Normandy Park School

I hope that everyone had a great weekend!

Last week, classes participated in our Zentangle art residency. Students had a great time learning and drawing Zentangle patterns. The residency will culminate with one Zentangle (on a tile) of all the students projects pieced together for everyone to view. Virtual students can drop their tiles off at Normandy Park School by February 19th.

This Friday, February 12th, students will receive report cards for the 1st semester of the school year.

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.

This Friday, February 12th, students will receive report cards for the 1st semester of the school year. Report Cards will be sent home via backpack for in-person students and mailed home for all virtual students. Accompanying the report card will be the iReady report from the most recent diagnostic assessment. In the Morris School District, a Standards Based Report Card is used.

To learn more about the Standards Based Report Card, please see our K-5 Report Card Parent Guide Book.

To learn about the iReady Family Report click the link below:

Understanding Your Student’s i-Ready Diagnostic Results (English)

Understanding Your Student’s i-Ready Diagnostic Results (Spanish)

Picture day will be February 18th, 2021. Students attending in-person will have pictures taken during the school day. Students attending virtually will have the opportunity to come in during an assigned time slot between 1:10pm and 3:30pm.

Cleaning and social distancing protocols will be in place. Students will take individual pictures only. Individual pictures will be made into a composite class picture. All-virtual students will have assigned time slots in the afternoon to come in if they choose to.

Schedule for Virtual Classrooms:

1:10pm to 1:40pm: Tulli/Escobedo

1:30 to 2pm: Murphy

1:50 to 2:20pm: Smith

2:10pm to 2:40pm" Diana/Parks

2:30 to 3:00pm: Cardona/Giuliano

2:50 to 3:20pm: Toye/Mitevski

To order pictures online, please click here.

This part of the newsletter will have a question or a topic for you to discuss with your child(ren). This can be done on the way to school, on the way to sports practice, before dinner, at bedtime, etc.

Each week there will be a “something to think about” question and a “something to talk about” question. The “something to think about question” is for you as a parent to reflect on for yourself. The “something to talk about” question is for you to discuss with your child. These exercises are meant to stimulate a conversation on race, equity and inclusion in America.

Week Twenty One

Parent Reflection: Were you ever required to read a book that had black characters when you were in school or one that was written by a black author?

For Your Child:

Listed below are some suggested books to read with your child:

Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o (Grades 1-3)

A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée (Grades 4-8)

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall (Grades PreK-3)

Monster Trouble by Lane Fredrickson (PreK-3)

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty (K-3)

Blackberry Blue by Jamila Gavin (9-11 years)

The Young Magicians and The Thieves’ Almanac by Nick Mohammed (9-11 years)

The Lost Hero: The Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan (9-12 years)

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughter: An African tale

See: www.Weneeddiversebooks.org for more suggestions

The Normandy Park HSA provides cultural arts programming, teacher appreciation, and other enrichment to the benefit of our community.

In the 2020-2021 school year we have funded:

• Assembly with Composer & Producer Brent Daniels
• Zentangle Artist Residency with Mimi Topping
• Upcoming Assembly with Ugandan Musician & Educator Kinobe
• Upcoming Number Drummer Assembly
• Fall Pumpkin Patch
• Birthday Books for All Students
• Easy View Masks for Teachers
• Back to School Teacher Appreciation

The Normandy Park HSA has continued providing our traditional enrichment programs and supporting our teachers in spite of the global pandemic. Your support right now is critical. We need to raise at least $7,500 to continue offering the experience our children deserve for the remainder of this year and into the future. Your tax deductible donation matters this year more than ever!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TODAY!

If we meet our $7,500 goal, our top donor gets to hit Mr Miller in the face with a pie for the whole school to see on video!

During the weeks of January 25th and February 1st, NPS hosted artist, Mimi Topping, to conduct a virtual cultural arts residency program for all classes.

Mimi Topping is a certified art teacher for the past 23 years. She has been certified to teach Zentangle since 2012. Zentangle is a form of art by drawing structured patterns called tangles. The tangles are created with a combination of dots, lines, simple curves, S-curves and obs. The simple shapes are called “Elemental Strokes” and are drawn on small pieces of paper called tiles which can then be assembled into mosaics.

Last week, classes participated in our Zentangle art residency. Students had a great time learning and drawing Zentangle patterns. The residency will culminate with one Zentangle (on a tile) of all the students projects pieced together for everyone to view. Virtual students can drop their tiles off at Normandy Park School.

To learn more about Mimi Topping and Zentangle, please click here.

Message from Ms. Cohen:

It’s been wonderful having the students who are learning virtually connect with each other over lunch! I will continue to host these optional daily lunch groups for all virtual students from 12-12:30.

Lunch groups are as follows:

Tuesdays: Kindergarten

Wednesdays: 1st grade

Thursdays: 2nd grade

As I watch the snow fall I think about the juxtapositions it brings: the beauty of the crisp snow that blankets the trees and the anxiety and worry it brings when thinking about getting to the grocery store or to work and wondering if the roads will be safe to navigate. I am reminded to examine the things I can control and the things I can not, trying to maintain focus on that which I can control. Some of the things we can all control are:

1. Our mindsets; how we see situations and react to them.

2. Learning from our mistakes.

3. Trying new things.

4. How we contribute to our families.

5. How much effort we put into things.

6. Creating goals and working towards them.

7. Celebrating whatever and whenever we can.

8. Taking mindful breaks.

9. How we respond to challenges.

10. Being kind to ourselves.

Take a moment to think about yourself, your family, your life. What are the things you have control over? Try to let go of the things you can’t control (like Covid, or how much snow we have gotten) and focus on, and try to change what you can control. You may find yourself feeling a bit better.

If you or your child (ren) are struggling during this difficult time, please feel free to reach out to me for support.

Cheryl

Cheryl.cohen@msdk12.net

973-889-7960 x6115

*When NPS is open for in-person instruction:

My child has to quarantine. Can they stream into class?

For students attending in person classes, access to virtual instruction is for absences over an extended period of time due to quarantining or an extenuating circumstance. In this case, access to virtual instruction will consist of a combination of streaming, completion of Google Classroom activities, and teacher check-in(s).

My child is sick. Can they stream into the class?

No, if your child is home sick for a few days they will be considered to have an excused absence due to illness. Students are encouraged to rest.

*Please note, access to virtual instruction for in-person students needs to be approved by the principal and/or nurse. Please reach out to me with any additional questions at christopher.miller@msdk12.net

Please note revised requirements following travel outside our immediate region (that is, to anywhere other than NY, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Delaware):

• For students: Contact the school nurse and quarantine for 14 days; no test is required.

Thank you for your cooperation and diligence in reporting symptoms, exposure, and travel to our school nurses. Your transparency and honesty help our entire community stay safe. If you are contacted by local health department officials, please respond to their inquiry so that they can properly conduct contact tracing.

Grab & Go meals will be available for all students, who wish to receive them. The Federal Department of Agriculture has extended waivers that will allow MSD to serve ALL students meals for FREE through June 2021.

REMINDER: Students who are not attending school in person can pick up free breakfast and lunch at Morristown High School (at the rear circle by the flagpole off of Atno Avenue) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. There will be two service times, from 8:00 am to 9:00 am and again from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.

More information about School Breakfast & Lunch is available on the MSD Forward homepage under "Back to School Resources for Families."

Please see the menu below for meals offered each day:

• 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).

• February 12th: Report Cards Sent Home
• February 15th: No School (President's Day)
• February 16th: ACCESS Testing begins for students in our ELL and bilingual program
• February 18th: Picture Day