Monday Memo
September 9, 2019 @MMSCougarPride
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Follow us on Twitter to stay updated on all things happening in the MMS community @MMS CougarPride.
Send Dara pictures to district email if you'd like us to Tweet something. Our followers are increasing every day!
Welcome Mr. Chiles!
Mr. Chiles will remain with us until our permanent assistant principal is appointed.
Brief Bio: Mr. Chiles was born and raised in Oakland, California. He is the father of 3 sons and 3 grandchildren. He brings 40 years of experience in education and 30 years as an administrator in Montclair Public Schools. He's an advocate for all children, has been married to his lovely wife for 44 years, and is eager to serve the MMS community!
Student Behavior Support link and attendance reminder
Remember to please use the document linked above for significant behavior support issues with students.
This is part of our data tracking for our district and also helps us to keep better/ more accurate records of incidents. Please be mindful of tier 1 teacher interventions as per the SOMSD Code of Conduct.
Reminder-Please keep accurate period attendance. This is important data for us.
Greetings and Updates from Ms. Gronau
Happy Monday MMS,
Thank you for a great first two days of school! I look forward to embracing our new beginnings together as an MMS community.
Quote for the week from teacher Jose Vilson via Twitter--"This year already feels different. Open spaces. Groups and paired tables. More resistance-themed posters. Classroom rules made in collaboration with students. It's the first time I went into the school year like this...."
A few notes
-Please remember to send updated lesson plans every Monday or every other Monday. Your first set of plans are due Monday, 9/16/19.
*Inclusion plans are due on Wednesdays.
*Please note differentiation and intervention in your plans.
-Please complete your surveys for: lesson plan submission, PLC, and breakfast monitor interest. They are all linked below.
Lesson Plan Submission Survey
PLC Interest Survey
Breakfast Monitor Interest Survey
September 11, 2019 TLC Meeting Agenda
Team Building Question-What was a funny story/anecdote /moment you recall from middle school (that you are willing to share?) when you were a student?
Welcome Mr. Chiles!
Engaging Related Arts Teachers
School-Wide Passes
Checking in on Student Voice
Checking in on Teacher/Staff Voice
-Aprx. $800 remaining from Achieve grant. What would staff like to do with it?
Upcoming Assemblies and School-Wide Culture Building Weeks
-Alvin Ailey (sponsored by a SOPAC grant)
-Starts with Hello Week
-Week of Respect
-Grade Level Culture and Climate Assembly--This was requested by team leaders last year during interviews. 9/13/19 is scheduled for 6th grade. Does this date work or should we wait?
9/19/19 is Back to School Night
Special Education/504 Meeting for families begins at 6:15pm in the library. 6:45pm greetings from the principal in the auditorium. 7-9pm families follow their child's full schedule. A flyer will be sent out later this week! Staff should report/be in classrooms by 7pm.
MMS PD Plan 2019-2020
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m-KOgcroY4jTPpWkl-8cdSFqi5Gk0qUIVPgmgduj_mY/edit?usp=sharing
Walking into this school year like...
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-