THE NAVIGATOR
February Edition, 2020
Newsletter
Important Upcoming Events
District Happenings:
February Break – February 17-21
3/17/20 All-School Chorus (at Deer Hill), 7PM
3/18/20 - All School Band, HS Gymnasium, 7PM
Half Day: Educator Half Professional Development Day – March 19
No School: Educator Full Professional Development Day – March 20
Cohasset High School
Grade 8 Curriculum Night (Parents / Guardians of In-coming 9th Graders) -February 11, 2020 at 6:30PM in Learning Commons
Spring Sports Meeting - March 9, 2020 at 6:30 PM
Class of 2021 College Planning Night - March 10, 2020 at 7:00 PM
Junior District Festival - March 13, 2020 - March 14, 2020
MCAS ELA - March 24 – March 25th
Cohasset Middle School
Grade 8 Curriculum Night (Parents / Guardians of In-coming 9th Graders) 6 - February 11, 2020 at 6:30PM in Learning Commons...Run by CHS
8th Grade Cornhole Tournament - February 14, 2020
Geography Man Presentation - March 11, 2020
End of Term II – March 13, 2020
Grade 6 ELA MCAS - March 30, 2020 - March 31, 2020
Deer Hill Elementary School
PSO Meeting – Feb. 11, 2020, 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Read Your Heart Out Day = February 14, 2020
PSO Meeting – March 10, 2020, 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Trimester Ends - March 12, 2020
Progress Reports Send Home - March 19, 2020
PK-5 Conferences March 25, 2020 -Mar 26, 2020
Grade 5 ELA MCAS - March 30, 2020 - March 31, 2020
Joseph Osgood Elementary School
Mr. Dykas Dance Party - March 9, 2020 - March 13, 2020
School Start and Ending Times Confirmed for 2020 - 2021 School Year
JANUARY RE-CAP
Fantastic Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Project-Based Learning at CMS
Courtesy of Principal Mills and the CMS Spinnaker
All teachers in grade 6 enhanced their instruction over the last few weeks to incorporate the book and its themes creating a coherent learning experience for their students. This approach is called Project-Based Learning (PBL). It has been shown to promote student engagement and learning.
There were many enriching activities students participated in as part of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind unit. See the pictures below. These included:
- Collecting Change to Bring About Change: Students held a change drive and raised over $800 that will be donated to Moving Windmills-a non-profit founded by Kamkwamba to support economic development projects in Malawi.
- A Taste of Malawian Culture: Students enjoyed a feast of Malawian food made by families and teachers.
- Taking a Spin: Students built and tested windmill models using recycled materials.
- Contrasting Story Versions: After reading the book, students watched the film version of the story and then participated in an insightful and substantive group discussion on differences between the film and text.
We were proud of our students and their commitment to their learning. We are also proud and appreciative for the creativity and hard work of our teachers." - Principal Mills
Great job, Sixth Grade Team!
Facetime with William Kamkwamba
Here is the Press Release for the sixth grade Facetime with the author of "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind."
Cohasset Middle School Students Skype with Famous Malawian Author and Innovator
When Cohasset sixth graders set out to raise funds for The Moving Windmills Project in Malawi, Africa, they never imagined that their “Change the World” campaign would result in a conversation for the world-famous writer and innovator who founded the non-for-profit organization. William Kamkwamba, the New York Times bestselling author of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and subject of the 2018 critically acclaimed Netflix movie of the same name, skyped with the students on Monday, February 3rd to thank them for their donation and answer questions about the book and movie.
Sixth grader Amanda Fox asked Kamkwamba, “What was the biggest impact the windmill has made on your life and the life of people in your village?”
Kamkwamba answered, “I was able to build more water pumps around the village for clean water and clean water was desperately needed.”
Cohasset School Superintendent, Patrick Sullivan, who joined the students for the Skype session, remarked, “Thank you to the sixth-grade educators and students for their amazing work with The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Project-Based Learning (PBL) experience. The Skype with Mr. Kamkwamba was a wonderful learning opportunity. The students asked thought- provoking questions, and Mr. Kamkwamba was gracious with his answers. His sentiment to the students to ‘go out and make a difference’ in their communities was motivating and inspirational. Having Mr. Kamkwamba speak to the students was a proud moment for the Cohasset Middle School Community.”
Students were inspired by Kamkwamba’s book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind to raise funds for education in Malawi. The book tells the story of how Kamkwamba, at age 14, was no longer able to attend school due to a severe famine and his family’s inability to pay the school fees. He used his time in a local library to learn how to build a windmill to bring power to his home and village. The materials for his invention came from the local garbage heap. Despite unimaginable obstacles, Kamkwamba never gave up trying to help his family and villagers.
Kamkwamba thanked the Cohasset middle schoolers for their donation and explained, “One of the changes I have seen as a result of the movie and book is that young people are excited about science. When I go back to Malawi, young people ask me questions about science. They just want to learn.”
When asked by Cohasset 6th grader what was the most difficult part of the process, Kamkwamba answered, “…finding the materials I needed and being laughed at while I was building the windmill.”
- Courtesy of Sixth Grade ELA Teacher, Donna Melia
Samantha Skunk Presentation to Osgood Students by CMS Safe Harbor Youth Ambassadors
Green Team presentation on the importance of Recycling at CMS
Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast a big success
"Distractology" comes to Cohasset High School
Courtesy of Principal Scott and the CHS Newsletter
"It seems like every day we hear about teens getting into accidents or even dying due to distracted driving. The Arbella Insurance Foundation along with McSweeney and Ricci Insurance Agency and Cohasset High School are committed to help put an end to this problem.
A mobile simulator experience is designed to show new drivers exactly how dangerous it is to text and drive. Our new drivers received first hand experience through car simulation and were able to react on the road, see hidden hazards, and avoid accidents while safely behind the wheel of a driving simulator.
CHS proudly hosted this program on January 27-31. Juniors The program was free to our students thanks to McSweeney and Ricci, and the students who completed the program received a $15.00 gas card along with a chance to win a $500.00 scholarship."
-Principal Scott
For additional information visit Distractology.com"
Cohasset High School Independent Study Projects
Molly Greer becomes the first Cohasset Girls Basketball player to score 1000 Points!
HERE IS MOLLY'S 1000th POINT SHOT
Wrestler Danny Nolan Wins 139th Match
Congratulations to Steve Rotondi for being named the Cohasset Boys Lacrosse Coach
Happy Birthday Celebration for SRO Taylor
Thanks for wearing Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Day!
Amazing Cohasset Student Art on Display at Cohasset Starbucks...Great job, students!
Screenagers the Next Chapter: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience
Internet Safety for CMS Sixth Grade Students
Jeopardy Competition at Deer Hill to reinforce Skipper Creed Expectations
Asian Culture Club Presents to Deer Hill Students about Chinese New Year
Science and Social Studies Collaboration at CHS
It's Science . . . and Social Studies
Courtesy of Principal Scott and the CHS Newsletter
"Ms. Thompson's Biology classes teamed up with Coach A's World History classes last semester in a PBL-inspired, interdisciplinary symposium on environmental issues. The students were charged with defining their own topics/issues, conducting their own research, interviewing a local expert and after the 2 months of work, they presented their findings to the joint classes.
Students utilized the Learning Commons for several research classes, and the actual presentations were in lieu of a final exam in World History.
Student Presentations were as follows:
Green House Gases and Climate Change
Conservation of Natural Space
Nuclear Energy
Climate Change and its effects on the Fishing Industry
Plastic, Climate Change and its impact on the Environment
Coastal & Oceanic Health
Pharmaceutical Drugs and their Impact
Renewable Energy
Illegal Drugs and Cartels
Carbon Footprints and ways to improve
Space Travel & Technology
Healthy Life Styles"
- Principal Scott
Cohasset Safe Schools Committee
At last month's Safe Schools Committee meeting, members discussed the role of the committee for this year going forward. It was determined that, in line with the sub-committee goals, each team would work to produce one product this year. Here are the planned products:
Social-Emotional Learning and Wellness Subcommittee: Communicating resources that can be used to help students with stress and mental wellness
Building Security and Protective Measures Subcommittee: Creating and potentially finding funding for a “Safety Bag” for each classroom in the event of an emergency
Promoting a Safe and Inclusive Culture Subcommittee: Creating a bridge workshop between the high school (diversity club, AP classes etc) and Deer Hill around a to be determined topic (word choice, empathy, civic discourse, etc)
Safe Schools Bullying Procedure and Safety Policy Review Subcommittee: Reviewing and clarifying the Bullying Incident Reporting Form. The goal is to inform staff of the procedures for reporting such incidents and the process of the investigation.
Communication and Action Planning Subcommittee: Creating and sending out an edition of The Navigator Newsletter to Cohasset families that highlights national trends, school initiatives and resources in each of the subcommittee areas: Bullying Prevention, Social Emotional Learning and Wellness, Inclusive Cultures and Building Safety
The Cohasset Safe Schools Committee plans to meet in April to review progress and to finalize work products in a May meeting.
Thank you to everyone on this committee for their great work!
Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan and Policy
Here is an informational article written by CMS Principal, John Mills
CPS is No Place for Bullying
"The Cohasset Public School District is committed to maintaining a school environment where students are free from bullying and cyber-bullying and the effects thereof."
These are the first word of our district's anti-bullying policy and state clearly our goal. In order to better understand our approach to bullying, a guide to the policy and it is implemented follows below.
A Suspected Instance of Bullying is Reported
A student, parent or faculty who suspects that bullying may have occurred reports the incidence. The report can be made:
- Directly to a school official in person, by phone or in writing such as an email
- The Tips Line allows for individuals to make a report anonymously online.
The Reported Incident is Investigated by School Personnel
- The Bullying Prevention/Incident Reporting Form is utilized to systematically gather information about the incident. In order to make an informed determination about whether an incident constituted "bullying", the following steps are taken:
- The alleged target is interviewed by school personnel
- The alleged aggressor is interviewed by school personnel
- Incident witnesses are interviewed by school personnel
- Student records and school staff are interview to determine whether any prior allegations relevant to bullying or retaliation involving the alleged target as well as the alleged aggressor have occurred.
A Determination of Bullying is Made
Bullying, as defined in M.G.L. c.71, s. 37O, is the repeated use by one or more students students of a written, verbal, or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at a target that:
(i) causes physical or emotional harm to the target or damage to the target’s property;
(ii) places the target in reasonable fear of harm to himself or of damage to his property;
(iii) creates a hostile environment at school for the target;
(iv) infringes on the rights of the target at school; or
(v) materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school.
Based on a thorough investigation, school personnel will make a determination as to whether the reported incident met this standard for bullying. It is important to note that although some incidents may not meet the definition of bullying, they may violate other aspects of the Student Conduct Code.
Critical Final Steps
Whether an incident constitutes bullying as defined legally, school personnel will take the following steps to ensure all students will be able to enjoy a safe and supportive school environment:
- Appropriate disciplinary consequences may be assigned (possibly including: verbal warning; restorative meeting; written warning; reprimand; loss of recess; detention; out of school suspension or expulsion)
- A Safety Plan will be created
- Follow-up with meetings will be conducted with target and aggressor
- Communication with parents/guardians of target and aggressor
- Law Enforcement will be notified if the principal or designee has a reasonable basis to believe that criminal charges may be pursued against the aggressor and then must document reasons for notifying law enforcement
- The Report is forwarded to the Principal and the Superintendent.
Parents are encouraged to review the Bullying Resources page on the district website to review these forms and the School Committee policy about bullying.
We are committed to achieving our district vision which, among other things, includes our efforts to "collaboratively support an academically challenging, safe, respectful, and student-centered learning environment".
Reading Fun at Osgood's Read-A-Thon!
FEBRUARY HAPPENINGS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Cohasset Students to Present Little Women on February 27 & February 28
Kindness Week coming to Cohasset Middle School
Next week, Cohasset Middle School will celebrate their inaugural Kindness Week. The week will include students adding their kind "I"deas to the wall mural, appreciation stations, where students can share notes of kindness, kindness challenges and focused kindness curriculum activities in classrooms. This is a part of our focus on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and focuses on relationship building. We are looking forward to this week of kindness.
METCO UPDATE FROM METCO DIRECTOR MS. ALEISA GITTENS-CARLE
Celebrate Black History Month
Please see information by clicking on the link below to learn about some activities you can partake in to celebrate Black History Month.
Feel free to contact Ms. Aleisa Gittens-Carle or Ms. Atisha Winslow at (781)383-6117 with any additional questions.
From the Director of Finance and Operations...Michael MacMillan
The first draft of the State's Budget indicated a little more money for Cohasset than was expected and the School District leadership team have firmed up the list of priority of items to be funded next year.
The first step in the development of the State's budget for FY21 was taken on January 22nd, when the Governor released his proposed budget. This budget includes the proposed aid (funding) and assessments (charges) for municipalities. The Governor's proposal will be examined by the House Committee on Ways and Means, which will then release its own proposed budget - see here for more information on the state budget process: https://malegislature.gov/Budget/FY2021/.
The Governor's proposal indicated a slight improvement on Cohasset's forecast for FY21. While the forecast state aid was within a dollar of the Governor's proposed budget, the state assessments were around $80,000 less than expected.
Further positive news was that the number of Cohasset students expected to attend the South Shore Vocational Technical High School was revised down reducing that cost to the town by $27,576.
This translated to an increase to the draft school budget of $26,534. The reason it wasn't more was that the Technology department's budget was increased by $67,060 to fund more secure email software. The Technology department supports the Town and School departments and it's budget is appropriated before the Town / School budget split is applied.
On Monday, February 3rd, the School Leadership team met to review the list of budget priorities for the next school year. At this meeting, the following items were presented as essential for next year's budget.
The final budget (and the priorities included) will have to be approved by the School Committee before being submitted to the Town.
What's next?
There will be a detailed budget presentation at the February 26 School Committee meeting (7pm, Cohasset Middle High School, Community Room).
There will then be a Joint meeting of the School Committee, Selectmen and Town Advisory Committee. On March 4th, there will be a public hearing on the budget before the School Committee votes on the final budget to be submitted to the Town.
Any Questions?
Please contact mmacmillan@cohassetk12.org with any questions you might have.
Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Compass: Assistant Superintendent Leslie Scollins, Ed.D.
Elementary Math Pilot Update
Presentations about the Math Pilot were made to the School Committee and the Deer Hill PSO. Math Specialists Chrissy Thonet and Marcia Campbell have been instrumental in supporting staff and families in this process.
Professional Development
Here is a snapshot of what staff do on 1/2 days.
Osgood
Cassy O’Brien facilitating a workshop called Creating your Own Personal Learning Network. Deer Hill will have the same workshop in February.
CHS
CMS
Deer Hill
From the Office of Mary Buchanan, Director of Student Services
Office of Student Service:
Events and Happenings in January and February:
Individualized Education Program (IEP) Progress Reports will available the same day as Report Cards although will not be visible on the Aspen Portal at this time.
Cohasset High School student IEP Progress Reports were mailed home on January 28, 2020. If you have questions about IEP Progress Reports, please reach out to The Office of Student Services at 781-383-6104.
Peer Preschool Process
Preschool Peer Lottery for morning and afternoon sessions was held on February 3, 2020. Parents were notified of status on February 4, 2020. Preschool Parent Orientation will be held on February 28, 2020 at 10:00am for the morning session and 1:00pm for the afternoon session. The location for the Orientation will be Joseph Osgood School, Preschool classroom. Questions about the preschool process can be directed to Mary Buchanan at 781-383-6104 or mbuchanan@cohassetk12.org
Special Education Parent Advisory Council SEPAC
There was a General SEPAC Meeting held on February 5th where updates to the preschool process, coteaching at the middle/high school level and language-based programming were discussed. Additional information regarding Dyslexia screening and evaluations were also discussed. The group also discussed upcoming professional development opportunities for inclusive education.
There was a SEPAC presentation held at the Paul Pratt Library on February 6th for Social Strategies in Social Settings that provided information, tools and resources for parents to help their children navigate social interactions throughout their day in and out of school.
We are excited for Cohasset's 250th Celebration
Positive Words on Whiteboard at Cohasset High School
Have a great weekend.
Please follow me on Twitter for daily updates from the Cohasset Public Schools
Email: psullivan@cohassetk12.org
Website: https://www.cohassetk12.org/
Phone: 781 383 6111
Twitter: @SuperCohasset