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

From Principal Sullivan in the Deer Hill Newsletter:

"Deer Hill has partnered with a local organization, End Hunger NE this year as part of our community service initiatives. While this organization has a primary focus of addressing food insecurity on a local level, like many others they have turned their efforts toward helping Ukrainian refugees.

Last week, many Deer Hill students took a few minutes out of their day to sticker bags for nonperishable meals. Looking ahead, Deer Hill is kicking our efforts up a notch with two ways to get involved. Deer Hill families and staff are invited to sign up for a 90 minute slot on the evening of May 4th at End Hunger NE's Pembroke facility to package meals for Ukrainian refugees. There is also an opportunity to donate to these efforts.

In the words of Matthew Martin, the New England Coordinator for End Hunger NE:

"Deer Hill Elementary School is taking Star Wars Day by storm...kind of like Storm Troopers. No, make that Jedis. Since Mar 11th, EndHungerNE.org has raised around $9,000 A DAY to help feed hungry Ukrainian refugees. The goal is to fund $350,000 by Easter and pack the million meals by Mother's Day. Deer Hill students and staff have been stickering bags...14,000 at a time, which are then used to feed another 84,000. Now they are stepping into actually packaging the meals on, you guessed it, May the 4th (just 4 days before Mother's Day). Every person who shows up on May the 4th will pack one box each hour, feeding another 216 refugees. Please join the movement!"

Here are the links to be involved:

Sign up to donate your time on May 4 (that date is reserved for Deer Hill)

Donate to support End Hunger NE's efforts (be sure to type "Deer Hill" in the notes section)

Additionally, ALL students are invited to wear either yellow and blue or their favorite Star Wars swag on May 4th. MAY THE 4th BE WITH U-KRAINE!!!"

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:

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:

We are pleased to announce that 2 of our new bus drivers have completed their training and will be scheduling their road test with the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Registry of Motor Vehicles is currently experiencing longer than normal wait times…

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.

We are thrilled to announce that Cohasset Finance and Operations Department will be launching a new tab on our district website.

Our goal is to make our website easy to navigate for Cohasset families as well as staff. Some of the great new features of this site will include:

For Cohasset Families:

· Transportation information

· Bus routes

· Fees and Payments

For Cohasset Employees:

· Benefit information

· Updated Employee Forms

· Aspen Training Videos

· Aesop Training

· Employee Forward

For all questions about PO’s, ordering, vendor payments, and tuition reimbursement, etc., please reach out to:

Karen Crowell

Accounting Specialist,

kcrowell@cohassetk12.org or extension 2307

For all questions about salary, payroll, retirement, extra duty pay, deductions, etc., please reach out to:

Jeri Ballard

Bookkeeper

jballard@cohassetk12.org or extension 2306.

We are happy to announce that Friday, April 29 will be High Five Day to acknowledge our amazing Police for all they do. Students will "high-five" members of the Cohasset Police as the students enter school. This is always a wonderful event connecting our students to our police department. We are so fortunate to be supported by such a wonderful police department, and we look forward to this event at each of our schools!

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. We are looking at the following draft language, and we will confirm this information to the school community, after consultation with the Cohasset Teachers Association (CTA) and finalized approval by the Cohasset School Committee:

“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.”

It is anticipated that the full 2022 - 2023 School Year Calendar will be presented 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 April 7, 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 4.63% with 367 tests reported. The town of Cohasset has 16 positive cases reported over the past two weeks. Currently, 95% of eligible Cohasset residents are fully vaccinated with 13% of eligible residents partially vaccinated. Here is the complete report issued on April 7, 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.

Parents and guardians who wish to have their children participate in the Cohasset School District Covid-19 testing, thus being eligible for Symptomatic Testing, must click on the link provided (if you did not do so previously for test and stay) and complete the consent forms.

We are excited to host a METCO student (and former student) round-table discussion at the April 13 Cohasset School Committee, as our Student Spotlight on Learning. This discussion will allow the community to hear the perspectives of current and former Cohasset METCO students. The event will be moderated by Cohasset METCO Director Aleisa Gittens-Carle.

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.

This week provided the opportunity for us to thank our Assistant Principals, Para-Professionals (ESPs), and School Librarians in recognizing National Assistant Principal Week, National Para-Professional Day (April 6) and National School Librarian Day (April 4). Thank you for all you do, every day, for the students, staff, and families of Cohasset Public Schools.

All students are required to attend school for 180 days. As of today, the new last day of school (half day) for the 2021 -2022 school year is Thursday, June 30, 2022. Please see below for an updated school calendar.

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.

MCAS in ELA, Math, and Science take place from March through June. Grade 10 students completed the ELA portion of MCAS at the end of March. Students in grades 3-8 are participating in the ELA portion of MCAS during the month of April. During the month of May, grades 5 and 8 will participate in the Science portion of MCAS, and students in grades 3 through 8 and 10 will participate in Math MCAS. Grade 9 students will participate in Physics MCAS in June. Principals will continue to send out specific information related to the assessment.

Teachers at the middle and high school are trying out some new technology to enhance the teaching and learning. Lisa Radden, the Director of Technology and Digital Learning, has been working with staff to create an innovated prototype for classrooms. Many teachers are participating in the design and the pilot of the devices. English class with Mr. Kelliher becoming more engaging with the new interactive white board and digital platform. Students and teachers learning together!

Osgood and Deer Hill teachers continue their work in elementary literacy with Teaching and Learning Alliance (TLA). Teachers and students work to find the "just right book" for reading working with consultant from TLA. Teachers observe and then practices the skills they just learned within the classroom. The Elementary Instructional Literacy Team (ILT) met on March 28 where they discussed the Look For's for a strong Reading Workshop.

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

The i-Ready Diagnostic Family Report (K-8) and the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Family Report (K-5) were sent home when the 2nd Trimester progress reports were released on March 25. These two 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. Your building principal can discuss the i-Ready implementation and your child’s teacher will be able to share more information about your child’s progress with you during Teacher Conferences.

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.

The i-Ready Diagnostic and DIBELS will be administered again in the late spring. The final Family Reports will be sent home at the end of the year.

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?

I would like to thank the District Assessment Team for their hard work and diligence in determining how to share student benchmark assessments with families in a way that makes sense. The Assessment Team is made up of elementary and middle school staff which include reading specialists, math specialists, building and district leaders. The team is continuing its work to review current practices and build consistent assessment practices.

A few updates from the Director of Student Services:

• Our parent surveys connected to IEPs continue to come in. We appreciate your feedback, both the positive comments and the areas in which we need to improve. Keep them coming!

• We had an independent evaluation of our social emotional programming for students. We received commendations on our growth since 2018, our use of specific tools to measure student status and need, our developing MTSS system, our guidance and counselor staffing, and our addition of a social worker. Ongoing development will continue in differentiating instruction and accommodations.

• Julie Evans from DESE conducted on site building tours for our Tiered Focused Monitoring. All districts participate in this process every three years. It is a six year cycle, with Years 1-3 considered Group A and Years 4-6 considered Group B. We are currently in Year 5 this year. A report will come out in 60 days.

• As part of the process, we updated the Student Family Handbook. Please refer to pages 44-48 in the handbook on our website.

During the week of February 28, 2022 the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of Cohasset Public Schools. The Office of Public School Monitoring reviews each district and charter school every three years to monitor compliance with federal and state special education and civil rights regulations. Areas of review related to special education include student assessments, determination of eligibility, the Individualized Education Program (IEP), Team process, and IEP development and implementation. Areas of review related to civil rights include bullying, student discipline, physical restraint, and equal access to school programs for all students.

Parent outreach is an important part of the review process. Prior to the review, the chairperson from the Office of Public School Monitoring will send an online survey to all parents of students with disabilities receiving services. The survey focuses on key areas of their child’s special education program. Survey results will contribute to the activities of the onsite review and the development of the final report.

During the onsite review, the Office of Public School Monitoring will interview the chairperson(s) of the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). Other onsite activities may include interviews of district staff and administrators, reviews of student records, and onsite observations. After the conclusion of the review, the public will be able to access the report at http://www.doe.mass.edu/psm/tfm/reports.

Parents and other individuals may call Julie Evans, Public School Monitoring Chairperson, at (781) 338- 3754 to request additional information, or contact the district coordinators Dr. Leslie Scollins at (781) 383-4210 or Mrs. Barbara Cerwonka at (781) 383-6104.

To Parents/Guardians of Cohasset Public Schools :

The Cohasset Public Schools believes in providing the highest quality of education for our students. This letter is to provide you with information about a three-tiered instructional approach we use to meet this goal, referred to as Multi Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).

For MTSS, all students will participate in the core curriculum, with three levels (tiers) of interventions for students who demonstrate at-risk skills in general academics or behavior/social emotional areas. Each tier provides additional support beyond the core curriculum. All students receive formal and informal checks to measure their progress to determine if they are performing at an expected level. Behavioral and social emotional impacts are also monitored on a regular basis through the year.

• Tier One- Teachers will use different strategies as universal supports within the core curriculum to address all student educational needs.

• Tier Two- Based on progress data, students who require more support than Tier One will be provided targeted interventions matched to their needs within the general classroom by the classroom teacher and/or support staff in the classroom. The Tiered Support Team will track the student’s progress, and parents/guardians will receive ongoing progress data.

• Tier Three- Students who continue to require measures beyond Tier Two will receive more intensive interventions at this level. Parents/guardians will receive ongoing progress data. After Tier Three implementation, students who continue to display limited progress may then be considered for further evaluation and services.

Our schools are excited to take part in this process to improve educational outcomes for all students. As always, do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or myself if you have questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Barbara Cerwonka, Director of Student Services

Office of Student Services

143 Pond Street, Cohasset, MA 02025-1999

Telephone 781-383-6104

bcerwonka@cohassetk12.org

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