Normandy Park School

Monday, April 15th is an F Day.

Welcome back! I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend!

On Monday, April 15th, the Morris School District will have an early dismissal (1:15pm) in lieu of Parent Teacher Conferences.

On Tuesday, our Intermediate Unit will seeing the musical, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?, at Mayo Performing Arts Center. This fun-filled musical is based on the concepts in Carol McCloud’s award-winning children’s books, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? For additional information, click here!

On Wednesday, 5th grade students will be visiting FMS to learn more about the Visual and Performing Arts electives. Permission slips have been sent home to all participating students.

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

Sincerely,

Chris Miller (christopher.miller@msdk12.net)

It is with mixed emotions that I announce the upcoming departure of Officer Doug Turner, a valued member of our school team. After five years of dedicated service to NPS, Officer Doug is stepping down from his position as a full-time Morris Township Special Police Officer III. His last day with us will be Friday, April 19th, 2024.

Many of you know Officer Doug from his presence at the school, his willingness to help parents, students and staff alike, and his commitment to creating a safe and positive learning environment. His calm demeanor and friendly approach fostered a sense of security and trust within our school community.

While we are sad to see Officer Doug depart, we wish him all the best in his future endeavors. He will always be an important member of the Normandy Park School family.

In Officer Doug's absence, we will ensure that there is daily security coverage for our school. In the coming weeks, we will share information about the permanent staffing for his position.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly at christopher.miller@msdk12.net. If you would like to send Officer Doug well wishes, please feel free to e-mail him at doug.turner@msdk12.net.

On Friday, the HSA hosted a family Karaoke Night. Thank you to all who attended and participated. It was a great time. There were over 35 songs performed!

A special thanks to our HSA for continuing to put together such fun and engaging events!

Report Cards for the second trimester were posted prior to Spring Break.

Report cards were provided digitally via Parent Portal. If you need a paper copy from the school for any reason, please just let your homeroom teacher know and we can accommodate.

*Final report cards in June 2024 will be printed and sent home to all.

For new families, please note that we use a Standards Based Report Card. To learn more about the Standards Based Report Card, click here!

WAY TO GO NPS Families! We will be sending 174 pairs of Solar Eclipse glasses to Latin America for the October 2024 event!😎

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:

Save the date! Additional information on how to purchase tickets will be shared soon.

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

April 2024

• In today's interconnected world, digital devices (computer, phone, tablet, smartwatch) play a significant role in our children's lives. While technology offers valuable educational resources and entertainment opportunities, excessive screen time can have negative effects on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. As parents it is essential to monitor and limit our children's computer use to ensure a balanced lifestyle.

  
  

  Here are some practical tips to help you promote healthy technology habits at home.

  1. Set Clear Guidelines: Establish clear guidelines for screen time, including specific time limits for computer use each day. communicate these guidelines with your children and explain the reasons behind them.

  2. Encourage Variety: Encourage your child(ren) to engage in a variety of activities outside screen time, such as outdoor play, reading, drawing or doing craft projects, and spending time with family and friends.

  3. Create Tech Free Zones: Designate certain areas of your home such as the dinner table, or bedroom, as tech-free zones where electronic devices are not allowed. This helps promote face-to-face communication and quality family time.

  4. Use Parental Controls: Take advantage of parental control features available on computers and digital devices to monitor and restrict your children's access to inappropriate content. Many devices offer settings that allow you to set time limits and block specific websites or apps.

  5. Lead by Example: Be a positive role model for your children by demonstrating healthy technology habits yourself. Limit your own screen time and prioritize activities that promote physical activity, creativity, and social interaction. If you are taking a walk with your child(ren) or go to a restaurant, put your phone on silent or put it away and use that time to engage with your child (ren).

  6. Discuss Online Safety: Remind your child that:

  1. Whatever is put out on the internet is there forever and that anyone can screenshot and share what they put out there.

  2. Make sure they only talk to people online that they know.

  3. If they are playing online games, only talk about the game. If they are playing with someone they don’t know and that person asks a personal question, do not answer.

  4. Make sure you have permission before taking and posting someone’s picture.

  5. If you leave a room, turn off your device, especially if others have access to your device.

Finding the right balance between screen time and other activities can be challenging as can creating safe device use, but it's essential for our children's overall well being. By monitoring and limiting computer use we can help them develop healthy habits that will serve them well throughout their lives.

The website Goodreads has many good recommendations for cyber safety..

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/internet-safety

Here are a couple of great reads with your kids:

• Troll Stinks by Jeanne Willis
• Nerdy Birdy Tweets by Aaron Reynolds

As always, please read the books first and make sure they are appropriate for your children and that you feel comfortable answering any questions they might have.

Thank you for being proactive and engaged parents/guardians!

As always, if you have a question or concern about your child please don’t hesitate to seek help.

Stay awesome!

Cheryl

Cheryl.cohen@msdk12.net

Check out some SEL resources from our MSD counseling intern team!

UPDATED- 3.24.24

English SEL newsletter

Spanish SEL newsletter

*Please note that the counseling interns service will be ending in April and/or May. Counseling interns will finish their term of service on the following dates:

Ms. Sleight: Thursday April 18th

Mr. Beck: Friday April 19th

Ms. Andres: Friday May 10th

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.

NJSLA State Testing for Grades 3-5 will begin at the end of April. The tentative schedule is as follows (*if there are changes in the schedule, they will be communicated/posted as soon as they are made):

Dates for NJSLA State Testing:

ELA:

• April 30, May 1st: 4th and 5th Grade
• May 6th, May 7th: 3rd Grade

Math:

• May 14th to May 16th: 4th and 5th Grade
• May 8th to May 10th: 3rd Grade

Science (5th Grade Only)

• May 20th and 21st

· Parent Handbook

· Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

· Free and Reduced Meal Application

· Sunset and Sunrise