Thanks to Normandy Schools Collaborative students, staff, alums, and the community for making Homecoming 2022 a success!

Beautiful weather provided a perfect backdrop for the parade. Thanks to all those who participated. And a special shoutout to the alumni who fed the community! Viking spirit was on full display during the football game vs. Affton High School, as students, staff, and alums cheered on the team to a 42-36 victory.

Go Vikes!

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!

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

To best serve students, we appreciate your full support in adopting the Yondr Program in Normandy Schools Collaborative. Additional information can be found in the document below.

To promote transparency in our district, the Normandy Schools Collaborative has created a vehicle to hear directly from our students, parents, staff, and community. If you have concerns or comments about the school system, we want to hear from you. We value your feedback, positive or negative. Please send us a comment about a recent experience, offer suggestions on how we can improve, or give a shout-out to an employee who deserves recognition for doing a great job. All communications with the district will remain anonymous.

Here is how to connect with us:

Email feedback@normandysc.org to have your comment forwarded to the appropriate personnel for acknowledgment within 24 hours.

Call 314-473-0706 to speak with someone directly. This number will be staffed from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.

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.

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.

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.

Email: info@normandysc.org
Website: www.normandysc.org
Location: 3855 Lucas and Hunt Road, Normandy, MO, USA
Phone: 314-493-0400
Facebook: www.facebook.com/normandyschools
Twitter: @normandysc1