Morton Junior High School News and Notes

Each week the counseling department will send out an article, podcast, or video designed to connect you with insights about technology, emotional health, or career pathways related to your teen. Click here to  learn more about the MJHS counseling team .   Middle School Survival Guide for Parents from a Teacher and Mom of 4 At the beginning of the school year, there was a funny meme floating around featuring a flamboyantly dressed Elton John representing an elementary teacher. Next to him is a deadpan guy looking annoyed, representing a high school teacher. And below both is a scene from a gladiator film with a sword-brandishing warrior as the middle school teacher. It’s funny because it’s true. Middle school is wild! It’s also fun, challenging, and always emotional — for kids and parents.   Click here to  learn more about how to “survive” parenting middle schoolers.

Parents / Guardians,  This is just a reminder that parent/teacher conferences are this week from 8:00-7:00 on Thursday & 8:00 to 12:00 on Friday. The deadline to utilize the two options below is this evening at midnight.  After tonight, please call the office to schedule your conference.  Listed below are two options parents can select from when considering what best works for each individual family’s schedule and needs.  1. EMAIL:  I would like an email synopsis from my student’s TEAM of teachers. This will be sent out by Friday The deadline to request this is Tuesday (at midnight)     Click HERE to fill out form 2. IN-PERSON CONFERENCE: I would like to meet IN-PERSON for a 15-minute conference with my student’s TEAM of teachers.  Click the Sign Up link below to sign up for an IN-PERSON conference Click the TEAM your student is on from the tabs at the top of the page (very important) and select conference time IN-PERSON Parent-Teac...

Each week the counseling department will send out an article, podcast, or video designed to connect you with insights about technology, emotional health, or career pathways related to your teen. Click here to  learn more about the MJHS counseling team .   Nine Easy Homework Help Tips Every Parent Should Know How can you as a parent establish healthy homework habits in your child, starting from a young age? We’ve compiled some tips and tricks to help you provide effective homework help and to ensure your child develops the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. Click here to  learn more about homework help tips.

Tonight, we want to provide an update regarding the situation reported on Saturday evening. After a thorough assessment over the weekend, we have determined that the information reported to the administration was not credible. Therefore, school will operate under normal conditions on Tuesday. Please know that we take all threats seriously, as the safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority. Following consultation with local authorities, we are confident that the matter has been fully addressed. If you have any questions, please contact the MJHS Principal, Chris Carter, or the MCUSD 709 Superintendent, Dr. Joe Sander.  We want to emphasize two  very important  points to all parents/guardians and students.  Prompt reporting is essential in maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students, highlighting the importance of  “If you see something or hear something, say something.”  This can be done by contacting the school ...

Today, we were made aware of an incident that may have involved a concerning comment made by a junior high student in the proximity of other students.  We take all such comments seriously, and the administration immediately began investigating the nature and severity of the concern. Following our district safety assessment protocol, today we have contacted all parents/guardians of students who were reported to have information regarding the specifics of the incident. Our School Resource Officer (SRO) has also been included in this process.   At this time, the credibility of the reported information has not been verified, and we are working with the SRO to resolve the report as soon as possible.  We will provide an update on this situation once we can make that determination.   Sincerely, Chris Carter and Joe Sander

Gray Team Parents/Guardians,  Each year, the Red & White Club (PTO) coordinates “teacher appreciation” breakfast/snacks for the staff on or around the first of each month.  Instead of asking all parents each month to consider contributing, we will ask one team’s parents each month.  For this month, we are asking the 8th Grade’s Gray Team parents. Please consider donating to this committee for October 14.   Here is the link to this month’s schedule.   Link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AA5AF2DAAFBC43-59297322-mjhs#/   Thank you, Chris Carter Principal

Each week the counseling department will send out an article, podcast, or video designed to connect you with insights about technology, emotional health, or career pathways related to your teen. Click here to  learn more about the MJHS counseling team .   Busy schedule? The benefits of daily downtime for kids may surprise you Technology has played a major role in wiring our kids’ brains for instant gratification. From fast-paced video games to interactive toys that flash and play music to streaming TV shows and other entertainment, kids are used to constant stimulation and getting their desires met quickly. It’s a product of our fast-paced society and stimulating environment, said  Laura Hlavaty, PhD , pediatric psychologist in Akron Children’s  Lois and John Orr Family Behavioral Health Center . That’s why for today’s busy family, she touts the tremendous value in taking regular breaks and establishing daily downtime or quiet time for kids of all ages—even adults. B...