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 Corinne for joining us for the 5th grade tour!
Shout out to the PTA for quickly organizing a donation drive and support for new students!
Student Life at Morton
Check out all of the happenings at 75 Morton!
7th-grade Student Council candidates shared their speeches with their peers! 7th-grade voting is open until Tuesday at 5pm!
6th-grade students create cards in advisory to recognize our custodial staff for Custodian Appreciation Day!
7th-grade ELA classes showed off their writing skills from their "Humans of 75 Morton" unit!
6th-grade ELA students shared feedback during the writing process!
Dear Families,
Over the past couple of weeks, we have welcomed 20 Spanish-speaking students who have migrated from countries in Central and South America. As you know from reading the news, the experiences of some of these children and their families are something most of us never have or never will have to experience.
We welcome any new student with open arms, and this situation is no different. However, what is different is the specific needs of the incoming students. Our first job is to ensure our students have their basic needs met: food, clothing, and toiletries. Our PTA immediately stepped up to organize a clothing drive and Amazon wish-list. If you would like to volunteer, please contact pta@75morton.org.
Academically, we are pivoting quickly to support our new students. As with any new student who arrives at the DOE as an English Language Learner (ELL), our English as a New Language (ENL) teacher, Dorothy, has been testing our students with the New York State Identification Test of English Language Learners (NYSITELL). All ENL students receive push-in or pull-out services from Dorothy, but with an increase in ENL needs, we have moved to a full pull-out model to support the students. This includes bridge 6/7 and 7/8 classes as well as 6th, 7th, and 8th grade ENL ELA classes.
Students have also been provided with Ipads for translations (google translate is a powerful tool), and we have hired a long-term Spanish-speaking substitute to work with the students when possible. Our district has provided us with some grade-appropriate Spanish novels, and Donna has hooked the students up with Sora on their iPads. We also decided that Jose would have a Spanish-speaking homeroom for all of our new students to provide them with a strong start to the day.
Additionally, we recognize this historic event impacts all of our students in a variety of ways, and we are providing support through class circles and advisory lessons. We appreciate all of the 75 Morton students who have stepped up to translate, walk students to classes, and generally support their new classmates.
While this is a challenging moment, I view it as an opportunity for our students, staff, and community to demonstrate our belief in our vision statement:
75 Morton 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
I am looking forward to sharing more during our 75 Morton Community Townhall on Wednesday evening. See you there!
Best,
Valerie
Library Challenge of the Month!
Each month the library is sponsoring a READING CHALLENGE!
October - Read a book written by a Latinx author
The challenges are purely voluntary, but a student participates, they are eligible to win a BOOK STORE GIFT CARD - this month from The Strand!
Here's how it works:
- Read a book connected to the challenge of the month
- Use a book challenge bookmark while reading
- Submit it to the library challenge bookmark bin for your grade
Families can support the monthly reading challenge but encouraging their children to participate and donating book store gift cards! Please reach out to Donna at donna@75morton.org to learn more.
Out Lunch Update
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.
ID photos will start Tuesday - sorry for the delay. We anticipate out lunch beginning Thursday, October 13th.
*Note - 6th grade students are not allowed to cross 7th Ave/Varick St to go to Taco Bell or McDonalds.**
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:
DESSA Screener - We are excited to offer Parent Reporting this school year to parents/guardians of students in grades K-8. Parent Reportingis an opportunity to complete a DESSA screener on behalf of your student.
If you are interested, please confirm by October 17, 2022 by completed the google form linked here. More information will be shared after the 17th. As noted, Parent Reporting is an optional addition to the staff rating that will be completed for your student. If you do not want to participate in Parent Reporting, no action is needed.
If you do not want a staff member to complete the DESSA screener for your student, you must write a letter stating that. This must be done on an annual basis and the letter needs to be received by the school by October 17th, 2022. This letter must be sent to Katie Altman at katie@75morton.org
From Previous Newsletters:
Jumprope - Slideshow from Monday's presentation
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.
8th-Grade Corner
High School Letter #3 went out on Friday.
HS Presentation: Slides from Family Zoom Session with Elaine and Hope
NYC DOE Family Presentations: All families with eighth gradersare welcome to attend one of the live virtual events about applying to high school. We will have three sessions:
October 11 6pm English with interpretation in Haitian Creole, Chinese-Mandarin, and Russian
October 13 6pm English with interpretation in Spanish, Arabic, and Bengali
October 18 3pm English with interpretation in French, Korean, and Urdu
24 hours before the event, check schools.nyc.gov/High for the zoom link and passcode.
High School Admissions Timeline
October 6: SHSAT Registration Opens
October 12: HS Application Opens
November 17: SHSAT In-School Testing
November 19/20: SHSAT Weekend Testing
December 1: HS Application Deadline
Early March: High School Offers
Arts Portfolio Sessions
We are pleased to provide students with the opportunity to participate in optional portfolio sessions for auditions and applications to arts high schools.
If you would like your child to participate, you must complete this form by Monday, October 3rd. Sessions begin Tuesday, October 4th during lunch time for 8th graders only.
Important Dates:
October 11th - Math MAP assessment
October 11th - Ballroom Basix Family Dance Night! ALL FAMILIES ARE WELCOME TO JOIN! 4:30 - 6pm
October 12th - 75 Morton Community Townhall - zoom 5pm
October 19th - 6th-grade Advisory Field Trip
October 20th - 7th-grade Advisory Field Trip
October 21st- 8th-grade Advisory Field Trip
October 27th - 6th-Grade Fright Night!
November 4th - 7th-grade Instrumental Music Field Trip - MET
November 8th - Election Day - No School for Students
November 9th - Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 11th - School Closed - Veteran's Day
November 18th - 8th-grade Instrumental Music Field Trip - MET
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.