MPS families,
I hope this message finds you well as we look forward to a beautiful Bottle Hill Day weekend. If you plan to attend, please visit the Madison Public Schools booths and activities in front of the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts. We would love to see you and chat about anything that may be on your mind about the schools. Please also consider joining the Superintendent Coffee on Monday, where we will discuss School Security, Curriculum and Instruction topics, and the upcoming State of the Schools surveys.
In the meantime, please consider the following updates and recommendations:
The School Security Thoughtexchange will close on Monday, October 17.
Even if you have already participated, community members are encouraged to revisit the discussion to rate new comments and to see how the ratings have changed. Please note that you do not have to add new comments to provide ratings. Feel free to skip ahead to “Rate Thoughts” or “View Results” by using the navigation tool. The results will be analyzed and shared at Monday’s Coffee.
Parents should review Halloween safety with their children and teenagers.
As a district, we highly encourage our students to enjoy the Halloween tradition of wearing costumes to school; however, parents and students must be mindful of the importance of safety, especially during special events that deviate from our standard procedures. Please review the guidance your child’s school provided about what is allowed at school on Halloween. Additionally, parents are encouraged to remind their children never to eat candy that they do not recognize, or that is unwrapped. Please be especially mindful, considering the widespread availability of edible cannabis candy and recent advisories regarding fentanyl pills being designed to look like candy.
Please consider attending the following opportunities to promote mental health in our community. Too often, mental health and wellness are stigmatized as being only for people with “problems.” We must reframe the way we consider wellness. Mental health practices don’t just fix problems; they also optimize our performance as humans. Please use the following opportunities to learn more:
Madison Walk of Wellness - As part of Mayor Conley’s Wellness Campaign, the Borough of Madison will be sponsoring this event, starting at Hartley Dodge at 11:30am. Following an opening ceremony, participants are invited to explore a variety of wellness offerings throughout the downtown area. Please support his important effort if you are available.
Atlantic Health’s “Mindfulness Tools for Families” - Hosted by the Goryeb Children’s Hospital, join their mental health experts to learn more about achieving greater peace of mind within your family. Their free webinar will take place on October 25 at 6pm. Use the link above to register.
Please consider becoming more involved in our schools through the following opportunities. Research regarding high-performing schools reveals the importance of community engagement. We hope that some of these events may be of interest to you. Thank you to everyone in the community that is already involved!
Hiring Event for Teacher Assistants and District Substitutes - Madison Public Schools will host a hiring event for those interested in becoming a Teacher Assistant or Substitute Teacher within the district on Thursday, October 20th, from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm in the MHS auditorium. Click here for more information on the event and how to RSVP.
Madison Music & Arts (MMA) - Madison Music & Arts will hold a general information meeting on Tuesday, October 18, at 7:00 pm in the MHS "A" Hall Conference Room. We will be discussing art, music, and theatre programs in Madison, our recent grants, upcoming events, and volunteer opportunities. All are invited to attend! In addition, please be sure to become a patron of the arts at https://madison-music-arts.square.site/.
Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG) - October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. Join the Madison SEPAG on Thursday, October 27 at 7:30 pm as Guest Speaker Susan E. Miller, Director of the Robinowitz Education Center, presents Dyslexia Identification in NJ 9.0. This presentation will go into the details of the current landscape in NJ and current research in the field of Dyslexia. This meeting will be held virtually, with meeting links sent in advance. To register and submit any questions, please do so via our website – www.madisonsepag.com/dyslexia.
Thank you for taking the time to consider these updates. I hope to see many of you at Bottle Hill Day and the Coffee on Monday!
Sincerely, Mark Schwarz
Superintendent of Madison Public Schools
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Upcoming Events - To sync events to your calendar, select an event on our website calendar and use the “Add to calendar” button on the right.
Oct 17 - NO SCHOOL - Staff Professional Development
Oct 17 - Superintendent Coffee
Oct 18 - BOE Meeting
Oct 18 - Madison Music and Arts Interest Meeting
Oct 20 - District hiring event @ MHS
Oct 27 - Special Education Parent Advisory Group meeting
Nov 10-11 - NO SCHOOL - NJEA Convention
Nov 14 - Superintendent Coffee
Nov 15 - BOE Meeting
Nov 21-23 - Parent Teacher Conferences
Nov 24-25 - NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving
Dec 12 - Superintendent Coffee
Dec 13 - BOE Meeting
Dec 23 - Single Session Schedule
Dec 26-Dec 30 - NO SCHOOL - Winter Break
Jan 3 - Board Reorganization Meeting
Jan 16 - NO SCHOOL - MLK Day
Feb 20-21 - NO SCHOOL - Presidents’ Day & Staff Professional Development
Mar 20-24 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Break
April 3-4 - Parent Teacher Conferences
April 7 - NO SCHOOL - Good Friday
May 26-30 - NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day & Staff Professional Development
June 14 - Last day of school
KEEP MADISON SAFE! If you see something, say something:
For emergencies and immediate threats, call 911
For all other health, safety, and welfare concerns, report anonymously using the “RSVP-3 Morris County, NJ” app
For child abuse, call 877-NJ ABUSE, or 1-877-652-2873
For bullying concerns, contact your child’s Teacher, guidance counselor, or principal.
Together we are Madison Strong.