Cohasset High School Newsletter

January 30, 2026

Dear Families,

Over the past several years we have compiled a number of tools that are designed to measure our student, family, and staff experiences in the learning environment. Specifically, three tools have been used to measure performance, in addition to the metrics set by the state (test scores, college readiness, etc.).

The first is our Partnerships in Education And Resilience Survey (PEAR), from the Harvard School of Education, which measures individual student strengths and challenges. Every fall, we look at this data on the individual level and also use it to identify collective trends over time.

The second set we alternate every other year. Last year we conducted the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a national survey that we have tailored to our environment through the material and financial assistance of Safe Harbor. That survey is anonymous, and we use it to identify collective student behaviors over time in order to make programming adjustments. Those findings, combined with some collective data from the PEAR Survey, were reported at the Safe Harbor breakfast and will be shared with School Committee on Wednesday, February 4th.

This year, we will again be giving the Comprehensive School Climate Inventory (CSCI), through the National School Climate Center. This survey is also anonymous, and measures the protective and preventative factors that impact the student experience. It measures 14 dimensions of learning grouped in five broad categories: Safety, Teaching and Learning, Interpersonal Relationships, Institutional Environment, and Leadership & Efficacy. It is essentially trying to assess the cultural underpinnings that inform learning. In essence, "Is this a place where people want to come every day?"

More information about this survey is below, and we are asking for your help in giving us a fuller picture of where we are strong and where we can improve. In a difficult budget season, these results become more important as we consider programming needs.

These surveys are unique to the secondary level. In addition to the survey below, as part of a larger district initiative on student engagement and belonging generously funded through the CEF, we are partnering with Challenge Success out of Stanford University to begin to collect information from all grades K-12 and use this information to develop a comprehensive action plan that is tied directly to the Strategic Plan. Information about this will be sent in a separate communication before the February break.

We know that we often ask for a lot of feedback through different mechanisms. Please know that we value your time and use this information very intentionally in our planning. The more information we have, the more we can implement changes that immediately and directly impact your students. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Brian T. Scott

Principal

Comprehensive School Climate Inventory

At Cohasset High School, we are committed to fostering a positive environment where every student can thrive. To help us measure our progress and identify areas for growth, on Thursday, February 5th, our students will be participating in the Comprehensive School Climate Inventory (CSCI) survey during utility block. We are also asking all families to participate by completing the family version of this survey.

About the Survey: The CSCI was developed by the National School Climate Center. It helps us evaluate our strengths and areas for improvement, providing a platform for building a specific action plan. The survey measures specific dimensions of our environment: safety, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning, and institutional environment.

This initiative is directly tied to the Cohasset Public Schools’ Vision of a Graduate, which calls for inspiring character, purposeful growth, and scholarship serving the greater good. Administering the

CSCI supports this vision by:

Empowering Students to Improve Communities: By soliciting student feedback, we are empowering them to take an active role in shaping their school community.
Driving Purposeful Growth: The survey acts as a needs assessment, allowing us to build an action plan based on data rather than assumptions.
Supporting Wellness and Belonging: By measuring dimensions such as Safety and Interpersonal Relationships, we ensure we create the safe, inclusive environment necessary for character development and academic success.

This survey is unique because it collects responses from the entire school community—students, parents, teachers, and staff. By measuring perceptions across the whole community, we can create a more effective, accurate plan that addresses our core strengths and weaknesses. We strongly encourage everyone to participate. The more responses we receive, the more representative the data will be in our final report.

All responses are anonymous. No personally identifying information is attached to the survey, and results are reported in a way that protects the confidentiality of all participants (no reporting on subgroups of ten or fewer).

Please click the link below to complete the family version of the survey. Your feedback is crucial to helping CHS identify and improve specific climate issues.

Congratulations to our Scholastic Art and Writing Winners!

Congratulations to Will Alberti, Toby Carpenter, and Jesse Rafferty, who all received awards for their artistic submissions in the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition, the nation's longest, most prestigious competitions for students. The awards were as follows:

Will Alberti (12)

Crest, Cadillac Fog, and Moon-Light -- Honorable Mention

Dive X10 -- Silver

Soaring, Dive -- Gold

Toby Carpenter (12)

Papers in the Park -- Honorable Mention

Tears of a Cow, Perched Poise -- Silver

Jesse Rafferty (10)

Discobulos -- Honorable Mention

Icarus -- Gold

Will Alberti

Preening

Toby Carpenter

Tears of a Cow

Jesse Rafferty

Icarus

The Power of Hypnosis

Thanks to Ms. Megnia and Ms. Svensen and to the brave seniors who allowed themselves to be hypnotized in the name of reducing prom costs. Great night!

Simon Sinek's podcast A Bit of Optimism, titled "Revisited: Kids (And Employees) Know More Than You Think"

As a follow up to my last newsletter regarding discipline, I share the following podcast which I thought was interesting from both an educator and a parent perspective. Something to do on a snow day.

This episode of features clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy discussing how effective parenting strategies directly translate to successful leadership. Dr. Kennedy argues that both children and employees are highly perceptive, intuitive "truth tellers" who can sense when a leader or parent is anxious, disconnected, or inauthentic, even if the adult tries to hide it.

The conversation emphasizes the importance of "sturdiness"—a blend of authority and empathy—and focuses on the critical skill of "repair," which involves acknowledging mistakes to rebuild trust after a rupture. Ultimately, the episode suggests that by managing their own emotional triggers and maintaining clear, compassionate boundaries, leaders can create psychological safety and foster stronger, more resilient teams, just as parents do with their families.

Communications Survey

As part of our district’s strategic planning work, our Communications Committee is seeking feedback from families through a brief communication survey. Your input will help us better understand what’s working, where we can improve, and how we can strengthen communication between the district and our school community.

The survey is short, anonymous, and incredibly valuable. We encourage all families to participate and share their perspectives.

Thank you for helping us continue to grow and improve together.

Fitness Center

Thanks to a generous grant from the PSO, the fitness center will be open before and after school on select days. Students should refer to the posted calendar for hours.

Cohasset Middle and High School Accepted into the MSBA CORE Program

Dear Cohasset Community:

At Wednesday night’s School Committee meeting, Cohasset’s Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Sarah Shannon, announced that the Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”) has voted to invite the Town of Cohasset into the eligibility phase of its “CORE” program, in connection with our Middle-High School facility. The MSBA’s CORE program is a competitive state grant program that helps municipalities fund major school renovation and construction projects. This recent invitation for our district to participate in the eligibility phase of the process marks the culmination of six years of work, including multiple site visits and numerous application evaluations by the MSBA, and an independent feasibility study commissioned by the town.

Cohasset’s invitation to participate in this highly competitive grant program is an enormous opportunity for Cohasset to reimagine how our Middle High School, the town’s largest public asset, can best serve the modern needs of its students, staff, and the Cohasset community at-large.

This is still the beginning of a lengthy, detail oriented, and strictly regimented process that involves community input, collaboration, and town meeting votes. As we move through the initial phases of this program, which are governed by the MSBA, we will be forming a school building committee that will provide regular updates and ample opportunities for resident participation, well before any decisions are made or votes are held at any future town meetings.

This is the beginning of a very exciting time for Cohasset; one that will unite us in a critical discourse that will ultimately shape the future of our community’s most important pursuit: the education of our future generations.

Onward and Upward,

Your School Committee