Superintendent's Update

1. Superintendent's Message

2. Students From Shimoda, Japan Tour Rogers High School

3. New NACTC TV Ad

4. Seaside Cafe Now Open For Breakfast & Lunch

5. Pell Apple Crunch

6. Newport Public Education Foundation Evening For Education A Success

7. MLK Community Center Food Pantry

8. CCRI Cybersecurity Pathways Open House

9. Newport Fraternal Order of Police Bingo Night Fundraiser

10. This Saturday: Honoring the Spirit Within 2025 Youth Art Exhibition

11. This Saturday: Sakonnet Coastal Bike & Stroll

12. TMS Fall Carnival

13. Events

14. This Week’s Athletic Schedule

15. Resources

Dear Newport Schools Parents, Families, and Staff:

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is here to stay. It is important that all of us are familiar with this technology and how it works, as well as our responsibility to prepare our students for now and the future. All of us in our schools are taking on this technology and how it will/is affecting our classrooms and beyond. Just this past Friday’s professional development sessions with our teachers at RHS focused on how we can use this tool responsibly and to help our students engage in meaningful instruction. I encourage all of us to learn more and tonight is the perfect opportunity!

Tonight there is a “Cybersecurity: Pathways and Practice” event at the CCRI Newport campus. This is a great way to learn about a pathways program on the CCRI cybersecurity program and how our RHS program is able to feed into the CCRI cyber program or how a student may just take the opportunity to learn more in this high paying career. RHS has had a long relationship with CCRI as our students take on college work while in high school. See the flyer here for tonight’s event.

Along with being on top of emerging technology, we also are very focused on emerging leadership and our students taking on the responsibility of owning their learning. These are two of the CORE elements of our Portrait Of A Graduate, the vision we have laid out for the skills and traits we want Newport Public Schools’ students to graduate with and take into the world as productive citizens. All of our schools are focused on fostering leadership skills and a sense of ownership for students' education, for supporting their fellow students, and our community. I wanted to share just a few examples of how we’re fostering a culture of ownership and leadership:

At Pell, student “Recycling Rangers” have been leading the effort to increase recycling and reduce food waste, and “Library Leaders” are helping to stock shelves and check books out at the school’s Innovation Lab Library.

At Thompson, small cohorts of students from grades 5-8 meet regularly with Dr. Michael Browner, Jr. as part of the Principal’s Advisory Council. Students are sharing feedback, learning leadership skills, and working together to improve Thompson. One of their first projects this school year is updating Thompson’s mission statement.

And at Rogers, our Key Club students are organizing and running their own service projects with support from their advisors. Recent examples include supporting RENEWport’s Pell Community Dinner, setting up a trunk at the Pell PTO Trunk or Treat, and manning a water station at the Newport Marathon.

A shoutout to our Pell, Thompson, and Rogers student leaders! You’re making a difference in your schools and your community now and hopefully in the future to build a strong Newport!

It may seem hard to believe but we are a little over a week away from November 6th and the last day of our first academic quarter. Please continue to reinforce the importance of Attendance Matters, Every Day! and talking to your children every day as often as possible about their school day. Really engage with them by asking questions about each class, school assignments, fun new things they’ve learned, or if they are struggling with academic or other issues. Our children need to know you as their parents/guardians know the importance of a good education. Education is the one thing no one can ever take away from them. Let’s build strong relationships with our teachers, schools, and our community partners to make education the focus for our children.

Finally, the long discussed potential of regionalizing with Middletown Public Schools is once again being considered. The Newport and Middletown town councils have both recently voted to restart discussions on regionalization. I will be sure to share any developments on this front as these discussions get underway.

Have a great week of learning everyone!

Colleen Burns Jermain, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

This past Friday, high school students from our sister city of Shimoda, Japan visited our brand new Rogers High School. A big thank you to Rogers students Charlotte Rochelle, Ruby Machado, and Grant Herchenroether for serving as tour guides and making a wonderful international connection with the visiting students and delegation from Shimoda! The students shared their experiences with our visitors, their homes, and enjoyed a variety of weekend activities. I was able to meet with the Shimoda Superintendent and the educational leaders about our education system and theirs. I look forward to future meetings with the leaders via ZOOM.

Career and technical education is at the forefront of preparing youth to succeed in fast-growing, well paid jobs in high growth industries here in Rhode Island and around the country. That’s why we’re getting the word out about Newport Area Career & Technical Center’s in-demand career pathways (Construction Technology, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Automotive Technology, Advertising, Design & New Media, Visual Arts, JROTC Leadership Academy) with a new :30 ad that will be airing during local COX Cable TV programing. Watch the :30 ad here. All 8th and 9th grade students with their families should sign-up for NACTC’s Saturday, November 15th information session to learn more! Now is the time to start preparing for high school!

The NACTC Culinary Arts Program is proud to announce that the Seaside Cafe in our brand new Rogers High School is now open to the public from 9:30 - 12:30 for breakfast and lunch! Come enjoy a delicious meal prepared in our commercial grade kitchen by our talented culinary students led by Chef Matthew Reilly and Chef Michele Lapaglia. Yum!

On October 21st, Pell students enjoyed a perfect fall day to participate in the RI Apple Crunch, a celebration of healthy eating, local farms, and the joy of fresh food. Thank you to our local RI farmers for these delicious treats!!🍎🍏

The Newport Public Education Foundation (NPEF), which raises funds to support Newport Public Schools, held their annual gala last Thursday night. It was a wonderful evening celebrating public education, raising funds for NPEF, and awarding grants to teachers, administrators, friends, and staff to support programming for our students. Thank you NPEF for all that you do for our schools and congratulations to this year’s NPEF award and grant recipients! It takes a community of all of us working together to support all our families and students.

With the ongoing federal shutdown potentially impacting SNAP benefits for Newport and area families, the MLK Community Center wants everyone to know that their food pantry is open 5 days and one evening each week.

The Newport Fraternal Order of Police is hosting a bingo night on Friday, November 14th! Proceeds help Newport Police Department community programs. All are welcome!

This Saturday from noon to 3:00pm, our One Newport community partner the Newport Art Museum will host Honoring the Spirit Within. Young artists will come together to celebrate Día de los Muertos, a joyful holiday that honors the lives of loved ones who have passed and reminds us of the beauty of family, memory, and spirit. Enjoy a celebration for all ages—a chance to see the world through the eyes of youth, to learn about the traditions of Día de los Muertos, and to share in the joy of remembering together. Click here for more information and to get free tickets!

Join our One Newport community partner Bike Newport this Saturday, November 1st from 9am-12pm for the third annual Sakonnet Coastal Bike & Stroll. Led by the Island Park Preservation Society, in partnership with Bike Newport, this beloved community event invites everyone to enjoy the scenic Sakonnet shoreline at a slower pace — free from traffic and full of good, family-friendly vibes. Whether you’re cruising along the waterfront, strolling with neighbors, or just soaking in the salty air, this morning celebration is all about community connection, coastal beauty, and fresh autumn energy.

Click here to register.

The TMS PTO is sponsoring a Fall Carnival for TMS students on Friday, November 14 from 2:30 - 5:30.

• Tonight: Cybersecurity Pathways Open House at CCRI, 6 PM
• This Saturday, Honoring the Spirit Within Exhibition, Newport Art Museum, 12-3
• This Saturday, Sakonnet Coastal Bike & Stroll, Island Park, Portsmouth, 9-12
• Tuesday, November 11th, Veterans Day, No School
• Newport Public Schools Arts Calendar 2025-2026

Wednesday, October 29 - Girls Volleyball (play in game) at St. Rays 5:30 pm

Saturday, November 1 - Boys JV Football at Pawtucket - Max Read Field 11:45 AM

Saturday, November 1 – Girls Tennis - State Finals - Slater Park, Pawtucket at 1 PM

• Newport Public Schools Student Cell Phones and Personal Electronic Devices Policy
• Newport Public Schools Student Attendance Policy
• Newport Public Schools 2025-2026 School Year Bus Schedule
• Newport Public Schools Portrait of a Graduate
• Rhode Island Department of Education Assessment Portal
• Rhode Island Department of Education Attendance Tracker Tool