MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATES

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 the start of the new Academic Engagement period and opportunities to strengthen the school to home connection. Read her full update on setting students up for success to do their work independently.

New Dress Code Options: Preparing for Cooler Weather

To ensure our students stay warm as the temperatures drop, we’ve made a few adjustments to our winter dress code:

• School Store Update: We have added official sweaters and cardigans to the inventory (see below).
• Flexible Transition Policy: We know this is a new change. To support our families, students are permitted to wear plain, solid-colored cardigans from home during the winter months.

We are here to support our community through this transition—please reach out to Cali Burks.

SHOP THE SCHOOL STORE

🎃 Halloween Costume Drive — October 6–13

This week, MKA’s Middle and Primary Schools are kicking off a Halloween Costume Drive to support Wynona’s House, an organization that provides advocacy, support, and healing for children affected by abuse and neglect in Essex County.

Please send in any clean costumes (new or gently used) your family is ready to pass along. Costumes for children of all ages and sizes are welcome!

This drive is a wonderful way for our community to spread joy while supporting an organization doing important work for children and families. Thank you for helping us make Halloween a little happier for our neighbors!

Save the Date: Mandatory Virtual Parent/Caregiver Meeting for Sixth-Grade Play — Monday, October 26

There will be a mandatory parent/caregiver meeting for the sixth-grade play on Monday, October 26, at 7:30 p.m. (virtual). You can join the virtual meeting by using this link.

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

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.

Fall Grade-Level Trip Information

We are excited to share with you information about trips scheduled for this fall. It is essential for Middle School students to spend time getting to know one another and building community in the early weeks of school. Please read the grade-level letters to families below:

• Fourth and Fifth Grades — Day trip to Camp Mason, Friday, October 16, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please read this letter for more information and to sign the mandatory Camp Mason Waiver.
• Eighth Grade — Four-day trip to Williamsburg, Virginia, beginning Tuesday, October 20, and returning Friday, October 23. Please see the following letter with more information.

Important Upcoming Dates

• Saturday, October 10, 11:00–3:00 p.m. — Homecoming
• Monday, October 12, 8:15–10:00 a.m. — Book Fair Committee Meeting
• Tuesday, October 13, 7:50–8:20 a.m. — Kindergarten Science Open House
• Wednesday, October 14, 5:30–7:00 p.m. — Cougar Conversations for New Families (US Parents Only)
• Thursday, October 15, 5:30–7:00 p.m. — Cougar Conversations for New Families (PS/MS Parents)
• Monday, October 19, 8:15–10:00 a.m. — Book Fair Committee Meeting

Save the Date

• Thursday, November 5 - 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.

🎃 Halloween Costume Drive — October 6–13

This week, MKA’s Primary and Middle Schools are kicking off a Halloween Costume Drive to support Wynona’s House, an organization that provides advocacy and support for children affected by abuse and neglect in Essex County.

Please send in any clean costumes (new or gently used) your family is ready to pass along. Costumes for children of all ages and sizes are welcome! Thank you for helping us make Halloween a little happier for our neighbors!

Volunteers and Donations Still Needed for Homecoming 

Please drop off donations to the Upper School front desk by Friday, October 9.

Attention all Upper School parents! PAMKA is still looking for volunteers to help with ticket sales and spirit wear sales. Please use this link to volunteer.

9th grade: Please click here to donate chips

10th grade: Please click here to donate chips or pretzels

11th grade: Please click here to donate beverages

12th grade: Please click here to donate barbecue items or help man the grill

Fall Parent Socials

We have been enjoying connecting with fellow parents at our Fall Parent Socials! These fun gatherings are a great opportunity to meet new parents and reconnect with old friends. We’re excited to bring our parent community together for a few relaxed evenings this fall. Thank you to all the families that are hosting these events.

Friday, October 9 — Grade 4

Thursday, October 15 — Grade 10

Friday, October 16 — Grade 2

Saturday, October 17 — Grade 5

Please note: The Grade 12 parent social will be held in Spring 2027. Grade 12 parents will receive an update after spring break.

Please be on the lookout for an Evite from your grade representatives with details regarding the host, location, timing, as well as how to RSVP. Invitations will be sent approximately four weeks prior to your social. For any questions, please contact your PAMKA Grade Representatives.

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.

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

Consignment Pop-Up Shops at the PAMKA Book Fair

PAMKA will be hosting spirit wear and dress code consignment pop-up shops at the upcoming Book Fair evening events—a great way to pass along gently used uniform pieces and help fellow families stock up for the school year. Please drop off at the Primary and Middle Schools in the collection bins starting on Monday!

📚 Donate today and shop during the Book Fair!

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

• Wednesday, October 14, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. — AAPI Parent & Caregiver Affinity Group Meeting
• Wednesday, October 14, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. — Muslim Parent & Caregiver Affinity Group
• Monday, October 19, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. — MOSAIC: Black Parent & Caregiver Affinity Group Meeting
• Tuesday, October 20, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. — Parents & Caregivers of Gender Expansive Children Meeting

Stay up to date on Parent and Caregivers Affinity Group meeting dates for the 2026-2027 academic year 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 9

4:00 p.m. — Girls’ Varsity Soccer vs. Bloomfield High School (Van Brunt Field)

Saturday, October 10

10:00 a.m. — Boys Varsity Soccer Livingston High School Home Van Brunt

10:00 a.m. — Boys’ Junior Varsity Soccer vs. Livingston High School (MS Field)

11:00 a.m. — Girls; Junior Varsity Field Hockey vs. Montclair High School (Muenster Field)

11:00 a.m. — Girls’ Varsity Volleyball vs. Glen Ridge High School (US Gym)

12:30 p.m. — Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball vs. Glen Ridge High School US Gym

1:30 p.m. — Boys’ Varsity Football vs. Morristown-Beard School (Van Brunt Field)

Homecoming — TOMORROW

Come join us on Lloyd Road for Homecoming tomorrow, October 10, from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.! This event is a fun-filled day for our entire community, with plenty of sports games, food, carnival games, and kid-friendly crafts to enjoy. You can also shop for MKA gear at the school store table.

All student tables (food and activities) require tickets for payment, and tickets are CASH ONLY. Credit cards will only be accepted for the school store. We look forward to seeing you there!

Please note: For those attending sports games on this day, the JV and Varsity soccer games will take place at 10:00 a.m. View the Homecoming flyer to learn more.

RSVP for Indigenous Peoples’ Day Movie Night — Monday, October 12

Join us on Monday, October 12, from 6:00–8:00 p.m., on the Green Roof for a special screening of the documentary The Precipice: The Erosion and Resilience of a Louisiana Community. The film explores the impact of climate change on the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe. Afterward, there will be a brief discussion on environmental resilience in our local community. This event is sponsored by the Science and World Languages Departments; all MKA community members are welcome! Light refreshments will be served.

Please use this Google Form to RSVP. For questions, please contact either Mrs. Barmas or Dr. Jacobs.

Last Chance to Register for the Annual Golf & Racquet Classic — Monday, October 26

Don’t miss your chance to register for the annual Golf & Racquet Classic taking place on Monday, October 26 at 10:00 a.m. at the Somerset Hills Country Club. Join fellow 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.

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. Spots are limited, so make sure to secure your spot today! Registration ends on October 14.

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 registration page.

[REGISTER TODAY]

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