TPS District Newsletter

Please click the button above to see the 23-24 calendar legend.

As a reminder, Fri., 12/22 is an Early release day. The calendar legend will inform you of early release times at each school.

Then, schools are closed from Mon., 12/25 through Mon., Jan. 1st for December Recess.

Tues., Jan. 2nd is Professional Development for Staff and no school for students.

Wed., Jan. 3rd schools reopen for students.

The Department has partnered with the nonprofit uAspire to provide free support to students and school staff to help seniors complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

For Students: uAspire will offer a FAFSA webinar for students three times: 4:00-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 3; 5:00-6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 30; and 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27. Registration is open online. In addition, FAQs are available in English and Spanish, and more resources are posted on uAspire.org/resources, uaspire.org/Checklist, and uaspire.org/FSAID.

For School Counselors and Staff: School counselors/staff will receive training on the new “Better FAFSA” application. This training will provide them with the opportunity to practice complex scenarios and learn about potential pitfalls. Trainings will happen throughout the year. The next webinars will be:

• FAFSA Completion Part 1: 9:00-10:30 a.m. on Monday, December 11 and
• FAFSA Completion Part 2: 9:00-10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 12

In addition, school staff might be interested in this blog post on “How you can support your students through the new FAFSA.”

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is planning to administer the Next Generation Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (NG MCAS) test for all students in grades 3-10 this Spring. We have identified the planned testing weeks at each grade level with some helpful links (see MCAS Testing Schedule button above). Please note, the specific details in this testing memo may be subject to change if required or necessary.

We are actively preparing for ACCESS testing in the new year. The ACCESS for ELLs Language Proficiency testing window for our EL students opens on January 4 and closes on February 16th. Families can expect to hear from their child’s school regarding specific testing dates in the next couple of weeks. ACCESS testing gives our EL students the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. The results of the assessment help us monitor progress and determine appropriate levels of support.

As a reminder, the Grades 1-4 standards based report cards for the first trimester will be available in Aspen starting on December 15. Please take the time to review your child's achievements and areas for growth as we celebrate their progress throughout this term.

The standards are end of year expectations. In order to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the content covered during each term and to monitor progress throughout the year in English Language Arts and Mathematics, we have broken each standard down into three phases; the expectation at the end of the first term (i.e. term one benchmarks), the expectation at the end of the second term (i.e. term two benchmarks) and the end-of-year expectations (i.e. standard). We believe that this document will serve as a valuable resource for you to engage with your child's learning journey and support their continued success.

The Benchmark Document will accompany your child's report card in Aspen and are available HERE on our district website. You will also find them under the K-4 Standards Based Report Card Information button above. We encourage you to review the Benchmark Document alongside your child's report card to gain insights into their academic achievements and areas of focus.

Should you have any questions or require further clarification regarding the report cards or the Benchmark Document, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher or Assistant Superintendent, Lori McDermott (lmcdermott@tewksbury.k12.ma.us). We are here to assist you in any way possible.

There will not be AlphaBEST childcare sessions during the December break. Childcare programs will be scheduled during the February and April vacations. For more information, please click the button above.

The next Preschool screening will be held on January 26, 2024 at the Heath Brook Elementary School from 10:30-12:00. Click the button above for more information.

We are delighted to announce that kindergarten registrations for the Tewksbury Public Schools will be open from January 16, 2024 through April 26, 2024. To streamline the process families are required to complete online registration paperwork and upload necessary documents, including: Child's birth certificate, current mortgage statement / lease, current utility bill, updated physical and immunization record for the child and parent's photo identification (current driver's license). All this information is mandatory for all families, even if you have previously registered another child. During the registration appointment, you will have the opportunity to select a kindergarten screening appointment date, which will be in May. To provide essential information and guidance, an informational video will be available on our website and local cable access channel starting January 2, 2023. On this date, families can also begin scheduling virtual kindergarten registration appointments, unless an in-person meeting is requested. We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring a smooth registration process for your child's exciting educational journey with Tewksbury Public Schools.

TPS is looking for daily substitute teachers and daily substitute classroom aides for every grade level K-12. The daily substitute pay rate has been increased to:

• $110.00 daily rate for substitute classroom aides (this is a 6-hour 20 minute day)
• $150.00 daily rate for substitute teachers (this is a 7-hour day)

For more information, please click the button above and scroll down for links to the Substitute Application, CORI form and information on Fingerprinting.

All students should sign-up for Athletics and/or Clubs through Community Pass. Community Pass will automatically adjust fees for Family maximum amounts. If you have any questions, please contact your child's school.

Tewksbury Public Schools is now on Facebook!

Website: https://www.tewksbury.k12.ma.us/
Location: 139 Pleasant Street, Tewksbury, MA, USA
Phone: (978) 640-7800