The Salem Public Schools Weekly Newsletter

January 13, 2023

SPS Community,

I hope your family enjoyed the holiday season. After an extended break, we eagerly welcomed your children back to school for a full week of learning. Two quick reminders:

1. School Calendar: Please remember to offer your feedback on our school calendar for the upcoming school year. We will be sure to consider any feedback before we make an initial recommendation to the School Committee. Please use this form to share your comments.

2. Salem High School Drama Production: Please support our Salem High School drama production this weekend! O*N*S*T*A*G*E at Salem High School presents TWELFTH NIGHT, a jazz-funk musical about love, mistaken identity, and ridiculous yellow stockings based on the Shakespearean comedy. The performances are Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, January 15 at 2 PM. All are invited to the lobby 30 minutes prior to each performance for live music and a raffle. Come check out the theatrical talents of our students!

As we approach the midpoint of the year (hard to believe!), I wanted our community to be aware that we are meeting with each school for what we call a “stepback”. It is an opportunity for school leadership teams to reflect on successes and areas for improvement. We review school-wide attendance, discipline, academic outcomes (STAR assessment) and teacher/student surveys. This information helps our schools examine their progress towards annual improvement priorities and goals. As part of the process, school teams discuss what midcourse adjustments need to be made to better serve students before the end of the school year. We work together to identify 3-5 high leverage actions that will positively impact the second half of the current school year and assist with planning for the upcoming school year. We discuss how to redeploy resources – time, people and dollars in order to best support the most pressing needs for students at each school. As a district, it is important that we have routines in place where schools have the flexibility and space to accelerate what is working well and make real time shifts to address areas of challenge. It is too late to wait until the end of the school year to fine tune our plans. 

Enjoy the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday weekend!

Steve 

At Salem Public Schools, we are recognizing one staff member a week who exemplifies our core values of celebrating differences, facilitating collaboration, fostering innovation, creating equity and access, growing all students, and upholding high standards for all. We are surprising a deserving SPS team member with a rock star trophy.

This week’s rockstar award goes to Witchcraft Heights senior custodian, Thomas Boucher. Approaching his 30th year of service to SPS, Mr. Boucher has maintained the same work ethic this year as he had his first. Whether it be early morning snow removal or staying late for coverage, Mr. Boucher goes above the job description to create a healthy and safe working environment for all students and staff. Finally, Mr. Boucher is always willing to train new hires or support the night crew. Thank you for being such an asset to SPS Mr. Boucher! 

Marcella Mukasa, an eighth grader from Collins Middle School was recently selected as Salem’s 2023 Project 351 Ambassador for her inspiring ethic of service and values of kindness, compassion, humility, and gratitude. Project 351 is a non-profit organization that empowers a youth-led movement for change powered by an eighth grade student representing every city and town in Massachusetts. Over their year’s term, Ambassadors develop the skills and confidence to mobilize schools and communities in statewide service campaigns.

Dr. Zrike praises her as “An inspiring young leader who is committed to service and making positive change in their community.”

You can read more about Project 351 here: https://project351.org/

O*N*S*T*A*G*E at Salem High School presents TWELFTH NIGHT, a jazz-funk musical about love, mistaken identity, and ridiculous yellow stockings based on the Shakespearean comedy. Check out the soundtrack here!

Performances: Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, January 15 at 2 PM. We invite you to join us in the lobby 30 minutes prior to each performance for live music and a raffle. Light refreshments will be available for sale.

Tickets will be available in advance on SHSonstage.ludus.com and at the door. $10 students and seniors; $15 general admission.

TWELFTH NIGHT is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com

The Salem High School A Capella group, WitchPitch?, was honored to have the opportunity to perform at TD Banknorth Garden for Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll. #GoWitch

What an honor for our students, and best of luck to our newly elected officials.

Do you have a child turning 3 and ready for preschool, turning 4 and ready for pre-kindergarten, or turning 5 and ready for kindergarten? Learn more about the opportunities your child has with the Salem Public Schools by attending our virtual Early Childhood Expo Town Hall!

Children must be 3 years old, 4 years old, or 5 years old by August 31, 2023 to be eligible for specific programming.

SPS Early Childhood Expo Town Hall will be recorded and available for viewing during the week of January 23rd.

Join us for our annual Early Childhood Expo Town Hall to hear learn about our early learning experiences for children, “meet” the panel of district leaders and school principals, and engage in a Q&A session!

DATE: Thursday – January 19, 2023

TIME: 6:30PM-8:00PM

WHERE: Virtual via Zoom

ZOOM LINK: https://bit.ly/3G2RSdG

Please see this letter from the Department of Public Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women is hosting a regional public hearing on women’s issues for Essex County on Thursday, 1/19/23, 5:30-7:30pm at North Shore Community College, Lynn Campus, 300 Broad St., Lynn MA. Remote options, ASL and language interpretation are available. Register by 1/16/23 at https://bit.ly/MCSWlynn.

Please attend to let us know about issues that are important to you, your children, your family, and your community. For more information, email: mcsw@mass.gov or call 617-626-6520.

As winter approaches, we want to remind staff and families to be sure we have current contact information to reach you in the event that we have a cancellation or delay. Notifications will go out through ParentSquare via automated phone call, text, and email. It will also be posted on our website as well as social media and local TV channels. We do not have the option of remote instruction in the event of a closure.

Welcome to the Virtual Backpack. This is a space where we will place items that in the past may have been a flyer in your student’s backpack from friends and partners to SPS.

Salem Little League Registration

INSCRIPCIONES de Liga Pequeña de Salem

A reminder that ParentSquare is the district platform for communication. You will receive communication from the district, your school, and your student’s classroom all in one space. You can communicate 1-to-1 with teachers, sign up for parent-teacher conferences, and more.

This is how our school and teachers communicate with families districtwide. Please be sure you are receiving messages from ParentSquare. If need support downloading the app or receiving messages, please contact your school’s front office. You can visit www.parentsquare.com for more information.