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

This will be the final newsletter of the 2021-2022 School Year. Next week, I will send an email to the school community regarding summer office hours. Also, stay tuned for more information in early summer about activities leading up to the start of next school year. We are looking forward to a well-deserved summer break for everyone, and we are excited to welcome all students back in September! Thank you to everyone who helped to support our students this year!

June 30, 2022 will be the final day of school for Cohasset Public Schools for the 2021-2022 School Year. We will be following the below dismissal schedule (lunch will not be served):

Cohasset Middle School and Cohasset High School Dismissal: 11:30AM

Deer Hill Elementary School Dismissal: 12:15PM

Joseph Osgood Elementary School Dismissal: 12:20PM

At the 6/22/2022 School Committee Meeting, Principal Mills and Principal Scott presented their School Improvement Plans, School Handbooks, and Family Engagement Survey results. All plans and handbooks for the 2022-2023 school year have been approved. 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.

The Cohasset School Committee has re-organized as follows (effective June 22. 2022):

Chair: Lance Dial (LDial@cohassetk12.org)

Vice Chair: Craig MacLellan (CMacLellan@cohassetk12.org)

Secretary: Ted Carr (TCarr@cohassetk12.org)

Member: Paul Kearney (PKearney@cohassetk12.org)

Member: Lydia St. Onge (LStOnge@cohassetk12.org)

Thank you to all of the members of the Cohasset School Commitee for their wonderful service to the school community.

For the remainder of the year, as the weather improves, we are specifically focusing on maintaining safety by reviewing protocols for outside classes, and by ensuring we frequently monitor entrances and exits. As was announced at the June 8, 2022 School Committee Meeting, please be aware that we will not be providing entrance to our buildings to anyone who does not present a proper license, even if we are aware of who the person is. This is a standard protocol that is necessary to ensure safety. All visitors will continue to be screened via our Raptor or Lobby Guard technology through use of their license. We have more comprehensive safety meetings scheduled with Cohasset Police, Leadership, Cohasset Fire, Emergency Management, Facilities, Technology, external safety plan advisors, and School Committee Safety Subcommittee members next month.

• As a District, we have developed an emergency preparedness plan for each of our buildings. These plans were created in coordination with local police, fire, and emergency management departments. We meet as a District Crisis Team each summer to refine plans and are in constant collaboration and communication. We are in the process of creating and refining more safety protocols as a team.

• In conjunction with the Cohasset Police Department, our district has fully implemented the ALICE protocol as a response to any potential armed intruder. "ALICE is designed to provide comprehensive preparedness in the event of an intruder in one of our schools. The goal is to utilize infrastructure, technology, and human action to increase overall student and staff safety" (Acton-Boxborough Superintendent Message). Our staff receives annual training in this protocol from members of the Cohasset Police Department, and we supplement this training with periodic drills and scenarios to further increase our preparedness. Each school has a Crisis Team, in addition to our District Crisis Team. Currently, more than 900 schools, businesses, universities, hospitals, and municipalities have adopted the ALICE protocol. A summary of our approach can be found on the District web-site.

Sincerely,

Patrick Sullivan, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Cohasset Public Schools

Please see the below letter from Norfolk County District Attorney, Mr. Michael Morrissey, regarding prevention of drownings. As the warm weather is upon us, it is important that we all share responsibility regarding these important safety measures. Thank you to District Attorney Morrissey for making drowning prevention a priority.

Throughout the month of June, Cohasset Public Schools will show support of Pride Month, as we continue to value inclusivity throughout the District.

Cohasset Public Schools values the importance of student transitions between buildings (Entering Kindergarten, From Grade 2 to Grade 3, From Grade 5 to Grade 6, From Grade 8 to Grade 9, from Grade 9 to Grade 10, and from Grade 12 to future plans). Here are some of the transition plans happening throughout the District:

Grade 2 to Grade 3:

The process of preparing your child for 3rd grade includes the following:

DHS visits JOS (June 6): Mrs. Sullivan, Mrs. Dolan, and Mrs. Costa will visit the second-grade classrooms and introduce themselves.

DHS Meet and Greet (June 7): Mrs. Sullivan will host a meet and greet Zoom for families at 6:00 pm; invitations will be sent out.

Student Questions (Week of June 7): Second-grade students will write letters to Mrs. Sullivan asking third-grade questions during computer class.

JOS Students visit DHS (June 14): Second-grade students will visit Deer Hill with their classroom teacher.

Grade 5 to Grade 6:

The process of preparing your child for 6th grade includes the following:

Student Survey (April 25-April 29): DHS 5th grade students answered survey questions about how they feel about coming to middle school and what stressors they may have about the transition to middle school. Our goal in surveying students is to more accurately gauge their concerns as well as to impress upon them our regard for their well-being and student voice.

CMS Visit to DHS (May 4): CMS Principal Mills and School Counselor Mrs. Pearce visited 5th grade classes to introduce students to life at CMS and answer their questions.

CMS Visit to DHS--Choosing Classes (May 11): CMS Music and World Language teachers presented to 5th grade students in person and via Zoom to discuss choosing 6th grade classes.

CMS Welcome Presentation for Parents: (May 11) CMS administration and counseling met with parents via Zoom to share what they and their children can expect in sixth grade. The meeting will be 6PM-7PM and is accessible by using this link: CMS Welcome Presentation for Parents

Course Requesting on Aspen (May 11 - May 18) Students and parents will confirm their courses for 6th grade as well as select their choice of Music, Creativity, and World Language classes on Aspen.

Grade 5 Step Up Day (June 17): Grade 5 students will visit CMS during the day to tour the school and meet their teachers and current 6th graders.

Orientation Day (August TBA) The Orientation Day re-introduces students with the school and teachers. The goal is to answer all lingering questions and prepare students to confidently begin this exciting next stage in their academic career.

Grade 8 to Grade 9:

Conversations with 8th Graders and Parents: Conversations began with 8th graders and their parents in March.

8th Grade Curriculum Night: We hosted an 8th grade curriculum night for parents on 3/22 followed by a series of 8th grade workshops which introduced them to the schedule and helped them pick courses.

Tour of High School: In June we will bring them in for a tour of the building and an athletics assembly regarding fall sports, and will host an orientation in August.

Cohasset Public Schools Rolls Out Parent/Guardian App

Stopfinder App Lets Parents/Guardians Track Their Children’s Bus

The Transportation Department announced that it has launched the parent/guardian app called Stopfinder that will allow parents and guardians to accurately track their children’s school bus in real-time. The easy-to-use app is secured so only authorized users will have access to school bus information. Stopfinder, created by the district’s routing software company, Transfinder, is free to parents and guardians and allows users to customize when they receive alerts about their children’s bus location.

Stopfinder is the all-in-one parent app that allows your school district to share your student's transportation schedule, announcements, and more. Stopfinder works with your district's transportation software to provide you the most accurate schedule information as quickly as possible.

Stopfinder is secure and only for registered users. Your school will send you an invitation providing access to log in to the Stopfinder app. Invitations have been sent through email.

We are excited to offer this service to parents and guardians in our district. We believe Stopfinder will play a critical role in reducing anxiety because parents will be able to see where the school bus is. This tool will help the transportation office become even more efficient and responsive because Stopfinder will answer that most important question parents have: ‘Where is my child’s school bus?’ This will strengthen the ties we have with our community.

The district is encouraging parents and guardians to sign up for the Stopfinder. Please visit our district website for more Stopfinder information.

During the 3/30/2022 Cohasset School Committee Meeting, the architectural firm Ai3 presented their Cohasset Schools Existing Conditions Study. This study, which covers all of our schools, was commissioned by our School Facilities Committee. Some of the major findings of the study are:

We look forward to the next steps concerning this important work in order to maintain and to provide our students, staff, families, and community with the best school facilities possible. Information regarding next steps will be made available in future newsletters and through other formats being discussed by the School Facilities Committee. Thank you to the School Facilities Committee and to Ai3 for their great work. The complete presentation can be found below.

Finance and Operations News:

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

Transportation News:

For Parents:

BUS REGISTRATION FOR THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR HAS OPENED

Effective for the 2022-2023 school year, Cohasset Public Schools will continue to administer a fee-based transportation program. The application fee applies to students in Grades K-6 who reside less than or equal to 2 miles from their designated school, and all students in Grades 7-12.

Please visit the Cohasset Public Schools website for more information and the register your child for transportation.

FY23 Transportation

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Coming soon…..

We have been working with Transfinder, our bus routing software company, implementing a new add on for parents, Stopfinder.

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.

All this power in the palm of your hand.

The Stopfinder app is secure and protected. But the app requires your local district to be utilizing Transfinder’s Routefinder software. Stopfinder with Routefinder software will provide your district accurate real-time updates of routes and bus substitutions.

More information to follow in the coming weeks.

The Cohasset School Committee determined that the 2022 - 2023 School Year will begin after Labor Day for students. Teachers will engage in professional development on the Wednesday and Thursday before Labor Day (with Friday being a day off), and students will return to school on Tuesday, September 6, 2022 (Kindergarten will begin on September 7).

The Cohasset School Committee also decided, by vote, that, moving forward, a pre or post Labor Day school start for students will be determined by how early Labor Day falls within the school year.

“For the 2022-2023 school year, teachers will begin their work year on the Wednesday and Thursday before Labor Day with the Friday before Labor Day as a no school day for students and staff. The first day of school for students for 2022-2023 school year will be September 6th. In subsequent years, if Labor Day falls on September 3rd or earlier, the teachers' work year will start on the Wednesday and Thursday before Labor Day with the Friday before Labor Day as a no school day for students and staff and the first day of school for students taking place on the Tuesday following Labor Day. If Labor Day falls on September 4th or later, the teachers' work year will start on the Monday and Tuesday before Labor Day with the first two days of school for students taking place on Wednesday and Thursday before Labor Day and the Friday before Labor Day as a no school day for students and staff. Teachers work year will terminate no later than June 30. Input from the Association will be considered in developing the School Calendar.”

Please see full 2022 - 2023 School Year Calendar which was approved at the April 13 School Committee Meeting for vote and approval. Thank you to everyone who engaged in the important discussion during the school committee meeting.

Community Health Information:

As of June 23, 2022, the Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that the town of Cohasset’s positive COVID-19 test rate over the past 14 days is 6.83% with 268 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 19 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated per capita. Here is the complete report issued on June 23, 2022.

Here is the Confirmed Positive COVID Cases Weekly Update Spreadsheet. This spreadsheet is also found on the district website under COVID-19 Information.

Vaccination Attestation:

Please remember that as your child becomes fully vaccinated to please contact your child’s school nurse.

Proof of your child’s vaccination, submitted to your child’s school nurse, can be provided in one of the following ways:

• A signed self-attestation completed by a parent / legal guardian of the child indicating the brand of vaccine; or
• Documentation provided to the individual by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health or a health care provider. Documentation may include but is not limited to a COVID-19 vaccination record card or a copy or digital picture of the vaccination record card, or a print-out from the Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS).

Thank you for your understanding and for your assistance.

PLEASE NOTE: We have now officially transitioned our practices from Test and Stay to At Home Testing. In conjunction with DESE requirements for being a part of the At Home Testing Program, we are no longer contact tracing within the schools.

Symptomatic Testing: The same consent previously signed for Test and Stay covers Symptomatic Testing, which will be able to be implemented by our nursing staff, now that we are implementing At Home Testing.

"Mr. Ellis was amazing and brought to life the reality of our current system of injustice for so many men in our correctional institutions. He also articulated the journey he continues to travel to not only bring voice to the problems many face after being incarcerated but more importantly he has solutions. One of the questions posed by an audience member was, "After all you have been through, how do you continue to give grace to others instead of holding a grudge and remaining angry?" His response was simply, "I have a righteous anger because of what happened to me, but I can't let that stop me from doing what needs to be done to change the system."

It was a powerful presentation that gave everyone in the audience a glimpse of what it means to be in someone else's shoes. The emotion for some was palpable and to see such vulnerability on display speaks to who we are as human beings.

Mr. Ellis closed out his presentation with the motto that continues to fuel him, "I'm wounded but not broken. I haven't given up and will continue to move forward."

Thank you again Mr. Ellis for sharing story here at Cohasset Middle School. May they use what they learned to fight for injustice everywhere and to make our world a better place.

Thank you to METCO Headquarters for sponsoring this dynamic opportunity. Your generosity was greatly appreciated." - Aleisa Gittens-Carle

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.

Cohasset Public Schools is a proud METCO District. Please see the METCO Web-page for additional diversity resources.

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.

We celebrated our new teachers at on outdoor gathering outside the Learning Commons. We are so fortunate to have these amazing teachers at CPS. We are also grateful to the mentors who worked with out new teachers all year. A mentor's impact is felt long after the first year in a new teacher's life.

The i-Ready Diagnostic Family Report (grades K-8) and the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Family Report (Grades K-5) will be sent home on June 30. These reports are just part of the overall progress of your child. Progress is based on multiple measures such as other benchmark assessments, quizzes, unit assessments, class work, and teacher observations and notes.

As a reminder, this is our first year of implementing the i-Ready Diagnostic therefore we are all still learning about the diagnostic and how best to use the data. We ask for your patience as we learn to implement the diagnostic and understand the data provided.

Please see the links below for more information about i-Ready Diagnostic.

Video: Understanding i-Ready Diagnostic Data for Families

Understanding Your Student’s i-Ready Diagnostic Results

i-Ready Family Center

For more information about DIBELS please see the link below and the attached Parent Guide to DIBELS Assessment.

What is DIBELS?

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

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Student Service Forum, which took place May 18. A special thank you to Barbara Cerwonka, our Director of Student Services, and to SEPAC for their presentations. Here is a recording of the event, which begins at 10 minutes and 14 seconds into the recording.

Families play an important role in helping to create a culture that prioritizes health and safety. Families should check their children daily for signs of COVID-19 and should keep them home from school if they are not feeling well or if they have been in close contact with a person who has been recently diagnosed with COVID-19. It is also important that families support students wearing masks in school and on the bus. We are strongest when we work together to stop the spread (Initial Fall School Re-entry Guidance, 2020).

CPS Pledge: Healthy and Responsible Behaviors Regarding COVID-19

By coming into Cohasset Public Schools, I pledge I am following:

• State expectations for social and physical distancing

• Regulations regarding the wearing of facial coverings

• Quarantine directives put forth by the Massachusetts Department of Health and the Cohasset Department of Health

• Guidance that has students and staff stay home from school / work if they are experiencing symptoms of fever, fatigue, difficulty breathing, or dry cough or if they have exhibited any symptoms relating to COVID-19

“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 (adjistment counselor)

Deer Hill: Robyn Costa rcosta@cohassetk12.org

Deer Hill and Osgood: Laurie Dolan ldolan@cohassetk12.org (adjustment counselor)

Robyn Costa rcosta@cohassetk12.org (adjustment counselor)

Alyson Doyle adoyle@cohassetk12.org (school psychologist, Osgood and Deer Hill)

CMS: Emily Manewal emanewal@cohassetk12.org

Allison Pearce apearce@cohassetk12.org

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)

Stephanie Gertz sgertz@cohassetk12.org (ESP: BRYT Program...Middle and High School)

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