As we reach the 120th day of the school year, I want to take a moment to address an important issue regarding student attendance. Currently, 9% of our student body has missed 10% of the school year. I understand that this year has been particularly challenging, with many of our students facing illnesses such as the flu, strep throat, pneumonia, and other viruses that have impacted their ability to attend school regularly.
While I recognize the difficulties these health challenges present, I remain hopeful that as the weather improves, so too will our students' health. A stronger immune system and the arrival of warmer days should contribute to better overall attendance.
I encourage all families to prioritize health and wellness during this time, and I appreciate your continued support in ensuring that our students are present and engaged in their learning. Together, we can work towards a healthier and more consistent school experience for everyone in the next 60 days of school together.
Connections groups met on Monday to read Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe by Kate Messner to kick off our focus on the Habit of Mind of Striving for Accuracy. Be sure to ask your child what they remember about Ann Lowe's story.
Crazy Hair Day was a hit! Many students came to school with crazy hair dos, color, and sparkles! Many thanks to Charlotte for coming up with this day for us to have some fun! We also got to enjoy some Irish music thanks to Mr. Kaszuba and his friend Dave. They played a few Irish songs and taught all of us about the instruments and music along the way.
The 2025 Cole School Family Survey will be sent out to this afternoon to the first parent contact listed in Aspen. The email will come from Norwell Schools, so if you don't see one, please check your junk/email folder. Please complete this survey only one time reflecting on the experiences you and your children have had at Cole School this school year. The survey will close next Friday, March 21st at noon. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey and give us your feedback. We use it to help write the School Improvement Plan each year.
We will be celebrating Neurodiversity Celebration Week during the week of March 17-21. We have been selected to have a free school assembly from Katy Boucher, founder and director of the Accord School. This assembly will take the place of the weekly SEL lesson with Mrs. Walsh. Katy will use engaging videos of real student perspectives, tactful stories, and relatable graphics, to help elementary students learn:
- What it means to be a curious and caring classmate
- The many ways, noticeable and invisible, that we are different from one another
- Applying the theory of Multiple Intelligences (H. Gardner) to show how we all think differently
- Fair & Equal: Getting what we all need
People who are constantly striving for accuracy and precision are valuable and respected. Embodied in the stamina, grace and elegance of a ballerina, a writer, a shoemaker, or a street sweeper is the desire for craftsmanship, mastery, flawlessness and economy of energy to produce exceptional results. People who value accuracy, precision and craftsmanship take time to refine their products. They review the high standards by which they abide; they review the models and visions they value; and they review the criteria that will confirm that their finished product matches and exceeds those criteria. To be craftsman-like means knowing that one can continually perfect one’s craft by working to attain the highest possible standards, and pursue ongoing learning in order to bring a laser like focus of energies to task accomplishment. It means continuous learning throughout a lifetime. Craftsmen take pride in their work and have a desire for exactness, precision, elegance accuracy, faithfulness, and fidelity. For some people, craftsmanship requires continuous reworking.
Here are some strategies to consider to motivate you to set goals to continue toward even greater work:
- Organize yourself so that you have the time to put careful attention to your work.
- Ask others to give you specific feedback on questions you have about your work.
- Remember that you are in control of your work and you can decide to make it better. Sometimes too much emotional attachment does not help you to constructively improve.
- Study the work of experts in the field in which you are interested. Perhaps you can arrange to interview someone to learn more about their craftsmanship.
- Use scoring/technical criteria to assess your work in progress and identify possible next steps.
- Recognize when you are getting better at what you are working on to give you the encouragement, inspiration, and stamina to become even better at it.
This week, Responsibility lessons focused on choices we can make to help the environment while we're at school. Grades K & 1 heard "10 Ways I Can Help My World" and played charades with "green" actions like using less water or picking up trash. Grades 2 & 3 heard "Mrs. Fox's Class Goes Green" and made charts of ways they can use less stuff, less energy, and less water. Grades 4 & 5 continued the "pass the mic" responsibility challenge (5th graders are the champions with over 70 different examples of personal responsibilities), and they also completed environmental inventories of areas like the playground or classrooms.
As a reminder, my SEL classes next week will be replaced by a presentation from Katy Boucher on neurodiversity. On 3/24, I will discuss personal safety and read "I Said No" with grades K and 2, and "The Kid Trapper" with grade 4.
Physical Education
Fourth graders began a six week “Get Fit Across America Program” which includes traveling across the United States using miles generated from physical activity. The goals of the program are to encourage consistent physical activity and to see how far they can travel across the country. As a reward for successful completion, students will be eligible to go on a fitness field trip that includes a hike through Wompatuck State Park, a picnic lunch and play time.
We completed our Basketball Unit this week. Kindergarteners and first graders practiced their push shot. Second and third graders had fun shooting, dribbling and passing in a keep away game. Fourth graders played half court basketball games. Fifth graders used their basketball skills in a full court game.
March
March 17-21 - Cole School Spring Family Survey - sent by email, check your spam/junk folder
March 17-21 - Neurodiversity Celebration Week
March 18 - PTO Bingo Night 6-7:30pm
March 19 - Grade 5 Parent Curriculum Night at NMS 6pm
March 20 - Neurodiversity Assembly with Katy Boucher
March 21 - Elementary Report Cards available in Aspen
March 24 - Community Meeting 2:30pm - Grade 1 Hosting - Parents invited to join us!
March 26 - Elementary Early Release 12:20pm Dismissal for all students
March 27 - District Band Concert at NHS 7pm
March 31 - PTO Sponsored Peformance by artist Rob Surrette, 9:15 for K-2 and 1:30 for grades 3-5, parents invited to join us!
Looking Ahead
April 1 - NMS performs Frozen Jr. for Cole School
April 2 - Grade 5 Field Trip - 2 classes (Thank you, PTO!)
April 4 - Parent Input for Placement for 2025-2026 school year - Google Form sent out
April 7 - MCAS Grade 4 ELA 1
April 7 - Grade 2 Field Trip - 2 classes (Thank you, PTO!)
April 7 - Connections Meeting, reading Papa’s Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming
April 8 - MCAS Grade 4 ELA 2
April 9 - MCAS Grade 3 ELA 1
April 9 - Grade 2 Field Trip - 2 classes (Thank you, PTO!)
April 9 - Grade 5 Field Trip - 2 classes (Thank you, PTO!)
April 10 - Early Release - Parent Conferences
April 11 - MCAS Grade 3 ELA 2
April 14 - MCAS Grade 5 ELA 1
April 14 - Grade 4 Enrichment (Thank you, PTO!)
April 15 - MCAS Grade 5 ELA 2
April 16 - School Council Meeting 3:30pm
April 18 - No School
April 21-25 - April Vacation Week
April 28 - Grade 3 Field Trip - 2 classes (Thank you, PTO!)
April 28 - Community Meeting - Grade 5 Hosting - Parents Invited to join us!
April 29 - Grade 3 Field Trip - 2 classes (Thank you, PTO!)
April 30 - PTO Meeting 2pm - Mr. Keegan shares budget information
May
May 5 - Town Meeting
May 17 - Town of Norwell - Voting Day
May 7 - PTO Variety Show Rehearsal 12:20-3pm
May 16 - PTO Variety Show Rehearsal 12:20-3pm
May 22 - PTO Variety Show at Cole School
