With the midpoint and 100th day of school behind us, it's encouraging to reflect on our progress so far. Although Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, and we still face nearly another full month of winter, the promise of longer days and warming temperatures keeps our spirits high.

I'm proud of our students for their accomplishments in the classroom, on stage, and in athletics, all supported by outstanding educators who inspire excellence daily. Kudos to our principals for their steady leadership and for guiding our school communities with clarity and vision.​ Our​ collective success is built on strong partnerships between our schools and families, thanks to our dedicated PTAs and the steadfast investment of our Board of Education.

​In addition, a special thank you goes to our Buildings & Grounds team, led by Mr. Padavano. Their hard work and tireless efforts in clearing our schools and ensuring they were ready to open after every bout of winter weather did not go unnoticed.

Your commitment and partnership make our school community truly exceptional. Together, we look forward to warmer days ahead and continued achievements throughout the rest of the year.

Student Council members after boxing up our collection of canned food items for donation to the Interfaith Food Pantry. Thank you to the entire BMS community for their support in collecting 986 items!

It looks like six more weeks of winter as our Kindergarteners saw their shadows on Groundhog Day!

Groundhog Day, celebrated on February 2nd, is a fun tradition where folklore says a groundhog's behavior predicts the weather for the coming weeks. If the groundhog sees its shadow, we’re in for six more weeks of winter; if not, spring is around the corner! It’s a great opportunity to engage students in learning about weather patterns, seasons, and cultural traditions.

In our Science unit, students learned the engineering design process. The photos show how students planned, collaborated, and tweaked their plans. Students had to work together to meet the constraints for The Index Card Challenge. The goal was to create a structure that could hold up to 3 food cans. They were only allowed to use scissors, 10 index cards, and glue.

"Marking up" the text helps 4th grade students engage with the material by underlining key points, highlighting unfamiliar words, and making notes. This practice enhances comprehension, retention, and critical thinking, allowing students to better understand main ideas, analyze information, and become more independent readers. It also supports self-monitoring and reflection, essential skills for reading development.

Whippany Park High School students visited Bee Meadow's 5th grade in February as part of the Junior Achievement Program, a global non-profit organization designed to teach students about financial literacy, work-readiness and entrepreneurship. Pictured are former BMS, SDS, and MTV students, now in high school, teaching our current Grade 5 students.

Local artist Caren Olmsted visited Mountview Road School as part of an artist-in-residency program. Last year the school raised funds through their Color Run to commission Olmsted to create the mural. Every MTV student, including the current MTV 6th graders, had an opportunity to leave their mark and get in on the painting. We couldn't have done it without a ton of volunteer support and all the efforts of our amazing MTV PTA!

Mrs. Pratola engaged the 4th graders in an offline STEM challenge in computer class. Working in partners, students had to use Legos and a mini-fig to get a smooth zipline ride. They evaluated different designs and elements that factored into the process.

Kidz World Dentistry visited Mountview's Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders to teach them about oral health. February is National Children's Dental Health Month.

4th and 5th grade PACT students are working on creating a Public Service Announcement on the importance of recycling. This work ties in with their Environmental Unit.

MTV was proud to collect 1010 items (973 pounds) as part of the district Soup-er Bowl. They selected the Philadelphia Eagles as the winner. The event benefits a great cause - the Interfaith Food Pantry - and fun was had by all...even friends rooting for opposing teams! (Carmen and Peggy attached - Google).

How do you spell FUN - B-I-N-G-O! MTV's Student Council held its annual Bingo Night. As always, it was well attended and many lucky winners left with smiles on their faces!

1st grade students celebrated the Lunar New Year! Lunar New Year, celebrated by millions around the world, marks the beginning of a new lunar calendar year. In 2025, it ushers in the Year of the Snake, symbolizing wisdom, intuition, and transformation. It's a time for family gatherings, festive meals, and honoring traditions.

Grade 2 students put on their annual "Get up and Grow" show on February 20, 2025. The show focuses on themes of growing up, friendships and working together. The students did a beautiful job! After the show the students selected special family and friends to join them for a luncheon.

Students in Grade 2 reminded us about our great country as they performed in "Proud to be an American". They did a wonderful job teaching us about the influential people who have contributed to the success of the USA and how we can all do our part to continue to make our country great!

There's nothing like a Salem Drive School PTA Bingo Night! The PTA Board worked hard in organizing and running the event and Crazy Cashen & Peppy Pomel led the way for a fun night for all. Who knew that the Salem Drive Jaguar is an Eagles' fan?

All students celebrated Valentine's Day at Salem Drive School. Students completed various activities including our fifth graders helping our kindergarteners create mailboxes. Also, as part of our Six Pillars of Character, students participated in the "Valentine's for Veterans" program to help veterans celebrate Valentine's Day.

Our Student Council led the way for our "SOUP"ER Bowl. We had a great two weeks of collecting food items for those in need. All items were donated to the Interfaith Food Pantry in Morristown, NJ.

All students participated in 100th Day of School Activities. Additionally, our kindergarten students dressed up as 100 year olds while our first grade students participated in a fashion show.

Students in Grade 3 taught us all about the importance of protecting all of our animals and taking care of our environment. Each student "adopted" an endangered animal and shared their animal as part of the show.

An essay contest hosted by the VFW #5351 Auxiliary. Each year, students in Grades 6-8 participate and share their patriotic perspectives. This year's theme was "My Voice in America's Democracy." Congratulations to this year's winners and we thank the VFW for their continued support!

At Memorial Junior School, students enjoy positive interactions with staff members throughout the building! One student proudly showcases his fluency skills by reading a book about penguins to Mr. Ziegler, while another engages in a lively geography discussion with custodian Mr. Manza, identifying locations on a map in the hallway.

Ellie, our beloved Seeing Eye Puppy, continues to make incredible progress thanks to the dedication of MJS students and staff! Earlier this month, she passed her vesting evaluation, proving she has mastered key commands like "forward," "sit," "rest," and "stay"—all while staying focused despite distractions.

MJS students also made a meaningful impact by raising $1,450 for the Seeing Eye Foundation through the Pennies for Puppies program, led by our 8th grade character education groups. Way to go, MJS!

Students in PE classes sharpened their badminton skills, learning the fundamentals before jumping into an exciting tournament—including a chance to take on PE teacher Mr. Becker in a friendly competition.

Students across the district stepped up for a great cause in the annual Soup-er Bowl canned food drive, donating items to predict the winner of the Super Bowl while supporting the Interfaith Food Pantry in Morristown.

With an incredible 4,786 items collected district-wide, Memorial Junior School defended its championship title, leading the way with an outstanding 2,038 donations. A huge shoutout to the entire school community for their generosity and commitment to helping others.

Teachers spent time with the district's LinkIt! consultant to learn more about "Data Locker," which is a powerful tool that provides educators with real-time access to student performance data. By analyzing assessments, progress, and trends, it helps identify individual learning needs and tailor instruction to support every student. This data-driven approach allows for more targeted interventions, personalized learning plans, and improved outcomes for all learners.

Starting next school year, NJ’s new legislation will require dyslexia screening for students in grades K-3 to help identify early signs of dyslexia and provide targeted support. To prepare, teachers had the opportunity to learn more about the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessment, a tool that helps monitor students' reading development and pinpoint areas where intervention is needed. This initiative will empower educators to better meet the needs of students and ensure early, effective support for literacy challenges.

The district administration has been busy working through the various steps of preparing to bring in a food service provider for the 2025-2026 school year. Part of this process includes applying to the National School Lunch Program, which provides students with access to nutritious meals at affordable prices, with funding and guidelines set by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The district's goal is to ensure that meals meet these nutritional standards while offering a variety of healthy, tasty options for students. The USDA's role is to support the program by setting standards, offering reimbursements, and ensuring food safety, all of which help us create a positive, healthy meal experience for our students. We will share more information as it becomes available.

Tuesday, February 25

BOE Meeting @ 7pm

Thursday, February 27

Parent Academy - Internet Safety @ 6:30pm

MJS Auditorium

Tuesday, March 4

MJS Parent/Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal @ 12:15pm

Thursday, March 6

MJS Parent/Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal @ 12:15pm

Monday, March 17

St. Patrick's Day

Tuesday, March 25

BOE Meeting @ 7pm

Wednesday, April 9

K-5 Parent/Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal @ 12:45pm

Thursday, April 10

K-5 Parent/Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal @ 12:45pm

We are excited to host a session on Internet Safety in the MJS Auditorium. On Wednesday, February 26, students in Grades 5-8 will have an opportunity to attend the student presentation. The parent session will follow on Thursday, February 27. Thanks to the Hanover Township Mayors Wellness Committee for sponsoring this important program!

*Click HERE for a PDF version with clickable links*

Check out this video for a sneak peak!