Judy Weston Awards for Inspired Teaching:  MFEE is administering the relaunch of the Weston Awards!  Nominations will be accepted beginning this week from parents/caregivers and students.  Sixteen teachers from throughout Montclair Public Schools will be selected to receive individual cash awards of $2,000, including one award designated specifically for a special education teacher. The deadline for all nominations is April 16, 2023. For teachers who remember the Weston Awards and are wondering how they are different - or for new teachers who want to learn more about them - we encourage you to visit MFEE.org for all the details.

TLC:  MFEE’s first Teacher Learning Community is in full swing! Teacher Learning Communities (TLCs) are small cohorts of teachers who come together to learn, support each other, and create a local community of professional learning.  Each TLC is envisioned to bring together a set of educators working in a common area. The first TLC, launched in partnership with Montclair Public Schools on December 4th, is the Teacher Learning Community for Educators of Multilingual Learners. They have met three times, and they will be meeting until June. MFEE is excited to create a space for teachers to come together to learn together and from each other. Teachers in the first cohort have talked about how great it has been to have the opportunity to meet and collaborate consistently and how comforting and inspiring it is to be reminded that they aren’t alone. MFEE looks forward to growing TLCs and creating new groups.

Annual Appeal:  MFEE’s Annual Appeal is in its last two weeks. As you might imagine, the greatest compliment MFEE can receive is a donation from a staff member.  We feel honored by each and every one, and we truly strive to support the teachers, staff, students and families. In February, any donation made in honor of a school for $20 and up is entered into a drawing to win your school $1,000 cash from MFEE. MFEE is offering two prizes, so each school has the chance to win up to $2,000.  Donate here or visit MFEE.org.

The Amazing FundRACER 5.0: Save the date for May 21!  It’s Quintessential Race: the fifth iteration of MFEE’s popular homage to CBS’s Amazing Race. Teams race around Montclair (in cars!), solving puzzles and competing in challenges.  This year, we will be accepting teams of up to 5 people - kids and adults welcome. We love featuring and celebrating school and staff teams. Start recruiting your team, and stay tuned for how to sign up! This is really an event that brings together our whole community, and we hope you will join us.