The Cohasset Compass

Hello Cohasset Families,

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. As we near the end of the calendar year and winter break, I want to use this edition of The Cohasset Compass to update you on some important news and future dates to be aware of.

First, I want to reiterate to all families that this coming Monday, December 9th at 7:00pm is the Cohasset Special Town Meeting in the CHS gymnasium. There are three important school-related considerations that will be a part of Article 6: Capital Improvement Projects. The first two matters for the town to consider relate to the proposed roof repair/replacement at the Joseph Osgood School. Upon determining that the roof had reached the end of its useful life, we applied for a grant through the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and, after consideration, Cohasset was invited to participate in this grant program! Even with the grant, there are still costs that the town is responsible for. Accordingly, residents will be asked to consider whether it will approve two separate allocations from the School Special Purpose Stabilization Fund. The first is $15,000 to engage an Owner's Project Manager (OPM) to run the project and the second is not to exceed $100,000 for the engineering and schematic design portion of the project. The third school-related matter for consideration relates to the fire alarm system in our secondary building. In connection with this matter, residents will be asked to appropriate $1.43 million dollars from the School Special Purpose Stabilization Fund to replace the existing fire alarm system at the Cohasset Middle and High School, as this safety system is approaching the end of its life.

The School Special Purpose Stabilization Fund was approved by the town, and subsequently established and funded, to address ongoing maintenance and repair issues such as the above three items. However, any specific allocation from the fund must be approved by our community and, as such, they will be voted on at next week’s meeting. As members of our school community, your input on these issues is extremely important and we hope that you will consider participating in any discussion and, if you reside here in Cohasset, vote at Monday’s meeting.

Second, this past Monday we held a community forum to share an update on the Cohasset Middle and High School Feasibility Study. We are grateful to those who attended and are providing access to the information shared by Ai3, our architects, via this link.

We are holding two more community forums after the new year and hope that you will consider joining us. The forum dates and topics are:

• Tuesday, January 28th @ 6:30pm - Ai3 will share several conceptual designs for a potential middle/high school project. These designs will fall into several categories: code upgrades only, addition/renovation, addition/demolition/renovation, and new construction.
• Tuesday, February 25th @ 6:30pm - Ai3 will share refined conceptual designs as well as estimated costs associated with potential projects options.

We hope that families and community members will be able to attend on these nights.

Finally, there are several opportunities over the next two weeks for you to appreciate our talented students. We invite you to see them at the following events:

• December 11: Cohasset High School Winter Concert
• December 13: Deer Hill 5th Grade Circus
• December 14: Cohasset Stroll where many of our musicians will be performing for the community

Ever onward,

Sarah

Yesterday and today, Cohasset administrators and educators were fortunate to be able to attend the METCO Directors' Association's Annual Conference. This year was a very special conference for two reasons - first, it is the 40th anniversary of the conference, and second, Cohasset's METCO Director, Ms. Aleisa Gittens-Carle, was the lead organizer and mistress of ceremonies for the conference. As one of the longest tenured METCO Directors, Ms. Aleisa has been a part of the district leadership team for 23 years and is beloved by all.

This year's conference focus was: "METCO: Still Worth the Ride". This focus celebrated the long history of the METCO program and honored the ride and commitment our students make each day to join us. The METCO program was started in 1966 in seven partner districts. Today there are 32 partner district who all share a similar vision for our students - that they receive an inclusive, equitable, and antiracist education. In Cohasset, we are fortunate to be a METCO district and are committed to it being worth the ride for all of our students. The conference was a powerful reminder of the importance of METCO to foster understanding, build community, and provide transformative opportunities for all involved.

If you were able to attend the Cohasset Middle School's Winter Concert last night, you'll know that it was a great night for all. Our bands and choruses all performed wonderfully and I appreciated all of the joy they shared with families and members of the community. Congratulations to all of our performers.

On behalf of the Safe Harbor Committee, we are inviting all community members at all stages of life, whether a student, a first time parent, grandparent, newly retired to join Safe Harbor’s Annual Kick Off Breakfast. This is an opportunity to connect with others in town, to bring new perspectives to the table, and to welcome passions and skillsets to work in harmony as we continue our efforts to reduce underage substance use.

To register for this event, please use this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/safe-harbor-cohasset-coalition-2nd-annual-kick-start-breakfast-tickets-1101240613319?aff=oddtdtcreator

Keeping up with our Anxious Generation purposeful play and responsible risk taking challenges, I am inviting you to join in on our December activities. This month, our challenges are:

Purposeful Play Challenge

As the weather gets colder and vacation comes upon us, build an indoor fort to hang out in. While you're in there, play cards, eat a snack, etc!

Responsible Risk Taking Challenge

2025 is on our doorstep. With a new year comes new resolutions. This New Year, as a family identify something new each person wants to learn or try to do. Encourage your children to step a bit outside their comfort zone with their ideas and model that for them!

MPY is pleased to offer proven resources to help students' families thrive. Explore this curated collection of quick videos and informative handouts thoughtfully grouped by relevant topics. Each segment below is filled with proven, practical, and easy-to-implement video solutions on a wide range of parenting challenges.

Some offerings include:

• Inspire School Success for Elementary, Middle & High School Students

• Parenting Principles for Progress not Perfection

• Support Your Anxious Child

• Help Your Neurodiverse Child Thrive (ADHD/ASD)

• Parenting Principles for Progress not Perfection

Click her to learn more and see all of the offerings.

• December 11: CMS Winter Concert
• December 12: CHS Winter Concert
• December 13: Deer Hill Circus
• December 18: School Committee Meeting
• December 19: National Honor Society Induction Ceremony
• December 20: Winter Break Begins at 4:00pm!
• School will be closed December 23 - January 1 for winter break