• Dear MMS families,

    In just over a month, we’ll be opening our doors for the 2022/23 school year and welcoming your children to Morningside! Before we do so, we are writing to request a few important action items from you and to share several important updates.

    SCHOOL FORMS

    First, all families (returning and new) must submit our Releases, Consents, and Family Questionnaire form by September 1. This form has space for you to upload your child’s Child Health Form (blank form attached here) and immunization record. Child Health Forms expire every 12 months, so we encourage you to get an appointment with your pediatrician this summer so everything will be in order for the first day of school. If your child will have medications or creams to keep at school, you can find the DOH-required administration consent forms here.

    We will be closed from August 1 - August 31. However, if you have any questions regarding these forms, you can email office@morningsidemontessori.org and we will get back to you within the week.

    ITEMS TO PREPARE

    Take a look at the Items to Bring to your Child’s First Day to get a head start on back-to-school shopping this summer.

    HEALTH & SAFETY POLICIES

    Our full Health & Safety Manual will be coming out in early September. In the meantime, we wish to share a few key updates:

    Masking Policy: with the NYC Department of Health’s (DoH) elimination of the indoor mask requirement for preschools, and the availability of the vaccine for children under 5, MMS will allow children to remove their masks on the 6th floor and terrace if this is their family’s preference. This policy goes into effect on October 3, 2022, in order to provide time for children under 5 to become fully vaccinated. Please note that masks are still required in all public spaces of the Ansche Chesed building, including the lobby, elevator, and stairwells. Families that prefer for their children to continue wearing masks at school will be supported by MMS.

    Test-to-Stay Policy: MMS will implement a test-to-stay program for vaccinated children. This means that vaccinated children will no longer need to quarantine at home following a close contact with a Covid-positive individual. Per the NYC DoH, unvaccinated children are still required to quarantine at home for at least 5 days following a close contact.

    Covid Vaccinations: We strongly encourage all MMS families to vaccinate their children for the many protections that the vaccine provides, and so that children may participate in our test-to-stay program when they have had a close contact with a Covid-positive individual. Morningside will not require Covid vaccinations for children at the start of the 2022-23 school year.

    Weekly Testing Requirement: All children will be required to submit weekly rapid test results. Please make sure you have rapid tests available at home for this purpose.

    Wishing you all a lovely August, and looking forward to seeing you this fall!

  • Dear families,

    I hope this email finds you all well and enjoying the summer! I’m pleased to write to you today with your child’s classroom assignment and several tips to ensure a smooth start to the school year.

    Classroom Assignment + School Directory:

    Your child will be in the Red Classroom, led by Vivian and Lisa. To learn more about your child’s teachers, and to see photos that you can share with your child before school begins, take a look at the attached Meet Your Teachers document. You can email redteam@morningsidemontessori.org to reach your child’s classroom teachers.

    I’m also sending along the full school directory, where you can find the contact information for your fellow parents. The last few weeks of summer can be a great time to set up playdates and start making new friends before the new school year. Please also take a moment to review your contact information in this document, and send me an email if anything needs to be updated!

    Welcome Circle Times via Zoom:

    We’d like to invite you to join the Red Team for two virtual circle times the week before school begins. This is a chance for your child to become familiar with their teachers and classmates before the first day of school! These will be held on Thursday, 9/1 at 1:30 PM and Friday, 9/2 at 9:30 AM, and will last approximately 15 minutes. You can join using the Zoom information below:

    ID: 992 6079 1969

    Password: Red2022

    Communication:

    Over the coming weeks and months, you will receive email communications from us. Please be sure to check your email and spam folder regularly, as email is our primary method of communication with families. If you have any questions or concerns at any time, please do not hesitate to contact us.

    Notes on Food:

    Dry organic snacks, fresh fruits, and vegetables will be provided for snack every day throughout the year. Your child is welcome to bring breakfast to eat at the school in the morning when they arrive. For children who will stay for lunch this fall (dismissal of 1:30 PM or later), please remember to pack a lunch on the first day of school and each day thereafter. Morningside is a nut-free school - please check the ingredients of pre-packaged snacks, and refrain from sending nuts or nut butters to school.

    Items to Work On This Month:

    Begin transitioning your child to a routine that will be compatible with their school routine - this is much easier when done gradually! If your child still naps, start gradually adjusting the time now so that it does not interfere with their hours at school. If your child will stay for lunch at school, begin packing some snacks in the containers you will use for school lunch so your child can practice opening and closing them.

    Allow your child to practice putting on and taking off their outdoor and indoor shoes, as this is something that they will be doing themselves multiple times each school day.

    Take a walk to see the school. This is good practice for the first day of school, and it will give you an idea of how much time it will take you to get to school in the morning. Please remember that no strollers are allowed in the school building, so plan accordingly.

    Get your child acclimated to masking indoors, if they aren’t already. While masks will become optional on our floor on October 3, they will still be required in the hallways, stairwells, and elevator of the building.

    We are so excited to welcome your children to Morningside in September.

  • Dear families,

    I hope this email finds you all well and enjoying the summer! I’m pleased to write to you today with your child’s classroom assignment and several tips to ensure a smooth start to the school year.

    Classroom Assignment + School Directory:

    Your child will be in the Blue Classroom, led by Sheree, Jasher, and Mary Jane. To learn more about your child’s teachers, and to see photos that you can share with your child before school begins, take a look at the attached Meet Your Teachers document. You can email blueteam@morningsidemontessori.org to reach your child’s classroom teachers.

    I’m also sending along the full school directory, where you can find the contact information for your fellow parents. The last few weeks of summer can be a great time to set up playdates and start making new friends before the new school year. Please also take a moment to review your contact information in this document, and send me an email if anything needs to be updated!

    Welcome Circle Times via Zoom:

    We’d like to invite you to join the Blue Team for two virtual circle times the week before school begins. This is a chance for your child to become familiar with their teachers and classmates before the first day of school! These will be held on Thursday, 9/1 at 1:30 PM and Friday, 9/2 at 9:30 AM, and will last approximately 15 minutes. You can join using the Zoom information below:

    ID: 964 1630 9819

    Password: M4v6uU

    Communication:

    Over the coming weeks and months, you will receive email communications from us. Please be sure to check your email and spam folder regularly, as email is our primary method of communication with families. If you have any questions or concerns at any time, please do not hesitate to contact us.

    Notes on Food:

    Dry organic snacks, fresh fruits, and vegetables will be provided for snack every day throughout the year. Your child is welcome to bring breakfast to eat at the school in the morning when they arrive. For children who will stay for lunch this fall (dismissal of 1:30 PM or later), please remember to pack a lunch on the first day of school and each day thereafter. Morningside is a nut-free school - please check the ingredients of pre-packaged snacks, and refrain from sending nuts or nut butters to school.

    Items to Work On This Month:

    Begin transitioning your child to a routine that will be compatible with their school routine - this is much easier when done gradually! If your child still naps, start gradually adjusting the time now so that it does not interfere with their hours at school. If your child will stay for lunch at school, begin packing some snacks in the containers you will use for school lunch so your child can practice opening and closing them.

    Allow your child to practice putting on and taking off their outdoor and indoor shoes, as this is something that they will be doing themselves multiple times each school day.

    Take a walk to see the school. This is good practice for the first day of school, and it will give you an idea of how much time it will take you to get to school in the morning. Please remember that no strollers are allowed in the school building, so plan accordingly.

    Get your child acclimated to masking indoors, if they aren’t already. While masks will become optional on our floor on October 3, they will still be required in the hallways, stairwells, and elevator of the building.

    We are so excited to welcome your children to Morningside in September.

  • Dear families,

    I hope this email finds you all well and enjoying the summer! I’m pleased to write to you today with your child’s classroom assignment, your phase-in calendar for the first month of school, and several tips to ensure a smooth start to the school year. This email contains a lot of important information - please take the time to read it thoroughly and let us know if you have questions. You can email office@morningsidemontessori.org to reach our admin team, or yellowteam@morningsidemontessori.org to reach your child’s classroom teachers.

    Classroom Assignment, Welcome Zoom, + School Directory

    Your child will be in the Yellow Classroom, led by Maria, Corina, and Laura. Maria will be out of the classroom for several weeks at the start of the year. During that time, Jamie will be stepping in to support the classroom. To learn more about your child’s teachers, and to see photos that you can share with your child before school begins, take a look at the attached Meet Your Teachers document.

    We’d like to invite you and your child to join the Yellow Team for two virtual circle times the week before school begins. This is a chance for your child to become familiar with their teachers and classmates before the first day of school! These will be held on Thursday, 9/1 at 1:30 PM and Friday, 9/2 at 9:30 AM, and will last approximately 15 minutes. You can join using the Zoom information below:

    Meeting ID: 921 6351 4987

    Password: sXHU4A

    I’m also sending along the full school directory, where you can find the contact information for your fellow parents. The last few weeks of summer can be a great time to set up playdates and start making new friends before the new school year. Please also take a moment to review your contact information in this document, and send me an email if anything needs to be updated!

    Phase-In Information:

    We are dedicated to ensuring a gentle and loving transition into school for our youngest students. Whether your child is about to attend school for the first time or has been in a program before, they will need support as they transition to a new routine. Our individualized approach takes into account that each child requires different amounts of time to acclimate. Maria, Corina, Laura, and Jamie will guide you during the phase-in period. To begin, an adult will be able to sit in the classroom with each child. As the days and weeks progress, your teachers will let each adult know when it’s appropriate to phase out.

    All children are asked to attend every day, if possible, during the first two weeks of school to support their acclimation. Please note your child’s arrival and dismissal time in the attached calendar, which has already been assigned for the first week of school - we recommend printing this for easy reference.

    Phase-in will be a three-week process beginning Tuesday, September 6.

    Week of September 6-9: Children attend class each day in small groups for 45-minutes sessions with a parent. These times have been assigned and are in the calendar (attached to this email).

    Week of September 12-16: Children who are ready for drop-off attend for one hour. Children who are still settling in in will attend for 45-minute sessions with a parent. These times will be assigned based on your child’s acclimation during the first week.

    Week of September 19-23: Children who are ready for drop-off attend from 9:00 am-12:00 pm. Children who are still settling in will attend with a parent from 10:00 am-12:00 pm.

    Week of September 26-30: All children attend for their normal schedule.

    During phase-in, a Yellow Team teacher will call or email you each Friday to discuss your child's schedule for the following week. Beginning 9/26, most children will be able to dismiss at their regularly scheduled dismissal times, while some may still be phasing-in, which is normal. Early arrival will begin on 9/26.

    Notes on Food:

    Dry organic snacks, fresh fruits and vegetables will be provided starting Sept. 19th. We will continue to provide organic snacks throughout the year. Your child is welcome to bring breakfast to eat at the school in the morning when they arrive. For children who will stay for lunch this fall (dismissal of 1:30 PM or later), packed lunch will not be needed until September 26. Morningside is a nut-free school - please check the ingredients of pre-packaged snacks, and refrain from sending nuts or nut butters to school.

    Communication:

    Over the coming weeks and months, you will receive email communications from us. Please be sure to check your email and spam folder regularly, as email is our primary method of communication with families. If you have any questions or concerns at any time, please do not hesitate to contact your teachers at yellowteam@morningsidemontessori.org or our administrative team at office@morningsidemontessori.org.

    Items to Work On This Month:

    Begin transitioning your child to a routine that will be compatible with their school routine - this is much easier when done gradually! If your child still naps, start gradually adjusting the time now so that it does not interfere with their hours at school. If your child uses a bottle, let them know that their bottle will wait at home while they are at school. If your child will stay for lunch at school, begin packing some snacks in the containers you will use for school lunch so your child can practice opening and closing them.

    Allow your child to practice putting on and taking off their outdoor and indoor shoes, as this is something that they will be doing themselves multiple times each school day.

    Take a walk to see the school. This is good practice for the first day of school, and it will give you an idea of how much time it will take you to get to school in the morning. Please remember that no strollers are allowed in the school building, so plan accordingly.

    Get your child acclimated to masking indoors, if they aren’t already. While masks will become optional on our floor on October 3, they will still be required in the hallways, stairwells, and elevator of the building.

    We are so excited to welcome your children to Morningside in September.