SPS Weekly Newsletter

This week's header photo features South School kindergarteners standing in front of their school's marquee which reads "THANK YOU STOUGHTON!!". The message on the marquee went up after Stoughton voters approved a ballot question to fund a new elementary school building in town. When the new elementary school building is scheduled to open in the fall of 2028, the kindergarteners pictured here will be in 4th grade!

My newsletter message this week is simple - I want to thank Stoughton voters for approving the ballot question to fund a new elementary school building in town. This affirmative vote officially gives the green light for a new elementary school to be built. There were spirited debates along the way, but as a town we have once again shown the willingness to invest in education and prioritize our children. This is a winning formula and this decision in particular will have positive benefits for years to come.

In many ways the ballot question passing feels like a culminating event, but this is really the beginning of the next phase of the building project. There is still much work to be done. Over the course of the next several months, the project team will prepare for the start of construction, including hiring a construction team. Construction is expected to begin next year, with a new building ready to open in the fall of 2028. And we will be working to redistrict our elementary neighborhoods as we get ready to go from five elementary buildings to four when the new building opens.

We will share further details about the next steps for this project in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, this is an opportunity to celebrate a victory for Stoughton students.

Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Joseph F. Baeta, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Stoughton Public Schools

As part of the April 8, 2025 Town Election in Stoughton, voters approved a ballot question to fund a new elementary school building in town. The ballot question passed 2824 to 2208, based on official results from the Town Clerk's Office.

We want to recognize Katherine Weiss and Lindsey Kreckler for serving on the School Committee for the past three years. Weiss served as Chair of the Committee for the past two years and Kreckler served as Vice Chair for the past year. Neither ran for reelection.

Weiss and Kreckler are both pictured here with State Representative Ted Philips, who presented them with citations from the State House at a recent School Committee meeting.

Congratulations and thank you for your dedication to our students, families, and staff!

Last Friday, the Stoughton High Concert Chorus and Symphonic Choir traveled to Norwood with Ms. Mawn and Mr. Weigel to represent SHS at the MICCA State Festival, hosted by the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association. Both groups received Excellent ratings, earning Silver Medals for their outstanding performances! Congratulations!

The Stoughton High Concert Chorus with their silver medal plaque.

The Stoughton High Symphonic Choir with their silver medal plaque.

Last Saturday was all about jazz! The Stoughton High Jazz Voices and SHS Tuesday Jazz Band headed to UMass Amherst with Mr. Weigel and Mr. Wang to take part in the 27th Annual UMass Amherst High School Jazz Festival. It was a full day of clinics, masterclasses, and incredible music.

The Tuesday Jazz Band had the incredible honor of being selected out of 17 other competing groups to open for the concert featuring world-renowned jazz musician Etienne Charles!

We’re also thrilled to share that SHS junior Azalea Torres and SHS sophomore Nicolas Uchani received $660 scholarships for their outstanding performances with Jazz Voices and Tuesday Jazz Band!

Congratulations to all our amazing student musicians - you continue to make us proud! Keep up the amazing work!

Stoughton Public Schools second grade students recently learned about medication safety thanks to a program run by the Stoughton OASIS Coalition, in collaboration with the Stoughton Public Schools and Stoughton Police Department. Each elementary school had a presentation that provided second graders with four important tips for being safe around medications: only take medication from a trusted adult; never share your medicine; keep medicine in its original container; and always store medicine in a safe place.

During these presentations, students heard from their school nurse, along with experts in the field like Stephanie Patton, the Prevention Coordinator for the Town of Stoughton/OASIS Coalition; Danielle Gallan, Director of Health Services for the Stoughton Public Schools; School Resource Officer Lindsay Bonda from the Stoughton Police Department; and Animal Control Officer Michelle Carlos and her comfort dog Quill.

One of the activities at the O’Donnell Middle School’s Knight of Excellence on Thursday was a drum circle. Families and students (and even OMS staff) could participate under the direction of OMS music teachers Betty Bauman-Field and Bethany Sulecki. Enjoy this clip with Dr. Bauman-Field here:

More photos and video from the OMS Knight of Excellence will be shared on the Stoughton Public Schools Facebook page.

The Stoughton High softball team is undefeated to start the season (5-0 following Thursday's win over Milford) and is outscoring opponents 73-9 through five games. Julia Monaghan, a junior, is one of the big reasons for the team's hot start, making contributions both hitting and pitching. She was named the HockomockSports.com Player of the Week for her efforts! Congratulations!

Julia is pictured above (photo from Hockomock Sports). To read the Player of the Week feature, click here.

To see a schedule of when the Stoughton High spring sports teams are in action and to see more updates from the other spring sports teams, click on the buttons below:

The Stoughton School Committee will be meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in the conference room at the SPS District Office, 31 Pierce St. The public portion of the meeting starts at 7pm. An agenda for the meeting can be found by clicking here.

There is a virtual meeting of the Stoughton ELPAC (English Learner Parent Advisory Council) on Wednesday, April 16 at 6pm. Click here to join the meeting.

To view a meeting agenda, click here.

The Stoughton SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) is hosting a workshop next Thursday, April 17 at 6pm. The title of the workshop is "The Challenges of Being Autistic 'Bright and Verbal' - A Personal Perspective". You can attend in-person (Room A216 at Stoughton High) or attend virtually via Zoom (click here).

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.

The Stoughton Public Library is holding a poetry contest as part of the Stoughton Reads Together Program. Students are being asked to write a poem to celebrate friendship and exploration, themes of Stoughton Reads Together! 2025 and its children's book companion The Ship in the Window by Travis Jonker. Children's poems will be displayed in the children's room of the library.

The Town Wide Beautification Day is coming up on Saturday, April 12! Volunteers are needed to help out! This is a great activity to get students involved in. Click here for more information and to register to help!

The Smart Recycling Guide can also be found in Portuguese, Haitian Creole, and Spanish.

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: