The Cohasset Compass

Dear Cohasset Public Schools Community,

One of our major projects this year has been to complete the Cohasset Middle and High School Feasibility Study. In February, we completed the process and today I am sharing the final report with the school community. Today, we submitted our Statements of Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for a fourth time and are hopeful that the work we did with Ai3 Architects helps bolster our chances of being selected as an MSBA partner beginning in 2026. The Feasibility Study is a lengthy document and interesting to review if you are curious to know more about the existing condition of the CMHS building and educational spaces, the work we did to develop an educational vision that will drive building design, and the conceptual designs and estimated costs for potential project options. It is important to note that no decision about a new building has been made. The purpose of the study was to determine what our real options could be and to gather additional information to submit a stronger Statement of Interest.

Below you will find an update on the FY26 budget for the district. I'd like to reiterate here that this budget was not approved lightly as we had to make many hard decisions while building a fiscally responsible and balanced budget. We are sad to lose some amazing staff members who have dedicated so much to our students and district and we know that each fee voted for has a real impact on our families. If you are interested in learning more about how school budgets are funded or about our budget, in particular, please reach out to me.

Finally, one of the things I've learned being in the schools is how often great things happen that no one outside of our buildings knows about. Though we're not done with it yet, I anticipate that a future strategic planning action item will be to improve on how we share our good news with our families and the wider Cohasset community. To that end, in this newsletter I want to share some amazing work that our students and staff are doing!

Ever Onward,

Sarah

If you weren't at last night's MOSAIC event, mark your calendar now so you can come next year! The MOSAIC event brings CPS families of all ages together to celebrate our different cultures, identities, and food. It was a evening full of joy, laughter, music, and dance. It was an evening that highlighted the many cultures of our CPS families. Last night we celebrated South African, Brazilian, Pilipino, Mexican, Argentinian, Middle Eastern, Italian, Swedish, French, Spanish, Grenadian, and so many more cultures! We enjoyed entertainment by some Irish step dancers and the Galvin Middle School (Canton) Step Team (click here to watch some of their performance). Additionally, many of our middle school students set up an entrepreneurial cafe where they sold their own crafted, baked, and built goods. It was truly an amazing evening that I encourage the entire community to attend next year.

Thank you to the MOSAIC committee ~ Aleisa Gittens-Carle, Jenna Blouin, Garisbel McDonough, Hilda Leal, and Ashley Colleary ~ for the work they did to make this night such a success.

Congratulations to two of our CHS students who have been awarded Scholastic medals at the National Level for their art! This is a highly competitive and prestigious award to obtain, and the fact that we have two students receiving awards is a testament to these two seniors and their teachers!

Congratulations to Toby Carpenter who won a gold medal for his photo "The Heart of Lily Pond" and a silver medal for his photo "Mira!".

Congratulations to Owen Gurtz. Owen's short film, 'The Tragedy of Obisora", won a silver medal. You can watch Owen's film by clicking on this link.

Financial literacy is a life skill. Several years ago, the state of Massachusetts began offering a grant to schools so we could teach our students the financial literacy skills they would need post-high school graduation. This program ~ "Credit for Life" ~ is run by CHS math teacher Nicole Fitzgerald and is supported by CHS staff, students' parents and caregivers, and Rockland Trust.

At the start of the day, all of the seniors attend a panel presentation where adults talk about their work, their career paths, and how they tackle financial planning in their lives. Each student is then assigned a job and a salary based on their personal interests. Once the students arrive at the fair, they then need to "plan" their life based on their salary. They have to choose appropriate housing, transportation, insurance, food needs, utilities, etc, based on what their salary will afford them. They learn what it is to create a budget and live within that budget. The day is extremely informative and it helps our seniors prepare for what's next in their lives.

We are grateful to Ms. Fitzgerald, Rockland Trust, the CHS staff, and all of the parents and caregivers who gave their time to support this event. It is an important day for our seniors and is one they both enjoyed and valued for the learning they walked away with.

Last Friday, our fifth grade students participated in the North and South River Watershed Association's (NSRWA) "Water Smart" program. The program is free as a result of the partnership between the town of Cohasset and the NSRWA. It is a program that is supported by our families. Twenty-four parent volunteers helped make this day a success. They arrived early to be trained by the NSRWA to run the stations. We are incredibly grateful for their time and enthusiasm!

As part of the program, all of the fifth graders rotated through six different stations where they engaged in hands-on activities related to water conservation. All of the Water Smart content is tied to the MA state science standards and is aligned with what the students are currently reading about rivers and watersheds as part of a non-fiction unit. Their current Mystery Science unit is also on water. One of the Mystery Science lessons requires students to work in a team to save a coastal town from beach erosion. The Water Smart program ties all of the content together in a real world, meaningful way that captures the interest of our students and engages them in authentic learning.

On Monday, March 31, Cohasset School Committee voted to increase, reinstate, or create fees to support the closing of an almost $1.4 million dollar gap. On Wednesday, April 2, the School Committee voted to approve the proposed FY26 budget that includes $774,299 in staff, supply, and professional development reductions, $108,000 in transportation savings, a $150,000 one-time allocation from the Town and $361,678 in increased revenue through fees. The attached document provides a detailed breakdown of each of these categories. I'd like to express my appreciation to everyone who collaborated with us to close our budget gap, including the central office and building administrators, the Cohasset Teachers Association, Chris Senior, Ellen Maher and the Selectboard, the Cohasset Youth Baseball and Softball Associations (CYBSA), and so many others who provided insight and ideas.

While we have solved our budget gap for FY26, I encourage everyone in our community to learn more about the funding concerns facing public education in MA, especially in towns like Cohasset where we have a limited commercial tax base. Linked here is a position paper written by the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and printed by the Boston Globe. It is well-written and outlines the financial future Cohasset and other MA public schools are facing.

On April 6, Coach Torin Sweeney was inducted into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Coach Sweeney has been the wrestling coach in Cohasset for 41 years. He started coaching for CHS at the age of 19 and continues to lead the team today. Anyone who has wrestled for Coach Sweeney can tell you that he doesn't just coach wrestling, he coaches adolescents into young adults. Coach Sweeney recently retired from teaching and serving as the Wellness Department Chair for CHS and continues to also coach both boys' and girls' golf. Over the years, Coach Sweeney has coached many sports, taught many classes, and had a meaningful impact on thousands of Cohasset students' lives. Personally, I am grateful to Coach Sweeney as he not only coaches my son in both golf and wrestling, but many years ago, coached my husband in wrestling as well.

You can read the full press release regarding Coach Sweeney's induction by clicking this link.

Safe Harbor is thrilled to invite the South Shore community to our upcoming event, Let’s Talk: Understanding Adolescence with local expert and esteemed speaker Kevin Rosario. This informative session is scheduled for Thursday, May 22, 2025, at 6:00 PM at Cohasset High School. All are welcome!

Kevin Rosario is an experienced wellness advocate and the founder of Addiction Consulting and Education Services (ACES). With an MBA in Healthcare Management and over a decade of experience in the behavioral health field, Kevin has dedicated his career to helping teens and adults lead purposeful lives.

Kevin will share valuable insights on how to effectively talk with teens about making positive decisions, building self-esteem, developing refusal skills, and fostering healthy communication. This event is designed for parents, caregivers, and community members committed to fostering the well-being of youth on the South Shore and beyond. Learn strategies to help prevent the dangers of peer pressure, particularly related to vaping and substance use. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the latest science on adolescence and gain practical tools for supporting the next generation!

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, May 22nd, 2025
• Time: 6:00 PM
• Location: Cohasset High School Auditorium, 143 Pond Street, Cohasset, MA

This event is free and open to the community. RSVP today at www.safeharborcohasset.org/letstalk

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

Purposeful Play Challenge

Let's get creative this month! With April vacation around the corner, many families will have some downtime to fill. Ask your children to invent a new game and then play it with them!

Responsible Risk Taking Challenge

This month is all about learning to use a new tool! Help your children learn to use a hammer, screwdriver, whittling knife, or saw. Build a birdhouse together, whittle a stick, or build a plant box (and then plant something). The level at which you provide independence for your child on this project should be adapted given their age and ability.

Cohasset is a community comprised of experts in a wide variety of fields. In order to deliver more authentic, hands-on, project-based learning experiences to students, the Cohasset School Committee, in collaboration with district leadership, is working to develop a "Community Resource Guide." This Guide will serve as an invaluable resource to our classroom teachers and school staff, as it will provide them with a comprehensive database of all stakeholders and interested parties who are willing to share their background, experience, and expertise in furtherance of our mission to Empower Students to Improve Communities.

There are many different ways in which one might participate in this endeavor, including classroom presentations, hosting or facilitating field trips, creating shadow or internship opportunities, or assisting with project-based learning experiences.

If you are willing to share your unique talents, passions, interests, and/or expertise, please click this link to fill out a brief interest form. We thank you for your willingness to volunteer your time in order to deliver impactful learning experiences to CPS students.

Onward and Upward,

Your School Committee

We are also excited to announce that the Cohasset Public Schools has a new Facebook page. Our District used to rely on Twitter to share news, announcements, and updates, however, we are shifting away from that platform and will now be sharing similar information via Facebook. We invite you to click here to Like and Follow our page to stay on top off all of the latest CPS news.

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)

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

• April 16: School Committee Meeting @ 6:00pm

• April 21 - 25: No School ~ April Vacation!

• May 1: Deer Hill Favorites Art Night @ 7:00pm