Dear SOMSD Family,

I hope this correspondence finds you well. As we quickly approach Winter Break, I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to wish you and your families a happy and restful holiday season. During this joyous time, please take a moment to reflect on those in need, while also realizing that undoubtedly every school building in our District (more than likely) has at least one child and family that is in danger of 'doing without' because of financial stress and fiscal limitations.

For many of our students who are in these aforementioned circumstances, the instruction they receive while in our charge will ultimately empower them to change the trajectory of the lives of those in their families. I remind you of this sobering (and I hope motivating) fact, to acknowledge the efforts of Karen Weiland of the Parenting Center, the countless volunteers and all those who contributed more than $30,000 to provide gifts for more than 500 students in our community. This is an annual herculean effort that deserves high recognition. Thank you for all you do for our children and the community every day.

Yours in education,

Dr. Ronald G. Taylor

One Book One Grade Initiative for District 5th Graders

The Parenting Center and C&I department received a grant from the Achieve Foundation to fund our new initiative called, "One Book One Grade." In January, 5th graders will be immersed in experiencing the memoir of Linda Blackmon Lowery, author of "Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom." In this journey of “One Book, One Grade,” our students will explore the civil rights era through the experience of a 14-year-old who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to change American history.

Elementary-school librarians have been working to develop a study guide that pre-teaches the concepts and events of the Selma March. Working with fifth-grade language arts teachers, they will unpack the rich language and imagery derived from the book; ideas and thoughts generated from this experience will be explored in classroom discussions throughout January.

As a supplement, parents/guardians will receive periodic updates and students will also be sent home with flyers that provide a summary of topics, discussion questions, and activities that they will experience in their classrooms so they are able to extend the discussion from the classroom to home.

To culminate the book's activities, all 5th graders will participate in an assembly featuring Lynda Blackmon Lowery. The event will take place on Thursday, January 16, 2020, at South Orange Middle School. Students will hear her first-hand account of marching with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to secure the right to vote for African Americans.

Book Synopsis: As the youngest marcher in the 1965 voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, Lynda Blackmon Lowery proved that young adults could be heroes. Jailed eleven times before her fifteenth birthday, Lowery fought alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. for the rights of African-Americans. In this memoir, she shows today's young readers what it means to fight nonviolently (even when the police are using violence, as in the Bloody Sunday protest) and how it felt to be part of changing American history. (Penguin Random House)

Ms. Ann Bodnar, Director of Curriculum and Instruction

SMS / Text Message Opt-In Request to Begin on 12/19

Our school district will begin using SchoolMessenger to deliver text messages to staff and parent mobile devices. In addition to robocalls and email notifications, text messages will now be used to send information about events, school closings, safety alerts and more.

In order to begin receiving text message notifications from the district, all staff and parents must opt-in to messaging services. Beginning on Thursday, December 19th (and throughout the remainder of the school year) the district will begin sending opt-in text messages to the phone numbers that we have on file. Read more.

PowerSchool Parent Portal

The district continues to collect vital forms from SOMSD families in the Annual Welcome Packet on the PowerSchool parent portal. These forms provide the district with family contact information, student health information, and a range of important permissions and agreements. All families are asked to complete these crucial online forms as soon as possible.

Remember, the PowerSchool parent portal can also be used to view student grades and attendance. If you need assistance with your account or with navigating the portal, go to the district home page and select Quick Links > Parents > PowerSchool Parent Portal Help or email the parent portal help desk at parentportalhelp@somsd.k12.nj.us. Read more.

• NOTE: The District is aware of concerns that PowerSchool is not configured to reflect the diverse family dynamics found in our community. We are actively working to make system-wide changes and plan to have them completed in the coming months. We ask that families continue to utilize the current fields to update their contact information while we work to complete the PowerSchool updates.

Phone System Upgrades

• The South Orange Maplewood School District is upgrading its phone system! The current phone system antiquated and our district has outgrown its capabilities. The IT department is currently in the planning stages to implement a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone system. This new system will allow the district to provide services to staff and the community that are not possible with our existing phone system. Over the coming months, we will provide updates about the overall phone system implementation and how it will impact staff, students, and the overall community.

Keith Bonds, Director of Technology