SPS Weekly Newsletter

This week's header photo features Stoughton High seniors Monday morning before they left SHS to walk down to the O'Donnell Middle School and then head to their elementary schools for the annual Senior Walk!

After we return from the holiday weekend, we start the final few weeks of the school year with many end of the year events and celebrations coming up. Next Thursday, May 29, is the Stoughton High Prom. The Stoughton Police Department recently shared some prom safety tips in this video and also posted a letter with the Stoughton OASIS Coalition about making healthy choices this prom and graduation season. This letter specifically details the social host law and how it is illegal for anyone to knowingly allow someone under 21 to possess or consume alcohol on their property. I want to reiterate these messages from our community partners and I encourage you to watch the video and read the letter. There are lots of reasons to celebrate over the next few weeks, but let’s do so responsibly and safely, adults and students alike.

As I mentioned at the top of my message, this is a holiday weekend. Memorial Day is often called the “unofficial start to summer”. But the holiday, which takes place Monday, May 26 this year, has a much deeper meaning than that. You may have heard the saying “all gave some, some gave all” when expressing gratitude for the sacrifices our veterans have made. On Memorial Day, we remember those who “gave all” and didn’t return home, making the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. The service members we honor on Memorial Day are the reason we enjoy the freedoms we have today. I’ll be reflecting on that this weekend.

I hope you have a relaxing weekend with family and friends and spend some time thinking about the meaning of Memorial Day.

Sincerely,

Joseph F. Baeta, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Stoughton Public Schools

One of the highlights from this past week was undoubtedly the annual Stoughton High Senior Walk! Seniors, dressed in their caps and gowns, walked down to the O'Donnell Middle School Monday morning and spent some time there before boarding buses to visit their elementary schools. It was a chance for the seniors to see their former teachers (as well as the current students who cheered them on) as they marched through the halls one last time before graduating from the Stoughton Public Schools! Photos of the SHS seniors posing in front of the OMS and in front of each elementary school building are posted below. Many, many more photos have been/will be shared on the Stoughton Public Schools Facebook page!

O'Donnell Middle School - Photo by Suzanne Jolley

Dawe Elementary School - Photo by Coline Fajarillo

Gibbons Elementary School - Photo by Britney Ricci of Britney Marie Photography

Hansen Elementary School - Photo by Jeffrey Pickette

South Elementary School - Photo by Suzanne Jolley

Wilkins (West) Elementary School - Photo by Jillian Falcione

One day they're heading off for the first day of kindergarten and in the blink of an eye they're ready to graduate high school. This video created during the Senior Walk on Monday captures this sentiment. Current kindergarteners at the South School walk through a "time machine" and come out as seniors - the former South School Sharks who were back to visit their elementary school on Monday. South School teachers Sherri Russell and Nicole Kalianiotis came up with the idea and pulled it off with the help of South colleagues Jess Kumar and Suzanne Jolley. Thanks to Suzanne Jolley for putting together this video!

The final visit in this year's Spring Author Series took place earlier this week with author and illustrator Peter Reynolds visiting the Gibbons School on Monday. He is pictured with some of the students (above) and staff (below) in attendance.

Students from all of our elementary schools had the opportunity to attend engaging and fun presentations with local children's authors over the past four Mondays as part of our Spring Author Series. Each student in attendance also received a free copy of one of the author’s books to take home at each event.

Thank you to Eileen Sprague, Director of Elementary Curriculum, for organizing this series and thank you to the SPS elementary staff who assisted at each event! And of course, a special thanks to the authors who took part this year - Raul the Third, Marietta Apollonio, David Biedrzycki, and Peter Reynolds.

The Stoughton High softball team beat Oliver Ames 14-2 on Wednesday to improve to 12-7 on the season. With the win, the Black Knights clinched a share of the Hockomock League Davenport Division title with Foxboro! This is the first time since 2005 that the softball team won a regular season league title. Congratulations!

The Stoughton High girls tennis team has qualified for the playoffs! Tournament brackets were released on Friday and SHS is the 29th seed in the MIAA Division 2 State Tournament and will host 36th seed Grafton in a preliminary round matchup on Wednesday, May 28 at 3pm at the SHS tennis courts. Let's go Black Knights!

Spring concerts continued this week, with two band concerts for the middle school, as well as some elementary school concerts for younger students at the South and Gibbons. We are looking forward to the rest of the elementary spring concerts coming up over the next couple of weeks!

Below is a photo from the O'Donnell Middle School's 6th grade band concert on Thursday. The concert ended with both 6th grade bands combining to play a song. There were more than 100 students on stage!

The Stoughton High Spring Chorus Concert, held last week, ended with a fantastic rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by the SHS Combined Choirs. You can watch this performance by clicking here.

Students in Ms. Carter’s class at the Jones Early Childhood Center celebrated their Stoughton spirit by wearing black and orange on Wednesday!

The Stoughton High Athletic Hall of Fame held an induction ceremony last week honoring the following Stoughton High graduates/coaches:

• Carol Savino (Class of 1962) - field hockey, basketball, softball
• Kevin Connolly (Class of 1972) - football and wrestling
• Dave Barbato (Class of 1980) - cross country and track
• Ryan LaCasse (Class of 2001) - football and track
• Andrea Chica (Class of 2012) volleyball, cheerleading, track, swimming, and tennis
• Charlie Green (Coach) - cross country and track

Congratulations to the 2025 Stoughton High Athletic Hall of Fame inductees!

SHS boys hockey coach Dan Mark, a SHS Athletic Hall of Fame inductee and a Hall of Fame committee member, presented each inductee with their plaque.

(Photo courtesy of John Carabatsos.)

There is no school on Monday, May 26 in observance of Memorial Day. Stoughton is holding its annual Memorial Day parade and ceremonies Monday morning, which features our Stoughton High Marching Black Knights. There are also two memorial square dedications Monday afternoon. And, on Saturday, May 24, veterans' graves will be reflagged. Please see the flyer below for more details:

Bus registration is now open for next school year. The registration form is available on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Students entering grades K-12 next school year are eligible to apply.

The cost to ride the bus is $375 per student with a family cap of $750.

The deadline to apply is June 17, 2025.

For more information, click here.

Registration is open for Stoughton Public Schools summer programs that are fee-based. This includes a theatre program for elementary/middle school students* and one for high school students, as well as athletics programs for high schoolers. Please click here for more information. The deadline to sign up is June 13, 2025.

* Please note the elementary/middle school theatre program is on a waiting list.

Please note that Thursday, May 22 was the last day for late buses for the OMS & SHS this school year.

The Stoughton OASIS Coalition, in partnership with the Stoughton Public Schools, is offering a virtual positive parenting workshop titled "Supporting Your Teen's Social & Emotional Connections" on Tuesday, May 27 from 6:30-8pm. Click here to register and to receive the Zoom link.

The following is a message from the Stoughton Equal Opportunity Committee (SEOC) and Juneteenth Committee Members:

Come join us at this year's 2025 Juneteenth celebration. This year’s theme:

A Day of Recognition: Forgotten Female Veterans!

Throughout the years women played a significant role in our country's defense. Listen to ‘Courage Under Fire’ by Brigadier General Andrea Gayle-Bennett DMSc, PA-C, Deputy Secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans’ Service and hear the experiences of other female veterans who helped to shape America’s future. We will pay tribute to our forgotten female WWII troop Six Triple Eight, the only U.S. Women’s Army Corps unit of color, and their contributions to the United States.

Live performances include Stoughton High School’s Jazz Combo, the Mean River Blues Band, and X-CLUSIVE Step Dancers.

Other activities include Youth Olympics for ages under 12, gaming for teens and tweens, and Mind, Body & Service breakout sessions by the Red Cross, professional massage therapist, ayoga instructor and more. Food and drinks will be offered through the services of food trucks and vendors.

Let's celebrate 2025 Juneteenth and honor those who sacrificed for us!

Did you know that Stoughton Public Schools has partnered with Care Solace to support the well-being of students, staff, and their family members? Care Solace is a complimentary and confidential care coordination service that can help you quickly find mental health, social services, or substance use treatment options matched to your needs, regardless of circumstance.

• Call: 888-515-0595 (available 24/7/365 with multilingual support)
• Visit: caresolace.com/stoughtonschools to search or click “Book Appointment”.

For updates throughout the week, be sure to follow Stoughton Public Schools on social media: