Morton Magic!
Have a shout out to a parent or member of our community? Please share at info@75morton.org and we will be sure to include in the weekly newsletter!
Shout out to Maya Brewster-Dorian, Rebecca Lupardo, Laura Metrano, Jane Bradbury, and Michael Garfinkle for your time and support this week!
Student Life at Morton
Check out some of the exciting things happening at Morton this week!
6th-graders did an archeologist excavation of a chocolate chip cookie in social studies!
8th-grade English students did gallery walk where they learned about the Dust Bowl for the book Of Mice and Men.
8th-graders learned chair yoga during WIN period!
6th-graders designed and built electromagnet cranes!
Dear Families,
It has been a difficult couple of days for our community. As you are probably aware, news stories came out about our school over the past few days. These stories are extremely upsetting, but they also make me so sad. All of the work we've done to build our community and support our students is dismantled in a day in the eyes of others. As you can guess, our staff and students are also upset about the portrayal of our school.
One of my concerns is the perception that we do not give consequences to students. I would like to use this opportunity to lay out the structures of our school so that you know what happens when harm occurs. Restorative Justice is a framework that is built upon the importance of community. Circles are one way to address conflict, but below is the list of some of the supports and consequences we have for students.
1) When an incident of any type is reported, we follow all DOE protocols and enter it into the Online Occurrence Reporting System, and we conduct an in-school investigation.
2) When an incident occurs, we contact families and hold conferences with each party involved.
3) We remove students from classrooms as appropriate, via teacher removals, principal suspensions, and superintendent suspensions. Students who get into physical altercations are always removed.
4) As a Restorative Justice school, we use harm circles to address conflicts between students as well as require re-entry circles for each student who has a removal. This re-entry circle addresses the root of the conflict and makes a plan for moving forward for all parties involved. We also hold class circles to discuss the impact of these behaviors on the larger community.
5) We've reached out to our Youth Community Officers from the 6th precinct for support, and we have established a relationship with them. We requested additional support at the M11 bus stop, ½ mile from our school, on Bethune St. where incidents have occurred.
6) Youth Community Officers are meeting with families and are also mentoring two groups of students 3 days a week in the building.
7) The Youth Community Officers have reached out to us to conduct harm circles with families to address outside-of-school conflicts.
8) Linda Hearns, the Director of Restorative Justice, has been working with families and students who have been involved in high-level conflicts. She is also working with our restorative justice coordinator to support and strengthen the program.
10) We are paying staff members per session to monitor the M20 bus stop on Hudson St after school where there were formerly behavioral concerns.
11) We hired additional school aides to monitor hallway transitions and the cafeteria.
12) We hired four additional substitute paraprofessionals to support students in need.
14) We hired a social worker at the beginning of the school year who is providing counseling and services to students. She has been providing intensive support to a group of students who have been involved in physical conflicts, meeting with them 2xs a day.
15) We hired a second social worker to provide additional support to students in crisis. Coincidentally, she will begin Monday.
I am looking forward to the growth and learning that comes from this difficult time. We have been working hard and will continue to do so. I love 75 Morton. Please know that every decision I make is in service of creating the best educational experience possible for every student in the building.
Respectfully Yours,
Valerie
And Also:
Townhalls - Students will have townhalls on Monday to address the recent reports about Morton. Our goal is to have them share what they love about Morton, what they want to see improved, and suggestions for us to implement improvements. Then, in advisory on Monday, they will discuss the impact of their own decisions on our community.
At Home COVID Tests- All students will be given 2 at home COVID tests on the Thursday or Friday (2/17, 2/18) before Mid-Winter Break. Please have your child take these tests Saturday and Sunday (2/26, 2/27) before returning to school on Monday, February 28th for the safety of our community.
From Previous Newsletters:
UPDATED QUARANTINE POLICY 1/31/22 - Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New York State Department of Health (DOH) guidance, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) has shortened the isolation period for K-12 students with a positive COVID-19 test result from 10 days to 5 days.This means if your child tests positive for COVID-19 and is in kindergarten or higher, your child can return to school on Day 6 if they have no symptoms or their symptoms are improving, and they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. Students returning from isolation on Day 6 must wear a well-fitting mask such as a KN95, KF94, or a cloth mask over a disposable surgical mask on Days 6–10.
Please see all updates and COVID 19 information from the DOE here.
Updated Absence policy 1/24/22:
Students who are home for other reasons may choose to complete their work on google classroom, but they will be marked absent. Per DOE policy, teachers are not required to post on google classroom for any student except a student who has a positive COVID result. Any work the teacher posts on google classroom for other students is their choice.
Free Covid Tests and Masks -
- You can request and receive free covid tests and masks. It is very easy to request them! Go to covidtests.gov and complete the short information to get your tests.
- The Postal Service is delivering one shipment of 4 COVID tests per residential address. Enter your name, address and email at www.usps.com/covidtest to request a shipment.Please complete the health screening every morning. Please do not send students to school if they have symptoms.
Kids aged 5 - 12 are now eligible to be vaccinated for COVID-19. You can locate a vaccination site here (for first or second dose). You can also earn $100 for 75 Morton by naming us as the referring organization.
Question? Check the family handbook first!
High School Application Updates from the DOE
The high school application will open during the week of January 24, 2022, and the deadline to apply will be March 1, 2022.
Interested in applying to arts (audition) programs? Learn how to start preparing for auditions now, including for Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, NYC's audition Specialized High School, on the Auditions page.
Important Dates:
Tuesday, February 15th - Picture Day!
Thursday, February 17th - Talent Show (pds 4, 5, 6)
Monday, February 21st - Friday, February 25th - Mid-Winter Break
“Looking for a way to support our teachers and show them some love? Teachers love snacks! You can have them sent to the main office. Email jill@75morton.org or PTA@75morton.org if you have questions.”