NPS Weekly News Brief: Portrait of a Graduate | Athl...

NPS WEEKLY NEWS BRIEF | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022   Superintendent's Message This week I attended a workshop that reminded me of the work we do as educators. Our  Portrait of a Norton Graduate ,  completed in 2018, is a model for the region, state, and nation. Only about 10% of districts in the U.S. have a Portrait of a Graduate.   As you look at our Portrait of a Graduate think about the potential, for not only improving education, but most importantly how our students can leave NPS with these skill sets.  Joseph F. Baeta | Superintendent of Schools Norton Public Schools | 64 West Main Street | Norton, MA 02766 Office: (508) 285-0100 | Fax: (508) 285-0199 | norton.k12.ma.us     DISTRICT ANNOUNCEMENTS Provide Your Input for the New Strategic Plan: Vision 2026 NPS would like input from families on the latest draft of the Vision 2026 Strategic Plan. If you have any questions or comments on the plan, please fill out this Input Form no later than Wednesday, October 5 at 4 p.m. You can find the draft here in English as well as other languages. STEP Out & Mansfield Bar Pizza Partnership Since last school year, the Norton High School (NHS) STEP Out Program has partnered with Mansfield Bar Pizza and Salad Co. This partnership was developed as a way to get students involved in jobs. Read More NHS Coach Named MBCA Division 3 Coach of The Year Norton High boys basketball coach Marc Liberatore has been named the Division 3 Coach of The Year by the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association on Wednesday. Read More Virtual Backpack Virtual Backpack is the Norton Public Schools platform for distributing community flyers and information. Check here for information about local events and programs of interest for students and families. To submit a flyer to the Virtual Backpack, please contact Karina Sallaway, Communications & Media Coordinator, at ksallaway@norton.k12.ma.us . Norton Public Schools 64 West Main Street | Norton, MA 02766

Friday, Sep 30 2022

Opt-Out Mandated Health Screenings Reminder

HEALTH SERVICES OFFICE   Dear families, The nursing staff will begin mandated health screenings in October. Grades K-5, Grade 7, and Grade 10 are required to have height, weight, vision and hearing screening. Grades 5-9 are required to have scoliosis screening. If you do not want your student to have this screening done please email the district nurse Katie Pendergast at kpendergast@norton.k12.ma.us by September 30. Norton Public Schools Nursing Staff https://www.norton.k12.ma.us/families/health-services It is the policy of Norton Public Schools to provide a learning environment free from discrimination or harassment. All students, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, limited English proficiency, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or housing status, have equal access to all programs including athletics and other extracurricular activities.

Thursday, Sep 29 2022

Share Your Comments on the Vision 2026 Strategic Pla...

OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT     Dear NPS Families, Attached below please find the latest draft of the Vision 2026 Strategic Plan. It is available in English as well as other languages. If you have any questions or comments on the plan, please fill out this Input Form no later than Wednesday, October 5 at 4 p.m. Joseph F. Baeta | Superintendent of Schools Norton Public Schools | 64 West Main Street | Norton, MA 02766 Office: (508) 285-0100 | Fax: (508) 285-0199 | norton.k12.ma.us Our Mission: Promote individual talents and maximize each student’s potential. It is the policy of Norton Public Schools to provide a learning environment free from discrimination or harassment. All students, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, limited English proficiency, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or housing status, have equal access to all programs including athletics and other extracurricular activities.

Wednesday, Sep 28 2022

NEED Presents | Minions: The Rise of Gru Outdoor Mov...

NOTE FROM NEED Norton • Embracing • Educational • Development       NEED Presents: Minions: The Rise of Gru Saturday, October 15 | Rain Date: October 22 Gates Open at 6:30 p.m. | Movie Starts at 7 p.m. An outdoor movie event to support NEED's teacher grant fund! JCS Elementary School - 315 West Main Street - Norton Tickets: $4 per person in advance, $5 per person at the door - kids under 5 are free! Concessions and cookie packs available for pre-purchase. Bring chairs/blankets - Movie is on the hard top out back. To purchase tickets & snacks: norton-embracing-educational-development-inc.square.site

Monday, Sep 26 2022

Norton Narrative - Back to School Edition 2022

NORTON NARRATIVE   ISSUE 11   Summer 2022   A PUBLICATION OF THE NORTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS   OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT by Dr. Joseph Baeta, Superintendent of Schools   NEWS & NOTEWORTHY by Karina Sallaway, Communications & Media Coordinator HOW TO STAY INFORMED WITH ALL THINGS NPS: ParentSquare Norton Public Schools uses ParentSquare for school communication, primarily with email, text and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically generates an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number. We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified. Learn more  here . Virtual Backpack Virtual Backpack is the Norton Public Schools platform for distributing community flyers and information. Check here for information about local events and programs of interest for students and families. To submit a flyer to the Virtual Backpack, please contact Karina Sallaway, Communications & Media Coordinator, at ksallaway@norton.k12.ma.us. Norton School Committee All School Committee meetings are held at 6 p.m. on Thursday evenings at the Norton Middle School Library unless noted otherwise. If meetings are remote, access information will be provided. Meeting agendas, minutes, and recordings can be found here:  norton.k12.ma.us/community/school-committee     Thank you to our 2021-2022 Retirees! Monica Allen - JCS PK Teacher Stephen Brown - NHS Industrial Arts Teacher Carol Clark - LGN Speech Language Pathologist Everett Clark - NHS Special Ed Teacher Ellen Dufour - NHS Adjustment Counselor Kendra Hart - NMS English Teacher Richard Laliberte   - NHS Custodian Catherine Luke - LGN Principal Meet the new Principal of L.G. Nourse Elementary School Thomas Higgins! "I hope to bring my positivity and energy to our little school, while supporting our faculty and staff, and students and families. I want my new school family to know I am here to be of service and support. Our schools should be places of joy, optimism, and hope. I am so excited to get started!" Read more   BUSINESS OFFICE by Kristine Hadfield, School Business Administrator Transportation Bus passes were distributed during the first week of school. If your student did not receive theirs please reach out to the Transportation Office.  Bus Routes are available on our Transportation Page . If you need to submit a Bus Stop Change Request, please do so here . If you still need to register your student for the bus you may do so on our Transportation Page as well. Food Service Breakfast and lunch are once again being provided to students this year at no charge. We also would like to remind parents that if you feel you would qualify for free/reduced lunch, but have not received a notification of qualification from the school, you should complete the  Free and Reduced Lunch Application . Although the meals are already free this year, we use the free and reduced meals qualification status to provide reduced or eliminated fees on other activities in the district such as busing, athletics, and some testing fees.   BUILDINGS & GROUNDS by Wade Lizotte, Director of  Facilities We had a busy summer here with a lot of improvements to the entire district. In addition to the summer programs hosted in our schools and summer cleaning/maintenance work done by our custodial crew, we had two big projects underway. TRANE Carport Structures are up at the LGN, JCS, NMS, and NHS. At the HAY, the foundations have been poured and the conduit trench has been dug. The structures will be going up next week. The solar panels will be installed at all structures when they arrive. The heating and AC controls and equipment was updated at all five schools including: univents, boilers, circulator pumps, and air handlers. Athletic Complex Project The Athletic Complex is coming along nicely. The NHS Stadium Field turf has been installed and the Multipurpose Field is in progress. The Tennis Courts surface course  and fence post has been installed. As of now we have a project substantial completion date of October 15, 2022. Visit the Athletic Complex Project site on the NPS website for all information.   OFFICE OF TEACHING & LEARNING by Jennifer O'Neill, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning Acceleration Academy In late August NPS offered a 5-day academic acceleration program as part of a competitive grant offered to us through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The goal of the Acceleration Academy is to help close learning gaps in the areas of ELA or Math by providing instruction in a fun and meaningful way. The Norton Acceleration Academy offered students hands-on, project based learning each day with concentration on essential skills for the upcoming school year.  Service Learning Opportunity Spend your service hours on an EF Tours Trip to beautiful DR, immersed in a community and local school. In 2018, 17 NHS students went on this same service trip and had the time of their lives. Email Dr. Kefor at tkefor@norton.k12.ma.us for more information, or view our custom tour page here . PD Days 2022-2023  Norton Public Schools has a strong commitment to the whole child and believes that ALL students have the ability to learn at high levels. Keeping the mission of NPS to "Promote individual talents and maximize each student’s potential" at the forefront of our work, during the 2022-2023 school year, the NPS team will be focusing on professional development that targets the important work of Integrated Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports for our students, while at the same time supporting the individual professional goals of our staff. Educators will enhance their practice in the areas of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, as well as some specific content area workshops that have been designed with the principles of UDL in mind.  The following dates will be early release days for students to provide the staff the opportunity to learn together: Friday, September 23 Friday, October 28 Friday, January 27 Friday, February 17 Friday, March 17 Friday, April 14 Friday, May 19 STUDENT SERVICES by Vincent Cerce, Director of Pupil Personnel Services & Cassandra Russo, Coordinator of Special Education ESY Programming This summer we once again ran our ESY program at the JCS and Norton High School. We had over 150 students participate in the programming, which ran from July 5 to August 4. We also had a number of Norton High School current and former students working as classroom assistants and volunteers. A big thank you to all of them. Norton Public Schools receives KyleCares grant Norton Public Schools has been awarded a $3,400 grant from KyleCares, The Kyle Johnson Foundation, for the development of an Active Minds chapter at Norton High School (NHS).  Active Minds chapters are student-led groups in high schools and colleges/universities that meet to discuss the needs of their communities regarding mental health.   ( Read mor e ) Out of the Darkness Walk with Sarah's Village Foundation Save the Date: October 15 Registration begins at 9am | Walk begins at 10 am Borderland State Park in Easton, MA ( Learn More )   TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT by Karen Winsper, Director of Instructional Technology  Summer Tech Update Summer is always a busy time for the technology department and this year was no different. Here's a glimpse into our summer break: Provided devices for summer ESY and accelerated learning programs Ordered materials and supplies for libraries, computer science, STEM, and STEAM programs Re-labeled elementary devices to reflect in-school use Configured, printed, and attached labels for all new Grade 6 & 9 Chromebooks Received Norton Media Center grant and ordered materials for new STEAM carts Created new Google accounts and archived previous student/employee accounts Renewed and updated software and hardware Set-up new Mac computers for NHS TV Video lab Prepared returned devices for new staff Prepared upgraded Chromebooks for paraprofessionals Recycled antiquated equipment Repaired student & staff devices Replaced older Chromebooks on carts with updated USB-C style Ongoing recovery efforts to obtain district devices that have not been returned Installed and configured 13 new digital signs throughout the district We had five students who worked with us this summer and they were amazing: Tyler Bruno, Michael Collins, Thomas Mulvaney, Bianca Nelson, and Evan Diercksen. Shoutout to Paul, Nick, and John for all of their hard work preparing our NPS tech for 2022-2023! Tech Support Requests Sometimes things happen and students need assistance with their accounts or their devices. The NPS tech department is here to help! Students can submit their own tech support request or parents/guardians may submit on their child’s behalf. Please visit the  guest tech support request page  which you can find under “families” on any of the school websites. Students can submit using their school Google account information. NHS iRobot Virtual Field Trip On Monday, September 12, Ms. Murphy's Norton High School Robotics class attended a virtual field trip with iRobot. They visited the museum with the help of video conferencing, and their Ava Robot, which the tour guide, Lisa Freed, maneuvered around their museum using a tablet with controls.  ( Read more )

Friday, Sep 23 2022

NPS Weekly News Brief: Vision 2026 Strategic Plan | ...

NPS WEEKLY NEWS BRIEF | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2022   Superintendent's Message Over the course of the next 1-2 weeks NPS will be finalizing a new DRAFT strategic plan, Vision 2026 . As part of the process we will be sending all staff, students, and families a DRAFT copy and asking for input.  Please consider making recommendations by responding to the form provided. The Cultural Proficiency Committee will be meeting in October to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusivity. The CPC is continuing to review Human Resources, Policy, and Curriculum and Instruction. A finalized list of recommendations will be published this year. NPS encourages community members interested in per diem substitute positions to visit our  Human Resources page  for information on how to apply. Joseph F. Baeta | Superintendent of Schools Norton Public Schools | 64 West Main Street | Norton, MA 02766 Office: (508) 285-0100 | Fax: (508) 285-0199 | norton.k12.ma.us     Don't forget Friday, September 23 is a Districtwide Early Release Day. You can view the school early release times on the  School Hours Page .   DISTRICT ANNOUNCEMENTS Make Sure Your NPS Contact Info Is Up To Date! To ensure that Norton Public Schools has your most up to date contact information, parents are now able to log into the Community Portal to make changes to contact information. Read More Note from Health Services The nursing staff will begin mandated health screenings in October. Grades K-5, Grade 7, and Grade 10 are required to have height, weight, vision and hearing screening. Grades 5-9 are required to have scoliosis screening. If you do not want your student to have this screening done please email the district nurse Katie Pendergast at kpendergast@norton.k12.ma.us by September 30. Transportation Office - Late Bus Starting Monday September 19, the 2022-23 Late Bus will begin running after school at the Middle School and High School. The list of scheduled stops is posted on the Transportation page of the Norton Public Schools website. NHS Dominican Republic Service Trip Spend your service hours on an EF Tours Trip to beautiful DR, immersed in a community and local school. In 2018, 17 NHS students went on this same service trip and had the time of their lives. Read More Virtual Backpack Virtual Backpack is the Norton Public Schools platform for distributing community flyers and information. Check here for information about local events and programs of interest for students and families. To submit a flyer to the Virtual Backpack, please contact Karina Sallaway, Communications & Media Coordinator, at ksallaway@norton.k12.ma.us . Norton Public Schools 64 West Main Street | Norton, MA 02766

Friday, Sep 16 2022

Chartley Halloween Parade | Sunday, October 30

NORTON PARKS & REC   Norton Parks & Rec. Presents the 29th Annual Chartley Halloween Parade Sunday, October 30 Live Music, Candy, & Costumes Rain or Shine | Parade starts 12 p.m. Route: Rt. 123: Begins @ Attleboro Line | Ending at St. Mary's Church

Thursday, Sep 15 2022

NPS Weekly News Brief: Welcome back!

NPS WEEKLY NEWS BRIEF | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022   Superintendent's Message Welcome back Lancer Nation! It has not been this normal since September of 2019. You can see and hear the excitement from students and staff. I am humbled by the support from our families and staff. We will do all we can to keep things moving forward.  We continue to monitor bus transportation and traffic issues at NHS. While the solar ports and Athletic Complex projects are ongoing, we will continue to provide updates as needed. Please know we are looking at changes daily.  This year students will once again get free breakfast and lunch. The main difference is that we must now maintain a log for each meal per individual student. Lunch may be a bit slower at times.  Your continuous support, critical questioning, and ideas are always welcome.   Joseph F. Baeta | Superintendent of Schools Norton Public Schools | 64 West Main Street | Norton, MA 02766 Office: (508) 285-0100 | Fax: (508) 285-0199 | norton.k12.ma.us     DISTRICT ANNOUNCEMENTS Do Not Publish Student Information/Photograph Form Throughout the school year, the District may release some basic student information - "Directory Information" - without the consent of an Eligible Person (Parent/Guardian/student 18 years of age or older). Directory Information (including photographs) may be published in a variety of ways, such as in school yearbooks, on the District website, or released to news media/social media.  If you do not want your student’s Directory Information released or published, please complete this  Directory Information "Opt-Out" Request Form for each student . School Committee Meeting Recording for the Thursday, September 8 School Committee Meeting. Topics included school handbook changes and the Norton Teachers' Association Contract ratification vote. To view meeting dates, agendas, policies, and other school committee information, please visit the School Committee page on the Norton Public Schools Website. Virtual Backpack Virtual Backpack is the Norton Public Schools platform for distributing community flyers and information. Check here for information about local events and programs of interest for students and families. To submit a flyer to the Virtual Backpack, please contact Karina Sallaway, Communications & Media Coordinator, at ksallaway@norton.k12.ma.us . Norton Public Schools 64 West Main Street | Norton, MA 02766

Friday, Sep 09 2022

Athletic Complex August Update - Construction Phase

NORTON ATHLETIC COMPLEX PROJECT       Month of August 2022 Update Multipurpose Field & Tennis Courts: Turf anchor curb installation completed. New entrance with seat wall next to the Superintendent's Office. Backstop and safety netting foundation installation completed. Ongoing bleacher and dugout pad installation. Laser grading completed. Tennis Court binder course installed. NHS Stadium Field & Track: Laser grading completed. Running track binder installed. Shock pad and turf installation completed. Turf inlay and field painting completed. All updates and more photos can be found on the Norton Public Schools website here: www.norton.k12.ma.us/district/facilities-and-grounds/athletic-complex-project   Multipurpose Field NHS Stadium Field & Track   Project Anticipated Timeline March 16 - March 31 - Bid Period March 22 at 10 a.m. - Pre-bid Meeting March 31 at 2 p.m. - Bid Opening April 6 - Bid Review and Award April to May  - Shop Drawing and Submittal Review May 3  - Pre-Construction Conference April-October  - Construction Phase Middle of October - Substantial Completion End of October 2022 - Project Close Out/Final Completion Are you a Norton community member interested in receiving e-mail updates about the Athletic Complex Project? Sign-up to receive updates here:   www.parentsquare.com/community_signups/147fd34a-0b68-4225-b06a-8649201b0261/new (Norton Public Schools staff and families will already be receiving these updates)

Thursday, Sep 08 2022

Technology Update for Families

Dear Norton Families, The technology department has been busy preparing student and classroom technology for the new school year. All elementary students will have a device available to them in their new classrooms for use throughout the year. Students in grades PK-3 will use devices in school under their teachers' direction. Students in grades 4-5 will use devices in school under their teachers' direction but may bring their device home if instructional lessons require it. All students in grades 6-12 are provided with a chromebook that travels between home and school. All incoming 6th grade students will receive their new chromebook and charger in their homerooms on the first day of school. Any 7th or 8th grade student new to Norton Middle School should visit the guidance office during the first week of school to receive their device and charger. All incoming 9th grade students will receive a new chromebook and charger at freshman orientation on Thursday, September 1st. The technology department will be available to distribute devices between 5:30pm-6:45pm. Any new to NHS student who does not attend orientation will be able to pick up their new chromebook in the Norton High School library starting at 7:15am during the first week of school. Mrs. Young, NHS library media specialist, and tech department staff will be available to hand out devices before school. All students in grades 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12 who kept their chromebooks over the summer should check that the keyboard and screen are functioning properly and fully charge the device. If there are any problems with the chromebook, students should complete a tech support request by visiting  https://norton.incidentiq.com/   and logging in with their Google username and password. We can provide a loaner device if repairs are needed. All students and parents/guardians are asked to complete the new digital loan of technology agreement when issued a new device that travels between school and home. You can complete the form at  https://bit.ly/NPSstudentLOT   once your child has received their device so you can record the serial number directly in the form. Copies of the form will be emailed to you upon completion. If your middle or high school child has a personal device that they prefer to use in school, please complete the BYOD form  https://bit.ly/NPSstudentBYOD . Due to the rising costs of parts and volume of device repairs,  the technology department will no longer provide one free break/fix on chromebooks. Families will be charged for the replacement parts on damaged chromebooks beginning this school year. Parents/guardians may choose to take out private insurance on the school device or pay the fees associated with the replacement parts. You can find the list of parts with prices by visiting  this spreadsheet . If your family is unable to afford the internet, please reach out to me at kwinsper@norton.k12.ma.us to discuss some low cost options you may be able to utilize.  If you have any other technology questions, please email me. Special thanks goes out ​to our summer tech interns who did an incredible job assisting our department:  Tyler Bruno, Michael Collins, Thomas Mulvaney, Bianca Nelson, and Evan Diercksen. We couldn't have done it without you! Thank you to all of our Norton families for the continued support of the NPS technology department. Enjoy the last week of summer!  Karen Winsper Director of Instructional Technology

Tuesday, Aug 30 2022