Superintendent's Friday Message
August 8, 2025
Dear MPS Families and Caregivers,
My name is Dr. Suzanne B. Galusi, and I am the interim Superintendent for the Medford Public Schools. Every Friday (or last day of a holiday week) you will receive my weekly newsletter that highlights news across the district, recognizes student and staff achievement, previews exciting events happening in our greater Medford community and more. For our new families reading for the first time - welcome to Medford! To our entire Mustang family - we are looking forward to educating your children for another great year!
I hope you have been able to take time this summer to relax and enjoy the summer break. Whether you have been able to get away, enjoy a good book, or lay by the pool, the summer time gives us all a bit of a breather from the busy school year.
Our schools have not been completely quiet though. We've been fortunate to host many summer programs into our buildings, while extensive construction work has been accomplished at the Andrews and McGlynn school complexes.
We also had the fantastic opportunity to see many familiar faces this week at National Night Out! Thank you to the Medford Police Department for organizing such a welcoming community event. Special shout out to those who successfully dunked Principal Tucci, Principal O'Brien, and Principal Skane in the dunk tank!
Sincerely,
Dr. Suzanne B. Galusi
Beginning this upcoming school year, the length of the school day has been extended by 15 minutes across MPS. This change to the daily schedule will have many benefits to students at every grade level, and we are beyond excited to provide these opportunities to students.
Among the many advantages of the new schedule, there will be full symmetry between Medford High School and our Vocational Program. Students at the secondary level will have wider access to more course selections, including "Challenge" courses at the Middle School allowing students to explore core content in unique ways. Additionally, elementary students will see more time dedicated to learning with their classroom-based teachers.
As a result of this change, school arrival and dismissal times have been altered across our eight schools. Visit Here to view the arrival and dismissal times for students this upcoming school year.
To help in the transition for Kindergarten students and families, the MPS Transportation department will be hosting a “Touch-A-Bus” event at each of our four elementary schools on Tuesday, August 19! Alongside school leaders and our district transportation partner at Eastern Bus, join us for the opportunity to meet new families, go over bus expectations, and have your child learn how to ride the bus!
Each school’s “Touch-A-Bus” will take place in front of their school’s main entrance on Tuesday, August 19. Visit Here to find the schedule for when your school’s Touch-A-Bus will be taking place on Tuesday.
Additionally, If you have not signed up your child yet for bus transportation yet for the 2025/26 school year, please email transportation@medford.k12.ma.us as soon as possible. Please include the student's name, grade level, school, and home address. Visit our Bus Information page on our website to learn more.
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: 10/1/2025. 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.
Ahead of the fall sports season, our MPS Athletic Department is excited to announce tryout dates for our Medford High School Sports teams! Visit Here to see the listed dates and times for High School sports. Middle School sports team tryouts are expected to take place after Labor Day. Athletes must be registered via Arbiter & medically cleared in order to tryout. Please note that registration will close on Monday, August 11 at 12 p.m. and nurses will be checking physicals that week, so please submit them your school nurses.
Additionally, over the summer we were thrilled to hire Mr. Robert O'Leary as the district's new Athletic Director! With over 25 years experience working in education and 15 as years as an Athletic Director, O’Leary will oversee the operations and coordination of the Medford Public Schools Athletics & Community Schools program. This includes both Middle School and High School sports. Visit Here for the full release.