Important Updates - Mark Your Calendars 🗓️

🧡 Unity Day – October 22

We’re proud to stand for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion during Unity Day. We're asking all students and staff to wear orange as a powerful visual reminder that bullying has no place at Memorial. Let’s show our collective support for those who have been affected — and our commitment to building a community where every student feels safe, valued, and seen.

🎉 Family Night – Date Change

Our scheduled Family Night on October 23 at 6 PM is being rescheduled for December due to scheduling conflicts. We’re still planning an evening filled with connection, celebration, and learning. Stay tuned for the new date and details soon!

❤️ Red Ribbon Week – October 27–31

We’re celebrating healthy choices and positive living all week long. Each day will include theme-based activities, opportunities for reflection, and fun ways to reinforce the power of saying yes to self-respect and no to risky behaviors. Details to follow!

🍂 Fall Recess – November 3–10

School will be closed from November 3 to 10 for Fall Recess. We hope this time gives your family a chance to rest, recharge, and reconnect. We'll be ready to finish strong when we return!

🚌 8th Grade Visit to WHS – November 12

Our 8th graders will take an exciting step toward their future with a visit to Willingboro High School.
📌 Permission slips are due by Tuesday, October 28. Homeroom teachers will remind students. Completed slips should be turned in to Ms. Malone.

🦁 End of Marking Period 1 – November 14

We’re approaching our first academic checkpoint of the year. Please encourage your student to:

Submit missing assignments
Review feedback in Genesis
Finish strong

We’re proud of the focus, growth, and effort we’ve seen so far. Let’s keep that momentum going!

After School Clubs & Activities

📚 After-School Tutoring & Clubs Begin October 27!

We’re excited to launch after-school tutoring and clubs starting Monday, October 27 — an opportunity for students to strengthen their academics and explore their interests.

🕒 Clubs run Monday through Thursday, from 2:45 PM to 3:45 PM.
All clubs will pick up students directly from tutoring to ensure learning remains the priority.

📧 Be on the lookout for club sign-ups landing in your email this week!

🚌 Late Bus Information

Late buses are available only for students who are eligible for transportation. Please review the drop-off locations carefully, as the late bus does not stop at individual homes.

Late Bus Drop-Off Locations:

Bookbinder School
Fairmount Drive & Fireside Drive
J.C. Stuart E.C.D.C.
Rockland Drive & Rittenhouse Drive
W.R. James Elementary School
Medley Lane & Millbrook Drive
Windover Lane Pool
All Things Are Possible Childcare
Twin Hills Elementary School

If your child does not qualify for busing or if none of these stops are suitable, please arrange for timely pickup.

Join Us On November 12 🚌

On Wednesday, November 12, 2025, from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM, Willingboro High School will host 8th Grade Parent Night—a focused opportunity for families to explore the programs, pathways, and possibilities awaiting your student next year.

You’ll hear how WHS is equipping students with real-world skills through career-focused programming, access to modern facilities, and rigorous, diverse coursework that prepares them for what's next.

Every student whose family attends will receive a homework pass for all classes. And because community and competition can coexist, the team (8-1 or 8-2) with the most families represented will win a Chick-fil-A lunch.

Your RSVP helps us plan for the evening—and your presence sends a clear message: you’re invested in the journey ahead. Scan the QR code or click here to confirm your attendance.

We look forward to seeing you there.

A Message From Our PTA

Dear MMS PTA Members,

We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Memorial Middle School PTA Meeting on Tuesday, October 28 at 7:00 PM. The meeting will be held virtually, so you can join us from the comfort of your home.

Everyone is welcome — parents, guardians, teachers, staff, students, and community members. Your voice matters, and your participation helps strengthen our school community. We’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and feedback as we work together to support our students and staff.

📅 Date: Tuesday, October 28
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM
💻 Location: Virtual (Zoom link will be shared closer to the meeting date)

Parent University Updates

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the families who joined us for Parent University. Your presence and engagement mean so much as we work together to support student success.

We’re currently working to ensure every family can access the dashboard. Due to some formatting issues within Canva that impacted readability, we’ll be updating the dashboard this week to improve clarity and usability.

In the meantime, you can still access the current version using the link below. To navigate, click on the right side of the screen to advance through the content:

🔗 View the Dashboard

Thank you again for your continued support and partnership. Stay tuned for the updated version coming soon!

💬 A Note from the Principal: Conflict, Community & Accountability

Dear Memorial Families,

As a principal deeply committed to building a restorative school, I want to speak to something heavy on my heart: our suspension numbers.

Let me be clear — the issue is not a lack of intervention. We’re actively mediating, offering counseling, giving access to resources, and creating space for students to work through their challenges. But too often, those efforts are met with students making decisions that escalate conflict into harm. For example, it’s become common for students to hear a rumor and immediately walk into another student’s classroom to “find out” what was said — and these encounters rarely end well.

This behavior has to stop.

We want our students to be problem-solvers, not conflict chasers. And we want them to learn that healthy communication and mediation are life-long skills, not signs of weakness. We encourage every student to schedule peer or adult-led mediation when they’re struggling to resolve conflict. That’s what we’re here for.

But we can’t do this alone.

We need your support at home to reinforce the difference between conflict and bullying — a distinction that matters deeply. According to the New Jersey State Bar Foundation:

Conflict is normal. It’s between two or more people with different perspectives or interests. It can be uncomfortable, but it's not inherently harmful.
Bullying, however, is intentional, aggressive, and involves a real or perceived power imbalance. It’s behavior that is repeated or likely to be repeated over time, and it causes real harm.

✅ Conflict can be mediated. Bullying must be addressed and stopped.

We are committed to doing both — but we need your voice at the table. Please talk with your child about how they handle hurt, rumors, and disagreements. Remind them that seeking help is a strength, not a weakness. And if you need support, we’re here.

Together, we can guide our students toward stronger, healthier ways of being in community with each other.