Cole Miners' Dig

Connections groups met on Monday to learn about the Habit of Mind - Thinking About Your Thinking (Metacognition). This is when we talk to ourselves as we are thinking through a challenge. Students shared something that they could not do before that they can do now, and how they learned it with the group today. Families can help children develop this habit by talking aloud as they think through a challenge or while doing an activity.

We are excited to announce that the first trimester elementary report cards are available today in Aspen! This is a wonderful opportunity for you to review your child's progress and celebrate their achievements thus far. As you look over the report cards, we encourage you to engage in meaningful conversations with your child about their strengths and areas for growth. Setting goals for the second trimester can help foster a growth mindset and motivate your child to continue learning and improving. Remember, every student is on a unique journey, and they are continually learning, growing, and working towards mastery of essential skills and concepts. Your support and involvement play a crucial role in their success, and we look forward to partnering with you in this important process!

Each trimester, we send home attendance letters for any student who has six or more absences, tardies, or dismissals (excused or unexcused as all absences are reported in our data). If they have six or more absences, that is equivalent to 10% or more of the first trimester. Any student missing 10% or more of the school year is considered chronically absent. As always, please keep your child home if they are not healthy enough to attend school, but be mindful of the absences where parents have more control (vacations, long weekends, etc). These letters will be in student backpacks this afternoon.

Cole School will present One Love, One Village: Connecting Our Whole Community to the Norwell School Committee on Monday, December 15th at 7pm at the Norwell Library. Student, teacher, and parent representatives will share the school's multifaceted approach to building connections within and beyond the school community. The presentation will highlight the implementation of the new social-emotional curriculum, Second Step; the launch of the Volunteer Village program; the intergenerational Penpal Program connecting a third-grade class with the Norwell Council on Aging; and the One Love, One Village Fundraiser organized by 3rd and 4th grade students to support Jamaica's recovery from the recent devastating hurricane. This work demonstrates Cole School's commitment to fostering empathy, civic responsibility, and meaningful connections across generations and communities. Please feel free to join us if you'd like!

Have you ever wondered who you should contact about certain school related questions you may have? Generally, the classroom teacher should always be the first point of contact for any questions or concerns. Please remember that classroom teachers are teaching throughout the day and may not be able to respond immediately. Please contact the office for urgent matters. I've included an excerpt from the Parent/Student Handbook to outline the communication flow.

From the Parent/Student Handbook: Communication

Communication between home and school is a priority at both elementary schools in Norwell, and staff is committed to developing and implementing effective strategies for facilitating strong connections between home and school. In the instance that a question or concern arises, there are several avenues by which that question or concern can be answered or resolved.

Generally, matters concerning the classroom should first be directed to the teacher. If the matter cannot be resolved satisfactorily, it should then be brought to the attention of the student’s school counselor, school psychologist, or school nurse (depending on the concern). If necessary, the school counselor, school psychologist, or school nurse will arrange for a meeting with the parent, the teacher, the school counselor, the assistant principal and/or the principal.

Any emergency issue, or problem related to school policy or protocol, should be brought to the immediate attention of the assistant principal. The principal works with students, staff, and parents to be sure that inquiries are responded to by school staff in a timely and sensitive manner and to ensure that the steps to resolving concerns outlined above are followed.

The 2025 Cole School "Choose Your Adventure" Spirit Week is ready and shared here to help families prepare to participate if they so choose. Each day, there are two choices for your child to decide their spirit week adventure. This is a low key and fun way to head off into winter vacation. Participation is completely voluntary.

We had a marvelous group of Magnificent Meerkats this week with many of them sharing that it was their first nomination for this school year. Some common themes in the nominations included helping others without being asked, being kind and inclusive, showing perseverance in school work, and having a positive attitude with classmates and teachers. Way to go, Magnificent Meerkats!

December

December 12 - Report Cards Available in Aspen at 3pm

December 15 - Kindergarten Traditions in Gym 9:15-9:45

December 15 - Cole School Presentation to Norwell School Committee at Norwell Library 7pm

December 17 - Choose Your Adventure Spirit Week Begins - Arctic Animal Day - Polar Bear or Penguin

December 17 - Grade 5 Nutcracker Play 7pm

December 18 - Shine Brightly Day - Wear Gold or Silver

December 19 - Holiday Treat Day - Dress as a Gingerbread or Candy Cane

December 22 - Connections Meeting - Habit of Mind - Striving for Accuracy

December 22 - Holiday Gear Day - Wear holiday socks or hats

December 23 - Flannel or Jammies Day - Wear flannel or jammies or both

December 23 - Early Release - All students dismissed at 12:20pm

January

January 5 - Back to School from Winter Vacation

January 7 - PTO Meeting 7pm

January 12 - Community Meeting 9:05 am - Grade 3 Hosting, Parents Welcome to Attend

January 19 - No School

January 26 - Connections Meeting - Habit of Mind - Questioning and Problem Posing

January 28 - Early Release - All Students Dismissed at 12:20pm

January 28 - Kindergarten Field Trip (Thank you, PTO!)

Looking Ahead:

June 5 - Field Day

June 11 - Grade 5 Celebration (for grade 5 parents and grade 5 students only) 6-8pm

Hi Cole Families! With the holidays approaching, it can be good to reflect on how this hectic time of year can affect children. There’s a lot of excitement, but also a lot of routines being disrupted. You can help your child regulate their emotions by being aware of what their stress signals look like. These signals can include changes in behavior, difficulty sleeping, or changes in appetite. Talk to your child about how this time of year may be affecting them and practice problem solving and coping strategies together.

This week, Kindergarten gathered to discuss friendship and including others by reading “The Invisible Boy” by Trudy Ludwig. Next week, we will talk about personal safety by reading “I Said No” by Kimberly King. Fourth grade discussed personal safety this week with me by reading “The Kid Trapper” by Julia Cook.

You may start to hear about the high prevalence of Norovirus in the news. As cases rise nationwide, we are also being impacted here at school. Our custodians are aware and are doing extra cleaning in bathrooms and other high contact surface areas. With that in mind, here are a few reminders:

• If your child has diarrhea or vomiting, we ask that they are home for 24hrs after the last time it occurred.

• Oftentimes it can take multiple days to be symptom free and feel well enough to return.

• Our teachers do a great job reminding and encouraging handwashing, please do the same at home.

We continue to see high numbers of Strep across all schools in Norwell. If your child is diagnosed with strep, they must have 24 hours of antibiotics on board to be able to return. In addition, they should feel well enough to make it through the school day and be fever free without any fever-reducing medication as well.

As a point of information, there only a few known cases of Flu A at Cole School. Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent severe influenza and the serious complications that can result from it. The flu season typically goes through March. It is not too late to get your child vaccinated. There are also 3 in 1 test kits that are available at some pharmacies now that test for Flu A, Flu B and Covid. If your child does test positive for the flu, strep, or has norovirus like symptoms please let the school know so we can look for patterns in the classroom.

This week we continued our Paddle Striking Unit for all grades. K-2 used lollipop paddles with either a nerf, foam, or plastic ball to practice a set of striking challenges. Grades 3-5 warmed up with a striking movement game called Balloon Dot Challenge. With the goal of learning the fundamental rules of pickleball, students played a game called Toss Ten and then transitioned to using paddles to strike, with control, the ball back and forth over the net.

One way to build a positive mindset around mathematics with your children is to integrate regular conversations about numbers into your home. Check out Bedtime Math and explore these prompts. This resource can be used to encourage math talk with children of all ages!

Norwell Girls Youth Lacrosse

Lacrosse Registration for the 2026 season is upon us! See details below:

Registration link - Registration for the 2026 Norwell Lacrosse season

Registration will be open from October 15th through December 15th. The registration fee for players in grades 5th—8th is $350, and for players in grades 1st—4th, it is $260. The league also imposes a $50 late fee per player for registrations filed after December 15th. Please register soon to avoid any late penalties. Given league restrictions, we maintain a no-refunds policy.

This holiday season, show your appreciation for our amazing teachers and staff in the Norwell Public Schools by donating to the Norwell Education Foundation's "Good Tidings for Teachers" fundraiser. For a minimum donation of $25, the teacher or staff member of your choice will receive a beautiful poinsettia plant and a personalized note from you, a great opportunity to spread your good tidings for comfort and joy! Feel free to donate multiple times to support all of your favorite educators and staff (art teachers, school secretaries, the nurse!!!) while increasing your contribution to the enrichment of academic experiences at our Norwell schools. The fundraiser runs from December 1st to December 12th, so don't miss your opportunity to help the NEF fulfill its mission to provide educational activities and programs that encourage academic excellence to the students in all four Norwell public schools. Click here to get started: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/norwell-education-foundation/good-tidings-for-teachers