Normandy Park School

I hope that everyone had a great weekend!

Monday (12/20) is an A Day.

Thursday (12/23) is an early dismissal day. On early dismissal days, the cafeteria will be serving cold lunch options only. Winter break is from 12/24 to 1/2. Students return to school on Monday (1/3/22).

Last week, students recorded the winter concert with Mrs. Schwam. The recording will be shared with NPS families on December 22nd! Thank you to all who participated!

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

I would like to take this time to thank everyone for their continued support and partnership. Together, we faced the challenges of 2021, consistently moving forward. I am looking forward to another great year! Please have a restful and enjoyable Winter Break!

Report Cards for the first trimester will be available on December 23rd, 2021 through Parent Portal. Last week, I hosted an information session regarding our standards based report card. To view this presentation, please click here.

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.

From the Office of the Superintendent:

The Morris School District greatly appreciates the generosity and enthusiasm of our parent volunteers for sharing their time and talents with our students in school. However, due to the escalation of our region and all of NJ to the "orange" (high risk) category for COVID transmission, and the increase in positive cases (56 as of 12/15) and quarantines (110) districtwide, we have made the decision to temporarily suspend the admission of parent volunteers in the schools. This decision is part of our strategy to keep schools open and limit student quarantining as much as possible. As you may know, we have experienced breakthrough cases in which vaccinated individuals have tested positive, resulting in the quarantining of students. Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to welcoming volunteers into our schools when it is safe to do so.

The HSA would like to extend their gratitude to the NPS families, staff and local businesses that provided their support in making our "Share the Magic" Raffle a great success. Through this fundraising effort, NPS earned over $7,000 to put towards cultural arts events and extracurricular activities. All students were provided an opportunity to participate, and the event concluded with a live stream of the drawing last Friday.

Additionally, the HSA would like to call out the following NPS staff who contributed priceless experiential opportunities including: Mrs. Echevarria, Mrs. Gilson, Mr. Miller, Mrs. Richardson, Mr. Russell, Mrs. Schochet, Mrs. Schwam, Mrs. Supple, Mrs. Tulli, Mrs. Vasquez and Officer Doug.

The following businesses graciously donated directly to our school: Behind the Plates Charcuterie, Behind the Scenes Home Services, Davis Baseball Training Academy, Ellie Lou Ceramics, The Godfather of Morristown, Good Bottle Refill Shop, J. Scott Wellness, Jo Clean, Kristin C. Photography, Mayo Performing Arts Center, Mangiano Pizza Restaurant, Mennen Arena, Morristown Cake Lady, Morristown Game Vault, NY Red Bulls, Pomodoro, SmartWorld Coffee, South Street Creamery, 23 South Boutique and Universal Music Group. Thank you!!

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!

THANK YOU to all of our wonderful students, parents, teachers, staff, volunteers and HSA that helped make our Scholastic Book Fair a big success! We exceeded our goal with a grand total of $7,800 in sales- our best Book Fair yet! The profit from your purchases has amounted to $3,762 Scholastic Dollars which will be used to purchase Birthday Books, Scholastic Classroom Magazines, Library Books and additional learning materials for our students.

Thank you for all who participated in the HSA's Virtual Bingo last week! Prizes will be distributed to all our winners. Special thanks to Ms. Faber for hosting the event!

We look forward to having more fun family events this year!

Thank you all for your generous contributions! We truly appreciate the support of the NPS community!

This is the last Counselor Corner of 2021! What a year it has been. I want to take a moment to thank you all for your continued teamwork. We are still in the throes of the pandemic and yet we are all working hard to make sure our children stay in school. This holiday season, whether or not you celebrate any or all of the holidays, pause for a moment and reflect on all that you have been through since March 2020. As corny as it may sound, thank not only those around you, but you, yourself. Reward yourself in some small way; it could be a favorite food, some exercise, a quiet walk, reading a few pages of a book, or watching a movie.

Have a wonderful break! See you in 2022. And remember…. Together we've got this!

Cheryl L. Cohen, MSW

School Counselor

973-889-7960 x6115

cheryl.cohen@msdk12.net

After break, our school will begin administering the i-Ready® Diagnostic assessment during the week of January 10th. i-Ready Diagnostic helps teachers to effectively assess their students and then provide individualized instruction based on each student’s unique needs. i-Ready Diagnostic assesses the following skill areas:

Reading

• Phonological Awareness

• Phonics

• High-Frequency Words

• Vocabulary

• Comprehension

Math

• Number and Operations

• Algebra and Algebraic Thinking

• Measurement and Data

• Geometry

i-Ready Diagnostic begins by giving students an adaptive assessment in reading and math. An adaptive assessment is a test that automatically adjusts the difficulty of the questions according to each student’s performance in order to determine his or her abilities in reading or math. i-Ready is a very different kind of test that presents students with questions that can be both too easy and too hard. It is designed to do this until the assessment finds exactly the level at which the student is performing. Therefore, your child will certainly see some items above his or her level. Your child will be encouraged to independently complete the test to the best of his or her ability, and know that it is okay to get questions wrong.

Each time a student gets an item incorrect, he or she will be presented with a simpler question until the diagnostic finds the grade level at which the student is performing. The assessment efficiently assesses students across multiple grade levels, allowing for identification of root causes of students’ struggles or for identification of areas where a student is ready for further challenge. This information will then provide the teacher with a “road map” to instructional remediation.

Once your child completes the test, he or she will be assigned online instruction to support his or her progress in mastering each skill. i-Ready Diagnostic supports the teachers and administrators at your child’s school. The program provides a series of comprehensive reports designed to make classroom instruction more effective. These reports include data about student performance as well as detailed teaching suggestions. They help educators make informed decisions about the instruction that is right for your child.

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

Students can continue to use all Clever platforms (including iReady) over the break!

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 December 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 December 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).

• December 23rd: Report Cards sent home
• December 24th to January 2nd: Winter Break

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