Thank you for coming to Open House/Curriculum Night! We had a great turnout and the students were so excited to share their classrooms and school with their families. Research shows that family engagement and strong partnerships between home and school can raise student academic achievement and engagement as well as to help foster a sense of belonging in the community. We thank you for partnering with us for our students' success!

Norwell CARES Day will take place on Thursday, September 26th. This day happens each year and sends Norwell High School students around town so that Freshman students can participate in the Freshman Advisory Kick-Off. We'll be joined by about 50 former Cole School students who will help out in classrooms and around the building. It's always a wonderful day for the entire community!

Freshman Advisory Kick-Off is an experience intended to help freshmen transition to high school by building bonds with homeroom peers and teachers.

10s Around Town is a service program for Sophomores with staff and adult leaders from the community at locations in Norwell and neighboring communities.

Junior-2-Junior gives high school juniors the opportunity to spend the day building relationships with the elementary students and their teachers.

Senior-2-Senior is in partnership with the Council on Aging for the senior class to welcome older guests to NHS in a carnival style event.

Norwell Public Schools was featured in the July issue of Business View magazine. We are very proud that NPS was selected NPS as one of the Top 2024 - School Districts. Norwell Public School District: The Home of Holistic Education

Please consider joining us for this Parent Book Discussion Group. We highly encourage parents of children in PreK-2 to participate and attend before children get to grades 3-5 when many get their first device at home. All are welcome! Many thanks to Norwell Education Foundation for purchasing three copies of the book for families to borrow. Please let me know if you are interested in borrowing a copy.

Congratulations to this week's Magnificent Meerkats! These students were all nominated for consistently showing expected behaviors at Cole School! Here are some of the reasons shared in this week's nominations:

• They greet each day with a positive attitude. They get right down to work and when finished, they help friends that need it, or read quietly or sometimes even work with math games to work on their skills. They are kind and caring to all!
  
• He always puts his best efforts into his work. He understands his needs for breaks and is appropriate about asking for them at the right times. He is SO happy and enthusiastic about learning. He is a bright light in our classroom!
  
• She is magnificent because she has involved herself in all of our classroom activities and discussions since the first day of school. She raises her hand to share her thinking with others and eagerly participates in group work with classmates. In addition to being an active learner, she is a kind student who looks out for others throughout the day. Keep shining!
  

It was great to see many families at Open House, and also great to share some Kindness Calendars! If you couldn't make it last night, you can find info on the Kindness curriculum and all sorts of home resources at www.randomactsofkindness.org. This week in SEL, we talked about Respect, and practiced how we show it in all areas at Cole School. We'll continue this unit for the next month!

This week in PE/Gym Class, kindergarteners started their throwing and catching unit! Using a beanbag in open space, students practiced tossing and catching while opening and closing their hands gently.

Grades 1-5 warmed up with a game of Cone Flip and learned the rules of a fun game called Gaga Ball! Using physical education elements of dodging, evading, jumping, striking, strategizing and running, there was a lot of excitement and smiles. Gaga Ball!

September

September 23 - Instrument Rental Night for Gr. 5 Band Students

September 26 - Norwell CARES Day - NHS Juniors come to Cole School for the day!

September 29 - Cole/Vinal PTO Parents Kickball Game

September 30 - Gr. 3 Field Trip (Thank you, PTO!)

September 30 - Gr. 5 Enrichment at Cole (Thank you, PTO!)

October

October 1-3 - Book Fair at Cole School (PTO and Buttonwood Books)

October 2 - Elementary Early Release - 12:20 dismissal for all students

October 7 - Gr. 4 Field Trip (Thank you, PTO!)

October 7 - Connections Meeting

October 14 - No School

October 16 - School Council Meeting

October 20 - PTO Boo Dash

October 21 - Community Meeting 2:30pm

October 24 - Early Release - Parent Conferences - 12:20 dismissal for all students

October 31 - Early Release - 12:20 dismissal for all students

For the first time ever, the four parent-led organizations at Norwell High School (NHS PTO, Norwell Arts, Norwell Boosters, and the Norwell Education Foundation) have collaborated for what will be the social event of the year. To be held under the big tent in the parking lot at Tinker’s on Saturday, October 5th from 3 PM to 7 Pm, the first-ever Flannel Fest will feature live music, food trucks and 50/50 raffle. And, of course, lots of flannel! Tickets are $25 per person for this 21+ event. Don't miss this opportunity to celebrate the start of Fall, all while supporting the NHS community.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-norwell-flannel-fest-tickets-1008582175437?fbclid=IwY2xjawFNZDtleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHXurFw095obA1XqsBAV1_5sBPhHK95vR-aVLAGoVHc2HH_UMSeKmc3H2Iw_aem_L8d01iTiwIkL9Dbxf7-PUQ