Wednesday, Feb. 15 marked Middletown's 100th day of the school year. Students celebrated the occasion by posing for fun classroom photos, playing themed games, dressing up to resemble how they will look at 100-years old, and participating in engaging educational activities, like writing collaborative 100-line stories with their peers. Check out the best photos from the day below.

Students and staff members across the Middletown Township Public School District recognized Valentine's Day on Feb. 14 by decorating their respective neighborhood campuses with red and pink hearts, filling their activity schedules with themed games and educational activities. Some students participated in poetry writing exercises, while others developed art pieces inspired by the holiday. Check out the best photos of the day below.

In recognition of Valentine's Day, River Plaza Elementary School students in Mrs. Nicole Susino's class went on blind dates with new reading materials. Books were cloaked in paper and students read different works at random until a story truly resonated.

Only after they had chemistry with a book were they allowed to remove the coverings to learn more about story.

This creative way to introduce new books to students helps to generate excitement about reading, and creates deeper understanding of reading materials as students work to find themes, get to know characters, and develop inferences about where the tale will lead to determine if they can envision a future with the book. Keep up the wonderful work!

Earlier this week, High School North students enrolled in Signora Julia Fielding's Italian foreign language course paid a visit to the Lion Cubs Preschool Program, where they presented the district's youngest minds with self-published children's books written in Italian. The Lion Cubs then enjoyed story time, as the Italian students read and translated their short stories. This type of authentic learning experience is a hallmark of Middletown schools, in which students develop a deeper understanding of their Italian curriculum through practical applications of knowledge on a path toward skill mastery. Keep up the wonderful work!

New Monmouth Elementary School Principal Mr. Matthew Ferri has enrolled his pup Maverick in the 2023 cohort of AIR Dog Training, a program dedicated to teaching and certifying dogs to be emotional support animals.

Earlier this week, Maverick earned his CGC, or Canine Good Citizenship badge, which is part of the course that will lead to Maverick's certification by the American Kennel Club as a certified emotional support pup.

The Middletown Township Public School District currently has eight certified AIR Dogs providing emotional support throughout our schools to students and staff who may need assistance navigating difficult situations inside and outside of school.

Congratulation to Maverick, and thank you to all of our MTPS AIR Dogs!

This space is dedicated to the promotion of mental health resources in our schools and local community. Please refer to the district site for a comprehensive list of resources: Mental Health & Community Resources

All feelings are valid and healthy feelings. Helping children and teens develop emotional intelligence requires helping them identify and understand the range of emotions we are capable of experiencing. A healthy range of emotional experiences helps children and teens learn that even uncomfortable emotions are okay to experience, and it facilitates the opportunity to teach coping skills. The linked 5 Tips for Teaching Kids Emotional Intelligence from Good-Grief provides an overview of these concepts.