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Palmer Recognized as Arts Educator of the Year: Legacy
Congratulations to Normandy Schools Collaborative's Fine Arts Director Suzanne Palmer, who was named Arts Educator of the Year: Legacy by the Arts and Education Council. The St. Louis Arts Awards honors the incredible artists, organizations, and individuals that keep art happening in our local communities and make our great bi-state region such a vibrant place to live, work and play.
Palmer will be recognized at the St. Louis Arts Awards on January 30, 2023. We're so proud of you and so fortunate to have you as a part of our team!
New Cell Phone Policy Begins at Normandy Schools Collaborative
Normandy is becoming a phone-free space to improve teaching and learning using a system called Yondr. Yondr has been implemented in over 1,000 schools across 21 countries to facilitate an engaged learning environment. The program will begin this week at Normandy High School and Barack Obama School and will be fully implemented for all 4th through 8th graders at Washington, Jefferson, and Lucas Crossing by the end of the semester.
While phones have great utility, we have also found that learning and social behavior improve drastically when students are fully engaged with their teachers and classmates. The Yondr Program utilizes a simple, secure pouch that stores a phone. Every student will secure their cell phone in a personally assigned Yondr pouch when they arrive at school. Students will maintain possession of their cell phones and will not use them until their pouches are opened at the end of the school day. Students are required to bring their Yondr pouch to and from school each day and are responsible for their pouch at all times. Students who do not have their pouch upon entry to the building will be expected to check their cell phones in the main office for the duration of the school day.
Yondr recently surveyed over 900 school partners to measure the effects of creating phone-free educational environments. These schools achieved notable progress in multiple areas:
- 65% of schools saw an improvement in academic performance
- 74% of schools saw an improvement in student behavior
- 83% of schools saw an improvement in student engagement in the classroom
Normandy Community Chorus Informational Meeting- November 2
If you have a joy for singing, the Normandy Community Chorus is for you! An informational meeting will take place for anyone in the Normandy community 18 and older who would like to join the Normandy Community Chorus. This choir will consist of parents, guardians, former students, current and former staff members, and stakeholders.
The meeting will take place in the Normandy High School Band Room on Wednesday, November 2, from 6:30 pm to 8 pm. Light refreshments will be served. If you have any questions, please contact Duane Foster at NHS at 314-493-0600.
Upcoming Listening Session Scheduled
In an effort to hear directly from families, Interim Superintendent Dr. Crystal Reiter is holding listening sessions. These will be very informal, and a light meal will be provided. All sessions will be held at the district's central office at 3855 Lucas and Hunt Road in either the board room or room 207.
- November 3- 8 a.m. in Room 207
- November 16- 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room
- December 8- 8 a.m. in Room 207
We will work to keep these meetings small in an effort to have meaningful conversations and schedule more of these meetings throughout the school year.
Please RSVP to Ms. Lori Thompson if you would like to attend.
Can We Text You? Opt-in For District Text Messages
Emergency school closures? Bus delays? Last-minute schedule changes? It's becoming more common and we can get that information to families & staff quicker via text messaging.
We have to get your permission for you to receive text messages from the district.
Text 'Y' to 68453.
If you have questions, please visit the website or email info@normandysc.org.
*There is no charge to sign up. Your service provider may charge a fee for text messaging depending on your plan.
