Jefferson

Reminder: Middle School Math Course Selection is due by Friday, March 26 | Parent Q&A Pop-In Office Hours Available

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SOMSD 5th, 6th and 7th Grade Families,
As a reminder, Middle School Math Course Selection is due by Friday, March 26.  Make your selection in Forms in PowerSchool.  Below is information to assist in your decision-making.
Ms. Beane the Math Supervisor will hold pop-in office hours for parents to ask questions on the following dates below:
  • Tuesday March 23, 6:30pm – 8pm
  • Wednesday, March 24, 8am – 9am
  • Wednesday, March 24, 4pm – 6pm
  • Friday, March 26, 4pm – 6pm
Connect with this link: meet.google.com/jmx-gqkr-mck

SOMSD Statement on Violence Against AAPI Community, March 22, 2021

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Dear SOMSD Community,

We have been following the events and senseless acts of violence that have occurred against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in Georgia, New York and across our country. As a community, our hearts are broken. We are disheartened over the senseless loss of life of eight human beings, six of whom were women of Asian descent. 

Over the past year, we have witnessed how words, fear, intolerance, and lack of empathy have led to a rise in hate crimes, injustice, discrimination, harassment, and bullying against the AAPI community.   Hate crimes against the AAPI community have been on the rise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A report released by “Stop AAPI Hate” revealed that there have been at least 3,795 hate incidents targeting the AAPI community between March 2020 and February 2021; more than 500 occurred in 2021.

The Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Ronald G. Taylor, shared, “On behalf of the Board and District leadership, we condemn any acts that would seek to diminish the worth of any one group due to their race, gender, nationality or heritage….”  The deaths of these eight people, six of whom were Asian American women, on Tuesday in Atlanta was an unspeakable tragedy for the families of the victims, first and foremost, and also for the AAPI community, who have been faced with high levels of racial discrimination.”

As a District, we stand in solidarity with our AAPI community, our staff, students, families, community partners, and any group that has faced injustice and racism. There is no place for hate and discrimination in our community and schools.  The victims of this shooting were mothers, wives, daughters, aunts, friends, a grandmother, an Army veteran, and a husband. We will not forget the names of those whose lives were tragically cut short on Tuesday, March 16, among them:

  1. Soon Chung Park, 74;
  2. Hyun Jung Grant, 51;
  3. Suncha Kim, 69; 
  4. Yong Ae Yue, 63;
  5. Delaina Yaun, 33;
  6. Xiaojie Tan, 49;
  7. Paul Andre Michels, 52; and
  8. Daoyou Feng, 44.

Internal Resources for Students:

We encourage members of our student/parent community to reach out to their school social workers and/or counseling department for individual & group counseling services for students.

  1. Elementary Schools:  Click here for more information: bit.ly/SOMSDElemSW
  2. Middle School & High School:  Your child’s  Guidance Counselor can provide counseling for your child, connect you with resources available in the Secondary Schools as well as provide referrals to an outside therapist.  Students with IEP’s should contact their case manager.

Additional external resources.

Dr. Ronald G. Taylor, Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Gretel Perez, Assistant Superintendent, Access & Equity

South Orange & Maplewood Board of Education

Long Range Facilities Updates: Four Elementary Schools Approved to Bid Process

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The District submitted six elementary school construction plans to the state for approval, we are happy to announce that we received approvals for four locations. Approvals to bid additions and renovations were received for Clinton, Jefferson, Seth Boyden, and Tuscan elementary schools. On March 11, construction bids were advertised for Clinton Elementary and Jefferson Elementary schools. Subsequent bids for the remaining two schools will be advertised in the coming weeks.  Construction plans for Marshall, South Mountain Elementary and South Mountain Annex are still in the approval process.

For more information on the LRFP project visit: http://bit.ly/3c1KwaS

Final Opportunity: Change Request Date for Virtual to Hybrid Learning is March 25th

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March 25, 2021, is the next change request date for our tentative phased-in re-entry scheduled for April 19 

  • For all grade levels: Parents should submit change requests to their school building principal/administrator, with their child’s name, grade-level, and teacher’s name by Thursday, March 25 (please note request are based on space availability)
  • Students approved for a change request will tentatively begin hybrid instruction during the next phased-in re-entry period starting the week of April 19.
  • IMPORTANT:  Please note, regardless of the grade-levels that re-enter on April 19, this will be the final opportunity for the school year for parents to make a virtual to hybrid change request for their child to their building principal.  In addition, a change request will always be subject to space capacity.

Virtual Middle School “Math Course Selection” Information Session: Tuesday, March 16 @ 7pm

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Middle School "Math Course Selection" Information Session

Tuesday, March 16, 2021, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

WebEx Information:

Virtual Instruction for All Students Effective 2/16/21

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Dear SOMSD Community,

We are in receipt of SOMEA’s email indicating that they are once again refusing to report to the school buildings. As per the Community Reopening Update of only a few hours ago, the District was making progress in its Phase 3 reopening with no evidence of in-school transmission. We felt that the Sidebar Agreement with SOMEA was working as intended. Notably, the initial walkthroughs resulted in agreement on numerous classrooms as being fit for use. Ultimately, it appears that disagreement over 34 workspaces, more than a dozen of which were brought to our attention as recently as Saturday, has led to this reaction. We are disappointed that our Phased reopening plan has again been disrupted. As we will lack the faculty necessary to staff the buildings, the District will resume virtual-only instruction indefinitely pending discussion with SOMEA’s representatives and consultation with our labor counsel as to remedies that will facilitate the resumption of our hybrid reopening plan. Central office employees will also work virtually.

The South Orange & Maplewood District
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