The Mercer Messenger
Mercer County Special Services School District
Fall Focus
Dear School Community Families,
It is hard to believe it is October already! Our students returned to our buildings ready to jump right in, and our schools were delighted to welcome families during Back to School Night. This month, students will participate in activities and discussions focused on respect, anti-violence, bullying prevention, and drug awareness.
We are also excited to continue our partnership with Timberlane Middle School (Hopewell Valley Regional School District) for the annual Hallowheels Program. Hallowheels is an inclusive STEM initiative where Timberlane students design and build custom adaptive Halloween costumes for students at MES.
As our students enjoy fall festival activities, academic instruction is well underway. Select MHS students are preparing for the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment, baseline assessments have been administered, and work in our IXL program is in full swing.
I look forward to sharing our students' many accomplishments with you throughout the school year.
Warmly,
Kristen Taylor, Ed.S.
Interim Superintendent
🏫 Week of Respect
The Week of Respect is observed annually in New Jersey during the week beginning with the first Monday in October, as required by N.J.S.A. 18A:37-29. During this week, all public school districts are required to provide age-appropriate instruction and activities focused on the prevention of harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB).
At MCSSSD, each building plans school-wide and classroom-based activities for our students, including themed spirit days, classroom door decorating contests, Respect Super Cards, and more! Look for pictures on our website and social media accounts to catch some of the activities and fun!
🍎 Lunch Applications
Online Lunch Applications
Important Reminder: Each year, a new school meal application must be submitted. If a new application is not submitted, your child's prior-year free or reduced-price eligibility will expire on October 19th.
Please complete your child's lunch application as soon as possible to allow enough time for the district to process it.
Click here to access the online lunch application through the Parent Portal on Realtime.
🚧 Facility/Campus Projects
Facilities and Campus Project Updates
Periodically, we will update you on the status of campus/facility projects. With the support of the Mercer County Commissioners and County Executive, the district started numerous projects this summer and look forward to future initiatives.
📣 MCSSSD SEPAG
Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG)
An effective SEPAG that uses parental input can help improve educational outcomes and well-being for all students, help identify unmet needs, improve district culture and climate, and help shape the development of programs, services, and policies.
We are developing this year's SEPAG meeting schedule and will publish the dates and times as well as session topics on the district website. Look for more information later this month!
📆 Important Dates and Resources
Below are a few important dates and resources for families.
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Thursday, October 15: Parent Conferences- Reduced session for students
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November 5-6: Schools Closed- NJEA Convention
November 26 & 27: Schools Closed- Thanksgiving Recess
MCSSSD District Website
MCSSSD Parent Portal
MCSSSD Payschools Online Lunch Payments
NJDOE Office of Special Education- Parental Rights and Engagement