Friday, December 5, 2025

Principal's Message

Nord Families,

December is always an exciting time of year, and it’s no different at Walter G. Nord School. Our staff and students continue to work hard each day while making meaningful memories together. It’s hard to believe that in just a few short weeks we will reach the end of our first semester and the halfway point of the school year. We encourage you to stay in contact with your child’s teachers and reach out to the Nord Main Office at 440-988-4441 with any questions or concerns.

A special congratulations goes out to our November Comet Impact Students of the Month, recognized below! Thank you for going above and beyond in demonstrating our Comet Impact expectations of being respectful, responsible, and safe.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Nord News, featuring school highlights, upcoming events, and staff spotlights. I look forward to a wonderful December and hope to see you this evening at Miracle on Main Street!

Take care,

Nick Toney
Principal, Walter G. Nord School

Quarter 2 Comet Impact PBIS Party – Friday, December 19th

It’s time for our Quarter 2 PBIS Party! On Friday, December 19th, students will spend the last hour of the school day participating in a fun activity of their choice. Our teachers have volunteered to host a variety of activity rooms for students to enjoy.

Students will vote on their preferred activity based on the number of PBIS points they have earned. Voting will take place on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday (December 15–17). While all students are able to participate in Reward Day, activity options become more limited as the week progresses. What is available on Monday may not still be available on Wednesday, so students should have several choices in mind before voting.

Examples of activities include a movie room, bead crafts, Chromebook time, musical chairs, coding, and many others!

Students may participate in one activity. Activity options will be shared with them during their lunch period so they can plan ahead.

We’re excited to celebrate their positive behavior and hard work this quarter!

As a reminder, Friday, December 19th is a also a two-hour early release day. Parents will have the opportunity to volunteer for a holiday bingo activity for each team. More information will be shared next week.

Amherst Cinemas Trip: December 18th

On Thursday, December 18th our Nord Students will be taking a walking trip to Amherst Cinemas. A letter was sent home earlier this week with more information. If you would not like your student to attend, please contact their homeroom teacher by Wednesday, December 10th. If you did not receive a copy of the letter, please click the links below. Thank you to our amazing Nord PTO for this wonderful opportunity for our students! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Nord Main Office or your child's homeroom teacher.

Lost and Found

Is your student missing a coat or jacket? Our lost and found, located in the cafeteria, has a large number of items waiting to be claimed. Thank you to our Nord team for neatly organizing all of the missing clothing!

Walter G. Nord Kindness Crew

Our Nord Kindness Crew is a team of student leaders dedicated to making our school a happier, more positive place. They create 3D snowflakes and decorate the front lobby, plan fun spirit weeks, clean desks, help teachers, and look for opportunities to spread kindness throughout our school and community. Together, they work to make every day a little brighter for everyone! Thank you to Mrs. Liming and Mrs. Kremer for leading this wonderful group!

Math Mania

Our fourth and fifth grade students have begun preparing for the Math Mania Competition through the Lorain County ESC. This exciting event will take place on February 4th at the Lodge of New Russia Township. The goal of the competition is to encourage mathematically talented students to take risks and use collaborative teamwork to solve a variety of problems. Students will compete in a Problem-Solving Relay Race, a Geometric Construction Challenge, and mathematical games such as 24 and Set. Thank you to Miss. Backman and Mrs. Bailey for leading and supporting our students!

Counselors Corner- Mrs. Kremer

Mrs. Kremer is excited to be back at school and is already connecting with students, supporting classrooms and starting up her monthly lessons and groups!

Lunch Bunch Groups Starting Soon!

We are ready for another round of lunch bunch groups to start back up. Students involved in these groups will meet once a week during their lunch time. The group focuses of our lunch groups will be: managing emotions (coping skills, self-regulation, understanding feelings) and Navigating social situations (friendship skills, communication, conflict resolution)

Mrs. Kremer’s Tip of the Month

As your child becomes more independent, their emotions and responsibilities grow too. This month, try using “check-in conversations”—short, judgment-free chats about their day. Ask open-ended questions like:

“What was something that made you feel proud today?”

“Was anything challenging? How did you handle it?”

“What’s something you’re looking forward to tomorrow?”

These simple conversations help build confidence, strengthen problem-solving skills, and keep communication open as they navigate 4th and 5th grade.

This Month’s Counseling Lesson: Mindfulness

This month, students are learning about mindfulness—the skill of paying attention to the present moment with calm and kindness. In our lessons, students practiced breathing exercises, grounding strategies, and ways to notice their thoughts without becoming overwhelmed.

Mindfulness helps students:

-Manage big emotions

-Improve focus and attention

-Build self-regulation skills

-Feel calmer during busy or stressful times

Coping Skills to Practice at Home

Encourage your child to share one mindfulness strategy they learned!

5–4–3–2–1 Grounding: Name things you can see, feel, hear, smell, and taste

Mindful Moments: Pause for 30 seconds to notice sounds, feelings, and surroundings

Walter G. Nord School Staff Spotlight

We are excited to highlight our amazing speech language therapist and occupational therapist in this edition of Nord News! These two staff members support many of our Nord student with their kindness, care, and expertise!

Mrs. Cesear- Speech Language Therapist

Myra Cesear serves the district as a Speech-Language Pathologist, though many students affectionately refer to her as their “speech teacher.” She is a graduate of the University of Toledo and Eastern Michigan University, where she earned her master’s degree in speech-language pathology. Myra currently supports students at both Nord and Amherst Junior High School. Since joining the district in 2006, she has worked in every building from preschool through high school. Transitioning between schools and grade levels has kept her skills versatile and allowed her to build meaningful connections across the district.

Myra is also a proud Amherst parent. Her three children are graduates of the Amherst Schools. Anthony “Rocco” Pecora graduated in 2020 and earned his business degree from The Ohio State University in 2024. Sebastian Pecora, a 2022 graduate, is now a senior at the United States Naval Academy majoring in Operations Research and preparing for a five-year submarine service commitment after graduation in May. Her youngest, Sophia Pecora, is a 2025 graduate and a current freshman at Ohio University studying biological sciences.

Myra and her husband, Brian Cesear—an Amherst High School math teacher—met while she was working at the high school and married in 2017. Now recent empty nesters, she enjoys returning to favorite hobbies and discovering new ones. She spends her time working out, walking, volunteering at the Lorain County Dog Kennel, spending time with Brian, and visiting their children whenever possible.

In her role as a speech-language pathologist, Myra evaluates and supports students with a wide range of needs, including articulation, language, pragmatic skills, fluency, and more. She loves working with small groups, connecting with students of all ages, and collaborating with staff across the district. Above all, she is passionate about helping students become confident communicators. Her goal is to equip students with the tools they need to use their communication skills beyond the therapy room and succeed in the classroom and with their peers.

Myra is grateful to serve the Amherst community as a speech-language pathologist, parent, and longtime member of the district.

Miss Falasco- Occupational Therapist

Claire Falasco—known to students as Miss Claire—serves as an Occupational Therapist at Nord, Amherst Junior High, Steele, and the JVS. This is her third year working in the Amherst Schools after beginning her OT career in hospital and skilled nursing facility settings following her graduation from Duquesne University.

In her free time, Claire enjoys spending time with her boyfriend and friends, reading, visiting coffee shops, listening to music or podcasts, and going on walks.

Claire’s primary goal in each of her schools is to support students in becoming as independent as possible in accessing their education. She works with students on fine motor skills, visual motor skills, sensory processing, self-regulation, executive functioning, daily living skills, vocational skills, and more. Her goal each year is to help students learn, grow, and have fun throughout the process.

Walter G. Nord PTO

Our Walter G. Nord School PTO is proud to support our students, staff, and families of Nord through fun events, volunteer opportunities, and community connections. We would love to have you join us at our next meeting on Monday, December 8th at 9:30am. If you would like to join virtually, please complete this form. If you have any questions about our Nord PTO, please feel free to contact us at nordpto1@gmail.com.