Salem Public Schools
Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed the winter break and that your week was filled with special traditions, laughter and memory-making. We were thrilled to welcome everyone back to school yesterday. Our schools are boring places without our students!
We enter the new year filled with positivity and the promise that our youth will continue to grow as learners, developing the academic, social and emotional skills to thrive. On Monday, many of our students and families celebrate Three Kings Day or Dia de los Reyes. We want to wish a happy holiday to anyone who celebrates what is also known as the Epiphany.
I want to be sure to invite families to attend the Collins Middle School Information Session for incoming 6th graders (current grade 5 students) which is scheduled for this Wednesday, January 8th from 6-8 p.m. at Collins Middle School. Please find informational flyers here: English, Spanish and Portuguese.
We urge you to come check out all the transformative learning happening at our dynamic middle school. Collins is without a doubt a school on the move and it is important for students and families to see it for themselves. There are countless programs and pathways available to students to find and cultivate their passions during the critical developmental years of middle school.
Additionally, I want to make you aware that we now have a way to transparently share our strategic plan progress on our website. A public dashboard can be found here. Please visit the site and let us know if you have any questions about how we are doing relative to our goals. Please note, we plan to translate the site into Spanish and Portuguese over the coming weeks.
Enjoy the upcoming weekend. Stay warm!
Steve
Ms. Castillo builds meaningful relationships with her students and has created a culture where students are empowered and excited to be mathematicians.
‘Instant Design Challenge’ Instills Collaboration, Focus in Collins Middle School Scholars
Medtronic, the healthcare technology giant, needs the help of Collins Middle School students to design surgical 3D glasses to fit surgeons comfortably for long robotic surgical procedures. | Continue Reading
SHS Junior William Towne Named to NAfME Eastern Division All-Eastern Honor Ensemble
The Salem News: Mass Cultural Council awards creative project funding for Salem, Peabody schools
Public schools in Salem and Peabody were recently awarded with grant funding from a state program with $25,000 going towards school-based creative projects for K-12 students. | Continue Reading
The Salem News: Honoring the Salem Education Foundation founders
Thirty years ago in 1994, in the heart of Salem, a small but mighty group of visionaries planted the seeds for what has become one of our city’s most impactful nonprofit organizations — the Salem Education Foundation (SEF). | Continue Reading
Performances are Friday and Saturday, Jan. 17-18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 19 at 2 p.m. at the SHS M. Ruth Norton Auditorium (77 Willson Street, Salem, MA 01790). The run time of this show is 1 hour 30 minutes, and includes a brief intermission. $15 General Admission (at the door)/$12 Presale at SHSonstage.ludus.com. $10 Students, Seniors, and Active Military. $5 student rush tickets will be available to SHS students during lunch the week of the show.
CHICAGO Teen Edition will feature performances by a cast of 26 SHS singers, actors, and dancers, and a pit band with a mix of professional and student musicians. Over 35 students have contributed to the designing, creating, and operation of technical elements (costumes, props, set, lights, and sound), both after school and as part of projects in Technical Theater and CTE classes.
CHICAGO Teen Edition is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
The Salem Public Schools Early Childhood Expo, which showcases kindergarten, pre-kindergarten and preschool programs, will take place Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, and Thursday, Feb. 6, in two capacities.
- The Virtual Town Hall is slated for Wednesday, Jan. 22 from 6:30-8 p.m. | Submit your questions now | Meeting Link
- The Meet and Greet Session is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 6 (5:30-7 p.m.) at the Collins Middle School.
Additionally, SPS families can schedule in-person tours of each school that offers kindergarten, pre-kindergarten and preschool programming – Bates Elementary School, Bentley Innovation Academy, Carlton Innovation School, Horace Mann Laboratory School, Saltonstall School, Witchcraft Heights Elementary School and the Salem Early Childhood Center – from Mar. 3-14.
Eligibility for kindergarten, pre-kindergarten and preschool programs is as follows:
- Kindergarten: Children residing in Salem who will turn FIVE years old on or before Aug. 31 are eligible to start kindergarten in the fall of 2025.
- Pre-Kindergarten: Children residing in Salem who turn FOUR years old on or before Aug. 31 are eligible to enter the lottery for the SPS pre-K program in the fall of 2025.
- Preschool: Children residing in Salem who turn THREE years old on or before Aug. 31 are eligible to enter the lottery for the preschool program at the Salem Early Childhood Center in the fall of 2025.
For more information, contact the SPS Parent Information Center at pic@salemk12.org or telephone (978) 740-1225, or visit salemk12.org/families.
Greeny?
The Earth Saver?
The Hunka Junka Truck?
Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo invites the Salem community to participate in the naming of the Department of Public Services’ brand-new garbage truck. This special vehicle, designed to help keep Salem clean, is ready to hit the streets, and the City needs your input to help decide its name.
Voting is open until Friday, Jan. 31 at 12 p.m. The winning name will be revealed at a ribbon cutting for the truck, where the newly-named garbage truck, displaying its new moniker, will be unveiled.
Happy New Year from Salem Food & Nutrition Services!
As we step into 2025, Salem Food & Nutrition Services is excited to bring you a year of delicious meals, recipe sharing, taste tests, and more. We will be expanding our Farm-to-School work as well as our composting program. As always, we’ll celebrate food holidays, beginning in January with National Soup Month. We can’t wait to kick off the year with a variety of special events and tasty treats.
- Stop Kitchen Showcase
- National Soup Month
- New Spice Bar at Salem High School
ParentSquare is the communication platform for Salem Public Schools. Families receive communication from the district, school, and their student's classroom all in one space. Families can communicate 1-to-1 with teachers, register for parent-teacher conferences, and more.
If you are not receiving messages from ParentSquare or if you are having trouble, contact your school's front office. You can visit www.parentsquare.com for more information.