“Turtle Talk” for the Week of November 8th

Posted Date: 11/08/26 (01:36 PM)

JCS "Turtle Talk"

Week of November 8th

Hi JCS families,

The month of November can be tricky for students, families, and staff due to the multiple days off and changes to the normal weekly schedule. We know that a predictable schedule and routine help students be successful. There are a lot of calendar "zig zags" that occur in November which make things less predictable for everyone and can be challenging for students. At school, we try to make sure that students are aware of any schedule changes ahead of time (whenever possible) to ease any anxiety.

Families can 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 and in the ParentSquare app.

Red, White, and Blue Spirit Day on Tuesday, November 10th

We invite our students and staff to wear red, white, and blue on Tuesday, 11/10 to show our support for our veterans.

NO SCHOOL, Wednesday November 11th, Veterans Day

There is no school on Wednesday, November 11th to commemorate Veterans Day.

Parents/Family Members Who Are Veterans

Wednesday, November 11th is Veterans Day and we are looking to celebrate together as a school community. We are planning to have a short ceremony on Tuesday morning, November 10th at 9:30 AM shortly after K-3 student arrival. If the weather is clear, we will gather outside the front of the school near our flag pole to say the pledge of allegiance together and engage in a moment of silence. If it is raining, we will gather together in the cafeteria.

We would like to invite any JCS parents who are veterans to join us on Tuesday morning, November 10th for this quick school celebration so that we can acknowledge and honor you as part of our ceremony. My own father was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War who received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star and I understand how important it is for all of us to thank and honor our veterans all throughout the year, especially on Veterans Day.

If you as a parent or grandparent would be interested in joining us, please let Mr. Barrette know by sending me a quick email at pbarrette@norton.k12.ma.us. We would love to have JCS veterans join us on this special morning.

Picture Retakes on Friday, 11/13

We want to share some important information to help you decide if you would like to have your child's picture retaken this Friday. Here's the information:

Not all students have their pictures retaken. Retakes are ONLY for students who missed the first picture day in September or for students whose families are not satisfied with the original pictures taken back in September.
If your child missed having their picture taken back in September, we will need to send home a packet for you to complete in order to have your child's picture taken on 11/13. Please reach out to your child's classroom teacher to let us know you need a picture packet to complete.
If you are not satisfied with your child's pictures from September and you would like their picture retaken, just send your child into school on Friday, 11/13 with the old picture package and they can have their picture retaken. You DO NOT need to complete the paper packet. If you ordered digital pictures, you don't need to send your child in with their old picture package (because there isn't any).

Typically, there are very few students who have their pictures retaken, so most families will not need to plan for anything special on Friday, 11/13.

Thursday Ice Cream Schedule

We know that the Thursday ice cream service during lunches is popular for many of our students. Here is the schedule for November:

There WILL be ice cream service on 11/12, and 11/19

Child Find Notice: Little Lancers Preschool

What is Child Find?

Child Find is a legal requirement for school districts to actively identify, locate, and evaluate children of preschool age who may need special education services.

Who is Eligible?

Residents of Norton aged 3 to 5 years.

Are You Concerned About Your Child's Development?

Do you have concerns in the areas of language, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and/or overall development?

Free Developmental Screenings Available

Norton Public Schools offers free screenings for children who may be suspected of having a disability at JCS's Little Lancers Preschool.

Contact Us

For additional information, please contact Cailyn Pawlowski, Little Lancers Preschool Coordinator:

Email: cpawlowski@norton.k12.ma.us

Phone: 508-285-0120

Website: https://jcs.norton.k12.ma.us/littlelancers

Community Peers for 2027-2028 Little Lancers

Believe it or not, Little Lancers is beginning to plan for next school year. If you are interested in signing your child up for next year's Little Lancers program, please fill out our interest survey so we can best fit the needs of all families. We would appreciate your feedback.

Preschool Programming Interest Survey

“Personal Best Charity” Thanksgiving Stuffing Drive

Norton schools, in conjunction with Personal Best Charity, will be running a stuffing drive for the Thanksgiving holiday. We need your support to provide Thanksgiving Dinner to local families.

ALL SCHOOLS ARE BEING ASKED TO COLLECT BOXES OF STUFFING MIX.

We have a box in the JCS main hallway for families to donate boxes of stuffing, any brand! Pick-up date is Nov. 12th

Wheaton Observatory

The Wheaton Observatory is open on Fridays nights when there is clear weather from 5:00-7:00pm.

Things you might see (changes every week):

Ring Nebula, Dumbbell Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, Triangulum galaxy, Globular cluster in Hercules

See the flyer below for details

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.

Veterans Day Ceremony, Tuesday 11/10

Red, White & Blue Spirit Day, Tuesday 11/10

NO SCHOOL, Veterans Day, Wednesday 11/11

School Picture Retakes, Friday 11/13

EARLY RELEASE DAY, Wednesday 11/25

NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Break, Thursday 11/26 & Friday 11/27

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