Thanksgiving is over and we're into the full swing of December, so it's now time to say Happy Holidays from the MMS HSA.  

In addition to the stress, December also brings cold and flu season and it is already affecting students.  Here are the CDC's tips on preventing the flu. 

And, because December isn't busy enough...

Dates to Remember this Week: 

Have a great week!

Veronica and Kelly

Welcome to December MMS Families!

This week starts off with an unexpected half day on Monday due to a snow forecast (dismissal at 12:30 p.m.).  We will update if anything changes.

Reminder that Tuesday is #GivingTuesday. Will you consider donating to the MMS HSA? We are now a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, meaning your donations are tax-deductible.

Also, check out the next musical fundraiser on Dec. 13. We hope all of our students attend Opening Night of Jumanji: The Next Level at the Maplewood Theater.

Thanks again to all the parents who donated and/or came out to help for the 6th and 7th grade events last week.

Have a great week!
Veronica & Kelly

MMS Families - 

We have a short week ahead with school closed for the Thanksgiving break on Thursday and Friday. Wednesday is a half day with school letting out at 12:30 p.m. On Wednesday, the 6th graders will be spending the half day playing games for Game Day and the 7th graders will be busy with their block party. Details are below.   

This past week your HSA met to discuss the district phone policy. Smart phone usage at school is a complex topic requiring a close collaboration between parents, teachers and the school. Step one is ensuring we are all aware of the current school policy outlined in the student handbook. The policy states: “If your child carries a cell phone, it is to be turned off upon entering the building from 8:20 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. Cell phones must be stored in a locker, backpack, or purse.” The school administration regularly reminds students of the policy at school and it's helpful to remind your student of the policy.

Finally, teachers should not be assigning classwork requiring a cell phone. If your student indicates that their teachers are in fact doing so, we encourage you to connect directly with their teacher. This protocol is outlined in the chain of command. 

Have a great week and a fantastic holiday break!
Veronica and Kelly

MMS Families,

Ready for the Week? Luckily, this week is fairly calm. A few reminders to have in the back of your mind as the month goes on: 
 

Did you know?
MMS has a therapy dog! This pup belongs to Ms. Tavares who brings her in once a month.  Prompt your student to reach out to their counselor to find out more. Counselor information can be found here. 

Hello MMS Families!

As we settle back into the rhythm of school after the short week last week, here are a few updates.

Many of you have asked about Picture Day Makeup. It is Friday, Nov. 15 and will be handled like the original date. This means students will be called by classroom - please let your student know. This is also a picture RETAKE day. So, if you would like to retake your photos, please follow the same instructions and bring the old photos to return them. Order forms can be picked up in the Main Office or online. The MMS code is 20-44MM.

Sixth and 8th grade students will be heading to the movie Harriet in town on Friday, Nov. 15. Permission slips went home last week and are due on Monday, Nov. 11. The cost is $7 and is cash only. Note that the field trip will not interfere with picture retakes.

The 7th grade Block Party is set for Nov. 27, which is also a half day and the day before the Thanksgiving Break. A few more events have landed including the 8th grade mixer and dinner dance in case you are a planner - stay on-top of important dates by downloading the MMS Calendar.

NOVEMBER DATE REMINDERS

Enjoy the week!
Veronica and Kelly 

PUB NIGHT FOR  MMS MUSICAL FANS! PLEASE REGISTER
It is time to announce our next 13! Fundraising Event. 

On Nov. 13, we will be hosting a PUB NIGHT. Click here for details. Feel free to post on your social media and share it with your friends and neighbors.

A portion of all sales that evening will come back to the MMS Musical. 

We are planning some fun surprises for that night but need a headcount, so please register! 

The MMS Student Council School Store is open for business! This year, there are two opportunities to shop: 

Please help stock the Snack Store by shopping their Amazon Wish List. 
Select the Maplewood Middle School's Gift Registry Address at checkout to send directly to the school.

Make your gift (and ALL of your Amazon purchases) go twice as far! Shop through Amazon Smile and Amazon will donate a portion of proceeds to the HSA. 

It is hard to believe that it is already November! The clocks have changed, and it seems so has the weather.  

As it gets colder, please remind students that the doors to the building do not open until 8:12 a.m. (with first period starting at 8:20 a.m.). Students are required to wait outside until the doors open unless they have arranged with a staff member to enter the building early.  

This week, all SOMSD schools are closed Tuesday, Thursday and Friday!  We just got word of a Teen Vacation Camp (Grades 6th-8th) being run by the South Mountain Y for Nov. 5 & 7.  It runs from 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. and takes the kids off-site to places like Dave & Busters.  For more information, contact the Y at (973) 762-4145. 

Tuesday, Nov. 5 is Election Day. If you have not taken advantage of mail-in voting, please make a plan to vote on Tuesday.  Remember that every vote counts!

Remember This Week: 

Next Week: 

The MMS Student Council School Store is open for business! This year, there are two opportunities to shop: 

Please help stock the Snack Store by shopping their Amazon Wish List. 
Select the Maplewood Middle School's Gift Registry Address at checkout to send directly to the school.

Make your gift (and ALL of your Amazon purchases) go twice as far! Shop through Amazon Smile and Amazon will donate a portion of proceeds to the HSA. 

PUB NIGHT FOR  MMS MUSICAL FANS!
It is time to announce our next 13! Fundraising Event. 

On Nov. 13, we will be hosting a PUB NIGHT. Click here for details. Feel free to post on your social media and share it with your friends and neighbors.

A portion of all sales that evening will come back to the MMS Musical. 

We are planning some fun surprises for that night but need a headcount, so please register! 

MMS Familes - Welcome to Week 9!

Halloween is upon us and as in previous years, costumes are not to be worn during the school day. Students can change into them after school if they are heading into town or other festivities.

We are very close to confirming our next Assistant Principal and filling our two special education vacancies - all slated for the Board of Education's agenda this week. Be on the look out for Principal Gronau's newsletter  which comes out every Monday for other news about what's going on this week.  

Voting can be a fun, shared experience for students, adults and families. It is also a wonderful opportunity to talk to our MMS students about your values and teach them about democracy. Studies show that including children in the voting process increases the likelihood they will vote as adults.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.  In addition to our local elections, like Township Committee, elections for all 80 seats in the NJ General Assembly are taking place! Get out and vote!

Important Dates to Remember

This Week 

Next Week: 

Have a great week!
Veronica and Kelly

The MMS Student Council School Store is open for business! This year, there are two opportunities to shop: 

Please help stock the Snack Store by shopping their Amazon Wish List. 
Select the Maplewood Middle School's Gift Registry Address at checkout to send directly to the school.

Make your gift (and ALL of your Amazon purchases) go twice as far! Shop through Amazon Smile and Amazon will donate a portion of proceeds to the HSA. 

PUB NIGHT FOR  MMS MUSICAL FANS!
It is time to announce our next 13! Fundraising Event. 

On Nov. 13, we will be hosting a PUB NIGHT. Click here for details. Feel free to post on your social media and share it with your friends and neighbors.

A portion of all sales that evening will come back to the MMS Musical. 

We are planning some fun surprises for that night but need a headcount, so please register! 

Dear MMS Families,
This past week we found ourselves mourning the loss of Lily Rice Holtzman, a 6th grade student at MMS. We extend our sincere condolences to Lily's family and friends as we keep them in our thoughts at this difficult time.  

The HSA is committed to supporting members of the MMS community throughout this time of intense grief. Some helpful resources are provided below:

In addition, and as a reminder, this Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m., Arlene O’Connell, Traumatic Loss Coordinator for the Essex County, NJ Center for Traumatic Loss, will hold a session for MMS families in the MMS library. This is meant for parents and guardians.

Your MMS HSA,

Veronica and Kelly

The MMS Student Council School Store is open for business! This year, there are two opportunities to shop: 

Please help stock the Snack Store by shopping their Amazon Wish List. 
Select the Maplewood Middle School's Gift Registry Address at checkout to send directly to the school.

Make your gift (and ALL of your Amazon purchases) go twice as far! Shop through Amazon Smile and Amazon will donate a portion of proceeds to the HSA. 

In case you hadn’t heard, this year the MMS musical is 13! Everyone is busy practicing their songs and monologues and auditions are under way. 

But did you know that the MMS musical -- ALL the SOMSD musicals of which we are so proud! -- are self-sustaining? The costs are covered entirely by ticket and concession sales for the show.

This year, we'd like to give our dedicated Musical Team a little extra safety net (and maybe some new tools for set building!) In keeping with the show’s title, we have decided to create special fundraising events on the 13th of each month between now and Opening Night at the end of February. 

We're asking you to donate gift cards to Amazon or Home Depot so that the directors have funds to buy set construction materials, costume craft materials, accessories etc. There are two ways to contribute:

Our next fundraising initiative will take place on November 13 so save the date and stay tuned!

A special thank you to everyone who has already joined the HSA.  

Membership is just $20 and you support is essential for providing items and events that enrich our students' learning experience, including:    

The HSA is officially a non-profit 501(c)(3). That means all donations are tax-deductible. Further, your employer mostly likely matches donations to nonprofits made by employees. We encourage all members to inquire whether they are eligible to receive the match from their employer! 

Friendly Reminders: 

In case you hadn’t heard, this year the MMS musical is 13! Everyone is busy practicing their songs and monologues and auditions are under way. 

But did you know that the MMS musical -- ALL the SOMSD musicals of which we are so proud! -- are self-sustaining? The costs are covered entirely by ticket and concession sales for the show.

This year, we'd like to give our dedicated Musical Team a little extra safety net (and maybe some new tools for set building!) In keeping with the show’s title, we have decided to create special fundraising events on the 13th of each month between now and Opening Night at the end of February. 

Since today is October 13, we would like to announce our first initiative! Gift Card Drive!

We're asking you to donate gift cards to Amazon or Home Depot so that the directors have funds to buy set construction materials, costume craft materials, accessories etc. There are two ways to contribute:

Our next fundraising initiative will take place on November 13 so save the date and stay tuned!

MMS HSA Families,

It's hard to believe that October is already upon us!  

Thanks again to everyone who volunteered for our AMAZING sixth grade social this past week! And last month, we also had a great first HSA meeting where we approved our budget -  aiming to expand cultural art opportunities for all grades this year while ensuring equity among the grades. 

As a reminder, school is closed on Wednesday, Oct. 9. There is also a SEPAC meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10 at the Board of Education Building on Academy Street for anyone who is interested in becoming more involved with special education in our district.

TIP! Keep track of what is coming up by adding the MMS HSA Google calendar to your calendar.

Remember, we are a non-profit and your membership fees are critical to expanding educational and community-building opportunities for all students at MMS (and are also tax deductible).

Have a great week!
Veronica and Kelly