MMS Principal Newsletter

April 16, 2018 @MMSCougarPride

Greetings and Updates from Ms. Gronau

MMS Families,


Please keep reading our weekly newsletter for updates about how you can support our exciting project at MMS. We plan to turn the outdated computer lab into an innovation lab and maker space for teachers to sign up to use with our students.


We'd also like to thank the Garbarino and the O’Connor families worked with the Marks family last month to raise $2,500 for our updated innovation lab. As shared in previous communicaiton, if all goes well and with your support it will be up and running for September 2018. We will also submit an Achieve Grant to support our ongoing efforts for our library media center.


We thank The Achieve Foundation and the Maplewood Public Library for hosting a Maker Madness Preview day in the MMS Library Media Center on Friday, April 6, 2018. *The photo is below. This is a glimpse of the space our library media center could become with your support! Please bring your child to Maker Madness at CHS on April 28, 2018 from 10am-4pm to get them excited about STEM!


If you have ideas for how you can support the MMS library with corporate connections that you have, please contact me at dgronau@somsd.k12.nj.us or our Library Media Specialist Evyn Degnan at edegnan@somsd.k12.nj.us.



Best,


Ms. Gronau

MMS Principal

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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

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-