Blog Archives

MMS HSA News Week 19

1/29/2017

Hey MMS. So much crazy stuff happening in the world. Spend a few minutes indulging in all the good things going on in our Maplewood bubble ...

****THE PRINCIPAL’S CORNER****
Please click HERE for this week’s message from Ms. Gronau.

MMS TRIVIA NIGHT: Our largest fundraiser of the year is all sold out and we’re ready to party! A huge thank you to the Vanessa Pollock Realty Team for so generously helping to fund our event, to the Maplewood Grille for providing their delicious food at cost, and to Laura Himmelein of Party Cake Party Cake for working her decorating magic. Check your email this week for more info about the night. Can’t wait to see so many of you there!

8TH GRADE MIXER WITH SOMS: The MMS/SOMS mixer is this Thursday, February 2nd at CHS. Don’t let your 8th grader miss all the fun! Tickets will be sold during lunch this week -- click HERE for the permission slip and all the info. And parents, are you able to help out? Please click HERE for the Sign Up Genius to donate snacks or your time. Thank you!

TABLE TENNIS TOURNAMENT: The 8th grade table tennis tournament fundraiser is this Friday, February 3rd from 1:45pm-3:05pm in the gym.
***Please tell your students to bring money for soft pretzels and drinks that will be sold at this stadium style event.***
Will be a really fun event for all students & staff!

FLU VACCINE INFO: Our very own Julie Porter, MMS school nurse extraordinaire, has this message for all families: It is not too late to get vaccinated against the flu. Please remember that the CDC recommends that:
"Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every year by the end of October, if possible. However, getting vaccinated later is OK. Vaccination should continue throughout the flu season, even in January or later..." For more information, please consult with your Health Care Provider. Also, see the CDC web site: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/current.htm

MLK CLUB SOCK DRIVE: Please encourage your students to participate in the MLK Club Sock Drive to benefit Covenant House of NJ, a nonprofit charity which serves homeless youth. Mens Large are the most requested size, but the organization would be grateful for any donations. Collection boxes have been set up throughout the school. Thank you!

SPECIAL EDUCATION MEETING: The next SEPAC meeting is Wednesday, February 1st at 7:30pm in the CHS Black Box Theatre. GUEST SPEAKER #1: Penny Petchers, SOMSD’s Behavior Management Consultant, will discuss her role in the district and provide behavioral strategies for school and home. GUEST SPEAKER #2 – Introduction of Mr. David Lieberman, SOMSD’s Interim Director of Special Services.

GIVE KIDS A SMILE DAY: Is your child in need of dental care? Give Kids A Smile Day is designed to offer dental care to children who otherwise do not see a dentist. Dentists across New Jersey are opening their doors to children on Friday, February 3rd. Parents should call to schedule an appointment. Please click HERE for all of the information.

POST-ELECTION PARENTING: The Community Coalition on Race is hosting a panel discussion about ways to talk to children and teens about the many issues that are arising in our communities and in our nation since the US Presidential Election. The event will be held on Saturday, February 4th at 3pm at the Maplewood Library. Please click HERE for all of the information.

WINE TASTING FUNDRAISER FOR CHS FENCING: Please click HERE for information on a wine tasting fundraiser to benefit the CHS Fencing team, held on Friday, February 10th at Orange Lawn.

MMS MUSICAL TICKETS: Tickets sales for the MMS Musical are ongoing. There will be three performances: Friday, February 24th at 7:30pm; Saturday, February 25th at 7:30pm; and Sunday, February 26th at 2pm. Check out the Musical website HERE for all the info on the show, to purchase tickets via Pay Pal, or to print a paper order form. Additional paper order forms are available in the Main Office. Any questions? Please reach out to Ms. O’Sullivan at mosulliv@somsd.k12.nj.us.

MMS YEARBOOKS: The MMS Yearbook sale is ongoing. The yearbook is organized by MMS teachers Ms. Hansen (mhansen@somsd.k12.nj.us) and Ms. Varney (rvarney@somsd.k12.nj.us), who can be contacted with any questions. The flyer outlining how to order online or in school can be found HERE. And information on purchasing a “Well Wisher” for an 8th grade student to include in the yearbook can be found HERE.

Thanks everyone,
Kathleen Bailie & Alan Stephenson
your MMS HSA Co-Presidents
kbailie1@gmail.com
wunderdogny@aol.com

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MMS HSA News week 18

1/22/2017

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Whew! Momentous weekend for many. We hope you and your students have spent some time soaking in and reflecting upon all of the many historically significant events happening now in our country and our community.

On our very local level, there’s a ton going on at our great school, so check it out!

****THE PRINCIPAL’S CORNER****
Please click HERE for this week’s message from Ms. Gronau.

MMS TRIVIA NIGHT: We’re only down to a few empty tables left. So if you’ve been putting off buying your tickets and forming your teams, no time like the present! It’s Friday, February 3rd at 7pm at The Woodland. Click HERE to buy tickets. Don’t miss a chance to be a part of our biggest fundraiser of the year!

MMS MUSICAL ALL-CAST MEETING: Every student involved in the MMS Musical should attend the all-cast meeting after school tomorrow, Monday, January 23rd.

MUSICAL REHEARSAL 1/25: Students who have rehearsal for the MMS Musical on Wednesday, January 25th and who are also participating in the band concert that evening will be dismissed early from rehearsal that afternoon at 4:45pm.

ORCHESTRA & BAND CONCERTS THIS WEEK: At this week’s concerts (see info below) your HSA will be collecting suggested donations, the funds from which go to support the many needs of our fine arts department at MMS. Your HSA will also have a pop-up Spirit Wear shop at the concerts. So bring a little extra cash to the concerts and help support all of the amazing programming at MMS! Thank you!

WINTER ORCHESTRA CONCERT: The MMS Winter Orchestra Concert is Tuesday, January 24th at 7pm. Ms. Chilimintris provided the following information: participating students should be at school by 6:30pm and 6th graders should be there by 6:20pm. Concert attire is as follows: black pants/skirt and white shirt/blouse. Black shoes/socks are preferred. Parents, if your daughter decides to wear a dress or skirt, please, an appropriate length is required. Expect a follow-up email with more details. Any questions or concerns, please reach out to Ms. Chilimintris at achilimi@somsd.k12.nj.us. Encourage our young musicians to practice! Preparedness helps to boost confidence, which helps us all play better in performances.

WINTER BAND CONCERT: The MMS Winter Band Concert is Wednesday, January 25th at 7pm in the MMS Gymnasium. Mr. Balas provided the following information: all participating students should arrive in the bandroom in concert attire no later than 6:30pm. Concert attire is white shirt or blouse, black pants or skirts, black shoes and socks (no jeans or sneakers!). Please contact Mr. Balas at cbalas@somsd.k12.nj.us with any questions.

8TH GRADE MIXER WITH SOMS: MMS 8th graders are invited to a MMS/SOMS mixer at CHS on Thursday, February 2nd. Make sure your 8th graders know about this great event to help them meet the kids who will be in their Freshman class next year! This mixer is a tradition and is always attended by nearly 100% of both 8th grade classes, so please click HERE for the permission slip and info -- your student will not want to miss the fun! And parents, are you able to help out? Please click HERE for the Sign Up Genius to donate snacks or your time. Thank you!

TABLE TENNIS TOURNAMENT: The Phys. Ed Department and the 8th Grade are teaming up to host a table tennis tournament on Friday, February 3rd from 1:45pm-3:05pm in the gym. Students in all three grades are practicing their skills at the tables and the 8th grade is ready for a showdown with the faculty! We hope that both the 6th and 7th grade teams cheer on the 8th grade to make this a very successful event, not only for this year but in the years to come. This is a fundraiser for the 8th grade end of the year field trip. So please tell your students to bring money for soft pretzels and drinks that will be sold at this stadium style event. Also, in the spirit of Black History Month, we will be highlighting important African-American athletes who have made history with their talents, courage, and perseverance.

MMS WORLD: Check out our excellent student online newspaper, mentored by Mr. O’Dell! www.mmsworld.weebly.comwww.mmsworld.weebly.com.

MMS MUSICAL TICKETS: Tickets sales for the MMS Musical are ongoing. There will be three performances: Friday, February 24th at 7:30pm; Saturday, February 25th at 7:30pm; and Sunday, February 26th at 2pm. Check out the Musical website HERE for all the info on the show, to purchase tickets via Pay Pal, or to print a paper order form. Additional paper order forms are available in the Main Office. Any questions? Please reach out to Ms. O’Sullivan at mosulliv@somsd.k12.nj.us.

MMS YEARBOOKS: The MMS Yearbook sale is ongoing. The yearbook is organized by MMS teachers Ms. Hansen (mhansen@somsd.k12.nj.us) and Ms. Varney (rvarney@somsd.k12.nj.us), who can be contacted with any questions. The flyer outlining how to order online or in school can be found HERE. And information on purchasing a “Well Wisher” for an 8th grade student to include in the yearbook can be found HERE.

13th DOCUMENTARY: The South Orange/Maplewood School District invites all SOMA students, parents, and guardians to a special screening of the acclaimed documentary 13th. 13th is a groundbreaking documentary from Ava DuVernay, director of Selma, about the creation of the 13th Amendment and its impact on mass incarceration, specifically its devastating consequences on the African-American community. The screening is Tuesday, January 31st from 6:45pm-9:30pm in the SOMS auditorium. For more information please see the flyer HERE.

GIVE KIDS A SMILE DAY: Is your child in need of dental care? Give Kids A Smile Day is designed to offer dental care to children who otherwise do not see a dentist. Dentists across New Jersey are opening their doors to children on Friday, February 3rd. Parents should call to schedule an appointment. Please click HERE for all of the information.

Thanks, everyone.
Have a great week,
Kathleen Bailie & Alan Stephenson
your MMS HSA Co-Presidents
kbailie1@gmail.com
wunderdogny@aol.com

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MMS HSA News Week 17

1/15/2017

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Hello MMS! Hope everyone’s enjoying this long holiday weekend. Don’t forget, no school tomorrow (Monday, January 16th) in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Please read thru to see everything going on this week. And please pay attention to Ms. Gronau’s Principal’s Letter, which includes important information on budget advocacy for MMS and Black History Month, among other things.

Here’s what else you need to know ...

MMS TRIVIA NIGHT: Ok! These tickets are going fast and the seating at The Woodland is limited. It will sell out, and we don’t want any disappointed would-be Trivia participants. So just do it, get your tickets today! You really won’t want to miss our largest fundraiser of the year. Food, trivia, prizes, mingling with MMS staff & fellow parents, and much much more! It’s Friday, February 3rd at 7pm at The Woodland.
Click HERE to buy tickets.

MLK SILENT PEACE MARCH: Last Friday all MMS students, faculty, and staff (over 800 people!) participated in the 17th annual MLK Silent Peace March. A huge thank you to Mr. Palmgren and all of the MMS faculty & staff for making this powerful, memorable experience possible for our children. Click HERE to see some beautiful images from the event taken by MMS parent Mary Mann of The Village Green.

THE LUMINARY PROJECT: The Community Coalition on Race invites you to participate in the Luminary Project tomorrow, Monday, January 16th, in honor of Dr. King’s light and legacy. Please click HERE for all the information on this meaningful tribute.

MMS MUSICAL TICKETS: Have you purchased your tickets yet for the MMS Musical? It’s sure to be spectacular! Performances are Friday, February 24th at 7:30pm; Saturday, February 25th at 7:30pm; and Sunday, February 26th at 2pm. Check out the Musical website HERE for all the info on the show, to purchase tickets via Pay Pal, or to print a paper order form. Additional paper order forms are available in the Main Office. Any questions? Please reach out to Ms. O’Sullivan at mosulliv@somsd.k12.nj.us.

PARENTS’ MEETING: Ms. Gronau is hosting a special meeting for parents on Saturday, January 21st from 2-3:30pm in the MMS Library. The topics will focus on the many ways MMS programming supports our students’ academic, emotional, and social needs. Light refreshments will be served. Look for a flyer going home this week about the meeting.

WINTER ORCHESTRA CONCERT: The MMS Winter Orchestra Concert is Tuesday, January 24th at 7pm. Ms. Chilimintris provided the following information: participating students should be at school by 6:30pm and 6th graders should be there by 6:20pm. Concert attire is as follows: black pants/skirt and white shirt/blouse. Black shoes/socks are preferred. Parents, if your daughter decides to wear a dress or skirt, please, an appropriate length is required. Expect a follow-up email with more details. Any questions or concerns, please reach out to Ms. Chilimintris at achilimi@somsd.k12.nj.us. Encourage our young musicians to practice! Preparedness helps to boost confidence, which helps us all play better in performances.

WINTER BAND CONCERT: The MMS Winter Band Concert is Wednesday, January 25th at 7pm in the MMS Gymnasium. Mr. Balas provided the following information: all participating students should arrive in the bandroom in concert attire no later than 6:30pm. Concert attire is white shirt or blouse, black pants or skirts, black shoes and socks (no jeans or sneakers!). Please contact Mr. Balas at cbalas@somsd.k12.nj.us with any questions. Click HERE for the flyer.

MMS YEARBOOKS: The MMS Yearbook is now on sale! The yearbook is organized by MMS teachers Ms. Hansen (mhansen@somsd.k12.nj.us) and Ms. Varney (rvarney@somsd.k12.nj.us), who can be contacted with any questions. The flyer outlining how to order online or in school can be found HERE. And information on purchasing a “Well Wisher” for an 8th grade student to include in the yearbook can be found HERE.

SPECIAL ED PTO MEETING: A correction from last week’s eblast, the Special Ed PTO Meeting focusing on Secondary Schools will be held on Tuesday, February 21st. All are welcome. Meetings start at 7:30pm at 525 Academy, second floor conference room. The first 45-60 minutes are devoted to the featured topic, followed by 30-45 minutes of sharing individual questions or concerns and community resources and making connections with other special education parents.

FUN FRIDAYS FOR MMS STUDENTS: Announcing "Fun Fridays" at Lickt Gelato, 411 Ridgewood Road in Maplewood. Every Friday from 3-8pm during January and February mention your school during checkout and they will donate 10% of the purchase back to our school's HSA! Lickt, owned by MMS parents, uses hormone-free milk, natural ingredients, contains half the fat of traditional ice creams, and uses around 25% less sugar. Dairy-free and vegan. See facebook.com/lickt for new flavors/updates.

ACHIEVE GRANT DIRECT FUNDING: The Achieve Foundation has announced this year's Teacher Grants, and thanks to the generosity of our community, we are awarding a record amount! Teachers will receive more than $73,000 for 63 creative and cutting-edge programs benefitting schools across the South Orange/Maplewood School District. As you know, these grants are special because they allow teachers to implement innovative projects that make an impact on our students in the classroom and beyond.

MMS teachers awarded grants this year include: Michael Berezny, Karen Bonanno, Frank D'Elia, John Faherty, Suzanne Fein, Meredith Hansen, Diane Leick, Amy Pitucco, Maria Serpico, Debra Silva and Desiree Spriggs!

But, there's more….since the Achieve Foundation receives an extraordinary number of proposals from teachers, we were not able to fully fund each and every project.

That's where you come in...our master list of approved projects is now available for parents and other members of our wonderful community to view - and fund! Yes, that's right, it's now your turn to pick and choose your favorite projects.

Now, the fun begins...please consider supporting one or more projects of your choice TODAY through February 5th! Perhaps there is a project at your school that could benefit your child or a favorite teacher who proposed a great idea. Whatever your reason, it's fun to give DIRECTLY to programs that make a difference. All of the grants listed have met our criteria for making an impact, so you can give directly, knowing they have our stamp of approval. Also, all Direct Grant Funding donations are fully tax-deductible.

You can donate now to help fund the projects of MMS teachers Michael Berezny, Karen Bonanno, Frank D'Elia, Suzanne Fein, Jamie Felder, Nataly Granaturova-Riera, Meredith Hansen, Diane Leick, Miguel Pena & Carla Dos Santos, Debra Silva and Desiree Spriggs!

Please go to https://4elbows.formstack.com/forms/achieve_direct_funding for more information about each grant and to donate online now to the school and project of your choice.

To pay by mail, send your check with the teacher’s name and school in the memo line to Achieve Foundation, PO Box 1084, Maplewood, NJ, 07040

For any questions please contact Buena Chilstrom at buenabob@gmail.com<mailto:buenabob@gmail.com> or 973-762-8274.

For a list of ALL of the Achieve grants awarded this year, please visit http://achievefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Grants-list-for-website_12-9-16_awarded.pdf

****THE PRINCIPAL’S CORNER****
Please click HERE for this week’s message from Ms. Gronau.

Have a great week,
Kathleen Bailie & Alan Stephenson
your MMS HSA Co-Presidents
kbailie1@gmail.com
wunderdogny@aol.com

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MMS HSA News week 16

1/8/2017

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GREETINGS MMS Peeps!

Happy New Year to all!!! We hope your holiday was terrific and that 2017 brings you only good things (hey, it could happen, right?)

Lots going on this month and next, so we’ll get right to it.

MMS - DISTRICT RESOURCES: Although Principal Gronau’s proving to be a dynamic force in her effort to procure much needed MMS resources from our district, she needs your help. Truthfully, our students need your help! MMS needs parents to demand that the district make our school the priority it needs to be in the district’s budget. Are you concerned about class sizes at MMS? The physical state of the building? Have you SEEN the basement??? The lack of adequate technology? Bare bones staffing? Now is the time for your voice to be heard! Two immediate ways you can help: (1) email Dr. Ramos via Let’s Talk to advocate for our school’s many needs. (2) please consider speaking up at the next BOE meeting. If you’ve ever had a budget-related complaint or concern about our school, now’s your chance to air it and be heard. Please reach out to Alan & Kathleen if you have any questions on this, and thank you so much for your help.

MMS TRIVIA NIGHT: Have you formed your teams yet? Selected a team name? Purchased your tickets? Don’t miss the biggest (and most FUN!) MMS fundraiser of the year! MMS Trivia Night is Friday, February 3rd at the Woodland and it’s going to be a blast! Click HERE for all the info and HERE to purchase tickets. Seats are limited, and this event is always sold out, so reserve your seat/table today!

MMS MEDIA CENTER NOW OPEN and available to students to check out resources. We know your children have been waiting! WELCOME to our new Media Specialist, Evyn Degnan, who has great systems in place to gather student and staff suggestions and ideas for resources for the Media Center. This is a great way to start the new year!

MMS YEARBOOKS: The MMS Yearbook is now on sale! The yearbook is organized by MMS teachers Ms. Hansen (mhansen@somsd.k12.nj.us) and Ms. Varney (rvarney@somsd.k12.nj.us), who can be contacted with any questions. The flyer outlining how to order online or in school can be found HERE. And information on purchasing a “Well Wisher” for an 8th grade student to include in the yearbook can be found HERE.

WINTER ORCHESTRA CONCERT: Tuesday, January 24th, at 7:00 pm. Participating students should be at school by 6:30 pm at the latest; 6th graders should be there by 6:20, since it is their first concert here.   Concert attire is as follows: Black pants/skirt and white shirt/blouse. Black shoes/socks are preferred. Parents, if your daughter decides to wear a dress or skirt, please, an appropriate length is required. Expect a follow-up email with more details. Any questions or concerns, please reach out to Ms. Chilimintris. achilimi@somsd.k12.nj.us Encourage our young musicians to practice! Preparedness helps to boost confidence, which helps us all play better in performances.

SEPAC MEETING (Special Education Parent Advisory Committee) Monday January 9, 7:30pm / CHS Libary. Our focus for this meeting will be "Easing Transitions". Visit our website, www.sepacsoma.org for more info and/or additional updates, and to stay informed about SEPAC activities.

SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, January 21, 2-3:3:30pm we will have an informational meeting to discuss programs to support your child’s learning and overall wellbeing. The meeting will take place in the Maplewood Middle School Library. A flyer is forthcoming.

FUN FRIDAYS FOR MMS STUDENTS: Announcing "Fun Fridays" at Lickt Gelato, 411 Ridgewood Road in Maplewood. Every Friday from 3-8pm during January and February, mention your school during checkout, and they will donate 10% of the purchase back to our school's HSA! Lickt, owned by MMS parents, uses hormone-free milk, natural ingredients, contains half the fat of traditional ice creams, and uses around 25% less sugar.   Dairy-free and vegan. See facebook.com/lickt for new flavors/updates.

ACHIEVE DINNERS, March 4, 2017: Do you enjoy hosting parties? Hanging out with your friends? Supporting the South Orange-Maplewood School District? If so, consider having a party on March 4, 2017 for the Achieve Foundation's 13th Annual Night of 100 Dinners. It's easy: you make a guest list and plan the party. We send the invitations, manage the donations of $50 (or more) per person in support of Achieve and provide whatever help you need. Party costs are the hosts' in-kind donations to Achieve (we'll provide an acknowledgment). Make it a family movie night, an intimate dinner for your closest friends, a large themed cocktail party, or anything you think would be fun! Consider co-hosting with a friend or neighbor, if you wish. The event supports essential programs, like annual teacher grants, the Volunteer Tutor Program and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math) education. To learn more, email 100dinners@achievefoundation.org or fill out the inquiry form at http://tinyurl.com/Night100Dinners. If you can't host this year, consider becoming a sponsor or joining the event committee. The Achieve Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which promotes exemplary public education in the South Orange and Maplewood school district.

****THE PRINCIPAL’S CORNER****
Please click HERE for this week’s message from Ms. Gronau.

Thanks!
Kathleen Bailie & Alan Stephenson
your MMS HSA Co-Presidents
kbailie1@gmail.com
wunderdogny@aol.com

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