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From our Social Work Department

1/25/2015

Our school social work department has a new page on our site, find it HERE.
Beth Giladi is announcing new student groups forming for 6-7 week sessions. Any parent with a question should feel free to call Beth Giladi, School Social Worker, at (973) 378-7660 extension 3032. Visit the Social Work page for flyers with information and permission slips

6th grade girls group
6th grade boys organization group
7th grade girls group
8th grade girls group
Bereavement groups for all ages

From Principal Jerrill Adams: Improving School Culture at MMS

1/20/2015

Dear Parents,

At MMS, we have the responsibility to create a climate of learning and comfort
for all of our students. One of the areas we are currently targeting is the use
of language between students, and communication between students and teachers.
To that end, every week, five minutes of class time will be devoted to a message
about appropriate use and style of language and proper behavior in unstructured
times such as in the hallways and throughout our building.

These messages will be delivered to your children on Fridays. We would like to
partner with you and ask that you continue the conversation with your child
regarding that week’s message. We will e-blast the same message to you on
Fridays so you are in sync with the discussions your children are having at
school. We hope this will be a successful endeavor to increase appropriate
language and behavior in our school.

January 16th Weekly Message:

Hello MMS students,
We hope that you have had a good week so far and that today will be a great day
of learning!
We will deliver a weekly message to all of you regarding using appropriate
language and behavior at school.

Here is today’s message: Words can be used to build others up or to put them
down. It all depends upon the choice of words and the tone with which they are
delivered. Respect is a very important tool for a good way of life. The
language we use with one another should always be respectful. There is nothing
wrong with laughing and joking WITH one another, but laughing and joking ABOUT
another person is not respectful. How we talk to each other says a lot about
what kind of person we want to be.

Our message for today is:

HOW DO YOU USE LANGUAGE? Appropriately or inappropriately?

PARCC parent Event and FAQ

1/20/2015

Information sessions for parents on PARCC testing will be held for all school levels:
Elementary – Thur Feb 5 at Seth Boyden School at 7:30pm
Middle School – Wed February 4 at SOMS at 7:30pm
High School – Wed January 21 at Columbia High School at 7pm

PARCC Presentation, Susan Grierson, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
Q&A Session: We know that parents have lots of questions about PARCC. You will have ample opportunity to have your questions answered.

Find the FAQ document HERE and the flyer for the event HERE

Mid Term Schedule

1/20/2015

The following message was distributed from Mr. Adams using School Messenger. We are reposting the information here for reference. If you are not receiving messages from the school via School Messenger emails and wish to, please contact the office to update your contact information. The office phone is 973-378-7660

(A MESSAGE FROM ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION: Susan Grierson)
January 19, 2015

Dear Middle School Parents,

The school year is half over, and the traditional period of mid-terms is almost upon us. Mid-term exams are a tool designed to assess a student’s cumulative knowledge of the content they have learned thus far in the school year. This year we are looking at the way we assess our students in different content areas and are making some changes.

• In English Language Arts, Social Studies and Science a common assessment aligned to the Common Core State Standards and consistent with the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme will give our students the opportunity to analyze and synthesize new information.
o English Language Arts assessments will take place the week of January 26th.
o Social studies and science assessments will be end of unit common assessments. The teachers will communicate dates for these assessments.
o Mid- term exam and final exam grades will not appear on the progress report for Language Arts, Social Studies or Science. The grade will count towards the second or third marking period.
• Traditional cumulative mid-term exams will be given in mathematics and Spanish the weeks of January 26th, as originally scheduled.

The schedule for assessments is as follows for the week of 1/26:

Week of 1/26-30
Language Arts Monday & Tuesday
Math Thursday (Gr. 6 only)
Friday (Grades 6, 7 & 8*)
World Language Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

*A separate letter regarding mid- term schedule for grade 8 students who take Geometry at CHS will be sent directly from the teacher.
Assessments are an integral part of teaching and learning, designed to help teachers adjust teaching practices and help our students identify areas they may need to focus on to master. If your child has been attending school regularly, completing assignments on a consistent basis, and participating in class, they will be well prepared for the new IB-MYP common assessments and the more traditional midterms.

Sincerely,
Susan Grierson

Trivia Night - Friday january 30th @7pm

1/15/2015

MMS Parents, Guardians, and Staff,

The human mind is a powerful thing, capable of staggering accomplishments--space travel, Beethoven's Ninth, the smallpox vaccine, Fifty Shades of Grey. The potential of the human brain seems limitless.

What greater testament to this than our capacity to store reams of trivial information of no use whatsoever in the course of our daily lives. Things like:
- The melody to decades-old commercials ("who can fry up the bacon.... enjoli...")
- The names of actors from long-ago mediocre sitcoms (Robert Guillaume)
- The designer who made Lena Dunham's Golden Globe dress (Zac Posen, also her onetime babysitter).

None of this information will put another man on the moon, or eradicate any diseases, but it might be enough to win the MMS TRIVIA NIGHT!!!

That's right all you mighty minds of trivia! It's back! MMS TRIVIA NIGHT will be Friday, January 30, 7:00- 9:30 pm at the Woodland (formerly the Maplewood Woman's Club) . It's $50/per person or $75/couple.

Compete with your friends and fellow MMS parents to see who really has the most powerfully trivial grasp of information!! Build a team of up to 10 friends, or just come solo and join a team that night.

Bring your favorite Friday night beverages. We'll have delicious snacks. It's going to be a fun way to raise money for our school; something that is never trivial. ;D

Email amyjocurran@gmail.com to reserve a spot (pay at the door).

MMS Musical - Buy Your Tickets!

1/11/2015

Performance days for the school musical are around the corner!
Please take this opportunity to purchase “Advance Tickets” for The Wiz. The entire theater will have
assigned seating and ticket orders will be filled on a “first come-first serve” basis. Therefore, it is
necessary to order your tickets as soon as possible. Ticket forms should be placed in The Wiz ticket box in
the main office. Advance tickets may be picked up at play rehearsals in late January or at “Will Call” before
any performance.
Anyone that is interested in reserving “Premium Seating” (sixth through tenth Center Seats Rows, sixth
through tenth Audience Left Rows, and first six Audience Right rows) must submit his or her ticket forms
by Monday, January 26th.
If you have any questions, please e-mail Ms. Reichel at sreichel@somsd.k12.nj.us.

Sincerely,
Ms. O’Sullivan
mosulliv@somsd.k12.nj.us

Find the ticket order form with instructions HERE

Grade 8 - MMS and SOMS Mixer in February

1/11/2015

Grade 8 students from MMS and SOMS will have a mixer in February at CHS - it will not be long before they become the new freshman class at CHS! Students should be on the lookout for a flyer in their backpacks. The event is February 5th @CHS with a $5 cash admission. Permission slips will be required in advance and will be collected at lunchtimes at school (similar to canteens) and students must be picked up by a parent or guardian. Questions? contact Karen Kingsley-Harris.

Children's Theater presents - MLK: Amazing Grace

1/8/2015

Monday January 12th at 7:30pm is a free Children's theater family event. M.L.K.: Amazing Grace is a powerful dramatic work written and directed by Rochel Garner Coleman.
Four storytellers using minor props and costume changes become so the famous and not so famous participants in the civil rights movement. Daddy King, Rosa Parks, Andy young, and Sheyanne Webb, among others, come to life as
they tell of their associations with Martin Luther King, Jr. Each story is taken from real life accounts with added research to give a background to this explosive time in United States History.
Find the flyer HERE

Direct Funding for Teacher Grants

1/8/2015

The Achieve Foundation raises funds to promote exemplary public education for all students and educators in the School District of South Orange & Maplewood. This school year Achieve distributed $67,000 for 63 projects in December of 2014.
Following are the projects at MMS that are still eligible for direct funding through January 31st! (Please note: the amounts indicated below represent the totals needed to fully fund the grant proposals, staff members will be able to begin to implement their programs with partial funding so any and all donations will be truly appreciated)!

Colleen Miller Personalizing Learning Through Technology Infusion ($5100)
Erin Murphy Project Ahead Chrome Books ($6159)
Alison Steiner Social Work Counseling Programs K-12 ($1877) Terry Woolard Infusing Google Drive Into The Classroom K-12 ($8000)

To donate to the project of your choice online, please click here https://achievefoundation.org/support-us-category/fundraising/annual-fund/, choose “Direct Funding” on the form, provide the information requested, and pay via Paypal. To pay by mail, send your check with the teacher’s name and school in the memo line to Achieve Foundation, PO Box 84, Maplewood, NJ, 07040. Direct Grant Funding donations are fully tax-deductible.

For more information please contact Buena Chilstrom at grants@achievefoundation.org or 973-762-8274

Winter Break

12/21/2014

Friendly reminder that winter break begins Tuesday, December 23rd with a 4-Hour student day. School resumes in 2015 on Monday, January 5th.

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