The Mount Laurel Leaflet

Dr. Rafferty read two chapters of Games Around the World (Perritano, 2022) and Ms. Cassidy’s and Mrs.Wasnesky's Kindergarten classes discussed the different locations these games were played using a map of the world.

They studied the vocabulary word 'regulation' and had a lively conversation about regulations in sports, charting common regulations across different sporting games.

Students played a bean bag game with two teams, keeping score using tallies. After the game the class discussed which team scored more points and learned the concept of ‘keeping score.’ Everyone had so much fun!

Parkway Elementary School 3rd and 4th graders enjoyed a visit from Mr. Brennan and Roxie (Parkway's therapy dog) on Veterans Day. Mr. Brennan, an Army Veteran, and Roxie came in their Army uniforms to thank the students for creating Veterans Day cards for local veterans.

Hillside Elementary hosted a vibrant and fun-filled Paint Night event, where over 40 enthusiastic students gathered to unleash their creativity and paint a portrait of their beloved mascot, Hillside Harry.

With paintbrushes in hand and palettes brimming with colors, the students followed step-by-step instructions from a talented artist from the ARTery Studio in Medford, who guided them through the process of bringing the mascot to life on canvas.

The atmosphere was filled with excitement and joy as each child put their own personal touch on their masterpiece, making each portrait a one-of-a-kind creation and special keepsake to remember the event.

Countryside Elementary School’s Grandpals Project, sponsored by an MLEA Pride Grant, matches seasoned friends from the community as pen pals that participate and visit throughout the year.

Members of the Hartford Student Council placed flags on the front lawn of Hartford School in remembrance of Veterans Day. They listened to Retired Colonel Dennis Devery speak about the importance of Veterans Day, and the president of Student Council presented Colonel Devery with Veterans Day cards of appreciation made by Hartford students.

Colonel Devery is the brother of Hartford Science Teacher and 21-22 Educator of the Year, Mr. Paul Devery.

Please take the opportunity now to nominate an outstanding Mount Laurel educator for the 2024-2025 Governor's Educator of the Year Recognition Program (GEOY.) We will be selecting one outstanding educator for each school!

Visit our District Governor's Educator of the Year webpage and nominate an outstanding educator now! In fact, you may nominate more than one educator if you would like.

The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, November 15th.

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a traditional Mexican holiday where families gather to honor and remember their deceased loved ones. This holiday occurs on the first two days of November. Artistic representations of skulls and skeletons are popular decorations for this holiday.

7th-grade students in Señorita Ashman's Spanish 1 class at Thomas E. Harrington Middle School entered a skull coloring contest. HMS students and staff voted on the entries. The winners are pictured above (left to right):

• 1st place - Rithikaa Vengatarajulu
• 2nd place - Molly Fox
• 3rd place - Sanjana Karnati

Mount Laurel Fire Department shared Ladder Truck 24 with Countryside Kindergarteners as they toured the vehicle and learned fire prevention tips from the professionals!

Parkway staff volunteered their time serving food during the annual "McParkway Night" at McDonald's on Rt. 73. McDonald's was busy as families enjoyed seeing the Parkway staff!

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SCHOOL
Picture Day / Retake Day

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COUNTRYSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

October 28 / December 5

FLEETWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

October 24 / November 21

PARKWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

October 18 / December 10

MOUNT LAUREL HARTFORD SCHOOL

September 30 / November 13

THOMAS E. HARRINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL

September 30 / November 12

The Extended Day Care program is available for the upcoming half-day sessions in

November to registered families only.

THE EDC PROGRAM WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY DROP-INS OR CALLS

AFTER THE DEADLINE FOR THE HALF-DAY SESSIONS.

Schedules for half-day sessions must be submitted on the following days:

* For the half days of 11/21 and 11/22, the EDC office must receive your schedule by noon on

11/15. For 11/25, 11/26, and 11/27, the EDC office must receive your child's schedule by

noon on 11/22.

* If your child is scheduled for the half-day sessions, please provide lunch and snacks. The EDC

program does not allow food delivery services (Uber Eats, Doordash, Slice, etc.).

This reminder is available at each EDC site, in the Mount Laurel Leaflet, and

emailed through the Procare notification system.

Please schedule now!

All information regarding our Extended Day Care (EDC) Program is available in our handbook. If you haven't done so already, kindly review the handbook at your earliest convenience.

PHONE: 856-231-5891 (Please use extensions below)

Chris Sherf- csherf@mtlaurelschools.org (PRIMARY EDC EXT. 21004)

Yvette Gonzalez -yvgonzalez@mtlaurelschools.org (SCHEDULING EXT. 21001)

Pam Witts-pwitts@mtlaurelschools.org (Site Coordinator EXT. 21009)

Suzy Haftman- shaftman@mtlaurelschools.org (Director of Community Education & EDC EXT. 21002)

Dear Families,

Social media has given us a platform to connect with the world. We keep up with friends and relatives, learn about different cultures and ideas, and share our thoughts with a broad audience. While there are several benefits to social media, it can also be harmful to our community.

Social media can distract our students, disrupt their sleep, expose them to unrealistic beauty standards, bullying, and rumor-spreading. The more we educate ourselves on warning signs and how to monitor students, the better we can help prevent them from these adverse effects.

There are healthy ways to find a balance with social media and mitigate the related risks. Here are a few tips on how to protect students:

• Set boundaries. Ensure your student has a phone use routine, so their phone does not interfere with their sleep, homework, or other responsibilities.
• Have open discussions. Ask your child why they are using social media and ask if they understand its risks. Ask them how social media makes them feel and have a plan if they start to have negative emotions associated with their use.
• Teach social media etiquette. Discuss appropriate behavior on social media. Ensure they carry their core morals on how to treat others as they interact with others virtually.
• Set social media rules. For example, making their account private, not allowing them to accept friend requests from strangers, and having restrictions on what type of content they are allowed to post, consume, and share.
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Here are some helpful websites for more information on how to protect our students:

• The Family Dinner Project How to Talk to Teens About Social Media
• Child Mind Institute Social Media Effects on Teens
• American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Social Media and Teens

At Mount Laurel Township School District, we believe in the power of working together to create a healthy, thriving community and hope you find these tips helpful. If your child is struggling due to the harmful effects of social media, we encourage you to reach out for help.

As a reminder, Care Solace is a mental health care coordination service that can find an available mental health care provider for you. To access our complimentary coordination services, call 888-515-0595 or visit www.caresolace.com/mtlaurelschools to get started.

Sincerely, Mount Laurel Township School District

21

Parent/Teacher District-Wide Evening Conferences

Early Dismissal

22

Parent/Teacher District-Wide Afternoon Conferences

Early Dismissal

25

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Early Dismissal

Afternoon: PreK - 4th Grade

Evening: 5th - 8th Grade

26

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Early Dismissal

Afternoon: 5th - 8th Grade

Evening: PreK - 4th Grade

27

Early Dismissal - Staff & Students

28 - 29

Thanksgiving Recess

Schools Closed

13

Teacher In-Service

Schools Closed for Students

20

Early Dismissal - Staff & Students

23-31

Winter Recess

Schools Closed

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Website: http://www.mtlaurelschools.org
Location: 330 Mount Laurel Road, Mount Laurel Township, NJ, USA
Phone: 856-235-3387
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mlschools/
Twitter: @MTL_Super