THE NAVIGATOR
March 1, 2024
Newsletter
FAMILY INPUT FOR 2024 - 2025 District Calendar...Please complete the form below
Upcoming Superintendent Search Forums
Dear Cohasset School Families:
The Superintendent Search Committee (SSC) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting a series of open discussion forums for families (there are separate forums for staff as well) relative to the superintendent selection process. The first group of family forums will be held in the next two weeks, with the purpose of providing our school families with an opportunity to share perspectives with the SSC as we review applications and conduct semi-finalist interviews (NOTE: semi-finalist interviews, unlike finalist interviews, are held in private session as to protect confidentiality interests of candidates).
The first group of family forums will be held at the following times:
Elementary Family Forum (in-person only): Wednesday, March 6, 6PM-7PM in the Deer Hill Innovation Commons
Secondary Family Forum (in-person only): Wednesday, March 13, 4:30PM-5:30PM in the MS/HS Learning Commons
District-Wide Virtual Family Forum (ZOOM ONLY): Thursday, March 7, 6PM-7PM. A link for this forum will be shared with the district in a separate email.
Once semi-finalist interviews have been completed, and finalist candidates have been identified and announced, there will be a second group of family forums in which families will be able to directly engage the candidates themselves. Information relative to that process will be forthcoming as we progress to that point in the selection process.
We look forward to hearing from your family at one or more of the forums!
Onward and Upward,
Your SSC
Cohasset Public Schools Report Cards from DESE
We are pleased to share with you the 2023 school report card from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Please note that because the grade levels at Osgood do not take MCAS, the state indicates "insufficient data" for accountability for Osgood. Osgood's good work on MCAS is indicated in the grade 3 performance. You can access our schools' and district's report cards by clicking on the links below:
For JOS: Osgood 2023 School Report Card
For DH: Deer Hill 2023 School Report Card
For CMS: Cohasset Middle School 2023 School Report Card
For CHS: Cohasset High School 2023 School Report Card
The Home Parenting Solutions Library may easily be accessed using the link on the MPY's home page or clicking this link. No log in or passcode is needed.
METCO HQ and REI Committee Workshop Offerings
METCO HQ and its REI Committee have partnered with Dr. Darnisa Amante-Jackson and Dr. Lee Teitel to offer practical skills in holding productive and persuasive conversations about racial equity with various constituencies. Talking to peers about METCO 2.0—and more generally, about race, equity and integration—can be hard. To realize the vision of METCO 2.0—that every student in a METCO district receives an inclusive, equitable and antiracist education—requires deep change for all of us: for METCO directors, district leaders and HQ, but also for parents, community leaders, students, and school committee members. These sessions are designed to help navigate polarized environments, have conversations about difficult topics, and further the mission of METCO 2.0.
There are several two-part Thursday/Monday Zoom workshops coming up. You will also find upcoming dates in the registration link for the following groups and are welcome to sign up ahead of time for these as well:
· School Leaders, Staff, & Teachers
· School Committees
· Community allies, racial equity groups, METCO supporters
· Parents (parents of both METCO and suburban students)
· Students (METCO students and resident students from the METCO district
February 28 School Committee Meeting at METCO Headquarters
Thank you to Ms. Gittens-Carle and to our amazing "Black Student Union" who presented at this past Wednesday's School Committee Meeting, which took place at METCO Headquarters at 11 Roxbury Street, Roxbury, MA. The presentation was wonderful and highlighted the fabulous students in this important group. This was a great example of increased student voice throughout the district. Excellent job, students! You made us all proud!
Cohasset's Second Annual Mosaic Event
School Menus! Please click on the image below.
Updated 2023 - 2024 School District Calendar
With the Monday, December 19 and more recently, Tuesday, February 13 cancellation of school due to storms, our new last day of school is June 14. Please click on the image below to access the updated calendar, which is also on the District Web Page.
Images of the Week
The Leadership Team participated in a Learning Walk at Osgood on Wednesday. Students and staff were highly engaged and excited to share their work with the team.
From the Deer Hill Newsletter
Black History Month at Deer Hill: As Deer Hill continues to celebrate Black History Month, our February Deer Teams book was Love is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement by Sandra Neil Wallace. Additionally, Deer Hill Community Club members shared the accomplishments of several Black Americans such as Ruby Bridges and Langston Hughes in posters and in morning announcements each day this week.
An example of welcoming visitors to Deer Hill (and in celebrating our students' academic accomplishments)...Mrs. Clark's Mystery Writer's Showcase!
Framed Map and Updated Furniture on wall at Susan B. McNamara Innovation Commons at Deer Hill School. Thank you to our facilities team!
Opportunities for Staff, Students and Families
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce its new MPY Parenting Solutions Library. The MPY Parenting Solutions Library is offered at no charge, in partnership with Peace At Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit located in Mansfield, Connecticut. Peace At Home Parenting Solutions is a dynamic hub of trusted knowledge and compassionate support that inspires parents to create positive change for their children, their families and themselves. Through this new partnership, MPY is pleased to offer proven resources to help students’ families thrive.
Peace At Home Parenting Solutions specializes in empowering parents with evidence-based strategies to foster nurturing connections that safeguard their children's mental well-being. The trainings are presented by experts with advanced degrees and the trainings focus on child and adolescent development, including difficulties in school, mental health challenges, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ identity formation, racism, and grief. These trainings present easy-to-use strategies for long-lasting change.
FREE 24 Home Parent Video Presentations
- Inspire School Success for Elementary, Middle and High School Students
- Parenting Principles for Progress Not Perfection
- Mental Health Knowledge and Skills
- Support Your Anxious Child Library
- ADHA and Autism: How to Help Your Child Thrive
Kindergarten Registration Now Open
Please click on the image below to access the Joseph Osgood Kindergarten Registration
MCAS Action Plan Presented to Cohasset School Committee
Thank you to Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Leslie Scollins and to Director of Data, Evaluation, and Curriculum, Rock Roberts, for their great work in creating and presenting the MCAS Action Plan at the 12/6/2023 Cohasset School Committee Meeting. Thank you to all educators who play a role in analyzing the data and in creating and implementing this plan.
Sports Information
Tournament News
Girls Varsity Basketball play Friday March 1 at home against Ayer Shirley. Come pack the gym for the game at 6:00pm!
Terrific playoff win for Boys Varsity Basketball against Upper Cape Tech: 83-59. Next game is March 1 at 6 against Wareham at Wareham. (Photos by William Wassersug.)
Great season, Boys' Hockey! (William Wassersug Photos)
Great season, Cohasset Ski Team. Congratulations to the entire team and to Robert Blanchard, Liz Blanchard, and Maggie Brinzey, who competed at this week's MIAA State Championships.
Click below for more sports information
Cohasset High School Recognized for Advanced Placement Excellence
College Culture: Percent of students in the graduating class who took an AP exam at any point in high school, regardless of score.
College Credit: Percent of students in the graduating class who scored 3B on any AP Exam in high school.
College Optimization: Percent of students in the graduating class who took 5 or more AP Exams in high school, where at least 1 exam was taken in 9th or 10th grade.
Thank you to all who support our successful AP program.
Cohasset Public Schools Ranks #2 in State in Reaching Targets on 2023 MCAS and Deer Hill and Cohasset High School recognized as schools of distinction by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
Further accolades for MCAS performance place Deer Hill Elementary School and Cohasset High School as two of the 66 schools in the Commonwealth who were recognized for exceptional growth or achievement under the state's accountability system, which takes into account MCAS scores and other measures. This honor is a complete team effort and certainly reflects the good work happening at Osgood and CMS, as well.
MCAS Analysis and Responsibilities of the Director of Data, Evaluation, and Curriculum (DEC) by Rock Roberts, DEC., presented at the 11/1/2023 Cohasset School Committee Meeting.
Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment: Assistant Superintendent Leslie Scollins, Ed.D.
Professional Development
Assessments
Winter assessments in ELA and Math Family reports for grades K-8 are available in Aspen. Your principal sent information on February 14th.
MCAS 2024 Schedule
High School
ELA: March 26 & 27 (Grade 10)
Math: May 21 & 22 (Grade 10)
Physics: June 4 & 5 (Grade 9)
Middle School
ELA: April 1 & 2 (Grades 6-8)
Math: May 16 & 17 (Grades 6-8)
Science: May 7 & 8 (Grade 8 only)
Civics Field Test: May 23 7 24 (Grade 8 only)
Deer Hill Elementary
ELA: April 3 & 4 (Grade 3)
ELA: April 8 & 9 (Grades 4 & 5)
Math: May 15 & 16 (Grade 3)
Math: May 13 & 14 (Grades 4 & 5)
Science: May 7 & 8 (Grade 5 only)
Curriculum Updates
Please see the Professional Development Calendar below for more information about the professional development for this year.
Cohasset Public Schools' Strategic Plan for 2021- 2024
Please Click on the Link Below to Access the Entire Strategic Plan
Cohasset High School Vision of the Graduate
Other Major Focus Points
School Improvement Plans for 2023-2024
Finance and Operations Updates
For Employees:
We continue to update our school website. Please visit the Human Resource page located within the Finance and Operations Department. There you will find lots of exciting information for staff including training videos for Aspen, Aesop as well as updated employee forms. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see on the HR page, please email jballard@cohassetk12.org
Finance and Operations News:
Cohasset Public Schools is Hiring:
We are looking for Educational Support Professionals, please visit www.schoolspring.com to apply
We are also looking for Café staff, please email your resume to vcordon@cohassetk12.org
Fitness Center and the Learning Commons are now open to the students on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
Transportation News:
BUS REGISTRATION FOR THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR IS UNDERWAY
Online payment is available through MySchoolBucks. Please visit our Transportation Tab on our school website for more information on registering and paying online. You can also complete the registration form, which can be found on our website, and mail it with your payment, if applicable, to: Cohasset Public Schools, Transportation Department at: 143 Pond Street, Cohasset, MA 02025
If you have questions regarding transportation, please contact Ray Miscioscia, if you have questions regarding MySchoolBucks, please contact Jerilyn Ballard
We are excited to share with you that all bus passes will be available through your Aspen Parent Portal
Once bus passes are loaded into Aspen, these are the instructions for downloading the pass:
1) Log into Aspen: https://ma-cohasset.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do
2) Click on Family Tab at the top
3) Click on Child’s Name
4) Click on Documents Side Tab
5) Look for and download Bus Pass 2023-2024 document
Students with a smartphone can download or display a screenshot of the bus pass on their devices.
If you have any issues logging into your Aspen Parent Portal account, please submit an IT ticket to: helpdesk@cohassetma.org. Please put “Aspen Parent Portal” in the subject line to ensure a timely response
STOPFINDER
*Stopfinder invites have been emailed, please contact Jerilyn Ballard if you have not received your invite or have questions about the app.
Stopfinder is the all-in-one parent engagement app designed by parents for parents to keep you in the know. Receive bus location and messages, updates, and alerts in real-time. No other parent app provides this much information in real-time to parents and school transportation departments. Think of the peace of mind when parents and guardians know where their child’s bus is and when their student arrives at school or when dropped off at the bus stop.
In the Transportation tab on our website, you will find helpful tutorials on how the parent app works.
Cohasset Public Schools Vision of Equity
CPS Equity Vision Statement
BE THE CHANGE
Please visit our website for resources regarding the promotion of diversity.
Cohasset PSO Happenings
Thank you, PSO, for your great work in sponsoring the recent FUN RUNS at Osgood and Deer Hill! Thank you to everyone who donated and who participated.
Cohasset Education Foundation (CEF)
Ring ring! Hello- it’s us! Cohasset students will be calling next Monday and Tuesday from 6-8pm for our 2023/‘24 appeal. Please answer the call to help support the CEF!
Thank you, CEF!
Thank you to the CEF for awarding $23,554 for innovative grants in the last grant cycle. We are so appreciative of the support.
Thank you, Cohasset Education Foundation (CEF) and to everyone who helped donate at the CEF Fall Festival. CEF raised $32K for Cohasset Public Schools! This included a wonderful silent auction.
RISE Program
The Student Opportunity Act
The Student Opportunity Act (SOA) implements the recommendations of the 2015 Foundation Budget Review Commission and includes other provisions to benefit our public schools.
As part of the SOA, districts are required to submit three-year, evidence-based plans aimed at closing persistent disparities in achievement among student subgroups. The District submitted the SOA Plan in January 2021 and then sent the amended plan in March 2022. Please see the presentation below.
Office of Student Services
Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition (BRYT) Information Session
Employment Opportunity
UPDATES
Opening Letters and Information Regarding Multi-Tiered Student System of Supports (MTSS)
Be Sure to View the Information on the Student Services Web Page
Digital Learning & Technology Updates
Dear CPS Families,
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!
Please review our Tech For Families page on the Cohasset Public Schools web site for a list of links and Getting Started resources for CPS families, such as Aspen and Google.
LINK: https://www.cohassetk12.org/Page/4455
For Families in Grades 6-12, your child is a member of our BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program. Check out our recommended specifications to ensure that you purchase a device that will support their learning at CPS.
LINK:: https://www.cohassetk12.org/Page/4454
Follow these steps to help your child install the BYOD certificate at home:
LINK: https://www.cohassetk12.org/Page/4470
Contact our IT Help Desk for help with your Aspen Family or Student Portal Account, a forgot/lost Cohasset K12 Google Account password, or for assistance with your child’s BYOD device.
LINK: https://www.cohassetk12.org/Page/4481
SAFE HARBORS UPDATES
THURSDAY, December 14, 2023
The holiday season is upon us and we wish everyone a safe and healthy time celebrating with family and friends.
For some of us, the holiday season may bring heavy emotions or you may have a college student returning home for break. Find resources below to assist during this time.
Youth Ambassadors have kicked off their holiday season with their annual sticker shock at Curtis Liquors (read more here), suicide prevention training, Holiday Stroll presence, and are full steam ahead into the new year.
And as we look ahead into the new year, find information below for our Kick Start breakfast on January 11th. RSVP by December 20th so you do not miss out!
December is National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month
Since 1981, every US president has shown a commitment to stop impaired driving, by proclaiming December National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month, also known as National 3D Prevention Month.
Why December? The period between Thanksgiving and New Year's has statistically shown to be one of the deadliest and most dangerous times on American roadways due to impaired driving.
Support for Individuals in Recovery
Above are some alkathons that are happening in the area during the holidays. An alkathon is an event or gathering focused on providing support and fellowship for individuals recovering from addiction. The holidays can be a particularly difficult time of year for many, and alkathons help provide a safe, sober place to celebrate.
To Download and View a Full-Size PDF version of this infographic, please CLICK HERE.
Impaired Driving, Talk With Your Kids
SAMHSA
Holidays bring more social event opportunities that may involve substances. Talk openly with family members about being in a vehicle when the driver is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, including marijuana. Communicate honestly with your children, friends, family members, and colleagues about expectations of behavior and safe choices when attending holiday events, whether they take place in someone’s home or at a public venue.
Please CLICK HERE to continue...
Preventing Risky Drinking By College Students The Focus of New Penn State Study
By Penn State news, December 2020
“Underage alcohol consumption has consistently been linked to more frequent consequences across students’ college years, including blackouts, drinking more often and more heavily, and a greater likelihood of driving under the influence or riding with an impaired driver. These outcomes can negatively affect students’ grades, their physical and emotional well-being, and can put them at greater risk of assault or legal problems.”
Please CLICK HERE to continue…
CLICK HERE for more FEATURED NEWS!
Safe Harbor Cohasset Kick Start Breakfast
RSVP by December 20th to safeharborcohasset@gmail.com
Fabulous Presentation at the November 1, 2023 School Committee Meeting by members of the Safe Harbors Youth Ambassadors. Great job, students!
Most Recent Safe Harbors Newsletter
Thank you to all of our counselors for their caring and selfless work throughout the District!
Osgood: Dave Vinton dvinton@cohassetk12.org (adjustment counselor)
Deer Hill: Robyn Costa rcosta@cohassetk12.org (adjustment counselor)
Deer Hill and Osgood: Maeve Dulles mdulles@cohassetk12.org (adjustment counselor)
Deer Hill and Osgood: Alyson Doyle adoyle@cohassetk12.org (school psychologist)
CMS: Emily Manewal emanewal@cohassetk12.org (adjustment Counselor)
Allison Pearce apearce@cohassetk12.org (school psychologist)
CHS: Laura Struzziery lstruzziery@cohassetk12.org (lead counselor)
Leanne McCarthy lmccarthy@cohassetk12.org (high school adjustment counselor)
Kevin McGowan kmcgowan@cohassetk12.org (high school counselor)
Allison Battista abattista@cohassetk12.org (high school counselor)
Catlin Stromberg cstromberg@cohassetk12.org (school psychologist)
Robert Collins rcollins@cohassetk12.org (middle and high school social worker)
Take Care of Yourself and Take Care of Each Other
Please click on the following link to access even more information on the Cohasset Public Schools Web Site.
Please follow me on Twitter for daily updates from the Cohasset Public Schools
Email: psullivan@cohassetk12.org
Website: https://www.cohassetk12.org/
Phone: 781 383 6111
Twitter: @SuperCohasset
You can also follow the entire leadership team on Twitter to see real-time updates.
Assistant Superintendent: @CPSAssistantSup
Joseph Osgood School: @JOsgoodppal
Deer Hill School: @DeerHillSchool
Cohasset Middle School: @comsprincipal
Cohasset High School: @CoHSPrincipal
We utilize both Aspen and Blackboard communications to inform families of important events, cancellations, and happenings.
Proud Superintendent of Cohasset Public Schools