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 it in the weekly newsletter!
Shout out to Corrine, Rebecca, Jennifer, and Tom for setting up and cleaning up the staff holiday party! We truly appreciate you! Thank you!
Shout out to families for your generous gift to our staff! We are so lucky and appreciative!
Shout out to Rachel Urkowitz and The Hickmans for helping organize the donation closet!
Student Life at Morton
Check out all of the happenings at 75 Morton!
8th-graders participated in a gallery walk of the dust bowl to build context for the setting and time period in Of Mice and Men and began a deep dive in the characters Lenny and George!
8th-graders learned how to graph the slope of a line using slope intercept form to identify the y-intercept and slope from an equation!
School-spirit days brought us ugly sweaters and pajamas! Teachers got into the fun as well!
Advisories got into the spirit of giving and love by creating Cardz for Kidz!
7th-grade competition - who can read more science books than Niam and win the gift card!!!
And congratulations to 7th graders Shiloh Lugo and Lily Gleiberman who were accepted to the MEANYC All County Chorus!
Dear Families,
Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful break with family and friends. My break gave me an opportunity to practice flexibility and patience that is necessary with unexpected changes. We were supposed to fly to Seattle, but our flights were canceled and we weren't able to book a new one. We ended up driving to South Carolina with our 2 dogs and Guinea pigs - a traveling circus. It wasn't the Christmas we had planned, but it ended up full of great surprises, including seeing family in North Carolina and friends in Philly.
We are excited for changes that will be happening in 2023 at 75 Morton.
First, please welcome AP Grace How. Grace is joining us Jan 3rd- February 17th to support us during Katie's maternity leave. She has been an AP in District 2 for many years. Grace spent years teaching in middle school and is excited to get back to working in one! Her email is grace@75morton.org.
Second, Val Boos will be our dean for the remainder of the school year. She is streamlining policies and procedures for detention, outlunch, hallways, and phones. She will also be handling most student behavior concerns. Her email is valerie@75morton.org.
Third, 75 Morton is becoming a cell-phone free school. Beginning January 9th, students will begin using Yondr bags during the school day. Please see detailed information in the section below. We will have advisory lessons throughout the week to introduce them to students as well as the new cell phone policy.
With much respect,
Valerie
Yondr Bags
We are excited to become a cell phone-free school. Cell phones distract students from learning and engaging with others around them. Many students do not follow our current cell phone policy, and we believe everyone- students, teachers, and staff - will have a more positive school experience in a cell-phone free school.
Middle schools throughout District 2 use Yondr bags - Wagner, Baruch, MS 131, and East Side Middle School to name a few. After speaking with their principals, I believe that Yondr bags are the right fit for us. Each of the schools has seen an improvement in school culture since the implementation last year and will continue to use the bags moving forward.
Yondr bags are a pouch that students place their cell phones, headphones, and smart watches into at the beginning of the day and lock them. At the end of the day, students unlock the bag with a magnet to access their phone. You can watch a video of the process here. Students keep their pouches with them in their backpacks during the school day and take them home at night.
After speaking with the SLT and PTA, we have decided to allow students to unlock their phones for use during outlunch.
Please read through the family letter and watch the informational video for more information. We will also be hosting an information session over zoom on Thursday, January 5th. The link and time will be sent this week.
And Also:
Senior Breakfast - Thursday, January 12th! 8th grade families, please reach out to the PTA to help with this 75 Morton tradition.
From Previous Newsletters:
Ice Skating Trip Canceled - If you paid, you will receive a refund. We are looking to schedule a different field trip for late January.
Jumprope: Families should be checking Jumprope weekly to monitor student scores. If you need login support, please email your child's advisor.
Check out our 75 Morton Library Website! Families can support monthly reading challenges by encouraging their children to participate and donating bookstore gift cards! Please reach out to Donna at donna@75morton.org to learn more.
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:
January 3rd - Return to school
January 9th - Yondr bags begin
January 12th - Senior Breakfast
January 16th - No School - MLK Jr Day
75 Morton Goals
Goal #1
Create space and time for staff to connect, create, and share joy in order to build community, encourage a sense of well-being, and demonstrate trust.
Goal #2
Teachers reflect upon and then revise school policies and procedures so that all voices and experiences are heard and the school community can be responsive to teacher and student needs.
Goal #3
Develop teacher pedagogy around discussion, with a focus on equity of voice, in order to create learning environments where students know their voices matter, to amplify voices that may not be heard, and improve student comprehension
Goal #4
Create a school-wide understanding of restorative practices and implement those practices in a consistent, transparent manner to staff, students, and families.
Equity Vision
At 75 Morton, we believe that all students can achieve high-levels of academic success. We believe students learn best when:
their identities are affirmed and nurtured
their voices are heard and valued
authentic connections are built between students, families, and staff