District Newsletter - April 2026 - Old Tappan School District

District Newsletter - April 2026

Posted on 04/30/2026

April 2026

Old Tappan Public Schools

The Core is the monthly newsletter for families of the

Old Tappan Public School District.

Community | Curiosity | Courage | Creativity | Commitmentt

Message from the Superintendent

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

The final two months of the school year are upon us. The schools will be busy with activities and events that celebrate students’ growth and learning. Ms. Boyce and Ms. Santa will share important year-end dates with you to conclude the 2025-2026 school year.

The last day of school will be Tuesday, 23 June 2026. Monday and Tuesday, 22 and 23 June, will be early dismissals. Here is the revised 2025-2026 School Year Calendar, reflecting the confirmed last day of school.

As a reminder, to provide you with regular communication about the TBD Addition Project, each edition of The Core will include an update in the "Commitment" section below. Scroll down to read more.

Thank you for your ongoing efforts at home to support our work with your child(ren).

Respectfully,

Danielle M. Da Giau, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Old Tappan Public School District

COMMUNITY

Let's Partner! Parent Series

We are concluding our Let's Partner!: Parent Series with our final offering on Wednesday, 5/6, at 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Dr. Da Giau and Mr. Lee, our Assistant Principal, will be facilitating a session entitled "Extending Math Learning at Home" for all interested parents. The session will be held at TBD. Read more here.

We value home-school partnerships. Please do not underestimate the power of showing up!

CURIOSITY

Celebrating Arbor Day

To commemorate National Arbor Day, which is recognized on the last Friday in April, the Old Tappan Environmental Commission celebrated Arbor Day with TBD’s third graders.

Arbor Day, meaning “tree day” based on its Latin root, is a time to celebrate the planting and preservation of trees. In addition to learning about the importance of caring for trees and our environment, the children learned about the origin of Arbor Day. Mr. Julius Morton moved to Nebraska in the 1870s and planted a variety of trees on his 160 acres of property. He published informative newspaper articles about his trees. In 1872, Morton proposed a day when all Nebraskans would plant trees in the community. In 1882, schools across the country started to participate as well. In 1970, Arbor Day was recognized nationwide.

Each third-grade student received a sapling to take home and plant. Students learned how to plant the saplings and how to care for them over time. Students also learned how seeds turn into saplings, which grow into trees.

We thank the Old Tappan Environmental Commission for their generous donation of saplings and for their time to provide instruction to our youngsters.

COURAGE

Survey Feedback for Blue Ribbon Recognition

Survey Feedback for Blue Ribbon Recognition

In alignment with our District's three-year Blueprint for Growth and Development, we are in the process of being evaluated for the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence recognition.

The evaluation process is extensive, as our schools are being assessed across 120 indicators, within nine (9) performance categories.

TBD and CDW will undergo multiple days of on-site evaluations during the last week of May. An evaluator will be at CDW on 5/26 and 5/27. An evaluator will be at TBD on 5/28 and 5/29.

Prior to the on-site evaluations, all TBD and CDW families and students in Grades 3-8 should complete the Blue Ribbon surveys, which were sent via e-mail on 4/20. Your Blue Ribbon survey feedback is due by 5/15!

Thank you for your collaboration with us on this endeavor. Regardless of the recognition outcome, we look forward to learning and growing from the experience!

CREATIVITY

Serving Others in Old Tappan

During Bergen County's Week of Service this month, our schools engaged in projects to serve the Old Tappan community. The TBD students created greeting cards for the residents at Sunrise Senior Living of Old Tappan. The children created cards for holidays and seasons throughout the year. We dropped off the cards at Sunrise and visited with some of the residents.

The CDW students created bookmarks with patriotic designs to commemorate America's 250th Anniversary. Several CDW students walked to the Old Tappan Public Library, where the bookmarks are available to patrons, compliments of CDW students.

We recognize the importance of teaching service to our youngsters, and there is no better place to serve than in our own community of Old Tappan.

COMMITMENT

Addition Project at TBD

As a means of providing you regular communication about the TBD Addition Project, this section of The Core will include a monthly update.

TBD Addition Project Need

Due to the increase in enrollment over the years, there is a need to add additional instructional space at TBD. The TBD Addition Project will address the special-area classes that are now on carts, the specialized classes without spaces, as well as address the removal of the trailer, which always was intended to be a temporary structure.

Project Details

The TBD Addition Project will add four (4) full-size classrooms and two (2) small-group classrooms. Weaving together the existing interior and exterior aesthetic and architectural elements, this Addition Project will run parallel to the current first-grade wing; however, it will not run the full length of the existing wing.

In addition to this project, two sets of student restrooms will be renovated, and the school boilers will be replaced inside TBD during the summer months.

Click to see the renderings, the aerial view, and the material boards for both the addition and bathroom projects.

Project Timeline

The TBD Addition Project was shared with the Old Tappan Planning Board in February and was approved by the Department of Education in March. We expect to open bids for this project in early May.

During April Break, the trailer was removed from the grounds. In June, a construction fence will be erected around the construction site.

Construction will begin once school is dismissed in June. All inside work, such as the restroom renovations, will be completed during the summer months. The full Addition Project will run from the summer of 2026, through the 2026-2027 school year, and through the summer of 2027. Completion is anticipated for Back-to-School in September of 2027.

Project Impact

Starting in June, once the construction fence is erected, certain classrooms will be assigned different dismissal doors. If your child’s dismissal door will be affected, Ms. Boyce and the classroom teacher will let you know.

On behalf of the Board of Education, faculty, staff, and students, thank you to our supportive community for your commitment to our schools!