This Newsletter updates on all matters connected to Cohasset Public Schools. This letter is sent as part of a District initiative focusing on communication.

Greetings Cohasset Families,

We want to inform you of a change in our Food Service Director. Marilyn Haraden, our Food Service Director for the past twelve years, is leaving us later this month. We want to thank Marilyn for her wonderful work and dedication to providing a first-class food service program for our staff, students, and families. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

We are excited to announce that we have hired Vinicio Cordon as our next Director of Food Service. Vinicio, who is originally from and who studied in Guatemala, comes to us with over two decades of experience in the food service industry, including owning and running his own restaurant, Sabor, in Plymouth for many years. Please see the link for an excellent Phantom Gourmet video / story regarding Vinicio and Sabor.

Most recently, Vinicio has served as the Food Service Director for Westwood Public Schools for the past eight years. Vinicio will provide creativity, culinary excellence, collaboration, and a student first approach to his new position, and we are thrilled to have him on the team. Thank you to the screening team for all their good work throughout the hiring process.

We will be communicating opportunities to meet Vinicio and to provide important suggestions and data regarding our food service needs in the coming days.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Dear Cohasset Families,

In recent days, coverage of acts of terrorism and violence, including the recent tragedies in Maine, abound in social media. We condemn all such violence, and our heartfelt sympathies go out to those directly impacted. These images are disturbing to all of us, but they may be particularly traumatizing to younger viewers; therefore, it is vital that we have open and honest conversations with our children about these challenging issues when appropriate to do so. The following resource, which was published recently by Common Sense Media, provides advice regarding age-appropriate responses to trauma.

In addition, the resource below from Riverside Trauma Center provides solid guidelines regarding how to talk with your children when they have witnessed or heard about traumatic events:

Talking with Students about Traumatic Events

Principal Mills' words to the CMS community sum up well a sensible approach to help our children navigate the violence permeating the media:

"Encourage your child to come to you with any concerns and ensure they understand the importance of seeking guidance when they encounter distressing content. By fostering open communication, we help our children navigate the digital world while preserving their emotional well-being. Together, we can equip them with the skills needed to discern and respond to such images responsibly" (Principal Mills).

Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's guidance counselor or adjustment counselor if needed. Please take good care.

Sincerely,

Patrick E. Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Please see the goals below, which were recently presented to the Cohasset School Committee. I look forward to collaborating with the school community to meet these goals.

Sincererly,

Patrick E. Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Please see the Budget Calendar and Budget Priorities, which were approved by the Cohasset School Committee.

2023 Special Town Meeting Information

Special Town Meeting 2023

o Date / Time: November 13, 2023 - 7:00 PM

o Location: Cohasset High School - Sullivan Gymnasium, 143 Pond Street, Cohasset, MA

VIDEO

Congratulations to Cohasset High School for being recognized by College Board with the highest distinction for Advanced Placement (AP) excellence offered. The AP Honor Roll "recognizes schools that have done outstanding work to welcome more students into AP courses and support them on the path to college success." Cohasset High School is honored with a Platinum Distinction in all available categories:

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.

We are proud to announce that Cohasset Public Schools has achieved at a 99% success rate in meeting or exceeding our MCAS accountability targets. 99% success in meeting or exceeding targets places us near the top of all districts (#2) in this important measure. Thank you to the leadership, staff, families, and students for their efforts in reaching this milestone. We are excited to share the full results with families soon. We are in the process of analyzing the results so that we can continue this growth for Cohasset Public Schools.

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.

The Cohasset High School Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Hall of Fame Class. Families, friends, fans, and CHS Alumni are asked to assist the Hall of Fame Committee in putting together Hall of Fame application packets for prospective candidates for the March 2, 2024, Induction Dinner. The Hall of Fame Committee will be voting on nominated teams in November and will announce the inductees in December.

The mission of the Cohasset Athletic Hall of Fame is to recognize and honor former student-athletes, coaches, teams, administrators/teachers and significant contributors like boosters, volunteers, and military veterans for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the Cohasset High School Athletic Program.

The deadline for submitting nomination forms is November 13, 2023.

Below are the links to the online CHS Athletic Hall of Fame nomination forms.

Individual Athlete: https://forms.gle/vqjV6kkLNrSiN8tv5

Team: https://forms.gle/T2wCEQxaZ4oboA2L6

Coach: https://forms.gle/4b3grjQz3f9VWaL48

Significant Contributor: https://forms.gle/n9JGbsStnDigQZZe8

If you would like a written or digital copy of the nomination forms sent, please email Ron Ford at rford@cohassetk12.org.

Your child’s spring 2023 MCAS report is available in Aspen. These MCAS scores include results from the MCAS tests, which were given in English Language Arts and Mathematics in grades 3-8 and 10, and in Science, Technology, and Engineering to students in grades 5, 8, and 9. For more information see the Parent/Guardian report for more details posted in Aspen. Instructions for accessing your child’s MCAS report are below.

Directions to access your child’s MCAS report:

Instructions for downloading a report from Aspen are as follows:
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 MCAS Report

When reviewing student scores, students, families, guardian, and educators should keep in mind that:

• This is one data point that a teacher uses to support student learning. Teachers use multiple measures to look at the whole student and determine individualized instructional support for your child.

• The district is using the overall MCAS data to create strong, grade appropriate instruction with just-in-time scaffolds when they are needed.

To learn more about the 2023 MCAS go to:

https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/results.html

https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/parents/default.html

http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/

We encourage you to continue supporting your child at home. Check in daily with your child, ask questions about what they are learning in school, provide reinforcement, and spark their imagination. The Cohasset Public Schools is proud to collaborate with you to provide a great education for your child, and we appreciate your continued support in this effort.

The Wellness Committee met on Wednesday, October 4 and discuss plans for the upcoming school year. Please see the minutes below. The committee is made up of staff, students, families, and community members. We are in need of parent/guardians to be part of the committee. If you would like to be part of the Wellness Committee please contact Leslie Scollins at lscollins@cohassetk12.org.

Please see the Professional Development Calendar below for more information about the professional development for this year.

Please see the graphic below, which was established through the collaborative work of the Cohasset High School Community as part of their accreditation process with NEASC. This work also helped to set our District theme for the year, "Follow Your Compass."

We will continue to engage our students with authentic audiences and to work in contexts that simulate real-world scenarios and conditions. Whether it is the Financial Literacy Fair at CHS, second graders investigating salt marsh minnows and intertidal life, Cohasset High School students presenting their civics action plan and analysis of local watershed data to determine water quality and the health of Cohasset Harbor, CMS French students using their language skills in real life by ordering treats in French at our local Cohasset bakery, French Memories, the amazing opportunities throughout the district provided through our partnership with Holly Hill Farm, our diversity fairs and mosaic initiatives, our collaboration with CEF, including Deer Hill physical education (PE) students learning about bike safety and maintenance in PE, our music students meeting with professional musicians, or our civics and sustainability seminar opportunities (just to name a few), We will continue to provide our students with inspiring and engaging experiences. This real-life and authentic teaching focus will be a major focus for us this upcoming year and will undoubtedly be a major component of our next strategic plan.

All plans and handbooks for the 2023-2024 school year have been approved by the Cohasset School Committee. Thank you to Principal Farrell, Principal Sullivan, Principal Mills, Principal Scott, and to their School Councils for this excellent work. Please see below for the approved plans, which coincide with the Strategic Objectives of the Cohasset Public Schools Strategic Plan, 2021 - 2024.

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 Marilyn Haraden

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.

On Friday, October 27th, METCO Directors, superintendents, and other district leaders from our 33 partner districts gathered to discuss the future of METCO in what has been titled, METCO 2.0. Led by Dr. Darnisa Amante-Jackson, founder and CEO of two companies – The Disruptive Equity Education Project (DEEP) and DEEP Corporate Consulting Partners (DCCP) and Dr. Lee Teitel, founder the Reimagining Integration: Diverse and Equitable Schools (RIDES) Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, participants engaged in a series of activities and discussions outlining why the work of equity, inclusion and belonging is so vitally important to the success of not just BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) students, but ALL students.

As outlined in discussions, one of the biggest obstacles that we must overcome is a mindset shift around the role and purpose of the METCO Program. The program doesn't just benefit the students who are bussed into the various districts, but also for those who live in these districts. The vision that we must continue to work toward is, "Every student in a METCO district will experience an inclusive, equitable, and antiracist education."

At the end of the day, participants were able to take pictures with all six of the New England Patriots Super Bowl rings as well as a group picture on the stadium field.

There is much work to be done but as the late Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court,Thurgood Marshall once said, "Unless our children begin to learn together, then there is little hope that our people will ever learn to live together.” The work is too important to dismiss, and we all must join together.

More to come.…

Please see the METCO webpage on our District website for important information regarding our METCO program.

We will continue to engage students and staff in the meaningful discussions necessary to promote change. We are committed to promoting anti-racism and cultural responsive teaching and learning.

Read more about all our awarded grants in the ‘22/‘23 school year below:

CPS is pleased to continue its partnership with the Cohasset Recreation Department by providing before and after school care for our elementary students. We have an amazing staff that provides wonderful opportunities for our students through the RISE program. Please see this link for more information.

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.

Student Opportunity Act Presentation March 2022

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

“Nine Things Every Parent with an Anxious Child Should Try”

There are many stressors to our day-to-day lives; however, there are many resources available. The District Website has a page dedicated to Social Emotional Learning and Wellness. Please remember that our schools are a resource, and that our counselors, school psychologists, and social workers can support you and your child.

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)

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if we can do anything to help your student or your family during this difficult time. Most important is the physical and mental health of everyone, and we will stay focused on making that a priority. Please take good care.

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.