Responding to requests from local parents, the School Committee voted last night to change kindergarten scheduling so that pupils attend morning sessions for five months before switching to afternoon sessions at mid-year.
Since the inception of kindergarten in 1948, pupils had alternated each month between morning and afternoon sessions. Assistant Superintendent Umberto Napoleone recommended the change, citing shifts in family lifestyles, particularly the rise in single-parent households and dual-working parents. While noting that the monthly rotation remained an effective method for distributing educational opportunity equitably, Napoleone acknowledged that it posed formidable difficulties under modern lifestyles. The new schedule instituting mid-year session changes will take effect in September.
Additionally, the board appointed a special committee to study handicap accessibility at the high school. Appointed members include Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools James R. Donovan, Director of Pupil Personnel Services Roderick Smith, High School Principal John Piccirilli, and Chapter 766 Parents Advisory Council President Charlotte M. Haskell, alongside representatives from the school committee, permanent building committee, town meeting, board of selectmen, and the building inspector.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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Public Schools Face Delays and Possible State Action on Mandatory Hot Lunch Program-August 31, 1973
Parents of elementary school students in Norwood will need to continue packing brown-bag lunches for the start of the academic year. School Superintendent Philip O. Coakley announced that the town will fail to meet the state-mandated September deadline for implementing a universal public school hot lunch program, exposing the municipality to potential legal action by…
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Andy Scafati Recalls 40 Seasons in Athletics Ahead of Norwood Retirement-September 7, 1972
Longtime Norwood High School athletic director Andy Scafati reflects on 40 years in sports and the remarkable expansion of the town’s athletic programs as he prepares to step down.
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School Board Reverses Vote, Keeps NorWest Woods Pupils at Oldham-August 29, 1972
In a reversal of a previous decision, the School Committee has voted to keep 46 elementary school children from the Nor-West Woods apartment complex at the Oldham School, rescinding a July 5 vote that would have transferred them to the Shattuck School. Superintendent Dr. Philip O. Coakley explained that the committee revoted on the matter…
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Norwood Sets $38 Tax Rate on Court-Ordered 100% Property Valuation for 1972-August 16, 1972
Announcing a 1972 tax rate of $38 per $1,000 under a court-ordered 100 percent property valuation, Assessor Chairman James J. Drummey concluded a major reassessment by Cole, Layer and Trumble.
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Norwood High School Launches Innovative Open Campus Plan for Fall Term-September 8, 1971
Norwood High School opens the fall term by launching an innovative open campus and extended-day program designed by Principal John F. Monbouquette to foster student responsibility.
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Junior High Alternate Estimates Sought-June 25, 1971
A sharp debate divides Town Manager Walter Blasenak and finance officials over mounting unappropriated architectural fees for Boston design firms.
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Schools Face Heating Oil Shortage for Upcoming Winter, While Band Camp and Library Art Programs Make Headlines-August 6, 1970
Superintendent Dr. Philip O. Coakley informed the Norwood School Committee that no companies submitted bids to supply 110,000 gallons of No. 5 heating oil for town schools due to quotas, shortages, and environmental regulations.
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Bells Are Ringin’-July 3, 1970
The Norwood School Committee overhauled its student transportation system and faced an $8,000 wave of structural school vandalism in July 1970
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Permanent Building Committee Suspends Planning For Norwood High Addition-September 5, 1969
The building committee pauses planning for a $6.1 million Norwood High School addition pending further review, while addressing low-bidding rules for school furnishings.
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Almost 50% of Graduates Head To College-July 10, 1969
The Norwood High School guidance department released a significant report on July 10, 1969, detailing the educational future of the school’s 419 graduates. The data revealed that approximately 45 percent of the class planned to attend four-year colleges that fall, a figure the department noted was likely the highest percentage of four-year institution acceptances in…
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