Narragansett School System October 2022 Newsletter

JOIN US! Fall 2022 NHS Open House

Please join us Thursday, October 20, 2022 from 5:30pm-7:30pm for an evening Open House at Narragansett High School, 245 South Pier Road, Narragansett.

Explore our departments, clubs, activities and take an inside look at our accredited Career and Technical Education Programs in Agriculture Science, Information and Computer Technology, Mechanical Trades in Plumbing, and Educator Preparation. 

Students and families will also have the chance to learn more about our evolving Digital Media Production course that is now offered at Narragansett High School this year for 10-12th Graders.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Important Health Reminder

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we continue into the fall, we want to share an important health reminder for your students.

It is imperative to continue screening your child(ren) for symptoms of illness each morning before going to school or attending a school event/athletic program.

Please do not send your child(ren) to school if he/she presents symptoms such as a fever, a severe or consistent cough, or similar symptoms. Illnesses such as Covid-19, the Flu, and seasonal viruses are still active.  

Your attention to this will allow us to provide a healthy and productive school environment for the remainder of the year.  Thank you as always for all you are doing to keep our entire school community safe.

Upcoming Flu Vaccine Clinic

We will be hosting a FREE Narragansett Pier Middle School FLU Clinic.

When: Wednesday, October 19th, 2022

Time: 4:00pm-7:00pm.

Where: NPS Cafeteria.

Please note that you must Pre-Register. You can do so by visiting the registration website by clicking the link or scanning the code in the attached flyer. Be sure to choose the correct location and time in the drop down menu when prompted.

If registering, please remember to inform your child that you're registering them for the FLU Vaccine.

The flu is a serious, highly contagious, and sometimes deadly disease. Catching the flu means missing days of work and school. Don’t take the risk — the flu vaccine is your best protection against the flu.

If you have any questions, call the RIDOH information line at 401-222-5960. You can also learn more at health.ri.gov/flu/.

Curriculum Academy 2022 Was a Success!

During the last week of June, our district had our 5th NSS Curriculum Academy!

Projects included: Bridges Math PD for grades 2-4, ELA and Math units and pacing updates, Grade 6 Robotics pacing and update of units, and Professional Development for Special Education Teachers.

Be sure to visit our Curriculum Webpage to see all of our unit updates from Curriculum Academy and throughout the year!

Attention Community Leaders!

You're invited to an in-person information session with Providence College next week about earning a Master’s Degree in School Leadership and becoming Eligible for Certification as School Principal.

When: Wednesday, October 5th, 2022

Time: 4-5pm

Where: Narragansett High School Library

CLICK BELOW to register. (If you are unable to attend in-person, a zoom link will be provided upon registration.)

We hope to see you there!

RICAS Back to school Tips

On behalf of the Rhode Island Student Assistance Services, we are sharing this flyer with information on Back to School  Tips for a Healthy Start.

REMINDER! Applications Open for Free & Reduced Lunch

Applications are open for free/reduced school breakfast/lunch.  Please note that the federal government will no longer be providing breakfast or lunch to students at no charge. You must submit a new application to receive this benefit moving forward for your student(s).

It is extremely important to apply for free and reduced meals as submitting your application may give your student(s) access to additional benefits throughout the school year.  Applications can be submitted throughout the year if household income changes.

To get started, please follow the links and options below:

APPLY ONLINE

Click the button below and when prompted, enter your zip code and state and choose Narragansett when options come up

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT

Click here for paper copy and return filled out to:

Alyssa Paglia at our Central Office, 25 Fifth St., 3rd Floor

Use MySchoolBucks to Manage Lunch Payments!

Create your free MySchoolBucks account to conveniently view your student’s cafeteria purchases, check their balance, and securely pay for a la carte items or school meals from anywhere.

Get Started Today:

• Go to myschoolbucks.com or download the mobile app
• Create your free account and add your students using their school name/student ID
• View cafeteria purchases and add funds using your credit/debit card or electronic check

REMINDER: Our Food Service Team is Hiring!

Chartwells Food Service at Narragansett Public Schools is currently hiring Part Time Food Service Workers at the Pier Middle and High School.

Please contact antonia.civitello@compass-usa.com for more information on how to apply.

Upcoming School Committee Meeting

Our next scheduled regular business meeting will take place in-person on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 7:00pm.

Those who wish to attend can join the meeting in the Town Hall Chambers at 25 5th Avenue, Narragansett, R.I. on the 2nd floor.

As always, for meeting schedules, agendas, and School Committee related information, you can visit the dedicated webpage by clicking below.

September 29: Preschool Parent Night

October 10: NO SCHOOL (Columbus Day)

October 19: School Committee Meeting | 7pm

October 27: NES Pumpkin Carving PTO Event

October 29: NES Illumination and Trunk or Treat PTO Event

NES Family Cyber Safety Night

You're invited to participate in Family Cyber Safety Night, a free live-stream event for all K-8th grade families.

When: October 25th, 2022 | 6:00pm

CLICK HERE to sign up (Be sure to select the 10/25 session)

You'll team up with your child(ren) to learn important cyber safety concepts, such as how to build strong passwords and guard against phishing scams. Then you'll create your own Family Cyber Safety Plan to protect your family online.

You'll love it, and help inspire your children to be safe online!

October 5: NPS Picture Day

October 10: NO SCHOOL (Columbus Day)

October 12: 8th Grade PSAT | Early dismissal at 1pm for 8th grade only

October 13: Bike to School Day (Rain date 10/14) flyer will be going home

October 19: Community Flu Clinic | 4-7pm

October 19: School Committee Meeting |  7pm

October 20: NHS Open House | 5:30-7:30pm (great for 7th & 8th graders!)

October 28: NPS Chorus performs at P. Bruins | 7pm

National Junior Honor Society Information

All 7th and 8th graders should have received the 2022-2023 National Junior Honor Society, (NJHS), Info Sheet in their email from Mrs. Mezzanotte last week. It is also linked to the button below for easy printing.

Last week, Mrs. Mezzanotte visited classrooms to speak with students about NJHS and answer any questions they may have had. If you have additional questions, you can reach out to her at smezzanotte@nssk12.org 

As a reminder, community service opportunities will continue to be announced to students via email and daily announcements. 

Individual Learning Plans - Xello

Attention 6th-8th Grade Parents/Guardians:

Beginning in 6th grade, students will create an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and then revisit and revise this plan each year through grade 12. 

Students are using web-based program called Xello to create academic, personal and career goals, identify their personality type and learning styles, and explore careers that match their strengths and interests. 

Mrs. Mezzanotte, the school counselor at NPS, assists students with this exploration and visits each grade level twice a year to check in on their progress. In addition, this year, students will have the opportunity to also work on their ILPs during some of the Advisory classes scheduled. 

Parents/Guardians can read more about Xello and ILPs and are highly encouraged to ask their child/children to log into Xello at home and share their goals and explorations.

Note: To access Xello, NPS students must sign into their Google accounts and then click on the Xello icon located in the "waffle" menu.  

September 29: Freshman Information Night | Virtual 7pm

September 30: NHS Lifetouch Picture Day (makeup 11/10)

October 7: NHS Flu Clinic | 8-11am Cafeteria

October 10: NO SCHOOL (Columbus Day)

October 12: SAT/PSAT Testing (9,10,11)

October 19: School Committee Meeting | 7pm

October 20: NHS Open House | 5:30-7:30pm

ECO Club Makes an Impact!

The ECO Club is back in action! On Sunday, September 25th, Our 13 members of the NHS ECO club met up with the Ocean Recovery Community Alliance, (ORCA) at Camp Cronin to take part in a beach cleanup.

They collected 6 bags of trash from the dunes and sea wall!

ECO Club is a community service based group that seeks out opportunities to enhance the ecology and environment in our community. 

Thanks to the ECO club led by Ken Leonard for making our beaches even more beautiful this fall season.

Upcoming IXL Testing

On October 4th and 6th, all students at NHS will be participating in IXL testing during the school day.

IXL is a personalized learning platform new to the NHS this year. It combines curriculum, a Continuous Diagnostic, individual guidance, and real-time analytics to help teachers differentiate instruction for each of their students.

On these testing days, students will be taking an initial diagnostic test that will establish a baseline that their teachers can use to help them become more successful in their math and ELA classes. These tests are meant to be diagnostic and will not impact students' grades. Instead, they will help our faculty further support student learning in ELA and Math.

This testing will take place digitally during the school day and will take between 45 to 60 minutes. 

SAVE THE DATE!

Attention Seniors! Save the date for CCRI's Stem Exploration Day 2022.

When: Friday, November 4th 2022

Time: 8:30am-1pm

Where: CCRI Knight Campus

For more information and registration, check back on the CCRI events page.

Community Classes for Families

Narragansett Prevention is pleased to share two free upcoming classes with Narragansett families.

Media Ready

This free virtual class teaches students in 6th grade and up about marketing strategies, how they are being targeted, and the dangers of alcohol and tobacco. Media Ready meets on Zoom October 4, 5, 6, 11, and 12 from 6:30-8 pm. Participants will receive a certificate of completion and an Amazon gift card at the end of this program. Click here for registration information. Registration closes

on Monday, October 3rd.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Strengthening Families

This free virtual program is for families with at least one child aged 12-17. This interactive virtual class runs for 11 weeks on Wednesdays from 6 - 7:30 p.m. November 2 – January 25 (no classes held the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas.) In the Strengthening Families Program

parents learn to increase desired behaviors in children by using attention and rewards, clear

communication, effective discipline, substance use education, problem solving and limit setting.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Both courses are offered by the South County Regional Coalition’s Project For Success grant under BHDDH.