MMS Principal Newsletter
November 25, 2019 @MMSCougarPride
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11/27 is a 12:30pm dismissal
MMS Musical Fundraiser
Greetings and Updates from Ms. Gronau
Greetings MMS Families,
Last Wednesday I attended the documentary Pushout sponsored by the Mapso Freedom School. Pictured here are MMS staff members Mr. Rosefort, Ms. Kleinwaks, Mr. Stewart. Ms. Leik and Hub social worker Ms. Ebensen were in attendance as well. It was a powerful movie about the school to prison pipeline as it relates to black girls and the disparate treatment black girls face in schools. The movie underscores the importance of the restorative practices that be present in our schools to support our students of color. We are grateful for the excellent MMS staff turnout at this event and the commitment to this work.
*Please be sure to scroll up for 2 fliers about the MMS Yearbook.
We are continuing the dialogue with our families about cell phones in secondary schools in our district. The policy is attached and was sent out as a separate email last week. We ask that you remind your child that their phone must be off and away. We will continue to remind students, families and staff about the policy.
Questions about Saturday Academy and if it is a fit for your child? Contact Ms. Gronau or your child's school counselor.
Please review the handbook with your child and acknowledge receipt using the PowerSchool parent/guardian portal.
This link will take you directly to PowerSchool. https://powerschool.somsd.k12.nj.us/
Please review the instructions below if you have any questions regarding your parent portal access.
Regards,
Dara Crocker Gronau, Maplewood Middle School Principal
Step 1: Set Up Your Parent Portal Account
(If you’ve already created your account, skip to Step 2)
- Have your Parent Portal Access ID and Access Password handy. You can get your child’s unique ID and password from the Parent Portal letter that the Technology Department mailed to you on August 30, or by emailing the help desk at parentportalhelp@somsd.k12.nj.us.
- Go to the district home page, https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us
- Select Quick Links > Parents > PowerSchool.
- Click the “Create Account” tab, then the button “Create Account.”
- Fill in “Parent Account Details,” creating your preferred username and a case-sensitive password of at least 8 characters. (Remember the username and password you create – you’ll need them every time you log in!)
- Under “Link Students to Account,” enter your Parent Portal Access ID and Access Password.
Step 2: Fill Out the Online Forms
- Go to the district home page, https://www.somsd.k12.nj.us
- Select Quick Links > Parents > PowerSchool.
- Log in using the username and password you created when you were setting up your account.
- In the navigation menu on the left, click on “eCollect Forms.”
- Click on the form named "Student Handbook - Parent / Student Form".
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The Hub/Family Connections is a wonderful resource we are fortunate to have at MMS through a Maplewood Municipal grant. If you would like your child to participate in individual and group sessions during the school day or in the social support through recreation after school programming, please contact Ms. Candice at cebbesen@familyconnectionsnj.org.
IMPORTANT NOTES
-Reminder to please send Ms. Gronau your good news/recognition worthy events of your child's academic, social, social activism, community service, and artistic achievements. We would like our MMS kids to be recognized at upcoming board meetings! Email at dgronau@somsd.k12.nj.us!
The 5 Keys to Middle School Child Resilience and Success
The 5 Keys to Middle School Child Resilience and Success
The MMS faculty and staff ask that you support our work with your child in the following ways:
1) Encourage a Growth Mindset-Having a growth mindset fosters resilience. Use the language of yet. I don’t understand this “yet.” Emphasize the importance of hard work as opposed to innate intelligence. “I did well because of my effort. I’ll do better next time.”
2) Encourage 1-2 Good Peer Relationships-Friends should be a source of support. Often our middle schoolers try to maintain large groups of close friends and that is challenging for anyone of any age! Encourage your child to have 1-2 solid and supportive peer friendships and keep it light and simple with the larger groups.
3) Ensure 9-11 Hours of Sleep Please! Sleep is the best way to foster resilience. Research shows that kiddos this age need 9-11 hours to be at their best. When your child is well-rested, everything is better. Technology is the #1 enemy of sleep! As a school community, we recommend that you keep technology out of your child’s bedroom at night to encourage healthy and consistent sleep.
4) Encourage Coping Strategies-Coping is personal. Everyone does it differently. Encourage your child to think about healthy ways to relax and give them permission to do it!
5) Facilitate Time/Connection with a non-familial adult-Good connections with non-familial adults are very important for your child. They hear things differently from non-familial adults. Encourage your child to participate in a club or activity. Children need our perspective. They are always changing and growing. As adults we can attach a growth mindset to their personality development and their peer interactions.
Maplewood Middle School Remind App Code @k92d29
This year, the MMS Principal has added a school-wide "Remind App" as another way to communicate with families. Many of your child's teachers will share Remind class codes for you and your child to stay up to date about class events and assignments. As needed, the MMS Principal will periodically use the Remind App to share important info with our school community. Our Maplewood Middle School school-wide code Remind code is listed above (@k92d29). The link below explains how to begin getting notifications. It's a simple way to stay in touch. Join us!
https://help.remind.com/hc/en-us/articles/203179887-How-do-I-join-a-class-