NPS Engage News

Wednesday, Jan. 15: Early Release Day All Schools/Middle School Conferences

Monday, Jan. 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Schools Closed | All are welcome at the MLK Day event held at NHS

Tuesday, Jan. 21: FY26 Potential Budget Override: Public Forum #1 at Morse Institute Library, 7-8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 23: Natick 101 All About the School Committee: Community Senior Center Great Room - 117 E. Central St.

Wednesday, Feb. 5: Early Release Day

February 17-21: February Vacation - Schools Closed

School dismissal times are listed online. Please update your dismissal plans as needed.

Dear NPS Families and Caregivers,

I would like to formally invite you to Natick’s 20th Annual MLK Day Community Celebration, scheduled for Monday, January 20 at Natick High School.

MLK Day is commemorated in many ways, including acts of service. In January and throughout the year, we are reminded of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s commitment to racial justice, to serving others, and to strengthening communities. It’s fitting that we are featuring the amazing student-led group ServeNatick in this issue.

One of the ServeNatick students’ primary goals is to make connections while benefiting the wider Natick community. Their assistance with increasing acts of community service has not only benefited NHS student volunteers, but adult volunteers as well. Cheers to this impressive team of young leaders!

Dr. King once declared in a speech in Montgomery, Alabama, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?’” His words continue to resonate deeply with me, prompting reflection on their meaning and how they align with my own choices. It was through this reflection that I personally recognized the need to shift careers midlife and dedicate myself to education—a field rooted in service to others. I hope to see you at the MLK Day event on the 20th.

-Dr. Melissa Spash

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As many of you have seen in the news, based on the outcomes of the election on November 5, MCAS will no longer be a graduation requirement for the Class of 2025. While it is no longer a requirement for graduation per DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education), it is still a federal and state mandate that our students participate in MCAS. Resources on the DESE website, linked here, indicate that testing matters to ensure that all schools in the Commonwealth continue to provide learning environments where all students in Massachusetts, especially students in marginalized groups, will have equitable opportunities to excel in all content areas across all grades. MCAS testing allows Natick and Massachusetts to ensure we are providing equitable access and opportunities for all students while helping us identify gaps in instruction or curriculum. This enables us to intervene and make necessary adjustments effectively.

It is also important to note that for the students in the graduating class of 2025, students must meet a Competency Determination in order to graduate, which has historically been fulfilled through the MCAS. Students who have not yet met this requirement will work with their guidance counselor and the administrators at Natick High to develop a personalized plan for graduation. DESE has tasked each district with establishing Competency Determination requirements for graduation. Natick High School is actively developing these requirements and will provide additional details soon for future graduating classes. Information about Competency Determination will be included in the Natick High School Student Handbook, as outlined in this relevant School Committee policy.

It is also important to note that we will continue to offer make ups for the MCAS as many students use the MCAS exams for scholarship opportunities and these scholarships are continuing to be offered.

As you may know, Natick Public Schools are continuously evaluating our current curriculums so that we can ensure that we have the best, more up to date and research-based materials and practices possible. We try to evaluate our curriculums for each content on a regular cycle of approximately every six years.

This year we are beginning our audit of our literacy curriculum PK-grade 12. Through that process, we will be following the DESE’s (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) IMplement MA process for evaluating our current practices and materials and researching other materials to select the best materials for our students. Their process can be found at their website linked here. Through this process, we have established a curriculum council of administrators, classroom teachers, literacy coaches and specialists, special educators and multilingual educators to help us determine what our instructional vision is and what materials we need to meet the needs of all learners in our district. We have attached our draft timeline here. We are also looking for caregivers to provide input in the work. We will be developing surveys for our families to provide us with their thoughts on the current curriculum and what they are looking for as we move forward in the process. If you are interested in supporting the district by serving on the curriculum council as a parent/caregiver, please complete this form or email Sue Balboni, Assistant Superintendent, at sbalboni@natickps.org.

We look forward to hearing from you! If you are currently unable to participate, there will be a survey coming in the near future for you to provide your feedback on the literacy curriculum and thoughts for next steps.

Visit the FY26 Potential Budget Override dedicated webpage to keep up to date to stay informed today and throughout the weeks ahead.

Sign-up for alerts and receive updates on meeting notices, financial documents & more.

• Go to: https://www.natickma.gov/list.aspx?ListID=550 to receive regular updates. (Scroll down to the bottom of the webpage.)

Submit "Q&A Tool" questions & receive official responses from Town & NPS staff. (Responses will be published weekly, see the FY26 Potential Budget Override dedicated webpage for details.)

Tuesday, Jan. 21: ATTEND the FY26 Potential Budget Override: Public Forum #1 held at the Morse Institute Library from 7-8:30 p.m.at the Morse Institute Library

Attend the Natick 101 session all about the School Committee

DATE: Thursday 1/23/25

TIME: 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Set up: A hybrid meeting with an option that works for you!

Option 1 - **VENUE CHANGE** Community Senior Center Great Room (117 East Central Street)

-or-

Option 2 - Live streamed on YouTube. Visit https://bit.ly/N101-YouTube on January 23rd!

Read more about this meeting series: https://natickma.gov/2144/19666/Natick-101-Sessions

In preparation for Natick 101, you're invited to peruse the online School Committee resources.

Pictured are (L-R) NHS Juniors and ServeNatick Founders Kabir Anand (President), Phineas Rando (Secretary) and Cameron Bernard (Treasurer).

NATICK IS HOME to dozens of nonprofit organizations in need of support, and like most schools across the Commonwealth, Natick High requires students to complete community service hours before graduating. Surprisingly, connecting NHS students with volunteer opportunities has been a challenge. That’s where ServeNatick comes in. The students who founded ServeNatick recognized this gap and have become a vital part of the solution.

Less than five years ago, the now 11th grade ServeNatick founders Kabir Anand (President), Cameron Bernard (Treasurer), and Phineas Rando (Secretary) were learning online during Covid. They first had fleeting exposure to the details surrounding the NHS community service requirement during an online meeting in 8th grade. In fall 2023, they realized that they were somewhat disconnected from the community they had all lived in their whole lives, they desired to do something bigger than themselves and, yes, they needed to continue to log more community service hours.

When he started learning about the needs of nonprofits in Natick, Anand said that he “was surprised by the number of organizations that lack volunteers.” At the same time, Rando shared that many opportunities offered by the service organizations he encountered were short-term gigs at events. They wondered if they could unite to create a project that would have lasting impact in their community.

The challenge provided by the annual Erica and Jay Ball IMPACT Award competition provided the inspiration they were seeking. The Ball family, longstanding supporters of Natick’s schools, challenged those who wished to apply for the IMPACT Award to create “a proposal for a service project impacting the community.” The competition birthed the ServeNatick concept and Anand, Bernard and Rando were named as winners in May 2024.

Anand has been volunteering for more than a decade, starting with helping the Keep Natick Beautiful organization. He said that giving back to Natick–a town that has given him so much–is personally fulfilling.

“The meaning of ‘giving back’ can take many forms and I’m glad I’ve been able to give back to my community to benefit it in the long run–whether that has meant putting in hours of community service with different organizations; connecting these groups with volunteers; or inspiring other students,” he said.

How ServeNatick Connects Individuals

Visitors to ServeNatick’s website (located at https://www.servenatick.org/) can view volunteer postings for nonprofit organizations and easily fill out a form to express interest in helping out. Likewise, Metrowest nonprofits can use the site to showcase their cause; share their need for helping hands; provide schedule details, and list volunteer requirements by age range.

While the students originally started the ServeNatick site on their own, they received a wealth of support from adults in the community, starting with the Ball family and including their parents, NHS Social Studies Teacher Matthew Brenneman, and Jay Poropatich, Director of Communications for the Town of Natick.

ServeNatick credits Poropatich as one of their biggest supporters and are grateful for his assistance with so much of their work, especially help with enhancing their web presence. Unbeknownst to Anand, Bernard and Rando, Poropatich had launched a community service directory on the town’s website and had seen the good that comes from forging community connections.

"The Town of Natick is lucky to have civic-minded high school students with the ingenuity, drive and commitment to create a valuable service for residents,” Poropatich said.

“I've had the opportunity to sit with Kabir, Cameron, and Phineas a few times to further discuss how Town staff can better assist their startup idea. I leave each meeting convinced that our NPS school system has produced three budding entrepreneurs. Congrats to the ServeNatick team!"

A Passion Project Always in Progress

Anand, Bernard, and Rando regularly talk with community members and have implemented biweekly meetings to keep the site current. After learning more from Poropatich and now that many months have passed since their launch, they’ve realized that adult community members can also benefit from the website. With school demands and other extracurriculars, it’s no small feat to keep ServeNatick afloat.

“I personally check the website daily to make sure there are no issues in the UI or functionality,” Anand said.

When asked to describe ServeNatick in just three words, its founders picked very fitting ones: Inspiring, Connecting and Empowering. ServeNatick does all these and is always striving to do more. The organization states that it’s continually “creating meaningful bonds that benefit the community.”

Stay tuned for information about the Natick Impact Collaborative Event hosted by ServeNatick (a TEDx-style event) in early spring 2025. Visit ServeNatick today and consider committing your time to a worthy organization. Sign up for regular updates. Check out the merch store featuring colorful t-shirts and sweatshirts for sale and maybe pay it forward by sharing your personal volunteer story or the ServeNatick URL with someone you know.

Natick High School is going to Germany, Poland, and Czechia in February 2026 for a cultural and WWII-era history tour, and you’re invited! See our trip itinerary linked here. To learn more about this opportunity, register for our virtual info session on Tuesday, January 14 at 6pm: https://rsvp.eftours.com/j36j45m Please reach out if you have questions or cannot attend the interest session but would still like more information: Andrea Rogers, NHS English Teacher anrogers@natickps.org

Refer to our Inclement Weather Cancellations and Delays webpage for information of what to expect in the event of inclement weather that may cause any cancellations or delays.

Families will receive broadcast phone calls, SMS texts and emails from SchoolMessenger Communicate if Natick schools are delayed, closed or are dismissing early. You will also see notices posted on our website and on Facebook. Local media outlets carry our school closing notices as well.

Pictured are several of the Natick Public Schools attendees at the 40th Anniversary METCO Directors Association Educators Conference in Norwood, Mass. on Friday, December 6.

Students who participate in the METCO program are thriving from the elementary to high school grade levels. Natick became a partner METCO district in 1969. Learn about METCO's history.

The new look and navigation for www.natickps.org is a work-in-progress. However, we've been ready to take your feedback since we went live on December 21, 2024. Let us know what you think!

Thank you for your patience as we fix misdirected links and work to ensure the best possible online experience.

The final, approved Natick Public Schools 2024-2025 school improvement plans are now available online for all NPS community members to review.

We will update submissions for consideration in our community notices pages on a periodic basis. Due to space and other considerations, NPS will not always be including community partner updates in our newsletters, so please look at our community notices page periodically. Contact communitynotices@natickps.org to request publication. NPS Communications reserves the right to approve final publication.

WHEN: Monday, January 20th from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at Natick High School, 15 West Street, Natick

Celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy that inspires and empowers us all. Our program will feature performances from student groups, NPS middle school MLK Day Creative Contest winners, community leaders and partners, interfaith clergy representatives, and much more. You won't want to miss our moving and interactive keynote from Jamele and Amy Adams.

Join us immediately before the program at 9 a.m. for a Community Connection Event, including special MLK Day activities for all ages, and time to meet student groups, community organizations, neighbors and friends. Free refreshments for all guests will be provided by Starbucks. Our MLK Day program will begin promptly at 10 a.m.

Can’t join us in person? You can livestream the program through Natick Pegasus - www.natickpegasus.org/ or watch through Natick Community Television channels: RCN 3, Comcast 99, and Verizon 29 beginning at 10am. Visit https://bit.ly/MLK_Day_Natick for more information about this special community event. Registration will help us accommodate those with accessibility needs and fulfill other planning considerations.

This event is for community members of all ages! In person, with options to view the program virtually.

Please take our parent/caregiver Survey on Youth Substance Use today! This anonymous survey takes 5-10 minutes to complete and will help inform Natick's work to address youth substance use. Your opinion matters! Questions? Contact us at natick180@natickma.org.

• FlashVote is a survey tool that makes it easy to give input directly to Town of Natick staff (as fast as 1min surveys!), ensure scalable results (via a registered panel that builds over time), and enables a representative sample (showing results by key demographics). This tool will absolutely provide key input to make key decisions in Natick! Sign Up. Learn more.

Is someone in your household not receiving the Engage biweekly district newsletter or important notices related to bus transportation? Direct them to communications@natickps.org to let us know.

Smore.com newsletter HYPERLINK + FILE & ATTACHMENT notice

Natick Public Schools does not discriminate in employment nor its educational programs, services, and activities based on race, creed, color, age, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Please be aware all electronic communication to and from Natick Public Schools is public record and subject to public disclosure per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, Section 10.

• Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5