Wednesday's Words

Dear Families,

Welcome back! It has been wonderful to see our students' smiling faces fill our classrooms once again. I hope your children have had a smooth, positive start and are settling comfortably into their new school routines.

Preparing our schools for a successful launch is always a true team effort. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our entire staff - our teachers who spent countless hours preparing their classrooms and lessons, and our administrators, office staff, nurses, and custodians who worked tirelessly to ensure a seamless opening. Their care and dedication truly make our district a special place to learn.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Freeman-Kennedy School Open House last week. We look forward to welcoming our third and fourth-grade families this Thursday. For our H. Olive Day School families, please mark your calendars for their Open House on September 23rd. These events are a wonderful opportunity to tour your child’s classroom, meet our dedicated teachers, and connect with fellow families.

We are deeply grateful for your partnership and look forward to working together to ensure a safe, engaging, and rewarding school year for every student.

Warmly,

Ingrid Allardi

Superintendent of Schools

Important Information for All Families

At the start of school, we sent a form via MessagesXR, that has several important documents for parents/guardians to review and sign off on. This included a letter with a link to our Family Handbook and Code of Conduct, summaries of important privacy policies like CIPA, COPPA, and FERPA, yearbook photo permissions, and information on student insurance.

If you have not submitted this form please review and RETURN BY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH.

Personal Technology Devices

Norfolk Public Schools, in cooperation with the families of our students, share the responsibility of teaching students to be responsible and respectful digital citizens. Part of this citizenship requires that they not let personal devices (cell phones, smartwatches, including Fitbits, Gizmo, VTech watches, etc.) disrupt their learning or interfere with the learning of their classmates. Although students may bring personal devices with them to school, their devices must remain in their backpacks or cubby/locker at all times during the school day. Teachers, support staff and administration reserve the right to confiscate personal devices from students who violate these guidelines. Additionally, personal technology may not be used on the school buses and may be taken away by bus drivers at their discretion. If a student has a device confiscated, parents/guardians will be contacted to retrieve the item. Please be aware that taking video or audio recordings on a personal device at school, on school buses or vans, on school grounds or during after school activities (Rec. dept programs, SACC) violates the Code of Conduct and will result in disciplinary action.

FK receivies National Banner Recognition from Special Olympics North America!

A letter from the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® program to the Freeman Kennedy School:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

We are thrilled to congratulate Freeman Kennedy School on receiving National Banner Recognition from Special Olympics North America!

National Banner Recognition is the highest level of recognition in the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools® program and celebrates schools that demonstrate excellence in inclusion, advocacy, and respect. This achievement reflects the commitment of the athletes, partners, students, coaches, volunteers, teachers, staff, and administration who work together every day to create a school community where everyone belongs, everyone is valued, and everyone has the opportunity to participate.

Freeman Kennedy School has demonstrated what is possible when a school community makes inclusion a priority. Your leadership, dedication, and commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for students to learn, lead, and grow together have made your school a model for others.

This is an extraordinary accomplishment. Your school is one of just 17 schools in Massachusetts and 288 schools nationwide to earn National Banner Recognition for the 2025–26 school year. Special Olympics Massachusetts has an impressive list of 87 schools that have now reached this top level.

Well done, Freeman Kennedy School!

Once again, congratulations to Freeman Kennedy School! We couldn't be more proud of your students and staff and the example you are setting for schools across Massachusetts and beyond.

Live unified,

Patti Doherty

Vice President of Schools and Community Development

Norfolk Public Schools Parent Leaders Group

Who are the Parent Leaders?

The Parent Leaders Committee is comprised of a group of parents who have students in the Norfolk Public Schools and are interested in working collaboratively with the district to problem solve issues, discuss educational programming and support efforts towards continuous improvement.

What is the time commitment?

The Parent Leaders group meets every other month for approximately 1-2 hours. We are looking for members who can commit to attending on a fairly regular basis, although it is not required to attend every meeting. We are often engaged in discussions that carry from one meeting to the next or are working on long-term projects and it is helpful to have some continuity of membership.

What kinds of topics do the Parent Leaders discuss?

Parent Leaders focus on District Level issues (communication, school budget, school calendar, curriculum, parent involvement) and help to advise the Superintendent on matters important to the community. Agenda topics are shared with group members prior to the meeting. There is always time at the end of each meeting to discuss or identify topics that should be added to a future agenda.

What is the mission of the Parent Leaders Group?

The mission of the Parent Leaders Group is ‘To create a forum for open, positive, respectful dialog between District Administration and parents aimed at improving and enhancing the educational experience of all students and their families.’

FIRST MEETING - Monday, Oct 5th at 7:00p.m. - The first meeting of the year is scheduled for Monday, Oct 5th at 7:00p.m. in the Freeman-Kennedy Superintendent’s Conference Room. If you are interested in signing up to be on the Parent Leaders group, please reach out to Adrienne Smith at asmith@norfolk.k12.ma.us and she will add you to the email list.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

With a themes of " Changing the Narrative on Suicide for World Suicide Day on September 10th, and "Stronger Together: Connect. Support. Prevent., for National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, organizations around the world work to raise awareness, reduce stigma of talking about mental health and suicide, and highlight the importance of connection and support.

Care Solace has shared a flyer with warning signs and how to respond. Suicide Awareness