Normandy Park School
Week of February 21st
I hope that everyone had wonderful President's Day weekend!
There will be no school on February 21st-22nd (in recognition of President's Day).
Wednesday (2/23) is an A Day.
On February 16th, we celebrated the 100th day of school. We kicked off the day with a 100 second dance party! Students completed 100 days projects. I visited each classroom to share how proud I am of every student, as well as discuss accomplishments students have made over the past 100 days. Thank you to our families for your continued support, enthusiasm, and partnership.
The Senior Cultural Arts residency concluded last week. For additional information about Memory Vessel Studio, please click here! Naglieri Testing for 3rd grade students began last week (see below for additional information). Testing will continue this week. In addition, Access Testing for 1st Grade ELL students will also begin this week.
Please continue answering the following the questions on the Daily Student Screening before your child leaves for school each morning. Please inform our school nurse (marybeth.supple@msdk12.net) if your child tested positive for COVID-19, has been in close contact with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19, or exhibits any symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
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.
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.
Thank You!
Share the Magic with Officer Doug
February is Black History Month
February is Black History Month.
Black History Month was created to highlight the history and the accomplishments of black Americans. Today, we continue to celebrate Black History Month, but also emphasize studying the accomplishments of Black Americans year round. Every morning, we will open the announcements by learning about an influential African American.
Last week, our Senior classrooms viewed (virtually) Virginia Repertory Theatre’s production of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, as provided possible by the Mayo Performing Arts center!
Parent Teacher Conferences
MSD parent conferences at all schools will now take place on Monday, March 21, and Tuesday, March 22. These will be early dismissal days.
Parents will have the option of in-person and/or virtual conferences.
Teachers will reach out later in the month to begin scheduling conferences.
Normandy Park school rocks! For our “souper bowl” food drive the Rams beat the Bengals with the most food collected but the real winner of the Nps Super Bowl was our community! In one week we collected and donated 548 pounds of food to our community.
We also had a successful random acts of kindness week! A huge thank you to all of the positive messages the students and staff put up on the boards. We also want to thank our parent volunteers Eve Taub and Amanda Ferguson for making the signs for the bulletin boards and Our custodial staff for putting up and taking apart the movable boards. The kids loved putting their messages up and seeing that their messages were taken by other students.
If you have a topic/question you would like to see featured in the Counselor Corner, please email me at cheryl.cohen@msdk12.net
Stay Awesome!
Message from the HSA:
Join us to create a massive mural that will transform our school from April 11 to April 27! There will be something for everyone!
NO ARTISTIC SKILLS NEEDED! - Our artist, Caren Frost Olmsted, will be essentially drawing out a huge coloring book—and we get to paint it in!
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SIGN UP FOR MULTIPLE SLOTS! -
We need all hands-on deck! If you cannot make an entire morning or afternoon
slot, but can make part, please come! CLICK TO SIGN UP - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F45AFAA28A5F8C25-march
Thank you so much for your time and willingness to volunteer!
School Store
Parent Volunteers
Please submit proof of vaccination to christopher.miller@msdk12.net prior to showing up to volunteer. Thank you!
World Language "Encanto" Newsletter
MSD Guidelines: Virtual Instruction for Quarantined Students
Virtual learning will be arranged within two school days (may be provided earlier if possible) of the onset of quarantine. This time frame is necessary for information to be distributed to all the necessary teachers and staff, and then for the teachers to set up Google Meet links and coordinate academic support. However, students can access their Google Classroom or Canvas accounts to check for assignments at any time.
Naglieri Testing for All 3rd Grade Students
In February, all 3rd grade students and 4th and 5th grade students who are new to the Morris School District will be taking the Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test. This online test is a brief, thirty minute, culture fair measure of a student’s nonverbal reasoning and general problem-solving ability. In broad terms the test measures different aspects of general cognitive ability and its scores can be somewhat but not singularly predictive of academic success. It is an assessment based on a testing method supported by more than a half century of research.
Each student’s test results will be available to their parents in March. Results will be one of several measures used to determine eligibility for the Quest Program and is useful as one extra part of an overall view of our students as learners. If you have any questions regarding the administration of this test, please feel free to reach out to me directly. Thank you for your continued cooperation and support.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks!
Students will be having snack time during the school day, with all necessary safety measures in place. Please send your child in with a healthy snack.
Breakfast and lunch will be served daily at school. All students will have access to school provided breakfast and lunch (if they choose to receive it).
As students enter the building, they will be able to grab-and-go breakfast if they choose to..
Click here for the MSD February breakfast menu.
For lunch, students will be asked at the beginning of the day if they would like to order (providing their choice of either the hot/cold option). Teachers will present the menu choices for the day.
Click here for the MSD February lunch menu.
Where will students eat lunch?
Students will eat lunch at 6 ft apart (seats facing the same direction). We will utilize classrooms, cafeteria, and lab to accommodate all students at 6ft apart.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Arrival Procedures: Students are permitted into the building at 8:40 a.m. Students bussed to school will be dropped off in the front of the building.
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.
Dismissal Procedures: Dismissal begins at the conclusion of our last period, 3:05 p.m.
All students are encouraged to ride the bus to and from school.
At dismissal, students 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:
If a situation arises that requires you to pick your child up during the school day, please use the attached form or call the main office. Students being picked up early are asked to be picked up before 3 p.m. Before leaving, you must sign your child out in the notebook provided in the office. Unless an emergency arises, please refrain from calling the office after 1:30 to make changes to your child’s dismissal.
Communication Between Home and School
- 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).
Look Ahead
- February 21st: No School in Recognition of President's Day
- February 22nd: No School for students; Staff Professional Development Day
- March 7th to March 28th: Intermediate Cultural Arts Residency (Reader's Theater with MPAC)