Wednesday's Words

Dear Families,

During the first few weeks of school, we focus on building strong relationships with our students and establishing classroom routines that foster a positive and supportive learning environment. This time also allows us to get to know each student personally, as well as understand their academic strengths and areas for growth. By observing how students engage with the curriculum and interact with their peers, we gain valuable insights that guide our instruction and help us create learning experiences tailored to their unique needs.

To support this, we utilize screeners in the fall to assess students' current levels in math, reading, and social-emotional learning. These assessments provide detailed information that allows us to set individual goals and ensure that each student is supported throughout the school year. Below, we would like to provide you with an overview of two essential tools we use to assess and support our students: Acadience and DESSA.

Acadience Literacy Screening Tool Overview

We are in the third year of implementing a Universal Screener tool called Acadience Reading. This is part of our ongoing commitment to helping your child become a successful reader. Our DESE approved screening tool, Acadience Reading, helps us examine how your child is doing in learning important reading skills. In September 2022, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education adopted a regulation - 603 CMR 28.03(1)(f) - that requires school districts to assess, at least twice per year, each student’s reading ability and progress in literacy skills from kindergarten through at least third grade.

Students in grades 1 to 6 are assessed using the Acadience Screener three times during the school year, Fall, Winter and Spring. Kindergarten students are assessed twice per year, late Fall and Spring. The assessments typically take 10 minutes or less to complete. Click on this link for an overview of the Acadience Reading Assessment.

It is important to note that early literacy universal screening is used to determine a student’s risk for reading difficulty, including risk of dyslexia, and to guide us in providing reading support. It is not a diagnosis or determination of a disability, and early literacy universal screening assessments do not diagnose dyslexia.

Parents who have a child in grades 1 - 6, will receive the fall results the second week of October. Parents of Kindergarteners will receive their child’s results in late November.

As our practice has always been, we use the results from assessments to inform our instruction and to plan supports. Student results and progress are continuously monitored by a team of educators that includes grade-level teachers, special education liaisons, literacy specialists, and administrators.

Our goal is to make sure that every child is on target for success, and we thank you for your partnership at home. Please reach out if you would like additional information.

As our Parent Handbook and District Accommodation Plan (DCAP) indicates, at any point during the support period and NEST process, IDEA 2004 allows parents to request a formal evaluation to determine eligibility for special education. An intervention process cannot be used to deny or delay a formal evaluation for special education.

DESSA Social Emotional Screening Tool Overview

We use various assessments that help us ensure that we are meeting the needs of all of our students. I wanted to share with you information about an assessment we use to support our Social Emotional Program called DESSA (Devereux Student Strength Assessment). We are required by DESE to administer a Social Emotional Screener. Over two decades of research has helped us understand the important role social and emotional skills play in each child’s success in school, in the community, and, eventually, in higher education and the workplace. With this in mind, K-6 teachers in the Norfolk Public School District are using a screening tool called the DESSA (Devereux Student Strength Assessment) developed by Aperture Education, to assess how often a student has demonstrated specific social and emotional skills in the past month. This tool is used three times a year - Fall, Winter, and Spring.

We use screeners to help guide our instruction and to differentiate our supports to meet the needs of our students in most of our curriculum areas. The DESSA screener is one component of social emotional programs and another tool in our educational tool box that supports best practices.

The purpose of the DESSA is to identify which social emotional skills your child has already learned and what skills they might still need to develop. Once our teachers identify the skills their students still need to learn, they will teach those skills using our Social Emotional Curriculum (Open Circle at HOD and Second Step at FK). Our goal is to ensure that your child is continuously developing the skills they need for success both inside and outside of the classroom.

Aperture Education offers a “parent portal” on their website that provides resources, tips, and strategies to parents on supporting their child’s social emotional development. To view additional information visit the parent portal at: https://info.apertureed.com/parent-portal

If you have any questions about this assessment please reach out to your building principal or myself. If you have questions about our Social Emotional Learning Curriculum, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher or to our school adjustment counselors (Liz Longley at Freeman Kennedy and Andrew Drogan at H. Olive Day School).

Victoria Saldana
Assistant Superintendent

Calendar Reminders

Wednesday, October 9 - NOON DISMISSAL - PD Day
Monday, October 14 - NO SCHOOL - Columbus Day

Freeman-Kennedy OPEN HOUSE Schedule 2024

Thursday, September 19, 2024 - GRADES 3 & 4

Parent Presentation- Gymnasium 6:00 - 6:40 p.m.
Teacher Presentation - Classrooms 6:45 - 7:15 p.m.

Wednesday, September 25, 2024 - GRADES 5 & 6

Parent Presentation- Gymnasium 6:00 - 6:40 p.m.
Teacher Presentation - Classrooms 6:45 - 7:15 p.m.

H. Olive Day OPEN HOUSE - September 26, 2024

PreK through grade 2 Parents, Families, Friends and Students

are invited to come to visit our classrooms and meet our Teachers and our Specialists.

This year we will be hosting members of our community in the gymnasium to help you learn more about our Norfolk community! We will also be hosting our PTO bake sale in the gymnasium.

Visitation Schedule

Session 1: 5:30 pm to 6:15 pm
All students in preschool to grade 2 with last names beginning with letters: M-Z
Session 2: 6:30 pm to 7:15 pm
All students in preschool to grade 2 with last names beginning with letters: A- L

Community Forum

Tech Steering Committee

Calling all parents of elementary school students!

Are you passionate about shaping the future of education and ensuring our children receive the best possible tech education? We are excited to announce the formation of the Tech Steering Committee, slated to commence its work in October/November 2024. This committee will embark on a comprehensive review of our tech curriculum, evaluating its efficacy and relevance in preparing students for the digital age. Additionally, we aim to review and update our current technology policies to align with best practices and emerging trends. We are seeking enthusiastic parent volunteers who can bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the table.

Are you a community member with expertise in AI or a related field? Your insights are invaluable to us! We invite individuals who possess knowledge in artificial intelligence and are eager to contribute to the advancement of tech education in our school to join us. Meetings will be held twice a month, each lasting two hours, starting in October/November and continuing through the spring of 2025. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the educational journey of our children and help shape the future of tech integration in our school community. Join us in this exciting venture as we work together to empower our students with the skills they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

If you are interested, please email Trish Kelley, Director of Technology for Norfolk Public Schools at kelley@norfolk.k12.ma.us

NPS Employment Opportunities

Please click on Employment Opportunities to join our team!

CURRENT OPENINGS:

For more information contact Roxanne Verdeaux, Human Resources @ verdeaux@norfolk.k12.ma.us

Math Part time Paraprofessional
Educational Support Personnel
ABA RBT Technicians
Instructional Assistants Paraprofessional
Instructional Assistants Special Education
Extended Day Site Coordinator (SACC) - Grades 3-6
Substitute Nurses (RN)
Substitute Teachers
Food Service Assistants

Bus Reminder

Remember: Students may not ride on any other bus than the bus they have been assigned to.

- Thank you!

Helpful Links

2024-2025 Norfolk Public Schools Calendar

Norfolk School Committee Meeting - 9/10/2024

SEPAC/PTO Active Kids Program!

Active Kids Program
Brought to you by the Norfolk PTO and Norfolk SEPAC

Active Kids (formerly BOKS) is an exciting program designed to improve children's physical, mental, and emotional well-being through active play. More than just fun, Active Kids helps kids thrive in school and life!

Why Active Kids?

Academic Performance: Improved ELA test scores
Executive Functioning: Enhanced working memory and cognitive flexibility
Physical Fitness: Increased cardiovascular endurance and reduced body fat
Nutritional Knowledge: Better understanding of healthy living

"Programs like Active Kids help children develop healthy habits, while also building social and emotional skills. It’s a fantastic school-based program that has the potential to impact children equitably, thanks to its volunteer-led structure."
— Elsie Taveras, MD, MPH, Chief of the MGHfC Division of General Academic Pediatrics

Program Details

H. Olive Day School (Grades K-2)
- Tuesdays: 7:45 AM Drop-off
- 8 sessions: Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov 12, 19, 26
- Capacity: 50 students
Freeman Kennedy School (Grades 3-6)
- Mondays: 7:45 AM Drop-off
- 8 sessions: Sept 30, Oct 7, 21, 28, Nov 4, 18, 25, Dec 2
- Capacity: 50 students

Registration Details

Registration opens: Wednesday, September 18 - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
Registration closes: Friday, September 20
If registration exceeds capacity, a lottery will be held.
Notifications sent out: Monday, September 23

Note: If your child requires additional support to participate please contact Dr. Tupper in the Special Education (tupper@norfolk.k12.ma.us). Support staff will be available for each session.

For more info, visit: www.norfolksepac.org

Let’s get moving, NPS!

SEPAC 10th Annual Trunk or Treat!

For TICKETS to Trunk or Treat - click here!

To VOLUNTEER for Trunk or Treat - click here!

Norfolk PTO

Check out the new Norfolk PTO website!

The latest PTO news, events and volunteer opportunities can be found at our new website: https://www.norfolkmapto.com.

PTO Volunteer Opportunities & Lunch Sign-up

We welcome any parents and caregivers who are interested in volunteering for school events, lunch, recess, library, etc. to please complete our volunteer sign-up form. Interested in volunteering an hour for lunch and recess duty? Click here: https://www.norfolkmapto.com/volunteer

Friend Directory Submissions Deadline is September 25th!

The creation of the Friend Directory for the 2024-2025 school year is underway and we need your help!

Submit Friend Directory information here. (Please submit one form for each child)
Order a Friend Directory: Friend Directory Order Form
Please contact norfolkfrienddirectory@gmail.com if you submitted the Google form and did not receive an email confirmation.

Upcoming Bake Sale at HOD Open House | Bakers and Volunteers Needed!

We are looking for baked goods for our upcoming Bake Sale at the HOD Open House on Thursday, September 26th.

Interested in baking?

Click here to sign up.
Please individually wrap treats for ease of sale and include a recipe card so we can flag for any common allergens.
Baked items can be dropped off at the HOD main office on Wednesday, September 25th or Thursday, September 26th.

Interested in volunteering at HOD and FK Open Houses? We are looking for volunteers to help set-up, work during the event, and clean-up. Please click these links:

- FK Open House Volunteers
- HOD Open House Volunteers
- Please reach out to Anna Walker with any questions.

Winter Photoshoot Fundraiser – two timeslots left!

We are grateful to partner with Kate Carlson Photography for a Winter Photoshoot Fundraiser. Check family photos off your to-do list while supporting our schools! Spots are limited, sign up today!

Upcoming Events:

Norfolk Fun Run Boosterathon (click here for flyer)
We are thrilled to share that this year, we are hosting a Norfolk Fun Run Boosterathon for both of our school communities in October. This event includes a character-building curriculum and an opportunity for all to participate during school. Key dates are:

Sign-up starting on 9/20 at mybooster.com
Grand kick-off is 10/4
In-school Fun Run is 10/16

Grades 5&6 Movie Night on October 4th: Students in grades 5 and 6 are welcome to join this drop-off event on Friday, October 4 to hang out with friends and watch a movie.
Registration is now live!

Artist-in-residence at Freeman-Kennedy in late October!

Freeman-Kennedy Art Teacher Ms. Mellick uses Artsonia to share student art with parents/caregivers throughout the year with the option to buy prints and products – with funds going back to the PTO. With Artsonia funds, we’re happy to share that artist Bren Bataclan will paint 8 canvases at Freeman-Kennedy during the week of October 28.

Norfolk Recreation

Norfolk Recreation Events - click here!