OCTOBER 23, 2026
Science Open House Schedule
Our Science Specialist, Ms. Glynn, would like to invite parents to drop by the science room for an Open House anytime between 7:50 and 8:20 a.m. on the dates listed below for each grade level. While there will be no formal presentation, please feel free to stop in to see the science lab, try some of the hands-on activities your child will experience this year, and ask any curricular questions you may have.
- Second Grade: Tuesday, October 27
- First Grade: Monday, November 9
- Third Grade: Saturday, January 16
Picture Retake Day — Thursday, October 29
The photographer will be returning to campus on Thursday, October 29, from 1:00–2:00 p.m. If your student was absent on Picture Day OR if you would like a retake, please email Colleen Helsel to reserve a spot for your student.
Please note: Students in grades K–3 are required to be in Daily Acceptable Attire for their pictures. Jr-K students are not required to follow Acceptable Attire for Picture Day.
🎃 Halloween at the Primary School — Friday, October 30
Please take a moment to read this letter regarding Primary School Halloween festivities on Friday, October 30, with details on costume dress codes and other important reminders.
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 beginning on Tuesday, October 27, 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.
Family Engagement Workshop
Thank you to those of you who were able to attend our most recent Family Engagement Workshop, The Building Blocks of Fine and Performing Arts at Brookside! If you were unable to make it, the recording (along with all past recordings from sessions) can now be found at the top of your Veracross Parent Portal. Please reach out if you have difficulty locating it.
New Monthly “Be You” Wednesdays
To kick off our year together, we are excited to announce a fun new monthly tradition: "Be You" Wednesdays! On one designated Wednesday of each month, our school community will celebrate individuality, creativity, and self-expression. Each "Be You" Day will feature a fun theme, and all students are welcome and encouraged to dress in alignment with that theme.
Participation is entirely optional. If your child prefers not to dress according to the monthly theme, they are warmly invited to wear spirit wear or any outfit that makes them feel confident and uniquely themselves. Our goal is simple: to create a supportive environment where every child has the opportunity to feel free to express who they are.
2026–2027 "Be You" Day Schedule & Themes
- November 18 — Camping / Outdoor Day: Wrap yourself up in warm plaid, camouflage attire, or comfy outdoor gear as the autumn weather cools down.
- December 16 — Festive Sweater/Shirt Day: Wear a cheerful winter sweater or shirt featuring holiday patterns, or dress in shades of ice blue and snowy white to welcome the chilly winter weather.
Primary School Academic Program Guide
Explore everything you need to know about the Primary School academic program in the Primary School Academic Program Guide. This resource provides more information on curriculum and course offerings, key academic policies, and essential support resources.
Connecting to Your Child’s Seesaw Journal
Primary School students use Seesaw to document their learning experiences in advisor and specialist classes periodically throughout the school year. Primary School families can connect to their child's Seesaw journal on the web at app.seesaw.me, or by downloading the Seesaw app, available on iOS and Android. New families will receive an email invitation to connect to their child's journal and be prompted to create a new account. Returning families can sign in to their existing Seesaw account to connect to their child's journal.
Walker Drop-off and Pick-Up Information
If you choose to walk your child to school in the morning or pick them up on foot in the afternoon, please note that you may not park on Orange Road or in the school parking lot while you walk to the school. If you are walking your child, please park on Llewellyn Road or Melrose Place. We are also reminding everyone to obey the STOP sign at the end of our driveway. Thank you for your help in keeping our morning and afternoon carline as efficient and safe as possible.
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.