Please click here for a message from Principal Gronau
Hello MMS Families -
Thank you to organizer Dana Cavanaugh and all the families who donated Tissues and Healthy Kid Supplies over the last few weeks. There are enough tissues in the building, for now, and the students and staff can hopefully fight those germs with some real impact. It was wonderful to see the quickness of a grassroots drive. It certainly takes a village.
We would like to also highlight that this Friday at MMS, the 3rd Annual Table Tennis Tournament will take place in the afternoon. In honor of Black History Month, the MMS MLKA is performing a step show and Ms. Bradshaw and the select chorus and all choral students will sing "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing." It should be beautiful. The 8th grade sells pretzels and drinks as a fundraiser for the 8th grade activities. If you would like to help, please contact Your MMS HSA 8th Grade Coordinators, Adrianna Donat adrianna.donat@gmail.com, Thea Cogan-Drew theacogandrew@gmail.com.
We definitely need volunteers interested in serving on the MMS HSA PTA next year. We have had a great time serving as your MMS co-Presidents the last two years but our by-laws mandate that we move on. Please consider helping out. Our students still need us in Middle School. If you have any questions about the President roles, or the other roles available, please reach out to us! debcatholt@gmail.com or szknutsen@gmail.com.
We have updated key dates and a few new ones for 8th grade families - please take a read. We would love to see you at the community events!
A Few Key Dates:
- Friday, February 15 Table Tennis Competition - Pretzels for Sale!
- Monday February 18 - No School, Winter Break
- Tuesday, February 19 - No School, Winter Break
- February 22nd- 24th - The Wizard of Oz
- Friday, February 22nd - 7:30 PM
- Saturday, February 23rd - 7:30 PM
- Sunday, February 24th - 2:00 PM
8th Grade Dates
You should have received an email last week with key dates. If you did not receive, it please check your inboxes or SPAM.
- Thursday, March 7 MMS/SOMS 8th Grade Mixer in the CHS Cafeteria, 7-9pm
are interested in helping sell tickets during lunch March 4-7.
- Tuesday, March 12 CHS Counselors come to MMS to speak to students - More information on this coming soon
- Monday, March 18 Half of 8th grade class to visit CHS from 9:30-11:30
- Thursday, March 21 Second Half of 8th grade class to visit CHS from 9:30-11:30
- Monday, April 1 Well-wishers orders for yearbook due
- Monday, April 15 Yearbook orders due
- Wednesday, May 8 8th Grade Night at CHS, 6:30-8:30pm
- Thursday, May 23 Field trip to Medieval Times in Lyndhurst, NJ - Permission slips coming home soon
- Tuesday, June 18 8th Grade Dinner Dance at Maplewood Country Club
- Wednesday, June 19 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony, 9 am*
Fundraising
- 8th Grade If anyone would like to host an 8th grade fundraiser, we would be most grateful. Last year some families raised significant funds with a small event. OR - you can donate directly to the 8th grade fund HERE.
- No Frills / Still Time to Donate! MMS HSA raises funds through an ongoing No Frills fundraiser, Money Maker (Host your own, seed your own) initiatives, Adults only Trivia Night, and other grade specific events during the school year. Without the support of families, we would not be able to provide the supplemental support to the students and staff. To donate now Click Here
Follow the Yellow Brick Road - Maplewood Middle School presents The Wizard of Oz!
- Friday, February 22nd - 7:30 PM
- Saturday, February 23rd - 7:30 PM
- Sunday, February 24th - 2:00 PM
*The shows will sell out, so don't wait!
1) Purchase your tickets online via the MMS Musical Website!
1a) Send your student to pick up an order form from the MMS Main Office!
Building Volunteers Needed!
1) Are you a talented builder who could help us finish up our projects?
1a) If so, please reach out to Mr. Palmgren at rpalmgre@somsd.k12.nj.us
Cast and Crew Members - Please check your emails!
1) Cast and crew member families should have received "MMS Musical - Reminders #2" on Sunday, 1/27 via email with the emails used to sign up for the musical.
1a) If you did NOT receive the email, please reach out to Ms. O'Sullivan mosulliv@somsd.k12.nj.us ASAP as we are sending out crucial information for the start of full cast and crew rehearsals!
All information is updated on the --> MMS Musical Website
Teacher Updates
From Ms. Graham:
"Special Wednesday Club Offering: Curls on the Move, run by Ms. Graham (**Starts March 6th**). Curls on the Move (COTM) is a hair, health, and self-care curriculum specifically for adolescent girls of African Descent. The club focuses on hands on learning opportunities, self-esteem building, physical activities and more! See Ms. Graham in Room 153 if you are interested in joining. Cost is a separate fee of $60 total for the winter and spring session (12 weeks). More information forthcoming in February!"
Yearbooks and Well Wisher Ads Order Information
Yearbooks: Order your yearbooks now, orders end on April 15, 2019. Details here: Yearbook Order Form
Well Wishers Ads: If you’d like to place an ad for your child, orders are due on April 1, 2019. Details here: Well Wishers Info
Tissues and School Store Need Supplies
PLEASE DONATE IF YOU CAN! I know I said we have enough, but we never have enough. Tissues are always in demand! Please consider sending your sniffling child back to school in the new year with a new box for their homeroom. Also, The student council also runs a school store and accepts donations, please make sure to send in food allergy compliant snacks. They even have an Amazon Wishlist if getting to the store is too hectic. Click Here for MMS School Store’s Amazon Wishlist
Achieve - Calling all Hosts!
It's not too early to think about hosting a party in March for the Achieve Foundation's largest annual fundraiser, Nights of 100 Dinners. You create the guest list, and Achieve sends invitations on your behalf. Instead of bringing a hostess gift or bottle of wine, guests make a donation to the organization. Since its inception in 2005, the Nights of 100 Dinners has raised more than $500,000 to fund Achieve’s programs and benefit all ten schools in the district. Register as a host at tinyurl.com/nhd2019 or email 100dinners@achievefoundation.org to learn more.
Special Ed Update
FEBRUARY SEPAC MEETING: Special Education Experience: The Secondary Years!
Middle School and High School parents and guardians (and any 5th grade parents who are thinking ahead) SEPAC’s next monthly meeting is for you!
Tuesday, February 26, 7:30-9 pm, BOE building, 525 Academy, Maplewood
• How to Have Difficult Conversations with Kids With: Dr. Adam Price, Psychologist, Lecturer & Parenting Book Author Feb12, 7:30pm at Jefferson School
Also in February at The Parenting Center (BOE Building 525 Academy):
Feb 11 Special Siblings 4:00-5:30 PM (Grades 5-8, drop off with snacks, for siblings of people with special needs)
Feb 19 Selective Mutism Support Group 7:00-8:30 PM
Feb 20 ADD/ADHD Support Group 7:30-9:00 PM
More information for all of these can be found here: https://www.theparentingcenter.info/resources/2018-19-Parent-Groups.pdf
MMS Library Volunteers needed!
I know you all are wondering what goes not over in the mysterious land of MMS...well here is your chance to get a little sneak peek into middle school. You will not be working in your child's class like in the elementary schools but just helping out in the library in general. Mr. Degnan needs the most help during his MMS investigates class (highlighted in blue on the schedule). This is a cool class that he teaches and would love a parent to be there to do some projects, filing, man the desk and just be an extra set of eyes and hands. He would love whatever time whenever you can give it but if you can make the MMS Investigates class time that would even be better! Just type in your name in the spot that you can volunteer. Please do not delete anyone's name that is already there. Library signup https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/170PmsHyDvQG9S2c0e0YJB1y4IMTWJmWplKnPRzvcSV8/edit#gid=1195897959
Visiting Mentor Program
Thanks to everyone who has been in touch with Rachel Fisher! The MMS HSA is compiling a list of Visiting Mentors: individuals who will talk to middle school students about their work and/or how they apply math, science, language arts and fine arts skills in their professions. We are creating a list that will be available to MMS teachers so they can invite community members into their classrooms to share their stories and expertise. If your work involves math, science, language arts skills and/or the arts – or an interesting combination of these areas - and you can imagine turning that work into a lesson or speaking with middle schoolers about it, please contact us at MMSHSAinfo@gmail.com!
Let us know your name, profession or skill, what classes you see yourself working with (math, science, social studies, music, etc), cell phone number and email. We will add you to the spreadsheet and then you may hear from an MMS teacher! This is a first-time effort, so let’s make ourselves available to our community’s kids and see what happens! Thank you MMS Families.
Gratefully yours,
Deb Holt & Sara Knutsen
MMS HSA Co-Presidents 2018-2019
mmshsainfo@gmail.com
debcatholt@gmail.com
szknutsen@gmail.com
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