Normandy Park School

Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year at Normandy Park School!

September 8th is our first day of school!

I know that this year will look different. It comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities. Accordingly, we will continue to build upon the strong mission and vision of our school and community. By working together, we will ensure students are provided instruction and support to develop academically, socially, and emotionally across in-person and virtual classrooms.

We are very excited to begin the school year, and welcome students to our school, in-person and virtually. I have reposted some information from last week's newsletter for your reference as we begin the first week of school.

Please note, that 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.

Our school theme for 2020-2021 is NPS: Move Mountains.

The theme will have an exploration, adventure, and growth mindset focus. Throughout the year, we will incorporate the theme into non-fiction read alouds, virtual field trips, mini-lessons, and school wide activities.

We strongly believe that together we will move mountains! Through hard work, learning from our mistakes, and collaboration, we can make meaningful academic and personal growth, as well as foster positive social change.

Arrival:

• Student drop off will begin at 8:30am.
• For the safety of all children, please dismiss your child/children from the passenger side of the vehicle.
• Buses will arrive at school at 8:50am.

Dismissal:

• Dismissal will begin at 12:35pm.
• Pick-ups will be dismissed first. They will line up in the gym/cafeteria hallway (on floor tape marked 6 feet apart).
• Parents are asked to remain in their vehicles for dismissal. Students will be dismissed in the order in which parents arrive in the pick up line beginning at 12:35pm.
• Students who ride the bus will be dismissed at 12:55pm.

Please note:

Visitors will not be permitted in the building without an appointment. Visitors with an appointment will be required to complete a health questionnaire before entering the building. This is for the safety of the students and staff in the building. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

• 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).

To ensure students are not sharing supplies, each student (virtual and in-person) will receive their own chromebook, headphones, and individual learning kit.

The individual learning kit will include:

• Pencil box
• dry erase board, markers, and eraser
• pencils
• glue stick
• scissors
• crayons
• Math Manipulative Kit (supplies vary by grade)

In addition, in-person and virtual students will receive composition books, handwriting journals (K-3), and math workbooks.

Students who are attending school in-person will receive their supplies and Chromebooks on the 1st day of school.

Students will be traveling back and forth from home/school with their Chromebooks (in a secure case). Please remember to charge Chromebooks at home daily.

I want to commend the custodial and office staff for their continued hard work in helping to prepare for the 2020-2021 school year.

Building updates:

• Hand sanitizer stations have been installed throughout the hallways and at entrances and exits.

• Classrooms have been outfitted with no touch hand sanitizer stations and hand wipes.

• Communal classroom tables have been replaced with student desks (for the 2020-2021 school year).

• All classrooms have been marked with floor tape to ensure students are sitting 6 feet apart in every direction.

• Outdoor learning spaces will be provided (lawn spaces will be marked with lawn paint to identify distancing six feet apart).

• Two tents for outdoor covered learning areas are installed.

Students will be having snack time during the school day, with all necessary safety measures in place. Please send your child in with a healthy snack.

Students will not be eating lunch during the school day.

Grab & Go meals will be available for students eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch as well as for other students wishing to purchase a meal. For families that wish to purchase a meal, there will be no collection of meal charges for the first week of school while the District awaits revised guidance from the State Department of Agriculture. PreK-5 homeroom teachers will take an account each day of who would like to order a meal; meals will be delivered to classrooms and distributed to students just prior to dismissal.

“Grab & Go” meals are also available on Monday and Wednesday for any students attending virtual instruction; multiple meals will be distributed on each day to cover the week: Morristown High School (50 Early Street) will distribute meals from 12:30 PM -1:00 PM in the back of the building near the flagpole; Lafayette Learning Center (31 Hazel Street) will distribute meals from 12:45 PM-1:15 PM from the auditorium doors. More information about School Breakfast & Lunch is available on the MSD Forward homepage under "Back to School Resources for Families."

Outdoor learning spaces will be provided.

Two tents for outdoor covered learning areas are available. In addition to the 2 tents, we will also utilize additional field space for outdoor learning areas and mask breaks.

Lawn spaces will be marked with lawn paint to identify socially distanced seating.

Please send your child to school with a towel, blanket, and/or yoga mat to be used for outdoor seating.

Specials will be delivered virtually for all students.Special area subjects will all have Google Classroom links to house teacher developed lessons. Students will access these lessons during their Specials Period of the virtual day or after school for in-building students.

We will designate a day for each special subject area. This will be consistent for BOTH virtual and in-school students.

Monday - Art

Tuesday - Science

Wednesday - Music

Thursday - PE

Friday - Media

Special area lessons will not start until the week of 9/14/20. The opening week of school will be focused on Chromebook rollout and set-up in school and program set-up and goal setting virtually.