Superintendent's Message

Dear Newport Schools Parents, Families, and Staff:

As we continue to work with our community partners as part of our efforts to improve attendance and student achievement we are very excited about a new event. We are partnering with RENEWport for an important community dinner this Thursday from 6:00-8:00pm to discuss ways to support families to improve attendance and our early learners as they work to master basic literacy skills. We will also be available to answer any questions families may have. This event is for all our Pell families with students in grades K-2 to come join the fun and have a delicious meal with families and parents of your child’s classmates. I am hoping that ALL of our Pell K-2 families sign up for this fun event and will join us for this important community dinner and conversation. It will take all of us working together to improve student attendance and achievement. So let’s show our commitment to our children, student achievement and our Pell community!

I want to share more exciting news by celebrating our students and giving a big shout out to two of our Rogers track athletes. Laura Hoag recently broke the record in the 1,000m, set in 2019, with a time of 3:14.3, and Deslian Robles broke the 55m hurdle record, set in 2005, with a time of 9.68. That’s fast! Congratulations to our girls team led by Ms. Kacie Gallo as they gear up for this year’s state track meet and then on to the New England Championships! Go RHS - we are cheering you on!!

Speaking of athletics, did you know this is one aspect of school that helps drive good attendance for students? Our student athletes know the importance of good grades and attendance as they work with their teammates to practice after school and on the weekends to sharpen their skills. That is the same attitude we need when addressing academics in the classroom. When our students get on the court, playing field or on the mat, they bring their all. We want that same dedication to our lessons and studies. We also should bring that same encouragement to our student academic achievements as we do when we watch them participate in their sports. We are so fortunate to be able to attend the meets, games, and events to cheer them on. So let’s give that same energy and support to their school work!

As a reminder when we do attend our student athletic events, as adults, we should always display the appropriate behaviors at our games for our young people and visiting team guests. Sportsmanship and appropriate behavior at our games is a number one priority for our schools. Participating in sports should be a fun and rewarding experience for both students and our/their families. Yelling at referees, opposing team members or their families/guests is not acceptable. Unfortunately across the state and here this behavior does occasionally occur. So, let’s remind people- This is Newport- good sportsmanship and good behavior are an expectation. Let’s cheer on and support our students, and when we see poor behavior, bring it to our attention. We always have administrators, Athletic Director, and leaders at our events. Remember our children are watching us- let’s set a good example.

So let’s enjoy our winter sports in a respectful manner, keep reminding our students and each other the importance of attendance and working on our academics. If you are a family or parent with children at Pell in K-2, I hope to see you at Pell Elementary School on Thursday evening for the ReNewport event with all our community partners, lots of good food, and fun!

Have a great week of learning everyone!

Colleen Burns Jermain, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Upcoming Events

● RENEWport Community Dinner - January 16th, 6:00-8:00 pm at Pell.

Athletics and School Committee Schedules

● Athletics Schedule

● Newport School Committee Meeting Schedule

• Rhode Island Department of Education Assessment Portal for RICAS and SAT Results

• Rhode Island Department of Education Attendance Tracker Tool

• Newport Public Schools Portrait of a Graduate

• Newport Public Schools 2024-2025 School Year Strategic Plan

Congratulations to Taylor Oldford and Isabel Welch for building the strongest bridge, holding 81.2 pounds! Congratulations also to Yanzeliz Carrasquillo and Morningstar London for receiving the most votes for the best design! Real life physics at its best!!

Learn 365 continues to do great work supporting our Pell students and families. They recently held a workshop to give our community partners and after school teacher tutors the time to create some great ideas and activities to engage young learners at home and outside of the classroom. Thank you to everyone for all their hard work- and most importantly of all our four great teachers from Pell and our MLK, BGC, and EBCAP partners!! Director Aull and Maryclaire Knight working with Megan Hill and others really are appreciated for their leadership! Thank you!

Attendance Matters, Every Day! I have been and will continue to mention this every week because it is that simple and that important to the success of our students. Students cannot learn if they are not in school. We need to come together to support our students to make sure they are in school, every day, learning from our teachers, and mastering the skills they need for a lifetime of learning and success in life. ATTENDANCE MATTERS!!

Too many of our students continue to be absent or tardy on a regular basis. We have roughly 10% of our students missing school every day. How can we expect them to improve their learning and achievement? We should celebrate the success we have made in improving attendance and reducing chronic absenteeism over the past 2 school years, but we still have to do better. You can see our attendance rates here or by checking the Rhode Island Department of Education’s Student Attendance Leaderboard. I encourage you to study when the highest days of absence are and the trends you see at each of our schools. Let’s work together!!

June 6, 2025 the keys to the new RHS building will be handed over to us. Student and teacher tours continue each week as we try to have all our Viking family come see this amazing building. Take a peek at the photos from this morning as our students and staff get ready for the tour and then stand in wonder as they look at the new gym and interior. It is a very exciting time.

Superintendent Updates

Technology Helpdesk - email: helpdesk@npsri.net

Technology Helpdesk - phone: 1-833-752-0725 (press 2 for Spanish)

Aspen Family Portal Help - email: parentportal@npsri.net

Email: cathynash@npsri.net
Website: npsri.net
Location: 15 Wickham Road, Newport, RI 02840
Phone: (401)619-5376