Tiger Times Superintendent's Update

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High School Newsletter

DMS Counseling Department Newsletter

DHS Counseling Department Spring Newsletter

We’re thrilled to announce that Douglas Public School District is now on Facebook and Instagram!

FACEBOOK LINK HERE!

INSTAGRAM LINK HERE!

DHS Facebook Link

DMS Facebook Link

DES Facebook Link

DPS Facebook Link

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Follow us!👍
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Don’t miss out on all things Douglas—follow us today and be part of our growing online community.

Let’s celebrate the Douglas Tiger spirit together!

Dear Douglas Families,

As we welcome the arrival of spring, we are reminded of the sense of renewal and growth that this season brings. Across Douglas Public Schools, our students and staff continue to demonstrate resilience, curiosity, and a commitment to learning that reflects the very spirit of this time of year.

Spring is an especially busy and important time in our schools. In addition to the many engaging classroom activities, performances, and end-of-year milestones, students will also be participating in MCAS assessments throughout the coming weeks. These assessments provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they have learned and for us to reflect on our instructional practices. We encourage all students to do their best, get a good night’s sleep, and approach each day with confidence.

We are grateful for the continued support of our families and community. Your partnership plays an essential role in the success of our students and the strength of our schools. As the days grow longer and brighter, we encourage everyone to take a moment to enjoy the season and all it has to offer.

Best,

Paul D. Vieira, Ed.D.,

Superintendent of Schools

I am pleased to announce that Amy Plante will be the next Douglas Middle School Principal starting on July 1, 2026.

Amy Plante, is an accomplished educational leader with more than twenty years of experience in teaching, coaching, and school administration. She is known for her collaborative leadership style and strong commitment to inclusive education. Ms. Plante currently serves as Assistant Principal and Dean of Students at Learning Prep, a private 766 school supporting 127 students with learning disabilities and complex educational profiles.

Previously, Ms. Plante worked as an Implementation Specialist with NE Basecamp and at Southbridge High School as an English Language Arts Teacher, Department Head, and Special Education Teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Worcester State College and completed postgraduate studies in education at Fitchburg State College and American International College. She brings a clear, student-centered vision grounded in equity, collaboration, and a strong belief in the potential of every learner.

I am looking forward to seeing where Amy can take our students and staff over the next several years.

The Douglas School Committee will hold an Open Public Budget Hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) School Department Budget on Wednesday, April 8th at 6:30 p.m. The hearing will be called to order during the School Committee meeting in Room C208 at Douglas High School.

Community members are encouraged to attend and learn more about the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. This hearing provides an opportunity for residents, families, and staff to hear about the district’s financial planning and to offer public input before the School Committee finalizes the FY27 budget.

We welcome and value community participation as we continue planning for the needs of Douglas Public Schools and our students.

The Approved 2026-2027 School Year Calendar is also posted on the main District webpage.

Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is continuing to sponsor a free Parenting Solutions Library. MPY is offering this valuable resource in partnership with Peace At Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit organization located in Mansfield, Connecticut. Through this partnership, MPY is providing proven resources to help students’ families thrive.

Peace At Home Parenting Solutions specializes in empowering parents with evidence-based strategies to foster nurturing connections that safeguard their children's mental well-being. The Parenting Solutions Library is easily accessed using the link on MPY’s home page. No log in or passcode is needed.

Some Workshop Offered:

*Protect Your Child's Mental Health

*School Success

*Teen's-How to Support, Inspire, and Connect

Dear Douglas Families,

We have partnered with Care Solace to better connect students, staff and their families to mental health and substance use treatment options in our community. As our mental health partner, you are essential to this effort.

Care Solace provides a personalized pathway to community-based services regardless of need or insurance coverage. Our school community can contact their multilingual Care Companion™ team at any time 24/7/365 to quickly find options in the community matched to their needs.

As Care Solace helps connect students, staff, and their families to care, you may receive calls from them. In order to ensure your information is as up-to-date as possible with practice information and communication preferences, become a Care Solace Verified Provider. This way, you can maintain your profile information and update it as needed. Care Solace will never charge you for your provider profile or any referrals. Their goal is to positively impact more lives by helping individuals connect with providers like you.

Please visit caresolace.org/provider-faq or reach out to Care Solace at providers@caresolace.org with any questions about their services and how they work with local providers. We encourage you to share this information with other mental health and substance use treatment providers to expand support options available to our community.

Tuesday was a very special day!

The Primary School also celebrated St. Patrick's Day!!!

Watch out for those little leprechauns!!!🍀

We’re excited to share that our Spring After-School Enrichment Program will be starting soon! These activities offer students a wonderful opportunity to explore new interests, build skills, and have fun after the school day ends.

🗓 Program Dates: April 6, 2026 – June 1, 2026
🕑 Time: 2:00–3:00 PM (once per week for 8 weeks)
📌 Registration Deadline: April 3, 2026

A catalog of enrichment options is included below for you to review with your child. An email has also been sent directly to students with this information.

View the full enrichment offerings here:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAHDd8GqXpU/WZswXkN8dO5gKlOTDglsvg/view?utm_content=DAHDd8GqXpU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h5fa80b9ef3

Please note the following important details:

Classes meet once a week for 8 weeks; any cancellations due to holidays or weather will be made up

Cost is $50 per class (some classes may require an additional materials fee)

Checks should be made payable to the Town of Douglas

Registration forms must be completed and submitted with payment

Completed forms and payment should be placed in a sealed envelope labeled DMS Enrichment & Student Name and returned to the Main Office

Paper registration forms are available in the Main Office and from Ms. Avedian

Sign-ups are first come, first served.

Each class requires a minimum of 10 students to run.

If there is not enough interest and no second choice is selected, a refund will be issued.

Additional reminders:

Please complete one form per child per enrichment

Parents/guardians are responsible for prompt pick-up at 3:00 PM at the main entrance (unless the student has permission to walk home)

We encourage families to review the options together and submit registration as soon as possible if your child is interested.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Kayla Avedian at kavedian@douglasps.net.

We’re looking forward to a fun and engaging enrichment season!

Best,
Ms. Avedian

Wednesday the High School held a presentation on Mental Health Awareness.

Thank you, Nora and Stonewall for your participation today.

Please check out Tigers Path, a guide for middle school students and their families to explore the many opportunities at Douglas High School.

Inside, you’ll find information about academic courses, sports teams, and extracurricular activities that help students learn, grow, and discover their passions.

This guide is designed to support your transition to high school and to help you plan a path that fits your interests, goals, and talents.

It can be a major decision whether your student is deciding to attend a vocational school or traditional high school after Middle School. For students trying to decide between these two educational paths, the choice often comes down to your skills, interests, and what you want to do after graduating. Please take a look at what the Douglas High School has to offer.

High schools play a crucial role in shaping the academic and personal development of students. They provide a broad academic foundation, a college preparatory focus, and a range of extracurricular activities to enhance students’ overall growth.

Douglas High School offers advanced placement (AP) courses and college-level classes, allowing motivated students to earn college credits while still in high school. Additionally, Douglas High School provides guidance and support in the college application process, helping students navigate through the complexities of college admissions.

Time & Location:

Mar 29, 2026, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

The Barn at Blackstone National,

227 Putnam Hill Rd, Sutton, MA 01590, USA

Join us for a magical breakfast with Elsa! Ticket includes breakfast, singing and dancing games, & a photo op with the ice queen herself! The Ice Queen will be joining us for some songs and dances while your kids enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet! Escape the winter blues and experience the magic of the Barn at Blackstone.

For more information and to purchase tickets please use this link:

https://www.thebarnatblackstonenational.com/event-details/breakfast-with-elsa

📖🐶

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The Douglas SEPAC strives to promote communication and programs within the community to encourage greater understanding, acceptance, and inclusion of children with disabilities and to encourage an atmosphere of mutual respect among all students, families, school staff, and the community at large.

What is a SEPAC?

A SEPAC is a Special Education Advisory Council. Every public school district in Massachusetts is required to establish a SEPAC. Massachusetts state law assigns both an advisory and a participatory function to SEPACs and membership is offered to all parents/guardians of children with disabilities and other interested parties. The foundational role of a SEPAC is to work in partnership with the school on matters of special education.

What Do We Do?

• Collaborate with administrators and the school committee on special education programming and policies within the Douglas Public Schools district.
• Provide resources, workshops, and information on events related to special education and other relevant topics.
• Promote a network for parents of children with disabilities and provide a forum to share information and discuss matters of relative interest and concern regarding our children.
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Follow Us

Interested in learning more about the Douglas SEPAC? Visit us on Facebook to view upcoming events and meetings and to find out what's happening.

Contact Us

Contact the Douglas SEPAC by sending an email message to douglassepac@gmail.com

Douglas Public Schools has Custodial and Cafeteria Worker job opportunities available (Regular positions and Substitute positions). Please apply on SchoolSpring.com.

If you are interested in applying as a substitute cafeteria worker please email the Food Service Director- Alison O'Rourke, aorourke@douglasps.net for more information!

We are currently recruiting for open positions and would love to hear from you. Apply online at: SchoolSpring.com. Your application will require a CORI check, which can be done through DPS in our Central Office and a SAFIS fingerprint background check, which will need to be completed at one of many local Indentogo facilities.

The Douglas Public Schools welcomes your interest as a substitute teacher and/or paraprofessional. Our substitute teachers and paraprofessionals play an important role in the day-to-day operation of our school system we look forward to having you become an important part of our students’ learning experience.

We need Substitute School Nurses! Join the DPS Health and Human Services Team as a Substitute School Nurse to support the health and well-being of the Douglas Public School students. Substitute School Nurses work as needed, with a minimum commitment.

Apply to be a School Nurse

Mental health and substance use crisis services in Massachusetts are now covered for everyone, with or without insurance!

If you're in crisis and want immediate support, call or visit a Community Behavioral Health Center and get the care you need — no insurance required.

Visit mass.gov/CBHCs to learn more.

You know mental health matters. But you may not know where to go for help. Now, you have options:

- Call or text 833-773-2445 and work with a trained clinician or peer coach to get connected directly to the right services for you.

- Walk into a Community Behavioral Health Center (CBHC) and access immediate mental health crisis support, no insurance needed.

Learn more at mass.gov/BHroadmap.

To view the document and updates from the Douglas School Committee visit: https://www.douglasps.net/page/school-committee

Hello Families and Caregivers,

Attached are some free resources for families and caregivers as you partner with us during your student's educational journey through the Douglas Public Schools. We hope you find these resources helpful and useful.

Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, provides families with trusted, research-based resources to help support children’s learning and well-being at home. Their videos, games, and activities are designed to help parents and caregivers build early reading and math skills, encourage kindness and emotional growth, and support healthy routines. Sesame Workshop also offers guidance on talking with children about big feelings and real-life challenges, helping families feel confident supporting their children’s development every day.

https://sesameworkshop.org/

National Center for Families Learning (NCFL)

The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families as their child’s first and most important teachers. NCFL provides programs and resources that help parents and caregivers support learning at home, build children’s reading and math skills, and strengthen family engagement in education. Their work focuses on helping families learn together, creating positive learning routines, and supporting children’s success both in school and in everyday life.

https://familieslearning.org/webinars/

Learning opportunities for family support professionals

The Massachusetts Home Visiting Initiative has collected this selection of virtual courses, trainings and webinar series for family support professionals, providing opportunities to refresh their skills and broaden their knowledge.

Learning opportunities

• Children's Safety Network: Webinar archives. You may view either the PowerPoint presentations as PDFs or you may watch the full recording by clicking "audio presentation."

• Children’s Trust: Online Resources For Family Support Professionals

• ECLKC: Head Start Heals Campaign focuses on healing and addresses topics such as resilience, recovery, how to incorporate mental health consultation effectively, how to address challenging behaviors, and ways to have difficult conversations with families.

• HRSA: The MCH Navigator is a centralized portal for pursuing continuous learning in maternal and child health (MCH) and is designed to help emerging and established MCH professionals and students map professional growth pathways.

• NAEYC: Virtual Institute, Beginning June 1. Free. Six weeks of newly recorded presentations to support your professional development. The Virtual Institute is open to anyone who is interested in some of the latest research and best practices in early childhood education.

• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Strengthening family resilience and coping with traumatic stress webinars: Family Resilience, Family Resilience and Traumatic Stress: A Guide for Mental Health Providers, Child Trauma, Race, and Urban Identity, Complex Trauma: In Urban African American Children, Youth, and Families, Building Resiliency: Supporting Youth Affected by Trauma and Community Violence

• New England Public Health Training Center, a wide range of training programs and services that strengthen the public health workforce. New Offerings: Systems Thinking, Story Telling for Public Health, and Holding Effective Meetings.

• SAMHSA: Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, podcasts and webinars

• Start Early, trainings designed specifically with the needs of home visitors and supervisors in mind. Developed by home visitors for home visitors. Applicable across all national models.

• The Institute for Family Support Professionals: Rapid Response Virtual Home Visiting, multiple recorded webinars, including: Home Visiting Models and COVID 19 Response, Virtual Visit Readiness, Engaging Families in Virtual Visits: A Protective Factors' Approach, Screening in Virtual Visits, Using ASQ-3 in a Virtual Environment

• U of CA, Berkley: The Science of Happiness. The first MOOC to teach positive psychology. Learn science-based principles and practices for a happy, meaningful life.

Youth Outreach Program

The mission of the Youth Outreach Program is to encourage children from all socio-economic backgrounds to play together, develop friendships and to develop a sense of fair play, team spirit, and cooperation in a safe and supervised environment. The vision of the Youth Outreach Program is to provide these fundamental opportunities to disadvantaged youth in the Blackstone Valley and Southern Worcester County, ultimately strengthening communities, one individual and one family at a time, by focusing on the five core values that are education, personal well-being, meaningful relationships, creativity, and recreation.

https://www.whitincommunitycenter.com/our-community/youth-outreach/

Southern Worcester County Family Guide Community Resources for Parents, Caregivers, and Families

Southern Worcester County Family Guide

Keep Connected

Keep Connected focuses on strengthening families through stronger relationships. These free downloads for families are designed to encourage conversation and time together so that families can more intentional in their relationships as kids grow up.

https://keepconnected.searchinstitute.org/free-downloads/

The Incredible Years

The Incredible Years offers a variety of evidence-based early intervention programs for parents, teachers, early childhood educators, counselors, and other professionals who work with children ages 0-12. Backed by over 40 years of research and facilitated by experienced group leaders in schools and mental health centers worldwide, our curriculum provides professionals and families with the skills they need to promote social-emotional learning (SEL), academic skills, and positive behavioral outcomes of children across various cultures and socioeconomic groups.

https://www.incredibleyears.com/

Big Future

Free college search and planning tool from the College Board. Helps families explore colleges, understand admissions, estimate costs, and compare schools.

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/

College Admissions for Parents

Free checklists, planning templates, interview prep, extracurricular trackers, and more tools for organizing the college search and application process.

https://www.collegeadmissionsforparents.com/

Early College Planning Night. March 25 at the high school.

AI for Beginners – HP LIFE

A free online course that covers core AI concepts and how AI is changing work and daily life. This is geared toward complete beginners

https://www.life-global.org/course/391-ai-for-beginners?utm_source

AI Literacy for Parents (Dedicated Resource)

A site focused on helping parents understand how AI impacts learning, development, risks, and ethical considerations when kids use these tools

https://ailiteracyforparents.com/?utm_source

The Blue Print for Student Success is our version of a Strategic Plan. This is a living and breathing document that guides our decision making and is our plan to move the district forward and ensure that our students succeed at a high level. Click here to view the 25-26 Blue Print.

Website: www.douglasps.net

Address: 21 Davis St. Douglas, MA 01516

Phone Number: 508.476.7901