Spotlight on Excellence
Our Middle School performed the play “Alice” last week. Click on the picture to see a short clip!
Shout Outs:
- A community member wants to acknowledge our custodians. “Many custodians have been working double shifts to cover for their colleagues who are out due to medical issues. I know the teachers appreciate their hard work but the community at large may not realize the work they put in.” Thank you for ensuring our buildings are maintained at the highest level!
- An Administrator is shouting out Ben Pike, Pano Gagakis and Declan Dean, for “stepping up and working double shifts over the last 3 weeks to make sure there is custodian coverage for the district.”
- A shout out to Ann Grant, Chorus Teacher and David Garcia, Band Teacher. “This past Friday, Anne and David organized the middle school band and chorus participation in the Music in the Parks Festival at Westfield State University. The chorus was awarded first place, and the band was awarded second place. Thank you for helping our students shine!”
Parent Partnership: I am adding a “Parent Partnership” section to my Blog. As research shows the deeper the partnership between parents and school the better outcomes for students. I also believe that it “takes a village” to raise and educate our students. We need to work together on many aspects of schooling that cross over between home, school and community. I will use this section of my regular communication to update and remind families of topics we need ongoing support with.
- Student Chromebook damage and social media use: Please be aware of what your children are doing on their devices and social media. We have seen an increase in negative and very risky behaviors towards other students at the elementary and middle school levels and significant/costly misuse of the chromebooks with middle school students. Here is a quick news segment where Chief McKay, Technology Director McDonald and I were interviewed by NBC10 regarding the Tik Tok challenge of causing damage to chromebooks.
- For those of you who drop students off at the MSHS in the morning you have probably noticed a change in the adult presence. We are working diligently with the Georgetown Police to increase safety measures for staff and students. This is a reminder that students are not to be dropped off on school grounds between 7:00am – 8:00am (previously 7:30). The preferred drop off location is the Perley School building allowing students to walk up the path to the MSHS. We’ve added crossing guards at the top of both stairways, worked with the bus company to ensure they do not idle at the school and allocated district staff to remind families of the procedure. I appreciate our family’s partnership in following the drop off procedure.
Before and After School Update: We are thrilled to announce that we have engaged in a partnership with the YMCA of Haverhill to provide our before and after school care. Members of the YMCA team will be presenting the program during the May 22, 2025 School Committee meeting. Additionally we are going to have a live and virtual Family Information Night as well as a staff information night. The YMCA is hoping to recruit our current staff to work the program. More information is available on our website. Here is an interest form to complete if you are interested in learning more about enrolling your child(ren).