Salem Public Schools

SPS families,

As part of our district’s strategic plan, we are committed to elevating the voices of students to tap into their funds of knowledge and prepare them to take action and lead. I have also set this as my professional goal as part of my annual evaluation process with the School Committee. It is essential that we find additional ways to learn from the experiences of our youth to ensure that our system is working for them. As part of this effort, my future visitations to schools will include listening sessions and conversations with students around their learning, engagement, and relationships with peers and adults.

Additionally, this week, we launched a high school equity advisory board (for students at Salem High School, Salem Prep or New Liberty) to ensure that as an educational system we live up to our core values. We want student voice and perspective to help us to address barriers that are getting in the way of all students finding success across the Salem Public Schools. Members are expected to attend monthly 90-minute meetings in person or virtually. Meetings will be scheduled either for the last block of the school day or in the evenings following club and athletic commitments to accommodate students. Students participating will gain significant benefits such as:

• Influencing key decisions and impact student life for the better

• Participating in leadership training

• Strengthening resumé and college/job applications

• Receiving a certificate of completion and a $100 gift card (contingent upon attending 80 percent of meetings)

The deadline to apply is Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. Please encourage your high school student, relative and/or neighbor to apply!

Apply Now

Finally, we hope that you can join us for our virtual budget forum on Tuesday evening, Feb. 13, from 5:00-6:30. PASSCODE: 941018. Come share your thoughts and ideas on how resources are allocated for the upcoming school year.

Join the Virtual Forum (Passcode: 941018)

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.

In honor of School Counselor Week, this week's rockstar award goes to Ms. Heather Mercier, School Adjustment Counselor at Collins Middle School. With her dual licensure as a school guidance counselor and school adjustment counselor, Ms. Mercier utilizes her expertise to uplift students in myriad ways. From spearheading the Positive Events Team at Collins—fostering a healthy and supportive school environment for middle schoolers—to her dedication to counseling individual students and vigilantly tracking their progress towards success, Ms. Mercier advocates for every student's well-being and achievements. For over 18 years, Ms. Mercier has been a steadfast counselor in our district, impacting the lives of thousands of students and collaborating with hundreds of colleagues. We extend our gratitude to Ms. Mercier for her unwavering dedication to Collins Middle School and the broader Salem community.

CBS Boston Meteorologist Jacob Wycoff visited Salem Prep High School and New Liberty Innovation School Thursday, Feb. 1, for Salem Prep’s Career Spotlight Series where he discussed his career path. Each Thursday, Salem Prep students engage in the Career Spotlight Series, in which guest speakers in many careers appear and inform students how they arrived at a particular career.

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Following a successful virtual town hall on Thursday, Jan. 18, the 2024 Salem Public Schools Early Childhood Education Expo Meet and Greet drew more than 100 visitors Thursday night at the Collins Middle School. We encourage families who weren’t able to attend either event to visit our Early Learning Programs and Registration and Parent Information Center pages on our website, which contain several helpful resources.

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SPS Family Engagement and Parent Information Center will hold public onsite enrollment opportunities at several locations to help families enroll their children for the 2024-25. The sessions are open to families of students entering pre-K or kindergarten.

The Salem School Building Committee will hold its monthly meeting Thursday, Feb. 15 at the Salem High School IMC/Library (6:30-8 p.m.). The meeting is open to the public.

To view minutes, video and agendas from previous meetings, visit the Salem School Building Committee website.

View Feb. 15 Agenda | SBC Website

The 'Art as Activism' Poster Contest is seeking high school students to design posters to urge peers to vote on Election Day this November. The top entries will be displayed at The Cabot, Beverly City Hall, Beverly Arts Fest and other venues. Students are allowed to enter 1-3 submissions before the deadline of Apr. 14.

Find Out More

Register Now

Registration for Salem's Adult Career Technical Initiative Program is open. Our hands-on, 12-week program is offered at no cost. Building Property Maintenance and Automotive Technology trainings begin Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. Classes are scheduled Monday-Thursday from 5-9 p.m. To enroll, individuals must meet the specified requirements through MassHire. For more information, contact: jstonge@salemk12.org

Register Now | Visit MassHire Salem

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.

Welcome to the Virtual Backpack. This is a space where we will place items that in the past may have been a flyer in your student's backpack from friends and partners to SPS.

• Pre-K spaces still available for remainder of 2023-24
• Salem Little League Baseball and Softball (Closes Feb. 28)
• Witch City Soccer Spring 2024 Season (Closes Mar. 31)

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.