SPS District Newsletter

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Ms. Murphy's Kennedy School 5th grade class has a wonderful problem; they have been inundated with postcards from all over America and the world. They put out a call to their families and friends to send them cards about interesting locations detailing what the sender is seeing and experiencing in those places. Cards have prompted lots of anticipation and exciting conversations in the classroom. Keep the cards coming! Pictured: Ms. Murphy and her students holding postcards.

Local Somerville author and Argenziano parent, RA Dines, visited 6th grades at our schools to talk about her recently-published middle grades adventure novel, How I Hacked the Moon. In her presentation she spoke about computer science and coding, artificial intelligence, and her book. Students were particularly interested in talking about the good and bad aspects of artificial intelligence. Thank you, RA Dines for generously taking the time to visit schools. Pictured: the author in the Argenziano cafetorium.

SHS students in 2D Art Class participated in an exciting unit called Transforming Walls: Impressive Lines. The class started with a library visit and mini lesson on image searching and image citations. Students worked in groups of 4 to transform a wall of the SHS library with an illustrated black and white temporary mural installation. Pictured is one of the murals.

BRUNT Workwear donated 700 pairs of high-quality, brand-new work boots to the SHS Career and Technical Education programs. Students enrolled in the Carpentry, Advanced Manufacturing, Plumbing, HVAC-R, Electrical, Welding, and Automotive programs received a pair of boots. Thank you BRUNT Workwear! Read all about it in the district blog.

Congratulations to Somerville High School Social Studies teacher Beatriz Thomas! She was selected as a Massachusetts Teacher of the Year finalist. Ms. Thomas presented her work through three rounds of review which included completing multiple presentations of her classroom work and interviews with representatives from DESE and the selection committee. We are thrilled to see her impressive work in the classroom being recognized. Pictured: Principal Kersten, Ms. Thomas, Superintendent Carmona.

Congratulations to the educators who earned Professional Teacher Status this year! They were acknowledged at the School committee meeting on September 29. Their dedication to the district and to their craft is admirable and we congratulate them for this career milestone!

Congratulations to 2024–2025 Somerville High School athletics teams athletes, their coaches, and the Athletics Department! The collective seasons earned Somerville High School spot #6 in the Boston Globe's Dalton Division 1 rankings. Dalton Division 1 are Massachusetts schools with over 1400 students. Read more about this exciting achievement in the Globe’s rankings and click on SHS teams for their season statistics. 2024–2025 highlights include Girls Soccer—GBL Champions, Girls Basketball—GBL Champions, Boys Basketball winning Tufts Classic, and Highlanders Football beating Cambridge in the annual backyard football rivalry. (In case anyone is interested, CRLS is ranked 25 spots below SHS in Dalton Div. 1.)

Dear SPS Community,

In this month of giving thanks, we have so much to celebrate. Each day, we welcome our students to safe spaces, offer nourishing meals, and provide the support that students need to grow, thrive, and succeed. That’s the heart of who we are as a community.

This does not stop at the classroom. We make sure students and families can access the resources they need to thrive. Right now, nearly half of our students — 48% — rely on the SNAP program for food assistance. With the government shutdown, that support has been decreased, creating real challenges for families.

In challenging times, it is inspiring to see our community come together with determination and care for others, choosing to take action rather than wait for problems to resolve on their own. School PTAs have stepped up with donation drives. Local organizations have mobilized to support families. And the SFLC is working alongside “Food for Free” to run an extra food market in November and launch a brand-new monthly market at the Healey School in December.

When we come together like this, we’re showing the very best of who we are: a district that cares, that acts, and that refuses to let any student or family fall through the cracks. This is Somerville Public Schools at its finest—and it’s something we can all be thankful for.

With gratitude,

Dr. Rubén Carmona

Superintendent of Schools

Thanks to everyone who took part in the survey and focus groups about the planned new school building in Somerville. The Construction Advisory Group is in the process of deliberating on the survey results so they can prepare a recommendation for the mayor. Feel free to take a look at the survey results here: https://spsbuildings.org/

Any activities listed below are free, unless otherwise indicated.

Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. by appointment only. Make an appointment by calling 617-629-5250 x611550. All services provided for a nominal fee. The Cosmetology Clinic is part of the Somerville High School's innovative Career & Technical Education (CTE) curriculum.

Until November 25. Don't miss the chance to support Next Wave / Full Circle student activities by purchasing a beautiful holiday wreath from the annual sale organized and run by educators and students. Wreaths cost $25 and can be purchased at this order link.

Nutritious breakfast and lunch are free for all students in our schools. Breakfast starts at 8:15 a.m. for prekindergarten students, at 7:30 a.m. for students in grades K–8, and at 7:15 a.m. at Somerville High School and Next Wave / Full Circle. Find the link to daily menus on the Food and Nutrition Services website.

If your family needs a little extra support right now, please find a concise list of food resources on our website. For more complicated issues, please reach out to your child's school liaison to be connected with local services that can assist you.

December 3–12. Families of students in grades K–8 are invited to register for FREE after school clubs at somerville.k12.ma.us/OSTClubs starting on December 3 at 9:00 a.m. Visit the page now to see the types of clubs available from this semester's list.

The City of Somerville wants to learn more about how your child commutes to school. Please consider completing this survey for each of your children: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8WVDCBP

There's a new channel just for the Somerville Highlanders Athletics team games. Check it out and catch up on the action.

Check out the one-page information sheets for families with key contacts for every district school: Argenziano, Brown, Capuano, ESCS, Healey, Kennedy, Winter Hill, WSNS, NWFC, SHS: Elm Community, SHS: Beacon Community, SHS: Highland Community, SHS: Broadway Community Please feel free to reach out with questions to your child's school liaison.

Dates and times for school committee meetings are listed on the SPS district website calendar. Visit the School Committee website for information and find meeting details on the City of Somerville Events page.

Check out this year's district newsletters here: https://somerville.k12.ma.us/newsletter