The Mustang Minute
January 6, 2024- Issue 18
Happy New Year!
It was a short but busy week at CMS! Teachers came back Tuesday for Professional Development and students joined us Wednesday. We took the start of a new year to review expectations at CMS and reminded students that the end of term 2 is coming quickly (January 29th). This is a great time to take a look at your student's Aspen account and check for any missing assignments.
Next week we have the Winter Concerts, on Tuesday is grade 6 and on Thursday is grade 8. These are combined band, chorus, and orchestra concerts. Please check ParentSquare for details from Ms. MacDonald and Ms. Sheehan.
On Friday, January 12th, the Civic Center is holding a Middle School Night Out! The cost is $25/student. See below for details.
On Friday, January 19th, CMS will be holding a Grade 7 Winter Wonderland Dance at CMS sponsored by the Coakley PTO. Details will come home this week on permission slips. There will be a sign up to help with set up, chaperones, and clean up.
New Club Alert!!
The Bowling Club is back - all current Coakley students are welcome! We will begin on Friday, January 12th at the Norwood Sports Center from 4:00-5:00 pm. We can accommodate 32 students - please sign up using the link below. Only the first 32 students to sign up each week may attend - we will release a new sign up each week so a variety of students can participate.
When you sign up your child, you are giving your child permission to participate and you are agreeing to PICK UP and DROP OFF your child at the Norwood Sports Center. Please plan to pick up promptly at 5 pm - your child will meet you at the front door of the Sports Center. If you do not pick up on time, your child may not be allowed to participate in the future.
Students should bring $8 in cash with them.
Link to signup: January 12 Bowling
Coakley PTO Fudge Fundraiser
See the flier below and the attached order form for the Coakley PTO Fudge Fundraiser. Hard copies came home this week. Orders are due January 17th!
December Citizens of the Month
Congratulations to the December winners of Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School’s Citizen of the Month. Citizens of the Month exemplify the school’s mission statement and are chosen by teachers and staff.
Grade 8: Juliet Boucher, Chase Hogan, Michaela Canedo, Jaelynn Feliciano
Grade 7: Lydia Priebe, Riley Creamer, Emily Morgan
Grade 6: Juan Sanchez-Ledezma, Eluana Guedes De Melo, Julianna Ketchel
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Royce Veliaj who won this year's Patriot Pen writing contest through the Veterans of Foreign Wars. His essay was chosen as the local winner and will be moved on to the regional competition! Great Job Royce!
Nurses Corner
NORWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES
During the week of January 29th (note the date change), the Coakley Middle School nurses and guidance counselors will be conducting SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) screening for all 7th graders. This screening is required by Massachusetts General Law Chapter 71, Section 97.
The purpose of SBIRT screening is to offer conversation and information to help prevent students from starting to use alcohol, nicotine, tobacco, marijuana or other drugs, or to intervene early in substance use. Student screening sessions will be brief, approximately 5 minutes, and conducted confidentially and privately in a one-to-one meeting with a school nurse or guidance counselor. Students who are not using substances will have their healthy choices reinforced. The nurse or guidance counselor will provide feedback or referral for further evaluation to students who report using substances, or are at risk for future substance use. All students will be asked to complete an anonymous evaluation of the screening, and will receive some educational material and a resource list at the time of the screening.
Results of the SBIRT screening will not be included in your student’s school record. Nor will screening information be shared with any staff without student and parent written permission. As with any school screening you have the right to opt your child out of this screening. The request to opt out must be in writing. Please contact Tova Sperber, RN via e-mail tsperber@norwood.k12.ma.us if you wish to exclude your child from this screening. Additionally, screening is voluntary and students may choose not to answer any or all of the screening questions.
One way to prevent youth substance use is to talk with your child about your family’s thoughts and expectations regarding substance use. Research shows that parent influence is the #1 reason young people decide not to drink alcohol. Some resources that can help parents start these discussions can be found at:
Together, schools and parents CAN make a difference for the youth in Norwood.
Sincerely,
Jill Driscoll, MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN
Nurse Leader, Norwood Public Schools
No School and Early Release Days
December 22nd: Early Release Winter Break
Dec 23-January 2, 2024: Winter Break, No School
The PTO Needs You!
Coakley PTO
The PTO is a parent/teacher organization that helps fund a variety of activities at CMS from assemblies, to field trips, to classroom projects and more. We would love for everyone to be a part of the PTO!
PTO meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm both virtually and in person. The dates are listed below a link to the meeting online is sent out the day of the meeting.
Next Meeting: December 19th (adjusted for winter break)
January 23rd
February 27th
March 26th
April 23rd
May 28th
June 18th
Please email coakleynorwoodPTO@gmail.com or mfraczek@norwood.k12.ma.us if you are interested in volunteering or being a part of the PTO!
Dr. Margo Fraczek
Email: mfraczek@norwood.k12.ma.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/norwood.k12.ma.us/cms-principal/home
Phone: 781-762-7880
Facebook: facebook.com/CoakleyMIddleSchoolPTO
Twitter: @mfraczek