March Weekly Vinal Voice

CORI Reminder

Massachusetts requires all schools to conduct criminal background checks (CORI) every three years on current and prospective employees, volunteers, school transportation providers, and others who may have direct and unmonitored contact with children. All parents who wish to volunteer or chaperone school activities are required to complete an authorization form for a CORI check.

More information and forms can be found at Volunteering for Norwell Public Schools.

Completed forms, along with current photo ID (which we will photocopy for you), can be brought to the Vinal Office. If you have questions please contact the Vinal Office at 781-659-8820 or christine.warren@norwellschools.org.

Family Survey Reminder

Thank you to all of the families that were able to respond to our family survey! We are currently at a response rate of 20.7%. We would love to hear from more families. We will leave the survey open for a few more days in hopes of hearing from more families. The survey contains 23 questions and will take approximately 8 minutes to complete. It is family-specific but completely anonymous. You will receive an email from support+norwelldistrict@panoramaed.com containing unique access codes for each child enrolled at Vinal. These access codes will allow you to complete the survey for each child. We request that you respond on behalf of each child, as this will help us organize the data by gender, grade level, and other categories. Make sure to check your SPAM folder if you have not received the email.

Student Government Mac & Cheese Drive

Student government is spearheading the “I Heart Mac n’ Cheese/Pasta” drive for local food charities from now until April 17th. Please send in any mac n’ cheese and pasta items with your child/children, or donations may be dropped off in the main lobby or library. We are attempting to collect the height (in boxes) of as many students as possible by April 17th to demonstrate to students the power of coming together as a community for a selfless cause. Thank you for your continued support in the quest to eliminate food insecurity in our communities.

Kindergarten Registration

Norwell Public Schools is now conducting kindergarten registration for both Cole and Vinal Schools. Any child who will be five years of age before September 1, 2025 is eligible to be enrolled in kindergarten.

3/26: Elementary Early Release

3/27: Grade 2 Field Trip-Harvard Museum of Natural History

3/27: Community Meeting

3/27: All Town Chorus Concert

3/28: Grade 3 Field Trip to Plimoth Patuxet Museum

4/2: Joint PTO Meeting with Vinal & Cole, 6PM at Norwell Public Library

4/4: Hot Air Balloon Talk Assembly

4/7: Grade 4 ELA MCAS (1)

7/7: Strategic Planning Meeting, 5:30 PM

4/8: Grade 4 ELA MCAS (2)

4/9: Grade 3 ELA MCAS (1)

4/10: Early Release--Conferences

4/11: Grade 3 ELA MCAS (2)

At the next PTO meeting on Wednesday, April 2 from 6- 8PM at the Norwell Public Library we will invite Superintendent Keegan to present his proposed 2026 school budget that includes information on the proposed override. This will be open to the entire Norwell community, so mark your calendars and invite your friends to learn more on the override.

We will be holding a teacher Teacher Appreciation Luncheon on April 10th! Please sign up now to drop off a soup, salad, dessert or supplies!

On Monday, May 5, 2025 there will be a CRITICAL Norwell Town Meeting on the Town Budget Override, which includes the School Budget Override at 6:30pm until late: In-Person Vote on the ballot will be conducted and it must pass with a majority vote. A revote can be called at the end of the meeting so staying until the end is essential.

If the vote passes at the May 5th Town Meeting, a ballot vote will be held on Saturday, May 17 from 6:00am - 8:00pm at the Norwell Middle School and must pass with a majority vote. You must be registered to vote by April 25th to cast a ballot.

Vinal Pickleball Tournament – Don't Dill-lay - Sign up today! Register now to play or sponsor the Vinal Pickleball Tournament! Join us on Saturday, March 29, from 5–8 PM for a fun-filled evening of competition and community... and because supporting Vinal is always a big dill.
March 22nd “Dump the Junk” Fundraiser – Got junk lying around? The fifth grade will be running a fundraiser as part of 5th Grade Send-off to remove the junk on March 22nd starting at 9 am until the dumpster is full! There are only FIVE remaining spots to reserve a spot to guarantee your space - reach out to sara.webby@gmail.com. Thank you to the Troupe family and Troupe Waste Management for donating the dumpster!

Papa Ginos Fundraiser! Dinner just got easier on Wednesday, March 26! From 11AM - 8 PM when you order from Pape Ginos in Norwell and use code 19 or mention Vinal when ordering, 20% of all orders will be donated back to the PTO!

5th Grade Send-Off – Stay in the Loop!: 5th grade parents, exciting celebrations are in the works for our 5th Grade Send-Off! Visit the PTO website to learn more about all the amazing activities being planned and how you can contribute to making this a memorable experience for our kids. Your donations help make these celebrations extra special—every bit counts!

Creating an Inclusive Culture For All! The Norwell Commission on Disabilities invites the entire community on Monday, April 28th to join for a *FREE* special presentation with the Founder of MERGE Inclusion Consulting, Lisa Drennan - aligning with their mission to make Norwell as accessible and inclusive. RSVP today!