SPS Weekly Newsletter

We are excited to share the latest edition of the SPS Weekly Newsletter with our families, students, staff, and community members! A new edition will be sent each week when school is in session, sharing updates, previewing upcoming events, and showcasing the amazing work being done in our schools. This week we feature Dr. Baeta's weekly message, first day of preschool/kindergarten photos, SHS fall sports captains, remembering 9/11, and more!

This week's featured photo: The Stoughton High fall sports captains are pictured here Monday morning before departing for the Hockomock League Fall Sports Captains Conference at Mass Premier Courts in Foxboro. This was a great opportunity for our SHS captains to interact with other Hockomock League student-athletes. Workshops at the conference included topics like leadership, sports psychology, peak performance training, media training, and working with officials. For more updates about the Black Knights this fall season, follow the Stoughton High School Athletics Facebook page.

New for this school year, Stoughton Public Schools will have its own Climate Action Working Committee and I am looking for SPS staff, as well as parents/guardians, students, and community members to take part. This working committee will meet regularly to discuss environmentally-friendly initiatives for the District to pursue over the next three years and bring these recommendations to the School Committee for approval. This includes (but is not limited to):

• Promoting compliance of the state’s anti-idling law.

• Working toward developing the infrastructure and charging stations necessary to support electric vehicles.

• Advocating for adding recycling receptacles next to trash cans at our schools in both classrooms and public areas.

• Promoting composting at our schools.

• Promoting bicycle and pedestrian connectivity along school zones.

Our goal, simply, is to promote environmentally sustainable practices – reduce, reuse, recycle.

The Climate Action Working Committee will be comprised of:

• The Superintendent of Schools

• Director of Facilities and Grounds

• Director of Food Services

• A secondary administrator

• An elementary principal

• 3 faculty/staff members

• 1 School Committee member

• At least 2 parents

• At least 2 students

• At least 1 community member

Meetings will be held on the first Monday of each month from 3:45-4:45pm, starting on October 6, 2025. The meetings will be a mix of in-person and virtual formats.

If you are interested in joining this working committee, please email Kathy Lanzarotto in the Superintendent’s Office at k_lanzarotto@stoughtonschools.org by no later than September 29, 2025.

I am looking forward to the many positive outcomes that can result from this working committee and hope you consider volunteering for it.

Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Joseph F. Baeta, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Stoughton Public Schools

On Monday we welcomed our preschool and kindergarten students. Here are some pictures from their first day of school! The slide changes every few seconds.

We are excited about the new wheelchair accessible swing at the Gibbons School! Our students (and Principal Mr. Guglia) love it!

Thursday marked the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and our schools marked the day with moments of silence and lessons about 9/11.

The O'Donnell Middle School held a 9/11 remembrance program throughout the week. Mrs. Caitlin Valair, Social Studies Head Teacher at OMS, created the 9/11 Knight Time advisory lessons, slides, and a teacher guide that was given to all staff to use with grades 6-8. After the OMS Knightly News morning announcements, the Knight Time slides and corresponding activities focused on what happened, who we should honor, and why we should never forget 9/11. The interactive lessons included video clips, quote analysis, reflections, and class discussions. As a closing activity, students were encouraged to participate in Patriot Day by writing thank you cards to first responders, which will be delivered to the Stoughton Police and Stoughton Fire departments.

On September 11th, OMS also participated in the National Moment of Remembrance. At 8:46 a.m. 8th grade student Mila Smith read a statement, written by Mrs. Valair, over the loudspeaker to identify the significance of the time, then asked all students and staff to participate in a moment of silence. Representative of the Knight Time themes, the statement ended with “We will never forget this tragic day, nor the resilience and spirit Americans showed in the aftermath of the attack.”

OMS students are pictured here with the thank you cards they made.

Our elementary schools, O'Donnell Middle School, and Stoughton High School are all holding back to school nights next week. The schedule can be found below. Your individual school will be providing more details about to expect at these events.

If you have not already opted in to receive text messages from the District and your school, you will receive a message from BrightArrow, Stoughton Public Schools’ communication platform, on Monday, September 15.

This SMS/text message will allow you to opt in to receive important District/school updates, emergency alerts, and other public information. (If you have already opted in to receive our text messages you will not receive this message.)

• To opt in at any time, reply "YES" to 79041.

• To opt out at any time, reply "STOP."

Thank you for staying informed!

The Stoughton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) deeply values the dedication of our educators and the meaningful impact they have on students with diverse learning needs. The SEPAC created The Bright Knight Awards to recognize these educators. The SEPAC invites parents of children with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan to nominate one staff member who has made a significant difference—someone who has built a strong connection with your child, supported their growth, and helped them access and enjoy their education to the fullest.

Nominations are now open for the past 2024-2025 school year! The deadline for nominations is Friday, September 26, 2025.

Please complete the Google Form and share a brief explanation of why you are nominating this staff member.

Recipients will be recognized at a SEPAC fall meeting, where each honoree will be publicly thanked and presented with a Certificate of Appreciation. Portions of nominations may be read during the awards ceremony.

Please note that each parent may nominate only one staff member. A maximum of two staff members per school will be selected each year.

Join Stoughton OASIS for some parenting tips and tools for helping your children develop healthy screen time habits. The workshop takes place Wednesday, September 17 from 5:30-7pm at the Stoughton YMCA. Questions? Email: spatton@stoughton-ma.gov.

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: