The Quokka
New Morning School Week 11 11.14.22
A Note from the Heads
Dear Parents,
Last week, we had the opportunity to become Queens! We listened intently to our Elementary Explorers and their proposals to explore new lands. The funding for their "trip" has been granted and they will set sail this week. We can't wait to wish them well on their voyage! It's another way that project-based instruction brings learning to life at New Morning School.
Thank you to those that have attended Parent Teacher Conferences last week. We have another round of conferences this week as well. There is no school on Thursday, November 17th. If you are in need of child care that day, please sign up in the office by Monday so that we can staff accordingly.
From time to time, a wonderful person comes to your life and you wish they could stay forever. Then for one reason or another your time with them comes to an end and you wish it wasn’t so. We are sad to share that this is true for one of our own New Morning teachers and friend, Lucy Bratt. Ms. Lucy has been here with us from the United Kingdom for many years by way of work assignment through her husband. Unfortunately for all of us, that assignment has changed and the Bratt family must return to England at the end of December. We know that we will miss Ms. Lucy and the entire Bratt family greatly.
In the meantime, we will be searching for a qualified K-1 teacher to continue the important work of teaching our young learners. We will keep you informed while we work through this transition. Best of luck to Chris, Lucy, Daisy, Polly and Kitty. Please read a letter from Lucy below.
As we continue with our theme of gratitude this month, we are grateful for each of you and the support you provide our school. Your presence, your guidance and your daily support makes all the difference to your child and to our whole school community. We are grateful.
Warm regards,
Elaine Kennedy, Head of School & Pauline Nagle, Associate Head of School
Golden Nuggets
Gratitude - ideas for the whole family
- Make a gratitude collage. Use images from magazines and photos taken with a camera to create a collage that illustrates things for which you are grateful. This is a wonderful activity for family members of all ages, but especially for younger children who may not be able to write or articulate their gratitude very well.
- Set up appreciation jars. Give each family member a jar or similar receptacle to decorate. Once they are decorated, set these out on a bookshelf or mantle. Place note cards near the jars and encourage your family members to drop gratitude messages and encouraging words into one another’s jars throughout the coming month.
- Make a gratitude tablecloth. Cover your dining table with banner paper or kraft paper and have each member of the family write or draw pictures of things for which they are grateful. You can leave the tablecloth on the table for a while so you can reflect on your many blessings and add to it as additional things come to mind. If you’d prefer, you can use fabric markers and puff paints to document your gratitude on a cloth tablecloth. This provides you with a more permanent memento.
- Volunteer to serve the needy. Take the whole family to a soup kitchen, food bank, or similar charity and volunteer together.
Gratitude and Brain Research
Recent studies indicate that those that focus on gratitude are happier and less depressed. Here are 4 interesting ways writing gratitude letters help. Click the link below to learn more about this recent study.
1. Gratitude unshackles us from toxic emotions, shifting your thoughts towards positivity rather than negative emotions.
2. Gratitude helps, even if you don't share it, such as writing it down without sharing it with others.
3. Writing gratitude letters were of more benefit to those that wrote them for 12 weeks verses, 4 weeks. Benefits take time.
4. Focusing on gratitude can have long lasting effects!
Learn more here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain
Quote of the Week
"We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives."
-John F. Kennedy
NMS Happenings
Upcoming Dates
Mon 11/14: Bylaws Engagement Session 6:30p, Last day to sign up for 11-17 Kids Club
Tue 11/15: Elementary Explorers "Trip", Bylaws Engagement Session 6:30p
Thu 11/17: No School (All Levels) Parent-Teacher Conferences
Fri 11/18: School Spirit Day and Pizza Lunch Friday
Mon 11/21: Celebrating our 50th DAY OF SCHOOL!
Wed-Fri 11/23-25: No School - Thanksgiving Break (no childcare)
Tue 11/29: Half-Day for Elementary only (11:30 dismissal) Parent-Teacher Conferences
Fri 12/02: Spirit Day and Pizza Lunch, Holiday Workshop Potluck & Crafts 5:30p
Fri 12/09: Spirit Day and Pizza Lunch, 75% Auction Commitments Due
Fri 12/16: Spirit Day Holiday Style and Pizza Lunch
Wed. 12/21: Holiday Performance 6:30p at PARC, Last Day before Break
Thu-Wed 12/22-1/04: Winter Break - NO SCHOOL and NO CHILDCARE
A Special Letter from Ms. Lucy
Dear New Morning School Families,
I received some very bad news last week. My husband’s employer has decided, for financial reasons, to send us back to England. As a family we are shocked and devastated, our understanding when we moved here was that it would be for the long term. Over the past 3 and a bit years we have settled, made friends and built our lives here. We enjoy living here. Our 3 daughters are settled and thriving, they are happy and enjoying successes in their individual passions. We have begged, pleaded and consulted lawyers to try to find a way to be able to stay here, at least to the end of the school year, but to no avail. We have to be home by January 1st.
One of the best things to have come out of our time here has undoubtedly been New Morning School, we are all so thankful to have found it. It has given my girls back their confidence, it has helped them to understand themselves and know that they can be successful in school. Through my job it has given me a sense of purpose and pride in knowing I can adapt my teaching to an unfamiliar system and curriculum. It has given us friends and a sense of belonging, it has become our extended family while we’ve been away from home. We shall take the memories and all that we have learned here and carry them with us; I have confidence they will help with our transition while we settle into a new home, schools and jobs back in England.
Although we feel it has been unfairly cut short, we will truly cherish the time we have spent here at New Morning School. It has been an honor to uphold the values of the school and help instill them in the young children of my class. The next few weeks are going to be difficult, there have already been tears and I can’t help but predict there will be more! But please rest assured my commitment to my K-1 class will not wane, they will continue to receive quality teaching and I will do my best to prepare them for whatever comes next.
All the best,
Ms. Lucy
News to Note
Pizza Update This Week!
Just a heads up! Pizza orders MUST be in on Wednesday 11/16 since we have no school due to conferences on Thursday 11/17.
Support New Morning School while you SHOP!
Do you shop at Amazon or Kroger? An easy way to support New Morning School is by designating our school as a donation partner. There is no additional cost you! Click on the link to learn more and help us earn while you shop. Thank you for your support!
Holiday Workshop is coming 12/02 - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Thank you to Meredith Degenhardt for joining as the second co-chair for Holiday Workshop. We still need a few more fun-loving holiday crafters that would like to provide a short how-to lesson on making a simple craft. Kids will make the craft at your table and take it home.
You can sign up for a crafting station using the Sign-Up link here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054EADA72DA7FE3-holiday
Classroom Updates
Preschool Brainstormers
Preschool Teachers:
Marisa Downs marisa@newmorningschool.com
Danielle Provencher danielle@newmorningschool.com
Preschool Lead Aide: Crystal GerwatowskiPreschool News
Thank you to the parents who already attended a conference. It was nice to talk with you about your
child’s preschool experience so far. Below are the sign ups in case anyone needs it. We won’t have
regular classes this Thursday, 11/17 so we can have more meetings. There will be “Kid’s Club”, but
children need to be signed up in advance. You can ask Kit about that.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA5AC23AAFAC16-fall1- Marisa’s Conference Sign Up
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f48a8ad2fa2fbc34-preschool1 Danielle’s Conference Sign Up
In our class this week we’ll have open ended and process based Art choices. At our Discovery areas, friends will help us narrow down some ideas for our upcoming museum. We’ll be asking about what topics the children are most interested in learning. We’ll continue to strengthen our hands, sharing skills, and much more while playing with slime and playdough at our Sensory tables. Additionally this week, we’ll begin practicing two songs for our Holiday Performance which will be 12/21 at 6:30. You’ll definitely want to save that date. Lastly, we’ll practice another fire drill this Wednesday in the afternoon.
Our teachers for the letter “L” are Eliza and Catherine in Danielle’s room and Muyiwa and Elsie in
Marisa’s.
Next week will be very short because of Thanksgiving, but we still have some special things planned. Both Monday and Tuesday are optional pajama days! If your child wants to wear some comfortable and safe pjs on either or both days, they are welcome. Please make sure they can still wear athletic or other “safe for school” shoes, and that they will be warm enough for recess. Also on Monday, we’ll participate in an all school meeting celebrating our school’s 50th anniversary.
Have a wonderful week!
~Danielle and Marisa
Primary Explorers (Grades K-1)
Teacher: Lucy Bratt lucy@newmorningschool.com
K-1 Lead Aide: Shelley Blakeney
Dear Parents,
Thank you to those who came to conferences last week. It is always a pleasure to report my observations and an insight to learn more from you about your children. I look forward to this week’s conferences on Thursday.
This week in Math we will continue to practice addition. We will be using skills such as modeling equations with objects to solve them, solving equations by counting on and identifying equivalent equations. I am so pleased that all of the children seem to enjoy Math and are always eager to complete assignments.
In Writing we are working on expanding our descriptive sentences. There will also be a focus this week on correct letter formation and neatness.
We will continue with individual one-on-one sessions in reading and we will also be completing some guided reading sessions using The Magic Treehouse series of books. Thank you to Kal for introducing his friends to this series of books through his Show & Tell item last week. Everyone enjoyed the story so much that they voted to continue reading this series and hearing more about the adventures in the stories!
To finish, a couple of reminders this week. Please ensure everyone has a coat each day and waterproof shoes or boots. The temperature is dropping and the sun is no longer warm enough to dry out the grass by recess time.
Pizza Fridays take place every week. Please have your order in by Wednesday to avoid disappointment.
Lastly, no school on Thursday due to conferences.
Thank you and have a good week,
Ms. Lucy
Elementary Scholars (Grades 2-5)
Teachers:
Hannah Diaz hannah@newmorningschool.com
Christine Jansen christine@newmorningschool.com
Cynthia Weber cynthia@newmorningschool.com
EL Lead Aide: Karen Staples
Early Explorers "Trip"
This is the week we have been planning and working towards. The crews built their boats, the queens gave them permission and the funds to purchase supplies and filled out their "passports" and they have items to trade with the ports they come to.
On Tuesday afternoon we will be traveling to far off countries. Ask them later where they went and if they came down with scurvy! Hopefully the weather will be pleasant and not too cold!
Marble Party
The scholars are close to earning a Marble Party! They earn a marble when they are caught being kind, working quietly and other goals we give them. They have asked for breakfast, PJ's and a movie. We will send out a Sign Up Genius for you to select a breakfast item to bring in. We are looking at Tuesday, November 22.
Conferences
We enjoyed seeing everyone on Wednesday and having an opportunity to talk about their wonderful child. We look forward to seeing more parents this Thursday.
Here's to another great week,
Christine, Hannah and Cynthia
Middle School Leaders (Grades 6th-8th)
Teachers:
Linda Hyde linda@newmorningschool.com
Nicole Matoian nicolem@newmorningschool.com
Hello Middle School Parents!
Well, the weather has finally turned, and the cold weather is here. Make sure your
children come to school with warm outerwear because we go outside for Jumpstart
even when temperatures are below freezing.
It was so nice to see many of you for Parent Teacher Conferences last week. We look
forward to seeing more parents on Thursday of this week. Remember that conferences
are for parents only, but students may join the conference in the last ten minutes if
parents desire.
We have another busy week ahead of us. All students will take individualized Vocabulary Tests on Monday, November 14th. Then on Friday, students will submit another Vocabulary Story using words they encountered in their reading last week.
In Language Arts, students will continue to explore Native American Heritage Month
and read and respond to literature written by Native Americans.
In Social Studies, students will present their Google Slide Presentations on Renaissance Artists while the rest of the students take notes on the presentations. By the end of the week, students will complete their Then And Now slide presentations to be presented next Monday, November 21st, during the celebration of our 50th Anniversary as a school.
Additionally, on Friday, 8th graders were introduced to a Career Exploration Project that
they will work on over the next two months. 8th graders will choose a career to explore
by Monday, November 14th.
In Math, Group A will define equivalent ratios and begin to calculate the value of one item, or unit rate. Group B will use proportional relationships to solve problems such as the distance travelled when given the rate and time. Group C will continue to write equations from a graphed line using slope and y-intercept, as well as graph lines from their equations.
Enjoy the week!
Ms. Linda and Ms. Nicole
Helpful Links
Contact Us
School Contact Information
Office Phone: 734.420.3331
Email: nms@newmorningschool.com
Elaine Kennedy, Head of School elaine@newmorningschool.com
Pauline Nagle, Associate Head of School pauline@newmorningschool.com
Joan Barrett, Admissions Director joan@newmorningschool.com
Kit Zrull, Administrative Assistant nms@newmorningschool.com