Salem Public Schools
SPS Families,
As we conclude the first full week of school, I am so impressed with how much learning is happening across our schools. This week I observed pre-kindergartners counting with math blocks, 3rd graders discussing self awareness and middle schoolers grappling with text-dependent questions.
In the next month (from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15), we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month where we recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Latinos to our city, country and throughout the world. We will be providing educators with lessons and materials that they can use to highlight the importance of this month. Additionally, all community members are cordially invited to attend the Latino Leadership Coalition's annual Hispanic Heritage Month gathering for a night of reflection, appreciation, and celebration of our community's history. This year's celebration will take place Friday, September 19th, 5:30 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. at Collins Middle School, 29 Highland Avenue, Salem, MA.
Download Flyer: English | Spanish
As you visit your child’s schools for Open Houses and other events, you will notice poster boards with preliminary drawings of and information about the proposed Salem High School project. We are excited about this ground-breaking project being led by the city’s appointed Building Committee. The Committee evaluated options for renovating or building new construction and selected new construction which is depicted on these boards. For more information, please check out our website dedicated to this project.
Finally, I want to introduce a new recognition in the Salem Public Schools entitled “Magical Moments that Matter.” Over the last few years, we have awarded a weekly rockstar award to employees who go to extraordinary lengths to support our students. The nominations have been informal and word of mouth. Moving forward, we want to formalize the process and encourage the Salem Public Schools community to nominate deserving educators (remember, all of our employees are educators) using this link. Staff, students and community members can nominate any district educator as all employees are eligible for nomination. We also want to link the nominations to our district’s core values of:
Belonging: We believe all members of our community are valued and that our relationships are built on empathy and respect.
Equity: We believe in promoting social justice to ensure an inclusive school community where all members are empowered and engaged.
Opportunity: We believe all students should receive a personalized experience to achieve academic success, find joy in their learning, and have multiple choices for their post-secondary plans.
Award winners will receive a shoutout in our weekly newsletter, social media and will receive a special Witch City rubber ducky to commemorate their recognition. Thank you for helping us to nominate deserving Salem Public Schools’ educators!
Enjoy the weekend,
Steve
Beyond being a dynamic ELA educator, he also provides multilingual learners with quality English language development instruction. He is always patient, flexible and well planned to maximize the time he is able to spend with his students developing a second language. Thank you to Mr. Woodward for being such an asset to our school system!
Kylie Felix, Terrell Greene Named Assistant Principals at Collins Middle School
Kylie Felix, a native of Corona, Calif., and Terrell Greene, a native of Beverly, Mass., both longtime educators within the Salem Public School District, were each promoted to assistant principal at the Francis X. Collins Middle School, Principal Gavin Softic announced recently.
We ask each of our families to please complete their back-to-school forms as soon as possible (found on Aspen here), with a deadline of Sept. 22. We want to be sure that you are well-versed on our practices/procedures and that we have the most updated information about your child.
Additionally, permission-to-treat/emergency forms were sent to families last week. Contact your school nurse if you did not receive them.
Auditions for Salem High School's musical 'The Prom: School Edition' will be held Monday, Sept. 22 and Tuesday, Sept. 23. Information about the audition process and how to sign up for a time slot will be available at the Tuesday, Sept. 16 information session (2:45 p.m. in the M. Ruth Norton Auditorium) and also posted outside SHS room 184.
Call-backs will take place Wednesday, Sept. 24 in SHS room 285.
Performances of 'The Prom: Student Edition' are scheduled for:
- Thursday, Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.
For more information, contact Theater and Dance Director Ms. Leah Hamilton French at: lhamiltonfrench@salemk12.org.
Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Monday, Sept. 15. This month-long observance celebrates Hispanic and Latino history and culture, as well as the many contributions made to United States history and culture by the Hispanic American communities. This year’s theme is Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future.
Nearly 50 percent of Salem students identify as Latino, and every day they are part of creating a joyful and successful learning community. This month, we will be celebrating the diversity and the contributions of Salem’s Latino families.
Meals inspired by traditional Hispanic cuisine include:
The Salem Police Department is seeking applicants for crossing guard positions. To apply, contact the Human Resources Department at Salem City Hall at (978) 619-5630.
For more information, contact Lt. David Tucker:
- T: (978) 744-0171, ext. 50271
- E: dmtucker@salempd.net
ParentSquare is the communication platform for Salem Public Schools. Families receive communication from the district, school, and their student's classroom all in one space. Families can communicate 1-to-1 with teachers, register for parent-teacher conferences, and more.
If you are not receiving messages from ParentSquare or if you are having trouble, contact your school's front office. You can visit www.parentsquare.com for more information.