Cole Miners' Dig

It was a four day week, but it still felt like we managed to get five days of learning in! Mr. Menice and parent volunteers pulled together an amazing Art Show on Wednesday night. As always, the student art work was outstanding! Our new Assistant Principal, Mrs. Busk, joined us and was so impressed by the student artwork and loved meeting all the families! On Wednesday, 5th graders traveled to Blue Hills for their fitness field trip with Mr. Thornton and the teachers. The weather cooperated and the day was enjoyed by all! The Norwell High School seniors visited in their caps and gowns for a walk down memory lane on Thursday. We love this yearly tradition and the students love to see the older students and imagine themselves in the same place just a few short years from now. Pictures of all of these events can be found on the Cole PTO facebook page. Students have been busy completing end of the year screeners and assessments while staff have been planning end of the year activities. Phew! A lot is happening at Cole School, and we are so thankful for all of the people that make these wonderful events happen!

Please join me in welcoming Cole School's new secretary, Mrs. Theresa Festa, to Cole School. She'll begin her role on September 1st, but she will spend some time at Cole School this summer transitioning with Mrs. Tracey. Mrs. Festa comes to us from Norwell High School where she is currently the attendance secretary and greets visitors at the front window. If you've ever been to Norwell High School, you've probably already met Mrs. Festa. We are thrilled to have her join our team. Her email is theresa.festa@norwellschools.org.

After today, there are just 15 days of school left and we need your help to close down the building for the year and plan for next year. Please give your attention to these matters if they apply to your child or family.

1. Please check your child's lunch account and pay any remaining balances.

2. Return any library books to the library.

3. Check the lost and found. Items will be donated on Monday, June 22nd.

4. If you are child is not returning to Cole School next year for any reason, please contact the office so we can begin the transfer process and account accurately for placement.

The swing set on the Cole School playground will be replaced next week. It will be taped off and all students, families, and community members are asked to steer clear of the area while it is being replaced.

We celebrated two weeks worth of Magnificent Meerkats today! These students stood out in many ways! They helped friends in need, showed persistence with their work, and shared their sense of humor with others. These characteristics are admirable and are what help Cole School shine brightly!

With warmer weather here, we’re seeing more bug bites and outdoor adventures! A quick reminder to your kiddos at home that mosquito bites, unless severe or causing significant swelling/allergic reactions, usually do not require a visit to the health office. A cool compress, avoiding scratching, and an age-appropriate anti-itch cream at home can help keep kids comfortable.

Tick Check Reminder:
Please remember to do a quick daily tick check after outdoor play, sports, or time in grassy or wooded areas. Ticks love warm hiding spots—be sure to check behind ears, along the hairline, scalp, armpits, waistbands, groin area, behind knees, and around ankles.

Ticks should be removed as soon as possible using a pair of fine point tweezers, grabbing the tick as close to the skin as possible, and pulling straight out with firm and steady pressure, making sure there are no remnants of the tick left. Be sure to clean the site with soap and water or alcohol afterwards.Typically, a tick must be attached to someone for at least 24 hours to be likely to transmit Lyme disease. Please reach out to your doctor if you find a tick attached to your child to discuss the latest DPH protocols. Watch for symptoms such as a bullseye-shaped rash, fever, fatigue, headache, or body aches, and contact your healthcare provider with concerns.

Head Lice Update:

Head lice can happen to anyone and are very common among school-aged children.

Both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the CDC advocate for the following practices to be discontinued:

• whole classroom screening,

• exclusion for nits or live lice

• notification to others except for parents/guardians of students with head lice infestations

That being noted, it can never hurt to check your child's hair if they are complaining of it being itchy or if you are notified of a close playmate who did have it. Lice move by crawling; they cannot hop or fly. If you ever have any questions please reach out at any time.

Letslearnaboutlice.com is a great resource and I encourage you to take a peak so you are familiar with this information in case you find yourself or your child dealing with lice or the possibility of lice.

Current school guidance follows updated recommendations that students generally do not need to be sent home immediately or miss school because of lice or nits (eggs). Treatment can begin at home after the school day, and students may return to school once treatment has started. Families are encouraged to routinely check for signs of lice, especially because your child may not report itching. Look closely near the nape of the neck and behind the ears for redness/ irritation or for nits that might be firmly attached close to the hair shaft.

Fifth graders had a fitness field trip to Blue Hills and Houghton’s Pond as a reward for their successful completion of their five week Miles for Motion Fitness Program. With the goals of encouraging movement, physical activity and incorporating ELA, students wrote an essay on their favorite physical activity or sport. The essay included the benefits they get from participating and a new name for next year’s fifth grade fitness program. There were 10 honorable mentions and a winning essay by Julianna Caggiano on her favorite physical activity of cheerleading titled “Smiles for Miles.” The Blue Hills hike is definitely the most challenging of all the Cole School fitness field trips, so congratulations fifth graders!

As we get closer to the end of the school year, it’s time for our library books to make their way back home to the Cole School library!

All library books are due by Friday, June 12, and any overdue books should be returned as soon as possible.

Please take a few minutes to help your child check around the house, bedrooms, backpacks, cars, and bookshelves for any library books.

Returning books on time helps us get our library shelves ready for next year so all students can continue to enjoy our collection. Please note that this is also the last week for library book checkout. If possible when looking, please make sure the books belong to the Cole School Library and are not books borrowed from the Norwell Public Library.

If a library book has been lost, families may either replace the book with a new copy or send in a $15 check made payable to the PTO. Please include the name of the lost book in the memo line of the check.

If you think a book may already have been returned, or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Over the last few weeks of school, we will also be talking about summer reading goals and encouraging students to keep reading all summer long!

Thank you so much for your support, cooperation, and for helping keep our library running smoothly!

June

June 1 - Connections Meeting

June 1 - Kindergarten enrichment - Delilah the Whale (Thank you, PTO!)

June 2 - Grade 1 Field Trip (Thank you, PTO!)

June 5 - Field Day

June 8 - Community Meeting - Grade 2 hosting, parents welcome to attend 2:30pm

June 8 - Grade 3 Field Trip (Thank you, PTO!)

June 8 - Grade 5 Field Trip (Thank you, PTO!)

June 8 - Grade 4 Biography Projects

June 15 - Flag Day school assembly

June 17 - Grade 2 Field Trip (Thank you, PTO!)

June 18 - Grade 5 Celebration (for grade 5 parents and grade 5 students only) 6:00 pm

June 19 - No School

June 22 - Last Day of School, Move Up Day - Early Release (students dismissed at 12:20)

A few quick PTO thank-yous, reminders & end-of-year notes:

Thank you, Cole community!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Art Show on Wednesday and supported the Papa Gino’s fundraiser. Both events were so well attended and were a great reminder of what makes our community so special.

A special thank you to Mr. Menice — his hard work, creativity, and dedication to our kids truly shines through in their amazing artwork!

May Stay & Play is today!
We hope to see lots of smiling faces on the playground this afternoon.

• Missed the sign-up? No problem!
• Bring your child to the playground after regular dismissal.
• We’ll have music, popsicles, and plenty of end-of-year energy.
• We’ll wrap up around 4:30 PM.

5th Grade Celebration still needs some love!
The celebration is on Thursday, 6/18, and this beloved Cole tradition takes lots of support.

• Can’t volunteer that day? No worries.
• Even a $10 Venmo donation helps!
• Venmo: @ColeSchool-PTO
• Every little bit helps us send off our 5th graders in style.
• Might be free that day? We could really use help working the event and cleaning up. Sign up HERE

As we wrap up the year…
Please take a peek at our year-end review and check out the great events still to come.