Normandy Park School

I hope that everyone had a wonderful long weekend!

Wednesday, February 22nd is a D Day.

There is no school on Monday and Tuesday (2/20 and 2/21). Classes resume on Wednesday (2/22).

On Friday (2/24), the HSA will host Game Night for all interested families (more information below)!

Click here for the Bilingual Monthly Newsletter!

Click here for additional information on the HSA's upcoming annual NPS Reading Challenge!

February is Black History Month.

Black History Month was created to highlight the history and the accomplishments of black Americans. Today, we continue to celebrate Black History Month, but also emphasize studying the accomplishments of Black Americans year round. Every morning, we will open the announcements by learning about an influential African American.

Our students have been working hard with the MPAC dancers to learn dances across the decades! Students will continue to work with MPAC dance instructors weekly throughout February!

Parents are invited to see the culminating performance. Each class will present a dance from a different decade. If you cannot attend, no worries- there will be a lot of pictures taken!

Save the Date!

Performance Date: 3/2
Location: NPS Auditorium

10:15-10:45- Grades 4/5 performance

11:45-12:15- Grades 2/3 performance

1:00-1:30—Grades K/1 performance

To learn more about MPAC and their residencies, please click here!

Each month has a lot of big things going on and February is no exception: Black History month, Valentine’s day, President’s day, National school Counselors week and our SOUPER BOWL Food drive.

In recognition of Black History Month there are so many amazing children’s books available that focus black Americans at your local library and bookstore. Below is just a small sampling of the many wonderful books available. Reading a wide range of books including people of color to and with your child all year long, helps them become aware, and gain compassion and understanding in the world around them.

I know this is an unusually long Counselor Corner but I want to address the growing number of parents who have been reaching out to me and the Social Work student intern team about their kids being angry and frustrated frequently. Children are learning how to cope and often don’t have the language to express their feelings. With this said, I want to acknowledge that in some cultures and some families feelings are not discussed or expressed and that must be respected too. For those who want to explore more about this, it is important to start by identifying the possible triggers for the source of frustration or anger. Begin by keeping a log of the situation. Write down the day, time, what happened and your child’s reaction and your response. While this may seem like a lot of work, it may give you patterns that are easily dealt with. For example if you ask your child to do a chore before dinner and notice your child getting angry or frustrated, you may want to hold off asking them to do any chores until after they eat. Many struggles occur around device time. Set clear expectations with your child about how much time they have on their tablet, phone, gaming console, etc. Set timers as reminders and often a verbal reminder is helpful (“In 10 minutes we will turn off the device even if you are mid game”). Ask your child to acknowledge that they heard you and follow up with “what did you hear me say?”. If your child starts to have a meltdown Stay Calm! Every parent, myself included, knows that this is hard to do. If you need to, walk away for a moment and take some deep breaths. You will be setting a good example of maintaining your emotions. Try to help your child identify the emotions behind i Reach out for help: call family, friends, your child’s pediatrician or us here at school. You are not alone and you don’t need to go it alone.

cheryl.cohen@msdk12.net

973-889-7960

Stay Awesome!

Cheryl

Thank you to all who donated! All food is being donated to the Interfaith Food Pantry.

Donations were pretty evenly distributed across both teams. However, there were a few more donated items in the Eagles bin. Therefore, by a slim majority, NPS Souper Bowl predicts that the Eagles will win the Super Bowl this evening.

Click here to visit our Home and School Association website!

CALLING ALL 5TH GRADE PARENTS!

NPS HSA hosts a 5th Grade Fun Day in June for our graduating seniors and we need parents to coordinate the event! It would require a few hours of planning time over the next few months and coordinating of volunteers/activities on the day of the event. We are hoping to get 3+ parents who can share in the planning.

Help make it a great event for your 5th grader! Volunteer today by emailing npshsapresident@gmail.com with your interest.

Girls on the Run® will return to NPS this spring for 3rd - 5th graders! The NPS program is seeking up-beat, dependable adult coaches who can commit a few hours twice a week April - June. Visit the website for more info. Participant registration starts March 1!

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

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 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

In February, all 3rd grade students, as well as 4th and 5th grade students who are new to the Morris School District, will be taking the Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test.

This online test is a brief, thirty minute, culture fair measure of a student’s nonverbal reasoning and general problem-solving ability. In broad terms the test measures different aspects of general cognitive ability and its scores can be somewhat but not singularly predictive of academic success. It is an assessment based on a testing method supported by more than a half century of research.

Each student’s test results will be available to their parents in March. Results will be one of several measures used to determine eligibility for the Quest Program and is useful as one extra part of an overall view of our students as learners. If you have any questions regarding the administration of this test, please feel free to call me at school or send me an e-mail. Thank you for your continued cooperation and support.

*This week, make-up sessions will be conducted for students who were absent on the day their class was assessed.

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 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.

Click here for February 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.

• March 2nd- MPAC Performance
• March 24- Report Cards for 2nd Trimester Sent Home

2022-2023 District Calendar

· Harrassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) Reporting Information

· Parent Handbook

· District Calendar

· Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

· Free and Reduced Meal Application

· Adding Money to Breakfast/Lunch Account

· Sunset and Sunrise

The Morris Educational Foundation (MEF) is proud to continue its mission of generating and distributing resources to enhance the education of the 5,700 students and 1,000 educators in the Morris School District’s 10 schools. For 30 years, the MEF has and will continue to support our District through vibrant grants, supportive tutoring, enlightening parent education and life-changing scholarship programs. Learn more about how the MEF works to enrich and inspire the academic pursuits of all our students by clicking here. With you, our community, we make exceptional education extraordinary.

Click on this link to view a video about what the MEF does for you!

Any questions, email info@morrisedfoundation.org.