Week of January 1st
Tuesday, January 2nd is a B Day.
I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday break. School reopens on Tuesday!
Happy New Year! I am proud of all our students' accomplishments and effort. I am looking forward to a great 2023! We will collaboratively continue to work and achieve new goals throughout the year.
MPAC Cultural Arts Residency
Thanks to support from the HSA and the MEF, we are proud to present a cultural arts residency program from the Mayo Performing Arts Center, in which our students will learn about and perform musical theater!
The residency will focus on:
- Musical theater background and analysis – Students will be given material from Broadway musicals. They will learn about the composer/lyricist, artistic team, cast, and the performance history of the musical. They will also get a broad overview of general musical theater history.
- Basic acting skills – Through the use of improvisation and theatre games, the students will be introduced to basic acting technique, stage presence and character development.
- Movement – Through the use of basic theater dance combinations and warm-up routines, the students will gain basic movement vocabulary and a better control of body movement.
- Vocal technique – Students will work on breath control, diction, and placement while performing class song selections and warm-up exercises.
- Song performance and analysis – Students will learn to interpret and express the lyrics of a song.
Residency will begin in the second week of January. It will conclude the first week of March with a grade/unit level performance for parents (more information to follow shortly!).
Morris Museum MSD Family Night
You are invited to the Morris Museum for a night to explore exhibits at no cost! This includes current and ongoing installations.
Date: January 16th, 2024
Time: 5:30 to 7pm (latest arrival @ 6:30pm)
Please RSVP by January 12th by completing the linked Google Form:
https://forms.gle/9z8Nf67DKjVA93ia9
Volunteers Needed
Fifth Grade Yearbook Volunteer(s) Needed
Have a 5th grader? We need your help! Looking for a parent or parents to share in the responsibility of leading the yearbook coordination efforts for our upcoming graduates. Please email NPSHSAPresident@gmail.com with your interest!
HSA Toolkit
Welcome to the New Year! I hope everyone is feeling restful and recharged!
This past December we had a community meeting and presented “community links”. Every staff member and students were invited to write what they were grateful for on a piece of construction paper. The gratitude papers were linked together and are now being displayed in the library. In addition to being grateful for family and friends, some wrote “ the earth”, “my cat/dog”, “kindness”.
Some of you might remember this message from last year but often messages are worth repeating and this is no exception. This month’s Counselor Corner is all about taking care of ourselves as adults. With the start of the new year often comes the pressure of New Year’s resolutions. Even if you don’t make formal resolutions, the new year often starts with statements like: “This year I will _________ (lose weight, get organized, save money, etc). What is the statement you have said to yourself? Be honest. While those can be good goals, I want you to take a moment and think about how much you do throughout the day: There are financial, emotional and social responsibilities. There are also the tasks of laundry, cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc. Now try setting up a different goal for yourself like, “this year I’m going to be kinder to myself and take better care of myself”.
A simple way to do this is practicing Mindfulness. Mindfulness involves being aware of your surroundings without judgment; taking the time to really breathe and reflect on what is important in life.
Here are some of the many benefits of mindfulness as cited by the Greater Good Science Center at the University of Berkeley California:
Mindfulness is good for our bodies: A seminal study found that, after just eight weeks of training, practicing mindfulness meditation boosts our immune system’s ability to fight off illness.
Mindfulness is good for our minds: Several studies have found that mindfulness increases positive emotions while reducing negative emotions and stress. Indeed, at least one study suggests it may be as good as antidepressants in fighting depression and preventing relapse.
Mindfulness changes our brains: Research has found that it increases density of gray matter in brain regions linked to learning, memory, emotion regulation, and empathy.
Mindfulness helps us focus: Studies suggest that mindfulness helps us tune out distractions and improves our memory and attention skills.
I often hear: " I have no time in my day to sit around and do any of this." Here’s the beauty about mindfulness. It can be done anytime and many of the activities can be done in just 10 minutes.
There are plenty of free apps available for iOS or android. Here is a list of some of them, including: Headspace, Smiling Mind,insight timer, calm, and Healthyminds. Many have free versions or a trial period. You’ll need to try them to see which one’s right for you. Your children have also been learning a variety of breathing techniques in class, such as belly breathing, rainbow breath and box breathing. Ask them to show you and make it a family event. Who knows, you might find yourself a happier, healthier, and more relaxed you!
If you do want to set some goals for yourself and your child(ren), here is a great idea from The Big Life Journal!
If you need some additional information or support, please reach out to me and I'll be happy to assist. Wishing you and the rest of our Normandy Park Families, a happy and healthy 2024!
973-889-7960
Stay Awesome!
Cheryl
Breakfast and Lunch
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".
Dismissal Changes
