Good Afternoon, Maple Place Families,

This was a a wonderful week celebrating our Teachers and Staff during Teacher Appreciation Week! Thank you to the Oceanport PTO for all of the special treats throughout the week. Additionally, on Wednesday, May 8th, we celebrated National School Nurse Day by recognizing our Maple Place School Nurse, Mrs. Dora!

This week our students in Grades 5-8 completed their NJSLA testing in the subjects of Language Arts and Mathematics. Next week, students in grades five and eight will take the Science portion of the assessment. Additionally, we will begin make up sessions for any students who may have missed a portion of the test.

This coming Tuesday, May 14th, Maple Place will be holding it's first annual Night of the Arts where we will be showcasing the many talents of our students including music from the Cadet, Charger and Jazz Bands as well as the Maple Place Chorus. Student artwork will be on display throughout the halls. All students have chosen art projects to be displayed within the show. Additionally, we are holding a Coffee House prior to the start of the concert where students have volunteered to perform. Stop by to check out our amazing students!

I'd also like to wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all of our Maple Place moms! Thank you for all you do to support your children's growth and development. Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Enjoy your weekend,

Melissa Keiser

Congratulations to our April Champion Chargers:

Grade 5 - Max Churney

Grade 6 - Vanessa Greco

Grade 7 - John Ross

Grade 8 - Teodora Mazza-Softcheck

Please be advised that students in Grades 5 and 8 ONLY will be taking the NJSLA (New Jersey Student Learning Assessment) Science sections this coming week - May 13th - May 16th. The sections take approximately 45 minutes to complete.

Just a reminder:

STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO HAVE CELL PHONES OR TO WEAR SMART WATCHES DURING THE TESTING. These devices cannot be present in the classroom and must be left in their lockers. This procedure will be strictly enforced as this is a state requirement. Students also need to have a pair of WIRED headphones for the test as earbuds and Bluetooth headphones may not be used with the state testing platform. Please make sure your child has a pair of WIRED headphones that work properly. Also we encourage students to get plenty of rest the night before testing and to eat breakfast in the morning prior to coming to school.

Just a reminder as the weather gets warmer, and the students' clothing choices begin to change to meet the needs of the weather, we do have a dress code that is outlined within our student handbook and should be followed in order to prevent any dress code infractions. Additionally, it is important to remember that the school is air conditioned, so students are reminded to keep a sweatshirt or light sweater in their lockers as some classrooms are cooler than others.

The following items are impermissible to wear to school:

• Flip flops or strapless shoes (shoes must have backs and/or straps)

• Clothing MUST cover undergarments and waistbands.

• Extremely short shorts or skirts (the length of shorts or skirts must meet the student’s fingertips with arms extended straight at their sides.)

• See-through clothing

We thank you for partnering with us to provide your students with the best possible school experience.

The Baseball and Softball regular season has come to an end. More information about Playoff Games will be coming out shortly! Stay Tuned!

Monday, May 13th:

Charger Band - 7:15am - On Stage in the Cafeteria

Volleyball Club - Grade 5 - 2:45-3:45 pm - Gym

Spring Concert Dress Rehearsal for Cadet, Charger & Jazz Bands, and Chorus - Cafeteria - 3:00-5:00pm

Tuesday, May 14th:

Cadet Band - 7:15am - On Stage in the Cafeteria

Advanced Art - Grade 8 - 3:00-4:00pm - Art Room

Wednesday, May 15th:

Charger Band - 7:15am - On Stage in the Cafeteria

Student Council - 7:15am - Media Center

Maple Place Alliance - 2:45-3:45pm - Room 131

Thursday, May 16th:

None

Friday, May 17th:

Debate Club - 7:20am - Room 109

Charger & Jazz Band - Festival Performance - depart school at 8:30am

Monday through Thursday, May 13th-16th - NJSLA Science Grades 5 & 8

Tuesday, May 14th - Night of the Arts - 6:00-8:30pm - Maple Place Cafeteria / Media Center

Wednesday, May 15th - Board of Education Meeting - 6:00pm - Wolf Hill School

Friday, May 24th - Monday, May 27th - NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day Weekend!

Thursday, May 30th - 8th Grade Dance - Jumping Brook Country Club

Maple Place will be hosting it's first Night of the Arts. During this amazing evening of music and art, we will be showcasing the many talents of our students. Come out to take a walk through the halls gazing at the Art Show. Stop in to see some wonderful student performances in our Media Center Coffee House. Then head into the cafeteria to check out the Maple Place Chorus, Charger, Cadet, and Jazz Bands. It is sure to be a great evening!

Join the Oceanport and Monmouth Beach Schools for a night of singing and baseball. Watch the choruses perform and then take in a game! Tickets for the Blue Claws Game on June 11th are now available. Please click on the link below to get yours!

The Oceanport Education Foundation is selling lawn signs for both our fourth and eighth graders who will be moving up and moving on at the end of this school year. The proceeds from the signs will benefit the 8th Grade Class of 2024. Please see below for more information. To order - click the link HERE or scan the QR code below.

As summer approaches, I wanted to make sure to send out information about the new procedure for working papers, as students no longer need to obtain their working papers from the school. Minors under the age of 18 are required to have working papers to be employed in the state of New Jersey, and now these papers can be obtained online. The steps to follow are listed below:

1. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR JOB OFFER! You only apply for Working Papers after you get an offer of an employment. If you're still looking for a job, check out our resources here.
   
   
2. CREATE AN ACCOUNT. Enter your name and email address at myworkingpapers.nj.gov. We’ll send you a link to confirm your email address. Remember: You only need to do this once, even if you need to submit more than one Working Papers application. (See step #5 for more information.)
   
   
3. COMPLETE THE APPLICATION. You’ll need your employer’s unique 8-digit code and your caregiver’s name and email address to submit your part of the application. Helpful hint: If you don’t have the employer’s code, you can search for the business by keyword. If your employer hasn’t registered with us yet, you can give us their email address and we’ll send them a link to create an account.
   
   
4. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS. You may need to follow up with your caregiver and employer, who need to submit their parts of the application before you can start working. If your application is rejected for any reason, you can’t work until you submit a new application that is approved.
   
   
5. GET TO WORK! Once your application is approved, you can start working at your new job. Don’t forget: If you add or change jobs, use your existing account to submit a new Working Papers application for every new employer. Use the "Apply for Working Papers" link after you log in.

Save the Date!

May 20: Mermaid Tea for 1st & 2nd grade girls and their special adult lady

June 9: Annual Wiffleball Tournament for Boys in Grades 1-8 and their adult baseball buddy

June 13: Pickleball Event for girls in Grades 3-8th and their adult lady pickleball partner

The PTO is sponsoring the Maple Place Field Day on Tuesday, June 11th. Each grade level has been assigned a neon color to wear that day. The students should have come home with a t-shirt order form earlier in the week, but the form is also linked below for your convenience.

A note from our PTO: We are currently accepting nominations for the 2024-2025 PTO Board. Becoming a board member is a great way to get to know other parents, volunteer in the school community, and give back to our schools. If you or someone you know might be a good addition to the PTO board, please consider submitting an online nomination form (which has been linked below). If you have any questions, please contact Danielle Wolfe at dwolfe.pto@gmail.com or Suzanne Fichter at suzannefichter@gmail.com.

Click on the attachment below for more information regarding the Shore Regional Blue Devils Basketball Camp offered to boys and girls in grades 3-8 running from June 24th to June 27th, 2024. Hard copies of flyers were sent home with the students earlier in the week.

The Monmouth County Sheriff's Office is sponsoring the 31st Annual Sheriff Youth Week from July 8th to July 12th at the Monmouth County Police Academy. This opportunity is open to students who are graduating from 8th grade and have an interest in law enforcement. Please see the attached letter and application for more information.

Be sure to follow Maple Place on our social media outlets. We can be found on Twitter at @MaplePlaceMS. You can also check us out on Instagram at @mapleplaceop.

Email: mkeiser@oceanportschools.org
Website: https://www.oceanportschools.org/Domain/8
Location: 2 Maple Place, Oceanport, NJ, USA
Phone: (732) 229-0267
Twitter: @MaplePlaceMS

Instagram: @MaplePlaceOP