Normandy Park School
Week of September 9th
September 9th is an E Day.
I am extremely proud of our NPS community, as we begin Week 2 of the 2024-25 school year. Our returning students did an excellent job of welcoming our Kindergarteners and new students into the building! Across all classrooms, students engaged in community building activities to get to know their teachers and classmates more. In addition, classes set the foundations and routines for learning. Returning olders did a great job of helping acclimate youngers to the classroom community!
As a school, we will continue to build on our successes, and improve upon our areas of growth. Thank you all for your continued partnership and support!
Back to School Night will be here before you know it. NPS will host Back to School Night on the evening of September 19th (beginning at 6:30pm). For additional information, please click here.
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
Security Drills
Each month there will be 1 Fire Drill.
In addition, all schools in New Jersey are mandated to conduct monthly security drills. Assembly Bill 5727 requires that parents/guardians and staff be notified at the conclusion of scheduled school security drills. After each security drill, parents will be notified via text.
Please note that all drills are conducted at a developmentally appropriate level, in which our teachers and staff ensure that our students feel safe and supported.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at christopher.miller@msdk12.net.
iReady Diagnostic
This week, our school will begin administering the i-Ready® Diagnostic assessment for Grades 1st through 5th. Kindergarteners will begin iReady in October. The i-Ready Diagnostic helps teachers to effectively assess their students and then provide individualized instruction based on each student’s unique needs.
Please read below for additional information about our diagnostic assessment process:
What is a “diagnostic assessment”
A diagnostic assessment is a form of pre-assessment where teachers can evaluate students' strengths, weaknesses, knowledge and skills before their instruction. Teachers utilize the results of the diagnostic assessment to plan instruction for the whole class and for small groups and individual students. In MSD, we give the diagnostic assessment three times during the school year.
iReady Diagnostic
The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your student’s needs. Each item a student sees is individualized based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier questions. The purpose of this is not to give your student a score or grade, but instead to determine how best to support your student’s learning. Diagnostic reports are shared with parents at the completion of the administration window.
i-Ready Personalized Instruction
The personalized, online iReady lessons that all MSD students have access to are not the same as the diagnostic. These lessons are connected to the results of your child’s diagnostic assessment but are meant to provide students with skill and content practice based on their individual level and needs. These lessons are fun and interactive to keep your student engaged as they learn and allow for self-paced learning and practice to complement face-to-face instruction provided by your child’s teacher.
By using the diagnostic assessment to inform high-quality face-to-face teacher instruction and the individual student practice, we provide a multifaceted approach to accelerating student learning. Our teacher teams along with administrators carefully review results and data after each diagnostic assessment window to ensure that the needs of students who are showing strong progress and students who are showing slower progress are being met.
Please note, that iReady is one measure that teachers use along with multiple measures, such as oral reading assessments, day to day observations, exit tickets, and comprehension check-ins. All measures are used to help inform and drive instruction!
Please reach out to your child’s teacher or myself (christopher.miller@msdk12.net) if you have any questions or would like additional information.
Bus Information
REMINDERS:
Morning Pickups: Please be at your bus stop location ten minutes prior to your scheduled pick-up time.
Afternoon Drop-offs: Guardians of preschool through second graders should be at the bus stop ten minutes prior to your scheduled drop-off time to meet students in the afternoon.
NOTE: During the first two weeks of school, afternoon drop off times are often later as school staff ensures each student is on the correct bus and students acclimate to the dismissal procedures of the school. This could delay the departure time from the school.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Arrival Procedures: Students are permitted into the building at 8:40 a.m. Students bused to school will be dropped off and picked up in the front of the building. For students in the drop-off line, please have them seated on the passenger side (if possible).
Arrival: 8:40 to 8:55
Dismissal: 3:05 to 3:20
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.
Pick Ups: At dismissal, students being picked up 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 (before Dismissal time): If a situation arises that requires you to pick your child up during the school day, a note must be sent to the office specifying the pick-up time. Students being picked up early are asked to be picked up before 2:30 p.m. Before leaving, you must sign your child out in the notebook provided by the main entrance doors. Unless an emergency arises, please refrain from calling the office after 1:30 to make changes to your child’s dismissal.
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
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.
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
Cafeteria
For lunch, all students will be eating in the cafeteria during their assigned lunch period.
Peanuts and Tree Nuts:
To help support our students with peanut and tree nut allergies, we have designated tables
and sections for children eating peanuts and tree nuts at lunch. They can bring a buddy to eat
with them at the Peanut/Tree Nut table. All lunches are supervised.
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!
NPS HSA Book Fair
The Normandy Park HSA is looking for book-loving parents interested in taking a larger role in volunteering at our Scholastic book fairs, which will be held September 18-27, 2024 and in March 2025.
Normandy Park gets 50% of every dollar spent at the fair back in the form of Scholastic Bucks, which we use for the birthday books every student receives and the rewards for our Reading Challenge winners in the spring.
HSA is looking for people willing to take longer volunteer shifts to make sure every class is equitably staffed, learn the register software, and assist with set up and breakdown.
If you are interested and/or able to volunteer, please complete the following Google Form:
https://forms.gle/Xi5xswdwgynMrobM6
Afterschool Clubs
It's almost here! Our after school clubs and room parent sign ups are coming soon (through our HSA Membership Toolkit)! In order to get in on the action, please ensure you've updated your student's grade on your Membership Toolkit profile for correct club eligibility, or for new families, please create a profile on Membership Toolkit to access all of this and follow directions on the homepage. Any hiccups or questions? Please reach out to us at NPSHSAPresident@gmail.com for help!
What are After School Clubs? Faculty-led, our clubs include a variety of interests (Legos, sports, arts and crafts, etc.) and are open to different grades. These six week sessions start right after school, concluding at 4:20 p.m, once a week. Spots are limited! Scholarships available, please inquire here.
What do room parents do? Help your child's classroom directly! Lead parents and other parent volunteers work together with the teacher(s) to coordinate classroom celebrations and/or other small tasks.
Welcome Mrs. Hunt!
Dear School Community,
We are delighted to announce the arrival of Mrs. Hunt as our new school counselor. Mrs. Hunt brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our school, and we are confident that she will be a valuable asset to our students, families, and staff.
Mrs. Hunt has a proven track record of building strong relationships with children and families. Her ability to connect with students on a personal level and provide them with the support they need is truly exceptional. We are excited to see the positive impact she will have on our school community.
Additionally, we are thrilled to share that Mrs. Hunt is bilingual in Spanish. This will be a significant benefit to our Spanish-speaking students and families, as it will allow for better communication and understanding.
Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Hunt to our school community. We look forward to working with her to provide our students with the best possible education and support.
If you are interested in reaching out to Mrs. Hunt, feel free to by phone (973)-889-7960 X6115 or email gloria.hunt@msdk12.net.
Returning to School
Now, let’s take a moment to talk about returning to school. Some children will be very excited to return while others will be anxious. Our staff is well prepared to help your child(ren) navigate the first days of school.
If your child(ren) are anxious about returning to school here are some tips for you:
Be patient and understanding. Recognize that separation anxiety is a natural part of growing up. Allow them to express their feelings and let them know you understand.
Make positive statements part of your daily routine. Have your children stand in front of the mirror when brushing their hair and say things like “I am strong” “I am smart” “I can do hard things”. Say it with them.
Create a predictable routine. Children do better when there is an established routine. Whether they are taking the bus or you (or someone else) is driving them, talk to them about what drop off and pick up will look like.
Avoid lengthy farewells. This one can be tough for a lot of parents but a quick and positive goodbye will do the trick.
Stay calm. Children pick up on adult emotions. (Don’t worry, we have plenty of tissues for adults who need them).
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>>>
Look Ahead:
- September 19th at 6:30pm: Back to School Night
- September 22nd- HSA Game Day @ Gotham FC
- September 26th- Picture Day
Click here to view Morris School District (MSD) 2024-2025 School calendar.