Normandy Park School

Monday, September 11th is an E Day.

I am extremely proud of our NPS community, as we begin Week 2 of the 2023-24 school year. Our returning students did an excellent job of welcoming our Kindergarteners and new students into the building! Across all classrooms, students engaged in community building activities to get to know their teachers and classmates more. In addition, classes set the foundations and routines for learning. Returning olders did a great job of helping acclimate youngers to the classroom community!

As a school, we will continue to build on our successes, and improve upon our areas of growth. Thank you all for your continued partnership and support!

Back to School Night will be here before you know it. NPS will host Back to School Night on the evening of September 20th (beginning at 6:30pm). For additional information, please click here.

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.

Sincerely,

Christopher Miller

Principal of Normandy Park School

*To access the NPS Parent Handbook, please click here.

In addition, all schools in New Jersey are mandated to conduct monthly security drills. Assembly Bill 5727 requires that parents/guardians and staff be notified at the conclusion of scheduled school security drills. After each security drill, parents will be notified via text.

Please note that all drills are conducted at a developmentally appropriate level, in which our teachers and staff ensure that our students feel safe and supported.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at christopher.miller@msdk12.net.

This week, our school will begin administering the i-Ready® Diagnostic assessment for Grades 1st through 5th. Kindergarteners will begin iReady in October. The i-Ready Diagnostic helps teachers to effectively assess their students and then provide individualized instruction based on each student’s unique needs.

Please read below for additional information about our diagnostic assessment process:

What is a “diagnostic assessment”

A diagnostic assessment is a form of pre-assessment where teachers can evaluate students' strengths, weaknesses, knowledge and skills before their instruction. Teachers utilize the results of the diagnostic assessment to plan instruction for the whole class and for small groups and individual students. In MSD, we give the diagnostic assessment three times during the school year.

iReady Diagnostic

The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your student’s needs. Each item a student sees is individualized based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier questions. The purpose of this is not to give your student a score or grade, but instead to determine how best to support your student’s learning. Diagnostic reports are shared with parents at the completion of the administration window.

i-Ready Personalized Instruction

The personalized, online iReady lessons that all MSD students have access to are not the same as the diagnostic. These lessons are connected to the results of your child’s diagnostic assessment but are meant to provide students with skill and content practice based on their individual level and needs. These lessons are fun and interactive to keep your student engaged as they learn and allow for self-paced learning and practice to complement face-to-face instruction provided by your child’s teacher.

By using the diagnostic assessment to inform high-quality face-to-face teacher instruction and the individual student practice, we provide a multifaceted approach to accelerating student learning. Our teacher teams along with administrators carefully review results and data after each diagnostic assessment window to ensure that the needs of students who are showing strong progress and students who are showing slower progress are being met.

Please note, that iReady is one measure that teachers use along with multiple measures, such as oral reading assessments, day to day observations, exit tickets, and comprehension check-ins. All measures are used to help inform and drive instruction!

Please reach out to your child’s teacher or myself (christopher.miller@msdk12.net) if you have any questions or would like additional information.

Observed annually from September 15 to October 15: It is a time to appreciate and celebrate

the history, colorful cultures, diversity, and contributions of the ancestors of American

citizens who came from Mexico, Spain, the Caribbean, and South- and Central America.

September 15 is set as the starting date for the month for several reasons. It is the

independence anniversary for Latin American countries El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica,

Nicaragua, and Honduras. From here onwards, the independence days of Mexico and Chile fall on September 16 and September 18, respectively.

• Hispanic and Latino Americans amount to an estimated 17.8% of the total U.S. population, making up the largest ethnic minority. Around one-fifth of the U.S. population is Hispanic.
• The state with the largest Hispanic and Latino population overall is California with over 14 million.
• There are relevant Hispanic influences in American life: music, food, art, cinema, politics, literature, science & technology. Have you seen movies like “Coco” or Vivo”?
• Some inventions from Latin / Hispanics:

1. Color TV: Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena (México)
2. The electric brake: Victor Ochoa (México)
3. The artificial heart: Dr. Domingo Liotta (Argentina)
4. Bandage for administering drugs: Alejandro Zaffaroni (Uruguay)
5. The stent: Julio C. Palmaz (Argentina)

What heritage runs in your family?

Share some of your traditions with your classmates!

Notes for parents/teachers:

Observation of Hispanic Heritage Week started in 1968 under President Lyndon B. Johnson and was later extended to a 30-day celebration by President Ronald Reagan, starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted via approval of Public Law 100-402 on August 17, 1988.

Reminders:

Morning Pickups: Please be at your bus stop location ten minutes prior to your scheduled pick-up time.

Afternoon Dropoffs: Guardians of preschool through second graders should be at the bus stop ten minutes prior to your scheduled drop-off time to meet students in the afternoon. NOTE: During the first two weeks of school, afternoon drop off times are often later as school staff ensures each student is on the correct bus and students acclimate to the dismissal procedures of the school. This could delay the departure time from the school.

Arrival Procedures: Students are permitted into the building at 8:40 a.m. Students bused to school will be dropped off and picked up in the front of the building. For students in the drop-off line, please have them seated on the passenger side (if possible).

Arrival: 8:40 to 8:55

Dismissal: 3:05 to 3:20

Drop Offs: Students being dropped off in the morning may enter through the back doors. Please use the drop-off/pick-up line in the back of the building. There is no supervision before 8:40, and children who arrive before that time, will not be permitted to enter the building. A staff member will be at the door between 8:40 and 8:55 a.m. to welcome students. Any student arriving after 8:55 must enter the front of the building and report to the nurse’s office with a parent or guardian to obtain a late pass.

Pick Ups: At dismissal, students being picked up will be dismissed from the back of the building. When picking up your child, please use the pick-up line. Stay in your vehicle. Teachers will accompany your child to your car.

Pick-Up During the Day (before Dismissal time): 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. Before leaving, you must sign your child out in the notebook provided by the main entrance doors. Unless an emergency arises, please refrain from calling the office after 1:30 to make changes to your child’s dismissal.

• 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

Click here for September 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.

*For instructions in Spanish, please click here.

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".

For lunch, all students will be eating in the cafeteria during their assigned lunch period.

Peanuts and Tree Nuts:

To help support our students with peanut and tree nut allergies, we have designated tables and/or areas at their class table for children eating peanuts and tree nuts at lunch. If students choose to eat at the peanut/tree nut table, they can bring a buddy to eat with them at the Peanut/Tree Nut table. All lunches are supervised.

THE MORRIS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION ASKS: Will YOU COMMIT TO 180?

Imagine the Possibilities if we surrounded each of our 5,700 students with a $180 dollar pledge. Just $1 a day for every day of the school year for every student.

As 5,700 Morris School District students and nearly 1,000 teachers and staff walk back into our schools this September, the Morris Educational Foundation (MEF) is reaching out to our greater District family with a personal request… will you Commit to 180?

Your “Commit to $180” per child pledge would go a long way in supporting the MEF’s work in our schools for the 2023-2024 school year. Imagine the vibrant classroom grants, individual tutoring, enlightening parent education and life-changing scholarship programs we could support for all students in all schools.

Join a growing list of donors, friends, alumni and supporters and Commit to 180 today at bit.ly/Commit180.

Any questions, email info@morrisedfoundation.org.

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! Whether your child is new to Normandy Park or returning to us, we welcome you!

I wanted to start this year’s counselor corner by sharing a little about myself and what to expect from the counseling program at Normandy Park. I have been proud to call Normandy Park School my home for the past 13 years and have been in the district for many more. I have a Masters degree in Social Work from Rutgers University and am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I am the proud mom to two awesome children Fern, 28 and Stephanie, 24. I know first hand that raising a child is an amazing, wonderful and sometimes challenging journey>

As the school counselor I can assist your child in a variety of ways, individual and group short term supportive counseling, as well as in class support. Some of the groups that run throughout the year address concerns about friendship (making and keeping friends), self-esteem, anger management, grief (death of a family member or parents separating or divorcing). Most groups run between 6-8 weeks and are carefully scheduled so that your child will not miss either important academic instruction or specials. Individual sessions are just that, one to one sessions that are supportive in nature. They are not intended to be intensive therapy sessions however, if your child is in need of more intensive therapy, I will gladly help you locate community resources. In addition, I am excited to announce that for the second year in a row we are excited to have Social Work Interns joining our school. They will be available to provide counseling services as well. More information on this year’s intern’s to follow.

Now, let’s take a moment to talk about returning to school. Some children will be very excited to return while others will be anxious. Our staff is well prepared to help your child(ren) navigate the first days of school.

If your child(ren) are anxious about returning to school here are some tips for you:

1. Be patient and understanding. Recognize that separation anxiety is a natural part of growing up. Allow them to express their feelings and let them know you understand.

2. Make positive statements part of your daily routine. Have your children stand in front of the mirror when brushing their hair and say things like “I am strong” “I am smart” “I can do hard things”. Say it with them.

3. Create a predictable routine. Children do better when there is an established routine. Whether they are taking the bus or you (or someone else) is driving them, talk to them about what drop off and pick up will look like.

4. Avoid lengthy farewells. This one can be tough for a lot of parents but a quick and positive goodbye will do the trick.

5. Stay calm. Children pick up on adult emotions. (Don’t worry, we have plenty of tissues for adults who need them).

Separation anxiety is usually temporary and we will help you and your child(ren) with it.

If you are interested in meeting with me to discuss any concerns you have about your child please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by phone (973)-889-7960 X6115 or email cheryl.cohen@msdk12.net.

Stay Awesome!

Cheryl

Your School Counselor

Cheryl Cohen

cheryl.cohen@msdk12.net

973-889-7960 x6115

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!

Due to weather, the HSA Fun Fair has been postponed. Information will be shared on when the event will be rescheduled. Thank you to all who volunteered their time to support!

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

The calendar can also be found on our district's website.

https://www.morrisschooldistrict.org/

*It is important to note and document your calendars for early dismissal days and days school will be closed.*

We are adding some incredible teachers, assistants and specialists to our amazing NPS team! Please read below for additional information:

• David Garcia is our new 2/3 teacher
  

• Nancy Garcia will be an additional counselor

• Kathryn Tepedino is our new ESL and Intervention Teacher

• Megan Adair and Ana Waddignton are new K/1 Teaching Assistants

• Nichole O'Donnell is our new Learning Disabilities Teaching Consultant (LDTC)

• Bob Poll, Robyn Poll, and Webert Barosey will join our team as new Lunchroom and Playground Assistants.

To access the web version of the portal: https://msdk12.powerschool.com/public

To download the PowerSchool App on your mobile device go to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. District code: DQJJ

*Please note that the mobile app has limited access. For full access (including bus information and teacher assignments), please use the web version of the portal.

For additional support with Parent Portal, please click the FAQ. Feel free to reach out to me directly with any additional questions.

• September 20th- Back to School Night
• September 22nd- Picture Day
• September 25- School Closed- - Yom Kippur

*Afterschool clubs will kick-off soon. Sign up information will be shared in September from the Normandy Park School HSA!

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

· Parent Handbook

· Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

· Free and Reduced Meal Application

· Sunset and Sunrise

The theme will have a creativity, performing arts, and growth mindset focus. We will foster an appreciation for the power of fostering one's own unique skills and talents. Throughout the year, we will incorporate the theme into non-fiction read alouds, mini-lessons, residencies, and school wide activities.

Through hard work, learning from our mistakes, and collaboration, we can make meaningful academic and personal growth, as well as foster positive social change.