myMA
Dear Lower School Parents,
It may be summer, but it has been quite busy at the Lower School. Rooms have been painted, offices redesigned, some classrooms moved, with some interior construction still in process.
But, as we come to the end of July, it is time to start thinking about the beginning of another school year. This email contains information regarding school forms, new faculty and staff changes, school supplies, picnics, first day of school protocol and more, which will help you prepare for the 2019-20 school year! Please read this information carefully, mark your calendars, and plan to join us at the various events throughout the year.
If you have any questions about the information provided, please call the Lower School Office at 610-868-8571.
School Forms
At this time, we are asking all parents to log into the myMA portal to complete your child(ren)’s forms. There are a variety of forms to complete, including student health forms, Emergency Contact information, and other forms that we need to have completed annually.
Getting Started:
- To log in, click on the red myMA button located in the top right corner of the homepage (moravianacademy.org).
- Enter your username and password. If you have already logged in, your username and password have not changed. If this is your first time logging in, click on the link “Forgot Login or First Time Logging In” to create your username and password.
- Once you are logged in, you will see a bar across the top with personalized links that alert you to the forms you will need to complete. Simply click on the link to start completing the forms. Some of the data fields may pre-populate with the personal information that we have on file based on the forms you submitted for the previous school year.
- Some medical forms still require a physician signature.These forms will need to be downloaded and printed. Please return the forms requiring a physician signature to the Lower School Main Office.
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- Authorization for Medication During School Hours Form
- Allergy Action Plan Form
- Pennsylvania Department of Health Physical Examination Form (new families and students entering kindergarten who have not yet completed the form)
- Private Dentist Report(kindergarten, grade 3 and new families)
Click on Directories to view and edit your family’s contact information. To do this, search for your name in the Parent Directory and under “Options” select “Contact Card” (to edit, click on the pencil icon located in the top right corner). Please note: the email address listed on your Contact Card is the address used for school-wide email messages, as well as sending progress reports and report cards. It is important to keep these up to date.
Calendar
While you are logged into the myMA portal, you may wish to click on Calendar to view upcoming events for the school year. Select the event categories you wish to view in the left-hand sidebar, i.e. All School Events or Lower School Events.
Please note: Our website functions best when you use the most recently released version of your web browser. If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Stitt in the Lower School Main Office at 610-868-8571 or estitt@mamail.net.
Important Schedule Changes
For students in Grades K - 5, the school day begins at 8:10 am with First Community Circle.
- Students arriving by bus will first report to the C.E. Auditorium when they are dropped off in the morning and will then report to their classrooms at 8:00 am.
- Car-Line/Drop-Off will be open from 7:55-8:05 am, with classrooms opening at 8:00 am. Students dropped off before 7:55 am will report to Morning Extended in Miss Endress’s room and be billed accordingly. Students that arrive after 8:05 am should be walked to office and students arriving after 8:10 am will be marked tardy.
- For students in Primer and Pre-K, the school day begins at 8:20 am. Classrooms will open at 8:05 fam or drop-off. Parents of Primer and Pre-K students may temporarily park on the lot from 8:05 - 8:20 am in order to walk their children to their classrooms. There is no parking on the lot after 8:25 am. Students that arrive after 8:20 am should come to the main office to sign-in as tardy.
- MABC will occur each morning from 10:20 -10:30 am.
- Chapel will be Wednesday mornings from 9:30 -10:05 am. See below for important information regarding Opening Chapel on Tuesday, August 27th.
- Dismissal is at 3:00 pm every day, including Thursdays.
First Day of School - Launch Day!
Our opening day of school is Monday, August 26th for students in Grades 1-5. Students should arrive in their informal uniforms with requested school supplies for this first full day of school.
Students in Primer, Pre-K, and Kindergarten will receive information regarding the first day of school and orientation times on August 5th.
All-School Opening Chapel
This annual event will occur on the second day of school, Tuesday, August 27th. Lower School students (Grades 1 to 5) and faculty will gather with students and faculty from the Middle and Upper Schools in Central Moravian Church at 9:30 am. Chapel will be followed by our traditional flag-raising ceremony. Students should wear their formal uniforms.
Staffing Updates
- Mrs. Shea Andriko will be moving into the Grade 2 classroom.
- Mrs. Sarah Harshman will take on the role of our early childhood librarian and elementary literacy and classroom support teacher.
- Mrs. Beth Matlock will be moving back to Grade 4 as the previous Grade 3 classes move ahead.
- Mrs. Vanessa Norrell (Ms. Falcone) will teach the English section of Grade 3.
- We are currently interviewing candidates for the part-time position of Grade 4 and 5 Physical Education Teacher.
Hiring Updates
Ms. Veronica Guevara arrives at Moravian to be our new Spanish Humanities teacher in the Lower and Middle School. She will create a new course of studies for the post-immersion students starting in fifth grade, be a co-leader for a fifth-grade bilingual homeroom, and teach two sections of seventh grade Spanish. Veronica is excited to join the MA community and comes with a wealth of experience, including previous positions teaching Spanish for over 22 years at three independent schools. She is a passionate teacher with deep experience writing curriculum. At previous schools, she also served as the Middle School Innovative Mentor Teacher and planned and developed a middle school cultural exchange program and led numerous international student trips to Spanish-speaking countries around the world.
Ms. Emily Anglund-Nellen will be joining the Lower School faculty teaching the second section of English Grade 1. A graduate of Smith College, majoring in Education and Child Study, Emily also earned her Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has over 20 years of experience teaching in independent schools, including The Cathedral School in New York and New Cannan Country School in Connecticut where she taught Grade 1 and 2, respectively.
Mr. John Whelan will be the assistant in the English Kindergarten class. John brings many years of experience, most recently as a kindergarten teacher at The Swain School. Before that, he taught for many years as a kindergarten teacher in the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District in New Jersey. John earned his bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Hartford and his Master of Arts in School Administration from William Patterson University. John is a Mindfulness and Meditation enthusiast & enjoys sharing the practice with students.
Srta. Damaris Torres will be the assistant in the Spanish Immersion Kindergarten class. Damaris has a wealth of experience working with multiple populations, most recently employed at Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Cs. Before that, she spent ten years at the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley as their Senior Center Manager in South Bethlehem. She attended the Ponce Puerto Rico University and earned an associates degree in business management at Lehigh Carbon Community College. Damaris is passionate about transcending cultural differences by building common language & understanding.
Mr. Matt Laubscher will be the new Lower and Middle School Librarian. Matt earned a Bachelor's in Elementary Education with a concentration in Social Studies from Nyack College & his Master of Library and Information Science from Rutgers University. Matt previously served as an elementary school librarian in Long Hill Township Public Schools & a high school librarian at Bound Brook High School in New Jersey. Matt enjoys basketball, reading, board games, & swimming.
Extended Registration
Extended Session is a before and after school program that Moravian Academy provides for Lower School students in Primer through Grade 5. Morning extended is available from 7:30 - 8:00 am in Miss Endress’s classroom. Afternoon extended is available from 3:00 - 6:00 pm in the C.E. Building. If you plan to use afternoon extended for the 2019-2020 school year, please click here to see more information and register.
School Supplies
There are specific supply requests for each grade level. Click here to find the list, or go to the Lower School resource board on myMA. The Lower School will be supplying customized student planners to each student in Grades 2-5. All COMENIUS letter days are clearly marked.
String and Band Registration
Mrs. Wetzel, Ms. Morrison, and Dr. Fanning are excited to welcome new students and returning students in Kindergarten and Grades 1-5 to participate in Moravian Academy’s instrumental program. Violin and cello lessons can begin in Kindergarten, viola lessons begin in Grades 2 or 3. Please click here to find the registration form and more detailed information about the program. All registrations are due to the Lower School Office on or before August 29th.
Uniforms
Click here to see Moravian Academy’s dress code and uniform information. The Lower School’s Used-Uniform Closet is a great place to find gently used uniform essentials at a discounted price. Please call the office to make an appointment to shop. Uniforms are also available at Flynn O'Hara.
Birthday Book Orders
A Birthday Book is a book donated to the Lower School Library in the name of a student on the occasion of his or her birthday. The book bears a Birthday Book stamp inside its front cover naming the honoree. If you would like to take part, please print this order form and send it with a check for $20.00 (made out to Moravian Academy) to the Lower School office.
Important Upcoming Dates
- Monday, August 12-16: Summer Skills, 9:00 - 11:30 am, Lower School Campus, Grades 1 - 5. Click here to register
- Thursday, August 15: Lower School Playdate, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Lower School Playground, Primer to Grade 5. Click here to RSVP
- Sunday, August 25: All School Back to School Picnic, Merle-Smith Campus, Benigna House
- Monday, August 26: Opening Day of School, Grades 1-12
- Tuesday, August 27: All-School Chapel, Grades 1-12 *Formal Uniforms Required
- Wednesday, August 28: Grade 1 and 2 Picnic, 5:30-7:00 pm, Lower School Campus
- Friday, August 30: Labor Day Weekend, School Closed
- Monday, September 2: Labor Day Weekend, School Closed
- Wednesday, September 11: LS Picture Day, Primer - Grade 5 *Formal Uniforms Required for Grades 1-5
- Friday, September 13: Red & Gold Games
- Thursday, September 19: Back to School Parents' Night, 6 - 8:30 pm, Primer - Grade 5
Information from the Office of Institutional Advancement
At Moravian Academy, there are many opportunities for parents and friends to get involved in activities that enhance the community and the student experience. Today, we ask that you go to the following links and get involved by updating your contact information, adding the names of grandparents for Grandparents events in November, and signing up for many of our volunteer opportunities and activities.
- Sign up to volunteer, CLICK HERE
- Sign up for the 5K Fun Run/Walk on October 5, CLICK HERE
- To participate in the Golf Outing or to sponsor the event, CLICK HERE
- Submit grandparent information, CLICK HERE
- For more information on the opening Back-to-School Picnic on August 25 and to RSVP, CLICK HERE
- Moravian Connect is a way to interact with alumni, parents, and others in our community, to sign up, CLICK HERE
- Purchase your Moravian Academy gear, CLICK HERE
We’ve just shared a lot of information with you. So please, should you have additional questions or need further assistance, don’t hesitate to call us in the Lower School Office at 610-868-8571.
I am excited about the upcoming school year, and I hope you are too! I look forward to seeing you in a few weeks.
Regards,
