Normandy Park School

Monday, December 18th is a C Day.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Last Thursday, NPS students performed for their families at our winter concert. It was great to see so many people show up to support our NPS community! Our young musicians did a phenomenal job! A special thanks to our music teachers, Mrs. Schwam and Ms. Carroll, for putting together a fantastic show. As always, they worked extremely hard with our students to support their growth- lesson by lesson!

On December 15th, NPS HSA hosted the Share the Magic Raffle! Thank you to all who donated prizes and/or purchased tickets. We truly appreciate your support! Congratulations to all the prize winners. If you won and were not present- you will be contacted this week. To view the winners, click here!

Have a wonderful week!

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out via phone or e-mail with any questions.

Sincerely,

Chris Miller (christopher.miller@msdk12.net)

I would like to take this time to thank everyone for their continued support and partnership. I am looking forward to another great year! Please have a restful and enjoyable Winter Break!

WINTER SPIRIT DAYS:

To send us off in style into winter break, next week- NPS will host 3 Spirit Days:

-Holiday Sweater Day (12/20)
Wear your favorite holiday sweater- ugly holiday sweaters are encouraged, but not necessary! Please feel free to wear any other gear to represent any of the winter holidays!

-Winter Wonderland (12/21)
Wear winter colors, gear, flannel, etc. Have fun and stay warm!

-Pajama Day (12/22)
Help us countdown to winter break in your favorite PJs!

Report Cards for the first trimester will be available December 22nd, 2023. Report cards will be provided digitally via Parent Portal. If you need a paper copy from the school for any reason, please just let your homeroom teacher know and we can accommodate.

*Final report cards in June 2024 will be printed and sent home to all.

For new families, please note that we use a Standards Based Report Card. To learn more about the Standards Based Report Card, click here!

Senora Cardona has created a Spanish advent calendar for those interested in completing at home with their family. It is a fun resource to learn about the Christmas holiday and explore the Spanish language.

Click here to access the resource!

One of the great benefits of a K-5 school is that we get to have opportunities where our older students work with our younger students. Mrs. Gilson utilizes older students to help with buddy reading during library periods!

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!

For class party nutrition guidelines, please click here!

Volunteers needed to assist with the raffle set up next week. If you are available and interested, please click here to sign up and review opportunities and slots!

This year our Holiday Angel Program would like to support Normandy Park Families with some holiday cheer by purchasing gift cards for families in need.

To donate to this cause, please purchase and send in a ShopRite or Walmart gift card directly to Normandy Park School or donate online at the following link:

https://givebutter.com/NPSHoliday23

We will be collecting donations and gift cards until December 11, 2023.

Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Have a 5th grader? We need your help! Looking for a parent or parents to share in the responsibility of leading the yearbook coordination efforts for our upcoming graduates. Please email NPSHSAPresident@gmail.com with your interest!

The HSA's Membership Toolkit is the key to staying informed! If you have not done so already, we encourage you to create a profile which will enable participation in the school directory and the ability to sign up to receive our weekly newsletter, submit club forms, volunteer and more!

Show your NPS pride! Purchase NPS school gear directly from Redbubble. A small percentage of profits will be returned to NPS with your purchase!

Follow the NPS HSA on Social Media:

Instagram: @nps_wizards

Facebook: Normandy Park School HSA

Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza… For many families, December is a month full of celebrations.

Most families who celebrate a holiday see this as a joyful time; spending time with family, shopping for gifts, volunteering, vacationing. However, for others it is a time of grief and stress, caused by financial strain or missing loved ones at a time when the days are longer, darker and colder. Make sure you check in with yourself about how you are coping. Be kind to yourself by creating realistic expectations for yourself and your family. Reach out to family, friends, or even us here at Normandy Park, if you find you are struggling in any way.

Most children are very excited about the upcoming holidays. This is a great time to continue to talk with your child(ren) about the many holidays that are celebrated. Equally as important is letting them know that there are people who do not believe in celebrating any holidays and the need to be respectful to all people despite differences in beliefs. Keep your expectations about your celebration realistic and age appropriate. Often we get caught up in the gift buying and giving experience and forget the importance of making core memories by spending quality time with them. Your child(ren) will more often remember the time you spent with them over the gifts they receive.

As you know from my previous newsletters, I love activities that the Big Life Journal provides (not a district sponsored organization) and this season is no exception. Here are some you can do at home. The one on the left will help whenever children say the dreaded “I’m bored” statement. Together, fill in boxes with activities and ideas to deal with boredom. The activity on the right is a “grateful wreath”. Cut out leaf shapes and write down things that you and your child are grateful for and string them together to form a wreath.

In other news….Have you heard about our monthly community meetings? We have brought them back as a way for our students to connect with one another. Each month we bring all the students and staff together and have a short video or song on kindness, respect or growth mindset, followed by a community activity and a public recognition of our “Kids of Character”. It has helped continue to set a positive tone for our Normandy Park Community!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s emotional well being, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Stay awesome!

Cheryl

Cheryl.cohen@msdk12.net

973-889-7960

SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS WITH A GIFT TO THE MORRIS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION!

The Morris Educational Foundation (MEF) works year-long in collaboration with the Morris School District community to bring resources to all students and all schools. Together, we help everyone Imagine the Possibilities - and make it a reality.

This includes funding for annual Cultural Arts programming, classroom grants as well as literacy programs and resources to name a few. We rely on our donors to make this all possible and during this season of giving, we ask for you to consider a gift at bit.ly/MEFgift to help us continue our impact for the ‘23-24 school year.

Click here to learn more about the MEF's impact. The Morris School District is an amazing place, and the MEF is proud to be its partner for over 30 years. We hope you will join us this school year to Imagine the Possibilities!

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.

Students who qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch qualify for free/reduced breakfast as well. Applications are available through PaySchools. Click the link to create your PaySchool account (ENG or ESP) Once you create your account, the Free & Reduced Application will be available complete online. Please note that you do not have to print out the application if you complete it online; it will be electronically sent to the Board Office once completed. You may also complete an application using a computer in the main office of your child's school or request a paper application.

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

• 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.
• 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.
• Payment may also be made online ( (ENG or ESP); 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.
• Payment may be made in cash or check (payable to "Morris School District"

MEAL PRICING:

***Meal Prices for School Year 2023-2024***

Elementary Breakfast

$1.50

Elementary Lunch

$3.00

Reduced Price Breakfast

$0.00

Reduced Price Lunch

$0.00

Milk

$0.75

Checks are made payable to "Morris School District".

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.

• 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

• December 22nd- Report Cards Available
• December 22nd- Early Dismissal (1:15pm) Last Day Before Winter Break
• January 2nd- School Returns from Winter Break

Click here to view Morris School District (MSD) 2023-2024 School calendar.

· Parent Handbook

· Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

· Free and Reduced Meal Application

· Sunset and Sunrise