SPS Weekly Newsletter

This week's header photo features the group of Stoughton Public Schools 5th graders who attended our 5th Grade Explorers Academy at Curry College in Milton over April vacation. This three-day immersive experience gave 5th graders the chance to explore math, science, humanities, and social-emotional learning in a college setting! Led by Curry College faculty and students, the students participated in a number of hands-on activities and engaging experiments, while receiving a unique glimpse into college life.

I hope you enjoyed the April break and that the first week back from vacation went well. We are in the stretch run of the school year and this week I want to go over two items that fall under the category of planning ahead for this summer and for next school year.

Bus registration for the 2025-2026 school year will begin at 4pm on Monday, May 5. The deadline to submit an application will be the last day of school, Tuesday, June 17. No applications will be accepted after this date.

The School Committee voted to bring back the bus fees for the 2025-2026 school year. The cost to ride the bus is $375 per student with a family cap of $750. Families that are eligible for free or reduced lunch or are Direct Certified will have the bus fee waived.

Bus applications will be processed in the order they are received. There are limited seats and we cannot guarantee all students that meet the deadline will be placed on a bus. Please note that parents must complete a bus application EVERY YEAR for EACH CHILD. Students are not automatically placed on a bus for the following year.

Massachusetts General Law requires school departments to provide transportation for any student in Grades K-6 who live more than 2 miles from their assigned school. If your student is planning on taking the bus, you still MUST complete a bus application, even if you live more than 2 miles from your school.

Parents/guardians will access the bus application form through the PowerSchool Parent Portal starting at 4pm on May 5. Further information/instructions will be sent to families on Monday when registration officially opens.

We will also be holding a bus registration night on Thursday, May 8 from 6-8 pm at the Stoughton High cafeteria. This event is for any family looking for assistance with the bus registration process. Translation services will be available.

Facing the realities of additional strains on the budget and no longer having ESSER COVID relief funds available, summer programming isn’t able to be as robust as it has been in recent years. This summer, students will be able to register for the following programs:

Theatre Program - Elementary and Middle School

For students entering grades 3-8

Fee: $300

Production: Newsies Jr.

Enrollment: Limited to 45 students

Dates: July 7-24

Time: 8:30am to 12:30pm

Location: Stoughton High School

Performances: July 24 & 25

Theatre Program - High School

For students entering grades 9-12

Fee: $250

Production: Sweeney Todd School Edition

Enrollment: Limited to 20 students (audition only)

Dates: July 7 - August 1

Time: 9am to 2:30pm

Location: Stoughton High School

Performances: August 1 & 2

Athletics - Strength Program

For students entering grades 9-12

Fee: $20

Enrollment: Limited to 25 students per session

Dates: Mondays & Wednesdays from July 7 - July 30

Time: 7-8am (session 1) and 8:15-9:15am (session 2)

Location: Stoughton High School weight room

Athletics - Conditioning Program

For students entering grades 9-12

Fee: $20

Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays from July 8 - July 31

Time: 9-10am

Location: Stoughton High School turf field

Athletics - Volleyball Clinic

For students entering grades 9-12

Fee: $20

Enrollment: Limited to 50 students

Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays from July 8 - July 31

Time: 9-10am

Location: Stoughton High School gymnasium

Credit Recovery

For students entering grades 6-12

Fee: $275 per class for SPS students or $300 per class for non-SPS students

Dates: July 7 - August 1

Time: 8:30am - 1:30pm

Location: Stoughton High School

Registration for these programs will open the week of May 12 and the deadline to sign up will be June 13. More information will be sent to families when registration opens.

We will also be offering Extended School Year programs for students in preschool - grade 12. These programs are by invitation for students with Special Education services and will take place July 7 - August 1 at the Dawe Elementary School and Stoughton High School. There is no fee to attend.

Additionally, we will be offering programs for English Language Learners Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from July 8-31 for recommended students entering grades 6-12 and Mondays-Fridays from August 11-22 for newcomer students entering grades K-2. These programs are by invitation for students receiving ELL services. There is no fee to attend. The ELL programs are grant funded.

Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Joseph F. Baeta, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Stoughton Public Schools

We held a Health and Wellness Fair on Wednesday at Stoughton High in partnership with the Stoughton OASIS Coalition. High school and middle school students and their families attended the fair, having the chance to interact with more than 20 organizations/vendors who shared important and helpful information about a variety of topics like mental health, substance misuse prevention, sleep health, brain health, mediating conflict, and healthy physical activity. Comfort dogs were on hand for students (and families) to interact with and there were also food trucks set up outside the high school which were a popular attraction!

Stoughton High seniors celebrated "Decision Day" on May 1, wearing gear showing their plans for after graduation, including college, military, or entering the workforce. Seniors gathered for a class picture to mark the occasion and also had the opportunity to pin where they are going to college/military/work on a map.

The Stoughton High chapter of the National Art Honor Society held an induction ceremony on Tuesday night. The National Art Honor Society recognizes students who have shown an outstanding ability and interest in art. The program supports members in their efforts to attain the highest standards in art scholarship, character, and service, and to bring art education to the attention of the school and community. Congratulations to the new inductees and returning members!

The Wilkins School held its annual Community Math Day on Wednesday. Special guests from the Stoughton community visited classrooms at the Wilkins to read a math-themed book to the students and then help the students with a math-based activity. Cassandra Faria is pictured here visiting Mrs. Faria's kindergarten classroom to read "Grandma's Tiny House" and complete a fun math activity with the students. Cassandra is a 2018 Stoughton High School graduate and is a medical assistant who is currently enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program at Northeastern University. Cassandra was very excited to return to the Stoughton community and share her love of reading and math with the kindergarten students!

The School Committee welcomed Dawe School Principal Rob Cancellieri to its meeting on Tuesday to honor him for being named the 2025 Massachusetts School Administrators' Association (MSAA) Elementary School Principal of the Year. Check out our last newsletter for more coverage of this special honor for Mr. Cancellieri.

The Stoughton High Tuesday Jazz Band will be performing this Sunday, May 4 at the Hatch Shell at the Charles River Esplanade in Boston. Stoughton is scheduled to perform at 11:20am. This performance is part of the MAJE (Massachusetts Association for Jazz Education) Gold Medal Showcase featuring gold medal winning high school jazz groups. Spectators are encouraged to park in the Boston Common Garage and walk down Beacon St. to the Hatch Shell.

Join us for the next visit in the Stoughton Public Schools Spring Author Series! Students from all of our elementary schools are invited to attend these engaging and fun author presentations.

• Monday, May 5 at the South - Marietta Apollonio
  
  
• Monday, May 12 at the Hansen - David Biedrzycki
  
  
• Monday, May 19 at the Gibbons - Peter Reynolds
  
  

All events are from 5-6pm. The first 75 families at each event will receive a free copy of one of the author’s books. (Please keep in mind that food will not be provided at these events.) Please fill out this Google form to let us know if you plan on attending.

Get ready to "ease on down the road" when the Stoughton High Theatre Program presents its spring musical, The Wiz! Performances take place next weekend in the SHS Auditorium:

• Friday, May 9 at 7pm
• Saturday, May 10 at 7pm
• Sunday, May 11 at 3pm

General admission is $15. Tickets for students/seniors are $10. You can purchase tickets at the door, or in advance online.

Can't wait for this show!

Attention families looking to register for next school year:

The pre-registration portal for preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1-12 for the 2025-2026 school year is open. More information and the link to the pre-registration forms can be found by clicking here.

Please keep in mind:

• Preschool students must be 3 or 4 years of age by August 31, 2025 and be toilet trained. Pre-registration does not guarantee a spot in the preschool program as there are limited spots available.
  
  
• For kindergarten, children must be 5 years old by August 31, 2025. Any student currently attending the Jones Early Childhood Center for preschool that will be entering kindergarten in the fall must still register for kindergarten.
  
  
• Students only need to register for grades 1-12 if they do not currently attend the Stoughton Public Schools.

Did you know that Stoughton Public Schools has partnered with Care Solace to support the well-being of students, staff, and their family members? Care Solace is a complimentary and confidential care coordination service that can help you quickly find mental health, social services, or substance use treatment options matched to your needs, regardless of circumstance.

• Call: 888-515-0595 (available 24/7/365 with multilingual support)
• Visit: caresolace.com/stoughtonschools to search or click “Book Appointment”.

For updates throughout the week, be sure to follow Stoughton Public Schools on social media: