Norwalk Public Schools News & Information
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Students To Serenade Audience With Strings At Annual Festival
Students of all ages from across the district will entertain friends, family and community members at the 47th All City Strings Festival, which will be held on November 8 at 7:30 pm at City Hall. Audience members will enjoy the sounds of
pieces by Soon See Newbold, Elliot Del Borgo, Stravinsky, and selections from Leonard Bernstein's Candide and West Side Story.
The All-City Strings Festival motivates student musicians to continue working on their instrument, while providing the opportunity for them to display their hard work. The festival also provides elementary students a chance to meet the middle school directors, and the middles school students a chance to meet the high school directors.
With highly accomplished string orchestra programs, award-winning bands and jazz ensembles, musical theatre performances, and distinctive choir events, NPS has many musical opportunities for students. The NPS strings program offers lessons in grades 3-12, a string orchestra, chamber ensembles, and full symphonic orchestra opportunities.
Last year, an extensive new music curriculum was approved by the Board of Education, providing a cohesive vision for music learning across the district. Music is offered to all students in grades k-7 and is an elective for grades 8-12.
A big thank you to all of the district music directors and educators who contribute their time to auditions, rehearsals and performances!
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MAP Test Results
Students have completed NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) fall testing. An email will be sent out to parents in the next few days, which will include an individual MAP
Student Progress Report.
This report will provide you with information on your child’s academic achievement.
Attached is a reference guide
that defines the terms used in the report. If you have any questions, or do not receive test scores electronically by the end of next week, please contact your child’s school directly. Please make sure your primary email address is up-to-date to ensure that you will receive your child’s test results.
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Celebrate Fitness At The Annual Norwalk River Fun Run!
Love to run as a family? Looking for a fun weekend activity? The NPS Physical Education Department and the Maritime Aquarium are joining together to organize the 28
th
annual Norwalk River Fun Run on Saturday, December 1 at 10am. The 1.2-mile run begins at Seaview Avenue in Veterans Park and finishes at the Maritime Aquarium. Those who register by November 26 will receive a T-shirt and certificate for free popcorn at the Maritime Aquarium, which is good until December 31. All students grades K-12 may participate. Parents may jog with young runners if they wish. For cost details and information on how to register
click here
.
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Ed Tech Prepares Students To Become Digital Citizens
According to PEW research, over 17 million workers are employed in STEM occupations and that number is growing! With a district of nearly 12,000 students, NPS is continuously working to integrate technology into every grade level to help learners effectively participate, communicate and collaborate in a constantly evolving digital world.
In line with the
Strategic Operating Plan
,
the NPS Technology Department works to support educators, students and parents on this digital learning journey. Digital learning is any type of learning that is accompanied by technology or by instructional practice that makes effective use of technology. It encompasses the application of a wide spectrum of practices including blended and virtual learning.
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New Reading & Writing Extensions Available To Students
To help make technology accessible to all students, the district has invested in two new Chrome Extensions called Co:Writer and Snap&Read.
Co:Writer provides writing assistance to students, allowing word prediction and conversion of speech to text. Snap&Read allows for text to be turned into speech. It helps students cite sources, and allows for annotation and access to online outline templates for writing. Snap&Read also adjusts complex text to be more readable and translates text into over 100 languages
All Norwalk students and teachers have access to these programs at school, home, or anywhere. Students can use them on any ChromeBook or even a laptop (if using Chrome browser) or iPad. These extensions have been pushed out to all district devices.
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Click on the extension (Co:writer looks like a thought bubble, while Snap&Read looks like a camera lens)
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Press, "Sign in with Google"
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Click on your name (or a student's name), to enable the extension
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You will be prompted to a "see how it works" screen to learn more
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Tina Henckel Joins Norwalk Public Schools As Director Of STEM Education
Tina Henckel has been selected as director of STEM education for Norwalk Public Schools. In her new role, Ms. Henckel will work with the NPS chief academic officer to facilitate the development and implementation of K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math curriculum and overall K-12 STEM education initiatives.
Ms. Henckel joins NPS from Shelton Public Schools where she was assistant director of STEM and data management. Prior to this position, she was a supervisor of math and technology, and also served as interim principal in Shelton.
Her previous professional experience includes teaching high school math at Newtown and Ridgefield high schools. To read the full press release
click here
.
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Norwalk Education Foundation Taste For Education Tickets On Sale
The 11th annual Taste for Education fundraiser will be held on Thursday, November 1 from 6-8pm at Aitoro on Westport Avenue. This adult evening out is the perfect way to support NPS, mingle with friends and sample food from local restaurants, along with wine and beer tastings. The evening will also feature a Silent Auction. One winner will get the opportunity to have lunch with NPS Superintendent Dr. Adamowski!
Proceeds from Taste will fund ongoing teacher mini grants, college and career readiness, classroom innovation and the Third Annual Excellence in Education Dinner. To order tickets click
here
.
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Dalio Foundation Coat Donation Helps Students Warm Up
Norwalk Public Schools
thanks Barbara Dalio and the Dalio Foundation for generously donating 700 coats to high school and middle school students this year. Since 2015, the Dalio Foundation has worked with NPS to provide students in need with warm coats of varying styles and sizes that transition students from fall to winter to spring. Principals, guidance counselors and social workers will oversee distribution at each school.
A heartfelt thank you to those who helped plan, unload and organize the coats:
Yeimy Ballesteros, Jean Starkman, Catherine Orgovan, Jordan Rifaey, George Harris, George Sevc, Jimmy Mace, Sharod Blackwell, Joe Madaffari, BMHS Navy JROTC Cadets
BMHS Navy JROTC Teachers: Chief Dave Pascoe, USN Retired & LtCol Bob Killackey, USMC Retired
The Dalio Foundation works to strengthen public education and is passionate about engaging with educators, community leaders, and young people to build meaningful relationships and design solutions to achieve greater equity across Connecticut. We thank them for their ongoing support of Norwalk Public Schools, teachers and students!
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Silvermine Students Walk Toward Success
The Silvermine Dual Language Magnet School annual walkathon took place on Tuesday, October 16. The successful event raised almost $44,000, surpassing last year’s amount of $30,000. Silvermine students have been selling lemonade and baked goods, holding yard sales, making crafts, and even selling their own toys to support their beloved school! The fundraiser supports several initiatives in the past, including providing high-efficiency fans for classrooms, field trip for all grade levels, and additional Chromebook carts, bringing Silvermine closer to becoming a 1:1 school. Thanks to all of the students, staff and families for their hard work, creativity, and dedication to support this important event.
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The Norwalk Public Library Wants To Hear From You!
The Norwalk Public Library has launched a 12-question online and print survey that invites all Norwalk residents and library users to express their opinions about the future development of library programs, services and physical spaces. The survey, available in English and Spanish, takes no more than five minutes to complete. The survey is available online at the library’s website at
www.norwalkpl.org
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A drawing for an iPad Mini will be held for all survey participants.
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National ADHD Awareness Month
The Norwalk Board of Education recognized October as National ADHD Awareness Month during the October 16 meeting to bring awareness to the issues surrounding Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. The theme of this year’s ADHD Awareness Month is “Setting The Record Straight.” Armed with information about ADHD and research-supported practices, life can be better for those living with or affected by ADHD. To read the full proclamation
click here
.
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Sunday, November 4
, Daylight Savings Time Ends
Tuesday, November 6
, Election Day, All Schools Closed for Students. Professional Development for Faculty
Thursday, November 8
, Finance Committee Meeting, 6-7pm, Room 333
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Norwalk Public Schools
125 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06852
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This newsletter is compiled & published by the NPS Communications Department.
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