Scituate Central Office News

Dear Scituate School Community,

I hope you have enjoyed making wonderful memories and had some time to relax over the summer! There is much to look forward to this school year, and I’m excited to welcome back our students and staff to what is sure to be a year full of learning, laughter, and lasting connections.

As we step into a new year together, my goal is for all of us to embrace each challenge as an opportunity to grow and acknowledge each success as a reason to celebrate! Classrooms will once again be buzzing with curiosity, collaboration, and creativity. Whether it’s exploring new passions, discovering innovative learning opportunities, or building friendships that will last a lifetime, this year holds endless possibilities.

Here’s to a fantastic school year ahead, one where every student feels inspired, every educator feels supported, and our community continues to shine together. Welcome back!

Warm Regards,

Superintendent Andries

Scituate School Department

There's always something exciting taking place in our schools! You can check the school department calendar featured on our website for more updates and information. Some of the events happening this month include:

• August 13 - North Scituate Principal Meet & Greet
• August 26 - First Day of School

Take a look through the 2024-2025 annual report to learn more about our recent accomplishments and other initiatives underway in our schools!

I want to take a moment to thank our families and staff members who took the time to respond to our Climate & School Culture Surveys this past spring. Your Input is greatly appreciated, and we were happy to receive a ton of helpful feedback that will aid us in continuing to create innovative and supportive school environments for all learners.

As a whole, there were very few surprises in these surveys. Scituate, by and large, is a healthy and happy small school department, with multiple responses in both surveys citing the close-knit community. Our department also shows some of the typical challenges that face small school departments.

Many families voiced that they feel welcome at their schools. Parents feel that academics are going in the right direction, and students are supported. There is a strong culture of respect and openness. Students feel safe and happy – and their parents feel that, too.

Some parents expressed that they feel somewhat distanced from their children’s education; they feel positively about the amount of information they receive and how they receive it, but we recognize that there could be better school-to-home communication about students individually.

From a staff perspective, the Scituate School District is a healthy educational climate for students to learn in and teachers to teach in: overall, there is a respectful culture between everyone, students are generally well prepared, and educators feel supported. We also saw reports of educators' feeling that they should have more input into educational decisions, and more communication from and input to the Central Office.

We are thankful for the time our community took to respond to these surveys with their honest feedback, and we are looking forward to working closely with the school committee, faculty, staff, families, and the entire Scituate school community to address any concerns and continue to improve our schools.

We are excited to continue meeting with our Parent and Administrator Communications Team this year. The team meets on the last Thursday of the month from 5:30 to 6:30 at the high school. Parents who are interested in participating are encouraged to reach out to their child's school principal.

Curious about what your student is learning in school? View our curriculum & instruction webpage to explore information and what students are learning by subject and grade level.

In the following sections of our newsletter, you can read more about some of the highlights from each of our schools! Our school's principals also share news through their own weekly or monthly newsletters throughout the school year, on social media, and through the Scituate website.

Before the summer began, Clayville faculty and staff took this photo to wish their students and families an awesome summer! The Clayville community is now excited to welcome students back again at the end of the month.

Our team at Hope has been busy prepping for students to return in August! The custodial staff has done an incredible job making sure the classrooms and hallways are sparkling clean and ready for school to begin. They are also working on hiring new staff members to give more support to students!

The Scituate School Department is pleased to announce that Kyle Gallivan has been selected as the new principal of North Scituate Elementary School, effective July 1. Gallivan brings a strong background in educational leadership, along with experience in both teaching and administration, positioning him well to support the school’s continued growth.

“I’m confident that Principal Gallivan is going to build on the quality of education at North Scituate Elementary School that students and families have benefited from for years,” said Superintendent Laurie Andries. “We are all looking forward to his fresh perspectives and his hands-on approach to leadership and education.”

Prior to assuming the role at North Scituate Elementary School, Gallivan was most recently the assistant principal at Vincent J. Gallagher Middle School in Smithfield, where he integrated successful initiatives involving attendance, academics, and social-emotional problem solving. Before that, he was assistant principal at Albert F. Ford Middle School at Acushnet Public Schools in Massachusetts. He began his career there as a middle school social studies teacher and later worked as a humanities academic coach. Gallivan earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, and went on to earn his master’s in educational leadership from Providence College in Rhode Island.

“What excites me most about leading North Scituate is the opportunity to be part of a small, close knit school community,” said Gallivan. “I will be able to lead by doing what I love most – staying involved in day-to-day classroom experiences, building meaningful connections with students and families, and working collaboratively with faculty and staff to support student success.”

In a letter shared with families in July, Gallivan introduced himself to the school community and noted that he will be holding a meet-and-greet at North Scituate Elementary School for students and families on Wednesday, August 13, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. to give families an opportunity to connect with him before the start of school on Tuesday, August 26.

She will be joining the Spartan team this year as the Speech-Language Pathologist for Scituate Middle and High School. She is originally from Cranston and is very excited to be moving back to Rhode Island after spending the last four years in Boston, where she worked with high school students.

She is committed to helping students grow in their self-advocacy and communication skills and fostering an environment of inclusivity and acceptance for all. In her message to families, Jessica shared that she is passionate about disability rights and volunteers for a disability youth organization in her spare time. We are looking forward to having her has a part of the Scituate school community this year!

With over 25 years of experience in public education, Robert Anatasi is excited to join the Scituate school community as the Head of School Counseling. He has worked extensively with both middle and high school students to support academic, career, and social development.

Prior to his role as a school counselor, he taught both Art and Library Media at the secondary level, and is also a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC). Working with the RI Department of Education as a Counseling Ambassador since 2020. He has developed a statewide Student ILP Ambassador program, as well as contributed to SEL curriculum writing. In his letter to families, he expressed his excitement to work with students and families to increase knowledge of college and career-related opportunities.

SHS Senior, Nettie Hartley, joined the Rhode Island Association of School Principals - RIASP Summer Conference yesterday to be part of their student panel. Nettie did a fantastic job representing Scituate High School and answering questions from Principals across the state. Principal Hassell also joined in on all of the summer conference fun to help host the panel!

Over the summer our HOSA students attended the International Leadership Conference! Students competed in events, were recognized for accomplishments, and took part in workshops. Congratulations to Hailey DeMerchant and Lauren Henault, who received gold level recognition for their work in the Health Literacy Ambassador event and Ella Werbecki, who earned a HOSA scholarship!

During the Grand Awards Ceremony, Valentina Mancini placed in the top 10 of the Clinical Specialty event, and Mr. Wentworth was awarded the Outstanding Local Advisor award!

We are excited to welcome Mr. Quintin Nard as our new Culinary Arts teacher at Scituate High School! A proud graduate of Johnson & Wales University with over a decade of experience in the culinary industry, Mr. Nard brings a wealth of real-world expertise and a passion for education.

He most recently worked as an Admissions Culinary Presenter for JWU, engaging students across the region with hands-on demonstrations and career guidance. Mr. Nard will be working closely with our team as we begin the process of transforming our Family and Consumer Science program into a potential RIDE-approved Culinary Arts pathway. We are thrilled to have him on board!

High school students across Rhode Island now have the ability to enroll in Scituate High School’s new RIDE-approved Childhood Education Academy. Beth Travers, a Scituate middle and high school educator with more than 15 years of teaching experience, has been selected to take the lead on implementing the new Academy that was originally designed and led by SHS educator Jill Morton, who has since retired.

“Jill helped create this program from the ground up and has left us with a strong foundation to build from,” said SHS Principal Michael Hassell. “I’m thrilled to have Beth take the lead, and I’m confident that she will continue to grow the program with the same dedication and purpose. Her deep understanding of coaching and leadership, and her passion for education, make her an ideal candidate for this position.”

The program will follow Educators Rising, a national curriculum that prepares students for careers in teaching through hands-on learning. Students enrolled in the academy will gain real-world exposure through classroom internship experiences where they will observe teachers, build lesson plans, assist with instruction, and create meaningful connections with young learners. The program will also allow students to earn certifications and credentials that support their future career goals. Participants can earn their CPR certification and have the opportunity to take a state assessment that will allow them to become certified and eligible to work in Rhode Island schools as paraprofessionals.

“Education is always evolving, and I’m passionate about helping future educators grow with it,” said Travers. “During the summer, I teach a course at Brown University, where I work with instructors to tailor their teaching practices to the developmental needs of their students. That experience has helped fuel my love for coaching, and I’m looking forward to stepping into this new role at Scituate, where I can continue to guide future educators.”

The program first started as a single high school course titled Working with Children. In recent years, the course gained popularity, with many students expressing a desire for more advanced, career-focused training. The enthusiasm for starting a RIDE-approved childhood education career and technical (CTE) academy at SHS, along with Rhode Island’s need for more trained professionals working in the field of childhood education, helped fuel the program’s transition into a full CTE academy.

Nettie Hartley, an SHS senior who has had a large influence in the implementation of the Childhood Education Academy, explained, “Scituate is great because as students, we don’t just get a voice in what we want to do, we also get to be part of making these things happen.”

During her time at SHS, Hartley has been enrolled in Working with Children courses I, II, and III, and will be part of the first graduating class for the Childhood Education Academy in 2026. After graduating, she plans to continue to pursue her goal to be an early childhood educator.

“Being part of the Working with Children class has been so impactful in helping me decide what I want to do for work in the future,” said Hartley “Last year I worked with second grade students and I loved watching how much they learned and grew from the start to end of the school year – it made me realize that I might want to teach second grade one day.”

Scituate High School is still accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year. Students across Rhode Island who are interested in Childhood Education or exploring one of the other four CTE academies offered at SHS (Biomedical Science, Entrepreneurship, Engineering, or Computer Science) are encouraged to apply. https://hs.scituateschoolsri.net/o/shs/page/cte-pathways