Dear Norwood Families,

I hope everyone had a great weekend! The weather is calling for wind and rain tomorrow. Please dress appropriately and be safe.

Norwood School is excited to have been chosen to be a part of RIDE’s RICAS Rockstar's highlighting 10 schools in the state that have shown amazing growth in test scores. As part of this opportunity RIDE will be visiting Norwood to talk with and video staff and students about our success and growth. All social media protocols will be followed. RIDE will be at Norwood on Wednesday, December 13th. We are so proud of our students and staff for all of their hard work and dedication.

There is a Better Together parent group schedule for Wednesday evening at 6pm. Please see information below. This week we also have our annual Polar Express event happening on Friday evening at 5pm. This is a free event to families. Please see information below.

We finally got our Student Councils election done and the results are in! Congratulations to Jax and Avery. We will be meeting once a month starting this Tuesday.

It is colder out most days now. Please make sure students come with gear for the colder weather. They will not be allowed outside for recess if they are not prepared for the colder temperatures. If you need assistance please reach out!

As a reminder if you are dropping off or picking up students and you need to park please due so in a designated parking spot in the side or back lot. Please do not stop and park in the loop. This is causing a backup for drop offs and poses as a safety concern for those parking appropriately and walking over.

Once students are dropped off we do ask adults to stay on the other side of the fence for the safety of all students. Anyone picking up students should have an ID on them at all times. Students will not be released without checking ID first. Anyone picking up must be listed as an emergency contact in ASPEN. Thank you!

Norwood School hours are 9:00 am - 3:10 pm.

Drop off is 8:40 am for students having breakfast and 8:50am for everyone else. We are not staffed before that time for drop off.

Students are dismissed at 3:10pm. Students in grades K-2 are dismissed out of the back of the All Purpose Room. Students in grade 3-5 are dismissed out the back door in front of the playground.

Please consult our school handbook.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.

See everyone tomorrow!

12/13/23 - RICAS Rockstar's Feature

12/13/23 - Norwood Pride Day/ Wear Blu and White or Norwood Gear

12/13/23 - Better Together at Norwood @ 6pm

12/14/23 - Mentor Holiday Party

12/15/23 - Pajama Day

12/15/23 - Polar Express @ 5pm

12/18/23 - 12/22/23 - Holiday Shop

12/20/23 - Report Cards Distributed

12/21/23 - Band and Instrumental Concert @9 :45am

12/25/23 - 12/29/23 - Winter Recess No School

Warwick Schools District Calendar

"Where You Come From"

The Challenge Runs December 11- January 31, 2024.

Registration is open now.

Here is the link to our Beanstack Platform https://warwicklibrary.beanstack.com/reader365

Log your reading minutes and explore topics like family, history, and identity all while earning virtual badges. Read 10 hours to complete the challenge and earn a raffle ticket for a chance to win an Ancestry DNA test kit or a Family Tree Package.

Every person has a rich history and unique stories to tell — dive deeper into your own this winter! Explore topics like family, history, and identity. Read the featured book: Where We Come From, a poetic picture book for all ages, written by John Coy, Shannon Gibney, Sun Yung Shin, and Diane Wilson and illustrated by Dion MBD. Let it inspire you to reflect on your own story! For logging your reading minutes and completing fun activities, you will earn badges that feature some of the beautiful artwork from the book itself.

Happy Reading!

RI STATE POLICY 16-21-36. Outdoor recess

No elementary school or private preschool shall permit recess to be held outdoors when the local temperature falls below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit (32oF)/ zero degrees Celsius (0oC).

See document on link above.

We should of course take the wind chill into consideration.

If the wind chill is 29 degrees or lower please use your discretion. Please make sure students

are dressed appropriately for the weather.

Lunch Aides & Bus Monitors - great hours for parents looking for a schedule to match their student's. Apply Today- https://www.warwickschools.org/page/job-openings

To access community flyers please utilize our existing website, with a new 'Community Updates' page.

Once a week, midweek, WPS will send a push notification to all school families regarding new flyers added to the Community Update page, along with a note to check frequently for up to date updates.

As the new school year approaches the Warwick Police Department and WPS would like to remind everyone that dogs are not allowed on school property or in schoolyards. This is for the safety of our students and also for the dogs. Any violation of Warwick City Ordinance Sec. 4 -9 can result in a $50 fine. https://www.warwickri.gov/city-council-legislative-department/pages/code-ordinances

If you have not downloaded the Warwick Public School mobile app, I highly recommend doing so. You must set up your push notification settings to receive important messages from your child's school(s). This 30-second video will show you how to do so.

Title I Family Engagement Policies

Warwick Cares Program

Could your family benefit from supplemental food items brought home at the end of each week to provide nutrition to your child over the weekend? Our backpack program ensures your child will be given a backpack with food items to bring home weekly throughout the school year. This program is only available to currently enrolled Norwood students. Please register your student for the Title I Backpack Food Assistance Program.

Norwood is proud to receive the 2022-2024 National PTA School of Excellence designation!

Congratulations on earning this prestigious designation, which recognizes your incredible work as national leaders in developing strong family-school partnerships

It’s never too late to join the PTA! Signing up for the PTA does not mean you are required to participate. It just means that you are supporting our PTA.

Shop spirit wear!

What is Chronic Absenteeism?

Chronic Absenteeism is a measure of how many students miss a defined number of school days for any reason. Rhode Island defines Chronic Absenteeism as the percentage of students who miss 10% or more school days during the year (or 2 days per month).

Research shows that chronic absenteeism is associated with a number of negative consequences for students, including lower achievement, disengagement from school, course failure, and increased risk of dropping out.

Missing 10% of school or more makes it harder to learn

Please refrain from requesting an early dismissal for your child after 2:45pm. The dismissal process begins at 3:05pm and it becomes very difficult for us to fill an early dismissal request once the process begins.

Students will be marked absent, no matter the reason, if they are not in school.

If the absence is COVID related it will be entered as an excused absence.

In accordance with Rhode Island State Law #16-19-10, Notification of Pupil Absence, the Warwick School Department requires that all parents/guardians call their child’s elementary school on the day that he/she will not be in attendance. We would like to receive all calls by 9:15 in the morning. If you are aware of a pending absence, feel free to call at any time prior to the day of the absence. In the event we do not hear from you, an automated call will be sent at 10:00 a.m. to inform you that your child did not arrive at school.

It is important that the Aspen Family Portal is updated with correct address and contact information. Students can only be released to emergency contacts listed in the Family Portal so please make sure this is updated. You can find more information about the Family Portal on the district website here. Using the WPS Family Portal (PDF) WPS Family Portal (direct link)

Healthy Snacks Letter

Personal Device Policy

Student Dress Code

Warwick Special Education Advisory Committee Brochure

Download the WPS App

Warwick is moving forward with implementing the WPS Vision of a Graduate for all students!

• Please make sure students are dressed appropriately for the weather. If you need help with this please reach out.
• There are no water fountains at school for health and sanitation reasons. Students are advised to bring in a refillable bottle to use at the water refill station.
• The parking lot for arrival and dismissal hours is a one way loop.
• Please be mindful of the buses, stop signs and the crosswalks.
• Outside toys are not allowed in school including Pokemon cards. We have enough for students to do and games to play!

Dr. Sabrina Antonelli

2023 RI Elementary Principal of the Year

Instagram account @principalantonelli

Cell: 401- 871-4350

Fax: 401-734-3528

Email: sabrina.antonelli@warwickschools.org
Website: https://norwood.warwickschools.org/o/nee/
Location: 266 Norwood Avenue, Warwick, RI, USA
Phone: 401-734-3525
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wpsnorwoodknights
Twitter: @principalant