Panther Pride Newsletter
The following students have been selected as Students of the Month. They represent “The Panther Way” through their efforts in the classroom and positive impact in the community.
We are proud to recognize their commitment, character, and hard work. Congratulations to each of our Students of the Month. Go Panthers!
October
Norton High School - Jenna Ford
Four Cities Compact - Jordan Willison
Norton Middle School - Mira Welling
Norton Elementary School - Vedansh Pandya
Student Chromebook Care: Say No to "Frankie"!
This fall, Mrs. Wagler, our District Technology Coordinator, visited 4th and 5th graders to review proper Chromebook care. She introduced 4th graders to "Frankie"—a Frankenstein-style Chromebook pieced together with tape and missing keys—and reviewed the concept with 5th graders to remind everyone that their devices shouldn't look like a monster project. Taking care of school property shows responsibility and respect for their learning tools. Here are the key takeaways shared with students:
• Focus on Learning: Devices are for educational use. They are not intended for entertainment such as video watching and games. Games requiring fast, heavy keyboard hammering damage the hardware and are not permitted.
• Keep Liquids Away: Keep all liquids, paints, glitter glue, and gel-like items (including Squishies) far from Chromebooks.
• Use the Protective Sleeve: Chromebooks must stay in their sleeve when not in use. Office replacements are available for $10 if lost or no longer intact.
• Keep It Yours & Keep It Labeled : Your Chromebook is assigned strictly to you—do not let friends or siblings use it. If you're in 4th–7th grade, make sure your personalized "Frankie" sticker stays on the outer case so you can always identify your device. Grades 8-12 can add a quarter-sized, school-appropriate sticker to identify their device.
• Care for Loaners & Insurance Limits: Insurance never covers intentional damage, lost items, or stolen devices. Additionally, please handle loaner devices with extra care, as they carry no coverage at all.
• Charge Daily: Use only official NCS chargers and ensure you bring a fully charged device to school every day with the charger in the sleeve.
6th and 7th graders are up next! Mrs. Wagler will be visiting their classrooms soon to review device care and answer any questions.
On October 7, the high school hosted our twice annual blood drive run by our athletic health sciences classes in conjunction with the American Red Cross. Junior and senior students in Athletic Health Sciences help students and staff sign up, monitor the proceedings, and check on the care of donors both before and after giving blood.
Through the years, the blood drives at Norton High School have been a huge success! Through all the blood drives we've hosted, we've collected almost 1600 units from over 1700 total donors. We appreciate all the coordination Mrs. Sue Ward and the students of Athletic Health Sciences put into the blood drive every year!
October is a busy month at Norton Middle School. Congratulations to all of our fall sports student-athletes for a positive season. The middle school winter season, which includes wrestling and basketball, will begin soon. Students have been selected for our Builders Club and student council and are ready to take on leadership roles. The grading period ends for quarter one on October 16 and reports cards will be made visible through Progress Book on October 22. At the end of the month, NMS will be celebrating Halloween with activities for each grade level. Parents can find more information in the NMS October newsletter. View the picture below as we highlight art created by students in Mrs. Wert’s art class!
