MSHS Tuesday Newsday

Dear NS Families,

I have missed you all. Happy New Year and welcome to 2025! NOT that I am rushing things but parent's of seniors...June gets here pretty quickly.

I do hope this finds you all well and I hope you had a happy, healthy break. The two days last week got us up early and out of the house and back into a schedule. It was great to see the hallways filled once again and Monday morning we were back at it.

Please keep and eye on the calendar for the next few weeks as we have 1/13 an early dismissal for Professional Development, MLK Day on 1/20, and Asian Lunar New Year on 1/29, as well as the end of the semester on 1/24 and grades posted to the portal on 1/30.

It was a shortened week for Tuesday Newsday so not much to report on, however if you get the opportunity, please read the information below in the Health section that I am sharing from Nicole Murphy on vaping. The resources are excellent and help inform us all about the ills and dangers of vaping.

All the best,
Mr. DiGrandi

1/8- BOE Meeting, 7:30pm

1/13- Early Dismissal - Half Day Professional Development

1/14- PQ/MSHS PTO Meeting, 7pm, Library

1/15- Conversation with the BOE, 7pm

1/16- College Panel Night - See below in Counseling Department section for more info

1/20- Schools Closed - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

1/22- BOE Meeting, 7:30pm

1/23- National English Honor Society Induction Breakfast

1/24- End of Marking Period 2

1/29- Schools Closed - Asian Lunar New Year

1/30- Report Cards posted to Parent Portal

How has a play-based childhood turned into a phone-based childhood? Has "The Great Rewiring" changed the way kids & teens are growing up? What can families and schools do to protect kids and teens from easily accessed, attention-stealing devices and content?

Join us for an evening of thoughtful discussion on the new book, "The Anxious Generation," by Jonathan Haidt. Explore how today's digital world affects children's well-being, setting healthy technology boundaries while nurturing children's independence, and how unstructured play builds essential problem-solving skills and resilience. Share your experiences and learn from other families who are navigating similar challenges.

Take part in this insightful conversation on Thursday, February 27, at 6:30 PM at the North Salem Middle/High School. The National Honor Society members will provide childcare.

Breakfast & Lunch Menus and our new MSHS Deli Order Form

During health classes, our 7th and 10th grade students will be having a guest speaker join in the next few classes to discuss the harmful effects of vaping. Here are some resources I thought I would share with everyone.

Info for parents:

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/e-cigarettes.html?ref=search

Talking to your teens:

https://www.lung.org/getmedia/302f26c0-d4b1-451f-a05a-092a93183b6c/vape-conversation-guide.pdf

CDC Vaping Information:

cdc parent vaping info.pdf

Best New Kids’ Books About Mental Health

In the last few years, there’s been a boom in children’s books about mental health and learning challenges. This year’s crop includes imaginative and sympathetic takes on emotional issues, from picture books for young children to a graphic novel for middle schoolers. We asked our experts to review them and recommend the best.

Some of the books tackle difficult experiences like losing a friend, moving to a new place, or dealing with disappointment. Others demystify mental health and developmental disorders, such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, and autism. Many of the picks are about big emotions — helping kids learn to talk about them, cope with them, and feel assured that they can be sad or mad or cranky and they will still be loved. This week we’re also offering our earlier roundup of 77 kids’ books, along with resources on why reading to kids is so important and how kids best learn to read, including those with dyslexia.

— Caroline Miller, Editorial Director

Tenth grade students interested in learning more about the BOCES program, there is a BOCES Tech Tour scheduled for January 16th. The bus will leave at 10:45am and return by 2pm. Please return the permission slip to the Counseling Office by Thursday, January 9th.

The Counseling Office will be hosting a virtual college admissions information panel January 16th 7:00 - 8:30pm. Topics will include the SUNY School System, How to Make a Big School Feel Small, Financial Literacy, Accessing Supports on a College Campus, the Selective Admissions Process and NCAA. We hope you'll be able to join us.

Please click HERE for more information and to join the session.

Scarsdale USA Gap Year Fair 2025. Scarsdale High School on Wednesday, January 8 at 6 pm. For more info and to register, please click here.

Seniors:

• The 2025-26 FAFSA form is live! The U.S. Department of Education has now expanded access to everyone during the current beta testing period prior to the official launch on Dec. 1. Students can now file and submit their FAFSA form. They are encouraged to log in to their studentaid.gov account and get started today. Students and their parents will need to create their FSA ID before completing the FAFSA; to do so, please go to https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch
• To view available scholarship opportunities, please click here.

NY State Financial Aid Agency

The Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) is New York State’s student financial aid agency. They award nearly $1 billion in financial aid to students each year. Please click here to learn more about what programs they offer.

Hello MS/HS Families,

BMI Opt-Out Letter (English)

Optar por no participar en el IMC (Spanish)

Please click here for important information regarding Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Important Nutritional Information:

Ex-FDA Food Expert Reveals Worst Cereal In America with Link to Cancer.

Please click on the YouTube link for further information:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPzjspzVpLg

Social Media:

Time To Break Our "Tik" Fever-Addictive app knows US kids at risk.

As TikTok gains more acceptance among youth, there is growing concern among parents, policymakers, and clinicians about the actual impact the platform is having on the mental health of youth. Click Here for important information.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Each household is eligible to receive four at-home test kits, which can be requested from COVIDTests.gov. They’ll be shipped for free through the US Postal Service.

FLU SEASON IS HERE! - Click here for important information

Helpful Information:

• Absence from School: Contact the attendance office at x 2165 or mshsattendance@northsalemschools.org to report your student's absence. Do not hesitate to contact me at x 2017 to discuss your child's illness. I'm happy to answer any questions and address our concerns.

• When to keep your child home from school: Please click here for information about when you should keep your child home from school.

• Immunization Requirements for Students in Grades 6-12: Click here for information regarding the "2024-2025 School Year New York State Immunization Requirements for School Entrance/Attendance.

• Mandatory Physical Examinations: The New York State Education Department (NYSED) requires a physical exam for new entrants and students in Grades: Pre-K, K 1,3,5,7,9, and 11. Students who wish to participate in interscholastic sports (Grades 7-12) and for working papers require an annual physical.

Click here to read important information and access forms pertaining to Health Examinations, Medication Administration and Allergy Action Plans.

I know this information can be confusing. Please don't hesitate to contact me, I'm happy to answer any questions and address your concerns.

Stay well,

Rita Driscoll, R.N.BSN

MSHS School Nurse / 914-669-5414 x2017 / rdriscoll@northsalemschools.org

Athletic News for Week of January 6-

INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
The team ran at the Armory on Monday, January 6th for the Section One League 3C Championships.

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Congratulations to the Girls 4X400M Relay Team: Zoe Elias, Emma Gautier, Sydney Merriman, and Jaella Henry- they earned FIRST PLACE making them League Champions!

Emma Gautier Runner Up in the 1000M

Zoe Elias Runner Up in the 600M

Congratulations to the Boys 4X400M Jonathan Alves, Dean Ellicott, Dylan Sheridan, and Drew Karam- the relay team earned Third Place.

The Team's next meet is scheduled for Wednesday, January 8th at the RCC @ 4:30pm- Section One Dendy. Good Luck Tigers!

2025 North Salem Booster Club Basketball Tournament is here!

Come out and support your TIGERS!

Thursday, January 9th

Varsity Boys Basketball Games

4:30pm Carmel vs. Blindbrook

6:30pm North Salem vs. Pawling

Friday, January 10th

Varsity Girls Basketball Games

4:30pm Greeley vs. JJCR

6:30pm North Salem vs. Briarcliff

Saturday, January 11th

10am Boys Consolation Game

12Noon Girls Consolation Game

2pm Boys Championship Game

4pm Girls Championship Game

Captain for a Day!

$10.00 Entry Fee for both the boys and girls games.

Enter Here: https://www.nsboosterclub.com/product-category/basketball-captain-for-a-day-25/

Concessions will be made available through the North Salem Booster Club.

Baseball Offseason Workouts December 2024- February 2025

The North Salem High School Baseball program will be hosting off season workouts for any student interested in baseball in grades 7-12. This is not mandatory.

Practice your throwing, fielding, pitching and hitting before the season begins on Monday, March 17th for HSigh School and Monday, April 7th for Modified.

All work outs will be held in the MS Gymnasium. Players should bring their own baseball mitts, sneakers, and water.

***If you have any questions regarding the Off Season Workouts, please contact:

Rob Gilchrist, Head Varsity Baseball Coach

rgilchrist@northsalemschools.org

January - Mondays

1/6- 6:00-7:15pm

1/13- 5:00-6:15pm

1/27- 6:30-7:45pm

February - Mondays

2/3- 6:30-7:45pm

2/10- 6:30-7:45pm

2/24- 5:00-6:15pm

March - Monday through Thursday

3/3 thru 3/6-3:00-4:30

3/10 thru 3/13-3:00-4:30

North Salem Athletic Calendar: https://northsalemcentral.tandem.co/

*All practices and games are posted on the Athletic Calendar. Subscribe for notifications regarding date/time/locations.

2025-2026 TENTATIVE START DATES

Fall Season 2025

Football August 23, 2025 **Pending NYSPHSAA and Section One Approval 8/18/2025

High School August 25, 2025 **Pending NYSPHSAA and Section One Approval 8/18/2025

Modified September 8th, 2025

Winter Season 2025-2026

High School November 17th,2025

Modified December 1, 2025

Modified Ice Hockey TBA

Unified Sports 2026
Bowling March 3rd, 2026

Basketball April 7th, 2026

Spring Season 2026

March 16th, 2026 ***Pending NYSPHSAA and Section One Approval

March 9th, 2026

Modified April 6th, 2026

FITNESS CENTER- OPEN!

The fitness center will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays throughout the school year from 3:00-4:00pm for students in Grades 7-12. All students are required to sign in with the teacher and remain in the Fitness Center until the end of the session. In the event that transportation is needed, there is a late bus at 3:45pm. Sneakers and athletic attire are required.

LIVE STREAMING- Live streaming is available at both the HS Gymnasium and Tiger Stadium- Turf Field Local Live Link

TIGER STADIUM- Tiger Stadium Rules

SPORTS YOU: Please subscribe to Sports You and enter your code for the sport that you have signed up for in Family ID. All HS and MS coaching staff will be communicating to our families through this platform. Link: sportsyou.com **The codes are the same from each school year for each level of the sport.

GO TIGERS!

Sincerely,

Denise M. Kiernan, CAA

Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics

North Salem Middle / High School is looking for full-time One-to-One Paraprofessionals for the 24-25 school year. Our 1:1 Paraprofessionals work individually with students with special needs and provide assistance (academic, social, and emotional) throughout the day in specialized classrooms.

The schedule follows the school calendar (Sept - June) and the hours are 7:15 am to 2:15 pm.

If you are interested in applying for this position or would like to know more about this rewarding work experience, please contact Dr. Kathleen Murphy, Assistant Principal by email: kmurphy@northsalemschools.org.

Register to become a PTO Member to have access to our directory, signups and store.

MSHS PTO MEMBERSHIP TOOLKIT