Hi JCS families,

It was really nice to be back at school for a full week. We will be setting our clocks forward 1-hour THIS weekend to get us ready for the beginning of Spring later in the month.

We saw some significant melting of snow this past week and we're expecting even more melting with this week’s warmer weather. Our plan is to have indoor recess on Monday and check out the blacktop and playground to see if the amount of available space and access has improved. If the available space and access has improved, we will give outdoor recess a try on Tuesday. We know how important it is for our students to be able to get outside for recess each day whenever the weather cooperates, so we want to get back to that as soon as possible.

Nurse Erin in the JCS Health Office is looking for donations of clothing to support students in need. Right now Nurse Erin is looking for donations of all sizes of boys and girls sweatpants and leggings and new underwear. We appreciate any donations you could send in with your child or bring to JCS!

From our P.E. teacher, Mrs. Nunes; The Kids Heart Challenge is coming to our school! Join today to make a difference in the fight against heart disease and stroke. Register online and complete Finn’s Mission to learn Hands-Only CPR.

By joining Kids Heart Challenge or American Heart Challenge, students will learn how to keep their heart, body and brain healthy — while helping kids with special hearts live longer, healthier lives. It’s a fun and meaningful way to teach lifelong habits of health and helping others.

From Dr. O’Neill:

Since opening in 1998, the Norton Middle School roof has experienced ongoing leaks and deterioration. While repairs have been made over the years, the roof has now reached the end of its useful life and continued patching is no longer a sustainable solution. Addressing this issue is important to protecting the building and ensuring a safe, dry learning environment for our students and staff.

  

The good news is that Norton has the opportunity to partner with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), which would reimburse 55.63% of the project cost—a significant level of state support to help address this long-standing facility need.

  

Recently, the Norton Select Board voted to place this project on the April 11 election ballot. Moving forward will require two community approvals: one at the ballot box on April 11 and another at Spring Town Meeting on May 18 to approve a debt exclusion.

  

To help families and community members learn more, I will be hosting a virtual community forum on Wednesday, March 11 from 6:00–7:00 PM to share additional information about the project, explain why this work is needed, and answer questions. I hope you’ll consider joining the conversation and learning more about this important investment in our schools.

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 March:

There WILL be ice cream service on Thursday 3/19

There will NOT be ice cream service Thursday 3/12 and Thursday 3/26

The Boston Symphony Orchestra is hosting a Sensory-Friendly Concert on Saturday, March 14 at 10:00 AM at Symphony Hall. The BSO cordially invites all JCS students and their families to attend.

Sensory-friendly concerts are designed for people of any age with an autism spectrum disorder or

sensory sensitivity and their families.

Modifications for these concerts include relaxed house rules, reduced volume and lighting levels, extra space for movement, available noise-reduction headphones, designated quiet room and support spaces, and credentialed autism therapist volunteers on site.

Please find concert details, educational materials, and the ticket reservation link at:

Join the Norton Unified Sports Booster Club for a night with the Providence Bruins during their Star Wars Night on Saturday, April 11th at 7:05PM! All kids, family members, and friends receive this exclusive discounted offer. You will receive great seats together to watch the game as a group and all kids will receive a free P-Bruins hat! This is a terrific opportunity for all families!

Purchase tickets online at: https://www.providencebruins.com/groups/nusbc

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.

EARLY RELEASE, Wednesday March 18th

Rock Your Socks Day, Friday March 20th

Book Fair, Tuesday March 24th and Wednesday March 25th

Parent-Teacher Conferences, Wednesday March 25th and Thursday March 26th

EARLY RELEASE, Thursday March 26th