MMS Principal Newsletter
September 17, 2018 @MMSCougarPride
Follow us on Twitter!Follow us on Twitter to stay updated on all things happening in the MMS community @MMS CougarPride. | Schools closed this Wed. 9/19/18The South Orange Maplewood School District is closed on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 in observance of Yom Kippur. | Back to School Night 2018! Thank you to your fabulous HSA co-presidents Deb Holt and Sara Knutsen for helping us to open the year successfully. Special thanks to Kiersten Carlson-Williams for helping us to organize a Special Education and 504 meet and greet for our families. In case you missed that event, scroll down for the handout that we provided to attendees. |
Follow us on Twitter!
Follow us on Twitter to stay updated on all things happening in the MMS community @MMS CougarPride.
Schools closed this Wed. 9/19/18
The South Orange Maplewood School District is closed on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 in observance of Yom Kippur.
Back to School Night 2018!
Greetings and Updates from Ms. Gronau
Greetings MMS Families,
On behalf of our leadership team, we welcome you again to the 2018-19 school year. As we gear up for almost a full week of school this week, here are some notes and tips to support your child's success throughout September:
1. Get a homework routine going. Have your child do their homework at the same time in the same quiet space.
2. Set a "screen time curfew." Turn screens off by 8-9pm and keep screens with you and away from your child until the next day.
3. Review your child's agenda book, Google Classroom, classroom website, etc. with your child to see what's happening in their classes.
4. Periodically check PowerSchool with your child to help them stay up to date on their assignments and progress in their classes.
If you have questions, our faculty and staff are responsive. Email us or call us and we will help you get the answers you need.
Warm Regards,
Ms. Dara Crocker Gronau, Maplewood Middle School Principal
dgronau@somsd.k12.nj.us 973-378-7660 x3001
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 a school-wide "Remind App" as another way to communicate with our 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-
Alvin Ailey Dance Residency Thanks to a grant won by SOMSD Fine Arts Supervisor James Manno and SOPAC our MMS students enrolled in Dance at MMS will enrich their experience with an instructor as part of an Alvin Ailey residency. This program is also taking place at SOMS. We are so excited that our children will be exposed to this art form and that they will form an appreciation for African American contributions to American culture as a whole. Thank you Mr. Manno and SOPAC! More info is forthcoming! | A step team is coming to MMS! The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association at MMS will have a step team this year. MMS Dance teacher Ms. Caroline Ogando will advise this club and lead the step team! For questions about how to have your child participate, contact her at cogando@somsd.k12.nj.us. And you never know, I just might have to get out there and step with our kids! | Restorative Practices at MMS-Did you know???? The South Orange Maplewood School District is committed to fully embedding restorative practices in all of our schools by ensuring that all teachers are trained in this important work over a 3 year period. Did you know that 6 MMS teachers will serve as turnkey trainers for their colleagues this year? We are so grateful to Celeea Graham, Ray Mantes, Aggie Amaral, Maria Serpico, Steve Rosefort and Katie CIfuentes for their commitment to this critical work in our school. |