MPS families,
I hope this message finds you healthy and well-rested. With great excitement, I welcome all new and returning families to the 2022-23 school year. Over these last months, our schools and offices have been buzzing with planning meetings, summer camps, security exercises, construction projects, deep cleaning, and fresh paint. We are ready and excited to have our students back in less than two weeks!
Today, our Genesis portal opened for parents, so please log in, complete the online forms, and view your child’s schedule. After completing this process, please consider the following recommendations to ensure that you are well-prepared to support your child in the upcoming school year:
Join us at our next Superintendent Coffee on Monday, August 22, 2022, for an introduction to School Year 2022-23.
Our Superintendent Coffees are virtual public forums through which parents and community members can receive real-time updates about important school district topics and engage in open dialogue with district officials regarding any matters of public interest. The meetings are streamed via the Zoom and Youtube platforms. Links for the meetings are released on the district website and sent to district parents via email. Prior Coffee recordings and presentations are available on the district website. Some anticipated topics include an update on our anticipated referendum, COVID protocol changes for the new year, school security information, and curriculum updates. Feel free to listen or participate from the comfort of your home.
Review your school’s communication protocol to facilitate a quick resolution to any student concerns.
While the Superintendent Coffee is an effective forum for general matters of public interest, specific concerns pertaining to your child are best addressed at the level closest to where your concern emerged. Accordingly, each school has developed a communication protocol to help parents feel empowered in advocating for their children. Please make every effort when communicating your concern to speak accurately and concisely to facilitate an efficient and appropriate response. The protocols can be found on school web pages under “Parent Resources.” For your convenience, they are grouped on the district site and are also linked here:
Download the “RSVP-3 Morris County, NJ” app (available on Appstore and Google Play) to report health and welfare concerns anonymously.
School security and student wellbeing are the responsibility of all community members. By downloading this multi-purpose reporting tool, you become empowered to advocate anonymously for those who might be at risk or in danger. When you report a concern through RSVP-3, trained screeners interpret the anonymous tip and share the information with the appropriate party, including your child’s school, if applicable. The app does not collect any personally identifying information. If you become aware of a threat that requires an immediate response, you should always call 911.
Review our updated MPS Rules for Return to School so that you can respond appropriately if your child becomes ill.
It is important to note that the updated rules are based on recent input from the district’s local health official as well as recent guidance from the CDC, which indicates that any asymptomatic staff or student who is exposed to COVID-19 whether at school, in the community, or their household does not need to quarantine. This recommendation applies to all individuals, regardless of vaccination status. Please note that any individual experiencing any signs of illness should remain home and contact the school nurse. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Frank Santora via email at santoraf@madisonnjps.org.
View the Goryeb Children’s Hospital’s “Back to School” video and presentation regarding how to build resilience and well-being in your student.
If you are familiar with students’ mental health needs, feel free to skip the introduction and watch the portion of the video that addresses coping strategies for stress. Students and adults can significantly benefit from understanding the research-based stress management and wellness tips provided by Child Psychiatrist Dr. Nicole Thomas. Parents should know that this guidance aligns with our district goals and Martin E. P. Seligman’s PERMA theory of wellbeing.
Thank you for taking the time to follow these recommendations. I hope you have a joyful final week of summer break, and I look forward to seeing you and your children soon!
Sincerely,
Mark Schwarz
Superintendent of Madison Public Schools
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Upcoming Events:
Aug 22 - Superintendent Coffee
Aug 23 - BOE meeting
Aug 29 - First day of school
Sept 5 - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day
Sept 19 - Superintendent Coffee
Sept 20 - BOE Meeting
Sept 26 - NO SCHOOL - Rosh Hashanah
Oct 5 - NO SCHOOL - Yom Kippur
Oct 17 - NO SCHOOL - Staff Professional Development
Oct 17 - Superintendent Coffee
Oct 18 - BOE Meeting
Nov 10-11 - NO SCHOOL - NJEA Convention
Nov 14 - Superintendent Coffee - State of the Schools Address
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.