Cole Miners' Dig

Thank you to all the families that made donations to the Norwell Food Pantry drive. The response was fantastic and will go a long way in helping our neighbors. Many thanks to the parent volunteers that picked up and delivered the donations over these last two weeks. We really appreciate your help!

4th grade hosted the firs Community Meeting of the year and focused on Veteran's Day and gratitude. It was a wonderful reminder to reach out and say thank you, especially to the veterans in the community and in our families.

On Monday, students will meet with Connections groups to talk about the Habit of Mind - Listening with Understanding and Empathy. This habit means that we devote mental energy to another person's thoughts and ideas. We make an effort to perceive another's point of view and emotions.

We'll be celebrating Aide Appreciation Day on Wednesday, November 19th. Our aides support student learning in the classroom, in the cafeteria, and on the playground. They are a critical part of what makes our building work so well. Please take a moment to have your child write a note to the aides that make a difference in their lives to share on Aide Appreciation Day.

We recognized National Superintendent Appreciation Day today and thanked Mr. Keegan for 14 years of dedicated service to the Norwell Schools. We are fortunate to have his longstanding leadership when the average tenure for a superintendent in Massachusetts is just five years.

Cole School wore blue today to recognize World Diabetes Day to show our support for those in our school community that live with diabetes each day.

November's Cole School Reading Challenge is to read a book with a character's name in the title. Please complete this form for or with your child to be entered into the drawing for prizes.

The 2025 Cole School "Choose Your Adventure" Spirit Week is ready and shared here to help families prepare to participate if they so choose. Each day, there are two choices for your child to decide their spirit week adventure. This is a low key and fun way to head off into winter vacation. Participation is completely voluntary.

We had a large group of students this week who were nominated for the first time this year. Each of the nominations were specific and shared examples of how the Magnificent Meerkat helps to make Cole School shine brightly.

• He is kind, helpful and is always trying to do the right thing. He makes good choices for listening and nicely reminds his friends what is expected of them. We are so proud of you!
• She has done a phenomenal job independently creating two extra credit animal posters and sharing them with the class. Other students are now motivated to also complete one or even two posters themselves after seeing her effort and hearing all of the interesting animal information that she shared! We applaud her motivation and independent work ethic in creating learning for herself and sharing it with her classmates!
• She took the time at recess to stand up for someone who wasn’t being treated kindly. She showed great courage, kindness, and character. It’s not always easy to speak up when others are being unkind. Sometimes it takes a very strong and caring person to do the right thing, especially when it might feel uncomfortable. She showed her classmates and other first graders what it means to be a true friend and an "upstander" at Cole School!
• He is such a helpful friend. He is always willing to help clean up tables at lunch and he helps bring lost items to the lost and found after recess. He is always kind and polite. We are very lucky to have him in our class.

November:

November 17 - Gr. 3 Enrichment Colonial Visitor from Plimoth Patuxet Visits Cole School (Thank you, PTO!)

November 17 - Kindergarten Enrichment Puppet Show (Thank you, PTO!)

November 17 - Connections Meeting - Habit of Mind - Listening with Understanding and Empathy

November 19. - Aide Appreciation Day

November 19 - Gr. 5 Field Trip (Thank you, PTO!)

November 21 - Gr. 2 Field Trip (Thank you, PTO!)

November 24 - Connections Meeting - Habit of Mind - Thinking Flexibly

November 24 - NHS Peer Educators Visit Gr. 4 and Gr. 5

November 26 - Early Release - all students dismissed at 12:20pm

November 27-28 - No School

Looking Ahead:

December 6 - PTO Winter Festival

June 5 - Field Day

June 11 - Grade 5 Celebration (for grade 5 parents and grade 5 students only)

Hi Cole families! This week some of our NTSS small groups worked super hard learning about the Zones of Regulation and identifying emotions that fit into each zone. Other groups continued learning about coping skills we can use when we’re feeling big emotions. This week we focused on deep breathing and practiced square breathing. Please reach out with any questions or concerns!

There are many resources available for families in need of additional support for Thanksgiving and the holiday season. Please reach out to either Mrs. Burns (eliza.burns@norwellschools.org) or Ms. Mullen (anna.mullen@norwellschools.org). All information will be kept confidential.

We continued our soccer unit this week. K-1 practiced their skills at four different soccer stations that included dribbling around cones, kicking a soccer ball at a net defended by a goalie, trying to knock down a pin with a 3 step hard kick and passing and trapping with a partner. Second graders participated in multiple games of soccer. Grades 3-5 had fun playing one big soccer game. Light taps, hard kicks, punting, passing, trapping and teamwork to include everyone were all part of the game. Most importantly, whether they won or lost students understood it’s just a game and it’s no big deal.

Two Great Events, One Epic Day — Thursday, Nov 20th!

Got birthday parties piling up? Holiday lists growing?

Let The Toy Box do the heavy lifting! Shop in-store or online, grab gift cards, or call ahead and let them pick out the perfect gifts for you.

On 11/20 from 9am-6pm, 20% of ALL purchases go back to the Cole School PTO!

After all that shopping, join us for a parents night out (21+) on 11/20 at Tinker’s Son from 7-10pm to rock out with the Road Soda Band — the Norwell band with dads from both the Vinal and Cole school. Proceeds will benefit both the Vinal and Cole PTOs. Cheers!

All sign up links can all be found on the PTO website.

We are excited to announce that Grace Farrar Cole Elementary School PTO has been selected again as a nonprofit partner in the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program.

This time, your organization will receive $1 for each $2.50 reusable Community Bag sold during the month of December 2025 at 468 Washington Street, Norwell MA.

Winter Festival (Formally known as Winter Fair) planning is underway!

Want to play a bigger role in the fun? Join the Winter Festival Crew!
This year’s Cole School Winter Festival (Sat. 12/6) is getting a frosty fresh facelift — and we need your help to make it amazing! From planning games and raffles to decorating, organizing, or keeping things running smoothly, there’s a role for everyone.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040B45A8AE2FAB9-59938029-winter#/

Join us for a parents night out (21+) on Thursday, Nov. 20th at Tinker’s Son from 7-10pm to rock out with the Road Soda Band — the Norwell band with dads from both the Vinal and Cole school. Proceeds will benefit both the Vinal and Cole PTOs. Cheers!

Click HERE for Tickets

Let's invest in the teachers and students that make Cole School shine! This November, the Norwell Education Foundation is launching a fall campaign to fund teacher-written grants that support creativity, opportunity, and excellence for every Norwell student. Your gift - of any size - makes an immediate difference in our classrooms. The NEF has recently funded multiple grants for Cole Elementary, including the Communication Sign on the playground, the Big Blue Blocks for creative play during recess, a first-grade phonics program, and learning tools to promote the behavioral and emotional regulation of students. The NEF is proud to be part of a community that believes in the power of education. Every dollar makes a difference, so please consider donating here during this Fall fundraising drive. Together we can inspire learning that lasts a lifetime!