School Committee Newsletter

As I reflect on the 2023-2024 school year, the word that comes to mind is grateful. I am grateful we are back to “normal” after the pandemic, and our students have opportunities like the 8th grade trip to Washington DC, the 6th grade Ecology School trip, and senior traditions new and old like the Powderpuff football game, the Fashion show, and all of the Senior Week activities. I am grateful for our teachers who show up every day with a smile on their faces, and our steady leadership at the top, guiding our district to new heights. And I am grateful for the 6 other School Committee members who have dedicated countless hours and evenings away from their families to help in this work. And when I see young students hosting lemonade stands, playing in the waves at the beach, or choosing a flavor of ice cream at the local stand, I am most grateful for the young people in town we are fighting for. I appreciate the support of the town in ensuring these students get the very best education we can provide, in an environment that is caring, supportive, and progressive. It indeed takes a village, and I am grateful that I’m in the village of Ipswich.

The School Committee has accomplished a lot this year - we have maintained good communication with our monthly newsletters, reviewed and polished our district policies, successfully passed a budget to maintain services and staff for next year, and made progress in the negotiations process with our bargaining units. Our job will never be done, and we have big things on the horizon like an elementary building project, continued budget pressures, and trying to find our place among the many projects Ipswich has before us in the coming years. We will meet in July to strategize about next year and talk about goals and priorities. We always welcome feedback and input from the community, and can be reached at school_committee@ipsk12.net.

For now, I hope you’ll join me in relaxing, slowing down, and enjoying all that the Ipswich summer has to offer. Signing off until September!

The William Paine Enhancement Grants provide funding for enrichment and enhancement programs and practices across the District, for students and teachers in all four schools. This year, $777,544 in grant funding was made possible by the tremendous gift of William Paine and prudent financial management of the Trust by the New Feoffees. More information is available on the Feoffees Committee Page on the town website and the Feoffees Grant Program Page on the district website.

This Spring, The Paine Grant Committee reviewed applications and presented recommendations for grant recipients. In June, the School Committee approved the following grant requests, which will be implemented this coming school year:

• Building at Jack Welch Stadium (IMS/IHS) - $140,000

• Instrumental Impact: Elevating Performance Quality in Our High School Band Program (IMS/IHS) - $26,189.31

• Professional Development (All) - $130,440

• Enhancing Safety and Innovation with 21st Century Workspaces (IMS/IHS) - $84,178

• College Boot Camp (IHS) - $12,750

• Bringing Art to Life: Integrating Digital Projection Technology for Enhanced Learning and Performance Experiences (IMS/IHS) - $87,617.26

• Place-Based Learning (All) - $151,730

• Rave-O (Elementary Schools) - $10,200

• Literacy Coach (Elementary Schools) - $134,378

The School Committee is enthusiastic about these initiatives and will share updates on their progress and success in the future.

The School Committee recognizes the outstanding achievements of our student athletes during the spring sports season. Teams and students receiving recognition include:

• Baker Division Champions:

• Girls Track

• Girls Lacrosse

• D6 MSTCA State Relay Champions: Girls Track

• D4 Final-Four Champions: Girls Lacrosse (loss in Championship game)

• Baker Division Coach of the Year

• Girls Track: Marty Binette

• Boys Tennis: John Tracy

• Baker Division Sportsmanship Award:

• Girls Track

• Softball

• Baseball:

• 1st Team All Star: Drew Lane (Pitcher/1st Base)

• 2nd Team All Star: Dylan York (Pitcher/Infield)

• Softball:

• 2nd Team All Stars: Olivia Driscoll (Center Field/Infield)

• Julia Hubbard (2nd Base)

• Boys Lacrosse:

• 1st Team All Stars: Will Gromko, Louis Harrington, Will Harrington

• 2nd Team All Stars: Finn Wright

• Girls Lacrosse:

• 1st Team All Stars: Halle Greenleaf, Estelle Gromko, Ella Stein, Allie Wile

• 2nd Team All Stars: Lucy Winthrop

• Boys Track:

• Silver Medal: Ange Tshibambe (400m Hurdles)

• Girls Track:

• Silver Medal: Kameya Perron (Pole Vault)

• Bronze Medal: Lily Harper (400m Dash) Alana Novello (100m Hurdles)

Over this past school year, the Superintendent has focused on five key areas for the district:

• Unpacking the new DESE standards on Comprehensive Health and PE

• Ensuring the integration of the new administrators into the schools

• Developing a fiscally responsible budget for the 2024/2025 school year

• Expanding communication and engagement with with the community

• Leading the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work in the district

During the June meeting, we reviewed the Superintendent’s progress against each of the goals and assigned the rating of “proficient.” The Superintendent and School Committee will establish new goals for the 2024/2025 school year as we head into the fall.

The School Committee continues to negotiate with three bargaining units – the Ipswich Educators Association, Education Support Professionals (ESPs) and Paraeducators Association. On May 30th, the School Committee presented an initial proposal which encompassed salary increases, adjustments in paid time off, including family leave, and health insurance costs; the IEA provided their responses on June 12th. We met again on June 25th and anticipate continuing our discussions on July 10th.

• The School Committee welcomed rising senior Charlie Quimby as our new High School Student Representative.

• The School Committee met and welcomed Eric Oxford, the new Pupil Personnel Services Director.

• The School Committee voted to approve 19 new and updated policies. Additionally, we reviewed the second draft of a Sustainability Policy after receiving feedback from various groups, including the Town of Ipswich Waste Reduction Advisory Committee; we will continue to fine-tune the policy and hope to have it approved for the 2024-2025 school year.

• Middle and High School building administrators presented handbook changes, which were reviewed and approved.

• The School Committee voted to set and approve administrator contracts for the upcoming school year.