Panther Pride Newsletter
January 2023
Spring Break
No School
March 29 - April 5
Eclipse Day
No School
Monday, April 8
The Panther Way
The stakeholders involved in these visioning sessions represented a diverse array of perspectives, including business owners, law enforcement, parents, educators, and students. Together, their goal was to chart the future path for not only Norton Panther graduates, but all students within our community. Approximately fifty individuals actively participated, offering valuable insights and viewpoints. Throughout a span of four evenings in October and November, these meetings fostered meaningful dialogue which led to the identification of key attributes essential to embodying the spirit of a successful Norton Panther.
Each of these meetings was carefully structured, featuring collaborative activities designed to contribute to the development of our district's unique identity.
We express our sincere gratitude to the Summit County ESC, and especially facilitator Jeff Ferguson, for his indispensable collaboration in shaping "The Panther Way."
Inks Returns to the Board
Welcome to Chris Inks who will be returning to the Norton Board of Education. Chris was sworn in at the March 11th Board Meeting. Chris is completing the remainder Patrick Burch's term. Burch resigned his position in February. Thank you, Patrick, for your service to Norton and our students. Welcome back, Chris!
Panthers Giving Back
Thank you to the Kakarala Foundation for their generous donation to the Norton City School District! Their contribution of $25,000 to the Norton Speech and Debate Team and the Drama Department, in honor of Mr. William Vaill, as well as their additional $25,000 donation towards a scholarship in memory of Ramesh Kakarala, Class of 1985, is truly appreciated.
Your support holds immense significance for us, directly impacting the education and well-being of our students. We are deeply grateful for their kindness and commitment to Norton. Go Panthers!
Primary School
Yearbook Cover Student Designers
The Primary Kindergarten Staff is very excited to share the yearbook cover student designers for the 23-24 school year.
Mrs. Wert encouraged all of the kindergarten students to design covers for this year’s school yearbook.
The designers that were selected by staff vote are Cole Stover, Raegan Koncz, Ellie Slifkin, Lucy Papp, and Braxton Patterson. Congratulations to our Little Panthers! Good job!
Elementary School
Mrs. Campian's third-grade class has been actively honing their writing skills this year, and their efforts have yielded impressive results as showcased in the following two stories.
Where is your favorite place to shop? For Kayla C., it's none other than Five Below. In third grade, students delve into opinion pieces, learning to articulate their viewpoints with supporting arguments. Kayla passionately advocates for Five Below, describing it as a "magical place of cheap wonders!" Impressed by the depth of Kayla's writing, her teacher, Mrs. Campian, forwarded her piece to Five Below's customer relations department. To their delight, the team at Five Below loved it too! As a token of appreciation, Kayla was awarded a $50 gift card, along with additional gifts for the classroom. Moreover, she was invited to record a video reading her opinion, to be shared at their district manager meeting. Kayla's prowess as a writer not only shines through but also exemplifies the spirit of a Norton Panther!
Inspired by their reading and study of the Cherokee people, students in Mrs. Campian's class decided to reach out to The Cherokee Phoenix, a newspaper mentioned in their textbook and based in Oklahoma. Their letters deeply resonated with the editor, who responded with personalized letters addressing each student's questions. Additionally, the editor generously sent stickers and other swag items to the students, extending an invitation for a Zoom meeting to further connect.
Middle School
Speech and Debate Comes to NMS!
Norton Middle School is excited to celebrate our first-ever Speech and Debate team! Our team, consisting of 7th and 8th graders, has been diligently practicing for almost 6 months. NMS’s Speech and Debate team has been participating in Saturday tournaments, competing against over 40 schools statewide.
We're proud to share that our students have shown remarkable growth and confidence throughout the season, with some achieving top rankings in their rounds and making it to the Tournament Finals. It's been awesome watching our students support each other and excel in Speech and Debate. Thank you to Tricia Meyer and Tricia Pletcher for helping our students succeed!
High School
The Future of Journalism
I'm proud to announce a that a group of our students have taken the initiative to begin a school newspaper this year. They work in conjunction with the Barberton Gazette, and once a month an insert is added to their paper called "The Panther Press" with written stories covering sports, fine arts, clubs and all things Norton High School. This is completely student led, and Ava Finke (pictured) has taken on the role of editor and oversees a small army of diligent journalists who work hard to create content each month. Congratulations to the efforts of our students, and make sure you check out the Panther Press in the Barberton Gazette!
Technology Exploration
Changes in technology can be hard to keep up with! We see this in our classrooms and schools. Learning new skills takes time and effort, especially in the world of technology. This year, 58 staff members across the district have chosen to participate in a completely optional program called Tech Tuesday. Every couple of weeks, these staff members tackle a new technology challenge aimed at enhancing instruction or improving efficiency. Stickers representing each challenge are added to charts outside of classrooms and points are awarded for not only completing the challenges, but also for teaching someone else. Pictured here are two of our high school teachers (Shelley Christoff and Julie Snyder-Lee) that are eager participants in the program. Congratulations, and well done to all of the participants for their hard work and dedication!
Students of the Month
Congratulations to the following students for their excellence inside and outside of the classroom as they have been chosen as our March Students of the Month. They truly exemplify what it means to be a Norton Panther. Panther Pride!
- Primary Lucy Conger
- NES Donovan Gross
- Middle School Avery Matheny
- High School Jacob Ford
- HS Compact Daniel Livergood
Open Enrollment
2024-2025 School Year
New Open Enrolled Students
Application Deadline
March 31, 2024
Open Enrollment Acceptance Letters
Grades 1-12
June 15, 2024
Open Enrollment Acceptance Letters
Kindergarten
August 2024
Open Enrollment 2024-2025 Form and Information - Click Here
Transportation is not provided for Open Enrolled Students
Solar Eclipse
April 8, 2024
Solar Eclipse School Closure on April 8, 2024
This historical event in our area will impact our school schedule on April 8, 2024. On this day, a solar eclipse is set to occur, providing a unique experience for our community.
In light of this event, and with the safety of our students in mind, we will to cancel school on April 8, 2024. We believe that witnessing a solar eclipse can be a memorable experience for our students and families, and we want to ensure that they can do so safely.
To facilitate this experience, and as a precaution, we will be providing all students with appropriate eye protection to observe the eclipse. The safety of our students is our top priority, and these safety measures are in accordance with guidelines recommended by experts in astronomy and eye health.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Important Dates
March 29 - April 5 - Spring Break - No School
April 8 - Solar Eclipse - No School
April 9 - School Resumes
May 12 - Mother's Day
May 27 - Memorial Day - No School
May 30 - Student Last Day
May 31 - Teacher Last Day
Norton City Schools
Norton School Information
High School
Grades 9-12
330.825.7300
Middle School
Grades 5-8
330.825.5607
Elementary School
Grades 1-4
330.825.3828
Primary School
Pre-K thru Kindergarten
330.825.5133
Attendance Hotline
330.706.2760