Superintendent's Monthly Newsletter
A monthly update on NPS initiatives & important happenings.
Parent Workshops on Mental Health
Norwood Public Schools will be providing a series of workshops for parents on important mental health issues. These will be offered via Zoom and feature Jane Hardin, the Department Head for Special Education at Ribas Associates and Publications. She is the co-author of two books on social-emotional learning. The dates and descriptions of the workshops are listed below. All programs will start at 6:30 PM and Zoom links will be shared via parent square in the next few weeks.
Tuesday 5/9 Anxiety and Trauma- Families are going through one of the most challenging times we have seen in many years. School and community mass shootings, Covid, war in Europe, bullying, and an increase in violent crime are causing high levels of stress and trauma for children, adolescents, and parents/guardians. These conditions put great stress on the family. In this workshop, attendees will gain strategies and resources to help them and their children cope with this new normal.
Tuesday 5/23 Social Emotional Learning in the Home- Parents and guardians will learn strategies to foster self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making in their school-age children. The program is based on our CASEL-endorsed book Social Emotional Learning in the Home.
Wednesday, 5/31 Impact of Social Media on Anxiety in Children and Adolescents-Parents and guardians will learn about some of the most widely used social media platforms and their influence on children and adolescents' levels of anxiety and depression.
Budget Update
I have written previously in this newsletter that this has been a very challenging budget process. We have worked diligently with the town's financial leadership to maintain our current level of staffing and services. While many surrounding towns are experiencing staffing reductions and budget cuts, we are bringing a budget to Town Meeting that avoids this scenario. Unfortunately, we are not adding staffing or programs; we have worked diligently to maintain what we have. Please review the budget materials on the district website under the School Committee tab and the Budget section. At Town Meeting, we will ask for about $1.8 Million in one-time funds from the Override Stabilization Fund and the Free Cash Fund to fund our budget. I respectfully ask for your support and advocacy.
NAMM- Best Communities for Music Education
We just learned that Norwood is among the Best Communities in the nation for music education. The National Association of Music Merchants award program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education. Jeff Kerr, Director of Fine Arts submitted the application, and designations are made to districts and schools that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and access to music education. Norwood is one of 830 winners for 2023! You can see the entire list here.
Job Openings
We still seek qualified candidates for Paraprofessionals, Substitutes, and Extended Day staff. Please check out our jobs page here.
Central Office
Website: norwood.k12.ma.us
Location: 275 Prospect Street, Norwood, MA, USA
Phone: 7817626804