Norwood Public Schools Hosts Successful Summer Programs for Over 300 Elementary, Middle School Students

NORWOOD — Superintendent David Thomson is pleased to announce that the Norwood Public Schools wrapped up its summer academic programming.

The programs were offered at low or no cost to Norwood families from July 10 to Aug. 3 at Coakley Middle School.

This year’s summer programs included Summer Matters, Multilingual Summer Academy, Coakley Connects, and Unified Extended School Year. Programs were held Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and offered hands-on, academic learning, including STEM-based options, along with special visits from outside vendors including Animal Adventures in Bolton, and the Children’s Museum In Easton.

Summer Matters and Multilingual Summer Academy served students entering grades one through five and Coakley Connects served students entering grades six through eight.

Unified Extended School Year ran from July 5 to August 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

Coakley Middle School Principal Margo Fraczek, Special Education Teacher Eileen Siegel, Director of English Language Education Lisa Bourgeois, Elementary Literacy Coordinator Stefanie West, and more than 40 additional faculty and staff members supported the programs.

This year nine Norwood High School students, both rising and graduating seniors, planning to study education, participated in the summer enrichment programs.

A total of 379 students participated in Norwood Public Schools’ summer academic programming this year.

“I would like to thank all of our staff members, interns, and volunteers who helped ensure the success of this year’s summer enrichment programs,” said Superintendent Thomson. “These programs have proven to be crucial to students’ successful transition into the next school year.”

Summer Matters 

The Summer Matters Program focused on literacy and mathematics intervention for students.

Through the program, students worked in groups, led by familiar teachers, to review previous grade-level content and focus on individual learning gaps. The program was designed for students who benefit from a continuation of learning opportunities to ensure a successful transition to the next grade.

Students engaged in the same curriculum they use during the school year, reviewing phonics using Fundations and comprehension using myView resources. Older students participated in novel studies, while younger students read decodable text sets around themes like civil rights and animals across the world.

Summer Matters served a total of 146 students this year.

Multilingual Summer Academy

The Multilingual Summer Academy provided specialized English language instruction, led by ESL professionals, to students whose first language is not English.

All students participated in project-based learning opportunities with a curriculum that was centered around animals and focused on the animal’s physical attributes, habitats and diets. The students were exposed to animals from all over the world including but not limited to the Arctic, ocean, desert and rainforest.

Participants worked alongside Summer Matters participants during enrichment, lunch and recess to increase their social language skills in English.

As a culminating activity, the students from the Multilingual Summer Academy hosted a ML Summer Academy Student Showcase, where they invited families and school faculty in to present the research they had conducted throughout the 16-day program.

The Multilingual Summer Academy served 61 students this year.

Unified Extended School Year

Unified Extended School Year is an IEP-driven program.

At the conclusion of the school year, a student’s IEP Team determines whether the student would benefit from an extended school year due to the risk of substantial regressions during the summer break. 

The program provides both academic and recreational opportunities to students with disabilities who qualify through the IEP process and attend the Norwood Public Schools. In collaboration with the Recreation Department, Unified Extended School Year students had the opportunity to swim and use the sprinkler park four days a week.

The previous HEROES and Challenger programs have been combined this year to create one Unified program.

The program is run by Director of Student Services Lori Cimeno, Director of Unified ESY Caitlin Nottebart and Assistant Director of Unified ESY Sarah Cabral,
Unified employs 45 staff including teachers, related services providers, nurses and paraprofessionals.

Unified Extended School Year served a total of 92 students this year. 

Coakley Connects

The Coakley Connects Program provided incoming sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students with the opportunity to explore multiple subjects.

During the 16-day program, students engaged in science activities, art, physical activities, math, technology, social studies, and reading. Students worked with teachers in both large and small groups.

Throughout the program, there were opportunities for expressing different points of view during drama enrichment as well as creative opportunities such as using Origami to make shapes, animals, and flowers. In addition to playing volleyball, soccer, basketball, and mat ball, students caught frogs and built a terrarium.

Students also went on poetry walks and used their five senses to create poems and played Battleship to review coordinate planes.

All Connect teachers are experienced and certified teachers from across the Norwood Public Schools, allowing students to gain familiarity and comfort with the staff and layout of the middle school building before starting at Coakley Middle School in the fall.

Coakley Connects served a total of 80 students this year. 

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