Deer Families
Deer Hill School News . August 18, 2023
Dear Deer Hill Families,
Deer Hill is so excited to welcome students back to the building on Wednesday, August 30. We will have school for two days followed by a four day weekend (not a bad way to ease into things!) Our first newsletter is full of information that will help you transition smoothly into a new school year. Thank you for taking a peek.
I hope that your last days of summer are restful and energize you for a fabulous year!
All the best,
Alexandra L. Sullivan
Principal, Deer Hill School
P.S. Our next newsletter will be published September 8, 2023.
Need to Knows
- Please see the Deer Hill Family Handbook which has been updated for the 2023-2024 school year. It will soon be posted on the Deer Hill website and will always be linked in the newsletters as well.
- This afternoon at approximately 3 pm, Deer Hill teacher assignments will be published in Aspen. This morning is a great time to check that you're able to login to Aspen successfully. If you have any difficulty, please email our IT department at helpdesk@cohassetk12.org and be sure to use the subject line "Aspen". Please note that our school secretaries are no longer able to reset passwords and will redirect you to this email.
- From the PSO: The Deer Hill teachers worked together to create recommended supply lists that are customized by grade level - just go to the School Tool Box website and click on the grade your child will be in to see the list of supplies they'll need. You can also add or subtract supplies if you already have some things or would like extras of others.
- Please see this informational letter from Marilyn Haraden, Director of Food Services. This year lunches will continue to be free to all students. Treats may be purchased through MySchoolBucks accounts. We'll also continue to offer a breakfast program from 9:05-9:20 that is free to all students. Additionally, all students are asked to bring a snack to school each day which must be on our approved snack list.This list is pictured on the flyer at the end of this newsletter.
- For information about school transportation, please visit the transportation page of the CPS website.
- Please see this letter from Barbara Cerwonka, Director of Student Services, that outlines our MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports) process in Cohasset Public Schools.
- A reminder for the first day: Doors open at Deer Hill at 9:05 each morning. Bus riders, walkers, and bikers enter through the front doors. All car drop offs must enter through the back loop. On the first day we will have all staff on deck to ensure students make a smooth transition into school and are able to find their new classrooms. Dismissal is at 3:25. Thank you for reviewing additional details about arrivals and dismissals in our handbook and for ensuring your child knows their arrival and dismissal plans.
Keeping the Joy (happenings at Deer Hill)
- Please welcome the following new staff to Deer Hill and note the following role changes:
- Meg Sandblom (grade 3)
- Taylor Benoit (grade 4)
- Shauna Decoteau (grade 5)
- Julie Levine (moving from grade 5 SPED to the general education classroom)
- Mairéad Roche (grade 5 SPED)
- Courtney Sullivan (SPED ILC program)
- Alison Varney (.5 math specialist, joining Chrissy Thonet)
- Deb Henry (Ms. Henry is looking forward to retirement but isn't ready to say goodbye to us yet! She will be supporting students by lending her expertise where needed for the first few months of school.)
- We're also in the final hiring stages of new ESPs who will be introduced in a future newsletter.
- Last school year Deer Hill was the proud recipient of a CEF grant to reimagine our library and adjacent STEM lab into a new, cohesive space called the Susan B. McNamara Innovation Commons. Phase one of this project is complete which means that Deer Hill students will enjoy a brand new "Tech Space" for computer class and research projects at the start of the school year. The library space, which will continue to also honor beloved former librarian Marjorie J. Murphy, encompasses comfy seating and a flexible classroom area. It's on track to be completed this fall. This grant was largely funded by a generous donation from the McNamara family to honor their matriarch, Susan B. McNamara. As described by the CEF, Sue was "a Cohasset community organizer, as well as wife, mother, grandmother. She devoted herself to not only her family, but also to service throughout the Cohasset community. Sue was a steadfast believer in the power of public education and founded the Cohasset Education Foundation, the Great Books Program, and the Arts Boosters. She was also a founding member of the PSO. The CEF is grateful to the McNamara Family for their support in ensuring that countless students will learn and grow from a new integrated learning space at Deer Hill Elementary School."
Deer Hill Dates
8.30: First day of school
9.1 & 9.4: Labor Day weekend; no school
9.6, 2:30-3:00: Grade 4 Goulet instrument demonstration assembly
9.12: Goulet instrument rental night, grades 4 & 5 (more info to follow)
9.15, 9:30 (DH caf): PSO kickoff & room parent meeting
9.21, 6:30-8:00: Deer Hill Open House
9.22: Professional development half day; 1:15 dismissal
9.26: Scholastic Book Fair
Flyers of Interest
Deer Hill School
Alexandra L. Sullivan, Principal
Email: alsullivan@cohassetk12.org
Website: https://www.cohassetk12.org/
Location: 208 Sohier St., Cohasset, MA, USA
Phone: 781-383-6115
Twitter: @DeerHillSchool