 

In coordination with the visit, Dana’s book The Do More Club will be available for purchase and signed by the author. All book orders will be distributed after the visit. The Do More Club ordering link information.

We can’t wait for the TEMS community to feel inspired and empowered to spread kindness!

The next Welcoming Committee Newcomers Meeting will be Friday, February 6th from 9:00-11:00AM at Cup of Dreams in Paoli. This is a drop-in event so feel free to come and go. Please join us!