Normandy Park School
Week of October 7th
October 7th is an F Day.
I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend.
This week, students and teachers all across New Jersey celebrate the Week of Respect. The Week of Respect kicks off October, which is also National Bullying Prevention Month. Normandy Park School will be celebrating the Week of Respect with schoolwide activities and themed spirt days (see below for additional information).
Make-up photos and retakes will be on October 10th.
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
Week of Respect
During the first full week of October, students and teachers all across New Jersey celebrate the Week of Respect. Normandy Park School will be celebrating the Week of Respect with schoolwide activities and themed spirt days.
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.
Grow It Green for 2/3 Intermediate Students
- The Morris School District has once again partnered with Grow It Green Morristown (GIGM), a local non-profit organization, to provide enriching educational opportunities throughout the school year. GIGM operates New Jersey's largest school garden, The Urban Farm, located on Morris School District property. Their mission is to create sustainable farms and gardens that provide equal access to fresh, local food and educate communities through programs focused on healthy eating and environmental stewardship.
The lessons will be led by returning Farm Educator, Kim Haupt, and implemented with our 2/3 classes. Ms. Haupt has been with GIGM for the past five years, engaging with students in both classroom and informal outdoor settings. For more information on how GIGM educates Morris School District children, an informational video is available at http://bit.ly/GIGMedu.
GIGM collaborated with Normandy Park School teachers to create a program that meets once a month with Intermediate classes on Fridays at the Urban Farm or in the classroom. Through hands-on learning, students will explore how gardens grow, where food comes from, and healthy eating habits. This includes opportunities to try new foods grown in the garden.
For the October lesson, students explored the school garden to identify and harvest ripe vegetables. After learning proper harvesting techniques, they harvested the produce and had harvest tasting party. Students were encouraged to try all the vegetables and brainstorm different cooking methods. To reinforce the learning, students were given recipe cards and asked to choose a vegetable they enjoyed and develop a recipe using it.
Fire Prevention Week
On Wednesday, the Morris Township Fire Department will visit NPS for Fire Prevention Week! Students will have an opportunity to tour the firetrucks and meet some of the Township firefighters!
Also, next week, all families are invited to the Fire Department's Kid's Night (information below)!
iReady Diagnostic
All 1st through 5th graders have completed the iReady Diagnostic. To view data reports, please use the information provided below.
How can I access my student’s results?
1. Log in to your student’s i-Ready Dashboard using the district or school’s portal credentials (Clever) and then click on the
i-Ready icon.
2. Click on the For Families dropdown and select the For Families report.
3. Enter your District’s Report Code: QHFRTH
*Results will also be printed and sent home this week.
Please reach out to your child’s teacher or myself (christopher.miller@msdk12.net) if you have any questions or would like additional information.
Halloween & Autumn/Fall Celebrations at NPS
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 Thursday, 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.
Last call to RSVP for HSA Parents' Night Out
Last call to RSVP for Parents' Night Out on Thursday, 10/10
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!
Morristown Wildcats NPS Bake Sale
Please sign up here to help with our Bake Sale on Friday, 10/18. A couple more baked good donations are needed and some short sales shifts are still open. Questions? NPSHSAFundraising@gmail.com.
HSA Meeting
Thank you to all who attended the first HSA meeting of the school year. It was a great first meeting!
The next NPS HSA meeting will be on October 17th @ Normandy Park School. We'd love to see you there!
Afterschool Clubs
Welcome to the 24-25 school year. Thank you to everyone for being so welcoming and kind. My first days here at Normandy Park have been amazing. Your warm welcome has been felt.
I wanted to introduce myself as your new counselor and tell you a little about myself. I have been in education for 24 years. I started my career as an elementary school teacher working with second and third grade students. I moved on to becoming a library media specialist. I then realized I wanted to help students with emotional issues and I went back to school. I have two Masters. One in Education with a concentration on ESL and my second Masters in Counseling to be an LPC with the ability to be a School Counselor. I am a proud mom of 4 boys. Their ages range from 25, 18, 16 and an adopted son who is three. Yes we went back to diapers after many years. I am bilingual, I am a first generation American Colombian. If anyone needs help with translating anything to anyone at our school. Please feel free to reach out to me. It is my pleasure to help. I am fluent in both Spanish and English.
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) and executive function ( organization and managing their time). Most groups run between 6-7 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 third 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. We have two wonderful young ladies working with us, Ms. Paige and Ms. Haley.
It was great meeting some of you on Back to school night. I look forward to meeting more of you during the school year.
Wishing everyone a wonderful school year!
Gloria Hunt
(973) 889-7960 Ext 6115
Meet the Counseling Interns
Hi I’m Ms. Paige. I am currently getting my Masters in Social Work at Ramapo College and graduate in May 2025. I am so happy to be a part of the Normandy Park family and excited to be here to support the students and learn!
Find Out What’s Happening in The District Newsletter Fall 2024 Edition
As families and staff prepare for the new school year, the Morris Educational Foundation invites you to take a look back at all the amazing highlights from the 2023-2024 school year in The District Newsletter.
The joint publication from the Morris School District, Morris Educational Foundation and Colonial Nation features:
- District athletic highlights
- Extracurricular achievements across all schools
- The MEF’s impact on academic, enrichment, and social-emotional wellness initiatives
- Plus a save-the-date for Morristown ONSTAGE 2025
The Fall 2024 edition is hot off the press and Morristown, Morris Plains and Morris Township residents can expect to receive their copy in their mailbox this week. View the digital version here>>>
Help Make it a Great Year for All 5,700 Morris School District Students
Welcome to the 2024-25 school year! The Morris Educational Foundation is proud to Support Every Student Every Day. While the Morris School District provides the essential tools for quality classroom learning, the MEF supports the extras that elevate learning. From cutting-edge instructional resources to enriching curricular activities, the MEF is committed to helping students not just succeed but excel.
We invite you, our community, to kick off the 2024-25 school year with a gift to launch our students’ education above and beyond the standard curriculum. $1 a day for 180 days adds up to a year of exceptional learning for one student.
Please help us make it the best year yet for each of the 5,700 students in the Morris School District! Let's Support Every Student Every Day and empower them to achieve their fullest potential.
Donate today by clicking here. Together, we can make a difference!
Breakfast and Lunch
For interactive menus, as well as nutrition and allergen information, please click here.
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.
APPLYING FOR FREE & REDUCED LUNCH
Applications are available through PaySchools. Once you create your account, the Free & Reduced Application will be available to complete online. Students who qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, also qualify for free/reduced breakfast.
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.
Applications are available through PaySchools. Click the link to create your PaySchool account (ENG or ESP)
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 2024-2025***
Elementary Breakfast
$1.75
Elementary Lunch
$3.25
Reduced Price Breakfast
$0.00
Reduced Price Lunch
$0.00
Milk
$0.75
We are excited to introduce our new food service provider, Pomptonian, please stop by and visit the MSD Pomptonian page to learn more:
http://www.mypomptonianmenus.com/morris
Please contact Morris School District Food Services if you have any questions:
Shannon Burton
973-292-2000, Ext. 2126
shannon.burton@msdk12.net
Dismissal Changes
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.
Daily Attendance
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
Look Ahead:
- October 17th- HSA Meeting (In-person & Online)
- October 31st- Halloween Parade
- November 5th- School Closed for Students (Election Day)
- November 7th-8th- School Closed (NJEA Convention)
- November 18th and November 20th- Parent Teacher Conferences
- November 27th- Early Dismissal
- November 28th- School Closed (Thanksgiving)
Click here to view Morris School District (MSD) 2024-2025 School calendar.