Normandy Park School

I hope that everyone had wonderful Super Bowl weekend!

Monday (2/14) is a B Day.

This week, we will be celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Week. Students will be participating in themed spirit days and school wide projects to recognize the importance and impact of being kind to others.

Monday is Valentine's Day!

As in past years, students can bring in Valentine's card but no candy treats (per MSD guidelines). Cards must be every child in the classroom.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!

On February 16th, students will be celebrating the 100th day of school. I am proud of everyone's hard work progress over the first 100 days of school! Thank you to our families for your continued support, enthusiasm, and partnership.

The Senior Cultural Arts residency will finish this week. For additional information about Memory Vessel Studio, please click here! Naglieri Testing for 3rd grade students will begin this week (see below for additional information). In addition, Access Testing for Kindergarten ELL students will also begin this week.

Please continue answering the following the questions on the Daily Student Screening before your child leaves for school each morning. Please inform our school nurse (marybeth.supple@msdk12.net) if your child tested positive for COVID-19, has been in close contact with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19, or exhibits any symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

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.

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.

La Esquina Latina Con Mrs. Esteves

February is Black History Month.

Black History Month was created to highlight the history and the accomplishments of black Americans. Today, we continue to celebrate Black History Month, but also emphasize studying the accomplishments of Black Americans year round. Every morning, we will open the announcements by learning about an influential African American.

Last week, our Senior classrooms viewed (virtually) Virginia Repertory Theatre’s production of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, as provided possible by the Mayo Performing Arts center!

Thank you for all your donations!

This week, we will be delivering all donations to the Interfaith Food Pantry.

Based on student voting (through the "Souper Bowl" can donations), we have a lot of fans for both the Rams and Bengals. However, the Bengals received the most votes! Good luck to both Super Bowl teams!

In February, all 3rd grade students and 4th and 5th grade students who are new to the Morris School District will be taking the Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test. This online test is a brief, thirty minute, culture fair measure of a student’s nonverbal reasoning and general problem-solving ability. In broad terms the test measures different aspects of general cognitive ability and its scores can be somewhat but not singularly predictive of academic success. It is an assessment based on a testing method supported by more than a half century of research.

Each student’s test results will be available to their parents in March. Results will be one of several measures used to determine eligibility for the Quest Program and is useful as one extra part of an overall view of our students as learners. If you have any questions regarding the administration of this test, please feel free to reach out to me directly. Thank you for your continued cooperation and support.

The Department of Education is requiring a new state test for all high school juniors, which will take place the week of March 14-18. This required testing conflicts with the district’s previously scheduled parent conferences on March 14 and 15.

As a result, MSD parent conferences at all schools will now take place on Monday, March 21, and Tuesday, March 22. These will be early dismissal days. March 14 and 15 will now be regular full-length school days. This calendar change will be officially reviewed for approval by the Board of Education at the February 28 BOE meeting.

Teachers will reach out later in the month to begin scheduling conferences.

What an incredible outpouring of community support for our Souper Bowl food drive! The Bengals definitely took the lead but by supporting both teams your generosity will go a long way in helping our community go a little less hungry.

This week is Random Acts of Kindness week. Activities for the week will include writing cards that will go to a local senior residence as well as participating in the "Give a Note, Take a Note" challenge, which will culminate on Random Acts of Kindness Day Thursday the 17th. Bulletin boards were set up throughout the school (thank you to Mike Shatel, Eve Taub, and Amanda Ferguson). Students will write a positive note to be placed on specific boards. On Thursday afternoon teachers will bring their students to designated areas and can choose one note. This will be a school wide event so children will be giving and taking notes from different grade levels.

It is so easy to be kind: a smile, a compliment, a wave, an offer to help. Random Acts of Kindness is not just a week but something we do all year.

Have a wonderful week!

If you have a topic/question you would like to see featured in the Counselor Corner, please email me at cheryl.cohen@msdk12.net

Stay Awesome!

HSA NEWSLETTER MOVING TO WEDNESDAYS

As previously communicated, the HSA will be moving to Wednesdays this week in a response from our community. It will be the same format and information, just a different day! Keep an eye out on Wednesday for the newsletter!

*Please note, due to current guidelines, in-person winter clubs will be on hold.

We are running the NPS Spirit Store a little differently this year. This year the School Store is on RedBubble.com and you'll be able to order whenever you want! Head on over to NPS School Store to check out all of our new designs and get your hands on the coolest of NPS Fashion!

Check out the HSA school store. Now open!

Parent volunteers are once again permitted in schools and classrooms with the approval of the building principal. In order to be approved for volunteering, all volunteers must first show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.

Please submit proof of vaccination to christopher.miller@msdk12.net prior to showing up to volunteer. Thank you!

iReady student reports were sent home on Friday 2/13/2022 via backpack.

Please see the following link to the resource for Understanding Your Student’s i-Ready Diagnostic Results.

English: https://tinyurl.com/43tpwxn5

Spanish: https://tinyurl.com/4pcyfb67

Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or your child’s teacher. For more information on i-Ready Diagnostic, please visit the Morris School District website: www.morrisschooldistrict.org

Quarantined students may use their Chromebook to view the in-person classroom via Google Meet and will have access to assignments via Google Classroom (K-5) or Canvas (6-12). Additional support will be provided to elementary students and others who require it. PreK students will have periodic check-ins, but most of their learning will take place off-line.

Virtual learning will be arranged within two school days (may be provided earlier if possible) of the onset of quarantine. This time frame is necessary for information to be distributed to all the necessary teachers and staff, and then for the teachers to set up Google Meet links and coordinate academic support. However, students can access their Google Classroom or Canvas accounts to check for assignments at any time.

REMINDER:

Students will be having snack time during the school day, with all necessary safety measures in place. Please send your child in with a healthy snack.

Breakfast and lunch will be served daily at school. All students will have access to school provided breakfast and lunch (if they choose to receive it).

As students enter the building, they will be able to grab-and-go breakfast if they choose to..

Click here for the MSD February breakfast menu.

For lunch, students will be asked at the beginning of the day if they would like to order (providing their choice of either the hot/cold option). Teachers will present the menu choices for the day.

Click here for the MSD February lunch menu.

Where will students eat lunch?

Students will eat lunch at 6 ft apart (seats facing the same direction). We will utilize classrooms, cafeteria, and lab to accommodate all students at 6ft apart.

Arrival Procedures: Students are permitted into the building at 8:40 a.m. Students bussed to school will be dropped off in the front of the building.

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.

Dismissal Procedures: Dismissal begins at the conclusion of our last period, 3:05 p.m.

All students are encouraged to ride the bus to and from school.

At dismissal, students 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:

If a situation arises that requires you to pick your child up during the school day, please use the attached form or call the main office. Students being picked up early are asked to be picked up before 3 p.m. Before leaving, you must sign your child out in the notebook provided in the office. Unless an emergency arises, please refrain from calling the office after 1:30 to make changes to your child’s dismissal.

• 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).

• February 21st: No School in Recognition of President's Day
• February 22nd: No School for students; Staff Professional Development Day
• March 7th to March 28th: Intermediate Cultural Arts Residency (Reader's Theater with MPAC)

• Parent Handbook
  
• Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
• School Breakfast and Lunch Information
• Sunset and Sunrise