Normandy Park School

School will be closed on September 5th, in recognition of Labor Day.

As a school, we are excited to open and welcome students back this upcoming Tuesday (September 6th).

Last week, it was great having families in our buildings for the Kindergarten orientation and our K-5 schoolwide playdate. I loved seeing all the smiling faces of our new and returning students. Thank you to our Home and School Association (HSA) for organizing the schoolwide playdate!

This year, we will continue to build upon the strong mission and vision of our school and community. By working together, we will ensure students are provided instruction and support to develop academically, socially, and emotionally.

Back to School Night will be here before you know it. NPS will host Back to School Night on the evening of September 14th (beginning at 6:30pm). Additional information will be shared this week!

Please note that breakfast and lunch can be purchased. Families can add money to their child's account by sending in a check (made out to Morris School District) or cash in an envelope labeled "Food Services" with your child's name/grade. You can also add money to your child's account online by visiting the online payment center. Meals will be provided for students who qualify for free and reduced breakfast/lunch. To fill out the Free and Reduced Meals application, please click here. For more information on MSD Food Services, including prices, please click here to visit their website.

Please know that I am here to help and support in any way that I can. Feel free to reach out to me directly at christopher.miller@msdk12.net.

Sincerely,

Christopher Miller

Principal of Normandy Park School

Our school theme for 2022-2023 is NPS: Teamwork Make the Dream Work!

The theme will have a teamwork, collaboration and growth mindset focus. We will foster an appreciation for the power of working together. Throughout the year, we will incorporate the theme into non-fiction read alouds, mini-lessons, residencies, and school wide activities.

Through hard work, learning from our mistakes, and collaboration, we can make meaningful academic and personal growth, as well as foster positive social change.

Please check bus information in the WEB BASED PowerSchool Parent Portal up until Monday September 5th to ensure you have the most up to date bus stop times.

Morning Pickups: Please be at your bus stop location ten minutes prior to your scheduled pick-up time.

Afternoon Dropoffs: Guardians of preschool through second graders should be at the bus stop ten minutes prior to your scheduled drop-off time to meet students in the afternoon. NOTE: During the first two weeks of school, afternoon drop off times are often later as school staff ensures each student is on the correct bus and students acclimate to the dismissal procedures of the school. This could delay the departure time from the school.

Arrival Procedures: Students are permitted into the building at 8:40 a.m. Students bused to school will be dropped off and picked up in the front of the building.

Arrival: 8:40 to 8:55

Dismissal: 3:05 to 3:20

Drop Offs: Students being dropped off in the morning may enter through the back doors. Please use the drop-off/pick-up line in the back of the building. There is no supervision before 8:40, and children who arrive before that time, will not be permitted to enter the building. A staff member will be at the door between 8:40 and 8:55 a.m. to welcome students. Any student arriving after 8:55 must enter the front of the building and report to the nurse’s office with a parent or guardian to obtain a late pass.

Pick Ups: At dismissal, students being picked up will be dismissed from the back of the building. When picking up your child, please use the pick-up line. Stay in your vehicle. Teachers will accompany your child to your car.

Pick-Up During the Day (before Dismissal time): If a situation arises that requires you to pick your child up during the school day, a note must be sent to the office specifying the pick-up time. Students being picked up early are asked to be picked up before 2:30 p.m. Before leaving, you must sign your child out in the notebook provided by the main entrance doors. Unless an emergency arises, please refrain from calling the office after 1:30 to make changes to your child’s dismissal.

• If you know that you child will be tardy or absent from school, it is requested that you notify the nurse in advance. This can be done by phone at 973-889-7960 x 6152. Voicemail is operational 24 hours daily.

• You may also contact her office by email at: marybeth.supple@msdk12.net

• Students who arrive tardy (after 8:55am) must report immediately to the Health Office upon arrival to school for a late pass

Please use the digital blue note form for any dismissal changes. The main office will notify the homeroom teachers of the dismissal change. For absences, continue to contact the school nurse.

Click here for September Breakfast and Lunch Menus.

For additional information on MSD Breakfast and Lunch, please click here to visit the district's website.

Students can bring and/or purchase lunch. Free and reduced meals are provided to families who qualify for support. To fill out the Free and Reduced Meals application, please click here.

How do I add money to my student's lunch account?

• To add money online to your child's account, navigate to https://www.k12paymentcenter.com to add money to your lunch account.
• You can also pay by check written out to Morris School District or cash. Please write your child's name and grade in the memo. Backpack the envelope with child's name on it, marked "Food Services"
  
• You may prepay for multiple breakfasts or lunches with one check or lump sum of money, which will then be deposited onto your child's food services account.
• Please send in a healthy snack with your child each day. Candy and junk food are not permitted.

If you do not qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, please follow these procedures for purchasing school breakfast or lunch:

• Payment may be made in cash or check (payable to "Morris School District")
• Backpack an envelope with your child's name on it, marked "Food Services."
• Include your child's name in the memo line of your check.
• 
  
• Payment may also be made online (click here); a small fee will be charged with each transaction. This is a secure and convenient way to make payments and keep your account up to date.

MEAL PRICING:

***Meal Prices for School Year 2022-2023***

Elementary Breakfast

$1.35

Elementary Lunch

$2.85

Reduced Price Breakfast

$0.00

Reduced Price Lunch

$0.00

Milk

$0.75

Checks are made payable to "Morris School District".

For lunch, all students will be eating in the cafeteria during their assigned lunch period.

Peanuts and Tree Nuts:

To help support our students with peanut and tree nut allergies, we have designated tables for children eating peanuts and tree nuts at lunch. They can bring a buddy to eat with them at the Peanut/Tree Nut table. All lunches are supervised.

Observed annually from September 15 to October 15: It is a time to appreciate and celebrate

the history, colorful cultures, diversity, and contributions of the ancestors of American

citizens who came from Mexico, Spain, the Caribbean, and South- and Central America.

September 15 is set as the starting date for the month for several reasons. It is the

independence anniversary for Latin American countries El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica,

Nicaragua, and Honduras. From here onwards, the independence days of Mexico and Chile fall on September 16 and September 18, respectively.

• Hispanic and Latino Americans amount to an estimated 17.8% of the total U.S. population, making up the largest ethnic minority. Around one-fifth of the U.S. population is Hispanic.
• The state with the largest Hispanic and Latino population overall is California with over 14 million.
• There are relevant Hispanic influences in American life: music, food, art, cinema, politics, literature, science & technology. Have you seen movies like “Coco” or Vivo”?
• Some inventions from Latin / Hispanics:

1. Color TV: Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena (México)
2. The electric brake: Victor Ochoa (México)
3. The artificial heart: Dr. Domingo Liotta (Argentina)
4. Bandage for administering drugs: Alejandro Zaffaroni (Uruguay)
5. The stent: Julio C. Palmaz (Argentina)

What heritage runs in your family?

Share some of your traditions with your classmates!

Notes for parents/teachers:

Observation of Hispanic Heritage Week started in 1968 under President Lyndon B. Johnson and was later extended to a 30-day celebration by President Ronald Reagan, starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted via approval of Public Law 100-402 on August 17, 1988.

Click here to visit our Home and School Association website!

Create a profile on our NPS HSA Membership Toolkit to enable your participation in the school directory (grade/teacher), sign up to receive the Home and School Association's weekly newsletter, submit club forms, volunteer and more!

If you already have an account, please take a few minutes to update your info by September 30 to keep your status active.

Save the Date!

September 10th at Normandy Park School

11am to 3pm

Rain Date: September 17th

HSA Message:

Volunteers needed to help run the Fun Fair. To sign up, please click here

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d4fa4ad2aa75-npsfun

Welcome to the 2022-23 School Year!

I am so excited to welcome all of our new and returning families! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Cheryl Cohen and have been the bilingual school counselor at Normandy Park for many years. In addition, I am a parent of 2 children so I know how wonderful and challenging parenting can be! As the school counselor, I provide classroom lessons on topics such as identifying feelings, kindness, and respect. Throughout the year, I offer small group counseling on topics such as making friends, managing anxiety, and dealing with family life changes (such as divorce or death), short term individual counseling. I am Normandy Park’s anti-bullying specialist and head the Culture and Climate committee which is all meant to keep our school bully free.

As we get ready to start a new school year, I know there may be a lot of “big feelings” emerging this weekend. While some children are super excited and can’t wait to come to school, others may be worried, scared, clingy and/or fearful. Parents and guardians, you may be experiencing those very same emotions and that’s ok. It’s important to know that children often feed off of adults' emotions. So, if you show excitement and enthusiasm, chances are they will too. If you show anxiety and fear, they will react in kind. If you have an anxious child take some deep breaths and know that it will be ok. Let them know that their teacher is going to be there to help them and that there are many other helpers in the building. Note to Kindergarten parents/guardians: If this is the first time you are sending your child to school, keep tissues on hand and feel free to use them once your child the bus has pulled away or if you are driving, once you have pulled over after your child has gotten out of the car. Even if your child is crying and they don’t want to leave you, within a couple of hours almost every child is engaged in learning and happy.

A big part of our job at the Normandy Park School in addition to the academic component of education, is helping your child(ren) navigate their social and emotional well being. If you have any concerns about your child(ren), whether it be academic, social, emotional or behavioral, please reach out to your child’s teacher and/or to me at the phone or email below.

Wishing you a great start to a new school year!

Your School Counselor

Cheryl Cohen

cheryl.cohen@msdk12.net

973-889-7960 x6115

I know that going back to school can be stressful for students and families. The North Jersey Health Collaborative of the Atlantic Health System has shared the following community video resource to support families.

This community resource linked here: Back to School-How to Cope with Stress During Stressful Times – 2022/2023 School Year - YouTube is presented by Nicole Thomas, MD, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative, Morristown Medical Center and she provides an overview of:

1. Ways Kids Respond to Stress

2. Tips for Managing Stress

3. Examples of Coping Skills

4. When & Where to Seek Help

As always, please feel free to reach out to me directly or our counselor (cheryl.cohen@mskd12.net) with any concerns or questions to support your child's social emotional well being.

We are adding some incredible teachers, assistants and specialists to our amazing NPS team! Please read below for additional information:

• Mary Ann Summa is our new Art & Enrichment teacher

• Brian Kaywood is our new K/1 teacher

• Sara Martinez is our new 2/3 teacher

• Karen Doyle began in May 2022 as our new building clerk

• Sonia Khanna, Ambra Mersier, Erin Wisloff, and Cori Rojas are new K/1 Teaching Assistants

• Jessica Ziegler is our new LDTC (began in February 2022)

• Linda Barber, Kiandra Josephs, and Ana Waddington will be our new Lunchroom and Playground Asisstants.

• September 10th (Rain Date 9/17): HSA NPS Fun Fair @ Normandy Park School
• September 14th- Back to School Night
• September 23rd- Picture Day
• September 26- School Closed- - Rosh Hashana

*Afterschool clubs will kick-off in October. Sign up information will be shared in September from the Normandy Park School HSA!

2022-2023 District Calendar

· Parent Handbook

· Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

· Free and Reduced Meal Application

· Sunset and Sunrise

To access the web version of the portal: https://msdk12.powerschool.com/public

To download the PowerSchool App on your mobile device go to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. District code: DQJJ

*Please note that the mobile app has limited access. For full access (including bus information and teacher assignments), please use the web version of the portal.

For additional support with Parent Portal, please click the FAQ. Feel free to reach out to me directly with any additional questions.