Title 1 Caregiver Info Night 12/11
BGR 8th Grade Fundraiser 11/30
Are you tired of turkey leftovers? Switch to Burgers!
We’ve got your dinner plans covered for Thursday, November 30!
Place your orders at BGR- Burgers Grilled Right in South Orange and Mention MMS 8th Grade Fundraiser and we'll receive a portion of the proceeds from all sales. Order in-person or online at https://order.thanx.com/bgr.
Be sure to mention MMS 8th Grade Fundraiser when placing your order or picking up.
All funds received will go towards 8th Grade field trips.
Maplewood Library Upcoming Teen Events


Join the Maplewood Library Teen Services Librarian, Ayoola White for these FREE upcoming events for teens!
Across a Field of Starlight- Nov 29, Dec 7, Dec 21 in the MMS Cafeteria (or register to attend on Zoom)
Anime & Manga Drawing Tutorial taught by Comic Artist Doug Baron- Thursday, Nov 30 4-5:30 at the Hilton Branch Library. Registration is required.
Cozy Winter Crafts- Wednesday, December 6, 4pm at the Hilton Branch. Registration is required.
Questions? Contact Ayoola White at ayoola.white@maplewood.bccls.org
SOMSD Parenting Center Toy Drive
Now in its 26th year, the SOMSD's Parenting Center & Rent Party's Annual Toy Drive provides gifts for children in our district. Last year, our toy drive benefitted over 400 children in our two communities. This year, we are once again counting on you to help us bring the spirit of the holidays to those in need in our community.
Contributions/donations are being accepted via:
Make an online tax deductible contribution at https://gofund.me/92ab4bc4
Donate a toy from the Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1BF9K6T6RSYN3?ref_=w_share
Drop off a toy at any district elementary school drop box from November 20 - December 15 (new toys only, please)
Buy One, Donate One at the following local stores:
Sparkhouse and Toy Division.
SOMA Shares Coat Drive
Soma Shares Coat Drive is in full swing!
We specifically need the following sizes:
3 XL women
2 M men
1 L men
1 10-12 boy
1 13-14 boy
Please reach out for drop off locations or if you can use a coat.
Shop our Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/330HM6QZA3IM0...
or donate $$$ directly via this link: https://www.aplos.com/aws/give/SOMAJustice/SOMAShares
Student ID Badge Policy Begins 11/27
REMINDER, all MMS students will receive their ID badges tomorrow, Monday, November 27.
See Ms. Gronau’s letter sent home 11/20:
Dear Maplewood Middle School Students and Caregivers,
At Maplewood Middle School (MMS), we care about the safety and well-being of our students and all who enter our doors. In accordance with updated Policy 7440, which states, “Secondary school students are required to wear their student I.D.s at all times throughout the school day,” MMS students will begin wearing school I.D. badges at all times beginning on Monday, November 27, 2023. This includes our conference period and at any time students are on school grounds.
We will issue student badges with lanyards during the first period on November 27th. Students will be required to wear their badges at all times and we will regularly remind our students to wear their badges. Additionally, we suggest that students keep their ID badges in backpacks overnight at home so they don’t misplace them for school the following morning.
In an effort to prevent student referrals to grade level administrators for not wearing their ID badges, we ask for your support in this effort, as we help our students navigate this change.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at dgronau@somsd.k12.nj.us. We appreciate your partnership in maintaining a safe environment for students, staff, and visitors at MMS.
Sincerely,
Ms. Gronau
Save the Date- 8th Grade EOY Events
Save the Date! The 8th Grade Dinner Dance is Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 at the Maplewood Country Club.
The 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony is Thursday, June 20, 2024 at Maplewood Middle School.
*The MMS Moving Up Ceremony is on the last day of school. Should SOMSD change the date of the last day of school, the MMS Moving Up Ceremony will then move to the updated date.
SEPAC Soma Cup Chats
SEPAC SOMA CUP CHATS
Thursday, November 16 @ 7:00pm
District Meeting Room, 525 Academy St, Maplewood
DR. ROSS GREENE FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION: The ideas shared at the Parenting Center Speaker Series with Dr Ross Greene about challenging behaviors were incredibly thought-provoking. We’ll keep the conversation going at our November Cup Chat with a focus on the October presentation, Dr Greene’s books, and our own experiences with supporting our kids’ behaviors at home and in the classroom.
Visit livesinthebalance.org/ for more info about his work.
About the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC SOMA).
Spiritwear Holiday Pop-Up Sale [copy]
Did you miss out on our last Spiritwear sale? Want to gift your cougar some additional items for the holidays?
Show your MMS Cougar pride! We have some of your old favorites and some brand new items too - perfect for holiday gifting!
Items will be delivered to the first-period class by December 8th, OR we can arrange a separate pickup if you want it to be a holiday surprise - just indicate that in the "SURPRISE" field at check out!
But you have to act quickly - the deadline to order is November 18th! Here is the link to the store https://nk-graphics.com/MMS_HOLIDAY_23/shop/home