OCTOBER 23, 2026
A Letter from the MS Admin Team
Please see this week’s letter from Assistant Head of Middle School, Catherine Gaynor, as she reflects on how goal-setting, student choice, and taking positive risks shape our students' growth.
The Wellness and Counseling Corner
Please see this letter from Director of Counseling, Daniella Kessler, and Middle School PE, Health and Wellness Department Chair, Leon Shade, regarding updates about our Counseling and Wellness programs.
Mandatory Global Experience Family Informational Meeting — Tuesday, October 27
An in-person informational meeting for eighth-grade students and their families will be held on Tuesday, October 27, from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. in Logan Auditorium. Information pertaining to this year's two Global Experience Middle School trips will be provided. Please note: this meeting is mandatory.
See details below for each trip:
- Spain: March 12 - 20, 2027 — Open to students in eighth grade taking Spanish
- Costa Rica: March 13 - 18, 2027 — Open to all students in eighth grade
Rising Ninth Grade Night — Wednesday, October 28
All eighth-grade students and families are invited to attend this event on Wednesday, October 28, from 7:00–8:30 p.m. at the Upper School to learn more about what the Upper School offers, both inside and outside the classroom. Join us to learn about the Upper School schedule, research and writing, athletics, extracurriculars, and more! We will begin the evening in Weiss Auditorium and then move to various stations throughout the night. If you have any questions, please contact Steve Brown.
Picture Retake Day — Thursday, October 29
Photo retakes will be on Thursday, October 29. Students should let their advisor know if they intend to take photos. Students should come to school in dress code.
🎃 Halloween Parade — Friday, October 30
Halloween is around the corner! The Middle School will celebrate with a costume parade during Assembly on the morning of Friday, October 30. Students can wear their costumes to school and keep them on throughout the day or change into dress code attire.
Students are NOT permitted to:
- Wear costumes that make references to drugs, alcohol, overt sexuality, or gratuitous violence.
- Bring any kind of weapons as part of their costumes.
- Wear costumes that demean any race, ethnicity, religion, culture, nationality, sexual orientation, ability, or gender.
- Wear any costumes that reveal undergarments or do not sufficiently cover a student’s body.
Parent-Teacher Conferences — Thursday, November 12
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, November 12! You will be able to sign up for conferences via the Veracross Parent Portal on Tuesday, October 27, beginning at 3:00 p.m. We have included instructions for the sign-up process below. If you are having any technical problems, please reach out to our Director of Educational Technology, Jen Coxe, for support. Also, if these conference dates are not possible for you, please reach out to your child's advisor/s.
The instructions to sign up are as follows:
- Log in to the Veracross Parent Portal using your Veracross credentials.
- Click on the “Sign Up Here for Parent-Teacher Conferences” button.
- Select a time slot for your child/ren. Selections will save automatically.
- To print your conference schedule, click the “Blue Printer Button” in the “My Schedule” box. Please note: You will also be able to see your scheduled conferences in your Veracross Household Calendar.
This document includes more detailed instructions for signing up for conferences. Please note that sign-ups will close on Monday, November 9.
Amplify Desmos Math Caregiver Letter
Please read this letter to learn more about our core math curriculum, Amplify Desmos Math, and the resources available to support your child at school and at home.
Helping Students Thrive: MKA’s C.O.R.E. Program for Executive Functioning
Our Middle School Learning Specialist, Dagny Baker, developed the C.O.R.E. Program, which is a comprehensive framework designed to build students’ executive functioning skills: Control, On-Task, Responsibility, and Efficacy to best support our students. You can learn more about how the program is being implemented here.
Middle School Dress Code: Transition Guidance & New Store Options
We want to ensure our Middle School families feel informed and supported regarding our dress code policies. The school store has been updated, and the inventory includes official MKA-branded sweaters and cardigans for purchase (see photo below).
We know this is a new change, so to support families, and as the winter months approach, we’ll be implementing a flexible transition policy that permits students to wear plain, solid-colored sweaters and cardigans from home for the remainder of the 2026-2027 school year, with the new branded options being fully enforced in the next school year.
We are here to support our community through this transition. If you have any questions regarding the dress code or the transition policy, please reach out to Cali Burks.
Important Upcoming Dates
Book Fair Committee Meetings (8:15–9:15 a.m.)
- Monday, October 26
- Monday, November 2
Save the Date
- Thursday, November 6 - Wednesday, November 11 — Scholastic Book Fair
- Friday, November 6, 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. — PS Pajama Night
- Monday, November 9, 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. — MS Book Fair Evening Edition
For a complete calendar listing of PAMKA events, please view the PAMKA calendar in Veracross.
📚 Scholastic Book Fair — November 6–11
Few things are sweeter than the smell of new books and the fun of choosing which ones to bring home. The Scholastic Book Fair returns Friday, November 6 – Wednesday, November 11, and PAMKA is planting the seeds for this year's theme, Grow a Reader, Grow a Dreamer. Get shopping schedules and details on the PAMKA Book Fair webpage.
Help it Bloom! Volunteers Needed.
Our fair grows on parent power. Sign up for a shift:
Want an Author's Autograph?
Pre-sale orders guarantee books personally signed by our visiting authors. Preorder here.
Pass It On, Pick It Up.
Drop off like-new, MKA-branded spirit wear & dress code items in the collection bins at the Primary and Middle Schools. Then restock at PAMKA's consignment pop-up during the Book Fair evening events!
PJ Night at the Primary School (RSVP Required)
On Friday, November 6, from 6:30–8:00 p.m., Primary School students and their parents/caregivers are invited to join us for a giant PJ party and Book Fair shopping. Please note that this event is only open to Primary School students and their parents/caregivers.
Using your student account is the preferred method of payment at PJ Night. Also, don't forget to bring your own shopping bag! For questions, please contact Angie Tekriwal or Michelle Willford.
RSVP HERE
PJ Night Volunteers Needed
Attention Middle School parents! With the help of MS families during PJ Night, PS parents get to enjoy the evening with their little dreamers.
Help Fill the Shelves at KIPP SPARK
This year’s Scholastic Book Fair will also kick off a book drive to help stock the beautiful new library at KIPP SPARK, a K–4 public charter school in Newark. We invite MKA families to donate gently used children’s books in good condition, appropriate for kindergarten through fourth-grade readers. No board books, please!
We’ll have a collection table at the Primary School during Pajama Night, so feel free to bring an armful, or a bagful, of books to give. Have more books to donate or can’t make it to Pajama Night? Please contact Madeleine Rowan to arrange a pickup or drop-off. Let’s help fill those shelves and share the joy of reading with KIPP SPARK’s young scholars!
Common Grounds Speaks: Helping Our Kids Thrive in a Digital World — Tuesday, November 10
MKA is proud to be a member of Common Grounds Speaks (CGS), a consortium of parent associations from independent schools throughout Central and Northern New Jersey. CGS brings parents together to share education, information, and inspiration on topics that matter most to our families.
Join us on Tuesday, November 10 at 6:00 p.m. at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School for an evening with Max Stossel, award-winning poet, filmmaker, speaker, and Founder & CEO of Social Awakening, an organization dedicated to helping young people survive and thrive in today’s digital world.
Max will explore how technology is intentionally designed to capture our attention, how this can impact our children’s developing minds, and practical strategies families can use to navigate these challenges. View the flyer for more information.
REGISTER TODAY
KIPP New Jersey & PAMKA Tutoring Partnership
PAMKA will be offering a 1:1 parent-to-student tutoring opportunity at KIPP Newark SPARK Academy. Parent volunteers will work directly with students to provide individualized academic support and encouragement. No experience necessary—come join us!
If you are interested in volunteering or have questions, please reach out to Liza Helwig, PAMKA's KIPP NJ Tutor Coordinator, at lizalowell@gmail.com.
Connect with PAMKA on LinkedIn
Engage with parents on the PAMKA LinkedIn page, created as a resource to help our parent community connect beyond the school campus. This page provides opportunities for parents to network, share professional connections and expertise, support one another, and build meaningful relationships within our community.
We invite all parents to follow the page, connect with fellow MKA families, and help us grow this new resource together.
Stay Connected with PAMKA on Facebook
Join the MKA Parent Watercooler on Facebook.
Upcoming Parents and Caregivers Affinity Group Meetings
- Tuesday, October 27, 7:00–9:00 p.m. — Jewish Parent & Caregiver Affinity Group Meeting
- Tuesday, October 27, 7:00–9:00 p.m. — South Asian Parent & Caregiver Affinity Group Meeting
- Monday, November 9, 7:00–9:00 p.m. — LGBTQ+ Parent & Caregiver Affinity Group Meeting
Stay up to date on Parent and Caregivers Affinity Group meeting dates using the Community Belonging calendar. For questions, please contact Edie Brennan, Community Belonging Parent & Caregiver Affinity Group Liaison; Callie Bond, Associate Director of Community Belonging and Admissions Liaison; and/or Shawna Morton, Director of Community Belonging.
Upcoming Athletics Home Games
Show your Cougar pride this week and cheer on our student-athletes as they defend home turf! For full schedule details, check out the athletics calendar, and don’t forget to follow @mkaathletics on social media.
Friday, October 23
4:00 p.m. — Girls’ Varsity Volleyball Prep Final v. Rutgers Prep School (US Gym)
4:15 p.m. — Girls’ Junior Varsity Soccer vs. Morristown-Beard School (MS Fields)
Saturday, October 24
10:00 a.m. — Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey Prep Semi v. Morristown-Beard School (Muenster Field)
1:00 p.m. — Boys’ Varsity Football vs. Poly Prep Country Day School (Van Brunt Field)
Annual Golf & Racquet Classic — Monday, October 26
The annual Golf & Racquet Classic takes place on Monday, October 26 at 10:00 a.m. at the Somerset Hills Country Club. We can’t wait to see our MKA parents, alumni, and supporters for an unforgettable day of friendly competition and camaraderie. Your support at this year’s outing does more than create a great day on the green—it strengthens the MKA experience for our students. Registration is now closed. You can learn more about the event on our website.
New this year: We've added Mahjong Open Play and a Mahjong 101 Clinic to the lineup!
Event proceeds will combine to create the MKA Athletics Challenge for MKA Day on November 19, our largest day of giving. This means your day out will inspire our entire school community to give back.
Looking to make a broader impact? Sponsorships at all levels offer high-visibility brand exposure, strategic networking opportunities, and tax-deductible benefits. It's a win-win, supporting students while showcasing your brand to our engaged and dynamic community. You can view our sponsorships on our Golf & Racquet Classic webpage.
Upper School Fall Play — November 5–8
Tickets for this year's fall comedy, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, are now on sale. Please email Nicole Hoppe ASAP to reserve yours! View the flyer here.
Show Dates:
Thursday, November 5 — 7:00 p.m.
Friday, November 6 — 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 7 — 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 8 — 2:00 p.m.
MKA Day is November 19
MKA Day is only 4 weeks away! As we welcome our 100th Community Scholar this year, we are striving to make history by raising $1,000,000 from 1,000 gifts. Every gift made between now and November 19 counts toward our goal. Help us make history by showing early support. Thank you for investing in our students and faculty!
Questions? Please contact Kelly Flippin, Director of Annual Giving.
Make Your Gift Today
The archive of weekly tri-campus newsletters can be located on the homepage of your Veracross Portal.