Normandy Park School

I hope that everyone had a great weekend!

Thank you for all for your support for the HSA NPS Walk-a-thon! I truly appreciate the support of all our families. Please stay tuned for updates from the HSA on total amounts raised, and final raffles!

As the weather gets warmer, please feel free to send your children to school with water bottles. We do have 2 water bottle refill stations available to all students.

Reminder: Monday (5/31) school will be closed on account of Memorial Day.

MSD will continue to share important information on the Coronavirus Update Center and on our MSD Forward pages. 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.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter passed a bill to make the first 10 days of May to be Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Week. In 1992, a bill signed earlier by President George H.W. Bush extended the week to the span the month of May. During May, we celebrate the contributions, influence, and achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Island Americans.

Highlight the accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders throughout our country's history. Visit the following websites for kid-friendly information to help foster discussions:

• How to Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Kids
• 5 Ways to Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• Brain Pop News
• May Is Asian-Pacific Heritage Month: 12 Ways to Enrich Kids’ Appreciation of Asian-Pacific American Culture
  

This week, our school will continue to administer the Spring i-Ready® Diagnostic assessment. i-Ready Diagnostic helps teachers to effectively assess their students and then provide individualized instruction based on each student’s unique needs. i-Ready Diagnostic assesses the following skill areas:

Reading

• Phonological Awareness

• Phonics

• High-Frequency Words

• Vocabulary

• Comprehension

Math

• Number and Operations

• Algebra and Algebraic Thinking

• Measurement and Data

• Geometry

i-Ready Diagnostic begins by giving students an adaptive assessment in reading and math. An adaptive assessment is a test that automatically adjusts the difficulty of the questions according to each student’s performance in order to determine his or her abilities in reading or math. i-Ready is a very different kind of test that presents students with questions that can be both too easy and too hard. It is designed to do this until the assessment finds exactly the level at which the student is performing. Therefore, your child will certainly see some items above his or her level. Your child will be encouraged to independently complete the test to the best of his or her ability, and know that it is okay to get questions wrong.

Each time a student gets an item incorrect, he or she will be presented with a simpler question until the diagnostic finds the grade level at which the student is performing. The assessment efficiently assesses students across multiple grade levels, allowing for identification of root causes of students’ struggles or for identification of areas where a student is ready for further challenge. This information will then provide the teacher with a “road map” to instructional remediation.

Once your child completes the test, he or she will be assigned online instruction to support his or her progress in mastering each skill. i-Ready Diagnostic supports the teachers and administrators at your child’s school. The program provides a series of comprehensive reports designed to make classroom instruction more effective. These reports include data about student performance as well as detailed teaching suggestions. They help educators make informed decisions about the instruction that is right for your child.

Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or your child’s teacher. For more information on i-Ready Diagnostic, please visit the Morris School District website: www.morrisschooldistrict.org

What can I do to help?

To help prepare your child for the i-Ready Diagnostic, encourage them to:

• Get a good night’s sleep and eat a full breakfast the day of the assessment.

• Try their best on each question and try not to rush.

• Try not to worry about questions they do not know—remind them that it is expected they will only get about half of the questions correct.

• Be respectful of other students who take longer to finish

This is the third iReady diagnostic assessment of the year for Gr. 1st through 5th. This is the second iReady diagnostic assessment of the year for our Kindergarten students.

This year, NPS will host Field Day on June 7th and June 9th.

Students will participate in fitness activities across 6 to 7 different stations.

Field Day Schedule:

June 7th

9:15 to 10:45: Kindergarten and 1st Grade Classes

11 to 12:30: 2nd and 3rd Grade Classes

June 9th

10am to 12pm: 4th and 5th Grade Classes

Virtual Students are invited to come to join in-person students for Field Day. Virtual students will be in a group with other virtual students for their assigned date/time (e.g. 4th and 5th grade virtual students will be one group, rotating from station to station together). Virtual students will have the option to complete last year's pre-recorded activities, if they are interested in attending.

As part of our commitment to ensuring a healthy community in which each student can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally, the Morris School District has partnered with Panorama Education, leaders in education technology, to survey the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies of our students in grades 3-5.

A customized survey has been developed for the Morris School District by Panorama Education. Panorama has worked with over 400 school districts and 6 million students nationwide to develop age-appropriate SEL surveys, which are designed to help educators understand students’ social-emotional competencies and their beliefs about how supported they are in their school environment.

The survey will focus on the following 4 key areas:

Growth Mindset - the belief that it is possible to grow our intelligence through effort. Students who believe they can grow their abilities and intelligence are more likely to succeed academically.

Social Awareness - having empathy for other people and knowing how to build positive relationships. Building empathy in students helps them to better respond to conflicts and develop positive relationships.

Self-efficacy - the belief that we have control over our own motivation, behavior, and social environment. Students with high levels of confidence are more likely to achieve academic goals and outcomes.

Sense of belonging - feeling part of the community and feeling valued for our own uniqueness. Students who feel like valued members of the community show higher attendance and graduation rates.

The data we gather from the survey will give us greater insight into students’ perceptions of themselves and their readiness for learning. The survey results will also help us refine our curricular and counseling practices so that we can best meet the needs of our students.

The survey will be administered this week, and will take approximately 15 minutes. Survey questions are available for your reference at http://bit.ly/MorrisSEL. Note: This survey does NOT impact your child’s grade.

If you do NOT want your child to participate in this survey, please fill out the linked Google Form by Friday May 21, 2021. No action is needed on your part if your child will participate in the survey.

The NPS HSA is looking for Board members for the upcoming school year!

Do you want to help shape the events and programs the HSA contributes to the Normandy Park community? Join the HSA Board!

• CO-PRESIDENT
• TREASURER
• VP of COMMUNICATIONS

If you are interested in any of these positions, please send an email to NPSHSAPRESIDENT@GMAIL.COM!

On April 30th, 2021, the Biden administration released “A Proclamation on National Mental Health Awareness Month,” recognizing May as National Mental Health Awareness Month.

Celebrities opening up publicly about their struggles with mental illness, has helped destigmatize mental illness. ADHD, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, the list is long but these are some of the more common ones. Chances are you, yourself, or someone you know (adult or child) has been diagnosed with one or more of these illnesses. If you have questions about your mental health or that of someone you care about, there is no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed. The great news is that help is available! Talk to your doctor or your child’s pediatrician. They can help guide you to get the right diagnosis and treatment. Feel free to reach out to me as well.

Stay awesome!

Ms. Cohen

973-889-7960 x6115

cheryl.cohen@msdk12.net

The American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) recognizes the month of May as Better Speech & Hearing Month.

Better Hearing & Speech Month (BHSM) raises awareness about communication disorders and the role of ASHA members in providing treatments and support. To learn more, feel free to visit the ASHA Better Hearing & Speech Month.

• All students currently enrolled in grades K-11 will keep their district-issued Chromebook over the summer and bring it to school with them in September.

• Please keep Chromebooks in their cases (if issued) and avoid extreme temperatures.

• Please know that all Chromebook usage is tracked over the summer and that the Chromebooks should be used for educational purposes only.

• If you need assistance with your child’s Chromebook over the summer, please visit the MSD Virtual Learning Hub and submit a technology help ticket here.

• If you would like the Morris School District to store your child’s Chromebook over the summer, please contact the school they currently attend.

***If your child was issued a MiFi (wireless internet access) - the MiFi must be returned to the school that issued the MiFi on or before June 11, 2021. If your child is attending an academic Morris School District Summer Program, the MiFi can be kept until next school year.***

My child has to quarantine. Can they stream into class?

For students attending in person classes, access to virtual instruction is for absences over an extended period of time due to quarantining or an extenuating circumstance. In this case, access to virtual instruction will consist of a combination of streaming, completion of Google Classroom activities, and teacher check-in(s).

My child is sick. Can they stream into the class?

No, if your child is home sick for a few days they will be considered to have an excused absence due to illness. Students are encouraged to rest.

*Please note, access to virtual instruction for in-person students needs to be approved by the principal and/or nurse. Please reach out to me with any additional questions at christopher.miller@msdk12.net

• Individuals who travel within the United States will no longer be required to quarantine upon their return to NJ, regardless of their vaccination status.
• Vaccinated individuals who return from international travel do not need to quarantine.
• Unvaccinated individuals who return from international travel still need to quarantine according to current CDC guidelines.
• All travelers should still monitor closely for symptoms and take action accordingly; for students and staff, this means following the direction of the Daily Screening forms.

Grab & Go meals will be available for all students, who wish to receive them. The Federal Department of Agriculture has extended waivers that will allow MSD to serve ALL students meals for FREE through June 2021.

REMINDER: Students who are not attending school in person can pick up free breakfast and lunch at Morristown High School (at the rear circle by the flagpole off of Atno Avenue) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. There will be two service times, from 8:00 am to 9:00 am and again from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.

More information about School Breakfast & Lunch is available on the MSD Forward homepage under "Back to School Resources for Families."

• If there are changes in your child's dismissal plans (e.g. you are going to pick them up that day, instead of taking the bus), please use the attached form or call the main office.
• For written communication between you and your child's teacher, please utilize Class Dojo and/or e-mail, rather than hand-written letters (when possible).

• June 7th and June 9th: Field Day (K-3) and (4-5)
• June 10th and June 11th: Moving Up Ceremony for 5th Grade
• June 15th: 5th Grade FunDay
  
• June 17th: Last Day of School