Saugus Public Schools

The first month of school has come and gone. All three of our buildings opened successfully for the 2023 - 2024 school year. Classes have started, our Back to School Nights have occurred, our clubs and groups are up and running, and our teams are competing against our NEC rivals. I believe our administration, staff, students, and families have begun to work collaboratively to meet the needs of what truly matters; our children. As expected there have been challenges and obstacles, but together, I remain confident that we are up to the tasks.

As I was writing this message I realized that there is a story that the staff has heard, but I have yet to share with the community as whole. So here goes.

I was extremely happy to be working in Saugus and enjoying my return to the math classroom. Last year, when I was asked to step in as acting superintendent, something I had done in 2016, honestly, I was reluctant. But I did what I always do, think of what’s best for Saugus and I took the job. I found that I liked doing it, and I realized that I was given an opportunity, the opportunity to try to bring the school system back in touch with the town and what is most important, the students. I have a unique perspective, I am a parent, I coach youth sports in town, my wife is a teacher, I am invested. The thing about math is that there is no one way to solve a problem. It’s not a series of steps to get you to the answer, it can be done a number of different ways.

As I mentioned, I am the father of three daughters, two of which are teen drivers with summer jobs so we have four drivers and only two cars. I know better than to ask my wife to use her car. I decided to try biking to work, so I purchased a bike for the first time since I was in junior high school. As fate would have it I now work in that same “junior high” now known as District Office at the Belmonte STEAM Academy. It gets me my needed daily exercise while leaving the other two to fight over the car.

Luckily for me from my house to the Belmonte it is mostly downhill. So each morning I breeze into work barely out of breath. But in this case, what goes down must come back up. On the way back, I have to get up the hill by the Veterans Early Learning Center. While it does not look hard, believe me, it is. On my first day it might as well have been Everest. I got about a quarter of the way up and then had to walk it the rest of the way, naturally by a group of workers building a house. Luckily, my failure provided them with some entertainment. As the days passed I tried several different approaches, trying to conquer this challenge. I tried starting up in a high gear, and changing to a low one only to end up getting halfway up the hill and walking. I tried starting in a low gear only to lose steam and walking. I finally figured out how to get up the hill without walking. It took several different methods and a couple of weeks, but it worked and I was happy with myself. Until I went biking with my 13 year old daughter; and watched her zip up the hill without any struggle, passing me as though I was not even moving. But again, I made it up the hill. We both made it through the challenge successfully, but with different strategies and different levels of success.

This is our school system at this point in time. We are struggling. We are trying new things and we will figure it out. Our classrooms are like that. Some kids just zip up the hill, they get it, they can do it. Some are slower, they need to try different methods to get it but in the end we will make it up that hill. I’m not trying to overreach, I’m just trying to get up that hill. There will be another hill, a larger one, and we can do that too. Like Mark Schruender, math teacher at the middle school, would tell the basketball players he coached, get better every day. That’s what I want and that’s what I’m trying to do. Just keep getting better, trying new things, getting better and getting everyone up that hill.

I promise you, every decision that I make will answer the question “what is best for the students of Saugus”? I will try to look for different solutions and I welcome input from everyone but when those decisions are made I know that I made them, not for some alternative agenda, but because I am invested. I am invested in the students, in the staff, and in the community.

I used the word I to describe myself today, so as to let everyone know who I am and what I stand for as a person and educator. Moving forward, it will be “WE”. We will work together to form a team of educators dedicated to the students of Saugus. We will work to support each other, we all know how difficult it is to be a teacher today. We will all actively engage our students using aligned curriculum and work to provide a complete academic experience, while at the same time making sure our students receive social and emotional support. We will also communicate with all stakeholders, so as to form a collaboration in this educational process.

We know what you are all thinking, this is absurd and cannot be accomplished. Sure all at once this is probably insurmountable but in taking baby steps, we can do it together. How we talk, to our colleagues and message to our students, sets the tone for our culture. We are all part of the solution. Details matter. With that this is starting to get to be too much all at once. We are going to try to model the way we do things, as if we were teaching.

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” - Thomas A. Edison

As we have previously stated, we are moving forward with an updated Mission and Vision Statement, as well as a new five year Strategic Plan. That said our key goals/focus areas will be:

• Supporting teachers through coaching and professional development to create the learning environments needed to effectively support all students.
• Strengthening our communication and engagement efforts so that students, staff, parents and caregivers are seen, heard, and feel connected to the Saugus Public Schools.
• Providing all students with standards-aligned, consistently outstanding instruction in supportive learning environments.

Our feeling is if we can make progress in those focus areas our district and our students will be moving in a positive way. We are committed to putting our students first and committing to reaching these goals to ensure all our students are held to high standards and graduate from the Saugus Public Schools future ready.

Please click the following link to view the Saugus Youth & Recreation Fall Newsletter. The Youth& Recreation Department offers various programs to children grades 1 - 8. Programs are ever changing, so be sure to check their Facebook page for all up to date program information.

Take in everything there is to find out about our town!

When: Saturday – October 14, 2023

Where: Saugus Middle/High School Complex at 1 Pearce Memorial Drive

Time: 9:00 AM To Noon

For new residents as well as established Saugonians!

Learn about non-profit, youth sports and clubs you or your family maybe interested in, town information, senior center, library groups, houses of worship, school district information.

Tours of the complex will be available, the lion’s club will have their eye mobile there, and so many other participants. for further information/questions, please email: saugus411@gmail.com

“If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” - Abraham Maslow

This was our press release on September 20th.

After looking at the MCAS data that was released on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, we have been recognized by DESE as having made moderate progress toward targets. We will be presenting a detailed analysis to the School Committee at their meeting on October 19th, but we are happy to share some of the highlights. The accountability percentile for Saugus High School that was 15 in 2017, putting the school in targeted assistance, has risen to 24 in 2023.

This was accomplished in part by our high school scores related to the student percentage of meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA, math, and science. The percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA in 2023 is 56% up 8% from last year and just 2% below the state average versus 10% below in 2022. Similarly in math in 2023 the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations was 46% up 10% from 2022 and within 4% of the state average versus 14% below in 2022. Lastly, science has gone up to 45% of the student percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations up from 9% for 2022, and within 2% of the state average versus 11% below in 2022.

The district also reached close to the state average of the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations at grades 3 to 8. For ELA, Saugus students are within 4% of the state average, for math within 3% of the state average, and for the science grades 5 and 8, 2% above the state average.

While we have work ahead, we are pleased with our progress. As the commissioner mentioned yesterday, the state is still dealing with a learning loss caused by the pandemic. We are pleased to be trending in the right direction. All of the data above is being reported directly from the DESE website and is publicly available. As we attempt to move all students towards meeting the standards, we used those data points, (percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations), for our initial reflection. We will be continuing to work with students on a daily basis to review real time data to drive our instruction.

Please click the button below for Next Generation MCAS Tests 2023 Initial Data Review Saugus Public Schools. This data was taken directly from the DESE website. There will be a presentation of MCAS and Accountability at the School Committee on Thursday, October 19th at 5 PM.

“Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency.

Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” - Dwayne Johnson

Our elementary and middle school grade students are exploring the instructional strategy of Notice and Wonder

Students in Grades K-8 have been implementing the strategy of Notice and Wonder in their ELA classrooms this year to spark curiosity about what they are learning, drive discussion and create overall stronger student engagement.

In Wit & Wisdom our students recently analyzed art work, poetry, books and novels, prior to diving more deeply into their modules of learning. Students ask themselves, “what do I notice and wonder” about this text?

This leads the students to read the text with curiosity and attention and ask key questions about what they read. Students generate their own observations and questions, forming an initial impression of the text. It helps building background knowledge, academic vocabulary and a community of curious learners.

This week, at all three buildings, the instructional coaches hosted the first monthly new teacher "drop in" for all first and second year teachers. Thanks to the Saugus Business Education Collaborative (SBEC) we were able to provide coffee and breakfast treats for these sessions. Our goal is to build community by offering a safe place to ask questions and for new teachers to mix and mingle with each other. In Saugus we are working to retain new staff and we hope that this is one step in making them feel welcome and supported.

The picture is just a few of the new teachers that attended the drop in session on Sept. 26th at BSA. From Left to Right: Isabel Darmon-Weiss, Amelia Kracik, Michaela Goulding, Isabel Gramolini and Cristina Serratore.

On Monday, September 18th, new teachers and their mentors gathered for their monthly meeting. These meetings provide our new staff with crucial information related to our district, their specific schools, and job requirements. Guidance is provided by mentors to help our new teachers more comfortably adjust to working in the Saugus Public School. Meeting such as this are facilitated by our Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Susan Terban, and our District's Mentor Leader, Gail Hashem.

The new SHS Podcasting 101 class has been hard at work on their first projects. We have been learning about equipment, script writing, copyright and fair use and interview skills. The next batch of episodes will include interviews with family and friends as part of the StoryCorps project as well as covering the latest news about some clubs and sports at SMHS. Please listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Soundcloud! Click on the links below.

The Saugus High School Drama Club is excited to announce its fall production of Almost Maine, by John Cariani. In the town of, Almost, Maine, characters explore the life-changing power of the human heart. In this vignette-style play, we see relationships begin, relationships end, strangers become friends, and friends become lovers as we experience a true roller coaster of emotions and wit. The SHSDC production of Almost Maine, advised by Mr. Raponi, will be student-directed. Three student directors, Sebastian Delios ('24), Maximus Barboza ('24), and Madelynne Leonard ('26), will join forces to bring this script to life in the Saugus High School Black Box Theatre.

Tickets will soon be on sale for this production. Performance dates are Thursday, November 16, Friday, November 17, and Saturday, November 18 at 7:00 pm. All performances will take place in the beautiful Black Box Theatre at Saugus Middle High School! please note there is limited seating for these performances. Advanced ticket reservations are encouraged! Please reach out to Drama Club Advisor, Mr. Nicholas Raponi, with any inquiries at nraponi@saugus.k12.ma.us. We hope to see you there!

Student performers include:

Rin Brown, Zahra Ghaouta, Sebastian Delios, Hannah Evers-Jenkins, Bryan Borrelli,

Kateri Byrd, Olivia Stanton, Kate Petipas, Sofia Davalos, Pedro Spalenza,

Maximus Barboza, Madelynne Leonard, and Bella Henriques.

The Middle School Drama Club is looking to get up and running for an exciting 2023 - 2024 season. We are having two interest meetings, Monday October 23rd and Wednesday October 25th afterschool from 2:30 - 3:30 PM in the theatre. Anyone interested should plan to attend. All are welcome. We hope to see you there. Please use the link below to review our informational flyer.

"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand."

Vince Lombardi

Football: Record: 3-1

Our football program is off and running this season with an impressive undefeated record thus far and our first NEC League opponent matchup this week when the Swampscott Big Blue comes to town. Senior Captain Tommy DeSimone has been recognized by the Boston Globe and Herald as a Division 5 Player of the Week for 2 weeks straight with 3 touchdown performances in each of the past 2 games and senior quarterback Cam Preston’s passing yards and scrambling runs have also helped to propel an impressive offensive display.

Girls Soccer: Record: 6-2

The team is off to a solid start to the season including a big win over Marblehead for the first time in 15 years. Madison Botta leads all scorers with 12 goals on the season including individual 3 and 4 goal performances vs Winthrop and Malden Catholic respectively. Tori Carter continues to be solid in net for the Sachems.

Boys Soccer: Record: 2-4-3

The team is off to a slow start, but are working to come together in the second half of the season. Offensively we have spread the wealth around in terms of scoring with 8 individuals collectively scoring goals, 3 of whom are defenders. The Sachems grabbed their first win of the season Thursday with a 1-0 victory over Winthrop.

Field Hockey: Record: 0-6-1

Our senior Captain leadership of Jess Bremberg, Grace Fiore and Bella Natalucci have made strong contributions to this otherwise very young field hockey team. They are improving game by game and managed a 1-1 tie last week vs a solid Peabody team and a close 1-0 loss to Marblehead as well. This young team is gaining valuable varsity level experience against strong NEC League competition.

Volleyball: Record: 5-2

The team is off to a great start this season, with more total wins already than ever achieved before in any single season. They beat Beverly in an exciting back and forth 5 match game to finally beat them for the first time in program history. Strong play and solid senior leadership from our tri-captains Ashleigh Moore, Ava Rogers and Ana Silva has given this team an extra boost early in the season.

Boys Golf: Record: 2-7

Our young golf team, composed of a significant number of 8th graders, competes in a very strong NEC golf league that sends multiple teams to the state tournament each year. Our number one golfer, senior Ryan Jones has been a steady veteran presence on the links for us this season providing solid leadership for our developing players.

HS Cross Country (co-op with Northeast Metro Tech):

Record (boys): 1-2

Record (girls): 2-1

Our 2 Sachems runners have joined forces with the Northeast cross country team and both are contributing to the teams success. Anabella Tum is consistently among the top performers on the girls side and Kason Brogna is always a solid, hardworking competitor on the boys side.

Cheerleading:

Our cheerleading team led by captains Savanna Cerrullo (senior) and Brooke Diaz (junior) continues to prepare for their upcoming competition season which will see them participating in the Think Pink Invitational in Billerica later in October and then the NEC League Championship competition in early November. Additionally our game day squad shows off their cheer and tumbling skills at each of our home varsity football games.

MS Cross Country:

The boys and girls middle school cross country teams have had several tough races on away courses over the past few weeks and they are happy to be back on the home trails at Breakheart Reservation this week as we play host to Hamilton Wenham.

MS Field Hockey:

Our middle school field hockey team is off and running in NEC League competition. They’ve secured one win vs Danvers and competed very strongly against Gloucester and Swampscott. They’re improving every time they step on the field.

We are now 4 weeks into the season and our fall athletic teams have been competing hard and pleased to announce the first MIAA power rankings of the season that came out Friday September 29th. Those rankings can be found using the button below.

On Wednesday, September 20th, SMHS Complex played host to 120 student athletes from the 10 Northeastern Conference League schools for an MIAA sponsored Student Leadership Summit. Saugus had approximately 15 of our senior fall sports captains in attendance. We gathered in the Lemoine Mitchell Performing Arts Center to join with Deb and Trevor Hult from Core Trainings in an interactive learning format on topics such as effective communication, value based leadership, mentoring and student athlete empowerment. It was a fantastic day of enrichment for our student athlete leaders who came away with plenty of new tools to use to help drive positive culture in their teams both on the field and in our building. At the conclusion of the seminar all athletes came together to enjoy a lunch provided by Jersey Mike’s before heading back to their respective schools.

Hello SPS Community,

The school year has gotten off to a tremendous start here at the high school. Classes have been underway for the last several weeks, and students and faculty are hard at work. We have been focused on increasing student engagement in classes, and our early results have been positive. We have been focused on decreasing student cellphone usage during the day, and we have made great strides in that area. We are focused on ensuring that school is a safe place that all students want to be.

Extracurriculars have started back up at SMHS. Our Sachem student-athletes are performing well on playing fields and courts this fall. Make sure you come out to support our teams. The drama departments have begun the process of meeting and organizing their upcoming productions. Class governments are planning events and fundraisers for the school year. And, our other clubs and activities have begun meeting. Please encourage your student to get involved.

We are approaching the midpoint of Term 1. Please make sure that you check in on your students' academic progress. If you have any questions, please reach out directly to your student’s teacher first.

We look forward to a great October!

HS Newsletter

MS Newsletter

Sincerely,

Brendon Sullivan, Principal

Myra Monto, Associate Principal

On September 8th at the Belmonte STEAM Academy the students took part in Kindness Quest. This interactive presentation focuses on empathy, compassion, and kindness.

The newest Prismatic Magic school assembly is all about promoting caring and kindness. It is a forty-minute interactive laser adventure that explores community and friendship. Focusing on character education and foundational qualities, the presentation combines tunes with teamwork to emphasize awareness, empathy, and compassion.

With Kindness Quest, we take learning through fun to the next level, with a stunning interactive voyage involving superheroes, a treasure map, and an outer space robot! During the journey, you’ll meet larger-than-life laser character Max Bravado, who makes education entertaining through puzzles, games, and awesome optical illusions, as we search for the keys to kindness. Featuring jaw-dropping special effects and energizing hit music, this special program leaves a lasting impression.

On Friday, September 15th, we had an introductory town meeting with students by grade levels at the Belmonte STEAM Academy. The meeting was centered around Respect, Responsibility, and Safety.

This month we are focusing on students showing respect towards themselves, others and the school community. Our goal is whole child instruction and "improving academic performance while enhancing perspective taking, empathy and kindness as well as fostering complex problem-solving skills."

Students will be recognized for good behavior and respect towards others. There is a reward for students that show respect in the cafeteria. Students will also be recognized by their classroom teacher with brag tags for showing respect in the classroom.

BSA Coaches of Running The Girls On The Run are:

• Marissa Huntington

• Lindsey Mazza

• Amelia Kracik

Girls on the Run inspires participants of all abilities to recognize their individual strengths while building a sense of connection in a team setting.

Coaches facilitate lessons that blend physical activity with life skill development to enable participants to adapt to whatever comes their way.

At the end of the season, the team completes a 5K together, which provides a tangible sense of accomplishment and sets a confident mindset into motion.

Special thanks to Dr. Maureen Lueke and her team for making this program possible.

We had a great turn out for our September Belmonte STEAM Academy open house. Parents got an overview from the principal, Dr. Maureen Lueke of what the STEAM Academy is all about. STEAM introduces skills such as active learning, project-based learning, social emotional learning, critical thinking and cultural competencies. Dr. Lueke explained our school values of respect, responsibility and school safety. Parents met the rest of the administrative team of Vice Principal, Ms. Tayler DiPesa, and Dean, Ms. Renee Doucette.

Parents were able to visit tables in the lobby that included our Language Arts Wit and Wisdom Curriculum, Our Envision Math Curriculum, E.L.L., Adjustment Counselors, and our Parent Teacher Organization. Finally, parents made their way to visit our second, third, fourth and fifth grade classrooms along with visiting our specialists. Overall parents enjoyed hearing about all of the learning going on so far this year. We are looking forward to a great year.

Goodbye September and hello Fall! At the VELC, we spent the month of September transitioning our newest members of the Saugus Public Schools to our learning community. We had orientations, Open House and Pre-K readiness programs to help students learn about their new school and begin to create a sense of belonging! I spent a week reading a story called: You Matter by Christian Robison, in all of the classrooms . The story has a strong message about belonging and has become the VELC's mantra! As a school, we also completed our early literacy screenings which we used to identify student needs and to create instructional groupings for all of our students. At the VELC, we are excited to begin another school year and to watch our newest students grow and learn! Check out the Principal's memo for September!

On Wednesday, September 20th, the Veterans’ Early Learning Center conducted two sessions of its annual Back to School Night for parents, guardians, and caregivers of our preK, Kindergarten, and 1st grade students. It was a great turnout. Thanks to Principal Mondello and all the staff at the VELC for making this an informational, educational, and comfortable event for our families.

“To me there is no picture so beautiful as smiling, bright-eyed, happy children;

no music so sweet as their clear and ringing laughter.” - P. T. Barnum

While we have had monthly community newsletters, we have been having weekly educator updates. At the end of each update there as been some trivia, fun facts, and some challenge questions for the staff. Since we are working together as a single community I wanted to provide a similar section in this newsletter and keep everything related to the Town of Saugus and/or the Saugus Public Schools.

Here are some fun facts about Saugus that those of you that are new to the community may not know. The Town of Saugus was settled in 1629 and incorporated in 1815. The Saugus Iron Works was the first iron works in North America and began their operations in the year 1646. While it was one of the most advanced integrated iron works from a technological perspective, it was unsuccessful from the financial perspective and closed operations in 1668. Saugus is also the home of the country's longest running barbershop, George’s Barber Shop in Cliftondale. There are many more to come in future editions.

Here are three questions about Saugus. I will send the answers in the next community newsletter.

1. What 2013 film had scenes filmed at Stackpole Field?
2. What year was denoted on the cornerstone of the original high school that was on the current site on Pearce Memorial Drive.
3. Who was the first and last principal of the former Saugus High School that was demolished in 2020?