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Welcome to June, everyone!

Welcome to (almost) the end of the 2024-25 school year. This year was full of laughs, celebrations, opportunities for growth and belonging, and new, exciting adventures for our students, staff members, and families.

I want to especially congratulate the seniors at Arlington High School, who will be entering into the next phase of their lives. We wish you nothing but the best and hope that you were nourished, supported, and challenged during your time at APS. No matter where life may take you, remember that you will always be a Spy Ponder.

Sincerely,

Dr. Elizabeth C. Homan

Superintendent, Arlington Public Schools

The APS Family Welcome Center will be open during the summer to support families with enrollment, connection to resources, and facilitating referrals. As we build out our summer support documents and schedules we invite families to let us know which supports will be helpful during the summer months. Please complete the 3 question support request survey by clicking here.

EXCITING NEWS!

The Arlington School Committee and Arlington Education Association ratified an historic contract agreement for 2024-2027 on Thursday. We want to thank the Arlington Community for their support in the Fall 2023 override vote, which made the terms of this agreement possible.

A press release can be found here

On June 11th at 7:30 PM, SEPAC will hold its June business meeting. This meeting includes elections for board positions for the coming year. We hope to see you there!

Meeting held on Zoom.

The Goals for the 2024-25 School Year were approved by the School Committee at their regular meeting on June 5th. You can review the goals at the link below. We look forward to inviting community members to participate in our efforts to implement these goals!

Dear Arlington Community,

We are excited to offer an opportunity to be part of the building project at Arlington High School (AHS). We are creating a beautiful Community Walkway with personalized bricks leading through our new playing fields, and we would like the community to be a part of this legacy. You can find the WEBSITE HERE.

NOTE: ONLINE PAYMENTS ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.

PLEASE USE this form TO PAY BY CHECK

Arlington High School has always been more than just a physical building; it's the heart of friendships, learning, and growth. The walkway will enhance our school grounds, and serve as a tribute to the people who make our community unique – parents, students, teachers, alumni, and local businesses.

The personalized brick you contribute will be integrated into the walkway. Your brick can bear your name, the name of a loved one or a group, a special date, a graphic, or a brief message in keeping with our school mission. You also have the choice to include a custom graphic. Once the walkway is complete, there will be an unveiling ceremony as part of the final ribbon cutting in 2025.

By purchasing a brick, you leave a lasting mark on our school, a message of support for our students, and contribute to the creation of our educational environment.

BRICK DETAILS: The bricks are 4”x 8”x 2 ¼” and are engraved using state of the art laser technology. Every brick engraving is guaranteed for life. The cost of each brick starts at $100. At least 200 bricks will be reserved for student groups and to provide opportunities for students to win a brick. Ordering closes October 31, 2024.

Your contribution is tax-deductible, and all funds raised will directly support the Friends of Arlington High School Fund. Thank you for considering this opportunity to support Arlington High School. Together, we can create a beautiful and meaningful walkway that reflects the strength and unity of our community.

If you have any questions, please contact Morgan Cummings

mocummings@arlington.k12.ma.us / 781-316-3658

Dear Class of 2028,

I hope all is well. We are going to have Incoming Freshmen Student and Parent Athletic Night Thursday June 6th at 6pm in the High School Auditorium. We will go over the signup process and athletic expectations. Then the coaches and students will spread out throughout the auditorium and you can go over to them if you have sport specific questions.I hope to see you all there. If you have any questions please let me know.

Thanks,

John E. Bowler M. Ed.

Director of Athletics

Arlington High School

Phone (781) 316-3551

Important links for registration:

• Kindergarten Registration Letter
• Registration Checklist
• Register Here
• Registration Website

Arlington Community Education is offering this optional and welcoming experience for incoming 6th graders at no cost. Led by Gibbs staff, students will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the building, see old friends, and meet new classmates. During one fun-filled day, they will play interactive games, do scavenger hunts, practice using a lock, experience an advisory meeting, and have lunch together in the cafeteria. Your new Trailblazer will begin to learn what being Understanding, Unified, and Unstoppable! are all about as they prepare for their Gibbs adventure.

Four sessions to choose from!

Wednesday or Thursday, August 14, 15, 21, or 22

9:00 am–3:00 pm

While the program is free, students must pre-register. Spaces are limited. Register here for one session only. No walk-ins will be allowed on the day of the program. Students must bring lunch, snack, and water bottle.

Questions? Please contact ACE by email or phone: 781-316-3568.

Highlighting school events from the previous month

Please join us for our bi-weekly regular meeting that will be held in person at the District Offices in the School Committee Room located at 14 Mill Brook Drive Arlington and online via Zoom or on ACMi at 6:30PM on the following dates:

• Thursday, June 5th at 6:30PM
• Thursday, June 20th at 6:30PM

All members of the school district community have the opportunity to address the School Committee on issues that affect the school district and are within the scope of the Committee's responsibilities during the Public Comment portion of the School Committee Meeting and/or through written correspondence to the Members. For full school committee calendar and more information please visit the School Committee Website. If you have any questions please contact Liz Diggins via email ediggins@arlington.k12.ma.us.

There is no school committee chat this month.

• June 1st- AHS Graduation at 1:00 p.m.
• June 5th- Early release w/lunch (Elementary Only)
• June 5th- Regular School Committee Meeting
• June 12th- Early release w/lunch (Elementary Only)
• June 13th - Last day of school - Kindergarten (Full/regular day)
• June 14th - Last day of school, 11:30 AM dismissal - Menotomy Preschool
• June 18th - Last day of school, 11:30 AM dismissal - Elementary, Gibbs, Ottoson, and High
  School
• June 19th- Juneteenth; NO SCHOOL
• June 20th- Regular School Committee Meeting

Resources and opportunities for families to engage in continued learning

Arlington Prevention Services is holding a ‘Let’s Talk’ training for parents of middle and high school aged children to increase their comfort in having proactive conversations with youth about substance use, increase their knowledge of substances, and role play scenarios that may come up. The training will be held on June 6th from 7-8 PM on Zoom. Register here.

What: Multilingual Learners Parent Advisory Committee (MLPAC) meeting.

When: June 7, 2024; 9:30am-11:00am

Where: In person - Robbins Library, Community Room

The MLL program recognizes the importance in collaborating and working together with our MLL families. All families of MLL students and Former MLL students are invited to partner with our schools and program to join our Multilingual Learner Parent Advisory Council (MLPAC). The MLPAC is an opportunity for MLL families to engage and share their voices, advocate for our students, and provide recommendations to school and district educators with regards to programs and services provided to MLL students.

If you missed the Youth Mental Health Series, you can find the recordings below.

Session 1 - Laying the Groundwork: Brain Development, Decisions & All The Feels: https://bit.ly/3IzKMh5
Session 2 - Brain Recap & Risks: Substance Use, Social Media & Mental Health: https://bit.ly/3xoRkMQ
Session 3 – Brain 3-Peat & Protections: Sleep, Finding Calm & Promoting Joy: https://bit.ly/3U4GYdZ

The Teen & Dog Study invites you to participate in a new research project about teenagers and their pet dogs! Your participation will help researchers from Tufts University learn more about how dogs can contribute to positive mental health outcomes for teenagers.

If you are a parent/guardian of a teenager aged 13-17 years old and you have a family dog – you may be eligible to participate in our study. We will ask you and your teenager to complete 15-25 minute surveys every year for four years. Participants will be compensated $20 for each completed survey. Enrolled families may also be asked to participate in other study activities for additional compensation.

Click here to learn more

Click here to participate

YMHFA will have two trainings during the month of June and two trainings during July. Here is the registration link and a flyer for all the summer dates.

In case you were not able to attend the April 23rd presentation by Dr. Elizabeth Englander on Healthy Social Relationships and Health Screens: Avoid Bullying and Conflict, a recording is available.

The recording is available on this link, and the passcode is N=hFRL01.

The Federation for Children with Special Needs is providing free workshops for special education families on the new IEP Form that MA is starting to use. To help families understand these changes, the Federation is launching a series of free workshops on understanding the new IEP form.

Introduction to the new IEP Form" is offered on the following dates. Click on your preferred date to register.

• Monday, June 3, 12:00-1:00
• Wednesday, June 12, 7:00-8:00

In addition, a Skills Building Series is being offered this spring. Register here.

• Wednesday, June 5, 6:00-7:00 – Bringing Forth Family Knowledge Through Data Collection

APS partners with Cartwheel to provide mental health services to all APS community members! Sign up here to receive emails about Cartwheel's webinars, including registration links and recordings. These webinars empower caregivers, family members, and school staff with practical and actionable information on mental health topics affecting youth and families today.

Families can also view recordings of previous Cartwheel webinars.

Black Print, on behalf of MA-DESE, wants to hear from you, families of district students!

If you have a child that receives Special Education Accommodations or services, please complete this survey. Survey available Kriolu, Haitian Creole, and Spanish also.

The APS Family Welcome & Resource Center is open and supporting the needs of families with enrollment, engagement, connecting with resources, and making referrals to local agencies as needed. Regular hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. View the flyer below in other languages here.

The School News app by Edlio is an activity feed for alerts, news, and events from APS. It’s a simple way to view the school news feeds and calendars. The app is free to download to your iOS or Android phone and quick to set up:

• Go to the App Store or Google Play and search for “School News by Edlio” to install.
• Open the app and search for Arlington Public Schools; tap “Add School.”
• Enable push notification by going to the Alerts tab and tapping “Enable Notifications.”

Learn English - Free Conversation Groups - In-person at Robbins Library 700 Massachusetts Ave, Wednesdays 11:30AM - 12:30PM, in Community Room. On Zoom, Fridays 11:00AM - 12:30 PM.

For more information contact englishnowArlington@gmail.com. Link for Flyer in translation.