Hello Auburn Families and Staff,

Another week has just flown by! Students and staff have been busy academically with lots of testing taking place at the end of the year and many culminating learning activities winding to a close. Students are also enjoying many end of the year field trips as well. All of this takes great effort and we continue to be thankful for the work of our teachers and staff who make all of this possible for our students. Please also take a moment to follow the link in the next section to the WCVB Wake Up Call that featured student from Auburn Middle School Unified Basketball Team! I promise it will make you smile:)

This can also be the time of year when, in the excitement of spring, students make mistakes. This is apparent in a recent police interaction with non-Auburn students related to the Water Gun Challenge. The "game" involves students "shooting" each other with water guns in what becomes a battle to be the last one standing. Sort of like a Hide and Seek - but with water guns. Because the game involves a certain degree of hiding to surprise other players, police departments inevitably receive reports of suspicious persons that turn out to be students playing the game.

The students involved in a recent such event, again not Auburn students, may face charges for participating in a challenge that includes the use of squirt guns that resemble real weapons. The fact that events like this continue to take place, pranks or jokes that involve life-like weapons is exceedingly troubling to us who work in the public schools. Anything that is related to any type of weapon is simply not tolerated as we continue to prioritize the safety of our students and staff. PLEASE be vigilant with your child(ren) and ensure that they understand the gravity of such things. What might seem to them a joke or prank could easily result in police involvement and potentially charges against them. We appreciate your support in this regard as we continue to focus on the safety of our students and staff.

As a reminder, registration for our before and after school programs, Satellite and Galaxy, is now open. Please follow this link to our website or the Quick Link below.

I would also like to thank the over 950 families who have already completed the Returning Student Registration form. This process is critical in ensuring that we have the most accurate and up to date information for students. Again, please take just a few moments to do so. Please see more specific information below that outlines the process and addresses questions you may have.

For families of Middle School and High School students, you will be given the prompt during the Returning Student Registration process to purchase iPAD insurance which we strongly encourage you to do! Accidents happen and having the insurance could really help save you money should your child(ren) damage their iPAD! Once you apply for the insurance, your child's iPAD will be covered through the 2024-2025 school until the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

May 8, 2024 will be our first Made In Massachusetts Day for our Food Service Department! All items being served have a Massachusetts connection. Thank you to Mrs. Pulver, our Director of Food Services for her efforts to improve all of the food service programming for our students and staff. Check out the attached flyer for more information!

Please see important information below related to the Auburn Public Schools' Special Education Parent Advisory Council. We need your help!

Thank you for your continued support of the Auburn Public Schools.

Best,

Beth

We are looking for an enthusiastic chairperson or co-chairperson for our Special Education Parent Advisory Council.

A Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is a state-mandated and supported advisory group that provides input to the School Committee on the education of students with disabilities and informs parents, guardians, and the community about the special education programs offered to children and youth.

SEPAC membership is open to any resident of Auburn, as well as non-resident parents or guardians of Auburn students; if you have a child who receives special education services, think your child may have learning issues or differences, behavioral, attention, social, or emotional issues or are interested in networking and expanding your advocacy skills, we invite all to join. There is no fee to join Auburn SEPAC. Would you like…to work with Auburn Public Schools to make our Special Education Department the best it can be for students and families? If so, please consider becoming our next SEPAC Chair or Co-Chair. You can contact gwalton@auburn.k12.ma.us if you are interested in helping with this important organization.

It's that time again! Please support Auburn BSA Troops 53 and 753 by purchasing some flowers from our Annual Mother's Day Flower Sale. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and an opportunity to purchase some beautiful, long-lasting flowers as Mother's Day gifts, spring decoration, a nice gift for a friend, or a treat for yourself. Your purchase helps support the troops as well as a local grower. Our baskets lasted all summer and well into the fall in past years with a good regimen of daily watering and a mix of sun and shade.

Please use the QR code in the flyer to bring you to a Google form, or use the link below. If you have trouble, you can contact the troop via the email on the flyer directly to order. Order and pay by May 8; pickup May 10, or make arrangements with the troops' Scouts for delivery. The fundraiser helps support summer camp, the purchase of merit badges and uniform regalia, financial aid, scouting trips, and educational opportunities. Thanks for your support! Sincerely, Auburn BSA Troops 53/753 4/23/24 updated link (Supporters can choose "TROOP" at the bottom of the dropdown menu for the form question "Which Scout did you buy flowers from..." if they don't know anyone in the troop personally.) https://forms.gle/z4Ba8gSesHtLuG6e6

Please see the attached flyer to get involved with the Auburn Town Wide Clean UP Day being held on May 4, 2024.

Auburn Boy Scout Troop 121 is recruiting new members. All boys in grades 5 through 11 are welcome. Join us at our next Community Service Event to learn more!

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. ~Helen Keller