Superintendent's Friday Message
August 21, 2026
Dear MPS Families and Caregivers,
We are less than two weeks away from the first day of school! Wednesday, September 2, is the First Day of School for Students in Grades 1-12 and our Project Transition Program. Our Medford Early Education Program begins on Tuesday, September 8, and Kindergarten begins on Wednesday, September 9. Arrival & dismissal times for the 2026/27 school year can be found on the district website.
Earlier this week, I was joined by district leaders and administrators at our annual Administrator summer workshops. Through team building exercises, collaborative workshops and examination of student data, our work centered on this year's district theme of Belonging Through. Thank you to the AC Hotel Boston North for their generosity in hosting us! We truly value the community partnership and hospitality shown to our team this week.
Before sharing further district updates, I am delighted to share that seven of our schools were recently awarded the America’s Healthiest School distinction by the National children’s health organization Alliance for a Healthier Generation! The annual award program recognizes schools for implementing evidence-based policies and practices to support academic success and lifelong well-being. All seven MPS Schools were recognized for Enriching Health Education, while Medford High School also earned a distinction for Promoting Tobacco-Free Schools.
Sincerely,
Dr. Suzanne B. Galusi
Next Tuesday, August 25 at 6:30 p.m., there will be a meeting of the MHS School Building Committee hosted on Zoom. While the full agenda can be found here, notable agenda topics include:
- Review options for Medford Community Media, Community Meeting & Community Rental Spaces
- Determine the Auditorium Size (500, 750, 800, or 1000 seats)
- Review project adjacencies & related efficiencies: Health, PE, Art, Music, Drama & Lab Spaces (non-CTE)
Members of the public are invited to speak on agenda items during the meeting. It can also be viewed live on Medford Community Media and the MPS YouTube channel.
To learn more about the project and see upcoming events, please visit https://medfordhsproject.com/. Additionally, community members can stay informed on the project by signing up for the project mailing list.
Elementary
Earlier today, all of our elementary schools released their class lists for the 2026/27 school year. Class lists are organized by student's LASID numbers, the same numbers students use when getting lunch or breakfast in the cafeteria (they can also be found on report cards). If you or your child do not know their LASID number, please contact your school principal or administrative assistant.
On Monday, all Grade 4 & 5 families received an email about accessing the MCAS Family portal to view their child's preliminary Spring 2026 MCAS scores. A small number of families received the wrong portal code due to an unintentional spreadsheet error, but no identifiable student information was erroneously shared. Affected families immediately received a correct code later on Monday afternoon, and we thank you for your patience while district staff worked to correct the issue. If you have any questions about accessing your MCAS Family portal registration code, please contact schoolbrains@medford.k12.ma.us.
Middle School
The SchoolBrains portal opened on Monday, August 17th for Grade 6-8 students and families. Students and families have the ability to view their schedule for the 1st quarter and see information about how to access the MCAS Family Portal. We kindly ask for patience to allow our school staff members to correct any schedule errors.
Grade 6 parents and caregivers should have received an email to log onto SchoolBrains for the first time last week as well. For Grade 6 students and families - if you do not receive this email for SchoolBrains credentials please contact schoolbrains@medford.k12.ma.us.
High School
While information about the MCAS Family portal went live on SchoolBrains earlier this week, schedules with homeroom assignments will be available to review early next week.
If any students need to meet with school counselors to adjust their schedules, they will be available to meet with students Aug. 25 - 27 from 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Medford High School. Grade 9 and transfer students will also receive a copy of their schedules at MHS Orientation next Thursday, August 27.
MPS Bus Safety Reminders
Safety First for School Passengers
E-Bike Safety & Shared Responsibility
Medications in School:
In accordance with Massachusetts law and the Department of Public Health, the following guidelines must be upheld regarding medications in schools:
Students are not allowed to carry their own medications to school, unless for emergency purposes (EpiPens, inhalers) and the primary care provider has written a letter that has been provided to the school nurse. This includes over-the-counter medications such as Lactaid, Tylenol, Motrin, cough drops, etc.
Medications need to be brought to the school nurse by an adult. Students cannot bring their own medications to the school nurse for administration.
All medications brought to the nurse need to be accompanied by a Medication Order Form signed by the health care provider and a Parent/Guardian Authorization Form. The school nurse cannot administer medications without both of these forms on file in the nursing office.
Medications should be provided to the school nurse in the original bottle. The prescription label needs to be readable with the student’s name and the specifics of the medication included. Over-the-counter medication should be in the original manufacturer's bottle.
Immunizations:
If you are notified by the school nurse that your child is missing required school immunizations, the date for exclusion from school is: 10/1/2026. If you need help getting immunizations, please contact your school nurse.
Updating the School Nurse About Injuries:
Any injuries sustained over the summer or at home that may impact your child’s school day or participation in recess/physical education classes should be reported to the school nurse. Students requiring activity restrictions or mobility devices (crutches, wheelchairs) will need to provide a doctor’s note for use in school.
Stop by Medford City Hall on Monday, August 24 from 5-7 p.m. for the Medford Back to School Resource Fair! Thank you to the Medford Community Engagement Team for their support in helping families ahead of the new school year.
There will be many other community resources and opportunities at the fair for families, including scheduling a doctor's appointment, finding a primary care provider, vaccines for students and teenagers, assistance with MassHealth, and more. MPS staff members will also be present to welcome families and share information about our schools.
Also this weekend, the Mutual Aid for Medford and Somerville will be hosting a free clothing drive this Saturday, August 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free clothing will be available for students of all ages from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the East Somerville Community School.
Run Medford returns to our Medford community next month for another exciting weekend hosted by former Medford resident Dave McGillivray. The annual event for all ages reflects Dave's passion for running and commitment to our community; proceeds for the event are spread evenly across our school PTO's!
The two-day event begins Friday, September 25 at Hormel Stadium with the Kids Fun Run for children ages 6-12 at 5:15 p.m. Saturday morning will host even more races, including the High School Mile, the 5k race, the 10k race, and the 2-mile walk. Post-race festivities begin later in the morning at 8:30 a.m. with refreshments, music and food for all!
Register Here for any of the exciting races during the 2026 Run Medford weekend.