Contractors installing a new sprinkler system at Norwood High School assured the Permanent Building Committee last night that construction will be finished by next Friday, keeping the scheduled September 8 opening date on track.
Project Manager Robert Devoe of Boston’s ABC Sprinkler Co. stated that work will be 98 percent complete by Friday and announced he will personally oversee a second shift of workers starting Monday. The reassurance came after Assistant Superintendent James R. Donovan voiced concerns to the school committee on Wednesday night that installation delays might postpone the start of the academic year. Devoe noted that the cafeteria remains the only major area pending completion, after which the system will undergo rigorous pressure testing.
Engineering Friction and Gym Renovations
Committee members and contractors expressed frustration with Francis J. Thompson of HPR Services of New Hampshire, the engineer responsible for calculating the placement of over 800 sprinkler heads. Vice-Chairman Philip C. Swain reported that a minor calculation error by Thompson stalled necessary project approval from the Insurance Service Office (ISO). Committee members noted they had spent three weeks unsuccessfully trying to get Thompson to meet with the ISO, prompting a phone call and message left at his home during the meeting.
In other facility updates, Vincent Carlson—project manager for Korslund, LeNormand & Quann Inc. supervising high school renovations—reported that gym floor sanding is over 50 percent complete and expected to finish by Wednesday, allowing the application of the first of four finish coats and subsequent court line painting. While the gym floor will not be fully ready by the exact opening day of school, the building’s fire alarm system is scheduled for testing today. Carlson added that a temporary indicator panel has been installed at the insistence of the fire department until the permanent factory unit arrives, which will eventually tie in the completed sprinkler system.
Student Registration and Daily School Schedules
The school department announced registration and schedule guidelines for the upcoming 1976–77 academic year:
- New Student Registration: Open for students entering the Norwood school system for the first time at all school administrative offices, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Parents must provide birth and immunization certificates.
- School Opening & Screening: All public schools open on September 8. Kindergarten screening runs from September 8 to 14, with kindergarten classes commencing September 15.
- Daily Time Schedules:
- High School & Henry O. Peabody School: 7:45 a.m. to approximately 2:30 p.m.
- North & South Junior High Schools: 7:45 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.
- Elementary Schools: 8:40 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.
- Kindergarten: Morning session from 8:40 to 11:15 a.m.; afternoon session from 12:30 to 2:55 p.m.
- Bus Transportation Eligibility (Minimum Distance Requirements): High school, 2 miles; junior high schools, 1.5 miles; elementary schools, 1.25 miles; kindergarten through grade 3, 1 mile.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
More…
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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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Special School Program Enters Fourth Year-June 24, 1969
Utilizing a low 5-1 student-to-teacher ratio, a staff of 36 professionals works to reinforce reading skills and improve academic performance for public and parochial school children.
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School District Prepares for New Academic Year with Orientation Institute and Registration Dates-August 14, 1968
Superintendent Dr. Philip O. Coakley announced student registration dates and school opening schedules as Norwood public schools welcome dozens of new educators for the 1968-1969 academic year.
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Alan R. Wonson Reappointed as Principal of Winslow Elementary School-August 31, 1967
Following an executive session, Committee Chairman Francis X. Sheehan Jr. announced that the Norwood School Committee has reappointed Alan R. Wonson of Westwood as principal of the Winslow Elementary School, effective immediately. Wonson, the former vice-principal at the Cleveland Elementary School, had previously been appointed by a unanimous committee vote earlier in the month; however,…
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School Committee Discloses Closed-Session Debate Over Elementary School Principalship Merger-August 25, 1967
School committee minutes revealed a shelved plan to merge Shattuck and Winslow schools
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School Committee Considers Sweeping Administrative Reorganization Plan-August 24, 1967
School Committee Chairman Francis X. Sheehan Jr. proposed a sweeping administrative reorganization creating an associate superintendent to streamline Norwood school management
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Schools Prepare for 5th Annual New Teacher Orientation-August 22, 1967
Superintendent Dr. Philip O. Coakley welcomed 58 incoming educators at the fifth annual teacher orientation institute at Prescott School, introducing new faculty across secondary and elementary schools.
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Norwood Teachers Association Submits $1,000 Pay Increase Proposal-August 18, 1966
The Norwood Teachers Association submitted a $1,000-plus pay raise proposal as the school committee signed its first collective bargaining agreement amid debate led by John J. Cavanaugh and William Egan.
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