Week of October 16th
Monday, October 16th is an E Day.
A big thank you to the Morris Township Fire Department for visiting last week. We appreciate your support and partnership!
In accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:36-5.1, the third Monday in October is annually designated as “School Violence Awareness Week” in the State of New Jersey. At the elementary school level, we focus on facilitating conversations and activities around developmentally appropriate conflict resolution, tolerance, and expressing emotions. This week, we will continue to focus on strategies for promoting social emotional well being through classroom activities and presentations. Class activities may include learning about personal space, rebounding from being in a mood, and journaling about feelings/emotions.
Sarah Aronson will present to our 2/3 unit! She will focus on emphasizing growth mindset through her book "Just Like Rube Goldberg." Our 4/5 unit will participate in a presentation on Online Safety. Officer Doug will read to our K/1 unit on the role and responsibilities of police officers.
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
This year’s theme for Fire Prevention week was Cooking Safety. The fire department provided a Cooking Safety tip sheet for all families in Spanish and English.
MEF Presents Author Sarah Aronson
This week, author Sarah Aronson will visit Normandy Park School to present Just Like Rube Goldberg to 2nd/3rd grade classrooms.
Following Sarah’s visit, The Morris Museum will make SPARK! Lab visits (next week) for each classroom with hands-on “Rube Goldberg” like activities.
iReady Diagnostic
*If you would like a printed report, please contact me directly at christopher.miller@msdk12.net
Book Fair
SAVE THE DATE - SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR
SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR
The HSA is excited to welcome back the Scholastic Book Fair! The Fair will take place in the library on Monday, October 30th through Friday, November 3rd.
Ways to support the Book Fair:
Parents are welcome to stop by the Book Fair on Wednesday, November 1st during the HSA Open Gym Community Night (6:00 to 7:30 PM). Please RSVP if you plan to shop at the Fair.
Calling all volunteers! Parents are needed to help kids find books and assist the cash registers. Sign up to volunteer while your child’s class shops.
eWallet offers a safe and secure alternative to cash. Simply create a free Scholastic account by visiting www.scholastic.com/bf/NPS and add funds that can be used immediately. **If you have a balance from a prior Book Fair eWallet, you need to create a new eWallet for this Fair and choose the option to fund your new eWallet with the leftover balance.**
Donate to your Teachers' eWallet and help them build their classroom library. Say "Thank You" for all their hard work and dedication.
Help us ensure that every NPS student is able to purchase a book at the Book Fair by making a contribution to our “All for Books” campaign. For more information regarding this campaign, please contact the Book Fair Coordinator, Katie Martinez at martinez.katie.l@gmail.com.
To volunteer, create an eWallet, or shop the Online Fair, visit our Book Fair site www.scholastic.com/bf/NPS.
We look forward to seeing you at the Fair!
Halloween & Autumn/Fall Celebrations at NPS
October is almost here! I have received a few questions regarding Halloween costumes. Given that a lot of families are beginning to purchase costumes, I wanted to provide a few guidelines.
On Tuesday, October 31st, students may wear their costumes or school spirit colors to school (or bring with them to put over their clothes). To ensure the health and well being of our school community we ask you to adhere to the following costume guidelines:
1. Students choosing to dress up must wear their costumes to school (and/or have costumes they can easily put over their clothes).
2. No weapons, swords or handheld accessories. Students have enough items to carry!
3. Please make sure costumes are school appropriate (e.g. no fake blood, inappropriate language, etc.).
4. No Halloween masks that cover students faces. It is imperative for us to be able to see and identify all students at all times! In addition, it is very important for student's to have full vision while walking around the school. Please save masks for trick-or-treating!
Throughout the day, classrooms will have fun autumn or Halloween activities. Additional information on classroom celebrations and activities will come from your child's homeroom teacher.
In the morning, we will have a school-wide parade! Please note, the parade is only a brief part of the morning, lasting 10 to 15 minutes. If it rains, the parade will be indoors for students only.
If you do not want your child to participate in the parade, please let your homeroom teacher know via ClassDojo or e-mail; we will have alternative activities planned at this time.
Breakfast and Lunch
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.
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".
Hispanic Heritage Month
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:
- Color TV: Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena (México)
- The electric brake: Victor Ochoa (México)
- The artificial heart: Dr. Domingo Liotta (Argentina)
- Bandage for administering drugs: Alejandro Zaffaroni (Uruguay)
- 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.
Dismissal Changes
