Morton Magic!
Have a shout-out to a parent or member of our community? Please email info@75morton.org and we will be sure to include in the weekly newsletter!
Shout out to all of the families who attended the field trips! There were lots of positive feedback from teachers who loved getting to spend time with you all!
Shout out to Rebecca Lupardo for making our clothing donation rooms beautiful and organized!
Shout out to Rosana for volunteering to translate for our new Spanish-speaking families! We appreciate you spending the day at 75 Morton!
Student Life at Morton
Check out all of the happenings taking place this first full week of school!
7th-grade students learned about matter!
8th-graders built community - and towers - in advisory!
Lunchtime in the Library started with a BANG (shhhhh)!
7th-and 8th- Graders had a BLAST at Governor's Island!
“Change is the only constant in life.” - Heraclitus
Dear Families,
On Friday, 6th-grade families were informed that class 614 will be closing, and rather than having five 6th-grade classes we will have four. This change is a result of having fewer 6th-graders than necessary to keep five classes open. While we are currently enrolling students from migrant families, we do not know the total numbers, and if there is a larger influx of those students, we would need to hire a bilingual teacher to open a bilingual class.
Closing class 614 will have a domino effect on the entire school, but the decision is the right one for our community - we will keep all of our teachers and move some of our current teachers to fill a vacant position in the 8th grade.
All students will receive a new schedule on Wednesday. 7th and 8th-grade students will keep all of the same teachers and classes, with only a few changes in the order of classes each day. They should go to homeroom as usual. 6th-grade families will get an updated class list and additional information in a separate email.
We all know that change can be difficult and we are prepared to support you and your child with whatever you need. This includes reaching out to your child's advisor at any point. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Best,
Valerie
Out Lunch Update
8th graders began out lunch before the other grades and it is going well.
7th graders started on Friday and did a great job!
6th-grade Families
Please complete the online blue card, which includes the out lunch permission slip. Otherwise, students will be given a hardcopy during their outlunch townhall. There is ONE DAY turn around time for permission slips. If your child brings it back Wednesday, they can attend Thursday. Please prepare appropriately.
And, as always, if a student does not have an ID card on them, they may not go to out lunch. No exceptions. If a student is late (8:41 or after) they are not allowed to attend outlunch.
And Also:
Confused about Jumprope? If you would like to learn more about standards-based grading and our online grade book, Jumprope, join Valerie on Monday, October 3rd at 9am. Zoom link
Please check to see if you can log in prior to the start of the session: https://alb.jumpro.pe/login/
From Previous Newsletters:
Student Council - Students were emailed this application to complete if they are interested in being a member of the 75 Morton Student Council. SC will take place during lunch (6/7 grade) or advisory (8th grade). It is due Wednesday, September 28th. Candidates will be giving speeches the week of October 4th!
Starting September 8, a supplemental M11 trip is scheduled to serve MS297 students on school days from the M20 bus stop located across the street from the school.
The "school-tripper" bus will load in the existing bus stop on Hudson Street at Barrow Street. This means students won't have to walk 1/2 a mile up Hudson to catch the M11.
It will arrive by 3:08 PM, head up Hudson, and then rejoin the regular M11 route at Greenwich & Bethune, and continue to its last drop-off at Amsterdam Avenue & 66th Street.
Anyone who needs to travel north of 66th Street can transfer to a regular M11 bus at any stop along the way.
Huge shout out to Council Member Erik Bottcher and the MTA for making this possible!
Blue Card - We need every family to complete the blue card. While there will be a hard copy sent home, filling out the electronic version is easier for all of us! We will share a family directory (see permissions in blue card document) soon after school begins. Fill out the necessary Blue Card for emergency contact information.
Supplies - We purchased all supplies for all students. Please contribute $75 here to help off-set costs - and consider donating an additional $75 to sponsor a student in need. Students should bring a backpack and pen/pencils on the first day of school. Pay for your students' school supplies HERE. You will be directed to our school Family Portal, Membership Toolkit, to create an account or log into your existing account (returning families). From there you will be directed to purchase your students' school supplies.
Transportation - Please email our community associate tiffany@75morton.org for questions about transportation.
Family Handbook - Families are responsible for reading our Family Handbook. School policies and procedures, grading, and staff information can be found there. Students will also be receiving a student handbook they will review during orientation.
Important Dates:
October 3rd - Jumprope Session for Families - 9am
October 4th - Math MAP assessment
October 5th - Yom Kippur - No school
October 6th - ELA MAP assessment
October 10th - School Closed - Italian Heritage/Indigenous People's Day
October 11th - Ballroom Basix Family Dance Night!
October 27th - 6th Grade Fright Night!
Looking for a way to support our teachers and show them some love? Teachers love snacks during meetings! You can have them sent to the main office or email PTA@75morton.org if you have questions.