Narragansett School System Community Newsletter
February 28, 2018
Take Part in SurveyWorks 2018!

The Narragansett School District joins The Rhode Island Department of Education in administering the yearly SurveyWorks Survey . The survey is given voluntarily to all students, parents and teachers during district-specific windows throughout the month. This is an important opportunity for you to provide feedback about our schools here in Narragansett. The survey results are most useful when all parents, students, and staff participate. This year, the focus of the survey is on learning in the schools.

When : Now through Friday March 9th

Access Codes: Your respective school should have already provided you a school-specific access code via email and through postings around school. If you have not received, please click the button below to email a request.

How To Take: Students will be given the opportunity to participate in the survey during school. Please look for more information from your school about exact dates. The parent survey will be made available during the same time frame, after February vacation. Thank you for your continued support!
Narragansett Standing as One

As we reflect on the events of this past month, many students and staff shared their love to all those affected by the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Our high school stood with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School   by wearing their school colors Maroon and White in honor of, and in solidarity with their classmates in Florida. A donation was also made to their memorial fund.

We invite you to read an important letter from our Superintendent about the safety and preparation in our own schools and cannot thank you for being such a strong community that comes together and takes action when needed most.
Meeting Summaries

Each month, our School Committee gathers at Town Hall to discuss the current year, future goals, and initiatives taking place in our school system.

We are sharing this great information through a  School Committee Summary . To view our most recent summaries, please click below.
Preschool Update

Due to an overwhelming response to our 2018/2019 preschool enrollment, all spots are currently filled. As of today, students who apply will be placed on a wait list and will be contacted regarding future availability.

We thank you for your interest and look forward to growing this impactful program within our district.
Narragansett Ranked in Top 500 Best Districts!

The results are in! Narragansett was recently ranked in the top 500 as one of the best school districts in America. Out of 9,577 eligible districts, the National Council for Home Safety and Security ranked our district at #473.

Factors such as student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, and school funding contributed to the ranking. Click on the link below to view all the rankings and to learn more about this nationwide list.
Beach Blanket Bidding Table Decorations

Beach Blanket Bidding is on the horizon and will be held on June 1 st  2018 at The Dunes Club. Various committees are busy working to ensure that this will be a fun and successful evening with our school family and friends!

A highlight of the event is exploring the tables decorated with incredible centerpieces and favors to go along with the theme. If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to become involved, we would love your help as we are asking for volunteers to take a table to decorate. This is a great way for you to showcase your creativity. Join us next month at an informational meeting outlined below:

When : Wednesday, March 14 th  | 7:00 PM 
Where : Narragansett Elementary School Library 

At this meeting, we will announce the theme as well as what goes into decorating a table. Please join us to learn about this important piece and to experience how much fun it is! Our website, linked through the button below, will continue to be updated with event information as it becomes available. For questions or more information, contact Amy Donadio at amydonadio@verizon.net .
Narragansett Educator Highlight
Each month, we are happy to share a little more about one of our teachers here at our schools. We hope this will help better connect you with the wonderful individuals who work hard to give our students the best experience each year, while learning fun facts about them.
Gabriela Mcnamara- Spanish Teacher, NHS

How long have you been a teacher within the Narragansett School System and what do you teach?
I have been teaching at NHS for 20 years and I teach Spanish. I am also the World Languages Department Chairperson. I was the second teacher in New England to obtain my National Board Certification in Spanish.

Where are you originally from?
I'm originally from Argentina. I studied at the University of California in Santa Barbara and moved to Rhode Island 20 years ago with my family. Both my children, Shane (NHS class of 2011) and Tess (NHS class of 2011) attended Narragansett schools. Shane is an Environmental Scientist and lives in Rhode Island and Tess is an English teacher in Boston.

What is your favorite part about teaching at your school?
I have been a teacher for 31 years and I consider myself so lucky to be doing what I love most every day. If I could do it all over again, I would be in exactly the same place. I love teaching at NHS. The administration, faculty, and student body truly care for each other (and this is not just a cliche.) Being from a different country, working at NHS has given me a sense of belonging.

Do you have any hobbies outside of the school day that you like to enjoy?
My true passion is traveling and I have been fortunate enough to indulge myself. I have traveled alone, with family, friends, students, and colleagues all over the world and have embraced each of these opportunities. Traveling develops a person's character, gets you out of your comfort zone, makes you open minded, and helps you understand other cultures. The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page!

What is one thing that your students and staff may not know about you!
I was a marathon runner and have completed five all together. I still run but only for enjoyment.
Narragansett Elementary School
Pennies for Patients 2018

Narragansett Elementary School is proud to once again take part in the Pennies for Patients Fundraiser in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This campaign works with thousands of nationwide schools to raise funds for blood cancer research.

Last year, we donated $2,018.00 and hope to surpass that goal with your help!

When : March 5th- March 23rd
How to Donate: Students can bring donations of any denomination to their homeroom classroom. Change, dollar bills, and checks are all accepted! You can also click on the link below to make a secure, online donation.

More information to come next month including rewards for top fundraising schools so stay tuned on social media and in school!
NES Art News

The 2018 NES Art Show is planned for this spring. This year's art show theme is Printmaking . G rades K-4 will be using a unique method of printing.  Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing. Common materials for printmaking may include a brayer, ink, printing  paper, and a matrix which varies depending on the method of printing.

When : Thurs., May 17th | 5-7:00 pm 
Location : NES Cafeteria

We hope to see you there!
Reading Week Start in 2 Weeks

Celebrate Reading Week 2018 with the Narragansett Elementary School!

When : Begins Monday, March 5th 2018
Theme : Persistence

This year's theme coordinates with the growth mindset work our school system has taken part in as staff members were given the book Mindset as summer reading in 2017. Aligning with this collective way of learning, each NES classroom will be getting their own book surrounding this theme. NES teachers will be distributing the book, Jabari Jumps , to their classes in preparation for reading week.

We are also looking for 'Guest Readers' to come in and choose a book to read to students that reflects this theme. If interested, click below to fill out the form and return to your child's teacher.
Farm to School Tasting Event!

This year, NES has volunteered to become local food ambassadors through the RI Healthy Schools Coalition and Farm Fresh RI.

The Local Food Ambassador’s goal is to work with volunteers (parents, schools staff & community members) to host a cafeteria taste-test to encourage students to try local produce. Studies show that more frequent exposure to vegetables and unfamiliar foods encourages children to eat healthier. We will be hosting our first Taste Testing event during school hours for students as well as parents who want to learn more about this program and how to get involved.

When : Tomorrow March 1st | 10:45am (set-up and training for volunteers) – 11:30am- 1:15pm (taste testing event.)
Where: NES Cafeteria

We hope students can join us to learn more about the local foods that are delicious and healthy!
Narragansett Pier Middle School
Robotics Championship Results

On Saturday, January 13th, The Rhode Island State Robotics Championships took place at Roger Williams University. Four of the five Narragansett Pier School Robotics Teams qualified to compete at this event.

In the morning of the competition, each team presented a research project and invention to solve a problem within the theme of Hydrodynamics. They participated in team challenges to showcase their gracious professionalism and " coopertition" skills, a term coined by FIRST, and showcased their robot designs in front of three different sets of judges. That afternoon, at the opening ceremonies, two of our Narragansett teams were called back for a second round of judging: Team #35252 "Straight Outta Pipes" (Sydney VanSlyke, Liam Manchester, Pieter Mushen, Harrison Quilliam, Anthony Landi, Curtis Soloff and Tomas Catanzaro, ) and team #2324 "Gansett Flow" (Ruby Costa, Adam Simone, Julianne Harris, Ava Donadio, Maya DeAngelis, Aidan Durkin, Sal Annino, Maddie Tally, Dharma Parks, and Aidan Flynn.)

The public portion of the competition consisted of 3 rounds of robot heats where each team tried to score as many points as possible on this year's game board. All robots are programmed ahead of time and function autonomously in these heats. Gansett Flow received the Presentation Award at the afternoon's closing ceremony. A prize well deserved for the hard work and dedication of each one of these teammates! 
NPS Sports Season Update

We have some wonderful updates on the success of our teams as a result of hard work and teamwork!

Wrestling : The Wrestling team took some hard knocks as the team of 15 girls and boys settled down to 9 die hard athletes that brought home a second-place medal for 7th grader Collin Morgan and 8th place for Raymond McConnell. LC Cruthrid, Collin Morgan, and Bryce Shabo represented the school at the Varsity Wrestling tournament.

Boys Basketball: The Boys finished 3rd in the Division and easily handled the first round before running into Divisional Champion Curtis Corner for the 3rd time this season.

Girls Basketball: Team finished 4th in the tough Southern Division and lost in the first round by 4 points.

NPS Cheerleaders : After a winter of practice and basketball games, the NPS Cheerleaders helped energize our teams and spectators and are winding down as we enter spring.

Spring Sports Sign Ups
Sign ups are open on FamilyID.com. All Baseball, Softball, Track and Field, and Unified Basketball student athletes must be signed up and have paperwork completed before trying out or practicing for these teams. Parents will get an email confirmation when they complete the registration. A current physical must be on file with the school nurse as well.

Baseball and Softball tryouts start March 5, 2018.
Narragansett High School 
Division II Champions!

Congratulations to our Mariners boys basketball team on becoming Division II Champions at the finals held on Sunday February 25th!
Our boys basketball team has done an amazing job of showcasing Narragansett High School on the court and in the classroom. Winning the Division II State Championship is a great accomplishment and being ranked 3rd in the State Open Tournament is the highest we have ever finished. We are very proud of our players and coaches!
Banner Contest

The Town of Narragansett and Narragansett High School are hosting a contest asking students in grades 9-12 to help design the newest banners for our town. Two designs will be chosen to adorn the streets of Narragansett in Spring of 2019.

Starts: TOMORROW, March 1st
Deadline: Friday, June 1st

The Narragansett Banner Program began in 2010 as a way to welcome visitors into our beautiful town and to help advertise for local businesses. This year, we want to continue honoring our town’s beauty by creating brand new banner designs with the help of our High School students, who are true representatives of our rich history and future. Good Luck!
National School Nurse Healthcare Winter Meeting

Each winter, the Board of Directors for the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) meet in Washington D. C. to speak to legislators about issues affecting the health and safety of our students. O ne school nurse from each state, plus an international Board Member attend.

NHS School Nurse Marianne Manzi, who currently serves on the Board representing our state, attended the meeting which took place January 27th through the 30th followed by a visit to Capital Hill at the end of the trip.

The Board meets twice per year, once in January and once during the summer. At those meetings decisions are made that affect the practice of school nursing and the health and safety of its students nationally. NASN is a national organization with approximately 17,000 members.

Marianne works hard to keep our students healthy, especially this flu season. Flu clinics have been organized and information has been shared from the CDC and RI Department of Health with tips to fight off sickness. Thanks to Marianne for representing our district and for bringing back some great information to enhance the health of our students!
Adham Selected into Hall of Fame

Narragansett High School is excited to announce that retired Athletic Director Rich Adham has been selected to the Class of 2018 RIIAAA Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremony will take place at a banquet on Monday, April 2, 2018 at 7:00pm the Crowne Plaza in Warwick R.I.

Rich also served as a teacher at the high school in addition to Athletic Director. Congratulations on this well deserved honor!
Sr. Project Judges Still Needed!

We're still looking for judges for Senior Project presentations. It's the best way to become familiar with the Senior Project and experience it firsthand.

When: Friday, June 1, 2018 from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm.
All new judges are required to participate in a training session, which will be held in the evening on Tuesday, May 29, 2018.

Note: Those who have already served as judges will be invited to participate again. Please look for an invitation in the spring. If your e-mail has changed, please notify John O’Brien. Training will not be required for returning judges, however, any returning judge who would like a “refresher” will be welcome to attend the session.

How to Sign Up: Please contact John O’Brien by
clicking below or calling 792-9400 x4025. If using email, use “Senior Project Judge” in the subject line.
 Narragansett Elementary School
55 Mumford Rd, Narragansett, RI 02882
(401) 792-9420

Narragansett Pier Middle School
235 S Pier Rd, Narragansett, RI 02882
(401) 792-9430
Narragansett High School
245 S Pier Rd, Narragansett, RI 02882
(401) 792-9400
Stay Connected!