Normandy Park School

I hope that everyone had a great weekend!

This week, NPS will be holding a food drive for the Inter-Faith Food Pantry (see below for additional details).

These are the items the food pantry has listed as their greatest needs:

• Pasta sauce, tomato products (sauce, crushed, whole, diced, paste, puree, etc.)

• Canned vegetables

• Tuna fish, salmon and other canned fish

• Peanut butter – 18 oz preferred

• Canned meats and meals – ravioli, spaghetti & meatballs, hash, stew, canned chicken, chili, etc.

• Condensed soup varieties

• Hearty soup varieties

Parent Teacher Conferences will continue this week. All conferences will be held virtually.

MSD will continue to share important information on the Coronavirus Update Center and on our MSD Forward pages. 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.

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held virtually over a three week period.

All parent/teacher conferences will be held between April 19th and May 7th.

Your child's teacher will be reaching out to schedule a conference time with you. All conferences will be 20 minutes in length and be conducted virtually. Teachers will provide each family with a completed conference sheet either prior to the meeting or immediately after that will reflect an academic snapshot in the areas of strengths, goals for growth, and ways can provide support at home.

Picture day will now be May 4th, 2021. Students attending in-person will have pictures taken during the school day. Students attending virtually will have the opportunity to come in during an assigned time slot between 1:10pm and 3:30pm.

Cleaning and social distancing protocols will be in place. Students will take individual pictures only. Individual pictures will be made into a composite class picture. All-virtual students will have assigned time slots in the afternoon to come in if they choose to.

If you already placed an order for February (original date), you do not need to resubmit. If you have not ordered and wish to do so, please visit https://my.lifetouch.com/

Schedule for Virtual Classrooms:

1:10pm to 1:40pm: Tulli/Escobedo

1:30 to 2pm: Murphy

1:50 to 2:20pm: Smith

2:10pm to 2:40pm" Diana/Parks

2:30 to 3:00pm: Cardona/Giuliano

2:50 to 3:20pm: Toye/Mitevski

This part of the newsletter will have a question or a topic for you to discuss with your child(ren). This can be done on the way to school, on the way to sports practice, before dinner, at bedtime, etc.

Week Twenty Eight:

Parent Reflection: Morristown is a community made up of people from different backgrounds. Unfortunately, we don’t always have a chance to interact with people who come from other cultures and backgrounds, even if we live in close proximity. As such, some ways to educate your children on the different people who make up the Morristown community include:

• Going to the library and check out books on what life is like in other countries

• Visiting restaurants that serve different food than your family is used to eating at home or finding some recipes online and try your hand at making them

• Participating in a religious service that is different than your own (it may be a good idea to call ahead so you know what to expect) or watching online

• Researching another tradition’s holiday or cultural day and then celebrating it as a family

But don’t stop there! It is a great idea to be intentional about building meaningful relationships with people of other cultures, backgrounds and traditions and to help your children do the same.

The HSA NPS Reading Challenge ends on Monday, April 26th.

HSA Message:

We are excited to announce our 4th Annual Reading Challenge. We hope that all students will participate in this fun activity designed to make everyone an enthusiastic reader and learn about the “magic of reading.”

How to Participate! No Magic Tricks Needed

• READ!! Children’s eligible reading will begin on Monday, April 5th and end on Monday, April 26th. Your child’s reading should be appropriate for reading ability, grade level and length. Books may be fiction or non-fiction but should be books that your child reads within the program dates and has not read before. Books being read for a class assignment count! Your child may read independently or be read to. Books from home, school or public libraries or any other source are fine for the program.

• LOG! Children will receive tally sheets to keep track of their reading. They will need to complete 2 logs to successfully complete the challenge. Return the tally sheets to the library or you can submit forms online here. IF YOU SUBMIT ONLINE – YOU DO NOT NEED SEND IN THE PAPER COPY! Students can pick up new log sheets at the library or at the front office (or by clicking here). The number of books to complete a log sheet will vary by Unit/grade:

• K/1: 8 books per log (total 16 books)
• 2/3: 3 books per log (total 6 books)
• 4/5: 2 books per log (total 4 books)

• ENJOY THE JOURNEY! Each participating student will have a “magic hat” on our big hallway display near the front office.
• EVERYBODY WINS! Any student that successfully completes the challenge will receive a certificate and will be entered into a drawing to order a new book through Scholastic! Multiple winners will be selected at each grade level.
• QUESTIONS? Any questions, please reach out to Angela Finlay at akfinlay13@gmail.com or Maria Horton mbaptisthorton@gmail.com
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Our community also needs continued care and support. To that end, Normandy Park will be stepping up with a food drive for the Interfaith Food pantry. During the week of April 26-29th we will be having a contactless bin outside the main door where you can place NON-PERISHABLE canned items.

When you do your grocery shopping please take the following items into consideration as these are the items the food pantry has listed as their greatest needs:

• Pasta sauce, tomato products (sauce, crushed, whole, diced, paste, puree, etc.)

• Canned vegetables

• Tuna fish, salmon and other canned fish

• Peanut butter – 18 oz preferred

• Canned meats and meals – ravioli, spaghetti & meatballs, hash, stew, canned chicken, chili, etc.

• Condensed soup varieties

• Hearty soup varieties

There are contactless drop boxes outside the front and rear of the building. Students can also bring the items to room 9.

Thank you for your continued support of our amazing community!

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Do you find your child(ren) getting easily frustrated or angry, If they are having a hard time expressing themselves, here’s a safe way for them to deal with what's bothering them: find a corner and create a relaxation station. Grab a bucket or basket and place objects they can squish, roll or pound. Include crayons or markers and coloring pages. Have your child participate in placing objects that they think will help them calm when they are upset. Explain to your child that these are tools, not toys, and show them how to use them. You can buy things like putty or play-doh or you can make it yourself. There are many DIY activities available just by searching how to make: slime, oobleck, play-doh on YouTube or on Pinterest. And when you make these things together, you are spending fun, quality time with your child(ren).

Remember. If your child is experiencing any difficulty please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Enjoy the spring blooms!

Ms. Cohen

School Counselor

973-889-7960 x6115

The global pandemic has impacted all ages emotionally and, in some instances, physically as well. Children have had to navigate feelings and emotions that even adults were not prepared for. Atlantic Health System is offering a four-part series dedicated to providing parents with the tools and language to have meaningful, but difficult, conversations about life, and support their children through difficult emotions to help them build coping skills, resilience and HOPE.

Sessions will be held from 7:00 to 8:00pm via Zoom Meeting: Meeting Access https://atlantichealth.zoom.us/j/6652297096?pwd=cldzNzI5MXI0T0NYc2o1MzArL25qdz09

Thursday, April 8 The Role of the Trusted Adult Presented by the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide

Thursday, April 15 My Child Needs Mental Health Care … What Does that Mean and Where Do I Start to Get Help? Presented by Paul Burns, LPC, Regional Crisis Coordinator, Atlantic Health System

Tuesday, April 20 Stress and Anxiety in Children and Teens: Support for COVID-19 and Beyond Presented by Dr. Christopher Lynch, Director, Pediatric Behavioral Medicine, Goryeb Children’s Hospital

Wednesday, April 28 How to Help Our Children Manage Expectations, Deal with Disappointments and Build Resilience Presented by Beth Schulaka, LCSW, Lead Clinician, Hackettstown APHP

My child has to quarantine. Can they stream into class?

For students attending in person classes, access to virtual instruction is for absences over an extended period of time due to quarantining or an extenuating circumstance. In this case, access to virtual instruction will consist of a combination of streaming, completion of Google Classroom activities, and teacher check-in(s).

My child is sick. Can they stream into the class?

No, if your child is home sick for a few days they will be considered to have an excused absence due to illness. Students are encouraged to rest.

*Please note, access to virtual instruction for in-person students needs to be approved by the principal and/or nurse. Please reach out to me with any additional questions at christopher.miller@msdk12.net

Please continue to follow the precise stipulations of the Daily Student Screening or COVID/Attendance Screener for staff. Above all, individuals should not report to school if they exhibit symptoms (which include fever of 100 degrees F or higher WITHOUT fever-reducing medicine), or if any member of the household is awaiting test results or has been instructed to get a COVID-19 test. Thank you for your ongoing vigilance and partnership.

Anyone who returns to NJ from travel outside our immediate region (CT, DE, NY, PA) must quarantine. Families are reminded to contact the school nurse (marybeth.supple@msdk12.net) upon return from travel for instructions and quarantine dates. We appreciate your cooperation and open communication regarding travel and quarantine so that we can ensure a safe environment for our students and staff.

New Parameters for Quarantine in Grades 3-5. We have made the following adjustments to our COVID response protocols for students and staff in grades 3-5, consistent with current practice at FMS and MHS:

• Beginning April 19, we will determine on a case-by-case basis whether a positive case in the classroom has resulted in true close contacts that meet the CDC definition of exposure (within 6 feet of the positive case for at least 15 minutes' cumulative time over a 24-hour period).
• These true close contacts, as well as the positive individual, will continue to follow the 14-day quarantine at home.
• Anyone else in the class who does not meet the definition of close contact may remain in school.
• At this time, this adjustment applies only to students and staff in grades 3-12.
• Determining true close contacts on buses with certainty is a greater challenge, but whenever we are able to do so, we will follow the above protocols on buses as well.

Grab & Go meals will be available for all students, who wish to receive them. The Federal Department of Agriculture has extended waivers that will allow MSD to serve ALL students meals for FREE through June 2021.

REMINDER: Students who are not attending school in person can pick up free breakfast and lunch at Morristown High School (at the rear circle by the flagpole off of Atno Avenue) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. There will be two service times, from 8:00 am to 9:00 am and again from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.

More information about School Breakfast & Lunch is available on the MSD Forward homepage under "Back to School Resources for Families."

• 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).

• April 19th to May 7th: Parent Teacher Conferences
• April 19th: 4th Marking Period Begins
• Week of April 26th: NPS Food Drive
• May 4th: Picture Day
• May 14th: Number Drummer Virtual Assembly