Salem Public Schools
SPS families,
Welcome back from April vacation!
During break, I had an amazing experience in the Dominican Republic with 5 colleagues from SPS. We learned a great deal about an educational system that shapes the way that many of our students and their families think about school. We made important inroads with the country's educational leaders both in K-12 and higher education that will help to inform more culturally responsive curriculum development, educator recruitment opportunities and stronger family engagement. As an example, we discovered that the country's curriculum is open sourced and can be easily accessed for every grade level and content area. These readily available resources can be immensely helpful in providing culturally responsive text/lessons to use with students and to understand what recent arrivals were learning prior to coming to Salem. It is my sincerest hope that educators will participate as part of future exchanges.
Additionally, earlier today the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released official graduation rate and dropout rate data for schools from the 2022-23 school year. We are pleased to share that Salem (across all 3 high schools) had its highest 4-year graduation rate since 2017-18 at 80.6% and its lowest dropout rate of 2.8% since the 2015-16 school year. While we are still not at our strategic goals of a graduation rate of 88% and a dropout rate of 2%, we are making important progress towards our north star. Special thanks to our staff, students and their families for the hard work to ensure that all of our students graduate with their diploma (and so many other credentials, certificates and credits). All the home visits, academic interventions, counseling sessions, phone calls and afterschool supports have gone a long way towards ensuring our students' success. I'm looking forward to continued and sustained improvement.
Have a great weekend!
Steve
At Salem Public Schools, we are recognizing one staff member a week who exemplifies our core values of celebrating differences, facilitating collaboration, fostering innovation, creating equity and access, growing all students, and upholding high standards for all. We are surprising a deserving SPS team member with a rock star trophy.
The rockstar award this week goes to Ms. Deborah Foley, paraprofessional at the Early Childhood Center (ECC). Ms. Foley has worked for Salem Public Schools for 30 years and almost all of them have been at the ECC. She comes into school each day (she has had almost 100% attendance over 30 years) with a positive attitude and a can-do approach. Without being asked she takes on extra responsibilities that help to improve the student experience. On the days that are more challenging, and she is asked to do the impossible, her response is a consistent "Don't worry, we've got this." It is an honor to recognize Ms. Foley with this week's rockstar award.
- THE SALEM NEWS: Curtin Call: Salem standout piling up the goals for improving Witches | Apr. 25, 2024
- THE SALEM NEWS: Pace, precision make Fenerty the ace for Salem | Apr. 24, 2024
- VIEW GALLERY: Learning Area, Perimeter and Volume at Vacation Academy | Apr. 21, 2024
- Salem High School CTE Receives $20,000 Gift from Angela’s Preschool and Daycare | Apr. 19, 2024
- WBUR Radio Boston: Superintendent Dr. Stephen Zrike discusses budget challenges ahead of the 2024-25 school year | Apr. 16, 2024
There is still time for college-bound students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and apply to colleges for the fall. This year's new FAFSA has been challenging for many people, but, with a historic amount of financial aid on the table, the form is worth the effort. Recently, the Department of Higher Education extended the priority deadline for MASSGrant applications until July 1 in recognition of this year’s challenges.
The Salem School Committee will vote on the recommended FY25 budget on Monday, April 29, 2024 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Chambers (Rm. 227) at Collins Middle School and will also be available via Zoom using the link in the calendar posting. We hope you will join us.
The Salem High School SHS CTE Medical Assisting students and the American Red Cross of Massachusetts are partnering to host their second annual blood drive Friday, May 3 (8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.) at the SHS Auditorium. The drive is open to staff, students and the community who are encouraged to donate.
Register Now | Confirm Eligibility & FAQs | Tips for a Successful Donation
The Salem High School Volleyball Program is hosting its Community Volleyball Tournament Saturday, June 15 (8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.) at the SHS Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse.
- All funds benefit the SHS Volleyball Team's preseason trip to Roanoke, Va.
- Players aged 14 and older are invited to participate; teams must consist of 6-8 members
- Tournament format consists of a women's bracket and co-ed bracket.
- Registration fee of $150
The Tournament will have a concession stand, Witches Volleyball gear for sale, as well as raffles items.
Register Now | Visit Tournament Page
For more information, contact the SHS Volleyball coaching staff: salemwitchesvolleyball@gmail.com.
Join Cartwheel and guest speaker Chris Smith, LCSW, Tuesday, May 7 (7:30-8:30 p.m.) to learn practical tips and scripts for how to speak with kids and teens about mental health topics, including suicide prevention. We'll discuss how to break down communication barriers and let your child know that you're available to support them.
We have received inquiries and questions about summer school programming in the Salem Public Schools. We are pleased to share that, in collaboration with our community partners, we will have approximately the same number of summer programs and seats as last summer. Our school-based teams are currently working to sign-up students who would benefit most from the summer offerings.
Historically, this happens before we open up the programming more widely. That being said, if you are interested in learning more about our Salem Public Schools or community offerings, please reach out to the City Connects coordinators at each K-8 school and the guidance departments at our three high school campuses. We want as many of our students to be connected to citywide programs as possible.
Salem Public Schools is pleased to announce the availability of COVID test kits at all our schools' main offices and health offices. If you require a test kit, kindly contact your school nurse or main office to coordinate pickup. It is important to note that we do not have an in-school testing program. In the event of illness, students will be sent home, and families have the option to conduct COVID testing at home. Please refer to our sick-day guidelines on the district website or consult your school nurse before deciding whether to send your child to school. Your cooperation in maintaining a safe environment for all is greatly appreciated.
A reminder that ParentSquare is the district platform for communication. You will receive communication from the district, your school, and your student's classroom all in one space. You can communicate 1-to-1 with teachers, sign up for parent-teacher conferences, and more.
This is the primary communication platform for all Salem Public Schools. All messages and alerts come through ParentSquare and the app makes 1-to-1 communication with your student's teachers and signing up for guardian/student conferences a breeze. 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.