The Mustang Minute

Norwood Christmas Collection

As you know, many of our local families are struggling to make ends meet and the holidays can add additional hardship. Each year we try to provide aid to our local families in need. This week we started collecting items to provide families with supplies for the holidays. Any donation would be very welcome!

We are collecting Gift Cards, Norwood Gear, Local Sports Gear, Winter Attire, and Headphones. All donations are for middle school age students and should be brought to Miss Siegel in M4 or Mrs. Bayiates in M1. We will be collecting until Monday, December 18. If you are a family in need please reach out to our guidance department, Ms. King, Ms. Tucker, or Ms. McCaffrey.

Requested Items

Gift Cards: Grocery Stores, Clothing Stores, Amazon, Target, etc.

Norwood Gear: All forms and all sizes welcome

Sports Gear (Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, Bruins)

Winter Attire

Electronics: Earbuds, games, etc

Congratulations to the November winners of Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School’s Citizen of the Month. Citizens of the Month exemplify the school’s mission statement and are chosen by teachers and staff.

Grade 8: Megan Collins (missing from picture), Catherine Dalzell, Bridget Barron, April Carey, Michelle Connolly

Grade 7: Eleni Boutas, Willa McCarthy, Henry Foehl, Ciara Drumey

Grade 6: Adriana Woods, James Mulroy, Ryan Amendola

Dear Parent or Guardian:

Throughline Learning, an education nonprofit based in Providence, RI, has partnered with Norwood School District, and we are excited to extend an invitation to you to participate in a student survey at school. The purpose of our student survey is to include student voice in efforts to make school a more personalized experience for each student. Thank you for your consideration. The date of the survey is Friday, December 15th.

Purpose

Throughline Learning helps teachers find, try, and evaluate new ways to implement culturally responsive and personalized learning in their classrooms. The short online survey that your child’s teacher will be administering will help us learn how students are engaging with the new practices being introduced as well as how they are doing social-emotionally.

Risks and Benefits

The benefits of participating are that your child’s school and the district will be able to consider your child’s opinion when making decisions about the educational value of the program being rolled out in your school.

Under the Protection of Pupils Right Act 20 U.S.C. Section 1232 (c) (1) (A), you have the right to see the questions in the survey. Please contact Karina Rodriguez at krodriguez@throughlinelearning.org to receive a copy of the survey or if you have any questions about this research project. Additionally, a copy of the survey questions will be sent out in a separate ParentSquare Message this week.

You do not have to allow your child’s survey responses to be included in this work. If you prefer to have your child opt out of the survey, please indicate below that you do not give permission for your child to be surveyed. There will be no penalty to you or your child and there will be no effect on your relationship with the school or district.

NORWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES

During the week of January 29th (note the date change), the Coakley Middle School nurses and guidance counselors will be conducting SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) screening for all 7th graders. This screening is required by Massachusetts General Law Chapter 71, Section 97.

The purpose of SBIRT screening is to offer conversation and information to help prevent students from starting to use alcohol, nicotine, tobacco, marijuana or other drugs, or to intervene early in substance use. Student screening sessions will be brief, approximately 5 minutes, and conducted confidentially and privately in a one-to-one meeting with a school nurse or guidance counselor. Students who are not using substances will have their healthy choices reinforced. The nurse or guidance counselor will provide feedback or referral for further evaluation to students who report using substances, or are at risk for future substance use. All students will be asked to complete an anonymous evaluation of the screening, and will receive some educational material and a resource list at the time of the screening.

Results of the SBIRT screening will not be included in your student’s school record. Nor will screening information be shared with any staff without student and parent written permission. As with any school screening you have the right to opt your child out of this screening. The request to opt out must be in writing. Please contact Tova Sperber, RN via e-mail tsperber@norwood.k12.ma.us if you wish to exclude your child from this screening. Additionally, screening is voluntary and students may choose not to answer any or all of the screening questions.

One way to prevent youth substance use is to talk with your child about your family’s thoughts and expectations regarding substance use. Research shows that parent influence is the #1 reason young people decide not to drink alcohol. Some resources that can help parents start these discussions can be found at:

• https://drugfree.org/

• https://helplinema.org/for -parents/

• https://handholdma.org/

Together, schools and parents CAN make a difference for the youth in Norwood.

Sincerely,

Jill Driscoll, MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN

Nurse Leader, Norwood Public Schools

jdriscoll@norwood.k12.ma.us

December 14: Early release for Professional Development

December 22nd: Early Release Winter Break

Dec 23-January 2, 2024: Winter Break, No School

Coakley PTO

The PTO is a parent/teacher organization that helps fund a variety of activities at CMS from assemblies, to field trips, to classroom projects and more. We would love for everyone to be a part of the PTO!

PTO meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm both virtually and in person. The dates are listed below a link to the meeting online is sent out the day of the meeting.

Next Meeting: December 19th (adjusted for winter break)

January 23rd
February 27th
March 26th
April 23rd
May 28th
June 18th

Please email coakleynorwoodPTO@gmail.com or mfraczek@norwood.k12.ma.us if you are interested in volunteering or being a part of the PTO!

Email: mfraczek@norwood.k12.ma.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/norwood.k12.ma.us/cms-principal/home
Phone: 781-762-7880
Facebook: facebook.com/CoakleyMIddleSchoolPTO
Twitter: @mfraczek