Dear Mustang families,
Over the past few weeks we have experienced a series of unfortunate student altercations that have given rise to concerns about the culture and safety of Norwood High School. The Norwood High School staff has been working very hard to recognize and identify any trends or causes, and seek solutions to these problems, so that all students may attend a school that establishes a safe, positive, and productive learning environment for all students. All three altercations were mutually exclusive events, stemming from separate student disagreements. All students involved in these altercations were held accountable with significant school, social, and legal consequences as a result.
We as a staff have identified opportunities for greater supervision, and working in partnership with the Norwood Police Department, seek to continue and maintain our cooperative police presence in the school with our full-time School Resource Officers, as well as other members of the Norwood Police Department invested in community police work. Our teachers, guidance counselors, administrators and support staff have redoubled our commitment to supervision in the hallways, cafeteria, and common areas, while making meaningful and positive connections with our students on a day to day basis.
Our nurses have conducted the SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) screenings with 9th graders, and recently the NHS Wellness Department Chair Tara Noyes hosted a screening on “If Only” with Deputy Chief Peter Kelly about the dangerous of opioid medication use and abuse, to build a network of support for students and the community as we battle this epidemic. These efforts provide our staff with a conversation starter and help us gauge student comfort and safety within the school and community on a variety of issues.
We are dedicated to making Norwood High School a safe, positive, and productive learning environment for all of our students, and will continue to work tirelessly in that pursuit. Thank you again for your time and attention.
Regards,
Jonathan Bourn
Principal