ACTION REQUIRED or REQUESTED - IMMEDIATELY

Nothing at this time.

ACTION REQUIRED or REQUESTED - ONGOING

New! New School Menu Platform Launching April 1, 2024 

Central Office contact on this matter: Randall Mel

New School Menu Platform Launching April 1st: Beginning April 1st, 2024; the Office of Food, Nutrition and Wellness will be introducing our new interactive menu program called MySchoolMenus. This menu platform includes the ability to see our menus in over 150 languages, pictures of all menu items, nutrition analysis for dietary modifications (great for our school nurses), and even has a convenient mobile app. We will be sending out information on the program throughout the month of March to highlight the program including an introductory video. We will still have our current menu platform for the remainder of this school year, but will begin the full transition over to this program. 

Reminder: Website Updates

If there are any updates/changes/edits to be made to your school’s website and/or the district’s website, please work with your school’s ETS and/or Danielle Gagnon-Smith. Thank you!

INFORMATION

New! Awareness Days/Weeks & Holidays in March

Some upcoming dates and weeks to be aware of:

• March: Women’s History Month

• March: Music in Our Schools Month

• March 3, 2024: School Social Work Week begins (Mar. 3-9)

• March 4, 2024: National School Breakfast Week begins (Mar. 4-8)

• March 8, 2024: International Women’s Day

• March 8, 2024: International Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Day

• March 10, 2024: Daylight Saving Time begins (Clocks Spring Forward)

• March 10, 2024: Ramadan begins at sundown (Mar. 10-Apr. 9)

• March 17, 2024: St. Patrick's Day

• March 19, 2024: Spring Equinox 

• March 19, 2024: Nowruz (Persian New Year)

• March 21, 2024: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

• March 21, 2024: World Down Syndrome Day

• March 23, 2024: Purim (begins at Sunset)

• March 24, 2024: Palm Sunday

• March 25, 2024: Holi

• March 29, 2024: Good Friday

• March 31, 2024: César Chávez Day

• March 31, 2024: Easter

• March 31, 2024: Transgender Day of Visibility

New! It’s National School Breakfast Week

Central Office contact on this matter: Randall Mel

March 4th through March 8th is National School Breakfast Week from the School Nutrition Association. As is our tradition we want to promote some new and exciting breakfast options for our students along with some special prizes and activities to highlight the importance of a nutritious breakfast. Please find our National School Breakfast Week menu here: National School Breakfast Week 2024

New! Seed to Spork (March Edition)

Central Office contact on this matter: Randall Mel

The Office of Food, Nutrition and Wellness would like to share our March edition of our Community Newsletter "Seed to Spork" for all families and staff. Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-iSpuBYbfQWN6jAUC8kXYbCdk8e82WKn/view?usp=drive_link   

New! Thank you: Black History Month Employee Spotlights

Central Office contact on this matter: Jessie Lavorgna

An enormous and heartfelt THANK YOU to all those who participated in the Black History Month Employee Spotlight series. In case you missed them, the posts can be found here: https://www.middletownschools.org/o/mps/page/black-history-employee-spotlight

Additionally, please be on the lookout for an invitation to participate in the following Employee Spotlights:

• March 2024: Women’s History Month & Music in Our Schools Month

• April 2024: A Celebration of Neurodiversity & Disability Pride Month

• May 2024: Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month

• June 2024: Pride Month 

New! Thank you: Public Schools Week

Central Office contact on this matter: Jessie Lavorgna

Thank you to all of you who participated in our acknowledgement of Public Schools Week 2024. Your personal stories of being a proud public school graduate and your love of our public schools can be found here:

https://www.middletownschools.org/o/mps/page/psw24  

New! Spring 2024 MPS Culture and Climate Survey

Central Office contact on this matter: Paul Griswold

The Spring 2024 MPS Culture and Climate Survey for families opened on Monday, March 4 and will close on Friday, March 22. There is a unique url for each school that can be found here. The Culture and Climate Survey for employees will be released at a later date.

New! Superintendent Communications

Central Office contact on this matter: Jessie Lavorgna

If you’re ever looking for a previously released letter/communication from Dr. Vázquez Matos, they can all be found here, under “Superintendent Communications”: https://www.middletownschools.org/page/communications#WritComms  

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

The February Board of Education Meeting will be on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. The meeting 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