2021-2022 School Year

MSA Bagel Sale Fundraiser!

We're excited to start off this new Board on the right financial step. We're planning a fundraiser on Friday, 20 May 2022 outside the main building right after school. You'll see our signs up around the school, so please come to enjoy a bagel! We look forward to seeing you there.

Join Us As We Plan to Speak Before the BOE on Student Workload

Chief Partner Anaya Fleming-Thomas and Partner Sam Safirstein, along with members of MSA will be going before the Board of Education to advocate for against the oppressive amount of homework the students of Montclair High face. We are looking forward to relaying our view as to why productivity and school grade-averages have dropped as the school district returns from lockdown.

Opposing the Uncoordinated Bell System

We reached out to the MHS Administration to complain about the bell system and how the Freshman Building rings two minutes apart from the Main Building. Details being fixed like these allow the school to run smoother and create less traffic when students switch classes.

First Meeting of the 2021-2022 Schoolyear!

On Friday, 15 October 2021 MSA had its first official meeting! For reference, we meet every Friday at lunch in room 304, which is our club advisor's room (Mr. Gutch) and located on the third floor of the main building. We wanted to straightaway brainstorm this year's agenda. We discussed:

• Non functional bathrooms

• Traffic to and from the freshman building

• The bell system

• Disconnect between students and the administration

• Open windows in the winter time

• No teacher instruction w/ too much work (excessive homework)

• Bad freshman outreach

2020-2021 School Year

Chief Partner Anaya Fleming-Thomas and Partner Sam Safirstein Interviewed on Montclair Radio

On Monday, 17 May 2021 Anaya Fleming-Thomas (Chief Partner) and Samuel Safirstein (Partner) were interviewed on Montclair Radio about the Montclair Students Firm. To check for its release, go to @MontclairRadio's Instagram account and find the linktree in bio, or click the link below!

Montclair Radio - Humans of Montclair MSF Partners Interview

Fundraiser with My Little Pizza Heaven

On Tuesday, 04 May 2021 MSF will be pairing up with My Little Pizza Heaven pizza truck to host a fundraiser. 20% of all proceeds made that day will go to MSF. We hope you'll take part in supporting MSF and, more importantly, this local business. It is located on 63-65 Church Street, Montclair, NJ. We hope you'll pitch in and order pizza!

MSF - My Little Pizza Heaven Order Link

Feature on @Montclair.newjersey's Instagram

On Thursday, 08 April 2021 MSF was featured as a takeover for the day on @Montclair.newjersey's Instagram and Facebook accounts. We were excited to outreach back to our community and share the ideals we hold true as members of this student firm to the people and students of Montclair. To check out our posts, go to @Montclair.newjersey's Instagram account and find Highlights, then Takeovers. Tap through until you find our posts!

Checking MPSD

"Succeeding the Montclair Students Firm’s first publication on mental health (Mental Health in Schools) the following essay is a constructive and suggestive piece on what the Montclair Public Schools District can do to further ensure that their constituents and students are safe mentally."

The Montclair Students Firm brings you a mental health publication follow-up that will discuss what what the Montclair Public Schools District can enact to benefit their students and children mentally. We hope this paper continues inform you on the issues of mental health, as Mental Health in Schools aimed before. As with the first publication, please read this publication with care and take in all the information that is provided for your consideration. Thank you.

Checking MPSD

Release Date: 30 March 2021

Mental Health in Schools

"In so many schools across the United States, students have had to adjust to new normals and learning styles. Each day, “going to school” refers to walking to a desk, not a building. Curricula have been cut drastically changed to accommodate remote or hybrid learning. Students focus their teacher through a computer screen. Teachers no longer find the problem of students talking too much in class, but instead too little, with their cameras off. Alongside these drastic changes, it is only normal that teens experience mental health issues or instability. Anxiety rates in the US amongst students have grown since quarantine as many schools require kids to do school remotely, isolating them from real social interaction as they stay at home.

We live in turbulent, uncertain times we live in riddled with negative media, bullying, and isolation. So how are kids coping? How can they cope? Through a set of specific topics, the Montclair Students Firm publishes an in-depth synopsis of being a student during a deadly pandemic. In light of the global pandemic it has become apparent how mental health plays a large role in students’ lives. We release this publication in honor of the one year anniversary of online school at Montclair Public Schools."

The Montclair Students Firm brings you a mental health publication that will discuss what it means to be a teenager balancing life in a global pandemic. We hope this publication informs you on the issues of mental health, please read this publication with care and take in all the information that is provided.

Mental Health in Schools

Release Date: 12 March 2021

The Achievement Gap

The achievement gap, also known as the opportunity gap is a nationwide issue going on in our country. The achievement gap is where black students and students of color are noticeably disadvantaged compared to their white counterparts. The achievement gap has been an ongoing issue in Montclair as it has sparked so much conversation around the topic, the Montclair Students Firm has decided to take on this project by first having discussions regarding the gap, then following up with recognizing some of our own problems within our community. Acknowledging these problems is where it starts, but it certainly does not end there as we plan on mending this gap. That could be by means of curriculum reform, youth tutoring, or many other reputable solutions. MSF is currently holding this topic off until September when we can make a better lasting impact on the topic. We will hopefully be back in school by this time. With any questions, don't hesitate to email us!