May 6, 2025                                                   

 Spotlight on Excellence 

We have 19 students who participated in the ACCESS assessment which measures Multilingual students proficiency in reading, writing, speaking  and listening in English.  I want to celebrate Arty Francoeur who is our Multilingual Learner Teacher (grades K-12).  Through his skills and leadership he created a small village of educators to help our students grow.  This means that our Multilingual Learners are becoming more proficient in the English language.  Thank you for all you do Arty!!

The Georgetown Boys State Championship Basketball Team was recognized on the floor of the Massachusetts State House last week. 

Shout Outs: 

• School Administrators want to Shout Out Mr. Michael Cassidy, HR Director.  They are grateful for the work he did in recruiting a fleet of substitutes this year.  Thank you Mike! 
• Steve McDonald, Director of Tech, is being acknowledged for creating a new lunch order form for the Penn Brook kitchen.  Thank you to Steve for taking the time to create such a well-organized lunch count form. His attention to detail will make a huge difference in our daily lunch count process.  
• A colleague of Ms. St. Pierre, Paraprofessional at Penn Brook,  wants to celebrate her.  “She is amazing at her job! She is so kind to every student and always has their best interest in mind. From working on tough math problems, to bringing her speaker out to recess for dance parties, she adds fun to all activities. Ms. St. Pierre definitely goes with the flow and can follow any plan with a smile. Penn Brook is lucky to have her!”
• Friday was School Lunch Hero Day, and we’re excited to celebrate our amazing kitchen staff!

From preparing meals behind the scenes to serving students with a smile, you help keep our cafeteria running smoothly and our school community nourished. Your hard work, care, and consistency make a difference every single day. Thank you for everything you do — we are so fortunate to have such a dedicated and hard working team!

• A community member wants to share her appreciation for Joanne Wilson.  “Each school day for the past four years, my kids and I have sought out Mrs. Wilson’s red Jeep in the teacher’s parking lot while waiting in the drop-off line. There it sits, nearly every day in the same spot, amongst the earliest to arrive.  Her consistency, unwavering support of both student and family, and excellence in educating has made her our family’s best experience thus far in the Georgetown Public Schools. She made both of my children feel like her favorite student, the same sentiment that I am sure each and every student in her class felt.  Joanne is a true gem, and each future generation of students in her class are the luckiest.”
• Kelly Francis, Guidance Counselor,  is being acknowledged by a peer.  “Kelly is  a very valuable support staff to our middle school. She makes meaningful and positive connections with her students and staff. Kelly gives great advice. She is honest, yet empathetic and works hard to keep the middle school running efficiently . Thank you Kelly!”
• A colleague wants to share her thoughts on Courtney D’Angelo, Paraprofessional. “ Courtney is an incredibly dedicated paraprofessional who consistently goes above and beyond for her students. She knows each of them well—their needs, strengths, and challenges. Courtney works tirelessly to ensure they receive the rich, supportive education they deserve. Her commitment and care make a lasting impact every day.”

Budget:  The Town Meeting which was held on Monday, May 5, 2025 is another example of the collaboration amongst municipal departments.  The school’s technology team managed the technology and had an immense amount of patience and professionalism in a very stressful situation to ensure all the glitches were resolved and the towns people’s voices were captured in the votes.  The PTA, Jess Hinchliffe and a multitude of student volunteers engaged all the children during a very robust babysitting opportunity.   The police and fire were present and available in case there was an emergency that needed to be handled.  This collaboration exemplifies the passion, commitment and fortitude that makes Georgetown what it is.  

Over 600 voters turned out to cast their opinion on the warrant.  This was reportedly a record breaking number of people attending Town Meeting.  The proposed budget motion was passed with 422 yes votes and 64 no votes.  The motion included two budget numbers, one that will be enacted on July 1, 2025 if there is no override ($36,715,531) and the second accounts for the passing of an override ($42,265,915).  The next step is for the town to vote next Monday, May 12, 2025 on the ballot question “ Shall the Town of Georgetown be allowed to assess an additional $6,000,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purpose of funding the operating budgets of the Town and the Public Schools for the fiscal year beginning in July 1, 2025”.  It is important that such a monumental decision be made by a vast number of  townspeople because the impact of a majority yes or no vote at the ballot has significant and long lasting impacts for all of the community members.  

Here are pictures of the controlled chaos from the Town Meeting!