The Middletown Minute Cover Photo

UPCOMING DATES

Wednesday, December 6 – Friday, December 8, 2023 (Elementary Schools only): Early Dismissal for all Students (due to conferences) 

Tuesday, December 12, 2023: Early Dismissal for all Students (PDES Day)

Tuesday, December 12, 2023: Board of Education Meeting (details below)

Friday, December 22, 2023: Early Dismissal for all Students (Winter Break)

Monday, December 25, 2023 through Monday, January 1, 2024: Winter Break

Our 2023-2024 school year calendar can always be found here: https://www.middletownschools.org/page/district-calendar 

ACTION REQUIRED or REQUESTED - IMMEDIATELY

All: Your Feedback is Requested

The primary purpose of The Middletown Minute and The Community Connector are to provide information to various stakeholder groups in a streamlined manner (read: one place and fewer emails).

In order to ensure that we’re meeting that goal with the newsletter The Middletown Minute, please complete this voluntary and anonymous two question survey by Friday, December 15, 2023: https://forms.gle/2SAiKSuouhfUciP27  

ACTION REQUIRED or REQUESTED - ONGOING 

Please use the forms linked below (also accessible on THIS PAGE) to submit the following items: flyers to be shared internally and/or externally; cheers to peers, district highlight proposal, and sharing good news. These items, when sent through email, often get looked over.

Reminder: Flyer Submission

Central Office contact on this matter: Jessie Lavorgna 

If you or anyone else would like to submit a flyer, please read these guidelines and submit your flyer here.  All active/current flyers can be viewed here:

https://www.middletownschools.org/page/community-hub 

Reminder: 🌟Cheers to Peers! 🌟

Central Office contact on this matter: Jessie Lavorgna 

Complete THIS GOOGLE FORM to give one of our colleagues a shout out.

Every week, the newest round of "Cheers" will be published in The Middletown

Minute. This form is always accessible on our staff site, here: https://www.middletownschools.... 

Reminder: Proposal for a District Highlight at a BOE Meeting

Central Office contact on this matter: Jessie Lavorgna 

Linked below is a form for all MPS Employees to use when they/their students have a project/event/achievement/etc. that they feel should be presented to the Board of Education as part of the District Highlights portion of the meeting. All suggestions are welcomed. If selected, you will be contacted one week prior to the meeting. https://forms.gle/LZ2ZQaNB1dKdCA3J6 This form is always accessible on our staff site, here: https://www.middletownschools.... 

Reminder: Share Your Good News!

Central Office contact on this matter: Jessie Lavorgna 

If you have something you would like shared in The Middletown Minute, The Community Connector, on our website, and/or with local press, submit it here. This form is great for things that have already happened. Let’s spread the news about how amazing our teachers, staff, students, and families are! This form is always accessible on our staff site, here: https://www.middletownschools.... 

INFORMATION for EMPLOYEES

Tuesday, December 12, 2023: Middletown Board of Education (BOE) Meeting 

The December Board of Education Meeting will be on Tuesday, December 12, 2023. It will begin at 6:30 PM and will be held in the Auditorium of Beman Middle School. When the agenda is available, it will be posted here: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/2423

🌟Cheers to Nyanda Maille! 🌟

Cheers to Nyanda Maille from Nikki Barone. 

Ms. Nyanda Maille and I had the opportunity to work together on a very difficult payroll situation.  Despite multiple obstacles not of her own doing Ms. Maille was always so gracious, kind, and an absolute pleasure to be around.  Because of her diligence and consistent follow through we were able to rectify the situation.  Ms. Maille is an absolute gem and exudes sunshine.  She is one of the kindest people I have had the opportunity to encounter.  Despite the difficult situation I feel lucky that I was able to get to know her.  Our district is so lucky to have her.

New! Seed to Spork Newsletter

Central Office contact on this matter: Randall Mel

The Office of Food, Nutrition and Wellness’ Monthly Newsletter, Seed to Spork, can be found via the link below. In the first edition, you will find information from our Food Educators and Department for Families and Staff. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FCbmK18cCFO4Hgr_NgJH-xrp5TW46bdh?usp=drive_link 

Reminder! Open Invitation to Join the Menu Advisory (Wellness) Committee 

Central Office contact on this matter: Randall Mel

The Middletown Public Schools’ Office of Food, Nutrition and Wellness and our supporting colleagues would like to invite staff, students and community members to join our Menu Advisory (Wellness) Committee.

The purpose of this committee is to obtain feedback on school food to guide our menu planning, as well as provide an opportunity to discuss program expansions including after school meals, composting, reusable serving ware, food pantries, school gardens, supporting local farms, nutrition education and other efforts. We encourage students, especially, to join so that their voice is present in creating and implementing new menu options district wide and supporting nutrition education efforts.

The committee meets 4 times per school year, as a collective group virtually after school. If you are interested please reach out to our School Nutrition Food Educator Jen Smith at jen.smith@foodcorps.org or to the Office of Food, Nutrition and Wellness at food-nutrition@mpsct.org.

Information: MPS Employee Info Site

Central Office contact on this matter: Jessie Lavorgna 

In case you missed it, we recently launched our MPS Employee Info Site. This site (https://www.middletownschools.org/o/staff) will eventually house all of the necessary information and documents that MPS employees need. Everything in one place! Hooray! If there is something you would like to be available through this site, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/iDDae1NADgsa6Bog7 

INFORMATION to share with FAMILIES

New! Notification for MySchoolBucks Lunch Accounts

Central Office contact on this matter: Randall Mel or Erin Thazhampallath

MySchoolBucks, for only the month of December, will be adding in a one time $2.50 program fee for the first payments added to student accounts through the website; this is in addition to the regular $2.75 processing fee. 

To prevent this charge, please send your student with cash or check (made out to the Middletown School Lunch Fund) if you would like for your student to have funds to purchase snacks which can be added with no processing fee into your student's account. 

Please remember all MPS students are entitled to one free breakfast and one free lunch per day. Monies added into a student meal account are only to purchase snacks or additional meals. 

If you have any questions please reach out directly to the Office of Food, Nutrition and Wellness at food-nutrition@mpsct.org or by phone at 860-704-4519.