“Turtle Talk” for the Week of January 18th

Posted Date: 01/18/26 (09:00 AM)

JCS "Turtle Talk"

Week of January 18th

Hi JCS families,

As we enjoy this long weekend and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it’s important to consider what lessons we can take from Dr. King’s life and teach our JCS students. One of our four school values is “Be Kind” and I think that is one of the most important lessons of Dr. King to focus on in our school community. No matter how we are different and how much we may disagree, we can always be kind to each other. I hope that you and your family enjoy this Martin Luther King holiday.

NO SCHOOL, Monday, 1/19 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

There is no school on Monday, 1/19 to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Enrollment in the Little Lancers Preschool Program for the 2025-26 School Year

The enrollment process has started for the Little Lancers Preschool program for the 2026-2027 school year! Program options available include:

HALF day AM and PM programs for 3-year old and 4-year old students
FULL day program option for 4-year old students

Interest Applications for Community Peer students are now available online and in-person at the J.C. Solmonese Elementary School. The Little Lancers Preschool program is located at Joseph C. Solmonese School at 315 West Main Street in Norton, MA. Community Peer students must reside in Norton, MA, need to be age 3 or 4 by August 31, 2021, and must be toilet trained.

Please call Maria Blackburn, Early Childhood Coordinator for information at: (508) 285-0120 or email at mblackburn@norton.k12.ma.us.

Check our website for further information and to download the application packet, https://jcs.norton.k12.ma.us/littlelancers

Thursday Ice Cream Schedule for January

We know that the Thursday ice cream service during lunches is popular for many of our students. In partnership with our food service provider, Chartwells, here is the schedule for January:

There WILL be ice cream service on 1/29

There will NOT be ice cream service on 1/22

Winter 2026 STEAM Workshops and Classes at RICM

We’re excited to offer a new series of workshops and classes at The Rhode Island Computer Museums’ new Learning Lab at 1051 Ten Rod Road, North Kingstown, RI 02852! Our 90 minute STEAM workshops will run during MLK and February vacation weekends for students ages 8-13. Our Six week STEAM and Photography classes begin at the end of January.

Workshop Dates: January 17th-19th, February 14th-15th, 21st-22nd

Class Dates: Starting the week of January 31

Schedule: Complete workshop and class details and registration information are available via the link below.

Spots are limited and expected to fill quickly.

Discover Champions App for Parents - Important Info/Dates

Please find below important information for families who have their child attending the Champions before and after school program:

We’re excited to launch our new platform Discover Champions starting this November. While the rollout won’t require any changes on your end, we wanted to give you a look at what’s ahead and how it benefits our shared work. One platform handles everything families need, and more confidence that everything is working smoothly.

Why This Matters:

For Families: Parents will get easy, one-stop access from any device, be able to enroll, pay, manage care, and stay connected.
For Everyone: This change eliminates a lot of manual work and common frustrations, freeing up more time for what really matters - supporting kids.
For the Future: Discover Champions gives us a secure, scalable platform that will grow with our needs and keep family data protected.

Champions is managing this transition from start to finish. Families will always be kept in the loop, and we’ll share any parent-facing communications with you ahead of time. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or feedback. Thank you for your continued collaboration and for playing such an important role in this next phase.

Warmly,

Rachel

Upcoming Dates and Events

View and subscribe to the JCS Public Events Calendar at https://bit.ly/jcspubliceventscalendar. Click on the "Add to Google Calendar" button in the lower right corner to subscribe to the calendar using your own calendar app. Events from the JCS Public Events Calendar also appear on the JCS website.

NO SCHOOL, Monday 1/19, Dr. Martin Luther King Day

Early Release Day, Wednesday 1/28

JCS Website