Normandy Park School

Tuesday, May 28th is an F day.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful long weekend!

May is a busy and exciting month! We look to finish the year as strong as we started!

This week, on Thursday, students will perform in the Spring Concert (additional information below). They have been working extremely hard in rehearsals, and are eager to perform for the NPS community!

On Friday, NPS will host Field Day for all students. Make sure to send children with towels and water bottles! Also, make sure students are equipped with appropriate footwear (i.e. athletic shoes).

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me!

Sincerely,

Chris Miller (christopher.miller@msdk12.net)

On this Memorial Day, I would like to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to all the members of our military, past and present, who have bravely served our country.

If you are looking for some children books on Memorial Day, check out the following (please remember to preview each book and considering age recommendations prior to reading):

• A Day for Rememberin': Inspired by the True Events of the First Memorial Day by Leah Henderson
  
• The Wall by Eve Bunting
• The Berenstain Bears God Bless Our Country by Mike Berenstain
  

• The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute to Veterans by Barbara E. Walsch

Thursday, May 30th

Please join us as we celebrate our young musicians. Each grade level will perform at the assigned time (listed below).

• 9:30am for Primary Unit (K/1)
• 10:30am for Intermediate Unit (2/3)

• 12:45pm for Senior Unit (4/5)

*In order for the gym to prepared before each show, doors will not open until 15 minutes prior to showtime.

If you would like your child's sibling to attend his/her concert, please complete the attached form. Children attending their sibling's concert will sit with teachers in an assigned student section.

Friday, May 31st

Primary and Intermediate : 9:30-11:30
Senior: 1:15-3pm

Bring a towel and water bottle with your name on it. Remember to wear sunscreen!

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.

We will begin each morning by highlighting the accomplishments and impact of influential Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

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

• How to Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Kids
• 5 Ways to Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• Children Books and Activities

Each May, we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM). This is a time to recognize the many ways Jewish Americans have enriched American life and culture. The month was federally recognized in 2006, thanks to a proclamation by President George W. Bush.

Each morning this month, we will highlight the accomplishments and impact of influential Jewish Americans throughout our nations history.

Visit the following websites for information to help foster discussions and highlight Jewish American contributions and culture:

• 9 Ideas for Teaching Jewish American Heritage Month
• Children Books
• Influential Jewish Americans throughout History

Last week, all Intermediate classes visited the Urban Farm with Farmer Shaun and Farmer Kim. Students played a pollinator game, planted a pepper plant, tasted various vegetables, and pet a chicken!

Throughout the year, Farmer Kim has presented interactive lessons on planting, nutrition, and gardening to our 2/3 students. Grow It Green has also been instrumental in establishing the community garden beds in the courtyard.

Last week, Primary (K/1) classes visited the Turtle Back Zoo! Students had a great time exploring all the exhibits, and seeing a wide variety of wildlife!

Thank you to all our family chaperones for helping with this trip!

“Oh the places you go, the people you see, we are one big community!”

The 2nd and 3rd grade students of Normandy Park have their artwork on display until June 9th at the Surreal Creamery 5 Washington St.

Each class was assigned a theme of drawing the people of Morristown or the Places of Morristown. Normandy Park’s Art Teacher, Mrs. Summa, together with the School Counselor, Ms. Cohen worked with each group to come up with who the helpers are in the community and all the wonderful places that Morristown has to offer.

A reception was held on May 9th and New Jersey native artist Tricia Goginsky was on hand to demonstrate visual thinking skills and tricks that artists can use to create artwork that tells a story.

Tricia Goginsky used a well known fairy tale to talk about how artists come up with ideas and develop original work. She earned a Bachelor degree in Art Education from Kean University and a Masters in Studio Art from NYU. While pursuing her masters degree, she studied for four months in Venice, Italy and had the opportunity to show work in Brescia, Venice, and in New York. Her artwork is also on display for all to enjoy.

Attention 5th graders-
If you are interested in playing sports at Frelinghuysen, FREE sports physicals will be offered on May 30 at Morristown High.

Find out how to register HERE

To find out more about Frelinghuysen Athletics, visit FMS Athletics or email FMS Athletic Director, Jessica McGinn jessica.mcginn@msdk12.net

Registration for MSD Summer Music Academy is now OPEN!

We invite you to join us this summer for what promises to be yet another fun and comprehensive 4-week musical experience, offering daily small group lessons with world-class specialists, large and small ensemble rehearsals, and additional classes like guitar, piano, music tech, and jazz lab!

This exciting opportunity is open to students grades 4-12, from any school, in any school district! No prior experience needed!

Camp dates: June 24 - July 19th, 8am - 12pm

Take your skills to the next level! Join the MSD Summer Music Academy today!

Click here to get started!

Please email ariel.ocasio@msdk12.net if you have any further questions

We will continue to administer the Spring i-Ready® Diagnostic assessment.

All testing will be completed by June 7th. Reports will shared at the end of the school year with report cards.

Please reach out to me with any questions.

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

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!

Afterschool clubs are back. See below for pick-up schedule:

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

Dear Parents/guardians,

It seems impossible to believe but this is my final newsletter. Since 2020 I have been writing Counselor newsletters; first weekly and later monthly. I hope you have found them helpful and have learned a little something through them.

It’s wild for me to think that I have been with the Morris School District for 26 years. I have been fortunate to have worked with students from every grade level preschool to high school. This has been an incredible journey and I want to thank you for sharing your family with me.

My final messages to you as parents are these, as much of the world has gotten more challenging, make sure to continue to model kindness to your children. Teach them how to play well with others in the proverbial sandbox; to read, learn and talk to people of different cultures and religions, as well as people from the LGBTQ and the differently abled communities. Work with your child(ren) on acceptance and understanding, even if you don’t always understand or agree yourself. Help them learn to think critically and ask deep questions. Remind them that everyone has something difficult that they are dealing with in life, some are visible and others are not.

Step away from all the devices and play games, go to the park, blow bubbles, volunteer in the community, look at the stars, take time to dance, sing, paint, cook, be silly, throw a ball around or just tell jokes. Talk with them about the many heroes in the world, including members of your family. Hug your child(ren) often and tell them how much you love them (even when they drive you nuts). Instead of telling them you are proud of them, explain what actions they have done that they should be proud of. Be kind to yourself as a parent. Parenting is wonderful and hard. If you are struggling, make sure to ask for help, from family, friends, or any of the amazing staff at Normandy Park. It truly takes a village to raise a child and we can all benefit from support.

Although I am moving on to another chapter in my life, I know you’ve got this and you are in good hands at Normandy Park and, for those moving on, at Frelinghuysen. To all my wonderful students, parents, and guardians (and of course my amazing staff and friends) I will miss you all and wish you the very best!

Stay awesome!

Cheryl

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 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: francesca.ecker@msdk12.net

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

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

• June 7th- 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony
• June 10th- 5th Grade Fun Day
• June 12th to 14th- Early Dismissal
• June 14th- Last Day of School

· Parent Handbook

· Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

· Free and Reduced Meal Application

· Sunset and Sunrise