5 minute read
ReNEWal at Norwood
AT NORWOOD
As we emerge from two and a half years of tremendous disruption and uncertainty, our nation enters a period of reflection, recovery,
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and, at Norwood, a great sense of renewal. “Certainly, we are experiencing a renewed commitment to community and nurturing the vital connections for children within that community,” said Matthew Gould, head of school. “Additionally, we are uplifted by all that is new at Norwood this year.”
Matthew is referring to the new building that opened at the end of August, the newly renovated spaces in the Middle School, new acreage added to our campus, and the launch of a new five-year strategic plan. Read more about these exciting new developments that bring a great sense of joy and optimism as we begin a new school year and look to the future. >
New Building!
After a one-year delay of the groundbreaking, followed by 18 months of construction, the Marriott Early Childhood Building is finally open and filled with the joyful, child-centered learning for which Norwood is known. The beautiful 25,000-square-foot building was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting event for donors on August 24 and with a celebration for students, faculty, and staff on September 9.
Looking back, the vision for the new building was first outlined in Norwood’s previous five-year strategic plan, launched in 2016. At that time, Norwood launched an ambitious $15 million capital campaign to raise funds to support two important goals: 1. Increase the School’s endowment, and 2. Build a new building for our youngest learners.
“It has been quite a journey getting to where we are today, traversing several years, involving dozens of volunteers, and even launching a couple of false starts,” remarked Matthew at the ribbon-cutting event. “However, through commitment, a strong strategic plan, and a sharp focus on the children in our care, we have persevered and done something great together.”
The new building provides the flexible learning spaces needed to support and enhance Norwood’s child-centered program and to best support teamteaching model, a highly successful teaching technique that delivers a host of benefits to a child’s learning experience: greater opportunities for small, differentiated groups; seamless instructional time; greater sense of community in the classroom; and increased support and observation.
New Middle School Spaces!
When students in grades 5-8 returned in September, they discovered a whole new look to the first floor of the Middle School Building.
New flooring was installed throughout the entire floor, the highlight being the Cohen Common Room where Norwood’s signature green leaf is emblazoned on the new gray and white tiles. The Middle School Office has a more open and welcoming entrance; the lobby now features a more professional gallery for displaying artwork; and the Technology Department occupies a significantly larger room and office, providing the space needed for the Robotics Team to meet, create, and prepare for tournaments.
The most significant improvement are the new classrooms for the middle school music program. The strings classroom relocated from its cramped space behind
Self-portrait Gallery
The new gallery space that leads from the Steuart Building to the Marriott Early Childhood Building features a permanent display of student-created self-portraits. Each year, the portraits will be updated as part of Norwood’s identity curriculum so every child in the Lower School feels seen and known.
the faculty workroom to a much larger classroom next to the Marsh Gym. Choir and handbell students also enjoy a new larger classroom in the same hallway. Additionally, the band room relocated to the old choir room, now newly renovated, opening up extra space in the Cohen Common Room for lunch and gatherings. Best of all, the new music rooms include much-needed storage space for instruments, which means the hallways are clear of racks.
“It’s great seeing all these improved spaces being enjoyed by our students and music teachers,” said Dennis Campbell, head of middle school. “Music is an important piece of the full middle school experience, and we’re thrilled that our talented music team can now deliver the program in classrooms that elevate their teaching and enhance the experience for our students.”
See pages 8-10 to learn more.
New Land!
There’s even more to love about Norwood! On July 6, 2022, the School added two acres to its campus footprint with the purchase of the house and land at 8888 Bradley Boulevard (the southeast corner of River Road and Bradley Boulevard), which had been on the market since 2020.
“While the purchase was not part of our original master planning process, a wise and generous person in our community stepped forward and said, ‘Norwood needs to move on this opportunity,’” shared Matthew Gould. “And so, with an incredibly generous financial gift to the School, we were able to purchase the property.”
The house will be demolished, and a landscape designer has been hired to develop a beautification plan for what will become a new green space, expanding the Norwood campus from 38 to 40 acres.
New 5-Year Strategic Plan!
After a year-long collaborative process, Norwood completed a new five-year
strategic plan, Your Journey Starts Here, and, this fall, launched the critical work to support the five key priorities outlined in the plan.
The overarching goal of the 2022-2027 strategic plan is to put the programs and resources in place to equip Norwood students with the tools they need to become empathetic, ethical, and self-aware leaders who contribute meaningfully to their communities. The following priorities were identified to achieve this important goal over the next five years.
1. Fortifying Norwood’s identity
as a national thought leader for child-centered PK-8 education.
2. Engraining Norwood’s commitment to diversity,
equity, and belonging into the fabric of the community.
3. Leveraging our expansive
campus as an outdoor classroom and learning lab, further elevating Norwood to a regional leader in environmental education.
4. Positioning Norwood as a premier educational employer
by offering compelling compensation, benefits, and professional growth opportunities that meet the needs of our faculty and staff.
5. Developing long-term
sustainable systems that will propel Norwood’s mission, strong PK-8 reputation, and financial foundation.
Work is currently underway on this next chapter in the School’s history. “We accomplished a tremendous amount during the last strategic plan—the prekindergarten program, new branding, significant endowment growth, and, of course, the new building,” Matthew said.
