MERSD Newsletter

Superintendent's Update

As we wrap up Teacher Appreciation Week, I want to take a moment to recognize and thank our teachers for the incredible work they do each day on behalf of our students and families.

Our teachers bring professionalism, dedication, expertise, and compassion to their work every day. Their commitment to supporting students academically, socially, and emotionally has a lasting impact on the lives of our children and on the strength of our schools and community.

I am grateful for all that our teachers do to support students throughout their individual journeys and for the important role they play in the success of our schools and community.

Essex Elementary School Building Project Update

Where We Are in the Process

The project continues to move forward through the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Feasibility Study phase. Over the past several months, the Essex School Building Committee has been working closely with our project team to evaluate a full range of options, including renovation, addition/renovation, and new construction.

This phase of the process is focused on identifying the most cost-effective and educationally appropriate long-term solution for the District.

Preferred Schematic Design

Following extensive analysis, discussion, and community input, the School Building Committee voted unanimously to recommend Option A2.2F as the preferred schematic design for further development.

Option A2.2F was selected because it represents the most complete and cost-effective long-term solution while fully supporting the District’s educational program. Key features of the preferred option include:

What’s Next

Schematic Design is the phase where the project really starts to take shape.

At this stage, the district works with its architects, project managers, and the MSBA to turn the preferred option into a detailed early design. This includes developing:

The overall layout of the building and site
Floor plans and room locations
Key features like traffic flow, safety, and accessibility
A more refined project cost estimate and timeline

This phase results in a comprehensive submission to the MSBA that defines the project’s scope, budget, and schedule in enough detail for both the state and the community to evaluate it. The community uses this information to make informed decisions about funding.

Looking Ahead

We will continue to keep the community informed as the project advances and encourage ongoing participation in this process. We encourage community members to stay engaged and join us at upcoming project meetings:

Thursday, June 4th at 6:00 PM
Tuesday, August 25th at 6:00 PM
📍 Essex Elementary School

We will continue to share updates and opportunities for input as this work moves forward.

Thank you for your continued support.

For more information, including meeting materials and project documents, please watch our Essex Elementary School Building Project Overview Video or visit the Essex Elementary Building project website.

Curriculum

AI Family Supports

In our continued effort to build our community understanding about Artificial Intelligence (AI), this month we are sharing a video and link from ConnectSafely to a post about Parents and Teens perspectives about AI and potential conversations starters for families to use to talk about it with their children.

We invite you to review our current working draft of our MERSD Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidelines. The goal is to provide guidance and supports for our community as we learn and grow in this fast-paced technology change.

Manchester Essex Regional School District Awarded Grant to Support Inquiry-Based Learning

MERSD is pleased to announce that we received a grant from the One8 Foundation. $34,900 will be awarded to MERSD over three years to benefit the district's history/social science programming. The grant will strengthen and expand our inquiry-based history and social science programming across multiple grade levels. Funding will support the strengthening of the Investigating History curriculum in grades 5-7 and introduce the program in grades 3-4 at both elementary schools.

View our news page to read more: https://www.mersd.org/mersd-news

Visual & Performing Arts

MERHS

Art Exhibit - May 7 to May 13 - MS/HS Main Hallway

MERMS

An Evening of Art & Music/Spring Concert - May 14/6:00PM - MS/HS Learning Commons

Art Exhibit - May 14 to May 19 - MS/HS Main Hallway

EES/MMES

An Evening of Art & Music/Spring Concert - May 21/6:00PM - MS/HS Auditorium

Art Exhibit - May 21 to May 28 - MS/HS Main Hallway

Spaulding Education Fund

Help recognize an MERSD teacher, staff member, or coach who made a difference this year by awarding them a Golden Hornet, while supporting Spaulding Education Fund at the same time. Think of the teachers who inspired our students, the coaches who pushed our athletes, the staff members who supported our families. Let’s say thank you with a Golden Hornet!

With your $10 donation to Spaulding Education Fund, your Golden Hornet honoree will receive a Golden Hornet pin, a personalized dedication badge, and a certificate reflecting your words of gratitude. Donations are used to fund future Spaulding grants to MERSD faculty, staff, and students.

Golden Hornets can be dedicated online starting May 4 until May 27, and will be available ON-SITE from Wed May 20 through Fri May 22 at the Middle/High School entrance from 7:10 - 7:50 am, as well as at the HS Awards Night on May 20. In-person payment can be with cash or Venmo.

Thank you for your support and for recognizing the wonderful people who make MERSD a wonderful place!

MERHS Graduation

🎓Manchester Essex Regional High School Graduation Ceremony will be held on May 29, 4:00 PM, at Hyland Athletic Field and will be live-streamed HERE on 1623 Studios.