The Mustang Minute
October 23, 2021 - Issue 9
Heading to Halloween
As we head into the final week of October it has been unseasonably warm. We do recommend that students bring sweatshirts and jackets with them next week as we will continue to eat outdoors for as long as we can. Next week is expected to be cooler than the past week. Temperatures inside the building can range widely due to open windows, the air filters, and our HVAC system - layers is the best approach!
Halloween Spirit Day
This Friday, we will get into the sprit of Halloween by sporting all the orange and black in our closets! Dig out those special black cat to-shirts and skeleton socks to kick off the Halloween Weekend. While headbands and accessories are fine, no costumes please!
Welcome Andrew Swiderski!
We would like to welcome Mr. Swiderski to the Coakley Middle School. Mr. Swiderski will be taking over as the grade 6 guidance counselor for Ms. Mba, who went out on maternity leave last Friday (congratulations, Ms. Mba!!). Mr. Swiderski has spent the past two days getting to know the students and the school, we are very excited to have him on board! If you have a question or would just like to say hello, Mr. Swiderski can be emailed at aswiderski@norwood.k12.ma.us
New Club Alert!
The CMS Friendship Club starts this week! the friendship club meets once per month to support inclusion and help develop strong relationships between students with intellectual disabilities and their school age peers. Students do an arts and crafts activity, play games, and socialize. The first meeting will be this Wednesday, October 27th in room 100 during Mustang Block. Students should sign up with Ms. Forrest in room 100.
Coffee Hour with the Principal: November 3rd at 7:00PM
Join Dr. Fraczek virtually to ask questions, find out about school happenings, and more! A meeting Link will be sent out closer to the date.
Next PTO Meeting - Tuesday, October 26th
Blue Hills Showcase Fieldtrip
If your eighth grade student is interested in attending the Blue Hills "Showcase" Fieldtrip, they must apply online at https://www.bluehills.org/ as well as fill out a permission slip which can be found in guidance. They must return the permission slip to Ms. McCaffrey by November 17th.
Grade 8: Blast from the Past
Attention 8th grade parents and students! We need your BLAST FROM THE PAST photos for the yearbook! Do you have photos from a party, field trip, sports game or other events? Please send them to cmsyearbook@norwood.k12.ma.us by December 23rd.
MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey
To make sure we give the best possible education and services to children in Norwood, we want to learn about their attitudes and behaviors with regard to a variety of health issues. In order to accomplish this, students attending Coakley Middle School are being asked to participate in a survey called the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey. Coakley Middle School has been participating in this survey since 2018. The questions on the survey cover many topics including alcohol, tobacco and other drug use; violence and safety; nutrition and physical activity; sexual behaviors; online behaviors; and mental health. This project will help our district develop and enhance its health education and prevention programs. We will be giving this online survey to students in grades 6-8 on October 28, 2021.
Please see the attached MetroWest parent letter for more information and for an opt out option. A copy of the survey will be available for viewing in the CMS main office next week.
Equity Audit of NPS: FAMILY SURVEY
Norwood Public Schools is working with Mass Insight Education & Research to conduct an Equity Audit for the district. This process is part of Norwood’s commitment to provide a high quality, equitable education for all of our students and families. The Equity Audit will give the district a clear understanding of our current strengths and areas for growth regarding equitable opportunities for all students, provide recommendations for improving equitable practices, and lead to the development of a strategic plan that will focus attention and resources on supporting Norwood’s diverse students, staff, families, and community.
I’m hoping you can take 10-15 minutes to complete an important survey about your experiences with Norwood Public Schools.
**Having all our families complete the family survey is a critical step in this process, and I hope you’ll take 10-15 minutes now to complete it!**
Here are the links to complete the survey:
Family Survey (English): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PGWXW3L
Family Survey (Spanish/Español): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P3DVQQD
Family Survey (Portuguese/Português): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P3RYR8Y
Family Survey (Haitian Creole/Kreyòl Ayisyen): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PF3F3DD
Family Survey (Arabic/عربي): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PG7ZGGD
Each family only needs to complete the survey once, even if you have multiple students in the district. If you have any questions, please let us know.
PTO Dues Letter
The PTO Needs You!
PTO Board Openings
With the new year comes new opportunities to be involved with CMS. We are looking for PTO Board members that collectively make decisions about activities for the school. We are also in need of a PTO treasurer. The treasurer maintains the records and bank account for the PTO. Please email coakleynorwoodPTO@gmail.com or mfraczek@norwood.k12.ma.us if you are interested.
PTO Meeting Dates (4th Tuesday of the month)
October 26th
November 23rd
December - TBD
January 25th
February - TBD
March 22nd
April 26nd
May 24th
June - TBD
Clubs and Teams at CMS
This week, I have a list of clubs that will be starting soon. Next week, we will have start dates and meeting times listed as well.
Friendship Club - Monthly - First Meeting, Wednesday, October 27th during MB - sign up in room 100
Student Council - First Meeting Thursday, October 14
Artist Circle - Wednesday 2:10-3:00pm
Yearbook Club - Grade 8 Only Starts October 6th in 201 (every other Wednesday)
Bowling Club - Begins in January 2022
Intramural Sports - Start Early October
Homework Club - Starting September 27th at 2:10 pm in the Library
Drama Club - 1st and 3rd Mondays starting October 4th in room 101
Rocket Club - Spring 2022
Cartooning Club - Meets Mondays, Starting October 25th
Math Team - First meeting Thursday, September 28th
More to come!
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