The Jacobs Journal
October 2, 2025
A Note from the Principal
Week 6, Day 25/180
This week, grades 1–3 spent time in the garden and had some great hands-on experiences. Our first graders planted radishes, second graders planted cilantro and harvested other herbs like mint, and third graders planted kale and lettuce while harvesting potatoes. These activities not only connect students with nature but also give them a sense of ownership and excitement about seeing their hard work grow and flourish.
On Monday, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released last year’s MCAS scores. Former Jacobs principal and now Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Christine Cappadona, and I were honored to be invited and attend a small press event hosted by Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Pedro Martinez in recognition of the Jacobs School’s accomplishment.
Out of 1,817 schools across the Commonwealth, only 63 districts were recognized for returning to pre-pandemic achievement levels in grades 3–8. The Jacobs School was one of just 22 schools to achieve this milestone in English Language Arts (ELA), placing us among only 1.2% of schools in Massachusetts to earn this distinction.
It was an honor to represent our talented teachers, hardworking students, and dedicated families at the event. MCAS results will be mailed home next week. While DESE had originally planned to release scores through a new Parent Portal, that plan has been paused for now.
Don't forget, tomorrow is a Spirit Day assembly for all JES students. Students are encouraged to wear their Blue & Gold!
Looking ahead, next week is Fire Prevention Week. Prek-5 students will be engaged in lessons and activities that highlight fire safety both at school and at home. More information will be shared in next week’s Blue Notes.
-Mr. Shaw
Email Reminder
Our New Domain: ...@hullpublicschools.us
Hull Public Schools have officially transitioned to Google for all staff email communication. Please note that any messages sent to the old Outlook domain (@town.hull.ma.us) will not be received by staff. All Hull Public Schools email addresses now end with the domain @hullpublicschools.us. In most cases, the full email address will be the person's first initial and last name, followed by @hullpublicschools.us. (If we ever hired John Doe, his email address would be jdoe@hullpublicschools.us )
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Mark Your Calendar!
Oct 8 - PTO Meeting @7PM
Oct 13 - Indigenous People's Day, no school
Oct 24 - School Picture Make-Up/Retake Day
Oct 29 - 11:55 Dismissal
Send Us Your RAD Photos!
We'll Put Them On The Big Screen!
Send RAD Photos of your Pirates having fun in their Core Value T-Shirts or School Colors (Blue & Gold!) to lrajan@hullpublicschools.us and we'll add them to the slide show at our monthly assembly! Kids loving seeing themselves and their friends on the big screen!