Weekly Newsletter

Dear Morris Families,

Spring is here, making it the perfect time to revisit the importance of friendships! At Morris, we value kindness, respect, and clear expectations, but we know that navigating peer relationships can be challenging—for kids and adults alike.

As we enter the final trimester of the school year, we want to highlight the role friendships play in developing essential life skills like communication, empathy, and conflict resolution. Disagreements are a normal part of growing up, and learning to manage them in healthy ways helps children build strong, positive relationships.

We’re here to support our students and families. Please take a few minutes to read the tips from Ms. Zaretsky and Ms. Persing, and reach out with any questions.

Crossing Guard Appreciation Day – March 19th!

Rain, snow, or sunshine, Ms. Zink is always there to help our students cross safely each morning. Her dedication and kindness make a difference in our community, and we are so grateful for her commitment—especially in the unpredictable Berkshire weather!

Please join us in thanking Ms. Zink for all she does. Have your child make her a thank-you card to show our appreciation for her hard work and care! 💛🚸

Science Fair Volunteers Needed!

Our Science Fair is coming up, and we need your help to make it a success! If you're available to volunteer, please sign up using the link below. Your support makes a big difference in creating a fun and engaging experience for our students.

Sign up here: Science Fair Volunteer Sign-Up

Thank you for your support!

Spring has sprung this week and we thought this was a great time to revisit some helpful tips around friendships! Morris is a very special community that thrives on providing consistency, knowing expectations, showing kindness and demonstrating respect, to name a few. While we discuss and understand the importance of positive peer relationships, at times kids can have difficulty navigating them, and let’s be honest, so can adults!

We wanted you to keep in mind some key takeaways as we start the last quarter of our school year together.

• Peer relationships can help children to learn social skills. Social interaction with peers similar in age, skills, and knowledge provokes the development of many lifelong social skills, and is the foundation in the development of healthy relationships and friendships.

• Some skills that are useful for interacting with peers and building social relationships include: playing, sharing objects, asking peers to share, asking peers to join a group, saying something nice to a peer, compromising, bargaining and conflict management. When children play or interact with their peers they are learning more about social behavior and norms, including how to express themselves, how to take turns, how to share ideas, and how to apply empathy when communicating with others.

• As children learn to be together at school, they will likely experience conflict with their peers. Conflict centers around a lack of agreement, lack of social awareness, opposing needs, misunderstandings, drives, wishes or a challenge to a way a person thinks or behaves and is a normal part of development for elementary aged children, however it can be uncomfortable.

• It is typical for children to experience conflict over toys, other friendships, ideas, space, power, and communication and can cause uneasiness in both parents and children. Teaching kids practical skills (emotion management, perspective taking, brainstorming solutions, “I” statements/owning your actions) to manage conflict in a healthy way, will help children navigate small squabbles to big issues now and as they grow up.

• We are here to support our students and families. Please reach out to us directly with questions or concerns and look for information soon to join us for a conversation and shared discussion on all things friendship!

Cherilyn Zaretsky, LMHC, czaretsky@lenoxps.org
Beth Persing, LCSW, LADC-I, bpersing@lenoxps.org

As part of our ongoing commitment to student safety, we want to inform you of an additional step in our background check process. To further ensure the safety of our students, anyone submitting a CORI request—including employees, volunteers, subcontractors, and others—must now also complete a DCF Background Check Form.

• As CORIs expire part of the new process will also be a DCF Background Check Form.
• All new CORI request will include a DCF Background check.

• March 21st – Llama Llama Pajama Day: Everyone can wear their coziest pajamas and bring a small blanket or towel. Teachers will schedule a 15–30 minute DEAR (Drop Everything and READ) time.

• March 28th – Hats Off to Reading Day: Students and staff can wear their favorite hat as we wrap up our month-long reading celebration!

• 4/1 Science Fair - Details Coming Soon
• 4/10 SEPAC Meeting at Morris School 5:30 p.m.
• 4/11 School Dance - Details Coming Soon
• 4/15 Fifth Grade Shakespeare Play at Shakespeare & Co.
• 4/17 Morris Talent Show - Details Coming Soon
• 4/18 Early Release 11:45 a.m.
• Stay tuned for Screen Free Activities May 5th -11th
• 5/8 Books Before Bed
• 5/15 SEPAC Meeting at Morris School 5:30 p.m.
• 5/20 Parent Night for incoming Sixth Grade Families @ LMMHS 5:30 p.m.
• 5/21 Kindergarten Information Night for incoming K students
• 5/22 Art Show and Chorus Concert
• 5/23 Ice Cream Social (during school)
• 6/3 Fourth and Fifth Grade Band Concert
• 6/5 Field Day - Rain date 6/6
• 6/10 Last Day of Kindergarten (May change based on snow days.)
• 6/17 Move up Ceremony Fifth Grade 1:30 p.m. (May change based on snow days.)
• 6/18 Last day of school. (May change based on snow days.)